Out Of Sorts

I have zero tolerance for people that lie to me. Or shall I say "attempt to pull one over". We dropped our truck off for repair yesterday afternoon and were told we'd have a free loaner. This entailed the service manager calling the rental car place a few blocks away and having them pick us up. The car rental guy showed up a few minutes driving a Jeep. My first thought was we were going to drop him off and have the Jeep. Bubble burst! We got back to the car rental place and were told we would be given a Silver Honda Civic that just came back and was getting washed at the moment. The loaner itself is free but then came the spiel regarding insurance. Our car insurance will cover any vehicle we drive, but then there's the deductible and the fact that if we take their insurance there will be no charges at all to us except the $15.00 a day to carry it. This, in my eyes, makes the loaner not free. My husband brought up the fact that our credit card automatically covers any charges incurred by an accident. Well that would be fine and dandy if we had used the credit card to rent the car in the first place.
After all the paperwork was done we went to check out the car prior to leaving. No dings, dents or damage found except normal wear and tear. The guy is talking this car up like it's the best thing since baseball. We got the keys and when starting it up I immediately notice the flashing service light. I call the guy back over and he tells us that the car is fine, they probably just forgot to reset the warning after the last oil change. Goes on to explain that the cars are checked out via computer and it checked out fine. I bring to his attention that the warning signal is noting that it required service 1.2 miles ago. Seeing that the car just came back a few moments before we came in can he honestly say it was checked out? He did note it on the paperwork and off we went.
I hate the car for several reasons. I'll never be able to find it in a parking lot unless I memorize the plate numbers. Have you ever noticed how many silver Civics's there are? It's way to low to the ground. I watched my husband just about exit on his knees. I feel vulnerable in this little car, after driving a truck for 10 plus years. I don't think it goes over 60. The stupid warning light drove me nuts as it was flashing all the way to work. The radio is good. The seat adjustment is really awkward and not power. I guess I just got spoiled.
I'm so out of sorts with this car that I forgot my phone this morning. Not that in itself is not a good feeling.

The Red Mullet

I started a water aerobics class last night with my friend Donna at a suburban high school. We had taken the class about 2 years ago and the attendance was low so they had cut out the class the following season. The teacher at the time was a little more intersted in gabbing with the ladies than teaching a class.
We arrived last night and found the parking lot to be packed. I figured walking the little extra to the entrance was a good think while my friend wanted to get closer. I wasn't about to drive around waiting for a spot to open so while listening to her complain we made the hike. In the past class there were about 15 women tops. We walked into the pool area and were among the 30 women enrolled in the class. I noticed some women from the past class we had attended.
One woman in particular must have felt she was the queen bee of the class. She noticed us right away and had to make her way to welcome us back. She started bringing us up to date on the "gossip ". I have no interest nor do I know these people. I'm there for the class, so I slowly backed away from her.
When the instructor appeared I had to do a double take. Change the red mullet hair style and she could have been my friend Kim. The facial expressions, the body movements and the sternness in her voice was right on. My friend who has only met Kim and handful of times had a hard time believing it wasn't her. She was very vocal and very descriptive in the routine we should be following. I give her a 10 in teaching abilities.
I found the class to be interesting. Got a good work out but also noticed that about 1/2 of the class was much more interested in chatting and doing their own thing rather than listening to the instructor. I guess being the newbies kept us out of the loop. The head hen kept moving over toward us and letting us know she takes the class twice a week and has been for years. One girl, also new, who joined the class to lose weight commented that the "chubby head hen" should move instead of gab and maybe she'd lose a few hundred pounds.
I didn't give much thought to after the class. The changing room is a little chilly and as of right now going outside afterward was okay. The class goes until the first week in December. It's going to be a little chilly in the future. My friend brought up the fact that we could be standing outside scraping windows. I may need to find a Saturday morning class for the winter session.

Sept.13th

Today would have been my brother David's birthday. Funny how certain days stick out in your mind. I remember eating dinner and my father trying to get us to hurry as he had to take Mom to the hospital. It was so quick that the dinner dishes didn't get done. My aunt and grandmother came to pick my two brothers and I up and my aunt almost got into an accident on the way back to grandma's house. We stayed there a while until my dad came back to tell us we had a brother. I had wanted a sister but got over it pretty quick. I also had to do the dishes when we got back home.
Anyway..remembering David on his day.

