TUFFENUF

Happy to be here!

2012-01-15T07:47:00.004-05:00

In September 2011, I underwent open heart surgery to repair my clogged arteries. I had cardiac bypass surgery which involves taking a vein out of your leg and using it to "bypass" the clogged arteries. My father died in 1973 from this same ailment (which is hereditary) and I have been aware of my condition for several years having been treated for it with a "stent" in 2001. My mother also had this disease and had bypass surgery in 1999. My surgery went well and they bypassed six (yeah 6!) arteries. The first days of recovery were the toughest days of my life. I was bloated up and looked like a big puffy clown. I could hardly move and had several blisters the size of golf balls behind my knee that continuously drained. If they told you that you would feel like this or that they pump about 40 pounds of water into your body, you would never have this surgery. I was in such pain & discomfort that I spent the first six weeks sleeping upright in a chair (when I could sleep). Initially, I remember thinking that I had made a bad mistake. If this was my quality of life, that I should have just died. My "Angel" was with me every step of the recovery and without her I don't know that I would have made it through this. She bathed me, wiped my butt, helped me stand up & sit down, waited on me hand & foot, fixed my meals, regulated my medications. I am diabetic and I have to take insulin shots. It is dangerous to have surgery when your blood sugar is not regulated and it also slows the healing time. I had to keep a close watch on my blood glucose. Somehow, I made it through this. Now, almost four months later, I am starting to feel better again. It takes time to heal when they saw open your breast bone, take your heart out and fix it, then sew you back up with wire! My leg was a problem too. Once they remove that vein, your leg takes a long time to heal, my leg still swells up daily. I continue to feel better everyday and life is bearable now. This operation is truly a miracle of modern medicine!

It is true what people say - what does not kill us makes us stronger!

Catching up

2011-07-18T11:41:00.005-04:00

I want to keep up with this blog, but it seems like I never do! Anyway, in an effort to catch up, here is what has been happening. I traveled to New York City on the 4th of July. For several years now I have wanted to see the Macy's fireworks display "in person". It was not to be again this year. Even though I was on the tenth floor of my hotel in Brooklyn, I was too far away and facing east and the fireworks were west of my location! I had to go to bed a 9 PM anyway because I was going with my brother to the hospital early the next morning. Maybe next year for the fireworks!

My older brother, Doug, discovered that he had low iron when he went to give blood in May of this year. Further tests revealed that he had a tumor, a Leiomyosarcoma, which is a rare form of cancer that occurs in only about four of a million people. Doug had no symptoms of this disease other than the low iron. The slow growing tumor, resistant to chemo & radiation therapy, was about this size of his fist. There is no cure for Leiomyosarcoma, the only treatment is surgical resection. So on July 5th, at 4 AM, my brother, his wife & daughter and I were in a car traveling up FDR drive in Manhattan, en route to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. Dr. Murray Brennan, the leading sarcoma surgeon in the county would op

erate on my brother in an attempt to remove the tumor and save Doug's life. I remember the beautiful drive in the car in pre-dawn Manhattan, hoping that this wasn't Doug's last view of his favorite city.

Doug went into surgery around 7:30. We waited several hours until the doctor called us into a private room. Dr. Brennan told us (in his New Zealand accent) that he got the tumor, got the whole thing, and that no further treatment would be necessary. We were so happy and relieved. We found out days later, from his "fellow" surgeon, Dr. Jennifer LaFemina, that Dr. Brennan is retiring and only takes a very few cases. We feel like Doug won the lottery by going to Sloan-Kettering and getting the leading Leiomyosarcoma expert for a surgeon! After a week in the hospital, Doug has gone home to Virginia, with hopefully no recurrence of this dread cancer!

Tennessee

2010-10-26T07:32:00.004-04:00

We traveled to Tennessee by flying to Asheville, North Carolina via Atlanta, Georgia. We were on a small 50 person jet from Atlanta to Asheville and it was bumpy & exciting, like a roller coaster ride into Asheville with cross winds! We rented a car and drove an hour over to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the condo. It is a beautiful place, with a large back porch that backs up on the golf course. It was very peaceful & quiet. We did NOTHING for four days and just enjoyed ourselves, hiking & taking photos. The foliage is on the change, going from green to gold & red. We spent time in the Smokey Mountains National Park. Angela's parent's condo is really nice, two bedrooms, two baths, plenty of room. the mountains are nice, a stark contrast to the flatlands of Florida. The weather was stellar! 70's in the daytime & 40's at night. We had a fire in the fireplace. the only downside is that both of us caught a cold- we think from all the re-breathing on the airplane! No matter where we caught it, we were miserable for a few days when we got home!

I like to visit the mountains, but I love my home in Florida - I wouldn't live anyplace else!

Summer end

2010-09-20T12:04:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day of Fall, but you would not know this by the Florida weather. The long hot summer continues, with a few days of low humidity to make you think it might be cooler. I have done a lot this summer. I am always busy doing the everyday house/yard work. I went to New York City again. This time my son and I went to see his girlfriend off as she moves up to New York University for her Freshman year of college. I was lucky that my brother, Doug, was up in city at the same time and we got to hang out. My brother is very knowledgeable about the city. Plenty of walking when you are up there! My blood sugar gets out of whack when I do so much walking. If I lived in a big city- my diabetes would be under control! I love the city. There are so many things to do, places to see, great food, great shopping. It is fun, but certainly not cheap! It is difficult to get a nice hotel room in Manhattan for less that $180. a night. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Soho, and it was $200. a night. It was a small but clean, nice room. They have a nice free continental breakfast. I am sure I will be going up to the city a lot more now. I am looking for a campground to drive the RV up and camp, but still be close enough to go into the city. I have checked out Liberty Harbor in Jersey City that is right across the water from the Statue of Liberty. Staying there is $60. a night, and it is an asphalt parking lot, not a fancy campground, but I would enjoy staying in my own digs just a stones throw away from the city! Next month I am going to Tennessee for a few days to spend some time in the Smokey Mountains!

Surprise visit

2010-06-03T08:08:00.003-04:00

Matthew traveled from Naval Nuclear School in South Carolina in his new car to visit us over the Memorial Day weekend. He called on Friday and told us that he was en-route. His mom was happy & we had a nice visit with him. Our little dog, Idgy, loves our boys and was glad to see Matt & play with him. After he left on Monday, Idgy sat by the door overnight waiting for him to return. Dogs really are our best friends!

Last look

2010-05-24T21:03:00.004-04:00

I went to the beach today. I am trying to get my last looks at a beach with blue/green water before it turns brown with oil. I went to Caspersen Beach in Venice, Florida - I haven't been down there in about 15 years. It is a place that people used to frequent to look for shark's teeth. Years back they were abundant, every handful of sand had many sharks teeth. Now it is a little harder to find them & you see people using sand baskets to scoop them up.

Years ago, we took a trip there with my friends Barb & Enita from Texas. Enita took a recipe from a cookbook called "Manifold Destiny" (I think that was the name of it) and cooked our lunch on the hot engine of her van as we traveled the hour it took to get there. Imagine the looks on people passing by as we stopped along the highway half-way there for Enita to check her roast. She was under the hood of the van with oven gloves, unwrapping her meal so she could turn it over, then wiring it back onto the manifold! What a sight! We had a wonderful hot lunch when we arrived at Caspersen Beach! I fear that soon these beach areas will be gone, and all the sea life will be dead. I hope by some miracle the Gulf can recover - but I don't see how.

My boy

2010-05-16T22:39:00.005-04:00

Preston went with his girlfriend to her senior prom this past weekend. I am glad that he finally went to a school dance; he never participated in his own high school stuff. He is growing up and not as shy as he used to be- it is nice to see him so happy and in love. Preston's girlfriend has been accepted at NYU and will be moving to New York in the fall. Preston would like to go with her, but it probably will not be financially possible.

Preston is out of college for the summer and is so far unsuccessful in finding a job. I am hoping he will find something soon!

New beginnings

2010-05-12T08:10:00.007-04:00

I neglect my blog for a while, then someone says, "Hey, why haven't you been blogging?" I thought no one was reading this! I am trying to catch up, and I spend my computer time on Facebook - though I don't like it as much.

Lately I have been working on my new Winnebago motorhome. I traded my Durango & travel trailer for it. I miss having a truck, I only have this small sports car now. I spend time/too much money at Lowes & Home Depot and I have to remember not to buy anything BIG because I can't get it home! We went camping for the Mother's Day weekend at nearby Oscar Scherer State Park. It is a lovely park & the first time I had been there. We took our three dogs with us (a first for that as well). They were fine, but we worried about keeping them confined & on their leashes for fear they would get lost. They loved being with us and getting lots of walks. I miss the times when a bunch of us would have a group camping trip. Maybe we should start doing that again!

