sunday ramblings

So, on my birthday, I spent the day with friends. Ice Cube was going to get up and cook me breakfast, but I left their house early that morning to go to my friends house. I had promised her that I would be in a week early to keep her sane and help her out. I was. Weds, Cathy and I went out and picked up some odds and ends for the wedding. We had to find things like ribbon for the bouquets. We also took the opportunity to stop and get some Chinese food for lunch. Our day was cut short when I had to run and meet Little Man so that I could take his friend home. Originally, he was going to drive the whole way in and visit with some of his friends but the issues with the car messed up his plans.

That morning, I had Ice Cube drop me off over at Cathy's house. There was some sort of mix up about the linens for the reception so we had to go find table cloths. Then off to the florist to pick up the flowers for the bouquets. She had the florist make the boutonnieres. Then back to her house to dip strawberries in chocolate and make the bouquets. Another of her friends dropped by and she and I ended up doing the bouquets. Cathy's kids came home. IC showed up with Elmer and B. Cathy's daughter in law came by with her 2 kids. By the time we were done with the bouquets... we had a real houseful and it was a nice little mini party. Then they were off to decorate the church. IC, B and I went to one of those fast food places to grab something to eat. Then I stopped by to see my ex's aunt and uncle who live close to my old neighbor, Sharon. Sharon wasn't home and I was leaving town the next day so I had to get by there to see the kids. Sharon's 4 year old grand daughter gets really confused about what happened to me. I asked her one day if she wanted to come to my house. She told me that "can't you house all gone". She will go outside and look at where my house was and ask her grandma where my house went. The 12 year old grand daughter will text me to see when I'm going to come back to town and when can she see me. So, I always make a point to go by and see the girls. Not that I wouldn't go by and see Sharon anyhow but I do tend to make those visit times during times when the kids are there. After a couple hour visit there, off to IC and Ruth's house we went where my son made me steak for dinner.

I am so glad to be home folks. No matter how much I miss the kids when I'm not there - being this far away is good for me. It takes me out of the drama and keeps me out of their petty little fights. I love the peace and quiet of the woods. From here to old town is like living in 2 different worlds. Old town is visiting, friends, lack of sleep, and a constant merry-go-round. Going back to visit old town isn't like when we lived there even. The kids forget that we didn't have something planned every night or even every week. They forget how many nights they whined and complained about being bored or having nothing to do. When we go back now, its all fun and games and visiting. And as fun as it is. As much as I love seeing everyone... I am so very glad when we get home and get off that merry-go-round. As much as I love seeing my friends, I miss the peace and quiet of the country. Home is the trees in the back yard. Watching the squirrels play in the mornings on the logs. Watching the cardinals that have made their home here. Trying to figure out how to hang my hummingbird feeder or taking care of the chickens. Home is walking the property and checking on the trees. I miss all of it when I'm gone. I miss having the chance to sit down and watch a tv show or having the option to let the DVR record it while I go do something outside. I love to walk the trails here at the property. I have to be sort of slow in those walks.. there are a lot of dangers on a trail for someone with my joints. I never walk alone. I love the trees out back that provide a curtain of shade. I love the trees that we planted out front. The ones that will provide fruit for years to come. I love landscaping this place. Trying to figure out what to plant where next. Do we want to plant veggies or more fruit plants?

I have a few weeks now before I have to go back for yet another wedding. I need the time to get some things done around here. The ins check is finally in for the damages to the house. I have to call the ins company on the damages to my stuff that was in the house when it flooded. I should have done this a long time ago but I was honestly couldn't decide if there was enough water damage to bother. When taking time to examine it a bit closer, I think I do need to make that call. I need to deposit the check that came in for Little Man's car and get those bills taken care of. I need to go get a tire replaced on my car. I need to find out what its going to cost me for an early termination of the satellite internet and see if the rumors are true that they're finally going to get DSL out here. And getting a high speed net out here would take away a ton of the problems that I go thru every month. I have kids who are home schooled and one doing college classes via the net. Running out of net on a regular basis and the kids losing things like playing their online games with their friends irritates people. And a lot of Tara's stuff for college is online. So, we are really hoping that they get DSL out here with a quickness. When I called earlier this month, they told me around 45 days. That should be around 30 days by now. I'm going to call and check tomorrow. I'm hoping that the 45 days was a bit longer than what it will really be. Hey, I'd love it if I could order it all tomorrow believe me! It will save me money too. Satellite net is over $100 a month for something that isn't much - if any - better than dial up. Then we add in a phone bill which runs just over $20 a month for nothing. Basic phone service. No long distance. No caller ID. Nothing.

