Uneventful Christmas

Christmas is just not the same without kids around.

Preston came by for a couple of hours. Matt spent most of the day in his room. Ang cooked a turkey dinner and I was grateful that the four of us could have dinner together. I couldn't help thinking that it was the last time in a long time that we would all be around the table. Such is life. Hug your babies 'cause they won't be babies long!

Idgy got a "big dog" haircut at the groomers. She is teething on everything and losing teeth left & right!

No more fuzzy puppy!

We start Basic I puppy school next week. I hope she is a good girl & not the devil dog she is at home!

I still have my fur kids to keep me busy! Happy New Year to everyone!

Hemi got a haircut too!

I spend my day picking up sticks!

"Idgy" will be five months old at the end of December. What a cute dog she is- but a bundle of work!

She loves to find socks or anything else the humans own, so she can taunt you with it and dare you to catch her as she runs around the house.

I am cute, give me a treat, is what she says with her eyes, but if you don't get the message that way - she will bark at you!

No matter how many sticks she drags in from the yard, or toys she scatters to chew on, she cannot sooth her sore puppy teeth as they begin to make way for dog teeth.

Fender bender

I got "side-swiped" the other night by a big Ford F-150 truck! We came together as we turned at the same time (from different directions) on to a two lane street. He was in my lane, but of course he said that I was in his lane. Since there were no independent witnesses - it's my word against his. The Florida State Trooper who wrote the accident said that our insurance companies would fight it out. I have $250. deductible & a smashed left front fender. (the photo is before the wreck) The estimate was a whopping $1200.+! Truth be told, I usually drive too fast in my sporty little car. On the occasion of the accident, I was going the posted speed, so I guess I am lucky. Accidents happen so quickly; I am glad to say that no one was hurt. My car is in the body shop being repaired. I guess I will be riding my bike for the next few days. (I need the exercise anyway) During the holidays, one out of every four drivers is IMPAIRED! Be careful out there. Drive defensively!

Hurry up & wait!

Matt was sick with a cold & ear infection so he could not go in the Navy until he is better. They changed his ship date to January 25th. He was so disapointed, he wants to hurry up and get on with it.

He will have plenty of waiting to do when he gets in. There is always something to wait for in such a big organization like the Navy.

Today is his 19th birthday and he expected to be starting boot camp today!

It seems like only a few weeks ago I was reading Preston his favorite book, "Prince Valentino".


Yesterday we were packing up all the stuff from his room for him to move and we came across the book. I was suprised when he said that he wanted to keep it and put it in a box to take with him to his new apartment.

I asked him if he wanted me to read it to him one more time and he said, "Not right now." It is strange to see your little boy as a man. I smile at him and remember the slide show in my head of all his childhood quips, all his teenage challenges. I think back to the time when I first left my parents to get my own place. What exciting times!

He called last night, his first night in the new place to tell me that he forgot his bathroom stuff, toothbrush, razor, shampoo & soap. Of course, I got in the car and took it right over to him!

My other boy, my partner's son, Matthew, leaves for the Navy next Tuesday. It will be so weird being childless. All of a sudden our small cracker-box house has two empty bedrooms! Maybe we will make and office or a workout room, or both!

New beginnings

I hate change. I always want everything to stay pretty much the same. I am even resistant to switching the furniture around. Over the years I have learned to live with myself, I MAKE myself change the things that need changing - throw away the old one, get a new one, stuff you can't fix anymore. My son must have inherited this trait from me. He never likes any change. Don't move stuff around in his room, he'd rather see things stay the same. Imagine my suprise when he said to me last week that it was time for him to leave home, move closer to college, move into an apartment with a friend. First I was shocked. (Why would you want to leave home? You have it so good here!) Shock gave way to good sense and I realized that it is the natural course of things. I just did not know it would happen so soon. He will be 20 years old in a couple of months; the time went by so fast. Did I tell him enough, show him enough? Our time together was so short, and I told him this. He said, "It hasn't been that short, it has been my whole life." My heart is breaking but at the same time I am happy & thrilled for him to begin this journey of his life. He is not going to Europe after all, he will only be 20 minutes away!