2010-02-17T06:42:00.002-05:00

I love the internet. I try to remember what life was like without it. Back in the 80's I was a street cop, and we did not even have walkie-talkies. Cell phones were a dream of the future. We would have to be near the squad car to call for help, or just handle the situation. It seems so dangerous now. The 80's were the beginning of the "no respect" time for cops, and many people would fight with the cops rather than comply. I was lucky to get by unscathed for the most part. Only once, on a traffic stop, a guy knocked me to the ground to get away. We caught him later in the night and found out he was an escaped prisoner.
Cops recently arrested the murderer who took the life of my doctor's wife. What a senseless crime. Here is an account of the current case:
Sunday, february 14
Arrest Made in Briles Murder
Finally an arrest has been made in the murder of Kathleen Briles, which occurred on August 3, 2009 in Manatee, Florida. Manatee Sheriff Brad Steube made the announcement last week. Delmer Smith is a suspect in multiple burglaries in Manatee and Sarasota counties and is the prime suspect in the murder of Mrs. Briles. Smith used a sewing machine to beat Briles to death and apparently was found to have Briles' property in his possession. The main item is a rare Minnie Mouse Key chain, which Smith had in his possession. Dr. Briles identified the key chain belonging to his wife, which he gave as an anniversary gift. The THUG also attempted to sell a necklace belonging to Briles by hiring an accomplice to sell the item. EDITOR'S COMMENT: This has to be the scum of the earth. Florida does have the death penalty and we can only hope it will be applied in this case. Kathleen Briles is the wife of Dr. James Briles; son of the late Iowa Senator, James Edward and Marilyn Lorene Tendall Briles. Not until this case is done and "justice" is carried out will the Briles Family find true relief and peace.

Well, Thanks to Minnie Mouse, the perp had it on his key chain! There is no justice that will ease the pain of having a murdered loved one.

2010-02-02T15:04:00.005-05:00

Matthew has been at Navy boot camp now for a week and a day. His mother cried for the first day, but now she seems to be adjusting. It is strange to think that Matt will never be back here to live, and now we have two more bedrooms in our house. When Preston left in December, I made his bedroom into an office, spreading out and bringing in all the paperwork, bills and stuff that we had always kept in the dining room.

We got a letter yesterday telling us Matt's graduation date is in March. We made airline reservations this morning. We are wondering what the weather will be like in Illinois the end of March. It will be colder than tropical Florida, we know that much. I am trying to collect some winter clothes, long johns, gloves, hats - stuff we don't usually need around here.

It is so strange not to have kids in the house. Just me & the pups here in the day. I talk to them a lot. They cock their heads and look strangely at me. They must be wondering where the boys are. I talk to Preston once in a while, but mostly if he needs something. I try to remember that there was a time when I wanted to be away from my parents and just independent & hang out with my friends. I wonder how my parents felt about it. They never mentioned it. I won't either, but I really miss him!

altered state

2010-01-03T22:46:00.004-05:00

Any kind of medication alters my mental state. If I take even as much as a baby aspirin, I can feel the effect on my mind. It is no wonder I feel "crazy" sometimes. I am on two meds for hypertension, one for high cholesterol, one for diabetes, and a couple of months ago the doctor put me on insulin injections. Just keeping up with taking, ordering, counting all this medication is a chore, but with insulin, you have to eat something every couple of hours or you get dizzy & spacey! Today Angela & I were in the grocery store and I got a little dizzy. Suspecting low blood sugar, I got a Life Saver candy to suck on and went to sit down on the bench by the check out counters. "Just leave me alone" is my usual mantra as I sit quietly trying to feel better. Little did I know as I sat there on the bench that sign was on my forehead. You know the one, the cop sign I used to have, "TALK TO ME, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER" An old man asks if he can sit on the other end of the bench (old, I really mean he was probably my age!). I say "of course", (of course) and he sits down & immediately says, "I had to put down my best friend today". "Oh, no", I say- hoping he meant his dog & that he is not a crazed killer making a confession. He proceeds to tell me the whole tear-jerking story about how they hoped the dog could make it through the weekend, but that this morning she was just so sick with liver cancer that they had to take her & have her euthanized. He relayed to me that he is restoring an old car in his garage and that everyday when he worked on it, the dog stayed right there at his side. He said that he thought when he finished that car, he would have the dogs name painted on the back of it as a tribute to her. He told me that he loved that dog. Finally, Angela rescued me from the bench when she finished paying for the groceries. The dizziness had passed but then I was an emotional mess from the damn dog story and people were staring at me crying as I put the groceries in the trunk!

Uneventful Christmas

2009-12-31T22:44:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-12-23T10:41:00.006-05:00

"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

2009-12-21T23:48:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-12-16T17:44:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-12-10T12:51:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-07T11:23:00.005-05:00

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

2009-11-01T03:41:00.001-05:00

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

2009-10-29T07:12:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-28T13:12:00.009-04:00

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

2009-10-27T22:21:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-21T07:38:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-20T00:19:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-10-19T09:32:00.012-04:00

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!

2009-10-12T10:21:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-07T00:51:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-10-06T14:10:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-08-31T12:18:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-07T22:14:00.001-04:00

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

2009-08-04T23:39:00.002-04:00

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. . . .

2009-07-30T22:09:00.003-04:00

. . .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

2009-07-07T22:27:00.007-04:00

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!

2009-07-02T06:55:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-22T10:05:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-17T21:22:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-06-06T22:17:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-06-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-05-25T21:00:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-04-29T10:12:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-28T07:27:00.001-04:00

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!

News from the home front

2009-03-25T08:16:00.008-04:00

Well, Matt is in the Navy now!!! He seems really happy about it and his mom is happy for him. He is on the delayed entry program, he graduates from high school in May, then off to boot camp in October. It was a big decision for him to commit for the next four to six years, but he did it and I think it will be good for him.

We finally finished the kitchen remodeling project. We got granite countertops, installed a backsplash, and replaced all the white appliances with stainless steel. I spend more time polishing my new range than cooking on it!

We also put granite on the dining room bookcase, and replaced the solid shelves with glass shelves. While we had the bookcase disassembled, I installed under cabinet lights in the top. It looks very different and a nice change. The granite did not cost as much as I thought, it was less than $2800. for the whole job.

I took my dog Hemi to the groomer yesterday. He hasn't had a haircut in six months, what a difference!

In the NAVY

2009-02-27T07:48:00.002-05:00

Our youngest boy has wanted to be in the Navy since he was about five years old. We were at the recruiter's office the other day, negotiating for the best deal. The recruiter asked Matt what he wanted to do in the Navy - I piped up and said - "he has always wanted to be an Admiral!" The Navy is still a good way to get an education and have it paid for, and have a job when you get through it. Matt qualified in the top 1% on his test, so he can choose any job in the Navy. (how about Admiral?) He wanted to be a Navy Seal, but realized that the competition for that is very intense. He is thinking about Nuclear technician. Everyone in the family, grandparents, uncles, etc., tell Matt to not sign anything until he talks to them. He is patiently listening to all of them, but you can see in the eyes of an 18 year old, that he knows more than most of them. His mother is excited that he has chosen something to do after high school, but I imagine it will hit her after the actual "signing" occurs. She says that she is looking forward to re-modeling his room when he moves out. I am betting she will turn into a cry-baby soon; or maybe that will just be me!

I am just amazed!

2009-02-17T23:26:00.003-05:00

With the economy in such dire straits, why are we so obsessed with a cheater in professional baseball, a single mom with eight new babies, and Joaquin Phoneix (who named him?) acting strange and threatening to give up his acting career? We seem to worry about the wrong stuff. Shouldn't we be figuring out how to help each other, and help our neighbors who are losing their jobs and dealing with home forclosure? Instead of trying to help the woman with the babies, why has everyone turned against her? Why are they so angry with her. There are plenty of abusive parents, and we are not outraged about that. The internet is flooded with fodder on these stories. Why aren't we outraged with the corporate executives and bank presidents? Shouldn't their photos be on the internet and tv news everyday? Why don't we make them pay back the money they have stolen before they get a bail-out? I just don't understand.

What law?