Well, off here to delete things from the DVR and get myself something to eat. I had my alarm set for 8 this morning (well, every morning)... Of course, I woke up before the alarm went off. The migraine that I've been fighting for 3 days now- still here. I have to run to the bank here shortly. Take the check in to cover the car repairs. LM's car? Ended up costing almost $650. The clutch exploded and damaged the fly wheel. The fly wheel had to go to the machine shop to be fixed. Then as they got all that back together, they found that his front brakes were metal to metal. Those had to be replaced and the rotors turned. Then his headlight went out. Fixed that. His exhaust had a few issues - those got fixed. There was some gasket at the back of the engine that was blown- fixed that too. So, his car is mostly fixed right. For this week.

Keep smiling all!

Its American Idol time!!!!!

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I'm a bit worried

What a day!  The Rangers game last night was hit by a storm.  Not a little old rain shower.  A good, hail throwing, wind blowing, boomer of a storm.  And the powers that be for the Rangers delayed the game for 45 minutes before the storm ever came in.  Instead of playing for those 45 minutes and then delaying the game after the storm came in - they had us all sitting around waiting for the rain to come.  Then when it came, we all went under the over-hangings where you can usually wait out a quick shower.  They were expecting a doozy because they cleared all the folks out of the upper levels and made them come down to the lower levels before the storm hit.  They were right.  When that hail came in - it was horrible.  I got separated from B in the press of bodies all trying to avoid the storm.  I was standing by a group of 20ish kids and a mom with 2 little (one probably 3, the other probably 5-6) little ones and then she had a couple of older ones.  When the hail came in, it was dropping hard and it was flying back at us under that over-hang.  One of the 20ish something guys, the mom and I put the 2 little ones in the middle and then tented over them with our bodies to stop them from getting pounded.  The younger of the 2 kept wanting to look up at the hail falling and I was having visions of the kid losing an eye or something.  The crowd cleared out somewhat and we sent the mom into the inside of the stadium.  Then I started calling and texting B's phone trying to find his non-listening tail. I say this because I told the boy to stay with me.  I was a bit worried there for a few (less than 5 minutes) before he answered a text.  However, it turned out that the press of the crowd had just pushed him towards one of the better protected areas and our security guard had kindly let B hang out with him and one of the other guards until I got to him.  God bless our security guard who is one of the nicest guys I've ever met.  He worked our area of the stadium last year as did our usher and we've gotten to know both of the guys fairly well.  They've been very good to my runt and I adore both of them.  Anywho....  2 hours and 24 minutes past the regular start time, the game finally started.  And yes, I could have given up and gone home.  But, if you do that and the game doesn't rain out- you lose your money.  And more importantly....  It was the Yankees in town.  That happens to be all 4 of my boys favorite team.  It is not my favorite team.  Or my 2nd favorite team.  Or the 3rd, 4th, or 10th.  In case I haven't been clear enough- I cannot stand the Yankees.  I think they're a bunch of over-paid, egotistical, jerks.  There are a few individual players that I think are good- but as a team - Yuck!  So, as the game didn't start till 9:30, we ended up having to drive home thru another hail storm at o'dark thirty and I could only do 35 in a 60 for about the last 15 miles home.  Time that my son actually hit the shower last night?  1:38 AM.  Yes, I am a bad mommy.  

Then, of course, when we got home just before 2 AM, I found a nice flood of water in the hallway where the hot water tank was leaking all over the back hall.  Yes, what a life!  The hot water tank had totally died and was spewing its innards all over my hallway.  And, of course, the folks that had installed it had not bothered to put a cut off valve at the tank.  So, there was no way of shutting off the water without shutting off the water to the whole house.  Make. My. Night.  As I was beyond exhausted and had absolutely no intention of going outside to turn the water off last night and as it was only leaking about a bath towels worth every hour, I piled a bunch of towels around the area that it was leaking and went to bed.  (There are snakes and creepy crawlies outside at 2 am folks)  Besides, what could I do about it at that hour.  I sure wasn't calling in a plumber at that time of night.  One of the cousin's that lives in the neighborhood is a plumber and I caught up to him today.  He went and got the tank and installed it and everything.  No stress- no fuss- pretty much no effort on my part.  That's my type of repair.  Now, I have to mop my back hallway which is actually good because I've been putting it off because I have been doing other things instead so being forced to get down there is actually a good thing.  

