Today is COLD!!!

...very cold. Brrrrrr!!! 18 degrees fahrenheit. It's not windy but the sun is not shining. Political idiots are meeting in Copenhagen discussing - guess what - global WARMING!!! Yeah right!

The woman heading up the meeting just quit today. The U.S. President Whatsizname, oh yeah Osama Obama something like that... is going there nearer to the end ot the thing. I guess so he can make a grand entrance and look down his big nose at everybody there while he apologizes for Americans (that would be us) just because we are Americans. That seems to be what he does best... when he's not sounding like he's still campaigning and blaming all the troubles of the world on the last administration.

I wrapped a few gifts... thought about what other few gifts i still want to buy. Maybe i'll do that tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my hands are cold as i use the keyboard on my laptop. Hmmm! there is some heat emanating from it.

I don't like winter. I don't like being by myself all the time. Maybe i should get a job???

Finally Got Out!!!

Liberated! Yeay!!!

Emilio phoned me this morning and offered to come over and get me out. While we were talking i went out to check the weather. Stuff was melting at a pretty good rate. The snowdrift by my garage had melted down to maybe only a foot, more or less. I could see it was less steep next to the road where the snowplow had piled it up. I told him i was pretty sure i could get out and he wouldn't have to drive all the way over here to clear snow for me; i'd let him know if i needed help.

Then i noticed Jack had been over sometime between dark and dawn. My recycle bin was on the deck, filled once again with the plastics and glass that got dumped last week. He had brought the garbage can from my back yard where the wind had blown it.

Life was looking better again.

Once dressed to shop, i backed my car from the garage, turned around, and drove straight up to the center of the road... Success!!! Remembering what the husband used to do in similar circumstances. i just drove back and forth from the garage to the center of the road... flattening out all that wet sloppy white stuff! Then i went shopping.

Found THE tv stand i wanted for my second living room space... on sale! Not only that but i got another 15% discount using my credit card!!! Life is good! Bought gas... another pleasant surprise. It was cheaper when i came out of the store than it was when i went in... also using the same card i got 5 cents a gallon off!!! Then i remembered i didn't get a new plastic shovel for my decks... to replace the broken one.

Went to Menard's... mostly because i had a $10 credit coupon from last summer when i bought the lawnmower and i was hoping it was still good. Turns out it was! Bought the perfect 'deck shovel' for $5.95 and a giant container of disinfectant wipes for the kitchen.... and only had to spend a bit more than $2.00 and my coupon!!!

I felt so good about my day that i cleared th entire back deck with that new shovel!!! Yup! Life is good again!

This is a B****ing Session...

I'm tired of being boxed in. My driveway is impassable. Today is warm enough that the snow is all soft and HEAVY... but not icy. I can't clean it off my decks because the plastic shovel is broken. NO Natalie, it's not your fault; it was already partly broken when you used it Friday. I suppose i could go into the garage & get the metal show shovel but that would scratch up and damage the decks.

There is still a big snowdrift about 6 feet from my garage door so if i tried to back out i'm sure i'd get stuck! The snow is heavy and i know no other woman my age who would even attempt shoveling snow. It's even too heavy to hire sombody to come and clean it up now. Maybe more will melt before the day is over.

I brought my newspaper in this morning; and the mail that has collected for a few days. Used my cane so i wouldn't fall and ruin my knees or break any bones or whatever, so of course there was a temporary traffic jam on an otherwise slow day for traffic.

I'm glad i had my Christmas spirit early because now it's all gone. At least i have decorations around the house so it LOOKS cheerful. When i went to the holiday bazaar at Leaman's i bought things for Dave, Linda, Emilio, and Mike. Oh i forgot... bought something for Patti too but she hates me so maybe i'll just keep that. When i shopped in Frankenmuth i bought something for Logan. Maybe i'm all done shopping. I'm not in the mood even if i could get out of the driveway!

I'm tired of living alone.

I'm tired of living out in the country where nobody lives. At least in the right city i could walk where i want to go. Of course i'd have to use my cane in this kind of weather. Incongruous, eh?

Maybe i just want to move to Arizona or maybe New Mexico... maybe one of the Carolinas??? Hmmm. I think i'll start looking. I shouldn't have any problem selling my house. It looks damn good!

I've Already Had Enough Snow!!!

Remember this soft smooshy snow that was too HEAVY to move?

Well i'll tell you... the next day got really cold and it snowed some more! Any snow that i had pushed around turned into ice and today it is still impossible to move. I'm ready to move south for the winter... or maybe for the rest of my life!

I am totally snowed in until the snow melts.

Yesterday Natalie cleaned my house. It's beautiful. She got in just fine. When she tried to get OUT of my driveway, she had problems. Picture this: Natalie shoveling some of the piled up ice/snow, put in my driveway by the snowplow... then backing up and driving in fast forward..... while i, holding onto my cane for stability on the ice, am watching for traffic and telling her when to go... and go fast!

This lasted what seemed like forever. Then Jack stepped out of his garage door. His dog caught his attention to see what was happening outside. I wave at him and we continue our efforts. He apparently left his hearing aid inside when he came out. FINALLY... i tell Natalie it's a go (no traffic coming around the curve)... she gooses the gas and whoopeee.... she's out at last!

Lesson learned. So Jack tells me not to hire somebody to shovel my drive. He will do it for me... BUT he only does it when his driveway needs shoveling too. Fine... but. His wife is out shopping. I am grounded. No more listening to him! I'm hiring the job done.

Second Snowfall of 2009

.....took place between last night and this morning.

I woke up after the snowplow and garbage collection this morning. Don't know if the white garbage bag was picked up or tossed into my neighbor's yard, but there sits the recycled stuff. Yup, recycled and mixed with the freshly plowed snow! Could have been worse. I noticed my neighbor's mailbox is down.

The snow is beautiful but i'm sure it will melt pretty fast; it's very wet and slushy.

Okay... i need to confess. This is a part of 'life without Frank' so i must share! I just paid for a 6 month membership in a 'people meet' online group. No, i'm not looking for love and all that stuff; just want to know somebody to spend an occasional evening or afternoon... for the companionship of it, that's ALL!

I promise myself i will not divulge any info that could endanger me in any way but an email relationship or two sure beats playing 'Farmville' by myself on Facebook! ...and it keeps me off the streets. (That's supposed to be a joke, kids.)

Love the Holidays?

New shelves i installed over the tv in my cozy newest living room. NOW i really really need a new tv stand - corner style in the same walnut wood tones as the shelves, futon and fireplace in here! I think it will be my 'after Christmas' gift to me.

Yes, the family living great room is decorated too. Fact is i have four Christmas trees around the house... the ceramic shown here; two pre-lighted small trees, one in front of fireplace and one in the greatroom near the wood burner, and my five foot fiber-optic tree in front of the window in greatroom! This is the first year i've actually FELT that Christmas joy in my heart since my life changed drastically more than four years ago.

Pearl Harbor

...was attacked 68 years ago today. I was five years old. I don't remember that day but i remember things that happened during those times. I remember almost nothing about my father - who was off again, on again with my mother until their divorce was final. I do remember though, asking him why he didn't have to go to the war. He told me it was because he was '4F' - and when i asked him what that meant he told me it was because he had flat feet!!!?

Now i know he was alcoholic. I also know he was eleven years older than my mother which means he was about 36 years old at the time.