2009-02-10T09:01:00.002-05:00

I took this photo at the car wash yesterday on my cell phone camera. I have been retired from law enforcement for almost five years now, so maybe there are some new laws. The sign says that anyone washing a muddy truck will be charged to the "fullest extent of the law." Why wouldn't the car wash want to wash the muddy trucks? Aren't they in the business to wash dirty vehicles? Maybe they don't want the mud in their drains, I don't know. I checked my SUV, which is essentially a truck, to see that I had a little road mud on it. I went in anyway. I hoped that a cop wouldn't come by and give me a "mud washing ticket"! I can just imagine the call to the police dispatcher. SOMEONE IS IN THE CAR WASH WITH A MUDDY TRUCK, SEND A SQUAD CAR OVER AND ARREST THEM! I think the dispatcher might just hang up, thinking it was a prank call. Anyway, I am just not sure where you should take a muddy truck if not to the car wash. What about a muddy car - is that OK? Too weird.

Yeah, I'm still here. . .

2009-01-16T07:55:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe how time goes by, especially when you are retired! You know how it is, when you have a day off from work and it goes by so quickly- well, that is how everyday is when you are retired! My life is flying by!

In a few days we will have a new president. I have been impressed so far that the president elect has used the internet to inform citizens. This is the first time that technology has been used this way, and I think it is a good idea. I hope that we can all come together in 2009, stop all the greed and help each other make a better world.

Christmas was great. We did not exchange presents, and the boys did not seem to mind. After all, we give them or help them get anything they need or want. Both boys are working part-time and going to school. They are busy all the time & that is good.

Preston had some friends over and celebrated the New Year roasting marshmallows over a fire in the back yard. I was glad that he was home on that night.

We have finished the bathroom re-model (finally!) and it is on to the kitchen. They are coming on Monday to measure for granite countertops. The advantage of living in a small house is that these things don't cost as much as you think they would. I think granite countertops even in my small kitchen will look great.

I hope everyone has a safe and healthy New Year!

2008-12-17T13:21:00.003-05:00

I have been out to the store for various things & observed the influx of cheap gifts in the stores. When will it ever stop? This year we decided not to exchange gifts, rather spend time with each other and do things like go out to dinner together. The gift buying pressure is OFF and it feels really good. There is SO much STUFF in the stores, do we really need all these things? It is no wonder that the economy is collapsing. Anyway, I will pass along this video that I found quite funny. It is called "Cheap car made in China".

2008-12-16T13:13:00.003-05:00

I had some friends over this past weekend. I rarely do this. I sometimes "get together" with friends, but usually not at my house. As I have told you before, I live in a little "cracker box" of a house, and I never feel like it is big enough to entertain. Over the past few weeks the bathroom remodel has been going on. I expected that it would be completed before the company came over. You know what they say about the best laid plans - anyway, the tile people were STILL working in the bathroom on Sunday when my company was here. Finally, tomorrow, the toilet is scheduled to go in. (I will believe it when I see it) In the meantime, four of us have been sharing a small bathroom and shower. In the remodel we took out the bathtub and made it into a shower. Most people are worried about the re-sale of the house when you do that. I think that if I ever sell this house that it would only cost a couple of hundred dollars to drop a bathtub back in there. We have never used the tub, because we all take showers. The new tile is bigger than the small little 4x4 tiles that came in the house. It will be nice if it ever gets done. We had a "cubby hole" built into the wall to store shampoos and soaps. I hope the boys like their new bathroom because that is all they are getting for Christmas!

Nervy neighbor

2008-12-05T08:39:00.002-05:00

I have a new 6 foot white vinyl fence around my corner lot yard. I put Christmas lights on one side of the fence. The new lights are high efficiency, cool burning, & multi-colored and they look great. When I went to hang them on the other side of my yard, I noticed that my next door neighbor had already hung lights, with garland and red bows, on my new fence. My neighbor came out and was bragging about how good the decoration looked, and said to me, "You know you like it - admit it!!!" I just thought that it was very nervy for her to take advantage of my good nature and just hang lights on my fence without asking. Sometimes I am too nice, but in the spirit of the holidays - I let her keep them up. I am a push-over I guess, but in the long run I guess it doesn't matter. People never cease to amaze me.

I had a nice visit with my brother and his wife over Thanksgiving. They came down for a few days. I had them stay in my travel trailer because my house is a little "cracker box" with not much room for company. They seemed to like it though. They had room enough to retreat to their own little space. I took them to some of the local activities, it was nice for them to enjoy this great weather.

I have been neglecting reading/writing my blog, so I will have to catch up.

Progress

2008-11-25T15:08:00.003-05:00

Buddy is making real progress. He is off the steriods now, and he is walking around, going in & out of doors good. He is not quite 100% better, he still can't lift his leg to pee! I am happy that he is doing so good. I am busy working on the house, as usual. Today the plumber will come and install our new "high effiency toliet". I will get a $100. rebate from the county after it is installed. Next week the tile guy is coming to replace the tub/shower tile in that same bathroom. It is pretty expense, but you might as well do it right. I have lived in this house 12 years, and although it is small (I call it my little cracker-box) it is nice and with this market, I intend to live her a lot longer than I originally planned. Next I plan to re-model the other bathroom. Then I will be done for a while.
The weather is so nice this time of year. I could stay outside all day. I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving. My brother & sister-in-law are coming down for the holiday. I look forward to seeing them.

2008-11-17T07:26:00.003-05:00

My little dog, Buddy, was in the hospital a week ago. He spent the weekend in the "Animal ER". On Friday night, I was out in the yard with the dogs and I heard Buddy start "screaming". I ran over to him thinking he had encountered a snake or something. He cried and could not stand up. His back legs were totally useless. Buddy is quite heavy for a Jack Russell, (24 pounds) and I could hardly pick him up. I took him to the only vet open on nights & weekends. They kept him til Sunday, he was on pain meds and steroids. The Doc said that he might have just pulled his back out or have spinal stenosis. He x-rayed Buddy's back and showed me a disk that may be the problem. He said that he could not tell for sure without and MRI. (I didn't know that there was an MRI for pets!) Anyway, my bill was already up to $1200., so I opted not to have an MRI. I took Buddy home and have been treating him with meds including steroids. He is progressively better each day. He can walk now, but was falling down for a while until he adjusted. He is still listing to one side. Buddy is 11 years old, so I don't expect that he will return to "puppy status" but I just want him to be comfortable. So add to my jobs, DOG NURSE! Really, I complain, but it is a pleasure to care for such a good little patient. As a mom, I just consider him one of my fur kids!

So quiet

2008-11-07T22:58:00.002-05:00

I am so glad the election is over. It is nice to see the television without back-biting, mud-slinging political commercials. There are a few people that are mad that their guy did not win. They will contiinue to disagree and trash talk the President. I believe that once someone is elected, that we should try to stand behind that person. We will not get out of this economic mess unless we all work together. We are lucky to live in a democracy, in the richest county in the world. We can agree to disagree - but let us all stop being so angry about everything. Well, anyway, that is how I feel about it.

World Series

2008-10-24T10:31:00.004-04:00

I am not a season follower of major league baseball or any other sport because I would rather be playing it than watching it. Sometimes I will watch the World Series when my favorite team (The Yankees) is in it, but I don't usually pay attention to the regular season play. This year our local team, Tampa Bay Rays is in series, so I have been watching. It is exciting to watch the young team, who was in last place for so many years, doing so well this year.

This is the first time I have watched the games on my high definition television. I have noticed an unusual amount of "player spitting". They seem to be constantly spitting, not just in the dugout, but ALOT when they are up at bat. I am not sure if they have always spit this much - or if I am noticing it more in high definition! Also, if I spit (I rarely do) - I would lean forward - as to not get spit on the front of me. These guys are just spitting at random, into the wind or not, and it seems that some of this spit MUST be landing on their shirts!!!

The head coach Joe Madden is constantly shoving large pieces of bubble gum into his mouth. I know he must be nervous, and this is how he is coping with it, but it is funny to see. He must have a five pound tin of gum in the dugout with him!

I hope the Rays do well and win the World Series. They have gone from "worst to first"!

Early voting

2008-10-21T19:44:00.003-04:00

We voted today. It was Preston's first time voting in an election. There were a lot of older people in line with us, and everyone kept asking Preston if he was a first timer. They seemed happy to see a person so young voting. The election offical told Preston how to fill out the ballot and not to worry if he made a mistake, he could return the voided ballot and start over. There were a lot of people at the polls for early voting. I hope this is an indication that we will have a big turnout this election. It is important so we can get America back on track.

