What a week!

I took my computer to the Geek Squad to see if they could recover a deleted file for me. When I got there, my computer wouldn't power up. I had just unplugged it an hour before I got there, so I couldn't believe it. The techie guy told me that it was probably the motherboard, and I would spend less to buy a whole new computer. This all sounded real crazy to me, so I went home to think about it. I was looking through my paperwork and discovered that I had purchased the 3 year service plan. Since the computer was purchased in '04, I rushed up to the nearest Best Buy and put her in the hospital. Today they called, and my computer had a bad power supply. They replaced it for free under the warranty, so I was relieved. Sometimes it helps to get a second opinion! So now I STILL haven't recovered the deleted file and I don't have much hope that I will. I bought some "Search and Recover" software, and it is running as I am writing this - it takes hours! Then I will have to sift through the recovered files and see if I can find the missing one! Maybe I will get lucky.

I took Jelly's advice. I got some chocolate. I ate it. I ate some more. I am addicted, but I feel much better! Fatter, but better! I discovered this lovely brand if you love coffee and chocolate - it has both! In my recent chocolate binge - I have decided that I like DOVE the best. It is the smoothest, and it just melts in your mouth. If someone doesn't stop me, I will eat the whole bag! I have to ask my roomate to hide the bag of chocolate and only dole it out to me a few pieces at a time. Pitiful, aren't I?

I need the GEEK SQUAD!

Talk about stupid. I was deleting some unwanted files because I thought they were making my computer go. . . so. . . slow - and I must have deleted some files by mistake. My roomate tried to go to "her" files - and they were missing. Completely gone - not even as much as a mention of them in the recycle bin. Now, I admit to being computer illiterate, but I don't think I intentionally deleted a file. My roomate insinuated that somehow my actions were deliberate, because only "her" files and "her son's" files were deleted. (She actually said that she thought it was "ODD", but I took that as accusatory.) I understand her frustration because she had some important documents in there. However, I wasn't the one that didn't back up my files! All my important stuff (photos) are backed up on an external drive. We usually get along quite well. This paranoid inferred accusation begs the question, "Does mama have to slap a bitch?" Of course I am only kidding, I love her to death. I will slink down to the Geek Squad precinct tomorrow and spend hundreds of dollars to try to recover the files. Maybe if I have any money left over, I will buy her an external drive of her own!

My life in a nutshell

Sometimes I have writer's block, or actually - it's thinker's block. Then again, maybe it is "thinker's attitude". My son got his driver's license last Friday. Seeing him drive away from the house on his own is that same feeling all over again from when I dropped him off at school for the first time. Kind of empty, scared, am I doing the right thing feeling. You know, throwing him out of the nest - but wanting to grab him back. I have admitted it before, I am an "OPM" (overprotective mom). Now it is time to let him go off with his friends, and hope that he is a good boy. I have never had a bit of trouble with him, I have nothing to complain about. I guess I am just afraid he will be influenced by peer pressure. Now I will be working on the second driver, my roomate's son, helping him get his learner's permit, teaching him to drive. Ah, such is the life of a stay at home mom.
My life has changed so much in the last two years since my disability retirement. Other friends my age are still working, so I really have nothing in common with them. I mostly stay at home doing laundry, cutting the grass, cooking dinner, doing the dishes and all that other domestic crap. Even the dogs are bored with me and have stopped following me around the house. When my roomate and the boys come home, they all begin doing their personal little projects; there is little conversation. I know that I am depressed about all this. I plan to start thinking about me for a change; next week will be all about ME! Do you think they will notice? Maybe when the laundry starts to pile up and there is no dinner on the table!

I am still here!

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I am still reading your blogs. I will post all the news tomorow. I miss you too!

Your rights

You have the right to remain silent.

If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning.

If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you at no cost.

During any questioning, you may decide at any time to exercise these rights, not answer any questions, or make any statements.

Let's go over this again. After the first sentence, it should be clear what you should do. Please, just remain silent! Stop trying to be cooperative. If the police have gone this far and they are giving you this warning - it is because they suspect you of something and they want you to make statements that will incriminate you or in some way tie you to the crime that is being investigated. Now if you STILL feel like you might want to make some kind of a statement, why not call an attorney? An attorney is a person that knows about the law and you want him there for you. Why? because they just told you that "anything you say can and will be used against you in court." What? you don't know an attorney? You are scared that it might cost too much money? It is free. They have to provide an attorney, at no cost to you. If the nice officer (who just wants to help you) gets you to start talking - remember - at any time you can just STOP TALKING!