I also remember when the war ended. I was nine years old at the time. We lived in a two apartment house in a primarily Italian-American neighborhood. My mom had banned my father from ever coming around to see us - their four kids. My new dad was not yet in the picture. He was in that war... a nephew to two of my mom's best friends in the neighborhood.

People were making noise with whatever means available... mostly tooting their car horns. Everybody was happy. It was a really good day!

Who do You Call...

...when your sink has a leak? I call my neighborhood 'rent a husband.'

Thank you Jack...

Thank you Jacquie! These things would be a whole lot bigger if i didn't have you for a friend.

7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told - John F. Harris - POLITICO.com

7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told - John F. Harris - POLITICO.com

Read this first thing this morning on Yahoo, of all places... usually mostly liberal in nature. Since then i've read it othre places on the net, including a newsletter i get every day. This article points out Obama shortcomings that some of us have been aware of for a long long time already!

NOW is a real time for a change!

...THAT long since i've been here?

WOW! Well, the time was well spent. Among other events, i spent quality time with the newest family member... Logan. Here he is reading a book to his grampa Mike. Smart little tyke, eh? ...and SO perfect! Isn't he a beautiful baby? I can just hear his great-grampa Frank calling him a little round-head. Yeah, it is a term of endearment.

Hmmm... let's see. What else happened? Spent time with my mom - shopping, going out to lunch, getting our hair done... all quality time.

Went shopping with a couple of friends - Jacquie and Betty - to Frankenmuth. Can you believe... i've never shopped there before, even though we've eaten there many times over the years and visited during the ice festival in winter. Gotta go back to shop though; i really enjoyed that.

Oh! Had a cropping session here at my house with some of the girls one weekend. That was fun. Shar finished her SanDiego album... Natalie made a bunch of cards... and Linda mostly chilled out after having her eye surgery earlier that week. I determined how i will complete the album i was working on when i was still a married lady. Decided to make a transitional page and then add pages i create for my CM memory board as they change.

I was so glad to be with Linda when she had the vitrectomy... and i took her back the next day for the checkup. She is doing great... seeing a little better already and confident it will not get any worse now.

Also spent Thanksgiving with Linda... just the two of us. Everybody else had their own things going on and it was fine with me. We had a turkey roast with all the T-Day trimmings and watched a movie later. All in all, a fine day... made perfect by the fact that between Thanksgiving eve and yesterday i talked with each and all of my offspring! I love 'em all!

Today Nat, Emilio and i worked in my yard. They raked all the rest of the leaves and i cleaned up my garden a bit. We got the space under my deck cleaned up and ready for new things to happen in the springtime... yes, a very productive day!

I have my ceramic tree up in the cozy living room... and tomorrow will put up the fiber optic tree in the family living room... moving forward. All is well.

I think this is all good healthy growing. I will always miss my love but the pain is no longer the biggest part of my life. Thank you, God.

Did you Ever Wish you could Erase Everything and Start Over?

I am not unhappy. I am not happy.

My life has been varied even though i was married forever. I've traveled... worked... played... loved and lived.

No matter what i did or accomplished... i always was proud of my biggest accomplishment. Together with my lifetime love (and sometime combatant) i raised six wonderful, beautiful, talented and intelligent daughters...

...or so i thought. I was recently called a 'failure.' This tells me i have lived 73+ years for nothing.

I whine when i have 'not enough' to do; i whine when i have 'too much' to do. I am no longer a wife. Now i am just a mother and a daughter... oh yeah... and a failure. I want to be ME! When will i have a chance to be me?

Who am I?

Kim's Pc to Tv

Bridging the gap between PC and TV

Love is Unconditional...

...but today i will carefully observe my horoscope:

November 09, 2009 Pisces
Avoid drama at all costs today -- there's no excuse for getting sucked into other people's soap operas! Things are happening all around you, and you might need to close your eyes to some extreme craziness!

Daily Extended for November 9, 2009 (Today)«
Pisces
Overview: The normal routine of your day will be disrupted early on by someone who needs your help with something entertaining. Turns out, they will end up giving you some help too, although you might not understand just how to ask them for it yet. In a business negotiation, your creativity will enable you to get what you want without sacrificing any of your hard-earned resources. If you make it clear that you are not willing to compromise, you must stand behind that statement.

------------------------------
Daily Overview for November 9, 2009
(Today) « Year of the Rat
1936 » This could be a rather unfortunate day for you. Be wary of being too calculating or secretive at work or people may turn against you. You may have trouble getting a loan today. Your family may be acting selfish and reckless, creating problems and stress for you. Try not to lose your temper or relationships could deteriorate.

Life is Good...
Ultimately we All die Alone.

About Yesterday...

...well, yeah. Sounds good but it got windy. Windy plus low temperatures and less sunshine equals COLD! I don't like being cold. Don't have to be cold. Stayed inside where it's warm. Didn't do much of anything; did a little bit of lots of stuff. Mostly was lazy. That's okay, isn't it? I AM retired after all!

Today i put away Halloween stuff... but kept autumn stuff out and about. I love the oranges and browns and they look GOOD in my house. Too bad i don't have anybody who wants to come over to enjoy my company in my house. Hmmm! Is this another poorpitifulme day?

NO! i won't let that happen. I love me. I love me. I love me. ;-)

You know what i mean, don't you?

Sunshine! I love it...

...and most of the rest of the leaves were all knocked down during the windy rainy previous days. Only those stubborn oaks hang on tightly. I just might be tempted to rake up the rest of those leaves... at least the ones accumulated in corners and up close to the house on the patio out back.

Emptied the garden 'pond' yesterday... easier than i expected. Glad it's done. The pond is a plastic container and i'm afraid a winter full of ice just might crack the bottom... and then, no pond.

I like having a water feature in my garden. The birds like it; and an occasional furry animal. It usually becomes refuge for an occasional frog as well... what with a 'creek' out back that has been mostly dry in recent summers.

Autumn... again..... and time to 'fall back' with our clocks.

This fellow joined the family last year. Seems to be holding up pretty well considering his 'adoption fee' was only somewhere around $5!!! ...and he sits on the front porch - the windy side of the house.

I had to move him this morning though. Last night the wind came in from the west with a big PUSH and knocked him over on his bench, along with the two chairs that managed to stay put pretty much all year until now. I don't think you can see him from the road anymore but he should stay safely upright.

Life moves forward. As usual, life is full of contradictions. I spent a day with my mom this week while Nat & her hubby did yard work for me (her mom) at my house. It was the best day for yard work (no rain for a change) and mom had a doctor appointment as well as multiple errands...

More of those contradictions:

• Social security payments will not increase because the cost of living this year did not increase...
• But... my auto insurance premium increased, even though i'm at the top of their 'insurance rating' system and after comparison with other 'bargains' found my company is still the best bargain.
• Pay on line didn't work because insurance company doesn't accept the one credit card company...
• ...and the other card company refused to pay that insurance company!???!
• After 45 minutes of automatic phone instructions a girl in India told me she would instantly 'take the block off' that payment so i could pay online. (She said they sometimes block payment for no apparent reason?????) ...and tell me again why is Michigan unemployment above 10%?
• I talked with agency in Michigan and they posted my payment... while i wrote a check and mailed it directly to them!
• On a whim i checked 'current activity' on the 'good' credit card the insurance company doesn't accept and found a payment to a company i never heard of for $16.95! Girl i finally talked with sounded American... but not from Michigan..... and told me it's better to try directly with the disputed company first. Meanwhile she formally accepted the charge as disputed...
• ...while the girl at the company... (Indian? or British???)... would not tell me what the charge was for (to protect the customer's privacy)... only that it was for a 'membership' for which i would be charged monthly (!!!) ...and i thought I was the customer!???
• She then told me she would immediately remove that and all future charges.
• FYI: here is the disputed info - 10/25/09 PRO*VAC PASSPORT MONTH 877-349-4840 MN 100546863 1 $16.95 Services (Notice the State is a phone number?) I suggest you read your charges each month... how many times do these thieves get away with it?