Health news

2008-10-20T08:11:00.002-04:00

My recent visit to the cardiologist went well. The doctor told me on my last visit in August that I may have to have another angioplasty. When I saw the doctor last week he told me that we would just wait and see for a while. He told me to contact him immediately if I had any symptoms. I am relieved that I have staved off this test, at least for a short time. I have been really good lately, staying on my diet & walking. I am feeling better, no chest tightness or pain. I am on a new medication and of course I still have my nitroglycerine tabs nearby, but overall I am much better. I am hoping that I won't have problems at least until there are more innovations in the robotic surgery. Whenever I get scared or down about my cardiac problems, I read "Matthews blog". This is the story of little Matthew & the serious heart condition that he has had since birth. Matthew & his parents show extraodinary courage in his lifelong fight. I always think of Matthew when I am at the heart doctor. I think of the tests and surgeries that he has had to face, so difficult for him & his parents. Matthew gives me hope and courage to face anything that I must go through.

Shower phone

2008-10-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

I was thinking today about all the new technology (and you know how I love it!) I was in the shower and I heard the phone ringing. Having been an "on-call" detective for so many years prompted me to want to run out naked & wet and answer it. I came to my senses, remembering that I was retired. Then I got the idea that the only place we don't have telephone communication now is in the shower. You can still answer if you have your phone in your pocket even if you are on the toliet! (although I don't practice this). Anyway, in my mind, I invented a water proof touch tone phone that could suction to the shower wall. If your shower was too noisy you could always text back the caller. We seem to have the need to communicate everywhere else, what about the shower? Do you think it will catch on? Then we will never miss a call!

(We already have the "cell phone watch")

Ransome 1997-2008

2008-10-01T07:49:00.004-04:00

While I was in Virginia my beloved Airedale, Ransome, died. I have known for a while that Ransome was near the end of his life, but I am sorry that he took a turn for the worse while I was gone. My son, Preston, with the help of my good friends, took Ransome to the vet. Preston made the decision to put the dog down. I was proud that he could make this difficult decision. He called me right after and told me that he stayed with Ransome while the vet euthanized him. Preston said that he wanted to comfort Ransome so he wouldn't be scared. I miss my constant dog companion, but I still have my other little dogs to comfort me. It is sad when our furry friends die. I am glad that my son acted so bravely. It shows me that I should not worry so much about my fine young man.

2008-09-24T07:43:00.003-04:00

Sooner or later you have to leave you teenage boys at home alone. This weekend we are going to fly to Virginia to finish up some of my late Mom's affairs. The boys have school & work and must fend for themselves while we are gone. My friends call me "OPM" because I am such an overprotective mom. I have warned the boys not to take advantage of our absense by having wild parties. I tried to go over everything with them. I asked them not to have anyone in the house, and not to go anywhere except to school & work. I have stocked up on a lot of their fast food favorites, I know they won't be cooking balanced meals for themselves! I know that they are responsible young men and that I should not worry. I don't think that they will do anything wrong, but I worry that they could have a car accident or a car break-down and who will they call? I know that it is important for them to handle situations on their own. After all, Preston is a college freshman and Matt is a high school senior. Somehow they are still my little boys even though they shave their faces! Keep your fingers crossed; I will try not to worry!

Retired? Who's bored? NOT ME!

2008-09-08T16:26:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine sent me this photo in an email. It reminded me so much of myself, that I had to post it for those of you who don't know what I look like! (OK, I am a little fatter and I don't wear this much pink, but the attitude is right on!)

2008-09-03T23:40:00.000-04:00

I watched my mother last Wednesday night take short, labored, gasping breaths. She reminded me of a little dying bird, trying hard to hold on to life a little longer. She died in the early morning hours of Thursday. I think that somehow, even in her unconscious state, she was waiting for me to get there. I would like to think that anyway. We had the funeral on Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful service and Mom would have approved. We had a photo display with lots of our favorite photos of her in the front of the chapel. A lady minister (who did not know my mother) interviewed my brother and I the day before and gave a very eloquent speech about Mom at the funeral. Recalling the 89 years of her life was a comfort to us because we know that she had a beautiful life. We know that she thought that her greatest accomplishment in life was her three children; she told us that from time to time. I am comforted that she is no longer suffering. I don't think she was in pain, but I mean the suffering that comes with old age and not being able to do things for yourself anymore. I have had some tear filled moments in the last week but overall I am not sad because I can still feel my mother with me. I know that her spirit will be with me in the next couple of months when I face down some serious medical issues. Her best advice to me was something I think about every day now. . ."Don't be scared, what one person can do, any person can do."
Rest in peace Mom.

Near the end

2008-08-26T14:39:00.002-04:00

My brothers are at my mother's bedside, and I will be there by tomorrow afternoon. There is no hope left as her sepsis has returned and she has developed pneunomia. Her feeding tube would not stay clear and the doctors were going to replace it, but they cannot now because of the infection. Mom is just on fluids and sleeping alot, her heartbeat is irregular. It is only a matter of time now. I think she may be waiting for me to get there. I just want her to be comfortable. Tomorrow I will join my brothers in the death watch. I will try to keep in mind a passage I once read, "Let us not remember how they died, but how they lived".

Fay, Fay, GO AWAY! & my broken heart

2008-08-22T07:45:00.004-04:00

I live in the middle of Florida, on the west side. I have been blessed because in the years I have lived here, I have never had a direct hit from a hurricane. Last Monday we all braced to have a hit from Tropical Storm Fay on Tuesday. We put up our storm shutters. The inside of the house was dark from being boarded up, and I couldn't look out the windows. (one of favorite things to do!) By the next day the storm had veered to the east and we were spared, not even a drop of rain! Fay proceeded east across the state and out into the Atlantic Ocean. I thought we were done with her. NO. Now she is slowly meandering west again across the northern part of the state! I will again avoid bad weather when it is all around me.

I got some bad news from the cardiologist about my recent stress test. I didn't completely fail it, but let's just say I got a "D minus". The doctor has put me on vasodilator medication, but is suggesting that I have another cardiac catherization soon to determine if other arteries are blocked. This is the test where they thread a wire up through your femoral artery into your heart, and it is really the only definitive test to show the condition of your coronary arteries. I have had this test before in 2001. During the test if they find too many blocked arteries, they may decide to do open heart surgery at that time. I am waiting to check my options, but I know I am just postponing the inevitable. I want to check in to the "Davinci" machine, a fairly new robotic surgery that doesn't involve splitting open my breast-bone! Anyway, it is a lot to think about, but since stress affects my condition, I am trying to remain calm about the whole thing.

On a lighter note, my son Preston loves college! The difference in his attitude is amazing! He told me yesterday that he might even work ahead, and get his assignments done before they are due! I am happy for him and it is nice to see him relaxed instead of stressed out all the time! A couple of days before school started he got his shoulder length hair cut to a regular cut and shaved off his two inch beard! I don't know why he decided to do this, maybe to look more mainstream. It is nice to see him on the road to success, but he still has not decided on a major.

Studying for my test

2008-08-04T11:07:00.004-04:00

In about two weeks I have to take a cardiac stress test. I have taken them before, but not in about five years. The reason is stupid, I just didn't like the cardiologist. My GP kept asking me if I had taken the test, and I finally got him to recommend another heart specialist. This doctor seems great, but I am still a little nervous, not having had my heart checked in five years. This is also a different test involving injecting a drug to make your heart think you are exercising. It all sounds scary, but at least the doctor will be right there in case of any emergency. I will joke around and act like I am not nervous at all - but don't shake my hand, I might have sweaty palms! In the meantime I am walking two miles a day and biking a couple of times a week, but it is difficult in the hot Florida sun. If I am lazy and don't get out for a walk before eight in the morning, I sometimes go up to the Walmart store and walk the inside perimeter twice (I figure that is about a mile - it is such a huge store!) I have atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in my arteries) and I have been taking a statin drug to combat this. I had angioplasty in 2001 and a stent placed to clear one blockage in my heart, but they observed other arteries partially blocked at the time. We will see from the test if the drug is working or if the blockage is getting worse. At the time of my first cardiac problems, I just hoped that I could live long enough to see my son graduate from high school. Now I have amended all that - I want to live long enough to dance at his 40th birthday party!!!

