A Scary Night

Last night was the corporate night of Oktoberfest in Tulsa and of course it is Oklahoma so storms were-a-brewing. The Hubby, #1 and The Guy planned on their annual trek there. I sat watching TV and packing and doing laundry for my trip and the weather guy came on showing the storms. I called #1 girl and then left a message on The Hubby's phone to warn them they need to come home. I continued on with my tasks and then the wind kicked up and the rain. The weather guy again came on and they said tents had blown down and there were injuries. UH OH!!!! I hit the phone again and tried to contact them. The phones either rang and rang or they went to voice mail. Then my phone would ring and I could hear The Hubby yelling but he couldn't hear me and then nothing. I was in a little panic mode except I heard his voice. Soon my phone buzzed that I had a voice message. It was from The Hubby and he yelled that they got out and were alright. WHEW! I was relieved. Soon #1 called me and she was on the verge of total breakdown. She is terrified of tornados and storms and stuff and so she was caught in the middle of it all. The Guy was hit in the head by a pole or something but it was a glancing blow and not bad. He may be a little bruised.

What a Weekend

This weekend I hosted 10 (counting myself) wonderful ladies at a little retreat-getaway at our cabin. Wow! Some are elementary teachers, lawyers, and accountants. All of the ladies really needed this time away from their respective worlds and our place was the perfect place for that.

Friday afternoon I arrived around 3pm and began unloading and preparing the place for their arrival. I had picked up Olive Garden lasagna and salad so we didn't have to cook which is so very easy. I made a pinion wood fire in the chiminea and set up the hammock and waited for them to arrive. All but one had never been to our place and so they were in for a surprise as to how wonderful their experience would be. It is very relaxing and great for recharging batteries. They began to arrive around 5 pm and the fun began. It was laughter and jokes and snacks and more laughter. We soon piled 10 of us into two golf carts to take a tour and hopefully catch sight of some deer. We were lucky to find only one this time. Back at the cabin we chowed down on lasagna and wine and margaritas and homemade cheesecake. Then we started a big fire for the somores (boy was I full.) I didn't make it too long in the evening as we had all been up since about 5 am. I headed for bed but continued to hear laughter till about midnight. That is what this place is for.

Saturday started out a little cool as fall is trying to start up but was perfect for walking and taking more golf cart rides. We had breakfast of bacon and homemade coffeecake then began to explore. We all ended up by the waterfall watching the turtles bobbing up and down and an occasional snake swim by (yuck). Of the ten of us, six had to go back to town but the remaining four spent the evening getting really deep in conversation about everything that women talk about.

Sunday I was up at 7am and made pumpkin spice coffee and tried to write some in my journal before the other three made it up. I knew we were going back about 10 so time was running short. I won't be back to our cabin till about three weeks since we are leaving for our trip in a week. YIKES! Better get packing.

Thought Jumping

I just re-read my previous post and when I started the post I was going for writing about the Europe trip. My thoughts just seem to jump all over the place lately, even more so than usual. I just can't seem to follow through on a thought process and I used to be so very organized in my head. I used to keep lists and was very, very organized but I just can't seem to get it together. I think it has to do with the hormones and the change and whatever. Well, whatever just sucks because I feel like I can't hold onto a thought long enough to process it. I either want to sit and blank my mind out or just let the thoughts just go crashing through my mind. Man, I can't even seem to get the thoughts out here because my hands can't even communicate with my brain. I'm a very fast typist but I can't even coordinate that. I feel like I'm in a fog sometimes and even the other day I was pulling into a parking spot (thank GOD there wasn't a car in front of me) and instead of hitting the brake I hit the gas and jumped forward into the other spot. I don't even know what I was thinking at the time but this has got to stop. It's getting annoying all the jumbles in my head. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The Countdown

