Keep Them Maters Rolling!

Tomatoes are finally starting to roll in now!

Race Course Blues

This past Friday was my birthday... Sigh. Another year older... so glad I am still in my 20's... Ha Ha Ha
A couple of our good friends from back home made the trek up to Marietta and we all piled in our truck and had a nice night in Atlanta- supper at The Vortex in Little 5 Points and then on to the Blue October concert... Of course, the venue was hot and full of sweaty people but the band rocked! We were pretty much deaf by the time we left and it was pouring rain on top of that. But, we still had fun none the less...
After our guests left the next morning, Hubby and I ventured up north of Atlanta to Gainesville to check out the race course where my upcoming triathlon will be taking place. I really needed to gage just how "ready" I am for the big day. And oh how surprised was I to found out that almost the entire first half of the 13-mile bike ride is pretty much ALL uphill!!!????? I had an awful feeling in my stomach just riding it in the truck! Hubby kept mumbling how sorry he was for me... and I just kept taking in the long uphill grade passing by us as we rode the 13-miles of highway. Needless to say, I was very bummed about it for the rest of the day. It kinda of ruined the whole fun birthday part of the day for me.
I had pretty much decided by the time we got back on the interstate headed southward that I was going to have to nix the clip in pedals and go back to the basics... and just wear my running shoes on the bike because if I couldn't pedal up those 6 or so miles... then by golly, I will PUSH that bike up those hills! No where did I read in the race rules that you HAD to actually RIDE the bike 13-miles... am I right??!
And of course, Hubby has agreed for me to go ahead and buy a road bike for the race for my birthday... looks like I am now road-bike shopping this week... I just hope it helps me on race day...

First Harvest

First big tomato finally came in this week... Picked it last night and put it in the window to finish ripening.. We shall how good it tastes later this week!!!

Squirrel Update

8/18/2009- Squirrel Update:
Squirrel showed up again this morning only after I discovered our geriatric black lab trying to retrieve him off the top of the same top handrail on the back deck... same behaviors as last evening but Sampson managed to get him by the tail with his mouth and I (of course) freaked out because the last we need is Sampson to get more sickness. So being the born and bred redneck that I really am... I shot the squirrel.

Sleepin' Squirrels!

THIS is what greeted me when I got home tonight from work- a sleeping squirrel on the top rail of the back deck. Well his eyes were closed when I first spotted him... I was not sure if he was sleeping or dead. Very creepy either way! I go out the back door and onto the deck to see about him and when I rounded the corner he opened his eyes but did not move... shocked maybe? I made of couple of motions with my hands and he moved a little and eventually jumped over about a foot or two when I started doing a jig (keep in mind I am at least 15 ft from him- gotta keep a safe distance in case he decides to attack)... And his mouth was moving funny... after about a minute or two it is evident there is something wrong with him. So I go inside and watch him from the sunroom windows... I snap this pic with my phone and email it to Hubby titled as "Sleepin Squirrel". And his response? "Get the .22 and put a hole in that varmint". We are so ready to move to the country!
8/18/2009- Squirrel Update:
Squirrel showed up again this morning only after I discovered our geriatric black lab trying to retrieve him off the top of the same top handrail on the back deck... same behaviors as last evening but Sampson managed to get him by the tail with his mouth and I (of course) freaked out because the last we need is Sampson to get more sickness. So being the born and bred redneck that I really am... I shot the squirrel.

Happy Trails

In my ongoing preparation for the upcoming triathlon next month (less than 5 weeks away now mind you!) I decided to do a long bike ride at the vacation resort back home while we were down there this weekend. Callaway Gardens (CG) boasts of miles and miles of bike trails and it has been YEARS since I have set foot (or tire) on them. After visiting their website last week I discovered that the daily rate to just enter CG is $15 per person... and well, that is not going to work out for our budget since it would be $30 for both of us every time we want to ride the trails. So I researched further and found that a Local Family Pass is only $88 for one year and that will get us plus four other people riding with us into the gate- Score! So yesterday morning we head to the resort and get routed to the annual pass counter just a couple of miles in past the gates. Well, it was all well and good until the employee helping us saw our non-local mailing address... needless to say, I spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince this lady that I am not only from there but we pay two different sets of land taxes in that county. She needed proof of a local address... we have land with no address since there is nothing built on it and a newly-inherited house that I just changed the utility bills on... The worse part of this whole scenario is that I have a really hard time even having to BUY a pass to CG since I have NEVER had to in my entire life. I am a Retired Employee's child! Paying that $88 hurts... and then having to recreate my lifetime to some stranger makes it worse. It is like I am proving who I am and how I really am a "local"... I gave her the address to the house and of course it pops up my Grandmother's name... I tell her that she is my Grandmother who just passed away and she was a Retiree Spouse in the original Pioneer Club at CG since my Grandfather retired from there in 1991. Finally, she gave in... halleluyah. So then we head to the trails...
I gotta tell you- the outer loop of the main CG is about 6.7 miles and all I remember about it from the last time I biked it (in my highschool years) was really struggling on it. Well, I biked it twice yesterday and I rocked it! What a great feeling! I did the second loop by myself and never stopped- 6.7 miles in 26 minutes- and considering all the twists, turns, ups, downs and dodging other bikers, I feel better now about my level of ability. The race is 15 miles and surely it will be much straighter and such. Hubby and I are actually gonna make the trek up to the park where the race will be held and try to see how hilly the course is- hopefully this weekend. Once I know the course, it will tell me just how much more training I need to do in the next 32 days. My biggest worry right now is how light-headed and sluggish I felt after hopping off the bike when I finished... I felt like crap and I am not sure if I am yet capable of exerting myself like that and then move right into a 3.2 mile run... Of course, this was in the mid-day heat and the race is early in the morning. But like I said... just things to think about in the next 4+ weeks...
Not sure if today's weather will permit a bike ride after work today or not but, I did bring my bike and clothes to ride. I led the boot camp workout this morning so I did not get to exercise other than running all over the place. So a bike ride this evening will be good for me for this day of tri-training. And tomorrow evening a nice 800M-1000M swim is on the agenda... gotta love it.

Summer Veggies

My tomatoes have finally started to ripen more and more in the last week or so. This is what greeted me when I arrived home this afternoon... For all you folks in the country, this is how we garden in the city!

Blind-Siding Is Not Cool

Another shocking story, another sudden unexpected broken up marriage! I received the message last week from the wife... husband called her while out of the country on business to tell her he wants a divorce. He tells her he will be bringing the papers home with him when he returns home in a couple of days. He says that his mind is made up, that there is nothing to discuss, no negotiations, no nothing. His response when asked by the completely blindsided, bewildered wife why he wanted a divorce... he does not think that they are compatible. HUH? WTH!!!? After 12 or so years of marriage and two young daughters later and you have NOW decided that you are not compatible? That would have been my question!

And did she even have the faintest idea this was coming? Heck no! This man, her husband of 12+ years total BLINDsided her! And because they are not "compatible"... some please tell me what am I missing here! The only thing I can figure is that he must have found someone else with whom he IS compatible with in order to decide that he is NOT compatible with his wife. Or else he is coming out of the closet...? Who knows! It doesn't matter what the reason, he is an awful person for this. He told her he had been planning this for months... and then we waited until the girls just started back to school... great timing you idiot. And wouldn't you know that wife has several months left to finish her Masters degree, only has a part-time job and is basically a stay-at-home Mom/graduate student. How will she support herself and 2 young daughters?