In my 25 years as a law enforcement officer, most of those years as a detective, questioning hundreds of suspects, how many times do you think someone requested an attorney? . . . 3 times, yup, that's all, 3 times! Why? because I was SO nice, SO caring, SO compassionate.

Please don't be fooled by the nice cop. Exercise your right to remain silent. shhhhhhhhh!!!

Humidity sale

At the local K-Mart this weekend some dealership is having a car sale. They have a large tent set up in the parking lot. The cars are 2006 closeouts. I don't know about you, but who in their right mind would want to sit outside in 90 degree heat and high humidity in a tent negotiating a car deal? Maybe if the salesman passes out you get the deal!

How we spend our Friday nights

Here we are again for another year. Us moms in the stands watching our band boys practice, practice and more practice. They are in the stadium from 6 to 10 PM, working on their drills. This years show looks like it will be one of the best that I have seen. That is Matt (10th grade) on the snare drum on the left, and Preston (11th grade) on the tuba. This band is undefeated in it's class in this area.

Both boys work very hard and they really like being in the band. Us moms are happy about this, glad our babies are not running the streets and hanging with drug addicts! There is so much bad stuff for teenagers to get into, we are glad they have this activity to keep them busy. Tonight we dropped them off at 6, then we went out to a nice "moms only" quiet dinner. We will be doing this every weekend now through November. Some weekends there is a Friday night game, and then a Saturday competition the next day. This keeps the whole family busy. All the band parents must help out in some way.

Our job is to tow the band trailer full of musical instruments to competitions and away games. It is like high school re-visited, for us!

Back to walking

This morning I took my first walk in months. I hurt my foot when I was in Washington, D.C. this past summer, and I quit walking after that. I have gained some pounds because of the inactivity, and I need to get them off. I plan to walk a half hour in the morning, and a half hour in the evening. This morning I donned my Rockport walking shoes and got out of the house right at dawn. (After about 8 AM, you can't exercise outside, it is just too hot!) If I can keep it up for about two weeks, then I will start going back to the gym. Those lazy boys don't want to go with me to the gym, so I will go by myself. I hate exercise, I have to force myself to do this!

Ransome says, "where ya going mom in the ugly shoes?"

Back to school

This is the first day back to school for the boys. All last week they had band camp. I am the unofficial photographer for the band. I take lots of snapshots during their activities, then post the photos on a website for all of them to access with a pass word. At the end of the week the band director asked me to take a shot of the whole band in their uniforms, so it could be published in the school brochure. "OK, on the count of three, I am taking the picture, so smile - one, two, three!" "STOP!, STOP!, STOP!", the band director says. We have to do it over, someone in the band decided to raise "a finger" and the band director caught it. "Thanks, Preston, for messing up the picture, now we have to take it over", the director says! (Oh God, you mean it was MY SON that "shot the bird?") I am mortified! After the photo shoot, I couldn't get to tuba boy fast enough. I took him aside and reemed him up one side and down the other. How dare he be so disrespectful? I told him if he EVER did anything like that again, that he would be quitting the band. This is a boy that I have never had any trouble with, I was so embarrassed! He apologised and told me later that it was just a prank and that he was just being a wise guy and didn't mean anything by it. Looking back on it now, it was kinda funny, but I don't think I will tell him that! Look at the tubas, they think it is SO funny, they can hardly keep from laughing out loud.

YOU-YOU two

Abandoned in Pasadena There is no short answer to Sandy’s “you-you”. She is without question one the bravest women that I know. She loves her husband so much, it shows throughout her blog. Sandy is another blogger who has incorporated many family members into her blogging habit. Instead of giving up when she felt like she couldn’t ride motorcycles anymore, she had training wheels put on! Those of you who have ever ridden a motorcycle know that this is no small feat. She had to learn a whole new way to ride. A lot of this had to do with the fact that she wanted to enjoy riding with her beloved Jimmy. Sandy is a great storyteller and I enjoy her stories of her cats and her mascot, Cucco. Cucco is Sandy’s not so imaginary purple haired bird.

Jellyhead is the blog that everyone should read. I have often stated that the Aussies are SO much smarter than the rest of the world, and Jelly’s blog proves it. After all, they are so far ahead, that it is already tomorrow there now. So they have already lived through the day that we are in now. (?) No, I don’t understand how this works, but I am sure that the Aussies do! Jelly’s blog is a delight as she tells the inside story of being a doctor. She tells us how she feels about everything, and that is the best part. I love to hear about Jelly’s travels and family adventures. Jelly tells us about her Mum and the influence her Mum has had on her life. I just love Jelly. Someday I will meet her in person and ask her the secret of being a day ahead, and if she endorses Aussie hair products and the Outback Steak house!