We shall see. God bless America!!! We need all the help we can get!

The Week Began with Dear, Deer Visits

Started the week Monday with a visit from Linda...
As we were preparing breakfast, a doe and two young deer appeared under the 'wild' apple tree in the flats of my backyard! By the time i got my camera, the young ones were off into the adjacent cornfield but momma deer was still enjoying her apple appetizer! Here she is:

She looks pretty healthy, doesn't she? She should be! We grow the best corn-fed deer in Michigan!

Yesterday, Wednesday, i attended a RedHat extravaganza with Jacquie and Donna and met a new friend, Betty. The event included lunch at the Horizons Center and entertainment by Three Men and a Tenor. Have you ever seen these guys? They are amazing! We laughed so hard we cried!

Somehow i still didn't get my 50 daffodil bulbs planted. Today is overcast and supposed to be rainy... and expected to continue through the weekend. Maybe i can get them in today??? ... the last 'warm' day for awhile, expected to be in the '50s... and colder tomorrow, etc.

Better get started, eh?

Thank YOU, Patti!

Photo by Patti

(The guy behind me? My boyfriend!)

September 2009 - Dow Gardens

The kittens are really gone this time... at least from my house and my deck. Gotta thank Patti for that!

We walked with Leslie at her house yesterday... a great workout!!! It's so much more fun doing it with somebody, don'tcha know? Later that day i called her about something and we discussed the 'guilty thing' about just putting those kittens out to fend for theirselves. Even though they are extremely feral, they are so tiny and innocent - about 2 months old now.

She volunteered to come over and help me get the kittens permanently out of my life. Wow! Piece o' cake!!! That girl is good! With her majorly help we got them caged... and even got a bonus cat! (So be it; they've all been coming around for a free lunch!) The second kitten was preceded by the cat... not it's mother..... so what could we do?

Patti went home with two cages - two kittens and a sleek black & orange cat. Don't know if it was one of Florence's barn full of 'adoptees' or it really belonged to somebody. He's gone now... there really IS no such thing as a free lunch, kitty.

Patti's plan - take them to animal control in the morning... but she wanted to make them more comfortable in her garage for the night.

One kitten BIT her!!!

They are feral; could it be rabid? I'm praying not. Hopefully they are out of her garage now... and the responsibility of animal control.

Call me Patti.

Awareness

Now that my oldest grandson is in Iraq i'm seeing more news about Iraq. This morning this one jumped out at me:

Iraqi police: Anbar bombings kill 14, wound dozens

Up until now i've been convincing myself that he is 'better off' in Iraq than he would be in Afghanistan. From now until he comes safely home, my life is a prayer for his well-being. I pray that the energy of his Grandpa Frank remain with him and help him make wise decisions.

When i was a freshman at Delta College, an English teacher brought up the question: What is your soul? I use the term 'energy' because i believe our souls are pure energy. Energy does not disappear. When your soul leaves your body, it remains in another form.

Go with God, James Franklin..... and do what Grandpa Frank would do!

The Wild Ones Are Outside......where they belong!

The cold, windy autumn rain ended overnight - finally! The sun is shining. There is no wind.

This morning i fed my furry family/aka/'the girls,' turned on the weekend CBS morning show, and fixed my breakfast. I had a grilled cheese with Canadian bacon... a fancier word might be something like Canadian Swiss Panini. Made it with 35 calorie/slice Aunt Millie's Whole Wheat bread, so it was even good for me! Yummy! I will make it again... and again... and maybe for breakfast, lunch, or even supper!

I sat at my 'kitchen table' to have the sandwich and morning coffee. The wild kittens sat at my feet... waiting for theirs. They are so adorable you would expect to be able to cuddle them. You can NOT cuddle them any more than you could cuddle any other, larger, baby cat... or for that matter a baby skunk! I have the scars to prove it... and if there's enough room, they run off if you get too close! So.....

...when i finished my breakfast i got out the cat food. I went over to the door near the place where i had been feeding them - near the back door. I put food in 'their' dish, opened the door, and placed the dish about 18 inches away from the door - outside!

The bravest went first; the scaredy cat followed. When they saw me approach the door, they ran off! I closed the door. They came back to their breakfast. When it is gone i will not put out more food. They are outside where they belong. The girls and i are inside where we belong. The sun is shining. Life is good!

Addendum: I learned it is not my job to 'fix' everything that needs fixing. If they survive crossing the road, they will probably move into the neighbor's barn where she feeds so many cats she can't even count them. Of course we know they will continue to reproduce!

Brief Comments... okay?

Wondering why i haven't been around here lately? For an ol' broad with 'nothing to do' i've been pretty busy, actually. Sometimes we make our own situations, don'tcha think? Like:

• ...the kittens under my deck. Was it 2 weeks ago already? I had help trying to catch the mom and remaining 2 babies. Result? Mom disappeared, never to return. Since then i've been feeding the little ones.
• They would come when i called 'kitty kitty.' They took up residence on my deck. They would sleep in the kitty carrier i put out there for them. They acted like they wanted to come in the house.
• Yesterday i invited them in and... they did! Long story short - they are wild! You have no idea what a really real feral cat is like. They sit and wait patiently to eat. They use the kitty litter. They hide where i cannot get at them when they feel under pressure. When captured in the entry room, one of them literally hit the ceiling in it's efforts to avoid me.
• Today i will attempt to lure them outside. If successful i will not feed them or in any way try to rehabilitate them.
• I promise!

Other than the kitten dilemma, life just happens... like:

• ...taking my wonderfully strong-minded mother out grocery shopping. What's that all about? ...coupons and sale items! Oh yeah... !!! Me? I'm swearing off coupons totally!!! ...unless they fall in my lap right when i need them.
• Mom & i also go out to dinner... or sometimes lunch. I have to learn about NOT eating everything on my plate.
• Some days WiiFit and i are friends; some days i walk with Leslie Sansone.
• I bought a few new electronic items... learned that when i install them and read the book, i know how to use them!!! Believe me, this is a big accomplishment!

I quit bundling... think i mentioned that last time...

• TiVo works like a charm!
• Moved my 'big' tv into my newest cozy living space but two of the channels were not high quality like they were in the other living space. Cable guy replaced that cable. Now i have a beautiful picture on all channels... Basic Plus works great! Who needs more than 70 choices for tv viewing???
• My only 'landline' is Magic Jack. Was having minor problems with it. Turns out the one phone just needs a new battery. The other - 3 phone wireless - seems to be working okay right now... again. Maybe with Charter phone gone, it will be better. After all, both services were voice over internet. That might have been part of my problem. We'll see...

Other updates...