I just looked closely at my calendar and realized that the countdown is on. We (The Hubby and I) are leaving in a week for our Europe trip. I'm not really nervous because I haven't really had time to get nervous, but I will be by next week. I have never been in a foreign country, unless you count the Bahamas, and the farthest I've been is Hawaii. The Hubby has traveled to Africa and Prague. We are going to Paris, Normandy and then the last 3 days to London. I am really excited about this excursion. My lists are mounting and I plan on semi-packing next week. #1, who has traveled to England, Germany, France, Prague, and India has given me some tips on her travel experiences. She gets a journal and starts pages on what to pack, dates, addresses for postcards, exchange rates for money, and she even gets travel guides and cuts and pastes maps in the journal. Then when she travels she will fill in the rest of the book with her journaling. Sounded like a great idea and so I followed her lead. Finding a new journal was no problem because I have a stack of them I haven't even cracked open. I have a small obsessive compulsion to buy new ones all the time. Not only do I blog here online but I do journal handwritten at least every weekend. I don't seem to find the time during the week but every Saturday morning at the cabin I fill several pages of my weekday happenings.

I am a writer although it is not really good writing, I love to write. I try to write fiction but sometimes I just can't get what is in my brain to the clean white paper. It is a struggle. I have written a teenage mystery, of course unpublished, and it is bad, really bad, but I have a beginning and an end to it so I call that an accomplishment. I've written several short stories and started others but I just can't sit long enough to finish. I'm always interrupted by people and my inability to sit for long periods. I love to write letters too. I opt to hand write very long letters so know if you are my friend and move away expect letters. It may be only a couple a year but they can be 10-15 pages long. Long hand written letters are really a thing of the past and I think it should not be lost. I remember in high school in the 12th grade sitting in a classroom with a substitute teacher that I thought was 150 years old, and probably was. He as a distinguished looking older man with snow white hair sitting at the teachers desk while we did busy work. When he entered the room he was carrying a leather folder and while we did our work he opened the folder, pulled a fountain pen out of his shirt pocket, and then on unlined paper began to write a letter. His penmanship on that paper was absolutely beautiful and flowing. I was sitting at the front and I couldn't take my eyes off of his hand as the pen swirled across the paper. Absolutely amazing. See, a lost art.

The Engaged Couple

If I had done that...

Uh Oh! The Hubby has a major problem with little poles that are stuck in the ground. He came into the office after lunch and looked like a little boy that had broken his favorite toy. I don't know if anyone remembers, but he bought a brand new Avalanche in I think March. Well, he was in a parking lot backing into a space and WHAM!!!! He crunched the passenger side door and running board into that itty-bitty white pole that was in the ground. He said it sounded like someone running over crunching garbage cans. You think. He immediately went to get an estimate at the body shop we seem to have a standing account at, and decided to get the windshield estimate too that was damaged on the drive to Dallas. The window is about $300 but the other part of the estimate is not in yet. Now, if I had done that, he would have yelled and screeched and had a hissy fit, but I have NEVER, in any shape, form or fashion. I have only been in one little fender bender and I was rear-ended, not my fault and not much damage. So I hope I'm not jinxing myself by writing this down but if ever it happens I hope that he is not mean because I don't rag on him for all his little mishaps.

My Weekend (read till the end it's good)

Friday after work I waited for The Hubby to finally come home so we could go to the cabin. I sat twiddling my thumbs as I can hardly wait to go and enjoy the peace and quiet AND the friends I/we have made there. He rolled in the garage and immediately went to his computer to check his emails and his Ebay finds. Still I sat and waited and dozed off. I would have taken off without him but I wanted to wait. Finally, he strode into the living room and announced he was ready. YES! I jumped and grabbed the ice chest and my bag and piled into the truck (yes I would have loved to drive the Miata with the top down but...).

I was so relieved as the gates came into view and we passed into our little slice of heaven in Northeastern Oklahoma. We pulled into the gravel driveway of Flash Pointe and I hurried into the cabin lugging my stuff. I was anxious to see my friend next door. Our cabin is very close to the neighbor, and in fact, our back door has a stone walkway that leads right to their front door. My friend H asked me to bring a half gallon of milk so I grabbed it out of the ice chest and yelled at The Hubby that I was going next door. He mumbled something about cutting the grass before it rained. Out the door I went and as I rounded the walkway to her patio there she sat with two other neighbors laughing. H immediately jumped up and poured me a glass of wine. A little later three more ladies joined the hen party and more wine was poured and the conversation went from chin hair to sex. WooHoo! What an evening.