I am seriously worried for her and all of the other 9 or so busted marriages that I know about from the past year- same crap, same circumstances, same behaviors, same stupid reasons- or no real reason at all. What is it with folks today? Why are people getting married and pledging to live the rest of lives with their spouse and then BAM one day decide to jump ship? I am really trying to understand this concept... I am trying to trace a trend of some sort to see if this is a certain "type" or group of folks that are prone to do this... I do see it happening more to those who married in their young to mid 20's and now 8 or more years after the wedding they change their mind about their spouse...?! Or is it that old concept that these people did not "sow their wild oats" before taking their vows? You know where they graduate from highschool or college and marry their sweetheart and then realize after several years of marriage and 2.5 kids later that they need a break to go party with their single buddies? That this marriage is getting in the way of their "me" time...? Puh-leeze! That is such a crock! Shame on you for being naive and stupid way back then! And now your newly ex-spouse and 2.5 kids have their worlds turned upside-down and are permanently scarred for life just because you feel like you are "trapped"... Unbelievable.

Of course, being married myself for just under three years now and having not married until my almost-mid-30's... stories like the one above really scare me. I mean how can I ever be assured that my Husband wouldn't come home one day and tell me he is over US? I mean it is possible... every thing is possible. And what do I do when I hear about these stories? I call Hubby and tell him about the current mishap... and he assures me that this will never happen to us. He tells me how much he loves me and how we are like Peas and Carrots. And that, my friends, is all we need. Period.

Attempting The Impossible

My reality slapped me really hard today. When I saw the subject line of the new email in my Inbox, my heart fluttered....and the realization of my destiny hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the official confirmation email from the Georgia multi-sports company alerting me that they have received my application for the sprint triathlon next month. Oh my word, what have I gotten myself into? Did I forget to mention that I got a wild and crazy hair and decided to sign up for a triathlon? That's right folks, I am going to attempt the impossible. I am hoping to prove to myself that I CAN exert myself for over two hours and not die in the process from heat exhaustion, heart failure or just plain ol' fatigue. And it's all for a GREAT cause- Alzheimer's research!! Heck, writing that check to the Alzheimer's Association was the easiest part! It's the actual race that worries me... and I wonder why!!???
So now it is (as of today) T minus 37 days to my newest goal... my D-Day, September 19th. 37 long days of training for the inevitable... will I make it? Your darn skippy I will! Even if it kills me....;-D

How Sweet It Is

How excited was I when I discovered this at the local grocery store last week?



They are now selling teeny-tiny little packages of mini ice creams! Seriously, they HAD to of been thinking of me when they came up with this genious idea! They are equal to one scoop or one serving of the very evil dessert, ice cream. Yet, only one serving so one cannot "accidentally" cheat and keep on eating! And they are only $1.00!! And the other great part? Even Ben & Jerrys has them!! Personally, I am a plain chocolate or mint chocolate girl myself... but, for those days that I HAVE to have something sweet... $1 will take care of that craving!! How sweet it is...

Most Portable Hair Utensil Ever

I saw this gadget on a television commercial a few weeks ago and thought it was a pretty cool idea. And then last week I found it on the shelf at BJ's Wholesale while shopping for new beach chairs.
I could not resist the $14.99 price tag while consumed with the idea that this could be the most portable hair utensil EVER.

So I bought it and lo and behold it works! I can put this in my backpack or my briefcase or my gym bag and it is so small that it takes up hardly any room! Especially with my new chopped off hair-do, it helps maintain my daily frizz... even better!! Oh, and it comes with a cute little bag to transport it and its long cord in too.

Back To The Beach!

Back to the beach again this past weekend... some really good friends of ours invited us down for the weekend in Seaside... Had a great time with a great family!

Our New Pets

How surprised was I last week when I arrived home to find a hawk perched up on the power line about 20 feet from our house? Now we have heard a hawk for several years around our land... we just assumed he/she roams our area of east Cobb County since we are a more wooded area. Well other than flying hundreds of feet in the air, I have never actually laid eyes on it until last week. And what a beautiful site it was! Well, while sitting in my car and looking up at it through my windshield I was slowing taking my cell phone out to snap a pic when all of a sudden another one flew into the yard from the woods! Holy cow, TWO hawks at the same time... I couldn't believe it! What are the odds? So I sat in my car for over 5 minutes just watching them. Finally, they both took off into the woods. The next evening both of them were sitting on the power line about 40 feet apart from each other and this time they had the look that stated "don't even think of getting out of that car or I am gonna peck your eyeballs out"... So I sat and waited again. At one point they started their war screaming from the power lines and eventually left.
Well, guess what woke us up on Saturday morning? The hawks in the back yard screaming... by now we have figured they must have a nest somewhere near. I grab the good camera and try to sneak out on the deck to snap their pic...

Well both of them we sitting on this limb and the other one flew off just before this shot finished. Isn't it a beauty?
Man, I love living in a wildlife preserve in the city!

One Last "Hoorah" Thru The SW

After a long hiatus from work travel, I was instructed to make one last "Hoorah" trip to the southwest and finalize some open issues on my project in El Paso. So I made arrangements to leave early Wednesday morning before last flying one way to El Paso, one night hotel stay there and then drive up to Albuquerque for a two nights stay and then one way back on Saturday morning. Sounds like a great trip, huh? Uh, wrong! First off, it took forever to get through security so I rushed the entire way to the gate...only to find out when I got there (profusely sweating and all) that the plane was there but no flight crew. Huh? Yep, the crew did not show up until 10 minutes after our departure time. After a battle with one of the airline's finest over whether or not I had to gate check my carry-on, I made it to my seat... on the back row next to the restroom! Yes, I spent the next two hours watching folks go in and out of the bathroom- no snoozing for me! Besides the fact my left shoulder was like one inch from the door handle so I was "brushed" every time someone grabbed the handle. And the smell after the first hour was horrific.
Finally made it to the Houston airport and headed to the gate... only to find out when I got there that they had changed the gate for my connecting flight. Why does this happen everytime I fly this airline? (Keep in mind that I HATE connecting travel trips) Every freaking time I am forced to fly this airline, they are a) always late on departure and/or arrival and b) they change my connecting flight gate EVERY time! And then I find out that my gate is all the way back over where I just got off the plane from Atlanta! Now I am even more furious than before. So again, I retrack my path back over to the other gate. I sit down long enough to eat my protein bar and banana and then board the plane. I arrive in El Paso and am instructed to go out to the lot to pick up the keys to my rental car. I head out and it is blazing hot outside... and there are no attendants around. After baking in the sun for about 20 minutes, the desk guy shows up with keys to a different car... whatever- just gimme the keys before I turn to leather.
My time in El Paso was a total waste considering the subcontractor who we were supposed to meet with that afternoon did not show up. I did get to see the finished project with my own eyes and snap lots of photos.

I barely slept all that night... kept waking up every hour... I felt so badly from lack of sleep that I did not even work out the next morning. Finally made my way to the hotel restaurant for free breakfast. Finally decided on the breakfast burrito from the limited "free" menu list... I knew when I took the first bite that I was going to regret ordering that burrito with the sausage option. Something felt weird as I chewed the first few bites of it. I doused it with A1 sauce thinking it was just a mental thing.... managed to get thru half the burrito before I realized that I was in trouble. I left my tip and took off to my room. And then I spent the next hour and a half on the toilet. Checkout time was 12 noon and at some point in my foggy mind I told myself that they were going to have to kick me out before I lifted my fanny off that seat. When I found out around noon that my Superintendent was not going to make it to work after all since his wife was out a commission at the doctor for tests all day, I finally checked out and made my way westward to start my trek to Albuquerque. Quick stop at a drug store to buy pepto and toilet paper- just in case- I mean this is a long drive thru the deserts of New Mexico!
A four hour scenic trip thru southern New Mexico was pretty cool. I really do enjoy siteseeing in the car... even by myself! I jammed out to old Michael Jackson hits the entire way... just like catching up with an old friend and with a great view all the way around.
Albuquerque was uneventful for the most part the first night except for my ongoing queasy stomach from the burrito. I checked into my hotel and crashed. Amazingly enough I slept through the alarm and realized that I had slept over 8 hours straight and was now late for work! How is it when I travel to the time zone two hours AHEAD of my own that I STILL cannot get up and to work by 8am their time? I plow through that extra two hours just like I need a 26 hour day to get all my junk done. I worked at the office all day and stuck with basic sandwich meals since I was now skiddish of any thing mexican or "southwestern". After work I decided to make the drive up to the tram that takes folks on scenic tours of the mountain range just outside of town.