Vacation

This was my home for 6 days. You'll notice my husband legs as he sits in his chair which was his home for 6 days. I guess you could minus the times he sat at the table playing cards or eating, and the times he got up to play washers and go to the bathroom. He appeared to have a very relaxing week.
We hit some rain on the trip up and the credits were mounting. I'm not sure they ever cashed in on their Jack & Cokes. We stopped at the usual diner for a quick bite to eat prior to the last 10 miles to the campground. Waitress remembered offering to help one of the guys pitch his tent. I think she may have forgotten the message she had shown him on his phone, or she chose not to discuss it due to other customers being in the diner.
We lucked out with good weather. Had a few windy days which made fishing a little difficult. I did manage to catch the first fish which had to be released as he was a tad bit to small. Dick had a pretty good size carp that he had hooked in the back. He handed over his fishing pole so I could get the feel of a larger fish. Big ugly thing had to be tossed. Where was Catfish Charlie when you needed him? That would have made some good eats for his cat.

The casino took up some time but was pretty much a bust for all. I managed to come out a little ahead but nothing to write home about. Damn the no carrying in wood laws as it cost us a small fortune to purchase wood every day. It proved worth it as we had some pretty good fires. The citronella candle in the fire wasn't as great as the first one we'd done years ago. Sometimes you just can't repeat history.
As usual there were some pretty good quotes going around but I never felt like getting up and getting a paper and pen to write them down and my phone (believe it or not) was not getting service. I missed my phone but proved that I could go 6 days without it. I did cheat a little and made a few calls on the way to the Casino. I would mention some funny things and a Trevor Hoffman related comment that was made...but I guess what happens at Yellowstone stays at Yellowstone. Maybe a few beers would help to get it out.
All in all I had a great time. Coming back was hard. Missed certain people and my pets but did not miss the daily grindstone of work. The attempt was made to purchase the correct lottery ticket but I guess it's just not the right time.
Guy at work told me that camping was to much work. He doesn't get the reasoning for packing up all your stuff and sleeping outside and then having to come home and have more work waiting for you. Sometimes you have to put a little effort into having a good time. I had a great time and am looking forward to doing it again next year. Hopefully with the entire group. Two of our fellow campers were greatly missed.

And Off She Goes

Our niece is college bound as I write. She's not the first to go off, but she is the daughter of my late brother David. This is an event I know he would be beaming about. My daughter rode along with her and her mother to help move her in and "check the place out", so I'm getting updates along the way. She said Nicole shows no signs of nervousness-just plain excitement.
She wasn't scheduled to make the trip, but with a last minute ditching by another niece she was happy to fill the spot. I think she feels good about going along to assure Nicole is all set. My brother and daughter were very close so if he's looking down I'm sure he's content in knowing his daughter is in good hands.

From the time Nicole was born my brother was beaming. Proof is in the hours and hours of video taping he did of her every move. Like all families the first one has all the pictures and videos and when number two comes along they lessen. She shared his love of Mustangs and the Packers. Apparently we didn't do a good job of keeping that up as she could care less about football now. They would come over on Sunday's for Packer games and she would sit next to him and watch the entire game. The two of them had a collection of football helmets and at one time she could name every team by their helmets. I think she may have been five at the time.

I envision him being around now and her going off to College. I'm almost certain that my brother would have found a Domino's around her Campus to work at and in a heartbeat would have relocated. Otherwise he would be up there every chance he had. If all holds true to what I've always been told he's up there watching over her now. She's doing great and it's hard to watch her go. She got all the lectures last night and I'm sure she'll experience the life of freedom in some ways. We warned her that she's not that far away. Aunties J & A are all about the road trips. If she's anything like Ben's opera star, she will flourish.

It's just hard watching the little girl with the cowboy boots and hat going off on her own. I'll get over it. Soon.

Scratch That Weekend...

Maybe it was the date, like an omen haunting us. Two years ago on this same weekend my brother passed away. The events leading up to his passing started the weekend prior when we were camping. I'm not one to be superstitious but I think I may cut the entire August camping thing off my list.

