I Have a New Way to Get My Thrills

Free Kindle books!

I love downloading free Kindle books and then watching to see what price they go up to.  It gives me a thrill to see how much money I saved by getting it free. 

The thrill is enhanced with the book turns out to be really good.

Wait - What?

I have started doing my grocery shopping on Wednesdays after work.  It is convenient because I can shop for "Survivor" night and Saturday with the girls. Since I go on the same day each week, I usually get the same cashier and bag person.  Today I had the same young man as cashier as last week and the same bag person who is a gentlemen about my age.  They both have strong accents and today's conversation still has me baffled. 

Both of them welcomed me and said they were glad to see me this week.  Then the gentlemen bagging my groceries pointed to my scarf (the new green and cream Loni original) and said it was very pretty, but he liked the green one from last week better.  At least I thought that was what he said because I answered that yes last week's was my favorite, but I love all my beautiful scarves made by friends.  He then said again something about last week's being his favorite and a beautiful green.

It was after that I became so confused because he then said "I would like to go there. You have been there right?"  I was totally baffled and said "Yes."  Then he asked me "How long does it take to get there, 5-6 hours?"  I answered "I don't really know."

The cashier joined the conversation and said "I have been there, it took me 5 hours, I guess it depends on how fast you drive."  

Then I thought the bag gentlemen said "My daughter has always wanted to go there too, so you are saying 'Orlando' is nice."

Oh, oh, what city is 5-6 miles away and sounds like 'Orlando,' I am so bewildered and I am beginning to wonder if they are messing with me, but they are obviously waiting for me to answer so I did the only thing I could do... I changed the subject. I told the cashier that I tend to make most trips faster than others because I have a lead foot, and boy don't people drive fast on 121.  Fortunately that took care of the matter.  

But really, what city is 5-6 hours away and sounds like Orlando? 

Don't You Just Hate

Forgetting your log on and passwords to websites.

Bruises and More Bruises

I have bruises all over my legs and arms today just because I decided it was time to put my living room into its spring, summer and fall bird watching arrangement.

When I moved it into the winter arrangement in December I had the oldest help me.  Since I don't know when I will see him again, and my youngest won't be home again until next weekend I decided to do it myself around 10:00 P.M. last night.  

I think the long bruise across the front of my thigh is from using my leg to help push a couple of tables around.  The long one across my upper arm is from moving the Mobia.  The small one on my arm is from when I knocked the vacuum cleaner into myself.  The various other ones across my lower arms and legs are probably just from running into things as I was tugging and pushing pieces of furniture from one side of the room to the other.  

Only one bruise actually hurts, and that is the one across my thigh.  I'm sure I won't notice once I start my bird watching for the day.

Fussing

My boys did not fuss with each other growing up and they still don't. 

I cannot say the same about my "girls."  

It was "Survivor" night last night followed by the "Olympics."  The girls were "playing nice" until right before they left.  I know that L kept saying I saw what M did, but there were cushions in the way and I am short, so I am not sure.  Evidently there was a little tap or slap (depends on who you ask) and then the fussing.  It was all in good fun, but really interesting to me because I am not used to fussing.  After a few rounds of "I did not," "Yes, you did," I did what any good Mama does., I created a diversion with a question they had to answer. Worked like a charm, until they started out the door and I heard just a little fuss starting up.  I solved that fuss easy too...  I shut the door.

Over 72 Hours

I have not stepped outside my house for over 72 hours and it has been wonderful. I love being in my home.

I came home from work Friday around noon and worked on laundry.  Friday night my BFF came over for a sleepover and we quilted all evening and watched movies.  

Saturday it was a full house with BFF, L and M.  We each did our own thing while watching the Olympics.  

Sunday I spent the day quilting.

Today it was quilting, napping and talking to a friend that gave me a call.

Of course there has been lots of reading each evening once I am in bed. 

Tomorrow it is back to work and I will have to leave but it has been a wonderful three days. I really think I could be a hermit.

Oldest Showed Me this Link

http://lifehacker.com/

Yes, my oldest is a geek, but there is some interesting information available on this site.  

Round Two

Not recovering from this infection.  Called the doctor today and he ordered up a round of a different type of antibiotic, and another decongestant plus drug. 

The new decongestant stuff is a liquid and it is NASTY! Hope I am cured soon.

I can live with the pain in the ear, but my head and ears are so stuffed up I cannot hear, especially on the phone.  I am glad I only had to answer the phone a couple of times at work today.  I am sure the few people that did call got tired of me asking them to repeat themselves.

At least I do not have a fever, and I am not contagious. 

Great Weekend

I have had a great weekend with my youngest. 

 

After dinner with the girls Friday night we played a game of Quirkle, and watched "Pinky and the Brain" dvds.  

Saturday we watched "Pinky and the Brain" until it was time for his friend to come visit. In the evening both boys and I went shopping and the youngest and I picked up used copies of the first two seasons of "Psych" and some "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Later my BFF came over to quilt and we all watched "Psych."

Today it has been a day of him working on homework next to me while I quilt and watching "Psych."  I think it was just the restful type of weekend we both needed.  

I will have to take him back to campus tonight, but I am sending him off with some healthy snacks and he has finished his laundry so all is good.

I Told Him

My oldest installed Windows 7 on my laptop after Christmas and  I had to change mail programs. When he finished the installation and we were checking everything out I told him my MailWasher program was not working properly with the new mail program.  He looked at it clicked a few buttons said all was well and off he went. 