Already August

2008-08-02T09:21:00.002-04:00

I can't belive how quickly time passes by. The older you get, the faster life goes. I hope anybody who regularly reads my blog hasn't given up on me - I haven't blogged for a while - I am just busy with everyday life. My Mother remains the same, in the hospital for sixty days now. I try to get up there at least once a month. It is sad to see her in this state, unable to eat, walk, talk and take care of herself. I think it must be "a living hell" for Mom to wait for someone to come in and change her in the morning. Both of my brothers are good sons and visit Mom several times a day. She tries to move and talk and I try not to lose hope but I know she will never be back to the way she was. It is the process of dying, it is difficult to watch.

On the home front, it is almost time for school to resume. Preston starts his first year in college this month and has scheduled all his classes for 11 AM or later. He is not a "morning person" so maybe this will work for him. I hope he likes college and I hope he studies and does his work. Matthew starts his senior year in high school soon. He is taking a course in automotive mechanics this year and he is very excited to get started with that.

As time goes by I feel so lucky. I see many people having tough economic times, losing their houses, unable to pay their bills. Even though I have some serious health problems, I am still able to function and walk & ride my bike. I am thankful for that. I hope all my blog buddies are doing well. I must catch up on my blog reading today (after my chores!)

Tree friends

2008-07-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

I am constantly seeing faces in trees. I wonder if this is some sort of mental illness. Do you see a face in this photo? Maybe it is just me. Maybe I need more real friends!

Poor Buddy, "poor" me!

2008-06-25T09:55:00.004-04:00

My middle dog, Buddy, had to have surgery yesterday to remove three tumors and six teeth! I have to keep him from running, jumping, and playing with the other dogs for a few days. I also have to keep him from biting at the incision sites and messing with his stitches. I have him wrapped in a big towel, laying in my bed. I think he will be alright if I can keep him from biting & licking; it is natural for dogs to lick. Anyway, don't feel sorry for Buddy (he has my excellent nursing care) - feel sorry for me - I am the one who had to pay $800. for the proceedure!

New life

2008-06-23T10:03:00.005-04:00

Our friends Ryan & Anna just had a new baby this week. Here is "Kendal Madison" on her birthday! She is cute. Well, they are all cute, but what constant work. It is worth it of course, but remember those nights with a newborn - no sleep? Thank goodness that part doesn't last that long. In looking at the new baby I realize that really - they all look alike. (don't ever say that to a mother of a newborn!) No wonder some newborns get switched at birth! Most of them look very similar (other than the hair or no hair thing!) While looking at the baby I thought of my Mother. She is in the rehab hospital now, but still cannot eat, speak or walk, and someone must do everything for her. It is so much like a newborn baby. I hope she will recover so she is aware, but no one knows, she could stay like this for years. We start out as helpless infants. If we don't die from some ailment or disease, we end up as older adults who become progressively more helpless. I guess it is the circle of life.

2008-06-18T10:36:00.004-04:00

(click on photo to see a close-up)

I saw these two baby raccoons back in the new subdivision when I was back there on my walk one day. I think they may be orpans, they looked so confused. I hope they make it without their mama!

2008-06-18T09:10:00.003-04:00

I just returned from a week up in Virginia visiting my mother. She is 89 and living on her own with my brother visiting her everyday. She refused to come live with me, and would not hear of not living in her house on her own. I spoke to her on the phone and she told me that she was sick, but would not go to the doctor. My brother showed up one day and found her passed out on the floor. She was transported to the hospital where they discovered a UTI and sepsis infection. She was treated with strong anti-biotics for about ten days. She seems to be out of the woods now, but has been in bed two weeks. She still can't speak or swallow, and seems to have some mental problems. Yesterday they placed a feeding tube in her stomach. Up til now they had been nourishing her through a feeding tube in her nose. It is sad to see my mom like this, and frustrating that we can not communicate with her. I think that soon she will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility. I don't know how much she will recover due to her age and the severe infection that she had. We just have to wait and see. My brother is my mom's angel, he tries to communicate with her. She is partially deaf and we don't know if she is understanding us or not, but we keep talking to her. It is a hell of a state to be in when you have been an independent person all your life. It will happen to us all one day.

Graduation!

2008-06-06T08:48:00.004-04:00

The long awaited high school graduation finally took place on June 5th. I said that I wouldn't embarrass Preston, but I couldn't help the "wooop-wooop" that I yelled out as he walked across the stage. Preston HATED the principal and told me that he would not be shaking her hand. I told him now he was 18 years old, and that would be his decision, but that real men forgive and forget. I didn't know what he was going to do as he walked across the stage. He shook the principals hand, and had his photo taken with her. I was proud of him for making this decision. Preston has been accepted at the local community college this fall. He will work to make some money this summer for GAS so he can get there!!!

2008-05-12T12:25:00.003-04:00

It has been so long since I "blogged in" that I almost forgot my password. I have been working to help Preston finish up his last high school online course - Personal Fitness. He has to stretch and work out and run everyday - and I have to be there to time him and record the results. This is a course that should be taken in school with a coach, but as it turned out I am the coach! Preston is having no problems with the physical part of this course. He is in excellent shape with hardly no body fat (He's 5'09"& 140 lbs.) and I am amazed how easily he jogs a mile without even breathing heavy! I always tell him how incredible that is to this "old overweight bag" and he just smiles. He is feeling better since he took this course, and I am trying to encourage him to continue this after school has endend. It is getting hot here, already in the upper 80's with high humidity. That puts a damper on the desire to exercise. June 5th is Preston's graduation date and I am really getting excited now. He has been accepted at the local community college. I am hoping he likes college better that he did high school. He wants to go, so that is a good thing.

Back on duty!

2008-04-25T12:39:00.003-04:00

I suspect that a dirt bag guy in my neighborhood is stealing gas. I noticed that after I had filled my tank, the next time I used my vehicle half the gas was gone. My son told me that he thought his car might need a tune-up because of poor gas milege, so he is likely a victim too. I checked with my neighbors and they are having similar problems. I live in a small middle class neighborhood. Most of people are good and considerate of each other. I was forced to buy locking gas caps for the cars. I suggested to the neigbors that they do the same. I have been watching the suspects movements, (he doesn't work -suprised?) I have looked up his name and arrest record and checked his recent sales at the pawn shops (he has a lot of sales - suprised?) Now I just have to watch and wait until I have the proof. I wish I was a fly on the wall to see his face when he discovers that many of our tanks are locked now! The suspect and his wife have asked the neighbors from time to time to "borrow" money. We have all given them money and felt sorry for them, but they really need to go to jail. It is annoying, but in the same way good to have a "case" to work again!

2008-04-18T17:57:00.006-04:00

Well, the new windows are in & the trees are trimmed. The Home Depot gave me grief for nothing, the hurricane protection passed the inspection. Here are the before & after of one of the trees.

Looks like a nice haircut, huh?

Next I will be replacing the fence.

The new windows are really nice, double pane glass. They should save me some money because they are very energy efficient.

On to my next project.

My biggest regret

2008-04-07T12:21:00.004-04:00

In 1985 I lived in a rental house owned by an 80 year old man and his wife. He was a retired inventor that had worked all his life in the automotive industry. He told me once that he was instrumental in designing speed controlled windshield wipers, and other things that I don't remember now. His wife was a gifted painter, who only discovered her talent when she was 75 years old. My rental house had several of her beautiful original oil paintings in it. I saw the man almost daily because the detached garage with the rental property was also his workshop. I was facisnated with his stories of inventions. I liked nosing around his shop and looking at all his stuff, including a large aluminum "thing" (about the size of a breadbox) One time he showed me a "power fishing reel" that he was working on. If you got tired pulling in the big fish, you could turn on the power assist. He was always thinking of things and he held several patents. At the time I had my MG/BGT car, and I was driving it everyday. I don't remember how much gas cost, but it wasn't a crisis back then. The old man told me that soon we would use up all the fossil fuel and then showed me that the "thing" was an electric engine that he had invented. He explained that it could power a car on batteries that would be charged by a solar cell. It would be a quiet running engine, and that there would be NO fuel, that the sun would be the only thing required. I questioned him about speed and distance and he told me that he thought it would get the same mileage as a traditional car, depending how many batteries you could carry and that the speed would only be about 50 miles per hour, but that is all you would need for an "around town" car. He wanted to put the electric motor in my MG. He said that it was the perfect car for an electric engine, small, with a large area in the rear that could be converted into a battery compartment. The fast back design of the car would accomodate the solar cells on top. I did not know anything about solar and I thought to myself - what if this guy is a lunatic? At that time, my MG was in great condition (not like this last year photo when it is old and being hauled away) I was afraid to take a chance on messing up a perfectly good car. Besides, it was a four cylinder and got good mileage. I really did not believe that we would ever run out of oil. I never thought I would be spending $70. to fill up my now eight cylinder Durango. Over the weekend, I was watching the science channel on television. They showed how easy it was if you had all the parts to take out a gasoline engine and replace it with an electric solar powered engine. Had I only known in 1985 what I know now! Live & learn I guess!