This weekend started out good. We got an early start and had things set up and were kicking back within two hours of arriving. Then the storm warnings started coming through, the wind picked up and the rain started. A few minutes into the storm we all heard a rather large thump and first thought was something bounced off the top of the camper. It wasn't much later that we discovered the thump was the tree branch that hit our truck. Left a nice dent in the hood. A picture was taken and the branch was burned in the fire pit. The rain eventually stopped, the jack & cokes were consumed and the night went on.

The next morning we discovered more damage to the truck. The windshield is cracked and there is another crack in the hood. Never saw it the night before, but there were leaves on the truck and it was raining. I feel fortunate that the falling branch did damage to the truck and not to one of us. The rest of the time spent camping went pretty well. There was a little giddiness at camp as some of the campers were taking off for Vegas later in the day.

When we got home I went to unpack the cooler and when opening the fridge I found it to be warm. The freezer items were still frozen. We ended up loading everything into the downstairs fridge and coolers. The mighty maintenance man found that the compressor was shot. The fridge is around 30 years old and came with the house. It didn't seem worth fixing so off we went to Menards to purchase a new fridge.

Ended up with a very plain fridge. I really didn't have the time to shop around and compare prices and I also knew that there really wasn't anyone around to help him carry the fridge in beside me. All in all I didn't get a fridge that I like very much. I think Barn knew it as we were walking out of the store as he has now doomed us further. "I know that's not the one you wanted but it'll be good in the basement. Plus it came with a 25% in store rebate that I'll be able to buy the sump pump with". I think he may still have the slap marks on his arm. And one should never ask "what's next". On my way to the car I simply looked up toward the sky and said" What else you got? Bring it on!

So, I felt a little sad this morning and I know family members are also still struggling with the loss of our brother/father/son. I have my moments which I thought would go away after a while. Its just not on the date he left us, or his birthday, or holidays. I miss my brother and I don't think a day goes by that I don't think of him in some way. I'll admit I don't cry as much but it still hurts. I don't know what step I'm on as far as the grieving process, but I still can't get past the anger part of it. My day was cheered up a bit with a 5:30 am phone call from my friend/sister-in-law from Vegas. I talk to a lot of people during the course of my day, but it's only a few that can get me out of a funk. I thank GOD everyday that 10 years ago my brother made a very wise choice in marrying her.

I Want to go !

To Vegas with my friends.

Walking To Memories

Toward the end of last week I decided to get back on track and start walking outside again. Waiting until early evening proved to be a good idea as the weather cooled a little, however the mosquito's were vicious. Early mornings on the weekend tend to work out better. I wish every day could be a weekend because I love walking in the morning. There is nothing better than having the sidewalk to yourself except for an occasional jogger or fellow dog walker. Sadie seems to do better in the early morning also. My initial thought was to get up an hour earlier every morning and hit the pavement with my four-legged walking partner. This morning my alarm went off and reality set in. Sadie was snoring away and I didn't want to wake her. She looked so peaceful. (not a valid excuse). So my walk will be after work, which really isn't to bad. The humidity and oven like heat seems to have taken a break.

So each day, with poop bag in hand, Sadie and I have set out for our 2 mile walk. I make sure she's hydrated and has made her deposit prior to leaving. I have taken to counting how many houses we go past before she feels the need to poop. The first day she made it about 3 blocks and decided to squat and poop on a semi-busy street. Nice. Nothing better than picking up poop while cars are buzzing by. Day two she waited until we were almost back home which I thanked her for. I've begun to carry two bags. One for the early deposit which I can usually find a garbage can to dump it in rather than carry it 2 miles. The other day I took Bella along also, who managed to make the entire trip without incident. By yesterday I thought Sadie would get the routine under control and be able to make it without me having to stoop and pick up poop. No, we made it four houses away and there she went. I thought for sure she wouldn't make the rest of the trip without doing it again. Even went an extra 1/2 mile. She made it! We'll see what today brings.