• Spring & summer are gone in my house. Autumn accents surround me beautifully.
• Goober moved on... no more stinky male habit cleanups. This brought stability to the remaining 3 furry friends, all female, even with the temporary kitten situation.
• If it ever quits raining before the snowy season begins, i will plant the bag of daffodil bulbs i bought a few weeks ago.
• Attended a beautiful concert at a small church. Thank you, Jacquie for introducing me to the DeepRiver Choir!
• Visited Dow Gardens again... this time with Patti! What a delight! We both enjoyed every minute.

And business-wise...

• I formally protested to Medicare for not paying the bill from MMC for my knee exrays. Was told by a 'real person' that none of the denial was ever seen or touched by a human... except me of course. After they reviewed stuff from the hospital Medicare determined i do not have to pay the bill. The hospital is responsible. Get that!!! ...and do we really need more government health insurance plans?
• Just received new car insurance bill. Insurance company has a new reason to charge more as your car gets older. Remember how i told you i've been buying a few new electronics? It seems the Home Owners Insurance Company got a report from a company called ChoicePoint Services, Inc. They have determined i opened too many revolving accounts in too short a time!!! I pay all these accounts when i'm supposed to and they will be paid off before the final dates when the accrued interest would take effect! This is NOT a credit rating! It's apparently just another way for insurance companies to make you pay more and get less! Can you believe this?
• I will change my insurance company - for the house and my car - before this 'new' policy takes effect.

Don't Bundle Me...

Funny how one thinks when young, in love, and married... emphasize married. I don't think it was just that though; it was also the era of 'The Brady Bunch' and 'Father Knows Best.'

In 1955, when Frank and i married, there were men's jobs and there were women's jobs.... well, sort of. There were exceptions like my mom, who chose not to remain in a bad marriage. She chose to work as a waitress and support her own kids in a 'women's job.' During WWII she joined Rosie the Riveter, working in an automobile plant, but quit when the men came home.

Anyway, when we married, Father Knows Best was still the ideal so it was easy to allow gender to define our roles. Besides... Frank didn't like changing diapers and i didn't want to carry out the garbage! It worked.

When the time came when it appeared my only language was baby-talk, Frank suggested i get out of the house. I did. Interacting with other adults, i discovered a whole new world of excitement. I was 'my own person' as they say. All this while, we still did many things within our classic male or female roles... keeping both of us relatively happy and relatively sane in a fast changing society.

He was the tech and all around fixer upper. I was the homemaker, cook and housekeeper.

He has been gone 4 years; tomorrow is our 54th wedding anniversary. I have learned much in the past 4+ years. That is a good thing.

This week i learned why men do a task and ask questions later... if they must!

Saturday last i purchased a TiVo and a new TV. I set up the TV - piece of cake! Sunday i tackled the TiVo. Piece of cake? Not so much!

Step 1 told me to activate my service, giving a choice of phone or online. I chose phone. WRONG CHOICE! The chick on end of line said i should talk with a technician if i'm setting up using a wireless adapter (because i no longer have a telephone landline.)

The tech gave me 45 minutes of convoluted directions, including 'take the box to a neighbor with a landline to get started...' I ignored him totally. Monday i bought a wireless adapter. I followed directions in the box.

Success with NO pain! How do those guys get their jobs, anyway?

Oh! The title? Don't Bundle Me???

I cancelled the Charter Communications DVR service AND phone service. I now have basic+ cable service and internet service. Don't let them kid you. I AM saving money by NOT bundling!

Woo-Hoo!!! I DID it!

Oh yeah! I bought this little camera from Creative Labs... Vado is the brand. The cost somewhere around $130 included camera, case, two batteries, battery charger, cord and plugs for 3 different countries... yes, U.S. included. Also a connector for viewing on television sets.

Bought it on a whim and i LOVE it! We never owned a movie camera or camcorder. Couldn't afford such things, what with six daughters to feed, clothe and educate...

Bottomline: it's another sweet little toy to entertain the ol' brain cells. I uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook, as well as here! So easy, so fun. Now i need to practice taking better movies... practice editing them, etc.

Want a kitten? These three will be old enough by August 28 at the latest. (My veterinarian says 8 weeks is the right age for babies to leave their mommy.)

Meanwhile, don'tcha just LUV technology???

Sometimes Joy is as Simple as...

...wearing an old pair of earrings. What? you may ask.

Sometime between retirement in 1986 and now, i stopped wearing earrings. It had become painful when i wanted to wear them, so i stopped entirely. The piercings closed up.

Occasionally i wanted to wear them, but couldn't. This spring, while visiting at Pam's home, i began thinking seriously about having my ears pierced again. Patti and Pam were willing to take me to Claire's at the mall, but i guess i wasn't quite ready.

Six plus weeks ago, Pam and i went shopping in Grand Rapids. First, i rediscovered the 'joy of shopping' and second, i had my ears pierced.

My first time Frank's mother pierced them with a sharp needle, some alcohol and an ice cube! This time was high tech! I enjoyed wearing the new pink earrings for six weeks but last night i pulled out my old ones... and decided to change.

Today i'm wearing some little gold starfish, a gift from Patti many years ago! I love them!

There's Luck..... and then There's Luck!

Did i mention the kittens under my back deck? No, i guess that was on my Facebook. Until today there were (in my mind) a mother cat and her two kittens. Today i know better. She has three of them. One is white and two orange like their mom. Mom is little more than a kitten herself. Want one?... or two?..... or more?

I cannot keep them. I have four cats already, three of whom were adopted because they showed up at my door. AmyLou and her mom have been here 7 years now... Pam has the other two kittens from that family. Goober was adopted the year before that and had a 'squirting' problem recently, but i've been working with him and he doesn't do that anymore. Bringing in more cats would start him up again. I will not do that to him, no matter how cute are the kittens... and their little mommy.

Now... how's this for GOOD luck!?!!?

James is my friends' grandson. He stays with them in summertime. He wanted to see the goats and sheep one more time before going back home for the school year.

While pulling up clover and feeding it to the goats he said, 'Look! a 4-leaf clover!' and so it is!!! See? No he didn't feed it to the goats. I have close-ups of his 4-leaf clover but wanted to share a pic of the boy who found it.

I promised a Sheep Pic...

and here it is:

Jaye Leaman, co-owner of Leaman Greenapple Barn, holds onto the next sheep ready to be sheared. Dave Owens, sheep shearer from Elwell, MI is ready to trade the first one he sheared for the next one.

What fun watching Jaye try to catch the little boogers! Her mom was video-taping the event and invited me over to watch... if i so desired.

I did.

Beanpole no more...

...but rather a well-stuffed scarecrow!

I couldn't resist. When Sharba and i visited the Dow Gardens last Tuesday, i asked her to take my pic among the scarecrows. We were there for a photo shoot... a perfect pair! We ended up spending about 4 hours wandering about.

We originally planned to hunt for the sculptures that will be auctioned off - well - today actually! Got 'caught up' in exploring the Children's Garden, where we found the scarecrows among other things, in search for Snake Creek, which i was unaware of until this week's visit. That, too, was a fantastic photo-op.

Did i mention the Rose Garden? Oh yes! I never get enough of the Dow Gardens.

Wednesday, after we had lunch with Windy, Shar dropped me off and left for home. Jacquie called me with an invite to watch a sheep shearing event! Hey! It was SO cool. I have loads of pix and will share them in another post.

Later, loves...