The next morning I awoke around 7 am before the sun was up. That is the most perfect time of day at Flash Pointe for me. I quietly put my clothes on and crept out of the bedroom grabbing my book, journal and pen. I made the coffee and then went out to the wonderful screened porch and my favorite chair. It was so quiet as I sat there and watched the sun come up. In the fall the most common sound you hear are the crows cawing. It reminded me of my GreatGranny's in Jay when I was a little girl. The sun began to come up and I could see to write in my journal. Coffee was ready and I was set for the day, or so I thought. Later in the morning I heard a kind of hysterical ladies laugh that was the call of the piliated woodpecker, like Woody Woodpecker, there were two of them talking in the trees. So very cool.

I could have sat there all day in my chair reading, writing and watching the birds but I knew I had to clean the cabin for the guests I was having next weekend. So my day of bliss was cut short with the vacuum cleaner, dusting, and scrubbing toilets...YUCK! This is where I regret having such a large 2nd home, but only briefly. We had to get back to town so it wasn't a true weekend at the lake as we had to get back for a surprise 50th birthday party for a friend. I FORGOT the Okie Blog thing that I had planned on going to. I'm sad I missed it but I just couldn't cram that in.

Sunday...This day has been WONDERFUL!!! The Hubby has decided that we need a new mattress. Yes he is getting insistent about the subject. He says that I wiggle the bed too much and it makes him nauseous. Uh Ok. So we went mattress shopping and found one we really like but the stupid thing was nearly $8000, yes I said $8000. We found the knock off brand for a third of the cost. Now that is more like it. I told him that if we get a new mattress I want a head board. We have been married for nearly 32 years and have never had head board and I want a head board. He has decided that since he knows a custom furniture maker we will have one made to match our antique bedroom armoire and dresser. Sounds good to me.

I hope you are still reading because this is the really GOOD NEWS. I went wedding dress shopping with #1 daughter and we PURCHASED one. Yes we did and they have set the date of February 23! Yee Haw there is going to be a wedding. I can't believe it. She was so beautiful in the dress. Yesterday The Hubby asked me about how much the wedding might cost and I couldn't answer but sort of guessed. He shocked me by suggesting a rather large sum to use as a budget and asked if that would work. Well yeah it will work. I immediately called #2 and told the news and she about dropped her jaw. This is going to be a great wedding if we can find a place for it. http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=2836&prodgroup=123

A Conversation

Today as I was getting the gray eradicated at the hair dresser we got into an interesting conversation. Ruth is the exact opposite of me size wise. I'm short and heavy and she is tall and very slender. We began talking about our similarities. Ruth has battled eating disorders all her life (she's about 42 years old) and for most of my adult life I have battled the bulge, yet we have the same thought processes about it all. Ruth has a man in her life who openly has problems with her being skinny and subconciously watches her eating habits and I have the same deliemma with The Hubby who has the same issues, only fat wise. She said that if she chose not to eat her rice at dinner then her guy would become concerned that she was backsliding whereas if I ate the rice and maybe a little more The Hubby would be concerned that I would gain another pound. The problem with all of it is that it is not about the food at all and our problem is with the unintentional attention the men give to us. They really don't mean it but it is there. My guy at one time even accused me of lying to him when we got married. The lie being that I got fat because when I met him I was a size 1, very tiny. It was an irrational idea on his part but he just didn't know how to cope with my increasing waistline (mainly from pregnancy). He's thin, his mother is and his brothers are failry nice sized so he had no reference to deal with. This conversation came on the heals of The Hubby being out of town for a couple of days and my desire to EAT. I can't explain it except that it would be eating without the cloud over my shoulder, eyeing every bite I put into my mouth. It is a strange idea and I've been struggling this week with it.