Endless summer

Well, it is November. In Florida that means that we have made it through another hurricane season. (June-November) YEA! There were very few named storms, most of them stayed in the Atlantic and did not come near us. Last year in preparation of getting my new windows, I painted all my window inserts white, mostly to preserve the wood. I store these panels back in my shed. I have to constantly check and re-check everything I have back there because in hot, sunny Florida we have a lot of bugs. Lately, I have been "bugged" by black carpenter ants. They seem to be all over and get into every nook & cranny and set up nests everywhere. I recently got a new outside gas grill and found them living up under the gas tank of the old one. They had also made a nest in the electric box of the rotisserie. I had a hell of a time getting all of them out of there with bug spray, then I had to take it apart and clean out their "nest mess". It is not very pleasant and very time consuming to keep up with all of this maintenance, but I guess that is the price you pay to live in paradise. I wish we would get a little cold weather. I have lived in Florida since 1975 and this is the warmest it has ever been this late in the year. I would be happy with any temp below 80 degrees! Remind me of this post when I have to go to Chicago in February!

Custom made urns

Since none of us get out of this life alive. . . I thought I would show you my friend Marion's urns. You might remember me telling you about my talented woodworker friend in an earlier post. She is the one who made the murphy bed and the Adirondack chairs for me. Anyway, she has made urns for people and for pets and here are a few photos of her work. She makes them in all sizes, according to your needs.

Contact me at my e-mail if you are interested in purchasing an urn or if you just want more information about them.

Vet visit

I have to take "IDGY" to the vet for her 12 week shot. I made the mistake of calling first and of course they made me make an appointment. I asked if I could just come in now, and they said no, that the doctor wasn't in on Wednesday afternoons! (Of course he isn't, he is out playing golf with the people doctors!) Now I have an "appointment" for Friday afternoon. I will know better next time to just show up. Next, they will be asking for my doggy's health insurance card!

idgy

See how my face is getting browner? My mom bought me a red collar. I have to wear it for my puppy pre-school class!


I heard a lot of "GOOD GIRL" in school tonight!

Puppy pre-school

Idgy will be 12 weeks old this Friday. We decided since she is such a "willful" breed that we should take her to obedience school. Last night she went to her first class. She was a hit at school, everyone "ooowing & aahaaaing" about how cute she is. She learned how to walk on a lead and sit and to pay attention. About 30 minutes into the 50 minute class, she was bored and wanted to go home. Her schedule was so re-arranged yesterday that she was up at 3 AM this morning. I hope today that we can get her back on schedule so she will sleep through the night.

Tammy & Valerie

I do not know them well. I only met them once when we all had dinner together with mutual friends at a Thai restaurant. I thought they were both nice, and I liked the way that they were comfortable with each other. It was clear that they were quite fond of each other by the way they interacted; the way people look when they know each others next thought. I was sad when I heard the news about their terrible motorcycle accident sixteen days ago. It was a shock and a tragedy to everyone as the news spread among their friends. Broken bones and brain injuries usually happen in a motorcycle accident, and this one was no exception. In the first couple of days, it was not clear that Tammy would even survive. Each day that she is in the hospital gets us a little closer to having a collective sigh of relief, that at least now she will survive. I have owned two motorcycles myself, when I was younger. You think to yourself, "it will be OK because I am a careful driver". You never know when out of nowhere, someone will not see you and hit you. I find myself thinking of what must have been going through Tammy & Valerie's minds as the accident was occurring. Tammy tried to keep the bike upright, as it was skidding out of control. Valerie, helpless to do anything but hold on, on the back of the bike. I am sure they were both so scared. Incidents like this begin to slow down when you are in them, and seem to go like a slow motion movie, frame by frame by frame. I hope that they have no memory of this and I hope that they are not lying in their hospital beds reliving it and wondering what they could have done differently to change the events of that night. Tammy & Valerie were smart to have a health care surrogate in place, their good friend of many years, Donna. If there are angels on earth, Donna is surely one of them. She has taken care of everything from difficult medical decisions to feeding their cat, and everything in between. If good thoughts or prayers for them can speed up their recovery, they have plenty of that.