I Think I Really Like my Wii Fit.....

..but i'm not sure.

It keeps me moving - i like that.
I don't do anything that i know is unsafe for me to do... like standing on one leg, or sitting on the floor. Well, i really CAN sit on the floor; i just can't get up alone without standing on my knees (which the orthopedic surgeon said i should never do.)

The exercises are fun... i especially like the step routines, running in place and some of the balance routines. I love the Yoga but can only do some of them... because i don't want to ruin my new knees or fall on my rear! Strength routines are a great complement to the Yoga... yes i enjoy it and am pretty good at the ones my body and age allow me to do.

I don't like that i'm not losing weight - and some days it looks like i'm gaining! One day the little squeaky person tells me i'm overweight... and every once in awhile it says i'm obese! I don't believe the obese part. Yes, i'll admit i'm overweight... but to gain obesity overnight???

I don't understand why the Yoga and Strength routines tell me i have darned near perfect balance but the Balance routines call me a 'novice' or even less!!!

I'm finally getting the hang of some of the Aerobic routines, especially the more complicated version of the stepping - back & forth, sideways, etc. At first this was really difficult for me. Seemed like i could hardly ever change over to whatever the new step is in a timely fashion. Now i'm getting there.

Maybe some day i'll even be able to walk and chew gum at the same time!

Oh.. That photo in my last post...

It's me... in SanDiego along the waterfront..... flirting with the mannequin! I've seen these guys on tv but never in person before. Had to interact with him!

Trying to Update Backwards...

from 2005 when i first had to learn how to live alone. Tell you about it later. It's actually pretty easy!!! Right now i just want to share with you a pic i doctored up from the SanDiego '09 trip.

Now here's my word for today; it's a response i HAD to make after reading an article about WII Fit at SparkPeople:

Tomorrow is Day 14 for me and my little buddy... WII Fit!!! It has gotten me off my tubby rear & it makes me sweat too!!! I'm over 65 (hahahaha), have brand new knees (well, they're a few years old now) and doc will not allow me to do anything on my knees... BUT with some of the exercises i 'punt' and it's better than not at all.

I love the Yoga and Strength exercises but find that i can no longer stand on my toes... or on one leg without help... but i do the ones i'm able to do. I can feel the muscles. Am VERY GOOD at the half dozen in each of these 2 groups that i'm able to do.

The aerobics and the balance are both real challenges for me but i do them anyway. I'm not on the board all the time... you really can not run - even in place - on the board and are told not to.

i took a few days off from the thing and really missed it... just didn't make time for it. My muscles are finally beginning to stop complaining from all the twists, bends, lunges, toe-touching and assorted activities. I think the soreness is why i was not losing weight (actually gaining, according to the little WII kid)... and today actually saw a fractional downturn.

There are two things you can't take from me - my WII and my Paxil!

Dealing With Vendors & Manufacturers...

...is never easy, but let me tell you: I am convinced that one gets LESS attention as a female, even lesser that that as a female over age 65!!!

i own a Hewlett Packard laptop computer with 17" screen; paid $999 for it in August 2007. Bought a few other items, including an extended warranty on the laptop. The vendor was Best Buy. You've heard of that company before, haven't you? Same with Hewlett Packard.

These are both respectable companies, right? HAH!!!

Today i still do not have a reliable laptop computer! It is sitting in somebody's workshop somewhere (maybe in the United States, but with all the outsourcing going on, who knows?) That piece of garbage has literally been in the shop more than in my house since i bought it.

From day one i've had problems with it. Mostly it would lock up and i couldn't get anywhere with it. Had to push the button to turn it off.

Here's the litany of problems:

1. Two 'fried' hard drives were replaced.
2. Frequent lock-ups when i had several applications open at the same time. When i took it to BestBuy they told me there was nothing wrong with it & sent me home with my problems.
3. Vibrations & loud noises led me to believe i had a fan problem. Took it in & they replaced the fan.
4. Two weeks ago it would not recognize my wireless connection. i knew it was the laptop because two other computers in the house had no problems whatsoever getting online through my wireless connection. After a couple of rebooting experiences, i could not even turn the thing ON!!!
5. Lemon policy does not apply because my second problem was not, in Best Buy's opinion, a problem.

Yesterday i wasted a good share of my day trying to reason with the unreasonable. Talked with BestBuy customer relations (hahahaha) for a half hour to learn number 5 above.

Then i talked with a HewlettPackard representative who informed me that they would have replaced it for me if i'd complained to them during the first year... since that's how long the company warranty applies. Again hahahahaha! i don't believe him.

Then he told me there have been a small number of that model computers with the same problems. For that reason they have a 'special warranty' lasting until the end of July 2009. He will send me a pre-addressed box & if i can get the computer back from BB & send it to HP, they will replace my computer with a new motherboard... which he said is the problem.

Get it back from HP? hahahahahahahaha! Impossible!!! It's 'in the shop' & i can't have it back until it's fixed.

What did i learn?

1. Do NOT buy Hewlett Packard products.
2. Do NOT shop at BestBuy.
3. The 'Geek Squad' doesn't even know the difference between a product number and a model number!

Today i phoned a local hospital laboratory where i had my last mammogram. I am personally responsible for a couple hundred dollars out of MY pocket because Medicare will not pay for it. Even though i know it's a matter of negligence on the part of somebody in an office... incorrectly inputting a meaningful code, it is MY responsibility to negotiate directly with Medicare! I choose to wait until after the Independence Day holiday to argue with them!

I didn't even choose Medicare as my primary insurer. It automatically became my primary insurer when i turned age 65. Thanks to federal government. hahahahahahahaha....... Hey you guys with the white coats.... come & get me! I'm ready!!!!

Today is Father's Day 2009

i've had the pleasure of loving three fathers...

• My genetic father lived with us - off and on - for the first 10-12 years of my life. i remember lots of bad stuff, all relayed to me by my mother. i remember a few good things, from my very own memory. i remember sitting on his lap... he called me 'daddy's little girl'. i remember not seeing him after he and mom divorced. i remember mom didn't want him to come around or see his children. There were four of us. i remember he phoned me when i graduated high school. He wanted to see me. i said no. i visited him once after that, when his sister, my Aunt Fleda told me he was sick. i went to his funeral. My brother and two sisters went with me when they heard about it.
• My dad was my step-father. He did not adopt us and i always called him Tony. Now that he is dead my sibs all call him 'dad' but i don't know if they did when he was alive. i remember Tony as a good father who made sure i behaved myself. i think he loved me. i remember after Tony had several strokes my mom complained about his bad habits. Did she not understand why he had those bad habits? i remember he died in a nursing home. We all went to his funeral.
• My husband was the father of my six children. i loved him then. i love him now even though he is no longer with us in this life.
• Oh! i forgot! There are four more fathers that have been in my life for many years now. These are the fathers of my six grandchildren. Yeah... i love them too.
• ...and now there is a special new father in my life. He is the father of my first great-grandchild, Logan James, who was just born last week! I love him too.

Last night i dreamed about my genetic father. You don't need to know the details. It was not a bad dream. It reminded me that i really had a 'real' father.

God bless all the fathers in my life. I love you one and all!

...on today's work ethic

I was in line to return reading glasses that fell apart during the second use. They were really cool glasses - very tiny and folded down for storage in a cylindrical holder with a pocket clip. This looked like the perfect solution to perpetually losing my glasses.