I like walking the neighborhood. It beats walking in the house staring at the TV. Each day I try to change up the route a little to take in some different scenery. Strolled past my elementary school and saw that they have grades K-4 through 8th grade now. Wondered if they still play dodge ball on the lower playground. The lower playground was only for the 6th graders when I attended the school. Funny how it made us feel so grown up, but yet cut off from the rest of the school.

I live in the neighborhood where I grew up so it's interesting to see the changes. Walking past former classmates and friends homes I sometimes see their parents still live in the homes. Wondering how many of my classmates bought their parents home like I did. Last night I took the path through the park that we used to hang out at. When Ben and I were younger we used to get with friends and being that the park was not developed yet, would go and have bonfires deep in the woods. Had this whole set up with logs to sit on and a small fire pit we dug out. We used trees that were down , branches and leaves to keep the fire going. The path is now asphalt and I can still see the spot we hung out at. We hung out there for an entire summer and never once had anyone come through. Of course the area was not to developed and the woods was pretty thick. There used to be a fairly large pond that I learned to ice skate on. My dad would come with us and I would skate and my brothers would sled. We had the park to ourselves. The pond has now been drained and covered up and I'm pretty sure the hill shrunk. The park is built up with basketball courts, a baseball diamond, soccer practice and a playground. The kids all looked to be having a good time but I wonder if they'll have the memories that I do.

I'm In a Band

In my dreams that is. I woke up the Saturday morning around 5am and decided that for being a Saturday it was just a bit to early to get up. I turned on the TV and started watching Drumline. I've watched the movie before but it won over the millions of infomercials and religious shows that were also playing.
I figure I dozed off during the first ten minutes and couldn't have been asleep more than 1/2 hour or so when I woke up laughing. Once again I fell asleep during a movie and took on a role in the movie. It was a star-studded dream.
First off my friend Kim was the band leader. We all had blue uniforms with the tall white furry hats (looked more like the guards at Buckingham Palace). Kim was out in front just marching away with her baton in hand. She also had a whistle in her mouth that she would not stop blowing (found out later that annoying noise was actually my daughters alarm clock). My husband was playing the tuba and smoking a cigar in between. Steve was walking along playing an electric guitar with an amp strapped to his back. He was sweating. Jodi was on the flute and was wearing a skirt with white boots. Then there's Janet who was playing the drums and walking next to her husband also playing the drums and they kept switching drumsticks in mid air (very talented). Our friend E was playing a trumpet and I was walking next to him holding his sheet music, not playing anything. The most vivid part of the dream was walking down Howell Avenue and Kim just going to town with that baton. Pete was standing on the curb waving us on. Gotta love the fun dreams.

Then there's the deceased brother dream. He gave me money to go to Vegas. Some of the gang are going to Vegas next week and I opted to stay home with the husband that does not fly. I have the urge to go, but I guess it can wait. In my dream my brother showed up and said he knew how much I wanted to go, and he'd take care of things while I was gone. He showed up with his suitcase and was ready to take care of the household. Don't want to analyze that dream.

Dreams Again

I seem to be having a lot of action dreams lately. The ones where you wake up in the midst of moving around. At first what you're doing is a little fuzzy but then you either wake fully and laugh it off or just fall back to sleep and forget it.
The other night I went to bed and must have fallen asleep pretty quickly. According to my husband we were in the middle of conversation and I drifted off. I recall slipping into a dream where I grabbed the girls basketball off the porch to put it away in the garage where it belongs. On my way to the garage Barney intercepted the basketball and began to dribble and then shoot a couple baskets. I asked for the ball back explaining that I needed to put it away and if he continued to play with it he'd just leave it lay in the driveway. He kept urging me to shoot a few. I told him I wouldn't shoot against him because he cheats and always blocks my shots (isn't that what basketball is about..blocking shots). Anyway I took the ball and backed up to attempt a hook shot. As I put my arm out to shoot he ran up from behind me and blocked my arm and thud I hit a solid wall. "What the hell" I heard as I woke up and realized that I had carried out the motions and decked him pretty good in the chest. I was going to apologize but figured he probably had it coming for something so I went back to sleep.