So, my daughter that I've talked about has still not got her life together.  The worthless loser that she is with managed to lose another job and get them evicted again.  They can't go back to the last 2 states they've resided in because worthless loser has warrants out for his arrest in both states.  His mom has told them that they are not welcome back at her house.  His sister has requested that they not return to her house.  They are definitely not welcome back here even if there weren't warrants out for him.  So, you'll never believe where they moved.  They moved in with SD.  So, now we have a cocaine dealer (out on bond) with a crack addict.  Cause let's not forget the time worthless loser left daughter standing on a corner in crack city Dallas and drove away at 4:30 in the morning.  And pawned his mothers car to the dealer.  Throw in some alcohol abuse from the 2 of them and you have a match made in hell.  I figure that if I give it a week, I ought to be reading about the 2 of them in the police report section of the paper.  My mom is absolutely petrified that daughter is going to end up dead or in prison.  I figure it's about a given at this point and I'm trying to accept that fact.  But, 2 drug addicts together (before the fist fight comes) is trouble waiting to happen for anyone they're not particularly  fond of.  And I happen to rank high on both lists.  I am glad that we are moving in 2 weeks to a place that neither one of them knows where it is.  That way, they can't get on a drunk and decide that harassing me or the boys is fun.  

Well, that big 2 1/2 hours of sleep I got last night is beating me up right now, so I'm off to bed.  Apparently, the Rangers wanted to give the rubber match game to the Yankee's tonight since it took till the bottom of the 7th for them to wake the bats up.  I'm not going to make it till the end of the game tonight.  Take care all my friends!

headaches

Flipping channels back and forth between the Rangers (Kansas up by 1 in the 6th inning) and the Red Sox (who were winning by 2 last time I flipped over).  

It's Kevin Millwood's first Earned Run this season.  (Rangers pitcher)

Little Man has a friend over and is not real happy because he wanted to watch a movie - not baseball (don't know why I bother to put satellite in their rooms....  guess so they can complain about everything I want to watch)

B is watching baseball and playing his fantasy baseball league.  He's trying to win season tickets for next year.  (don't see that happening)

We have been lying new flooring in the front entranceway today.  I had a 2 x 3 white linoleum floor there that every time you walked in the door and it had been raining- the only place to stand without being a contortionist was to step on the carpet.  This is bad for the carpet as evidenced by the 6 pounds of dirt that was under there when we pulled the section up.  Gross.  Disgusting.  Now, we have a 5 x 5 section where hopefully, they will be able to avoid wet, muddy shoes on my carpet.  Or we will have a 5 x 5 section if I don't lose my mind before it gets done.  I took some pictures part way thru the project.  B picked out a faux woodgrain type tile so we'll see how it looks if I ever get it all done.  And right now thats a big IF>  I also have some nice shots of the pink mud that I am using to fix a few spots where the idiot dog I have decided to scratch my wall.  Hey, if you're going to give yourself a headache then why not do it big right?  The pink mud is pretty cool because it turns white when it dries so that you know when it's safe to play with it some more.  Fun stuff huh?  

When I bought my house in Indiana years ago, I bought a house bought during WWI.  It had old horsehair plaster walls.  It was what you'd call a fixer upper.  And that was probably an understatement.  SD and I spent a lot of time tearing down those old plaster walls, redoing the electrical, hanging drywall and designing rooms.  I spent my birthday one year installing a toilet while he left in the middle of the bathroom floor project to go to Florida.  I had the absolutely worst time with the wax ring of that dang toilet and spent probably a good 4 hours that day cussing.  But, it was a 1 bathroom house.  It had to go in.  The boys could only pee out the back door so many times before the neighbors started complaining ya know?  I loved what we had done to that house.  What happened to the house you might ask?  I left it.  I gave it to SD when we got divorced.  I moved and got a new one.  He got the old one foreclosed on.  Yep.  House only had like 4 years left to pay on it when I left and he didn't bother to make the payments and lost the house.  Why would I leave my house you might ask?  Because it was a fixer upper.  And while I was a good follow directions type of girl - physically, there was no way I could have hung ceilings and stuff.  Also, staying in that house would have insured that I spent the next years of my life worrying about what he would do when he got drinking or doing drugs.  A few experiences with him earlier in our time together taught me that 1.  He can kick in a door and stomp the phone faster than I can dial and get the police there.  And 2.  His mom will bail him out of jail before I make it out of the emergency room.  The local police reports tell me that his next woman he moved in there didn't fare any better as there was one report of all the windows in the front of the house being broken out.  So, I left that house.  I have put my own touches on this one over the years.  The things I learned working on that old fixer upper house have worked well for me here.  When boys bored and stuck in the house while it rains for a week straight decide to play ball in the house and put a hole in the wall.... I know how to fix it.  I'm not afraid to change out a plug or light switch.  I know enough about plumbing to cut and fix a CPVC pipe.  Just don't let me play with anything sharp.  I don't do real well with sharp objects.  I always end up cutting myself while playing with sharp objects.  

Well, back to alternating between watching the game and cussing the flooring.  Here's hoping that the end result is worth it.  In other words, hoping that the boys and I do a good enough job to not be embarrassed when people see it.  Take care all!