October 1

Monday morning, October 1, 2007. What a beautiful morning it is. I drove to the office in my little red convertible and thoroughly enjoyed the warming air.

Yesterday The Hubby left for a little camping trip with his bud's for that little male bonding experience. I fully encourage him to take these trips as he has been so stressed with work. First thing I did when I knew he was going to be gone for a couple of days was plan to see a movie. First I had to make the stop to see my Daddy as today he was taking his trip to Laughlin with his sisters to see their half-sister. He told me he had not flown since 1962 and it was a propeller plane. Wow. He was nervous but should be half-way there by now. Good for him.

After the visit with him I met my friend C at the $1.50 movie to see Pirates of the Caribbean-The End of the World. Uh, ick. Hated the end of the movie but as always LOVE Orlando Bloom. Then we decided to have a cup of coffee and that was a very bad move for me as it was 5:30. Should have had decaf. Since The Hubby was gone I was a little anxious being alone in the house and the not being able to get into a deep sleep didn't help at all. I dozed off to sleep about 10:15 but awakened about 1:30 and then was tossing and turning till about 3:30. I knew the alarm was going to go off at 4:45 so that made me more anxious and I heard every little creak in the house. I got up with the alarm and went to Jazzercise but I know fully well that I will be hitting the sheets early tonight. YAWN!

I have a bone to pick!

The big birthday party for the MIL was a huge success. My BIL #2 supplied the FABULOUS spaghetti sauce and garlic bread and I did the salad and pies. Oh, and my peach cobbler and apple pies were the best I have ever made. We all sat at the super long table I set and had wonderful conversation...except for the other BIL that is really grating on me. I have a bone to pick with that one.

Let me clarify the characters of this story...


The BIL #1 - D
The BIL #1's wife - CH
All the characters of the day started assembling for the gathering to celebrate the MIL's 80th birthday. All of a sudden CH comes into the kitchen from the garage and asks if the side gate is open. I look at her and tilt my head like a confused dog and tell her I don't know. She runs out without explanation and I'm still tilting my head. I go to the sliding door and there is D walking around and CH is getting one of the lawn chairs for him to sit. I go out and they tell me that he is sick with some upper respiratory thing and doesn't want to get anybody sick. Hmmm, okay. So as the guests arrive they all take turns going out to the backyard as D holds court there.

Here is where I am miffed. EVERYTIME we have a function at this house of which we have been in almost 2 years D and Char spend nearly all their time here in that damn backyard. Most of the time they corral the one grandson Aiden because he is a tornado through my house. Aiden's parents walk in the door and D and CH grab him and off they go. We've had many family dinners here and they ALWAYS eat outside with Aiden and yesterday was not exception. I set a fabulous table for ALL to sit, squeezed together and there D and CH sat in the backyard eating off my good china while the rest of the family sat inside watching. I know he was sick but there is always an excuse for them not to be in my house. It ticks me off royally. When we finally moved into our house after the remodel and had our first big family deal they couldn't make it and then they started the backyard meals. To top off the day they left early because the mosquitoes were so bad and D couldn't stand it. Well, come in for goodness sake. I would rather get a germ from a family member.

Sorry I'm venting and I know it is silly but I've just about had it with them. It was a lovely day for the MIL and it was EVERYTHING she asked for.

Getting Ready

I woke up this morning as usual at 4:45 am...Dammit, and it wasn't the alarm that woke me. I guess getting up that early for 10 years is habit. I rolled over and tried to sleep a little longer and wished I hadn't. I slept till about 6:15 and was awakened but a NIGHTMARE. I won't go into it but it was absolutely horrible.