There were three customers on my side of the service counter... all waiting patiently. Two female associates (that's what they call clerks these days... perhaps to make them feel more important?) kept themselves busy behind the counter.

One of the associates was walking back and forth, wrestling with a big box. This store offers postal service for customers. The other one varied her time between talking to one of the waiting customers and talking on the phone... looking like a multi-tasker at her best. Her customer was also standing in the 'special services' area - part of the counter where you can mail things, buy lottery tickets, cash checks, and heaven only knows what else!

During this time there was a male associate entering and exiting a door which looks like it goes back where 'all the important people' work. He would look at the cash register and go back through the door. Meanwhile the third customer at the counter was standing near the cash register area, only on the customer's side. The guy never looked at her, or anybody for that matter, before going back through the door. Golly! He looked busy!

This scene lasted a few minutes while i'm standing next in line, waiting to be called to the counter. A line is forming behind me. Time for action.

The next time the busy male associate walked out to the register, I asked the customer across from him if she had been waited on. She said no. The fellow getting postal service commented to me that they were 'all' busy... one girl taking care of his package... the other on the phone.....

Meanwhile the 'busy' male associate handled the waiting customer's business, called me over, rang up my return information and called the next customer.

As i walked away, finally satisfied, the one gal was still struggling with the big box. Her customer was telling her how to measure it... and the other 'busy' female was still talking alternately on the phone and to the other customer.

Today is Memorial Day...

...and today i am sick... but here's me last week, along with a few of my best friends! Look at those smiles! We're having lunch at a place called Prado in San Diego. What are we smiling at? The cute waiter, of course! How else did you think i could get a pic of all four of us together, eh?

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday...

..today i did laundry... needed certain items so it couldn't wait until next week.

I baked a cake for tomorrow... will be having some of the girls and their families over for dinner.

When i brought in the newspaper, the whole neighborhood was so quiet, there was not even the ordinary noise of traffic. For a moment i actually felt lonely... then my neighbor called to wish me a Happy Easter; we talked a bit; i was not lonely.

... and today i saw excerpts from three different sports - baseball, basketball, and even a football game! You know, i think i liked sports better when each one had it's own season.

Life without Frank is a learning process...

...bigger than i ever dreamed. Between June 2008 and today i learned that i cannot 'fix' everything, no matter how much i want to.

In June my sister (one of three) moved in with me. She had a series of 'bad luck' with her living arrangements, money, and all that..... all of this after a lifetime of bad choices with men including two 'bad' marriages.

All i had was a big house, a big yard, more space than one person needs, a need for somebody to help me with the chores inside and out..... and a love for my maternal family that had been in the background during my life of adventure with Frank.

I soon learned my sister is not the little sister i remember. Matter of fact our lifestyles had changed so drastically in opposite directions that we have nothing in common. I also learned she had no intention to help with anything around the house, inside or out.

She lived in her bedroom when she was not at work. We had dinner together, and even that was not overly pleasant. She did not enjoy the foods i learned to like during the last dozen or so years of learning a healthy lifestyle with Frank, a lifestyle that prolonged his life (although not long enough!) She only went outdoors to have a smoke.

Today my sister arrived around 10:30 a.m. with a U-Haul truck, two of her grandkids and her car. By 12:10 she had all of her earthly possessions loaded, including Zeke, her Himalayan cat. She came back into the house, handed me my keys, and started counting out her money... her last 'rent' payment for living here. I told her i didn't want any money....

...and she said, 'It works for me.'

Goodbye little sister. I wish you only good things. I love you and I am trying not to cry. I wish i could say i will miss you, but i will not miss your abusive language... i will not miss the nasty sour ash tray smell whenever i walk past the room you occupied..... and i will not miss the occasional, but too frequent cat feces and urine on the floors of my home.

Wonderful Weekend...

Yes, this IS Wednesday but still wanted to say how much i enjoyed my weekend past. #5 and i are kindred souls in the winter driving department and she & i did a great job of getting us from here to there (across the state.) The drive, which is normally 2 to 2-1/2 hour drive took us more than 3-1/2 hours in nasty wintery snowy weather.

15 minutes into our trip we met up with the beginnings of a snow storm. As we progressed westerly, so did the storm. Amazingly, in the big city, people seem to think they can drive 80 mph regardless of the weather... on the expressway!!! We dodged many of these brain-dead types... and then... as we got into the city, their multiple several-car pileups!!! But we made it... slow and steady, 45 miles an hour most of the time.

We were determined to be there for a baby shower - a very special one. My oldest grandchild will be a father in June. He is in the U.S. Army. His wife will be moving to his base the first of March... so we needed to have a shower for her.

It was a small elite group. It was fun... well worth the determination and trauma of getting there. My first great grandson received loads of good stuff... mostly necessary and some just for fun. His mommy is SO happy... and so is his daddy! God bless little Logan James.

Thank you Number 5, for braving the weather with me. You are amazing!

Answered prayers.

Yesterday my friend had cancer removed from her colon. She has been tired lately. Lab results showed she had low blood count. Just last week she had a colonoscopy and learned there was a small mass in her colon and by end of this week it is gone!

Her husband said she has only 4 small holes in her tummy. Isn't modern medicine wonderful?

New Beginnings...

For a while i was blogging in my first one... since then (August 2009) i discovered we can import & export Blogger stuff from one to another, so if you notice some lack of continuity... or repetition...... that is why. This is actually a combination of 3 blogs. One was totally separate. Following is the transition from Grumbleeze to After Frank.

...are necessary sometimes. This blog, Grumbleeze, was all about me, sherle, a married lady. Then the husband died. Life changed more than i ever would have believed.

Before, we were us... we were we..... we were frank'nsherle...... we were a team. We were joined at the hip!

I was the old-fashioned girl... went from my mother's house to make a home with my husband. Now, for the past three plus years i have been me... i have been
discovering me..... i am learning to be me, all by myself, for the first time ever!

It is time for a new blog...
Come, visit me here at my new blog: Yes Sherle, there is life after Frank!

a quote...

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."-- Joseph Addison

Like my picture?

You can make one too! i did this at obamicon.me. Saw it on one of the tv news shows last week.

There are two options... the other is red white & blue... like the Obama posters seen on tv. This one is an adaptation and i personally like it better than the other.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yesterday evening... tough! She blew up at me after i told her why i closed her bedroom door, keeping her kitty out of it! Daughter 1 & i walked in the kitchen door and were overcome by a sickening 'sweetish' odor of decay and cigarettes. Her poor kitty had pooped on the floor in her bedroom because... ta dah!!! ...she closed the litter box up in the closet before leaving for work!

When i told her to clean it up... and mop the floor.... get rid of her cigarette butts and don't store them in the house... she blew up at me! It was, get this, MY fault because my cats PLAY in her litter box and she's tired of cleaning up after them!!!

i asked when she is moving... she said, '...not soon enough' but only told me ...'three weeks...' when she heard me talking on the phone, repeating when Daughter #6 asked me when. D6 and i talked until i calmed down and all went well from there.

She is all packed up. I am not encouraging her with kindness. I'm convinced she has become so pitiful after a lifetime of 'hard living.' I can't fix it. She says about 3 more weeks before the place she will move in to is renovated. (She has 2 sons who work for a landlord, remodeling between tenant changes.) We are BOTH counting the days... although not together. Talk about the Elephant in the Living Room!!!