I love my dogs!

The new puppy IDGY is doing well, learning to sit on command for a treat and learning to potty outside. She is a real doll, I swear her legs get longer everyday! She has learned how to bark & growl and has a very deep voice for a puppy! Wire Fox Terrier puppies are born with almost all black hair on their face, then it fades out to brown. Since they do not shed, they have to be groomed with plucking or shaving. By the time of her first grooming, she will look much different, loosing all the black around her face & head. It is natural for these dogs to dig, as they are ratters, and she has started that already, although I am right behind her with a distraction! I don't want to have holes in the backyard.



She loves to run and play with her big brother, HEMI.

The old dog, BUDDY, tolerates her, but still growls at her to stay away from him. She growls right back at him, but keeps her distance. Buddy says, "Leave me alone, I'm old!"

This past weekend, we went to the "Dog Extravaganza" and saw lots of other breeds of dogs. The vendors at the show gave away LOTS of samples of dog food. I am trying different foods for the new puppy to see what she likes.

. . . the right to bear arms!

I went to the gun show yesterday. Anyone who thinks the economy is bad should go to one of these events. The place was packed despite the $8. admission price. The concealed carry classes conducted twice a day during the weekend are always filled up. To get a concealed carry permit in Florida, you have to attend a two hour lecture and a five minute "range qualification". The range consisted of you entering the booth, picking up a pistol, pointing it downrange and firing the pistol, ONCE. That's it, you pay your fee, get fingerprinted, and send your application off to the State. In about six or eight weeks you will be licensed to carry a firearm CONCEALED on your person, or in your purse. I am retired law enforcement and a retired police firearms instructor, and I got to tell you, the number of people licensed to carry guns with little or no training scares me. How about the rest of the people who carry without a license? Everyone knows that they have the "right" in America to arm themselves. There are undertones around these shows that the Obama administration is looking to outlaw guns. Now there are record gun sales, and record ammunition sales, so much that there is a shortage. People are "stocking up" and there is more gun violence on the streets than ever before. I don't know what the answer to this problem is. Good, law biding citizens are now arming themselves because they are afraid that they will be attacked and will have no defense against the criminals. It is looking like America is going back to wild west times. Sad.

Back to the gym

I am back to the gym this week; I really couldn't think of anymore excuses not to go. The "Anytime Fitness Club" (as they call it) is less than a mile from my house. I could walk there or bike there like I used to when I first joined but there is so much road construction now at the entry roads to my neighborhood that walking or biking is almost impossible. Matt is going with me as he is trying to get in shape for boot camp. The club is open 24 hours. I really like that because we go late at night when no one else is around. They have great treadmills, the kind with the attached television. I like that - I can watch TV and take my mind off what I am doing. The also have free weights & machines (all kinds of torture machines). I hope to get back to walking and exercising regularly. My cardiac treadmill test is in November and I want to do good on it so I am "in training" for that! If the weather EVER cools off I can get back to biking. I hate exercise but I feel so much better when I do it.

Long time!

Wow, it is a long time between posts! Not much news here. Preston is in college, but was laid off from his part-time job. Not much in the luggage sales in this economy. He loved that job but I guess it was too good to be true - a job where you can sit around & study between customers. Matt is waiting around to go in the Navy, 70 more days until boot camp. He will be going to Great Lakes, Illinois in mid December. That means he graduates 8 weeks from that date. His Mom & I will have to brave the winter to go to his graduation; cold weather that we are not accustomed to.

I have a new puppy- a wirehared fox terrier, cute as she can be!