Between classes, work, clubs and his girlfriend the oldest has not bee coming home very often. In fact I hardly see him at all, but every time he has come home I have mentioned the fact that the email was not loading properly and that I wanted him to look at it.  Of course, since he hasn't been here more than 10-15 minutes at a time he has not had a chance. Until today.

Today the oldest came home because he had two computer jobs, one at our neighbors, and another with some family friends.  He had time to kill between the jobs so I asked him  to look at the mail program and find out why things were not downloading properly.  He moaned a little, but he did start looking into what was going on between the two programs.  

After a trying a few things he finally understood that it was not user error on my part, but a real problem.  He started working on finding a solution.

I don't think he was too happy that I had not downloaded any emails or opened the mail program since January 8. I have several email accounts, and there were a lot of messages.  One account had over 500, one had 325, another one had 186.  Once I saw those accounts  I stopped looking over his shoulder because he was so irritated that it was taking so long to see if the fix he had put in was working due to the length of time it was taking to download the messages, even after setting hundreds for deletion.

It took him a while, but he finally fixed all the issues, and now everything is finally working.  I am so relieved to have everything up and running smoothly again.  

I Think I Need One

In green of course!
http://vapur.us/products.php

I am Me

I am Me.

I am an accumulation of all that I have learned through my family, teachers, books, relatives, friends, Raymond, the boys, etc.  I am finally old enough and wise enough to know I won't change. 

It drove Raymond crazy that my family yelled through the house.  If it was dinner time the person serving would just yell from the kitchen "dinner."  Raymond always walked to the rooms where others were and told them it was dinner, later he would roll his wheelchair to them.  

Because I came from a loud house, I am naturally loud. Raymond spoke in a quiet manner.  I don't think he ever appreciated my loudness until he lost most of his hearing and needed me to be loud.

For years I dressed in very nice clothes, shoes, accessories etc.  Even in college I would drive into the "big" city to buy things that could not be found in our KY town.  When I started working in a very nice part of TX, I bought all my clothes at a local boutique.  I hated being so dressed up all the time.  I hated hose, I hated shoes with heels, hated dresses, and I hated keeping all those nice things dry cleaned, or pressed.  It wasn't until I became a stay-at-home mom and could finally wear flats, jeans, and pullovers that I was truly comfortable and felt like I was being my true self.  My clothes are still always clean, fit, and match, they are just me.  I can rummage through the storage area, or climb into the attic at work and not worry about what I am messing up.  If I find a shirt I really like, I can buy it in all the colors because I don't need to look different every day, just professional and put together.  I have very nice outfits for special meetings at work, etc, but they are not the bulk of my closet. 

I am abrupt and sometimes sound harsh.  That is me.  Maybe it is the "Yankee" in me.  I did spend the first 13 1/2 years or so of my life in OH.  My mother was a get to the point type of person, as is my brother.  Raymond was not that way, but I knew that when I married him, and he knew just what I was, I have the letters to prove it.  

I am not a wealthy person, but I go out of my way to try to do little things for my friends, as they are always doing nice things for me.  It may be something as small as doing some research for an item they mentioned on the internet, or  maybe a dinner out for their birthday, but I always try to show them that I appreciate the fact that they put up with me and are my friend.  

I was recently told by a dear friend of having a very rude response during a very specific conversation.  A response that I have absolutely no memory, in fact I have no memory of the conversation.  I have been going through my memory banks trying to remember but it is not there. I am not saying it didn't happen, I am just saying I don't remember it, but I find that is true of a lot of things these days. I am devastated that I hurt my dear friend, there is no excuse.  I fear I have lost her as a friend, it is a loss I will never recover from, ever. 

My boss calls me authentic.

My BFF calls me eccentric.  

Right now, I am calling myself an ass, but I am Me.

WHAT?!

I woke up Monday morning feeling congested and with a sore throat, but not really too bad, and no fever.  I told myself it was allergies and went on to work.  My boss noticed but I told her everything was fine.

Yesterday I woke up still congested and had a constant tickle at my throat so I took some over-the-counter meds and went to work as I still had no fever.  I think I drove my boss crazy clearing my throat but the tickle was non-stop.  Still did not feel bad.

Last night I took a friend out to dinner to celebrate her birthday.  I noticed I was having trouble hearing her, but I thought it was because of the baby and little girl screaming at the table to the left of us,  and the bar to the right of us.  We had a nice time, and I was happy to be able to celebrate with her as she lives alone with no real close family.

This morning I woke up with a very tight chest and a burning back when I coughed.  I immediately worried I had bronchitis again and called the doctor.  He could see me at 10:00 A.M., so I went on to work as I had no fever and time to kill.

When I got to work there were several people in my office (hoping not to get caught) trying to get the copier to print on cardstock.  I was showing them how to correctly change the settings when one of them said "Why are you talking so loud?"  I actually did not think I was talking as loud as I usually do, so I said I was sorry.

I worked for a bit and then went on to the doctor where I told him I was pretty sure I was getting bronchitis.  He started his check-up and after looking in my left ear and then my right he asked me if I was having any ear pain.  I told him that my ears were fine.  He then told me I had an ear infection in both ears, but the one in the right ear was quite nasty.  WHAT?  

So now I am on antibiotics and tomorrow I will pick up another prescription that had to be ordered.  He is not sure one round of antibiotics will clear it up, but he is hoping.  

It is funny ever since he told me my diagnosis my right ear has hurt and tonight I keep hearing crackling sounds inside my head.  

It has been a long time since I had an ear infection.  I think I almost ran Jill out of the house tonight I had the television up so loud.