More than a book

Did you ever think about how many uses there are for a book beside reading? First you must take into account the size of the book. For example a paperback book can be used to prop a door open, add a little more height to a reading lamp, and if thin enough it can be used to prop up a table leg. A phone book or catalog has many uses. Doubled up they can make a booster seat for a child. As the child gets older and taller you can remove one book (showing my age here as we didn't have booster seats when I was younger). Short little old ladies use the phone book to sit on while driving. My use for the phone book today was to add more height to my monitor. I have had some neck and shoulder pain for the past few weeks. My monitor at home is positioned so I can look straight at it. Work is another story. There are several areas where I use a computer and the monitors are not positioned to be operator friendly. I could lug my paperwork back to my office and sit and enter it all there, but its not a very efficient practice. I find myself constantly tilting my head back to see the monitor. It's an area where the PC is at standing height and the monitor is above it. Unless you're Paul Bunyan it's not very user friendly. I'm working on getting that problem resolved. At one time someone in my office had a box made to set the monitor on. I'm a little taller than that person and have asked for a shelf several times. I've rummaged through the "old office equipment" area with no luck. This morning I took it into my own hands and found a phone book from 2004 , slid it on top of the box and my life has now been made easier. For now.

My sick husband seems to be recovering. He's a little spent but should have his energy level back to normal within a day or so. On top of his being ill he discovered that the rash he had on his leg above his ankle is poison ivy. His nurse wife fixed him up with some ointment and gauze to keep it covered. I think in his delirium he didn't realize what it was, just that it itched. Web MD is a wonderful thing.

Flashback

When I asked my 51 year old husband what he'd like for his birthday this year I expected him to have an idea in his noggin for me. Some things ran through my head like a new weed whacker or trimmer. He had mentioned a smoker for his grill. I did go looking for that but wasn't quite sure what he had in mind. I then asked for his assistance in finding this. He headed off to the store for something else and upon returning home announced that he changed his mind and wanted a pool instead. I think the pool was more for the kids then himself because that is the kind of guy he is. Although hesitant at first, I gave in and the pool was purchased, set up and filled.

As a kid there was always a pool in our yard. Throughout the years my parents purchased several pools. It was a ritual to uncover and clean the pool over Memorial Day weekend. As it was filling we'd all be eager to swim. It would usually be ready by the the next day but usually the weather wasn't. I can remember sitting on the deck and sticking my feet in to sub-zero temperature water thinking I could handle it. My mom would be the one to lay the law down as my father would say "Hey, if they want to go in, let them go." He'd more often then not join us. I remember the first dive in and how cold it would be. Within a few minutes your body would become numb from the cold and the enjoyment of the pool would take over.

On Sunday after returning from a rather hot weekend of camping we decided to test the waters. Dylan was over and took the first step in. I watched his face for signs of frigid water but his expression didn't change. I stuck my foot in and instantly felt the coldness of the water. After standing on the ladder for a few seconds and being heckled by my grandson I took the plunge. Yes, it was a blast of cold water and a blast from the past. The air outside was 92 while the pool water was 74. It took a few minutes to adjust but as in the past the enjoyment of the pool took over.

When buying the pool I wasn't sure how the kids would react. It's not a huge pool (39 inches by 15 ft). I thought they might not get much enjoyment out of it. Yesterday I couldn't get them out of it. I went to bed around 9:30 and Michelle and the kids were still in the pool. Might have been a good idea on my husband's part. I just hope he'll be able to get in it once in awhile. I also think that next year we may need a bigger pool.