Hemi tolerates her. Just like a little sister, she always wants to play with his toys!

I have been busy on Facebook getting in touch with all my old friends. I haven't forgotten about the blog though. Here is all the news:

The recent trip to NYC was fun & very exciting for the boys. Matt, who is going in the Navy soon, was excited to be on a real aircraft carrier. We went aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid that is permanently moored as a museum. Matt & his mom did the "flight simulator". Matt flew the plane quite well, only turning his mom upside down once or twice! We enjoyed seeing all the neat stuff aboard a ship that size.

While in New York we visited Central Park and the boys climbed all over the rocks. (fun for them because we live in Florida - flat land!)

We visited Rockefeller Center, the American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We walked around the city a lot and took cabs & the subway for transportation. We took the Grey Line bus tour (again) for the boys sake. They got to see a lot more of the city that way. There is so much to see/do in NYC. Both boys want to know when we can go back!

Tec-knowledge-GEE

The other night I was cleaning up the kitchen, wiping down the new stove. Somehow, I locked myself out of the oven. A big orange LOCKED was on the control panel and the oven door & storage drawer would not open. I had to consult the owner's manual to figure out how to get it unlocked! Nice. The oven also has a "Sabbath" mode, so don't even try to turn on the oven on the weekend! If you do turn it on, you can't turn it off because it locks the controls! I like all the new technology but there is so much stuff to know. The ipod, the computer, the fancy HE washer & dryer, the home theater, the dvd player, the camera. Then you must sync one gadget with another, update and upgrade. I think it might be a good idea to take a vacation from the gadgets. On the other hand, I might just be OLD and tired of all this crap!!!

We are leaving in the morning for yet another trip to NYC. Do I know how to spend money or what? This will be the last trip together for the four of us, so we are going to make it a good time. We will do a lot of site-seeing, the boys (men, I mean) will love it because they have never been to a big city. Yes, I know, the "men" would probably rather go to strip bars than hang with the moms - but you know that is not gonna happen!

Sad news

Doctor B., who has been my doctor for twenty years, came home to find his wife murdered in their home last night. It is bad enough that your loved one is the victim of a violent crime, but worse when you have to be the one to discover the tragedy. It is a sad day when anyone dies, but so much worse when it is so sudden & violent. I know from experience that victim's and families of victims always find a way to blame themselves when going through this kind of grief. "If I had just done this. . . or that," they usually say. Many of us will be victims or have close friends or relatives that will be victims of crimes. We must find the inner strength to deal with whatever life brings us. I am sure Dr. B is familiar with the seven stages of grief. He has counselled others facing death. My heart goes out to him in his hour of need.

I have been hanging out on Facebook. . . .

. . .and wasting away my computer time over there. I haven't forgot that I need to keep up with my blog, there's just not enough time in the day! Well, since I have been away - it has been raining everyday here in the sunshine state. Have no fear, it rains for an hour or so - usually in the afternoon - then clears up and the sun shines again. I have to mow the grass about every five days, but that's OK, I have a ride-on mower and a I-POD, so it is not like real work! I am growing cherry tomatoes this summer in my "earth box" even though I was advised by the experts that it is too hot. I am out there everyday spraying the plants for bugs and picking off caterpillars. That part is not much fun. So the other day I see this thing perched on my fence. I mistook it for a leaf until I looked a little closer. The leaf even moved with the wind. I was amazed at this bug. I had never seen one of these, and it let me get really close before it began to move slowly away. I think it is called a "Katydid" but I would have to consult with "Florida Cracker" to be sure. I was really impressed with nature upon seeing this cool bug! How do you suppose he finds Mrs. Katydid? I bet he has to look through a lot of leaves!