I wanted to snap some good photos of Albuquerque since I hauled my big camera out there and who knows if I will ever be back. I had no intention of taking the tram to the top since the views from the tram start were just fine. I found some really cool cactuses (sp?) to shoot with the city in the back ground....

Well wouldn't you know that while trying to snap the "perfect" photo I managed to get tangled up with a low-lying cactus and the shooting pains in my right calf hurt like hell. After trying to ignore the pain, I finally lifted my jeans leg only to find all of these little red prickly things stuck in my leg and how they got through denim to my skin is beyond me! I tried to pull them out but they just kept breaking off at the surface leaving the other half in my leg... now I was worried- what if these things have some kind of poison and I die up here? I mean no one had any clue as to where I was.... and who knows when the locals might find me! So I head back to the rental and cruise back to the hotel. I did get a really up close look at my cactus bites that night and tweezers were the only way to remove them... so I would have to wait until I got home.
Saturday morning came way too early even in their time zone and miraculously enough my flight left on time for once. All in all, my last "Hoorah" trip was well... hopefully my last.

Bob Is Officially Officially Off The Market

A dear old friend of mine sent me an email yesterday with a link to a very interesting article...

Robert Redford Marries German Girlfriend

Even at 72 years of age, he still has it. Period.

I actually blogged about it (check it out) when they engaged back in May of 2008- still kinda makes me sad and happy at the same time... Hee Hee.

What The Heck?

What the heck is this? It is blooming all over El Paso.... it is like a flowering desert bush or something. Very eye-catching riding down the road and very pretty!

Beachin' It

We just returned from a little vacation trip down to the Destin/Seaside area of Florida. Got a little sun, ate a lot of seafood, caught up on some serious sleep and really wished I did not have to come back to this concrete jungle.

One Day At a Time

So this past Sunday would have been my Grandmother's 81st birthday. It was on my mind all day long- very haunting memories of past birthdays... I remember this time last year when I was planning her 80th birthday. I called on a circle of her closest friends from back home and invited them to the assisted living center where she resided. I had a beautiful birthday cake made for her and we all celebrated her special day that afternoon on her actual birthdate. She was so surprised and so excited! We had a wonderful time telling our favorite memories of her and some folks shared how they met her YEARS before. And even at her level of dementia at that time, she seemed to remember their experiences. Of course, that was the same day we were surprised with the news that my father had remarried (unbeknownst to us)... his (supposed) wife enlightened the entire party that day when she introduced herself as "Mrs. Kelly's Father" and my Grandmother just turned to me with her mouth gaping open in shock. I reassured her that it was okay and made a mental note to fuss at him later. So it was a crazy day all the way around!
And then back in February of this year, my Grandmother's Caregiver baked a birthday cake for the other lady being cared for in the household and my Grandmother got so jealous... we assured her that we would bake a birthday cake for her on her birthday too... looks like we never made it. Her Caregiver called me on Sunday to see how I was doing and to tell me that this was the day she marked on her calender to bake that birthday cake... I just teared up. And then I laughed and said, "well, did you bake one? we can always drive down and help you eat it!"... That is how she would have wanted it.
It is hard to believe it has been almost six weeks since she died. Oh well, one day at a time...

Another Legend Gone

I have to admit that I was pretty bummed out when I heard the news yesterday that Michael Jackson had died. I know a lot of folks do not like him because of his strange behaviors outside of the music world, but I believe he is the greatest artist, singer, dancer and entertainer I have ever witnessed. Every thing about his music touches my heart and always has since I was a child. I have listened to his music for years and I feel so much joy when I hear his words and the beat. His music makes you dance inside your own heart. It is a shame that his odd antics in his personal life will forever haunt him as a person and make the world hate him enough to forget his musical talents. But, to me, he will never be forgotten. I will all always respect him for his courage to be the odd ball in a ordinary world, for having such passion to write/perform the music that makes the world want to moonwalk, and for taking me to my happy place when I hear the fruits of his labor . What an extremely talented man!
My first 33 was the Thriller album in 1983...

I would dance and dance and dance in our living room for hours listening to that record. It was shortly after my parent's divorce and his music took me away from it all. I loved his music so much I even bought the CD's of his newer stuff in the 90's... I drove my college roommate crazy playing his album "Dangerous" when we lived in the dorms... what a great album to study to! And then last year they released his 25th Anniversary album... and you know I went out and bought that too.... such an amazing collection of songs...

All I ever wanted during my middle school years was the red leather jacket with the silver zippers and netting on it and instead wound up with the white glove... Oh well, I was the coolest redneck with that glove and the dance moves it bestowed upon me would make the neighbors jealous- Ha Ha! I spent many an hour practicing the moonwalk, his spin and tip toed jump....
What great memories and the best part of it? His music still lives on! Here's to MJ and may his beats live forever and he RIP.

The Warrior Spirit vs. Darn Ol' Cancer

I am so happy to report that our beloved dog, Sampson seems to be on the up-slide in the past week! We are estatic!! After 5 or so weeks of not willingly eating any thing, laying around virtually comatose for hours at a time, etc., Sampson the Warrior has bounced back (somewhat) and has been eating hamburgers, pizza, steak, veggies, sausage, fish, sandwiches, etc. We (us and our good neighbors) had been shooting baby food and blended chicken/rice type foods down him with a syringe-like shooter almost every 2-4 hours for the past several weeks just to get nutrition in him to hopefully give him the energy to stay mobile. He has lost so much weight that the bones in his head and hips are so evident now. He almost has a svelt-like figure now! But, just like that, in one day (last Thursday as a matter of fact) he just all of a sudden wanted to eat! And on his own- by himself! With no shooter! We had him all weekend since he stays with the neighbors most weekday nights and days and he did wonderful. We took him for a ride in the truck, bought him takeout, played with him the yard, etc. And he slept all night in the house with no problems too. He even looks like he has gained a little weight back... so fingers crossed that maybe the Warrior is winning the fight against that ol' cancer mass! We plan on taking him back the Vet this Saturday- pray for a good report.

No Matter What

I had another one of those moments last Friday... or should I say another one of those thoughts? It is really hard to describe the feeling I had at that moment but, I will be going along with my day and all of a sudden I will experience a small wave of panic inside of me and think how I have not called and checked on Grandmother... and then I reach for my cell phone to call... and then realization hits... and it hits HARD. The realization that I cannot just call her any more. No more just picking up the phone to call and seeing how her day is going... see how she did through the night... to find out what her latest issue is...
Earlier one day in the week before last, I had the overwhelming desire to call her to tell her what a good day our dog, Sampson had.... and then the depression sinks in that I cannot tell her. But, the feeling that comes over me is like a urge that is so familiar... I suppose it is because that is how it has been now for the past 2 and 1/2 years. My days had been controlled with the constant reminders to call my Grandmother to check on her. On every vacation, every work trip, etc. I always had to make sure I had my cell with me at all times, all day and all night just in case something happened and I always had to call her to assure her I was okay and wanted to see how she was doing that day. It was a daily ritual no matter what ...and I am having one hell of time trying to stop the urges and break the rituals... am I insane or what?