It's Gonna Be A Hot One

Yesterday when I got home I had two cats and Sadie waiting at the door. I think they smiled when I got home. Either that or they were trying to rat each other out for something. I checked out the house and nothing was amiss so in my head I'm telling myself they were happy to see me. Bella's been gone for a few days and I think she must be the social director as they usually don't greet me at the door.
When my alarm rudely went off at 3:20 this morning both cats were on my bed and sprung up as soon as I got up. Sadie was laying at the foot of the bed and also woke and followed us out of the room. Couldn't be the need for food or water, all the bowls were full. I gave them fresh water and got a nudge from Sadie and a meow from the cats. They were all clustered by the bathroom door when I came out my shower and proceeded to follow me around. I let Sadie out to do her business and the two cats sat by the door waiting. I was beginning to wonder if they're trying to tell me something. Am I sick and they feel they need to be lovable so they can get a free pass in also? Are they waiting for me to leave to start the daily ruckus? Are they bored, or missing Bella? Whatever the answer to this is, it's just weird to have all three of them follow me around. Especially the evil Lilo. You can pet her to your hearts content but if you try and pick her up she will give you a piece of her mind. She's a true cat bitch. But as I sat down to check emails, she jumped up on my lap. Something is up I tell you. Bella will be back today and I'm sure she'll set them all straight. Usually she is the attention seeker and will butt in between whoever is currently receiving attention. She's an attention hoarder. That could very well be the answer. The big Momma is gone and the other guys want some attention.
Heading out for a hot weekend of camping (weather wise that is). Mother Nature has already been cursed by someone, so it's quite possible we may seek the nearest air conditioned bar for a break from the heat. At any rate it'll be good to get away and have a relaxing weekend.

Interesting

We received a flyer in the mail the other day from our Neighborhood Association. I felt a little out of sorts at first because in the 19 years we've lived in our home I never knew we had a Neighborhood Association. It seems to be just a bunch of neighbors that get along. Sure you have the occasional griper but I'm not aware of any feuds going on.
We seem to be a neighborhood where everyone minds their own business, yet watches out for each other. When the hoodlums came through with their paintball guns, we all got hit. When the storms ripped through a few years back, we all helped each other move tree branches and returned lawn furniture to it's rightful owners. There are the friendly waves and idle chit chat or talking over the fence. We're pretty good friends with our neighbors to the south and across the street. The people who's backyard butts up against ours are a little on the snobby side. This goes back a few years when she wanted to pull the fence down. I had commented that if she did choose to pull it down that we'd be putting another one up for our dogs. She was all about matching the fences and wanted to "pick out" the fence we'd be putting up. It's chain link now and she didn't like that I said I'd be putting chain link back up. I'm pretty sure the fence issue is over. Plus they have a dog now, but I think it goes to the bathroom inside, as we never see it in the yard.
So, back to the letter. We can join the association for $10.00 per year. We then can be involved in the block party, movies in the park and Friday night round robins. The round robins are explained as "one family per week (Friday) opens their home/yard to other members. The round robin starts at 6:30 pm and ends by 8. The host is not obligated to put out food or drink, people are expected to have eaten before coming over. You are allowed to bring your own beverages, however if you need to keep them cool you must bring your own cooler. If the host chooses to allow people to stay longer they can, but as a visitor you must not over-stay your welcome. I didn't see much problem with this. This is basically to get to know each other and discuss any problems in the neighborhood and to solve them. Well, that is where I had the slight issue.
Like I said, we've lived here for 19 years without any major problems. Yes, I would like to be informed of any incidents involving crime in our area. I passed the flyer onto my daughter as the kids would probably enjoy the park events they have posted. Maybe she can find a nice husband.

Such A Waste

I have a friend, Kellie, that I have known well for about 28 years. We became friends when I began working at a packaging company right after my daughter was born. She was going through a break-up and I was going through a divorce. We clicked right away, thus began a good friendship.
Both of us had some serious financial hardships (dead-beat ex's that wouldn't pay support) and within two years of working together decided to move in together. The main goal was to get out of debt and actually be able to open a savings account. We worried that working together and living together would put a strain on our friendship, but for the most part things worked out well. We managed to make a good situation out of a bad one. We still look back on those years and find so much to laugh about.
With my son starting 1st grade I made the move back to the south side. It was hard to tell her, but we had both achieved our goals. We remained friends and still socialized outside of work.
Met our husbands and stood up for each others weddings. We didn't see each other as much but talked often. Any social events we were at together were always fun. We caught up on the kids doings. She had two more children after marrying. Our husbands got along great which is always a plus. They're also very much alike.
We saw each other in the sad times also. Her father who was her idol in life passed away, my brother passed away.
Her son was in trouble. At 15 they discovered he was using prescription pain killers. This girl wasn't having it and was extremely upset that she didn't see the signs earlier. They took him to rehab several times, they tried the tough love approach, they racked their brains and their pocketbooks to help him. She thought they had succeeded as he was passing drug tests and got through high school. He was arrested for possession with intent to sell. He went to jail and back to rehab. Again they emptied their wallets to help him. I talked to her several times through out the years they went through this. She was tired and hurting. Her and her husband stuck together on this. At 20 years old they got tougher. They booted him out of their house. He went to live with his older sister and husband and they thought he was doing better. About 8 months ago he went back to jail which they got him out of and into an in-patient rehab program. After getting out he started his life over again without drugs. He went to counseling and seemed to be on the up and up.
On Sunday he died of an overdose. My heart goes out to my friend & her husband. I called her on Tuesday after finding out and thought I'd be at a loss for words. I didn't need to say much. Josh is now at peace.