Great time in NYC

We spent four days in New York City. My brother & sister-in-law were up there visiting their grown daughter & her husband who live there. We stayed in mid-Manhattan, while my brother was dog sitting on the upper east side, and my niece lives in the village. It was fun getting together everyday via subway, bus, or taxi or just plain "walking your ass off". So many things have changed since I was last in the city. The most noticeable difference was that the honk honk honk honk of cars was gone! I remember everyone always honking. I found out the they finally passed a law to stop the honking - $350. fine! I still heard honking, but not near like it used to be. The taxi drivers are still the wildest drivers I have EVER seen, and I admire their skill as they weave through traffic at a high rate of speed. There are 13,000 cabs in NYC and I love traveling in them! We also honed our subway skills and went uptown, downtown & all around on them. The most difficult thing about that is finding the station entrances, so we finally got a map. We also got a three day pass for the Grey Line tour bus. It makes you seem like a real tourist; even though I was born there - I am a tourist after this long. The good thing about the bus is that you can get on & off as many times as you like, so we used that a lot to get around & go shopping.

We visited the site of the World Trade Center disaster and St. Paul's Church memorial. It was shocking to see a construction site in place of the tallest building that we used to stand on top of. The church is an old historical site itself, that now has many pictures and mementos of September 11.

We went to Rockefeller Center and went to the "top of the rock". It is cheaper that going to the Empire State Building (I have done that plenty of times) and it is much less crowded. You can see all of New York (including the Empire State Building) from 70 floors up and it was great. On Sunday we went to beautiful Central Park and saw the dance skaters. This is a club that meets every weekend to skate in the park. It is a real collection of characters just getting their grove on and doing their own thing - It was great.

The weather was in the mid 70's when we were there. We had a great time and plan to visit again SOON. Next time we will take the boys with us.

NYC is truly one of the greatest cities in the world!

Vacation!

We are headed to New York City for the 4th of July! I can't wait, I haven't been there in 20 years. I will post lots of pics when I get back. Be careful with those fireworks!

Schnauzer-town

If you have dogs, and you are thinking of maybe adding another dog, do this first: Borrow some dogs and care for them for a week or so. I am baby-sitting a couple of Schnauzers for some friends on vacation. With my two dogs - THAT MAKES A PACK! I usually leave dry food down for my dogs and (much like me) they "graze" all day. They eat when they are hungry, and don't overeat. One of the dogs I am watching is a little Schnauzer named Bella - about a year old. She cannot be trusted to eat only when she needs too, and will stay at the bowl until it is empty (much like me). It is SO much fun to get them all fed. They are such cute dogs but a lot of work. I let them out but have to monitor them in the yard. They are not used to such a big yard at home and they want to explore the whole place. I always have to be in their sight, or they run around looking for me. I guess they must think that they are orphan dogs now that there parents have left them. On the last trip out in the yard before bed, I always lose Bella. She is so black that I can't see her at night. She doesn't come when called, she prefers (much like me) to stay out as late and as long as she wants!






My old Jack Russell, Buddy, keeps looking at me as if to say, "who the hell are these dogs & when are they going home?'

Antiques of our life

My 19 year old son yelled for me to come into his room to see something "really neat". He had a friends turntable and was playing a record on it. "Isn't this the great?", he said. It was hard to believe that he had never seen a turntable. He really liked it and collected a few "vinyls" to play on it. I told him that back in the day we just called them records, or albums. I told him about the other speeds like 45 rpm - you had to have an adapter for those records to fit on the spindle. He wasn't sure how to "change tracks" and I showed him how to lift the needle and move it to the next song. It was strange to see him so excited over something that I had considered just an everyday thing when I was a kid. We listened to the first album my parents ever let me have, "Meet the Beetles".



We still say, "dial the telephone", but we haven't done that in years. I think I will find a dial phone and see what he thinks of that!

The fun never stops!