Under Pressure

So last weekend I had another one of my "I am gonna cook my Husband a good ol' southern meal" episodes and decided to cook peas, corn-on-the-cob, boiled potatoes plus a meat (I cannot remember which meat at this point). I had set up my pressure cooker for the precious pink-eyed peas I had found at the veggie stand up the road, potatoes and corn were boiling and I was peeling cucumbers for the summer cucumber/tomato salad. Well, right about the time the timer went off to turn the burner off on the peas, Hubby comes through the kitchen handing me his cell phone saying a family member was on the other end wanting to talk to me. Well, I turned the timer off and thought I had turned the burner off as I grabbed the phone. Well the conversation turned into a 10 minute ordeal complete with my getting really agitated half way into the discussion over my Grandmother's passing... I will not go into the details but, by the time I hung up I was frustrated and had somehow wound up in the office. Ten minutes later and something smells funny... I take off running for the kitchen only to find that my pressure cooker was still going and brown juice is now blowing out of the top! I turn the burner off and start kicking myself over the fact that I let the peas go that long on the stove. And the smell was AWFUL! How peeved was I? First of all, I destroyed $6-8 worth of expensive peas, I ruined the first housewarming gift my Grandmother gave me when I bought my first house (very sentimental!) and the house REEKED of scorched nastiness! Well, of course I informed Hubby that he is NEVER to hand me another phone call in the middle of cooking meals. Supper was disappointing since the peas were destroyed and the cooker? Don't ask! I had to soak it for over a week to get the black crust to start dislodging itself from the bottom and sides of it. Hubby finally put the elbow grease to it this weekend and got it back to a mostly normal state. But, needless to say, the gasket is shot and the bottom of the pot is not level any more. I attempted to cook more peas in it last night for supper and the steam now escapes from one side of the pot where the gasket is not getting a good seal now. I had to put a LOT of water in it and let it cook for a lot longer but the peas were only okay. I am mostly sad that my precious Mirro pressure cooker that my Grandmother gave me over 11 years ago is now junk. I did look online today and finally found where Amazon sells the Mirro brand. I will get all the info off mine when I get home tonight and see about ordering us a new one. What a bummer.

The Funniest Email EVER

This story brought many snorts and tears to my eyes... My gut will be sore tomorrow from laughing so hard!

****************************************
Texas Chili Contest

If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for
you. I was crying by the end. This is an actual account as relayed to
paramedics at a chili cook-off in Texas .. Note: Please take time to read
this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of
the third judge is even better. For those of you who have lived in Texas ,
you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the
time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at
the San Antonio City Park ...

Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting
from Springfield , IL ... Frank: 'Recently, I was honored to be selected as
a judge at a chili cook -off. The original person called in sick at the last
moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for
directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by
the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that
spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting,
so I accepted and became Judge 3.'

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:


CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the heck is this stuff? You could
remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames
out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.



CHILI # 2 - AUSTIN 'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm
supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to
give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw
the look on my face.


CHILI # 3 - FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like
I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more
beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in
the front part of my chest. I think I'm getting drunk from all the beer.


CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or
other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to
taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, is
standing behind me with fresh refills.


CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.

=0 A
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit
the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can
no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed
paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili
had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring
beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.
It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.


CHILI # 6 - VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices
and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic.
Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will
eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that
Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.


CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili
peppers at the last moment.
**I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a
bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I
wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like
it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid
unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At
least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop
breathing it's too painful. I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need
air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.


CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold
but spicy enough to declare its existence..

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor
hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out,
fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's
going to make it. Poor feller, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot
chili?

Judge # 3 - No Report
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

A Breath of Fresh Air...

We started a new month of bootcamp this week and I have to tell you that I got a little excited on Monday morning when I arrived at our meeting place and saw so many vehicles! We have 12 campers this month- WOW! And 10 of them are new campers which makes it even more special... and they are all shapes and sizes, all different speeds, all different mental obstacles, issues, etc.- and I LOVE it! Having more than 7 or 8 campers truly makes the camp much more fun on so many levels. I actually feel like I cannot miss one day of camp myself so I will not let the campers down. What a great feeling to have as an instructor! And I know that if I am excited then the campers have to be excited too.
I am also excited (and VERY honored) that the bosses at our bootcamp have asked me to attend more instructor training to take my instructor-ship to the next level... I am scheduled for this "Lead" training next Friday night down in Atlanta at the Headquarters- cannot wait to see that second star on my name badge! Hooah!

Thank You-ed Out

I finally finished up the last of the thank-you notes for all of the flowers, food and donations to the Church. I think I have written/sent right around 50 so far. I really feel like I am getting married again! How sad is that? My poor hand! And the bad news for my poor hand is that I have not even received the donor list from the Alzheimer's Association yet... which will hopefully be a long list- the more donors the better! Just bad for Kelly's hand- but, good for their research!!

Fishing Fever

A good Aunt's job is never done... especially when we take a hyper 9 year boy with fishing fever to fish in a new place. I spent more time taking his picture with all the bass he was pulling in rather than try to land one or two for myself! Good times... Definitely good therapy for this sad and weary soul...

No Regrets

I received a phone call last night from a family member who said they were calling to check on me to see how I am holding up after my Grandmother’s funeral, etc. After several minutes of chitchatting about this and that we managed to get onto a kind of touchy subject… I was a little surprised when she confessed that she regretted not taking the time to go see my Grandmother in the past few months. I am thinking to myself- “Wow. Really? You and how many other friends and family?” This particular person has been a popular topic of discussion over the past nine months during all of the time my Grandmother was on the downward spiral in her health. Most of the discussions revolved around the fact that she just stopped going to see her at all. And when I would call to check on her, she really had no reason for not taking the time to go see her except that she is busy at her job (Note that she is WELL over retirement age and is still working a cash register somewhere to support her spending habits…) Yet, none of the rest of us could figure out why she didn’t even attempt to visit… And now she is confessing that she regrets it… Wow. It is really astonishing to me how so many folks have so many regrets in their lifetime. And these regrets really start to rear their ugly head only after someone dies. On the flip side, several folks have said to me in the past two weeks- “Have no regrets. Kelly, you did so much for your Grandmother- never regret any of it”… Those words really make me wonder why someone would tell me that… Why would anyone think that I regret ANY of it? I find it odd because believe me- I have NO regrets! I did everything I could to keep my Grandmother warm, safe, dry, fed, clean and comfortable. Even though her demented mind said the opposite, I knew better than to argue with dementia. I made an agreement with her several years ago when she was of sound mind to take care of her to the bitter end no matter what happened… and that is exactly what I did. It is that simple and nothing more. And definitely- I have NO regrets. Period.

Overwhelmed...

I am overwhelmed by how many sympathy cards I have received in the mail this past week... so many wishes from so many good people- friends and family- near and far... And their words of encouragement and their memories of my Grandmother bring tears to my eyes every time I open another one and read it. Such sweet notes and I will treasure every single one of them!
I finally started tackling the massive stack of thank you notes last night- only to discover that my book of stamps is now out of date... Again! I cannot use up a book of stamps EVER before they are raising the price again! What a crock! And on top of that, I do not have addresses for half the folks that sent us flowers!! Oh well, it looks like a trip to the PO and lots of phone calls are on my agenda in the next few days.