Doubleknot is a blogger that lives in Florida, not far from me. I think that it is strange that I came across her blog while surfing other blogs from all around the world! Doubleknot’s sister, Puffstitch, even lives in my small town. Isn’t it a small world when we blog? Doubleknot tells us about the everyday courage and her roommate, Steve, as they face retirement and doctor’s appointments. She also posts interesting photos of their children, grandchildren, and her garden and plants. Doubleknot and I have emailed each other from time to time, and she is a really nice lady.

Colors of the Garden is the blogchild of Kerri, an Aussie who has transplanted to upstate New York. Kerri has a sweetness about her that permeates throughout her blog. You can tell that she cares about the rest of us, and she has made many blog friends. She is either a wonderful gardener, or she has one! She shares information on gardening and her breathtaking photos of the land and gardens around her farm. Kerri may not know it, but her photographs are of publishing quality. I enjoy her blog.

First installment of YOU-YOU's

(I have to do the "you-you's" in several separate posts because they are so long) -check back tomorrow for more you-you's

I have been blogging about a year now. These are some of the blogs that I read all the time. The following is the impression that I get from you, as you are represented on your blog. Please don’t take offense at anything in this narrative that is not completely correct. This is just a “you-you”, as observed by me, for your entertainment only.

Motherkitty was one of the first blogs that I read when I started blogging. I quickly discovered that MK is related to several other bloggers on her list, and it is a good way for her family to keep in touch. (I wish my family was this computer literate.) Recently, MK went though a serious surgery, and I could tell by the tone of her blog that she was in a lot of pain, and not really in a good mood. It seemed that she was taking a lot longer to go through this than she had expected. Lately MK seems to be feeling better, I can tell by her recent posts. Her quick wit and funny stories have returned after a much missed absence.

Texas to Tennessee is one of those people who have done what some of us only dream of doing. She moved, several hundred miles away from her home, with very few possessions. She took her best dog friend, Mocha, with her. She just picked up and moved out of her comfort zone and away from all of her friends. The move seems to have been an effort to discover herself, and try to be all that she can be. T2T seemed apprehensive at first, but now she has settled in to her new home and is finding a place to reflect on life, write about it, take photographs, exercise, and help others at her retreat. She is now on staff at the retreat. (See, she went from visiting to running the place!) Once, several months ago, I almost visited T2T. I had a friend flying to Nashville on business and I was invited along. I even plotted out the route on mapquest from Nashville to Penuel Ridge. It turned out that I didn’t travel to Nashville, but someday I probably will.

Matthew’s Blog is a blog about a very sick baby, as documented by his father in photographs. The blog is to keep the family informed on Matthews’s progress, but also a journal of his life. Matthew has a serious heart condition, that just ten years ago would have been fatal. With the miracle of modern micro-surgery, and talented physicians, Matthew will now survive to be a healthy boy. It has been touch and go through a lot of his procedures. It is great to see how Matthew’s parents rally around him, even when they are so weary. They never lose their hope and strong faith, even though I know that they are constantly on “the edge of their seats” with worry. Whenever I am feeling low, I check Matthew’s Blog. It gives me hope, and a lot to be thankful for.

Chocolatebox Diary is also one of the first blogs I discovered. Hiromi is a woman in Japan who is eagerly leaning English. She has three beautiful daughters. All of them are busy and involved in school and sports. Hiromi’s blog shows us the wonderful meals that she cooks for her family and all of the activities that she attends with her daughters. She has taken a job recently, and does not have much time to blog. Sometimes she is so involved with her family, that she doesn’t take time for herself. This makes her sad. I remind her to smile. She is as interested in my culture as I am in hers. We have become good friends. We e-mail each other and someday we will meet in person.

Elephant's Memory - Touching story

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen,thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later he was walking through a zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him. Probably wasn't the same elephant.

. . .and my point is YOU-YOU

One of my favorite jobs when I was a law enforcement officer was that of "hostage negotiator". I would be called upon when someone was barricaded (alone or with a hostage) to negotiate the release. I think I was first picked for this job because I have a soothing voice. It quickly became a passion and I learned everything I could about it. I got a big rush when the world came to a standstill and waited while the hostage taker and I talked on the phone. I got an even bigger high when, through the power of persuasion, I talked the suspect into giving up and coming out. After a long seige that turned out well, it was when I was finally alone in my car on the ride home when I yelled "YES!" "I DID IT!" that was the most satisfing moment. My point in telling you this is to let you know that it was very important to me, in order to save a life, to get to know the suspect as soon as possible. I enjoy doing that. I have now known some of you for about a year. I don't know your names, but I know you. Stay tuned, I am working on a post about some of you. I call it my YOU-YOU. I think you will find it interesting.