I am summoned for Federal Jury duty on Monday. I thought I would not hear anything else from them after I returned my questionnaire stating that I was retired law enforcement. Er, I guess I am still eligible. I don't really want to get out of it, I think it is every one's duty to serve. I think I will be disqualified on the first day after the attorneys question me. The only thing I really hate is that the court is 40 miles from my house, and I must be there by 0730! (retired people don't usually get up that early). . . .and according to my summons, I must dress appropriately. I believe that my retirement attire (shorts, a tee shirt & tennis shoes) is appropriate. I imagine if I show up dressed like that, there will be some sort of consequence. I always enjoyed going to court when I was a detective; if only to laugh at the defendants who thought that the judge wasn't GOD in that room! So many times I would hear, "he can't do that!" If you ever have to go to court for any reason, please remember: The judge CAN do ANYTHING he wants! . . . and because of that I will search in the back of my closet and find some of my old detective clothes, so that I don't have to spend the night in jail wearing shorts & a tee shirt!!!

OK - admit it - you have all gone over to FACEBOOK!

Nobody is blogging like they used to. I check some of my favorite blogs and I see you absent for weeks, sometimes months!!! I know you have all made the switch to Facebook! OK, I have to admit, that I finally went there. I became a "facie" last week. I will still have time for blogging, though, and you should too! This is my fifth year blogging, and it is a good place to keep all the stuff that you want to look back on, especially if you are getting senile like me! Speaking of old age, I recently discovered that I am skipping or changing friend's birthdays. For the last (at least) two years I have changed Dan's birthday from May 4 to May 14. He must think I am crazy sending a card TEN days late that says "have a great day". Steve is the real owner of the May 14th birthday, and I have totally skipped him, changing his birthday to October 17. I just discovered thru Facebook that 10-17 is Enita's birthday. The one birthday that I would like to forget is MINE! So, sorry everyone, hope you had a good birthday!

I haven't blogged in a while and I am sorry 'bout that, but these should make you smile:

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,
'How old was your husband?'
'98,' she replied, 'Two years older than me'
'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.
She responded , 'Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporter interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked.
She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is You can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement,
New knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes
I'm half blind,
Can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine,
Take 40 different medications that
Make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.
Have bouts with dementia ..
Have poor circulation;
Hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.
Can't remember if I'm 89 or 98.
Have lost all my friends. But, thank God,
I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape,
So I got my doctor's permission to
Join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But,
By the time I got my leotards on, The class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises As your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, ' For fast relief.'

THE SENILITY PRAYER : Grant me the senility to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
The eyesight to tell the difference.

Always Remember This:
You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing!

I will catch up on all the news soon! Love ya- Tuff

Update the date!

Matt's new deployment date is December 30, 2009. He has been accepted in to the Nuclear Program, which means he will have a year of difficult studies to learn all about maintaining a nuclear power plant aboard a Navy ship. Both aircraft carriers & submarines are nuclear powered. Sailors get extra pay incentive to be on a submarine but Matt would rather be on a carrier. He is excited about going, and we are excited for him. We will just have to wait a while longer. We have been reading "Navy Moms", a web site all about the Navy. You can find out anything, they even have videos about boot camp. Other Navy moms blog about their young sailors. (I love the internet!)

New chairs

My friend Marion is building Adirondack chairs. I bought four of them for my deck. I got rid of the table because we never seem to use it for dining out there. The new chairs have very wide thick arms, nice to set a drink on. Marion really beefed up the construction, using thicker wood that most Adirondack type chairs. I really like them. They will last forever! If any of you live in Florida and would like to get some of these "wonderful" chairs, e-mail me, and I will put you in touch with that little powerhouse builder!
I am finished re-modeling the house for a while, I just want to take it easy this summer. I am considering planting a few vegetables in my flower pot garden. The drought is so bad in Florida this year, we have only had one day of rain in the last month, maybe even the last six weeks. The grass & weeds that I call my lawn are dead, nothing but sandy soil left. I water all my flower pots by hand to conserve water.
Hopefully the drought will be over soon, then I will be complaining about having to cut the grass so often. I still don't see how some people are bored in their retirement; I always have plenty to do!