I went ahead and got up. I traipsed out to find the newspaper and then back in to fix my coffee. I read the news and then attempted the crossword and Sudoku. I failed miserably at the crossword but was successful with the Sudoku. I knew I had to get going with clean up of the kitchen and set my table for 13...wait a minute...maybe 14. Do you count a 3 year old for a place setting. I don't think I can squeeze another one in but I might ought to try, I guess. ARGHHHH!!! I decided to pull out my very large dining table and then put the game table at the end so we can all eat together, since we are having spaghetti for the MIL. It should be great fun but I'm already tired and it's only 9 am. I have to shower and then go to Sam's Club for flowers for the table. Here's a picture of the table so far...


On another note...I'm not looking forward to the little 3 year old great nephew coming over. He's all over the place and the parents don't disipline very well. Last time I hollered at him when he proceeded to shake my canary cage and parakeet cage sending feathers flying and birds into a state of shock. (I don't think I'm very ready for grandkids and thank goodness there are none on the way.)

Rings and things

This week, as I have stated on Monday, has been very eventful for #1 girl and The Guy. The ring he presented to her was his mother's and they planned on getting another since the whole thing was symbolic anyway (she hates gold). Well, I had a major brainstorm this week. When my mother passed away Sis scarfed up her rings and Granny's rings and scavenged the diamonds out of the mountings and then handed the mountings over to me to have. I know it sounds crappy but I knew she was getting the rings, or should I say diamonds so I'm okay with it (maybe). Anyway, I remembered that I had Granny's platinum mounting, which was very old and perfect for the criteria #1 had in mind for a ring. I showed it to #1 and offered for her to have it. She was absolutely thrilled, especially since she, of the five grandkids was closet to her "Great" Granny. She and The Guy went out and looked for a stone to put in it. Since she does not like diamonds they found a synthetic emerald for it and will pick it up on Tuesday. It makes me feel really good for them.

Tomorrow we are hosting the family dinner for The Hubby's mother's 80th birthday. I'm having 14 over for spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and homemade peach cobbler and apple pie. It was all by request of the MIL and I was happy to oblige. I'm actually only making the spaghetti (pasta), salad and pies, the BIL is making the bread and spaghetti meat sauce. It's funny, my house is messy but I don't seem to be in a rush to pick up. I know it's clean just a little messy. It won't take long to pick up and since The Hubby will gone most of the day at the office. He won't be under my feet to get in the way. I'm sure I won't be able to sleep in anyway so probably will be up and get most of it done by 8 or 9 and then off to Sam's Club with #1 to get fresh flowers and maybe a little cake to put a candle on.

We're not going to go to the cabin for a couple of weeks and I'm going to be in absolute withdrawal. This weekend is the MIL party. Next weekend is a surprise 50th for one of my friends and something else I can't seem to remember (have to find that calendar). Then the next weekend is a girls weekend with some of my Jazzercise girls at the cabin....YEAH!!! Then we will have a free weekend there and then we will be off to Paris, Normandy and London for 11 days. I'm a little nervous as I have never been out of the country but I'm up for it.

Oh, and on the organization of my room (remember the pictures I posted), well it's still a pit just moved stuff around enough to walk through. I don't know if I'm ever going to get it together in there. I know it makes The Hubby crazy, Mr. Clean and all, but it is my room and I will take my sweet time if I want to. Humph!

A Cat Lover

I am a true cat lover but my father's cat is the devil incarnate. Peaches was my mother's cat and she named the cat Peaches, but a peach she is not. The stupid cat turned out to be in love with my father. When my mother passed away my sister had to come home and tell Daddy she was gone, well of course my father broke down and sobbed and sobbed and Sis hugged and consoled Daddy but the stupid cat thought she was hurting Daddy and attacked her. Now the cat HATES Sis.

Today I took the day off (yeah) to run errands like the tag office, grocery, etc. My main objective was to stop by and see Daddy as he is leaving for his trip to Vegas on Monday. I used my key and opened the front door to the television blaring in the living room (he's very hard of hearing) and the television in the bedroom where his computer is blaring. It was deafening. I hollered HELLO but no answer. I stuck my head in the hallway thinking he was sitting at his computer and couldn't hear me and again HELLO. I put my purse and bag down and headed down the hallway and the first thing I saw was Peaches on his bed. I saw that Daddy was not in his chair. Hmmmm, must be outside. I said Hi to Peaches and walked in and petted her head, she usually likes me. She kind of bent her head down and laid her ears flat and I knew she was not to pleased to see me.