He Will Be A Fisher Of Men...

My brother and my nephew went fishing at an ol' favorite fishing spot of mine... Crow Hop. Somewhere on some river in western Alabama...

And again, one day he will be a fisher of men...

The Long Road Ahead...

So yesterday was the first morning in a quite a while that we actually got to sleep in… and in our OWN bed! How nice it was! We had gone back home again really early Saturday morning to run errands, attend a family reunion, take Sampson back the vet, etc. It was a really long day and we did not get home until after midnight Saturday night. Besides the fact that Sampson has eaten next to nothing for the past two weeks, his visit to the Vet did not really tell us much either- and just like my Grandmother, he will not last too much longer without food intake. But, we have tried to get him to eat just about anything and everything and he just turns his head away from it or he gets up and moves to another room in the house. And for the ol’ Warrior to deny food is just sacrilegious! He is getting so skinny and his bones are really showing now through his fur… it is quite depressing on top of everything else that has happened over the past few weeks. But, we are so fortunate to have some great neighbors to take care of him during the day and on the nights that Mike is out of town. And they have much better luck and skill getting Sampson to eat a little something each day.
Over the weekend I did manage to start tackling the monster task of sorting my Grandmother’s account statements, receipts, etc. Our living room is covered in stacks of documents. I am trying to get a grip on what exactly what I am going to have to close, transfer, etc. in the next few weeks/months in order to settle her estate. The good news is that she did not have any debts or mortgages- just insurance policies, utility bills, and insurance accounts. I actually made the first two calls today on her primary and secondary insurance carriers to get their automatic payment schedules to stop debiting money from her bank account. After a long hold waiting on medicare to pick up the line, I am now over 10 minutes on hold waiting on social security to pick up as I type this post- Imagine that. And I thought my journey was soon over…

Saying Goodbye...

I am staring at this blank Word document and just do not know where to begin…

A lot has happened since my last blog post as most of you already know. My Grandmother passed away late last Saturday night after not eating or drinking for over three days. We had finally managed to get my father up to see her on Saturday afternoon and I truly believe that was what she was waiting on since all of the rest of the family had already made it there to be with her in the last three days. Her condition was still the same as the day before just less and less responses to my voice and touch. Hubby and I came back to see her again that Saturday evening around 8pm- we spent 30 or so minutes with her. I remember telling her that we were staying at her house again that night and would be back to see her the next morning and how much we loved her. She died two hours later. We were back there by 11pm and then had to endure the hospice coming in and pronouncing her, destroying all the leftover meds, and then preparing the body for pickup. And then the funeral home came in, gave me their instructions, etc. and then together with hospice they did the final preparations and took her away. I seemed to be floating around the entire time just trying to take it all in- watching them destroy the thousands of dollars of pills and those precious glaucoma eye drops, listening to the preacher talk about happier times, watching my brother breakdown at her bedside once he got there, watching them zip the body bag with her in it, listening to the funeral director instruct me on her burial outfit and how to transport it, and then being left with the mound of paperwork in hand once they leave with her. And all of that by 2am!
And then we had to be back at the funeral home by 10am to set up the arrangements. I am sitting at this table with the funeral director and my mother answering a thousand or so questions when I realize that never in my life did I ever think that I would be planning someone’s funeral… Not at my young age at least. And then my father and his wife show up and his input only makes the setting of the arrangements even harder. All in all, the meeting was a lot easier than I thought planning a funeral would be. Of course, I am sure that if her death was a sudden one, that planning would have been a lot harder. I spent the next couple days on the phone- seriously- the phone did not stop ringing. The amount of emails, text messages, Facebook messages and phone calls was overwhelming. There were a few times that I almost turned the phone off just to be able to get something else done- at least that is what Hubby kept threatening. I kept going through my phone list trying to make sure that I did not miss some distant family member and I am here to tell you that I AMAZED at how many folks STILL do not understand the concept of dementia- or the fact that you CAN die of it- or at least from the complications that result from advanced stage dementia. The weather during all of this was horrible too- the rain and storms just kept coming. We were trying to get her house and yard in order just in case someone dropped in. The visitation was Tuesday night- lots of folks that I have not seen a really long time came to pay their respects. I did really well on the “try not to cry” rule of mine until one of my Grandmother’s older friends started talking about “have no regrets” and all… Why is there always one person in the bunch that insists on upsetting the surviving family members? I just KNEW someone was going to do that- it never fails. Afterwards, we went out to supper in town with a group of my old buddies and how nice it was to catch up with them!
The funeral was late Wednesday morning and the weather actually cooperated! I had struggled for the few days before trying to pull together the pallbearer list, but it all worked out in the end. The service was wonderful, my Grandmother’s cousin played her favorite- Amazing Grace on the bagpipes at the graveside and then we had the most delicious lunch at the Church afterwards. You should have seen the spread of food these good folks from her Church put on! I just could not get over how much food was there. When we made it back to the house, all of the flowers and plants filled the den- had to sort them out- one to each Church, one to the Assisted Living, one to the Caregiver, one to Hospice, my mother, my father, and us. And then we had to sort the dishes folks brought to the house… it just never seemed to stop. We finally made it back to the city late that night since both of us had to go back to work. And now the large task of sorting her affairs is on the horizon- Lord help me with this arduous task- I am going to need it. Hopefully, closing and transferring accounts and settling the estate will go as smoothly as possible. I just hope the family members involved want to cooperate and help this transition go as easy as possible too. We shall see…

The Road Long Traveled

The call came in yesterday afternoon while I was in a long meeting at work. I did not get the voicemail until almost two hours later. My Grandmother had been non-responsive all day yesterday. She just slept all day in a deep slumber and the caregivers could not awaken her to eat, drink or take her meds. I called my Mom and she went over there after work to try herself. They tried everything to get some sort of response out of her- even putting ice cubes on the bottoms of her feet! And they got nothing…
The hospice on-call nurse arrived late yesterday evening and after not being able to even detect a blood pressure reading he declared, “it is time”… I get this tidbit around 9pm last night- and that just sends me into overdrive. I go on a packing and preparing frenzy- wash clothes, iron shirts, cook supper, clean kitchen, pack clothes, shoes, linens, landscaping tools, laptop, snacks and try to spend time with the dog in between. I finally crashed at midnight after all of above and having successfully called boot camp and work to tell them I would not be there this morning.
I did not sleep well at all and woke very tired. Showered and loaded up vehicle in record time and hit the road.
When I saw my Grandmother this morning (after only 5 days since my last visit) the difference in her physical appearance was most rattling again. She has bones jutting out all over her little body! Her eyes are wide open staring upward and her mouth is just gaping open and the loud sound of her breathing just makes me wonder if she is struggling to get enough air. Both ladies that care for her are with me and I grab her hands and call out to her, “Memaw! Memaw it is me, Kelly!” and her eyebrows actually raise up! And both hands quickly squeeze mine just for a second. Both caregivers are in shock… I keep calling out to her and talking to her and she only responds sporadically with eyebrow movements and quick hand movements. It is almost like her mouth and eyes are paralyzed or something. I went by several times today to see her in between all of the yard work projects my brother, Hubby and I worked on at her house all day. I pretty much got the same responses all day- but, by this evening she seemed to try to say something but her mouth would not do anything more than stay gaped open. I talked to her over and over and assured her that everything was okay. Of course, I know that without food or water she will not last long. But, any ability to eat or drink is now gone. The lines of communication are gone. The capability of functioning on any level is gone. And soon she will be gone… My heart is filled with sadness this day.

Score!