This morning she went out to smoke and stood blowing the smoke at my kitchen window...!!!???!!

It's a Birthday...

Does anybody remember besides me? i love you Frank. i always will, but i realize the physical door between us is closed.

i'm opening new doors... and i even opened one that lasted 7 months and it is presently in process of being closed! i know you would approve of closing this one!!!

i've opened several other doors though. These are real keepers and i know you would encourage me in them.

Quote of the day today is:
'The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.'
- Flora Whittemore, author

Life IS good...

...even though sometimes situations are not so good. i grew up trying to find a pony in the room full of horse manure! It's usually there... you just have to know it... and look for it! As a kid, there was a lot of manure and it was a small room.

i finally got out of that room when i met and married Mr. Right. During the ensuing fifty years, he pampered me with encouragement and praise. In his wisdom he provided me with self confidence and a strong feeling of personal worth.

Then he went and died on me... suddenly and with little warning. During his memorial service, his best friend said... '..Frank's job was to make Shirley look good.'

i've been looking for that pony again. i just think i found it and another pile of manure emerges. i refuse to quit looking. i KNOW there's a pony in here somewhere!

Customize Your Settings

Customize Your Settings
Note: i unlinked this because it was only to see how it works.

okay, this is something on my new traveler! Yeah i know, it's on my bigger 'puters too but i never tried it before.

This is just the cutest little thing AND weighs almost nothing! i can wrap it up and carry it around in a big purse if i want to! LOVE it!

Second Thoughts...

...maybe i should let her stay with me. Maybe i am a sinner for not understanding her illness. Maybe... maybe...... maybe........

This morning i was awakened, once again, by the continual coughing, choking, gagging, spitting almost to the point of throwing up, and more coughing and choking. The disease is called COPD; spelled out it is called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The tv ads for Spiriva should show what i hear every morning. ...and it's not just mornings; it's just worse in the morning, after a night's sleep when her poor abused body has done it's best to try to heal itself. It appears to be a losing battle because, after the morning pulmonary exercise trying to excrete those poisons from her body; after she medicates; she goes outside for a breath of 'fresh' air... and that precious first cigarette of the day.

When mom was in the hospital for so long this summer, Sis kept saying we need to be by her side because... 'nobody should be left alone to die.' Was she really talking about herself?

i did some online literature search this morning. i will spare the details and especially the photo included with the first article. i learned how insidious this COPD really is!!!

Here are the best of what i read: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=86131

...and here is a quote from an article pushing their own non-prescription product. It describes some of the research being done.

Literally poking holes in patients' lungs

Shooting special "glue" into their
lungs, and

Putting one-way valves inside bronchial tubes to let stale air out

Good heavens! Now i know why, even when she's not smoking, she smells like an ashtray! Pray for my sister; pray for me.

Am i selfish for needing to move her from my house?

peanut butter...

..who'da thunk it could make you sick? By now we've all heard about the dreaded salmonella 'epidemic' related to peanut products. Finally, there is a list of products & companies where the peanut products are all safe!!! Find that list on SparkPeople. Here's the link: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=find_out_which_peanut_products_are_safe_to_eat

i Had a Dream Last Night...

..... Sis stopped by my 'place of employment' - a very conservative, quiet place. (...??? i've been retired for 23 years, but yes it was a business atmosphere.) She wore a dress (???!!!) and had her hair in a bun!!!!! (Her hair is extremely short) Everybody was fawning over her... 'so glad to see you...' etc. and totally ignoring poor, hard-working me! Duh! Wonder what that could mean?

• the woman has two faces (at least) - her 'public' face and her 'private, at ease' face.
• she does nothing to help around here, but likes to accept praises for how 'good' it is for me to have her here.
• she gets along with her peers at work.
• yesterday after i had my dinner, she took a phone call and continued gabbing while cooking her dinner, during her meal (at the table, talking loudly and cheerfully), after her dinner while she donned her coat & went outdoors for the after dinner smoke, and into the other living room where she was watching tv before and after dinner.
• i have never heard her so cheerful and talkative!!!! Not EVER!!!
• they were talking about *work and the people there and cutting them all down.

Now i know why we have nothing in common.

Update: Yesterday she asked me how soon she has to move... that her son is remodeling a place right now for his employer (who rents houses & apartments) and it should be ready in about a month. i told her a month is fine. i suppose she hopes i'll change my mind again.....

I Will NOT change my mind. See the motto top right column? It is my motivational mantra. i will put it on all my active blogs until she actually moves out! Motto is no longer there, but here it is for posterity:

Reminder to Self
*i am beautiful! *i am talented! *i am intelligent! *i am wise! i am versatile! i am flexible! i am NOT a doormat!!!*It took almost 50
years of marriage to a good man to begin believing these things. i will NOT go back to dumb, ugly, and useless!

I no longer care. My other motto - 'you gets what you gives.'

*i guess you need something to hang on to when your own job is sorting giant bins of discards. It's a big decision-making job. She has to decide what to throw away and hang the 'good' and the clean stuff for resale in the store part of her place of employment.

Good NEWS!!!

My new 'baby' was shipped out today! Hoooooooooray!

Yesterday... not bad

Sis went to work, came home, talked to her cat (who was out among 'the living' all day), and went to her room. Not sure what's going on but i presume she is continuing to get ready for departure. i will NOT allow myself to feel like the bad guy here. i'm not sure there even IS a bad guy in this fiasco!

i went downstairs to see if anything is changing there. She has stuff down there just sitting around, already dusty and getting dustier, on a flat surface. Until yesterday, for the past several months, there was also trash... lots of trash... just sitting near the door looking ugly. (Perhaps she was waiting for me to take it out?) Yesterday there was a shiny new box of heavy duty trash bags and two all tied up. Not sure if she knows what day is 'garbage day' even though she actually took some to the road last Tuesday... remember?

i went into the 'rummage sale room' and noticed she has removed her stuff from that room. God forbid i should get rich on her junk! Noticed i had rummage stuff in boxes with her name on them - from her move here. I transferred stuff to 'new' boxes that i obtained recently... and put her boxes near her stuff. i suppose that's another 'hint' in her mind???

Today she is gone... perhaps at work? i don't know but departure time was right for it. i will not bend; i will not give in. i am strong, remember? i am NOT a doormat!

Did i mention that the windy weather blew kitchen door open last night? It's not the first time since she moved in that has happened. i closed it and locked it and she probably thinks i locked the door as a 'hint' too???? See what i mean?

i DID it... i DID it!!! ooooo!oooooo!OOOOOOO!!! happy dance!

...i just today purchased a really really inexpensive very cute little laptop!!! Well, i ordered it so i don't have it yet... but will probably have it before my HP laptop is back from the shop!

Yeah yeah yeah...... i did it because i want to. Been thinking about another 'puter since the 'old' HP first went to the shop! The 'old' one is almost 2 years old but started going batty shortly after the first year was up. Glad i bought extended warranty with this one cuz it turned out to be 'lemon of the year.' Had 2 notices to fix it myself... from email so far, and first time i took it in after notice... it had not 1 but TWO burned out harddrives!!! 2nd time it was 'locking up' but BestBuy couldn't duplicate the problem in store, so i got it back - AFTER it sat in the store for 2 weeks or more... NOW it's making a very loud noise!!! Geek squad is very kind... but said it has to go in. Said it takes HP techs to determine lemon status, so who knows???