I went through the house and proceeded to the backyard where I was sure he was. Well, he was not there but the back door was open so I guessed he was across the alley or next door. I went back in the house and decided to check my emails and wanted to go back down the hall. Well, looky here, there is Peaches at the entry of the hallway. I took a step towards the hallway and the DAMN cat attacked me, and I don't mean jumped a little, she attacked my leg, grabbing and slapping and hissing and YIKES!!!! I hollered at her and she cowered back and hissed and slapped the ground and I tried to take a step again and was attacked again. Now I don't like to jump at animals but that stupid cat is crazy. I jumped back at her and she jumped at me. God, she scares me too death and I am a CAT PERSON. I love cats. I used to have four at one time with one sort of like her, but she is awful. I'm so glad she loves my Daddy and was essentially guarding him since I was an intruder but man-o-man. Damn Cat!

NEWS NEWS NEWS

I have NEWS!!!!

I am going to be a Mother-in-Law! Yup, yesterday The Guy got down on one knee and held out his mother's ring (she passed away this spring) and asked #1 to marry him. She of course cried and said yes. It was also the eve of her 28th birthday. She is actually excited and anticipating planning the thing. I am so very excited and I cried when she told me. YEE HAW!!!

#2 girl

I've had phone calls two days in a row concerning #2 and her "health" and life. She is driving me absolutely crazy. She was concerned because she just got up and her eyes were fuzzy and she had a little ache in the back of her head so she thought that it was the end of her life. This phone call came while I was in the middle of the grocery store. I proceeded to tell her that she was fine. She does nothing but worry about her health. She has it in her mind that she is dying and that doctors know nothing, yet she wants to go to the doctor. She is driving me nuts. I told her she needs to get out of bed, get a job, find a group of people (women) to bond with. She needs to get connected with the outside world and quit thinking about herself and nothing else. I told her that her father doesn't know she's having these issues and that if he finds out he will want to come out there (Californina) and bring her home and she went off. Then get plugged in with your surroundings honey and be a part of the world. I'm at my wit end with her about this. She says she has looked for a job but I don't think so. I asked her what she wanted to do and then asked about her music. She told me she didn't know and that she wasn't good enough. She has always thought little about her talent and now she has hit bottom. I was afraid that this would happen. I think she has realized that having a college education was probably the better option but she is still not ready to do that and may never be but she has to do something with her life. She has her audio engineer certificate but is not using it. I just don't know what to do with her. She is talented but she is not driven, that is her downfall here. She has to want it bad enough and that may happen because there is only $138 in her checking account. Hmmm, we'll see.

Lots of stuff

Friday my brother-in-law, The Hubby and I and the boys mother paid the deposit for her to move into a retirement community, a really nice one. She is ready but very tentative about the move. Last night we met with the realtor to put her house on the market and boy was that fun and funny. She has come to the age of fretfulness and worry and just plain fear. She will be 80 at the end of the month but you would never really guess it. My MIL is a very classy lady who has it goin' on and I love her dearly. Even her handwriting is perfect still.

Well, last night while talking to the realtor and filling out the mountains of paperwork, when asked if she was in a flood plain we all said no. Then he asked if she had flood insurance (forms you know), she said, "Well yes!"

I thought The Hubby's face was going to fall off. He said, "Well, Mom why do you have flood insurance if you are not in the flood plain."

She turned to him and said, "I live so close to the river." OK, now mind you my MIL lives probably three to four miles from the river which has NEVER risen to her area of town. She has a terrible fear of flooding.

I had to turn and leave the room so I could laugh. I didn't mean to laugh at her but she sometimes can be so funny with her little idiosyncrasies that I can't help it, especially as she has gotten older.