Since my Grandmother is now on an "ensure" and smoothie diet, they are trying to get 3 to 5 cans down her a day....And well, that is about 21 to 35 cans per week! And even though I just delivered last Friday six 6-packs of those precious Target-brand "Nutritional Drinks" (ensure knock-offs about $3/pak cheaper), I made another ensure run yesterday after work. And can you say "SCORE!" ? I landed TWELVE 6-packs yesterday in one store!! How awesome is that? I usually find only 2 or 4 on the shelf or none at all. I was definitely on a lucky streak last night!!

Honeysuckle Season

Has anyone noticed the honeysuckle vines blooming lately? It seems to be every where right now and it smells SOOO good! I smelled it last week in the park where we boot camp in the early hours of the morning. I smell it when I go see Sampson over at our good neighbors house. I smelled it many, many times this past weekend back home in the country.
When I was a child, we would pull the blooms off the honeysuckle vine and pull the flower out to eat the small drop of "honey" in it... just what the bees are always after! That little drop of sweetness was so good to a child's taste buds. Of course, I would never do it now. Lord knows what kind of chemicals are layered on the blooms these days...

Home Cooked Memories!

Hubby and I made a trip to the local vegetable stand this afternoon for some homegrown goodies. We bought lots of delicious things and then came home to start the pot roast I told Hubby I was going to cook him for his work lunches this coming week. I decided to cook the pint of pink-eyed peas I bought at the stand and several ears of the white corn. I pulled out my old pressure cooker that my Grandmother gave me when I bought my first house. I set up the peas with bacon bits and set it to cook. About twenty minutes later, Hubby comes flying in the office to inform me that the pot of peas is going crazy in the kitchen. I just laugh and say that is what they are supposed to be doing! He must not be used to someone cooking in a pressure cooker- guess that is a sign I should be cooking more food in it more often, huh? Well, a little later I went to the basement to grab the clothes out of the dryer and when I came back into the main level of our house, the delicious smell of the peas cooking just filled my head with so many childhood memories of my Grandmother’s home smelling just like that for so many years and my heart just longed to be in her kitchen again. I told Hubby that the smell of our supper cooking smelled just liked my home with my Grandmother when I was growing up and how much I just love that smell. Needless to say, the meal was as delicious as I remember hers being back home. My heart is smiling!

One Day At A Time...

I left work early on Friday with our dog Sampson in tow. I had taken him to work with me in the early hours of that morning… he did well at the office and during the 2 hour ride to my hometown. We arrived on time at the house where my Grandmother stays these days with her Caregiver. When we walked into her room there, her physical appearance surprised me… I could not believe how different she looked from just two weeks earlier when we were last in town. She was lying in the bed eyes wide open and staring up at the sky it seemed with her mouth gaping open. And she looked so frail and gaunt… she seems to be wasting away before my eyes- I think to myself. We call out her name and she comes to, words jumbled and mumbled and her eyes are now straight ahead but not exactly looking at US. The Caregiver tries to feed her a sandwich and has to repeatedly tell her to open her mouth, chew the food, and swallow the food and so on. She manages to get about two bites down her and gives up on the solid food and moves onto the Ensure supplement drink. She no longer uses a straw since she bites it and won’t let go. She gets it down sip by sip. And then she dozed off… her pattern seems to be mostly dozing or sleeping and then awake when spoken to or stimulated by bathing, eating, etc. Watching her that morning and then watching her again that evening confirmed that she is much worse than just two weeks ago. I went back to see her on Saturday morning and again for several hours that afternoon. She pretty much stayed in the bed dozing or mumbling… her speech is gone, but she still recognizes me by name and voice. Of course I am concerned about the fact that she is living off Ensure drinks. And the fact that she is pretty much in the bed all day now. We are heading back down there this Friday until Sunday do work on the land, do some clean up at her house and visit with her too. I called the Preacher and her best friend and told them that it was not good… I really cannot say how much longer she has….
And then there is our beloved dog… I took him the Vet back home on Friday afternoon for a second opinion. He wound up staying overnight and the verdict is not good. His spleen is full of cancer, which is driving his white blood cells high, and his red blood cells low causing him to be severely anemic. The mass in his spleen is pushing against his GI tract making it hard for him to digest food. His blood is thin, his temperature is high and he has a severe case of congestive heart failure. And now because all of the above makes him not want to eat, his body mass is consuming itself for nutrition. Poor Sampson! He has the saddest eyes you have ever seen. It is just depression all around in our household right now…

My heavy workload right now at my job is also weighing on me and taking its toll. Along with the ongoing drama with the psycho neighbor and a certain family member, I am just about ready to de-nail my fingers! I am graying by the minute for crying out loud…
I did tell Hubby this morning that when this is all over, I want to go the beach and just sit. No schedule, no worries, no plans, no nothing… just us and a cooler of cold drinks in the sun next to the ocean. We shall see if that ever happens…

My Merry-Go-Round Is Outta Control!!

I feel like I am on a merry-go-round that is spinning out of control and everyone is falling apart around me!
That is exactly how I felt today... dealing with all of the dog's ups and downs these past two weeks has been traumatic enough and now my Grandmother has stopped eating. That was the first phone call of the day after I spent a chunk of my morning taking the dog over to the good neighbors for the day. The phone call took another chunk of my day as I listened to the Caregiver plow through all the details of my Grandmother's latest behaviors. It is as if she has forgotten "what to do" when food or drink is spooned into her mouth- almost like the wire between her brain and her jaw to chew is gone as well as the wire to her esophagus to swallow. Besides the fact that the Caregiver is dealing with her own son in ICU and juggling that with my ever-downward-spiraling Grandmother, she is all stressed out. And her stress just adds to my stress... again, there goes that darn merry-go-round!
Hubby had decided to try and get Sampson an appointment at the Vet's office back home for sometime Friday afternoon- I would just take a 1/2 day off to take him down there and Hubby would just meet me there after he left his work site in Alabama that afternoon since we already planning on a trip home this weekend (and we missed Mothers Day wkend!). Well now that the Caregiver has continuously called me with more and more unfavorable reports on my Grandmother this week, I have pretty much decided that maybe I should just take the whole day off and go spend some time with her too. I will just have to take the dog with me...
I am also struggling to balance all of the above with my heavy work load right now at the office.... trying to juggle three diffferent projects and deal with outside drama and trauma just does not sit well with me. And let's not forget about the ever-ongoing drama with the cable-hating-drama queen next door.... that whole ordeal has me practically running into the house everyday when I park in the driveway just so I won't have to see or hear her....
Again, when will this merry-go-round ever stop? And then tonight a letter came in the mail from a neighbor back home with a picture of us on Christmas Day with my Grandmother... I just teared up when I saw it. That was the day we moved her out of assisted living and in with the Caregiver because "it was time"... it is so hard to believe that was almost five months ago! Where does time go when my world is so darn chaotic?
One bit of good news: Sampson stayed home with us last night since Hubby came home from Alabama... we actually got him to eat pizza crust with us while enjoying the Biggest Loser finale. He seemed much more upbeat last night but is definitely still not quite his old self. He did have another little accident while he slept through the night- fortunately this time he was on the hardwood floor and not the carpet! It's the small things that make me happy...