Meanwhile, ol' sherl sits at home with the trusty old HP desk version, but it is so-o-o-o-o-o slow! Ordered the new laptop from Comp USA... it just might be my new favorite store!

My 'old' laptop is pretty much top of the line for that year, 17" screen, etc.; the new one is smaller but 'big' in features! Delivery was cheap and should arrive 3-7 days from now. Will probably have it to play with before my HP comes home.

The brand? Acer
... and the OS is..... Windows XP!!!!
Oh yeah, baby!

Ima Happy Camper

Update: It's working!!! Sis will move out. She is pulling together her stuff even as i speak... well, not right now, she's at work, but you know.....

Here are some facts:
i love her.
i cannot live with her.
we have not been able to communicate since the early years of her first marriage.
i am not accustomed to a screaming attmosphere so last time Sis screamed at me, using words i don't even like to READ, let alone say or hear, i phoned a daughter and let her hear it.

i needed confirmation that i am doing the right thing by getting Sis out of my life.
i hope this is not forever, but if it is, it's her loss.
i tried.... and tried... and tried.....
...... and will not try again.

Somthing to ponder this morning...

"Interestingly, koi, when put in a fish bowl, will only grow up to three inches. When this same fish is placed in a large tank, it will grow to about nine inches long. In a pond koi can reach lengths of eighteen inches. Amazingly, when placed in a lake, koi can grow to three feet long. The metaphor is obvious. You are limited by how you see the world."
-- Vince Poscente

A friend, a new friend, recently told me i really should get myself a passport. i think i will!

Get This!!!???!!!

Today Sis had a day off. i don't ask questions. She doesn't talk unless i speak first & so i try not to speak. YOU know how hard that is for me!!! lol

She took cat for grooming this am...
This afternoon i asked her if she was going to be home for dinner. She said it depends... she had a 4:00 appointment!

i was gathering trash to get it out to curb for early morning pickup... and the phone rang. i told D#1 i needed a break; it's garbage day; blahblahblah.... and whoosh! Sis was gone!!! Out the door!!!

Neighbor brought paper a short time later... Guess what! He went to Sis' place of employment today and they were CLOSED!!! That's why she didn't go to work. Wow! She sure filled her time in fast eh?

Okay... new plan..... D#1 is willing to organize the family get-together for a mass removal of this unhelpful, disgruntled, no longer welcome... relative! i just want it to be pleasant weather cuz i don't want her adult kids tracking in and out of my house with all that snow!

Inauguration Day

Today i am watching the inauguration of Barack Obama. i do not want to miss any of it!!! My generation lived with the Martin Luther King's dream. We saw discrimination in mid-Michigan and read about much worse discrimination in the south. I, along with the rest of my generation, prayed for this day. Even though i did not vote for Obama, he makes me proud to be an American! God bless the new First Family and God bless America!!!

another horoscope... no wonder i'm confused!

Quickie
You have solid footing in your life now — and a good sense of where you want to go.

Overview
Decisions are harder than ever right now — how can you say ‘no’ to anyone or anything? You do need to shut at least one door and soon, but you should feel totally right about it before you do so.


See, it just sounds like me! I just keep seeing this domestic problem i’m having and wondering if it’s as bad as i think, or just a bit of imagination creating a drama where none need be. I will dwell on it more before making any decisions. I think what i really need is a plan… but first, i have an appointment today.

my horoscope fits ME:

Quickie
If you defer to what other people want, you could appear to be a doormat. Get tough!

Overview
Someone has unreasonable expectations of you -- but you might be too keyed up and full of good energy to refuse! It's a delicate balance, but eventually you do need to tell them 'no.'

=========================================
i am NOT a doormat!!!

i DO have good energy!!!

My good energy refuses to accept any more sh__ from self-serving people!

Not late, early!

I smelled cigarette smoke in the house. The only rule i ever gave her was 'no smoking in the house.' Smelled like coming from downstairs so i said, 'smells like somebody's smoking down there.' and went back & sat down in the living room. Heard her voice from bedroom, laugh & say to somebody (on phone i presume) 'i was in the laundry room.' LIE!

Fresh smoke smells different than the usual stale smell she carries.

Cooked myself a burger around 6:30 & finished off the leftover pasta i made yesterday. i'm really sick & tired of having another body in the house. It's like having a big beligerent child living here, except she does clean her own room & rinses off her dishes for the dishwasher.

As far as other chores, during the six months she's been here, she swept snow off part of the back deck once. She helped me take garbage to the road once (a once/week job.) She brought newspaper in once or maybe twice (?) but always reads it and reminds me she wants me to save the Sunday crossword puzzle for her!!! She cleaned the bathroom once. Hmmm - anything else? Nope!

Now how does this benefit me? I will tell her she must move out when the weather allows. I just can't make her do it sooner..... can i?

My kids are glad i have somebody living with me...

Hahahahahaha!!!! and now...more about the on the onagain/offagain phenomenon. Yesterday sis left her cat in her bedroom with the door closed... so i left him in there all day. I never know if she did it because he hasn't used his personal litter box yet, or if she just wants him in there...???

In keeping with my new policy to 'not speak unless spoken to' (just with her!), when she got home from work she went in room, opened door & let poor kitty out. He headed for the kitchen & 'regular' catfood & 'regular' water!!! He just LOVES the 'public trough.' His food is more expensive & she gives him bottled water. No wonder she has no money!

Neighbor wanted me to ask her about an item they might have in the store where she works, so i asked her. I was cooking dinner at the time. She answered civilly as though we just always have on-going conversations. We had dinner; we had conversation; then she spent evening in her bedroom (except for occasional trips outdoors for a cigarette.) It was one of those incidents that make me feel, 'oh what the heck! Might as well let her stay here.'

I finally had a good night's sleep last night (another story) so was up before she went to work. She was on phone... i heard her say something about '...see you later' and when she looked at me, i said 'morning' and she responded. Otherwise it would have been a 'silent' encounter.

Poor kitty is shut up in bedroom again today. Will she be home at dinnertime? Will she be late? Who's cooking dinner today? Who knows? This is my life.

on again..... off again..... what to do?

Today's Pisces horoscope says it all...

A friend is having a hard time managing their partnership with you. Be patient.
Let go of anything old that's been holding you back -- you've got a free pass to get on with your life! It's a really good time for you to meet new people and try new projects of all kinds.

Sounds like my life! Hmmm. Also sounds contradictory. Or is this multiple choice? I choose the second part!

The friend is my live-in sister (my fault, i asked her to move in.) i've BEEN patient. She is the 'something old' as well. i'm not letting this relationship - i mean, non-relationship - hold me back. i will not be obsessed by the situtation.

Life is an evolving process. Life is good.

Okay... i'll admit it.....

i think i'm OCD oops! i meant ADHD. i think it's a good thing as long as you use it for good. i think i do. Yes, i just started yet another blog. Wasn't gonna do it but when PowWeb (sponsor of my domain) offered WordPress as part of my new package, complete with an easy install, the geekiest part of me just could NOT resist!!!

Okay, i wasn't gonna share with ANYBODY, but here it is:
sherle's blog It's green & clean... simple and i'm gonna keep it that way... no whining, no long reminiscing, just honest to God simple journal style on how i spent my day. i already broke my promise to myself for daily updates, but i have a good excuse!