Then she didn't want to put a sign in her yard, or have the realtor send out fliers to the neighbors or advertise anything like that. She doesn't want her friends or neighbors to know her business. We couldn't figure out the reasoning behind this but we told her that was the only way to push the sale ASAP.

We kind of think she is afraid of her stepson finding out she is selling or where she is moving. See, she is the trustee of her husbands estate/trust and the stepson will inherit only at her death. Get my meaning. She is a little afraid of him as well as the three boys and myself. He is not happy that a trust company is handling the thing and not doleing out any funds to him. He just doesn't get it that most of it goes to charity anyway. He's just greedy and that is the reason why we are very wary of him.

On another note. I mentioned that I love my MIL but sometimes I have to grit my teeth at what comes out of her mouth. I know she loves me dearly and means well but...while touring her new condo on Friday she was talking to the sales manager and told the lady about The Hubby working five days a week and look how trim he is and how I/me work(s) out five days a week and how different out bodies are...!!! Well, I knew perfectly well what she was getting at as she has made mention about my body type before over the years and even has sent me diets and newspaper clippings. I know she means well but sometimes I have to ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!@##$DU*UYUT#(**#&%^&@. Okay, now I'm done. I love her too. I'm a good daughter-in-law!

A Day Off

After my grumbling yesterday about The Hubby and WORK it turned out OK. I ended up getting to leave when I wanted to and run my errands. I was even able to buy that elusive bowling bag I wanted. To top off the day I killed it at bowling which will just make my average go up, again.

Today is Thursday and I'm taking the day off. The Hubby is out of the office all day long so there won't be the urgent phone calls that he NEEDS me immediately, at least for the morning. #1 daughter is handling the office and phones and besides I have almost no voice today except for the 1-900 kind...Hey baby!

So far this morning I tried to workout at Jazzercise but this thing I am fighting off was aggravated by getting hot so I sat it out. I finished my crossword and Sudoku and came home to watch my usual two episodes of Charmed (I'm obsessed)and have my bowl of oatmeal. Then I did the dishes and took The Hubby's shirts (he ran them this morning)out of the drier. I don't do his laundry but will help him out occassionally. When he does the dishes he calls it foreplay (as he told my mother) and I guess doing his laundry is my form of it.

It is 9 am, the television is off and now I will attempt to tackle my room. I have always wanted my own room so when we moved into this house and did the remodel I got my own room. I shared a room and bed with my sister for 19 years and then I married and shared another room and bed with The Hubby. That has been 31 years now, so it was time for my own space. I don't sleep in it, except for the occassional nap in my chair, but I want to write, paint, read and just have my own space. Here are pictures of what I am facing today on my DAY OFF!

Anger and Frustration

The story goes...The Hubby and I have been in business for 28 years now and sometimes he can really TICK ME OFF! There are days that there is absolutely NOTHING to do except blog, play Club POGO and wait for the phone to ring. Today is one of those days. #1 daughter is now working here 3 days a week which gives me someone to chat with in this windowless office. The girls are grown and gone and so we are empty nesters. I have dropped out of all of my volunteering stuff and now my book club is probably going to crater. I have a couple of other small group things but my social life is just about nil. As stated in a previous post, I joined a bowling league and I need to leave the office at 4 pm on Wednesdays to get there and am through at 6:30. (Just wait this gets better.)

Well, today as I sit and do NOTHING ALL DAY LONG and the time creeps up to 2:26 pm The Hubby comes in and says, "What time do you need to leave." Hold on, I know where this is going. I told him 3:45, because I was going to the bank and then to buy a new bowling bag. He made that awful face and explained that so-in-so needed an invoice TODAY and one of the guys is coming in early to give him the rest of the info to finish billing it, which would be 3:30. So, I told The Hubby I would need to leave at least by 4. That means the bank will have to wait till tomorrow and no new bowling bag today.

What is the deal. It seems that every time I try to get a social life or something fun to do he subconsciously sabotages it....hold on...updated info...