April showers

2008-04-03T14:45:00.005-04:00

It has rained here so far everyday in April. I know we need the rain, but I like to be outside and I don't like getting wet. I have to get the tree guy over to trim my trees before the hurricane season - I called him to come and give me an estimate. About three years ago he "topped" my four trees and it was $650., so I imagine this time it will be about $800. or even $1000. It is worth it though to leave these things to the professionals - I am too old to be up in a tree with a chain saw!!! Besides, they not only trim the trees but they take all the mess away. I didn't do much with the tangerines this year. (they were ripe in January) I usually give a lot of them away, and we juice some of them. This year they are just rotting on the tree, but they still have to come off, so we are busy with that. I only have one tree, imagine how much work the big orange groves have to do. I am still in an argument with Home Depot, and I doubt that will be resolved before hurricane season. I hope we have a quiet season here this year, but you never know and you have to be ready. I am in the market for an electrician to fix a few things around the house but I don't know who to get. Home Depot has made me cautious of hiring anybody. I have been staying home a lot or just riding my bike. I hate having to pay so much for gas. I love to drive and I have liked taking a "Sunday drive" since I was a kid. I like to drive around and just sightsee, but I can't do it anymore.

2008-03-24T13:31:00.006-04:00

My "baby boy" is eighteen. I can't believe how fast this happened. It seems like only a few months ago that he was a small child. I hope that he stays with me a few more years because it seems like we haven't had much time together. Life goes by at a rapid pace! It seems like I should have taught him more, showed him more things & maybe prepared him more for the world. I have to let him go now to find his own way and make his own mistakes. The mom in me wants to shield him from the world, but I know that I can't. I guess this is the time to shove him out of the nest. I wasn't ready for this time in my life to come around so quickly! I guess this is the beginning of "empty nest" that everyone talks about. I hear so many moms talk about how they can't wait for their kids to be off on their own. I guess this is just another milestone in life. I have gotten used to retirement, maybe I will adapt to this as well.

Home Depot

2008-03-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

I have used Home Depot for years. Like many of you, I go there for supplies, tools, parts, and things for the house. I have spent thousand of dollars there. I have bought two ride on mowers over the years and countless clippers, weed eaters and yard tools. Recently I got involved with THE HOME DEPOT HOME SERVICES. I wanted to replace the windows in my house, including the sliding glass door. I wanted double pane hurricane resistant windows - about a $7k job. The salesman was wonderful, personable, and promised me that the job would be a quality job - just the kind of service that I was used to from Home Depot. I signed a contract and we scheduled the installation for the last week in February. That was the end of my dream; the beginning of my nightmare. An argument began between me and the project manager. He told me that I would need hurricane shutters for all of the windows. I told him that the salesman told me that the hurricane plywood that I have used with "Plylox" clips through the last two hurricanes would suffice. He told me that the clips & ply were no longer approved by my building department. I disagreed and called my county building department. They told me that the plywood & clips WERE APPROVED. I informed the project manager of this and he told me that the building codes have changed and that my building inspector was wrong. From there we were at a stalemate. Home Depot said that they could sell me more expensive windows and that then the shutters would not be an issue. Playing the old "bait & switch" game. I am so disapointed in a company that I thought was reputable. Now I am stuck in a situation because I don't want to lose my deposit. They now tell me that they have ordered the windows and are ready to install them. They cannot be paid until after the building inspector approves the job. So we will see what happens. It looks like it is going to be a fight to the finish. I hope the windows that I have waited so long to get turn out perfect - or they will be doing them over & over until they are right. However the job turns out, I am through dealing with Home Depot - you will never see me in the orange store again.

My weekend

2008-03-03T12:12:00.005-05:00

I found this photo in Google images and it reminded me not to rest my "head in my hand" when I am surfing the web and especially while reading your blogs! I get lost in your stories and spend too much time on the computer - then I have a neck ache for the rest of the day!!!

I gave Ransome a haircut yesterday. As some of you know, Airedale's don't shed! Although that sounds good, they have to get haircuts! I spent several hours with the clippers on Ransome yesterday. He was so hairy that he looked like a little bear. I probably took five pounds of hair off of him! Ransome's ears usually flop down. After the haircut it was a little breezy out and when he ran his ears stood straight up! It was funny looking!

The weather is back to beautiful. I have to get busy and let the housework go and head out for a bike ride. I am feeling good lately and I think it is due to more exercise & less sitting on my butt in front of this computer. I have vowed to at least keep up with my blog reading - even if I have nothing to blog about.

Preston had a concert band evaluation on Saturday. The band plays three songs for the judges on stage. They then go into a classroom for a "sight reading". The judge gives them a folder of music that they have never seen, they have two minutes to prepare, then they have to play it. I usually can't get a photo of Preston when he is on stage because he is in the back. Here he is on the tuba at the sight reading. They did very well. I hope he keeps up with his music after high school, but often kids never pick up an instument again!!!

2008-02-29T16:00:00.002-05:00

I had to take a trip out to the county today to "unblanket" the horses. I saw a few baby calves on the drive out there! Many of them looked like they were recently born. I saw one with the umbilical cord still attached.

We have had two days of severe weather - FORTY DEGREES! We had to wear jackets! It has been such a mild winter here, this is probably the end of the cold weather for us. I guess Spring is here. I like the warm weather in Florida; but of course Summer will be brutal with temps. in the high ninties. I guess you have to take the good with the bad!

I have been trying to keep up with my exercise with walking everyday. I try to take a bike ride in the morning, then a walk. Usually the dogs want to go with me. I can't walk at a quick pace while wrangling the dogs, but I know they love to go and they need exercise too.

Fast forward

2008-02-13T15:01:00.003-05:00

I have great dreams. They are always very vivid. Sometimes I dream about cop stuff and crime scenes that I have been to. Often times the dreams are scary and unresolved. Many times they are nonsense or just everyday happenings. Lately I have noticed that if I am going along in a dream and it seems mundane that I can fast forward. I attribute this new phenomeon to watching too much television. I have a digital recorder on the television. I can record shows when I am not home to watch later. Sometimes I fast forward through the boring parts when I am watching these shows. Who says that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?? My old brain has learned something. Weird.

Murphy bed installation

2008-02-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

This morning Marion & I installed the bed in Preston's room. Installation is always the scariest part to me. Marion has proven to me more that once that NO ONE's walls are plumb; so securing a cabinet to a wall can be a nightmare if you don't know what you are doing. After years of being a "helper" I have watched Marion more than once square up kitchen cabinets that I thought would never go in. She knows all the secrets to making everything fit. Of course while all this is exciting to me - it is drudgery to Marion who refers to herself as an "old woman with a broken back". She bitches & curses the whole time. We installed this bed on the short wall next to the closet. Preston's room is only 12 ft. x12 ft. so there is limited space. He will have more room now when a few friends come over to play music or video games ; they won't have to sit on the bed. This is the way it works - the bed closes up into the cabinet. To open it you lift the handles (they become the feet) to unlatch the plungers that hold the bed into the cabinet. the cabinet has gas pistons which allow it to slowly lower with the weight of the mattress . To close, you just lift the bed and with very little pressure (you can do it with one finger!) it slowly rises and recesses into the cabinet. You push the handle legs flat to lock it in. I have fashioned a temporary shelf beside the bed to hold Preston's alarm clock, reading light, etc. This is only until I can talk Marion into building a matching side cabinet!!! As she drove away today I think I heard her yell back at me, "I 'm retired now so leave me the hell alone!" (I will give her a few weeks rest!)

Haven't posted in a while!

2008-01-31T07:44:00.000-05:00

I better post something or I will lose all my blog friends! I have been so busy that I haven't even been reading the blogs. The Murphy bed project is finally done; to be installed this Friday. I wanted to do this project on my own, but that just didn't work out. I asked my friend, Marion, to help me with picking the wood and cutting it for me. Marion is a professional cabinet maker and I asked for her advice. The first thing she told me is not the let the lumber yard cut the wood. She went with me to pick the wood and she ended up cutting the wood and building the whole project, while I looked on. ("step aside, Tuff") She even stained it and put on a beautiful finish coat. (I got to help a little with that!) If I had done the project, it would have looked homemade - now it looks like a beautiful piece of furniture. I am grateful that my friend came out of retirement to do this project. She quit doing this kind of work when her back gave out from lifting the heavy wood for so many years. Funiture building is difficult for any man, much less a five foot tall woman. I have admired her for years, and she has taught me a lot about woodworking. Marion told me that she does not enjoy this kind of work anymore. That is sad because she is so good at it. "Handcrafted" is so hard to find these days - even cabinets & furniture is stamped out in factories. Anyway, Thanks so much, Marion, I promise that I won't make you build anything else!