Latest Cable Drama Update

When will the torment end? No time soon it seems...
After the neighbor's call a couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I just decided to let it go and see what happens- we agreed that there is no need to keep worrying about what she might or might not do... and if she does have our cable line cut after her self-imposed deadline, then we will just call the cable company and have it hooked back up. Well, one night last week after work I found one of those door hanger info tags on our front door from the cable company informing us that they had come out to service our cable and needed to get into our home to complete the work. Hubby contacted them the next day and never received a call back- again, we just let it ride since we did not call them out in the first place. Well guess who calls Hubby this past Friday... yep, you guessed it- psycho-neighbor lady. She wanted to let us know that since the cable company never relocated our cable lines off "her" pole this past week that she was having it disconnected on Monday (today). Needless to say, the call wound up being another ugly ending one- I am just so glad that Hubby has decided not to take any more crap from her. Well, Saturday afternoon we receive a phone call from the cable company- they are following up on our service call scheduled for Monday (today) from 2pm-5pm to repair our service. I tell them that there is nothing wrong with our service and that we did not schedule for them to come out for any repairs. But, I have an idea of WHO did! I explain the situation to the lady with the cable company and we realize during that phone call that the neighbor must be calling up and acting like she is us and scheduling service work on our lines! Didn't I say psycho lady earlier? Who in their right mind would impersonate their neighbors to get the cable company to come out? Besides the fact they were told to come and "fix" a damaged line when she really wants them to "relocate" their lines. We discussed any options on getting service to our house without utilizing her pole- any thing to get the heck away from her at this point! So they set up for a maintenance crew to come out Monday (today) to look into bringing the service into our home a different route. I voiced my point again that we would NOT be there when the maintenance crew came out- not this time- they are on their own! Well, how surprised were we when a cable company bucket truck came rolling down our driveway yesterday! Yes, on Mothers Day Sunday at that! The very nice older gentleman wanted to check out the lines and such and after investigating the situation and the layout of the property he concluded that our lines could not be relocated- that per code, the cable lines have to follow the power lines and that is exactly what they are doing now. After explaining the timeline that has occurred since this all started in 2004, he said that he was going to have his highest supervisor get in touch with the neighbor and explain to her that there is no other option. I told him that they better have tough skin. He also said that if she touched their lines that it is a felony and she would be in some serious trouble. (Is it awful for me to wish her to do it just to be punished??)
So today is Monday and who knows what is going down today with the cable lines and/or the psycho-neighbor. What I do know is that I better not miss the finale of the Biggest Loser tomorrow night because she decided to pay some riff-raff electrician to cut our cable and she better not call or show up at our home tonight wanting to start something. We shall see what tomorrow brings....

Current Health Update… Another Day in the Life of the Kelly Show

Well my nephew went to see the orthopedic doctor last week and turns out the broken arm is actually a broken shoulder! How crazy is that? And the fact that he is seeing the same doc as my Grandmother (who went in last time for a so-called broken shoulder) is even wilder!
I have only talked with my Grandmother one time this entire week… major cloud of guilt hanging over my head on this one… however, this week has been so jam-packed with craziness between work and all the other dramas in my life that I just have not found the time in her available hours of 10am-5pm to make the calls… I do know that the Caregiver finally discovered what is making my Grandmother not want to eat any thing (she is constantly scrunching up her face and saying “Yuck” to every thing lately)… it is the UTI meds the doc put her on! So they changed her meds and now she is eating normally once again… I love it when the planets line back up for her…Ahhhhh….On a difficult note, however, she has been having some nightmares (out loud) that the Caregiver has witnessed upon waking her in the mornings this past week… the topics always involve family members’ from her past- way back in her childhood years… very eerie to experience some of things she says according to the Caregiver… I am not in the least bit surprised… I remember some of these same relatives from when I was a small child and they scared me too even then!
Well today is Mothers Day and we opted to stay home today to tend to our poor doggie, Sampson. He actually did really well on Friday and seemed almost his old self all day yesterday. But, this morning brought on a very, very sick dog…. We woke to an almost paralyzed-like animal that pretty much has not moved much at all today. He did disappear at one point and Hubby found him lying in the middle of the creek drinking and yakking… over and over. At some point he came out of the creek and lay up onto the ivy embankment. He just moaned and groaned with every breath just like he was having trouble breathing. We finally got him up onto the driveway and then the shivering started and he was almost lifeless-like. We finally carried him into the garage onto a makeshift bed and that is where he has been all afternoon and tonight. Hubby has been staying with him most of the day. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring him strength and a burst of healthy energy so he can enjoy another good day with us. Say a prayer…

Another Eventful Weekend!

Sounds like this past weekend was an eventful one... I was in Denver for my company's Annual Conference which started with a 6:30am flight on Friday morning... Had the clock set for 4am and still did not manage to make to 4am since our dog woke me up at 3am puking all over Hubby's bathroom floor. Yes, our dog is not doing too good these days... I am deeply saddened since he is only 10 1/2 years old and I just lost my dog only a short year or so ago.. I really do not think I can take another doggie passing so soon. Sampson has had this ongoing breathing condition for months now that just kept getting worse. At first the vet said it was allergies and the next time they said his heart is enlarged and he seems to have congestive heart failure. They kept him overnight on diuretics to remove the fluid off his heart. He seems to be moving around a lot slower now since all that started. Well, he got sick again last week to the point where he was practically unresponsive when talked to or petted. Now the vet is saying he is severely anemic. He has also stopped eating for the most part. Hubby bought him a flat of wet dog food and he seemed to eat that over the weekend but as of last night he has stopped again. Of course our neighbors (the good ones) are devasted over this too since Sampson stays with them half the time. I do not want to even think about our life without the Warrior since he has been our "child" throughout our entire marriage and courtship before that. He is such a great companion and always provides us such entertainment. He woke us up again this morning around 3:45am gagging up stuff on our bedroom floor... All we can do is pray..
In the meantime, my 9-yr old nephew Austin managed to wreck his motorcycle this past Sunday on the farm... they didn't found out until yesterday that he broke his upper arm and now he is scheduled to go see the same orthopedic doc my Grandmother goes to! Since the break is so high there really is no way to put a cast on his arm... very odd. Oh well, no motorcycle riding, no fishing, no hunting, no nothing for the little daredevil- and that is what hurts him the most!
My Grandmother did not have a good weekend either- her ongoing unhappiness with everything, her constant negativity and her neverending refusal to do anything the Caregiver asks of her is just wearing them thin. She hates everything food-wise they give her, she tries to chew up her pills now (which of course taste awful) and everytime they touch her to bathe her or change her bottoms she screams like they are beating her. I am really beginning to think she has reverted back to her terrible 2's again... I am planning to go see her sometime this weekend for Mothers Day... but, that will be another blog topic later...;-D

Just Another BIG Reason To Get The Heck Outta Dodge!