Fool me twice, shame on me!

A Texan could think of this .... from Bandera County, where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this true story. Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Bandera, Texas. After Last Call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night), flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patron vehicles left. At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive slowly down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and approached the car carrying a breathalyzer test kit. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken." "I doubt it", said the truly proud Texan, "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."

For all you cat lovers!

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met him at the pearly gates and said, "You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking. The cat thought for a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on." God said, "Say no more." Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow. A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the pearly gates with the same offer that He made to the cat. The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again." God answered, "It is done." All the mice had beautiful little roller skates. About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found him sound asleep on his fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, "Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?" The cat replied, "Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!"

Product endorsement

I hate mint! For years I had to brush my teeth with the "refreshing taste of mint". This would be OK if I liked mint, but I can't stand it - YUK!
Finally Crest came out with a product for us non mint lovers. Whitening Expressions tooth paste comes in Lemon Ice and Vanilla Mint. The lemon kind tastes just like those lemon lolipops, and the vanilla just has a slight (tolerable) hint of mint. I also like natural citrus Listerine, tastes kind of orange instead of that nasty regular mouthwash. Just thought I would pass this along to any of you fellow mint haters!

What next?

Sometimes this baby boomer can't sleep. I don't want to turn on the television, for fear it will keep me awake longer. I have noticed that I have a kind of "ipod" in my brain. I can recall tunes and play them for my amusment. Last night I was listening to some Copland from my brain, and I started thinking about how far technology has come in my lifetime. In the early 80's, when I was first a detective, we had to share a pager. The detective on call would keep the pager for that week. It was the size of a cigarette pack (one more thing to carry) and it would beep, signaling you to call the dispatcher. Of course you would have to find a pay phone - there were no cell phones back then. Before I retired, all the detectives had their own cell phones, and even the kind with that annoying two-way walkie-talkie. We got GPS's to follow the bad guys, and sometimes even to follow our own officers. We had body bugs and pin-hole cameras for undercover operations. We got in car cameras to record every traffic stop. Now there is a computer in every police car. This makes me wonder what will be invented in the next twenty years. I can only imagine that it will be something "in body", like my brain ipod. Maybe a forehead camera for police officers?

Trouble in paradise

On Thursday last my teenage son emerged from his room and announced that something was wrong with his laptop. My first thought was, "Who are you?", because I haven't seen him in the daytime for so long! He couldn't get his machine to connect to the internet. I know very little about computers, and we discussed what he should do to try to fix it. He told me that he had downloaded a trial game, and that when he deleted it the trouble started. He suggested doing a "system recovery". I told him to try that, and if it didn't work we would need to get professional help. He returned a few minutes later, frustrated that the fix didn't work, that now it would not even load his profile. I told him that if he "got up during the daylight hours" the next day, that we would take it to the Geek Squad to be fixed. The Geek Squad is at the Best Buy store and I have had good luck with them before. We had to drive 25 miles to the closest store. There was a bad rain storm on the way down there, and the traffic slowed to a dangerous 40 mph. I took the time to lecture my son about the perils of driving in such conditions. (I love it when he is a captive audience.) We finally got there and walked up to the counter where I told Preston to explain to the man what had happened to the computer. As he explained the man turned on the machine. It worked perfectly. ? As I told you, I am computer stupid, but I do know a few little things. I turned to my son and said, "You did re-start it after you did the system recovery, didn't you?" AH-NO, HE DIDN'T!!! Embarased, we slinked out of the Geek Squad area. At least they didn't charge us for being computer idiots! I was relieved that it only cost me the gas to drive there!

AH! Summertime!

I don't have a clue why - but the teenage boys in this house want to stay up all night and sleep all day! They like to play video games, and communicate with their friends on "My Space". I have tried to reason with them. Why don't they just go to bed at midnight or so, then get up early and play their games? Nope - for some reason they want to stay up until 0430 or 0530, then go to bed and sleep until the afternoon. I don't get it, when they stay up all night, they have to be quiet, to not wake up the moms. Last night I admonished them about the laughing and the noise. They are both good boys, and I have nothing to complain about. I try not to nag the hell out of them, but at the same time, I feel like it is my job to keep them on the straight and narrow path. I try to remember that next year they will be working in the summer, and that they should enjoy their childhood as long as possible. Maybe I am too easy on them, but I know that they will only be young for a short time. I also have allowed my son to grow his hair long for the first time this year. He is sixteen, and I am trying to let him make his own decisions about these things. Soon he will be getting his driver's license, another scary event! This mom thing is a lot more worrisome than I originally thought it would be!