More photos to follow after installation!

L.E.D.'s

2007-12-22T23:57:00.000-05:00

I like to sleep in the dark. Even when I worked nights and had to sleep in the daytime, I wanted it dark in my bedroom. I bought "black out" blinds so no sun would get in. Now I have moved my computer and desk into the bedroom. Lately when I can't sleep, I notice that there are several "light emitting diodes"(LED) all over my room. They may be tiny little lights, but in the dark they can be very bright, especially if there are a lot of them.

Last night I took an assessment of all these lights. There is a light on the power buttons of the computer and the remote drive, a light on the keyboard and the speaker remote. There is a LED clock on the television tuner, and another alarm clock. The printer, the DVD stand-by, the TV stand-by, the telephone, the answering machine all have little lights! Even my electric toothbrush has a light on the charger! It is so bright in my bedroom that it is no wonder I was having trouble sleeping! Looking at all these lights made me realize that I had forgotten to plug in my camera battery. I got up to plug it in, it will glow orange until the battery is charged, then green!

Note to self

2007-12-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

As we head into the busy holiday season, I hope you will all take the time to think about your friends & family and what is important in your life. Take a little time for yourself. Spend at least 15 minutes uninterrupted alone with your thoughts. Think about what makes you happy and cherish the people around you. Tell your loved ones that you care about them. Don't think that they will just know this because you cook for them and do their laundry. Don't let a chance go by to grab a hug from your teenager, even if he only turns a cheek for you to kiss him. (remember when he kissed you back & loved to sit in your lap?) Pet your dogs & even better, take them for a long walk. Dogs seem to be the happiest when they are walking with you, even if they have been around that same block 1000 times.

Oh, yeah, one other thing - take LOTS of photos.

Here are the boys on Christmas day 2001. Oh how they have changed!

Old Mom!

2007-12-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

I am back home from my trip to Virginia. I set up my Mother's Christmas tree and some decorations for her. She doesn't seem to care much anymore. It gets more difficult to communicate with my Mom, she is very deaf, and will not wear her hearing aids. For her, it must feel like she is in a world of her own. Occasionally, when she wants to hear, she will wear a portable headset with an amplifier, but she quickly grows tired of hearing us! When she watches television, the volume is very high for her to hear it - the neighbors can probably hear it quite well! She seems to be in good health, complains about the usual aches & pains. She is done with the doctor because "he doesn't do anything!" I tell her that the doctor cannot make you 20 years old again! Still, I am sad as I see my Mom getting older. Maybe I see what is in store for me! However, I will try not to be as stubborn about wearing hearing aids and adult diapers!

Preston went with me to Virginia. I guess it was good for him to get a little break from school and the regular routine. He seems to be be trying a little harder this week in school - I hope it lasts - I wouldn't want him to have to repeat and courses or not graduate on time. He was glad to have his jacket because it was forty degrees in Virginia. We were glad to get back to Florida and our beloved tropical weather. It was eighty degrees when we got off the plane in Tampa.

My middle dog, Buddy, got a new bed. He is getting kind of fat, so he needed a bigger bed. The poor guy can't get near it because big brother dog, Ransome, has decided that the bed is for him!!!

Sad, Buddy must sleep on the couch!

"The View"

2007-12-02T23:38:00.001-05:00

When you are in the back of the pack like me - the view never changes!!! (it is my job to keep their leads from tangling!)

Tomorrow, Preston & I are going to fly up to Virginia to see my old Mom. She will be happy to see us, even though we are only staying until Friday. Just a quick trip to give her a kiss and put up her Christmas decorations. I wish we lived closer, but she won't move down here. Florida would be the ideal place for her because of our mild weather. I told Preston to pack his jacket, but I don't think he knows what a jacket is anymore or even where it is!
At least I will have a little one-on-one time with my son, so I can nag (erh, I mean counsel) him about his grades!

"Senioritis"

2007-11-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

"Senioritis" sounds like a disease that an old bag like me would have. It is not. It is something that happens in the senior year of high school. It usually strikes 17-18 year olds. The symptoms are excessive yawning (from staying up to late), lethargy, and a general disinterest in anything but video games. Preston has this disease and he is in a downward slump. His grades have suffered. He only needs two of his classes to graduate, but it seems like he is not the least bit interested in his grade point average. He says that he wants to go to college, but he does not see that his GPA is important to his entrance. He will most likely go to the local community college - I hope he can get in. All I can do is to keep talking to him and telling him how important his grades are. I guess the only thing that will cure this is time! Keep your fingers crossed for him and lets hope June gets here quick!

Pills!

2007-11-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

I take several prescribed medications for hypertension, heart disease, lupus & diabetes. I have been feeling good lately and I am happy for modern medicine. My father died at my age before the discovery of the angioplasty. In 2001, doctors saved my life by placing a stent in my heart. I feel very happy and lucky for everyday that I wake up alive! I used to take "Vioxx" for for the aches & pains of lupus until it was pulled from the market after being deemed dangerous. It was a wonderful drug that worked for me, and then it was discovered to cause heart attacks in some people. Now I am faced with another decision."Avandia" is a drug that I take for diabetes control and now it also has been found to cause heart attack in some people. Although I only take 2 mg a day of this drug, I wonder if I should change to something else. It is difficult to change to another drug because it makes you feel crappy for a while. I have taken other drugs for this condition, but some of them made me feel sick. Avandia seems to work very good for me. Now I need to decide if it is worth the risk. It is sort of a no-win situation. If I can lose about 30 pounds I might be able to get off the medication completely. That sounds like the best solution, however, one of the side effects of Avandia is INCREASED HUNGER!

Virtual school is cool!

2007-10-31T12:49:00.000-04:00

My son missed a class called "Life Management Skills" that most kids take when they are Freshmen. Now that he is a senior, he wouldn't want to be caught dead in a 9th grade class, so his counselor suggested that he take the course in the Florida Virtual School - online. You must complete and submit assignments online, and take a telephone exam about once a month. I think this is a great resource. It must be really helpful to parents with homebound children. So far, his grade is 95%, so I am happy about that. Parents can also check assignments and grades online.

My first video - Big Brass Sound!

2007-10-24T07:49:00.000-04:00

I am trying my first attempt to attach a video to the blog. I came across this video in my files. It is of Preston when he went to Drum Corp camp in December 2005. After just the weekend of practice together, this was what the young musicians accomplished. I was disappointed that Preston decided not to march in the summer of 2006, but I am proud of all the work that he did participating in the band camps. (That is him with the big horns, fifth from the left in the camo shorts.) I have always been a fan of the "big brass sound" and it warms my heart to at least have this little snippet of his work.

Preston's high school marching band days are over. The band director that was with there for 13 years left when he could no longer deal with the current school administration.

These days the big horn lives on top of the bookshelf in Preston's room. I am hoping that he will take it up again soon, maybe joining a band when he goes to college.

My opinion

2007-10-15T08:03:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I was shy. I didn't speak up at all. When I didn't agree with something, especially in high school, I just shut my mouth and kept my opinion to myself. My son is the exact opposite. When something is wrong (in his opinion) he can't seem to NOT speak out about it. He has been suspended twice in this, his senior year of high school. He is not a bad kid, in fact he is a good son (OK, that's my opinion). He just seems to want to argue with authority. I introduced him to John Cougar Mellencamp's song. "I fought authority - authority always wins!" This still didn't help. He reads a lot about varying political views. He is always espousing different views on socialism, Communism, etc. He brings this rhetoric to school and it gets him in trouble. I have tried to tell him that contrary to popular opinion, there is NO FREE SPEECH in high school. He recently had to attend a MANDATORY pep rally for the high school football team. He and his like minded friend decided to protest this. They yelled to the crowd and called them a bunch of followers - much like those who followed Hitler. He was asked to leave the pep rally (what he wanted in the first place) and later suspended for disrupting a school function. I just want him to get through high school. When he attends college he will have a little more room to express his opinions, a little more free speech. I have tried to explain to him that he won't be going to college unless he avoids getting kicked out of high school! I have been to the Principal's office so many times this year. I never went to the office when I was in high school! Every morning if the phone rings I am nervous that it is the school calling. What next????? Teens are dangerous to your health!

