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!

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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…