I had to stop and go with him to pick up on of the vans that had to have new tires on it. While driving there I asked him why the so-in-so contractor had to call at the end of the day and insist on having the invoice today. He informed me that the contractor didn't call that he told him we would get it to him this afternoon. SEE WHAT I MEAN. I just made an exasperated sound. I started to say why couldn't it wait till first thing in the morning but stopped myself because that was the first day I was going to actually take a day off WITHOUT feeling guilty since #1 was going to be here. Crap, Crap, Crap!!!!!

Cough

Cough, cough, wheeze. I'm sick, at least I think I am. I really don't feel bad and I don't even have a headache but cough, cough, wheeze. It's probably those damn allergies that happen to us here Okies. I'm even on prescription Allegra but you never know. #1 daughter started work for us in the office last Tuesday and by Friday she was feeling horrible and coughing and sniffling. Stuck in a windowless office next to a sick person, who knows maybe that is it too. I take vitamins EVERYDAY and eat right and excercise, maybe I'm just having an abbreviated version of the contaigin. The customers should enjoy my deep sexy voice today, as this "thing" has settled in my chest and throat. Cough, cough, wheeze!

Last night The Hubby and I attended an auction to try to find some old rugs for our new house. (That sounded funny didn't it.) Anyway, he loves old middle eastern rugs. It's a place called Brandon's Auction and I think every week or so or every week they have auctions. There can be some really cool antiques there but last night was filled with tons of new furniture, some still with new tags on them. Dining room sets including hutches, bedroom furniture sets, living room chairs and couches, you name it it was there and the prices were dirt cheap, so was probably the quality of the stuff but I wouldn't know for sure because I didn't look too closely. We were able to bid on 3 of 4 rugs, a very old brass lamp and of all things a ukelele in a case for $20. Don't quite understand the meaning of that one. In all we spent around $650 on the stuff.

After the auction we hurried home and arrived around 10:15. I was anxious because our DVR was messed up earlier and I didn't want to miss Big Brother. Whew, it worked and we stayed up to watch it and The Hubby watched me scream at the television at Evil Dick.....his name is so appropriate. I so detest that man.

This morning I opted to stay in bed and not go to Jazzercise. I could have because I really felt OK but that extra 30 minutes sleep was heaven. I'll get some exercise tonight bowling.

I'm so torn

This weekend I left for the cabin early as I now have office help and can get away. I arrived at the cabin and planned on spending the night by myself as The Hubby was not due till Saturday. Of course, it was raining but I didn't mind as I spent the afternoon reading on my glorious back porch. I was soon joined by a sweet golden retriever. She was around last weekend and now her companions are two huskies, all a very young. Sadly the trio have dumped. Dumped by idiot people who just assume that since there are people here we will take care of them. Hold on people, do the right thing and either find a home, find a rescue or last resorts the pound but DON'T DUMP THE POUR DEFENSLESS ANIMALS. I don't want another dog but the golden is absolutely so sweet and gentle it just breaks my heart. In fact she still has a collor on, but no tag. She bacame my friend this weekend not leaving my side while I was outside. It helps I guess that I fed her. I couldn't help it. Unfortunatly I found out she is quite talented and smart. I went inside to take a shower on Saturday and left her on the covered front porch waiting for me. When I got out she was gone. Well, I went back out into the screened porch and there she was asleep by the inside door waiting for me. How did she get in there. I took her outside and went back in and watched from the kitchen. She went up to the screen door and stuck her claw in the fairly new screen and pulled it open wide enough to get her head in and slowly she slid her skinny body through the door. WHAT! I went out the front door to see if she could get out and she just pushes the door open and runs out slamming the door behind her. I don't know what will happen as we are home now and she is there. I don't want a dog, especially a large dog but I'm so torn and very sad by the stupidity of people doing that to a precious innocent animal. Oh and as I was leaving the grounds I passed the trash area and there were the two huskies munching on leftovers. So very, very sad. Know anyone in the market for some good dogs.