My friend Steve

2007-10-11T15:27:00.001-04:00

My good friend Steve is taking diving lessons. I am sure he is certified by now. Now tell the truth, if you were a shark and saw this coming at you - would you try to eat him or swim quickly away??? Steve has an adversarial relationship with my dog Ransome. I showed this photo to Ransome, he growled - but then ran to hide!

The door bouncers!

2007-10-10T23:21:00.001-04:00

This is the greeting that you will get at my front door.

Ransome & Buddy guarding the entry!

Hemi must be guarding the back door!!!

"Hello - cable guy!"

eight to eight?

2007-10-10T19:38:00.000-04:00

My new Sony 46 inch television is obscenely large; but it was the best sale at the recent DeSears "tent sale" - so I bought it! It is a flat screen HDTV and I have never seen a better picture. I am very happy with it, and it looks great even on the channels that are not broadcast in high definition. This was the first television that I bought in 18 years, and I am glad that I got it. My cable TV receiver is on the fritz, so I called them yesterday to schedule a technician. They told me that they could have someone out on Thursday between EIGHT & EIGHT. What? You mean 8 AM to 8 PM? Did someone tell you that I was retired and that I don't have a damn thing better to do than wait for your guy to get here? They said that they were "so sorry" but that was the only time they could give me. So, tomorrow, I will be catching up on your blogs, my blog buddies!

Still hanging in there

2007-09-25T22:46:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I haven't blogged in a month. I have been busy with chores and cleaning up the yard now that it is a little cooler outside. It rains every afternoon, cools the weather and clears up in about an hour. I like this time of year in Florida. I built a table for the laundry room and we tiled the top of it. I am also in the process of taking the lawn furniture apart, cleaning & spray painting it, and putting it back together. Sort of spring cleaning in the fall! I have a maple tree in my front yard, it is beginning to shed it's leaves. It isn't cold enough for fall yet, but the tree knows that it is time. We have been lucky this year so far, very few bad storms or hurricanes. The hurricane season ends in November and I am hoping we will be spared this year. As soon as I finish up some of these chores, I will be blogging full time again!

Bowling for truckers

2007-08-29T07:27:00.000-04:00

Jellyhead's recent post made me reflect on my own life. I think that I am basically a happy person. Like everyone else I have a bad mood once in a while, I get sad too, sometimes. I think you have to fight bad moods and keep the little conversation in your head positive. Some people are miserable all the time. You've seen them, they are everywhere, in the line at the grocery store, or yelling at some poor waitress in a restaurant. What must be the conversation in their heads? Are they saying "F&%# YOU" to the whole world? What makes them not care about how they are perceived? Maybe they are just being honest about their feelings. Several months ago, a local television weatherman committed suicide. We only knew the part of him that we saw on air, but friends say that he was a friendly guy who always seemed happy. You hardly never hear of someone described as a "miserable bastard" committing suicide. Maybe these cranky types have the right idea. It is the happy people who are keeping their sad thoughts buried until, in some cases, they explode. Today in the news, there is a report about someone who dropped a bowing ball on speeding semi truck. The truck driver survived, he is not mad but instead feels sorry to the person who was angry enough to do this to him. Human behavior fascinates me.

Life is good

2007-08-24T07:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to lunch with my best friend. We have not seen each other in several months, but having known each other for twenty plus years, we can always pick up right where we left off. We have the same sense of humor and whenever I am with her, I wonder why we don't spend more time together. I retired early, still having kids at home, so I am busier than I expected to be at this time of my life. I am thankful that my health has been good lately and that I can get out and exercise "a little". My excuse is that it is "so hot" outside. Sometimes I go to the mall to get my walking in for the day. I just refuse to worry about my chores anymore. My house sometimes looks like a bomb hit it. Once in a while I do some "speed cleaning", but for the most part I try to keep the bathrooms & kitchen clean and let the rest go. Of course I always keep up with the laundry - still fascinated with my new "high efficiency" washer & dryer! Refresh your attitude - take some time for yourself this weekend -have lunch with your best friend - it worked for me!

Changes

2007-08-14T07:40:00.000-04:00

Well, the boys are getting ready to go back to school on August 20th. In Florida we go back earlier than the rest of the country, but we are trying to fix that. In previous years school started the first week in August instead of September like the rest of America. Parents, irritated to sometimes have to cut their family vacation short, have protested and tried to get the date pushed forward. So far, we have only gotten it two weeks closer. Preston graduates this year, and Matthew is the year behind him, so it probably will not affect my boys. What a difference a year makes in the life of a kid. Last year both boys were at band camp. This year our band director was "re-assigned" (to put it nicely) and the new director is not the greatest teacher. Both boys decided not to participate in marching band. So many kids have quit that there may not even be a marching band this year. They will both still have music classes during school. I should be glad not the have to pull the trailer to competitions and be at football games every Friday night, but as many of you know, I am not big on any kind of change. Raising teenagers involves a constant state of change. Preston has been driving for a year now, and Matt gets his license on August 31st. They both have part-time jobs. They would rather be off with their friends than home with their moms. We used to have dinner ever night, but now it is almost impossible to get us all together. Lately, I don't even cook dinner, opting to go out or just open up a can of soup! For the last couple of years my job has been defined as "stay at home mom". I know the boys will be home for a few more years, but I am sad to see it starting to come to the end. It seems that our time together has been so short!

"STEPHANIE IS A HORE"

2007-08-01T15:27:00.000-04:00

. . .is what it said on the bathroom wall in large letters. First thing this morning I was in the grocery store and I saw this scrawled on the wall. I hate to go to the bathroom when I am out but sometimes nature calls! It is bad enough that this person (maybe it was "Stephanie") was vandalizing the wall, but she must have skipped school to do it, or at least missed English class.

My dog Ransome continues to be a pain in my ass by tearing off his bandage. It is difficult to keep a bandage on the side of his face; just when it begins to heal he scratches it and tears it open again. Yes, I have tried an elizabethan collar, but he gets "stuck" and won't move; he will stand in the corner and not move or eat or drink with it on. I feel sorry for him. Today he got the bandage off twice. I couldn't find it the first time, and I figured he must have lost it somewhere in the yard. The second time he pulled the fresh bandage off I caught him EATING IT! (now I know where the first one went- how disgusting!) My next step, if I can't get this wound to heal, is to take him to the vet and have them put him in a head cast!!! (just kidding)

It is raining all the time here. I got caught in the rain the other morning when I was out on my bike. Oh, by the way, if you see someone you know riding their bike (or horse) beside the roadway - please DON'T honk at them!

My friend "Phyllis"

2007-07-22T12:34:00.000-04:00

I worked with Lois before I retired. She was a "crotchity bitch" when she worked at the PD as a dispatcher, and it was a good thing that it was her job to tell you where to go - because she wouldn't hesitate "to tell you where to go or where to stick it". Sometimes I like that in a person! She had every reason to be cranky, because of all the "unfairness" that went on. She often was on the administration's "shit list" and we had many good laughs about her attitude. "Phyllis" is her nick-name because the mayor never could remember her real name and often called her Phyllis (how insulting, your boss doesn't even know your name). Lois finally came to her senses and quit that job and moved out west. She is an avid dog lover and raises those dogs that look like little black pigs -"Skipper-kees" (that's not how you spell it but that's how you say it!) Anyway, Lois is a "good egg"; visit her new blog at: www.movedtothemountains.blogspot.com

Computer empty

2007-07-17T23:19:00.000-04:00

I am not very computer literate. When the machine would no longer connect to the internet, I took it right down to the professionals. They told me to do a re-boot on the whole system. That's when my troubles began. I have had an empty computer! I couldn't even connect to the internet for DAYS until a couple of hours ago when I figured out that I should re-load the ISP software. In the meantime I have been spending quality time doing the laundry in my newly designed laundy room! All my documents (I did back up photos and some docs on my remote drive) and other computer things that I took for granted have to all be re-installed. Quite shocking - it is like my computer doesn't even know me!! Even my cute little fish tank screen saver is gone. I have to locate all this software and re-load everything. I don't have sound now either, I haven't quite figured out how to fix that! I have missed reading your blogs for a week. One can only stare at the laundry going round & round for so long until it gets boring! Tomorrow I will catch up on all your blogs! I hope everyone is well!