Guess which drama queen strikes again? Yep! Our crazy old psycho neighbor is back to her old tricks again. After that whole show-down in our driveway last month (see THIS BLOG), I was confident we were safe from her anti-cable company antics for a long while... WRONG. Last week I received a voice mail from her informing me that the power line on her house was damaged by our cable guy when he worked on our cable (over 7 weeks ago mind you!) and that she was having a private contractor come repair it. Oh and she also also wanted to tell me that while this so-called contractor was there she was also going to have him disconnect our cable line off "HER" pole and have him them roll it up to the street and leave it. (This is her way of "getting back at that comcast").. her message continued on about how comcast won't address her issues because she is not a customer of theirs (duh!) and how she is just notifying us that we will not have cable/internet after May 8... How nice of her to "notify us" and give us the complimentary/neighborly heads-up- you freaking psychopath! I am SO over this woman and all of her cable-hatred driven drama!! Why cannot she just live out her retirement years in peace and leave her nice working neighbors alone? I am really starting to think she is just looking for some attention... So I called Hubby (who was outta town at his job site) and let him know the latest drama with the fruit-loop next door... I assured Hubby that I would NOT address this issue with her now or ever again- it is his turn! Besides, my sky-high level of anger towards her is not healthy and having to deal with her would only make matters worse for all of us. Well..... Hubby tried to contact the cable company and never got a response before he decided to just confront her directly (by phone). He asked her what was going on to which she responded that our cable guy had pulled her power line off her house... yadda yadda yadda... Hubby said that they were out over 7 weeks ago and she is just now discovering the loose connection? He told her that it could have been like that for months and she just did not see it... she of course automatically blames the cable man (who never touched the power lines or her house for that matter- besides that fact that the power lines are about 8-10 ft above the cable lines on the pole). He tries to explain to her that she cannot remove items off of a public utility pole and that there are hefty fines associated with it (including possible jail time)... she won't listen. He tells her that the pole is not "hers" and it the property of the power company... to which she says that it is MY pole since it is on MY property! He tries to reason with her and she just refuses to listen... she says that she "has" to take care of this cable company issue (of course, we really do not understand WHAT the issue is... except that she thinks their lines should not be on "her" pole).. Again, can you say psychopath?? By the end of the call, she tells Hubby that she just "cannot deal with that cable company's crap anymore" and he responds that "well, we cannot deal with your crap anymore"... and proceeds to inform her to never ask us for another favor in the future if this is how she wants to deal with her so-called "problem"... and then he hung up on her. Wow. For my Hubby to end the call on that note and hang up on her... just Wow. You go boy!
Well, since I was in Denver from this past Friday to Sunday, Hubby stayed home and worked in the yard (between rain storms) and fortunately never saw her! How uncomfortable would that scenario be? I personally think he should have carried a weapon for back-up protection... just in case... Oh well, I guess her self-imposed "deadline" is this Friday the 8th... thankfully Hubby will be in town and I guess if she gets her "private contractor" (who is her son by the way) to cut our cable on Friday or over the weekend, we will just have to call the cable company and have them come out and hook it back up. And hopefully we do not have to be there this time to "deal" with the stand-off that will happen between her and them once again for the cable re-installation.
Of course, Hubby is banking on her crying Wolf and not doing any thing. Personally, I am wondering if she is having her son do it for her Mother's Day gift... again, psychopath!!

He Will Be A Fisher Of Men

Another great fishing tale... looks like my Nephew, Austin officially has the "fever" after hooking this 6 lb 9 oz. large-mouth bass yesterday afternoon after school ALL BY HIMSELF!! His Dad was not even to the lake yet!!
Fishing Fever= Fishing for Dad and Son 24/7... sounds like summer fun!!

Stuck In A Rut

I am deeply saddened today after spending quite a bit of time with my Grandmother last week while we were back home working on our land. Her mind is stuck on the same subject as it has been for the last few months- she spends who knows how long each and every day trying to figure out "how to get out of here"... every time I visit her she babbles and rambles on and on about "going somewhere else" and how "she can't take it anymore"... I cannot understand 90% of what she babbles but, the 10% that I can decipher comes down to her wanting to go elsewhere. I tell her that the only other option at this point is the nursing home and she then threatens that "I (she) am going to find me another place to go live"... I ask her why and what the problem is and get nothing in response. Again, she is stuck in this mindset and I do not know why I even try to reason with dementia.
My Mom and I took her to Callaway Saturday and she kept babbling the entire time about the same thing over and over and over. I fussed at her several times trying to get her off the subject and try to get her to enjoy the pretty scenery- to no avail. She is just plain ol' bitter and angry. It is sucks! When we "walked" her to the car that morning to head to Callaway, it took us over 10 minute to get her from the kitchen to seated in the car. And then as soon as I crank up the car, she starts steadily rattling on about how she can move home and take care of herself.... and I am steadily asking her how she can take care of herself with a broke hip.. who will cook and clean and wash clothes and drive her to her appointments ... and she just dodges my questions.. and then starts up again with the rambling. I called her yesterday and had the exact same conversation AGAIN only this time I could not get her off the phone. She just goes on and on and on about the same gripes... it makes me want to stop calling her... I just do not know how much I can take of the same conversations over and over with her. What's a girl to do?

The Family That Fishes Together...

My family is officially famous! Looks like my brother and nephew showed 'em all up at the local fishing tournament last weekend in Pine Mountain!

I am so proud of them! And the fish fried up well this past Saturday night during our stay last week... Good times with our family! Yeehaw.

Monday Morning Traffic Woes

Today was definitely a Monday-type Monday. I opted to not get up and go to boot camp this morning since we were in Pine Mountain from Wednesday morning to Sunday evening- we did not get back home until almost 10pm last night! Hubby was leaving early this morning for his 2-night trip to his project in Alabama and I needed more than 4 hours sleep in order to function at the office today. I hit the street around 6:45am and about 5 miles down Johnson Ferry Rd, the "Low Tire Pressure" light comes again- instant terror! I am thinking "no, no, no, not another flat tire!!!" I stopped at the next service station and got out and all 4 tires seemed okay... but, I went ahead and dug around in the trunk and found my pressure-checker-thingy... and wouldn't you know- the rear right tire was 10 lbs less than the other three. So I paid my $0.75 and filled it to the same. I went ahead and pulled up to the gas pump to fill up my car and then drove down to the coffee shop for a cup of joe to go. I measured again with joe in hand and the tire had already lost 5 lbs!! I made a U-turn and went to the Goodyear up the street... 30 minutes later and one nail less, I was patched up and headed back to the rat race. And then something worse happened... not to me, but to some poor soul on I-85 Northbound. I was going around 75 mph like everyone else and all of a sudden all these cars start slowing down (more like slamming on their brakes)and swerving around to dodge a white pick-up whose hood was vertical! I could not believe it! Some old Dodge Ram pickup and the hood was straight up and how he managed to pull that off the interstate with no damage is beyond me... I finally made it to the office safe and sound by 9am... whew!!!

Phase II Land Clean-Up

We have officially started phase two of our property clean-up back home in Pine Mountain. We rented some heavy equipment and Operators and starting pushing down trees, uprooting old stumps, etc. this past Saturday. Hubby and I ran our chainsaws cutting up the large trees into smaller lengths for easy handling- we buried some and burned others. We worked sun up to sun down on Saturday and then sun up to mid-afternoon on Sunday. We were so surprised at how much we debris we cleaned up! I forgot to mention that the previous owners used to dump their old junk on one part of the land too- I am talking YEARS of dumping...NOT fun to clean up other folks crap! Unfortunately, the bull dozer we rented cannot get close enough to all of the junk to relocate it... so we are renting a track-hoe with a grappling hook to pull the debris to relocate it. The track-hoe will be delivered tomorrow and we will be starting back to work tomorrow as well. Why not use up our precious vacation days to do manual labor for free? My kind of vacation! The worse part is the fear of ticks, inhaling all the smoke from the burn pit, non-stop sweating due to the high levels of humidity, and running around in uncomfortable work boots. I just hope the end product by this Sunday makes it all worth it. And I just hope we get our entire To-Do List finished by Sunday too.

After we finished our work last Sunday, we did swing by to see my Grandmother on our way home. Boy, she was full of bitterness that visit. It is so frustrating to spend time with her since she seems more and more bitter and angry all the time now- even Hubby got to witness it this time around. I think at this point in our trip down dementia lane I have just got to accept the fact that no matter how well she is taken care of physically, she will never be happy again- never be happy any where or in any place. It just seems like her record is scratched on the bitter groove and it just keeps playing over and over. I do not know how the Caregivers deal with it day in and day out. I know it has to be hard on them too- especially enduring it 24/7. This is just another reason I should count my blessings every day....