Mini Vacation

In about 10 minutes I will be walking out the door of work to 6 1/2 days of freedom. The good thing is I don't have to much on the plate. The bad thing is I feel like crap right now.

I woke up around 1 am this morning with stomach pain which resulted in a few trips to Mr. Toilet. At work a co-worker mentioned the same thing. At first we thought maybe it was the food they fed us yesterday. I suspected either the fruit salad or the potato salad. No one else is sick though, so it's been ruled out.

I intend to go home, pull out my lawn chair and make myself very comfortable on the deck and let the sun do it's healing. Hopefully I'll be able to get out there before dark. There always seems to be something or someone that disrupts my plans.

Something is Amiss

My house seems to have turned into a pet sanctuary. Let's start out with our dog Sadie. She's been with us going on 10 years now. We had previously had two of our own dogs, and one that my parents left behind because none of us thought she'd make the adjustment to Arizona at her age. She lived 3 years after they left. We waited over 1 1/2 years after losing the other two before we got Sadie.
Last year we got two cats, one of which is no longer with us. In September when my daughter came back home she brought her dog Bella. She's a good dog, despite her nervousness with thunder and fireworks. A month or so later came her cat Lilo. Her ex wasn't taking care of her and the cat was a mess. She's a bitchy little thing that let's no one pick her up. It took a few weeks for her and our cat Carmine to get along.
My daughter's ex goes out of town a lot for either work or his own personal pleasure. He lives downstairs from his father and has another dog, Bear. Well because his father is as useless as he is Bear doesn't get taken care of when he's gone, so suck up me allows him to stay at our house. Bear is getting up there in age and I can't stand that he's left alone in the house until the useless father remembers to let him out, which can be 10 to 12 hours. He's also pretty good except he doesn't like to stay outside for any length of time. Wants to do his business, snoop around a little and come back in. Sadie on the other hand will lay outside on the deck for hours.
The final straw came Saturday night when my daughter came home with the other cat. Hannah was left at home with no food and no water. The useless father in law forgot about her. Granted the ex husband left a bowl of water and food, but after day 3 it was gone. I nicely explained to her that 6 pets is way to many. Bear and Hannah will go home when the ex husband gets back.
Hannah is also a good cat, or so I thought so until this morning.
I woke for work and noticed the other two cats snooping around the bathroom. They were on a mission. At first I thought they were hunting spiders , but they then headed for the bathtub. I looked in the tub and saw a nice pile of poop. What the heck! My bathtub is not a giant litter box. I know these two didn't do it. After cleaning it up and spraying the bathroom cleaner I went to look for the culprit. I didn't have to. The other two cats had her cornered in the kitchen and there was some loud meowing going on. I'm pretty sure Carmine was letting her know, in no uncertain terms that you do not poop in the lady's tub!
She will be leaving today, along with Bear. Until his next trip, at which time I will allow the dog to come back but poop pants stays at her own home.

Bad Ump..Bad Call

"When you're playing Little League baseball you don't get the pro umps". This quote came from one of the "senior" umps at Tuesday nights game. No shocker there, but at least be fair.
They played a team they've played before. A team with coaches similar to Dylan's coaches. A group of guys who show respect for the kids and teach them the game. Theres some yelling once in a while, but they also give credit when credit is due.

After two innings there was some grumbling about the strike zone. This was coming from both teams so at least the ump was being fair in that case. The more senior ump was behind the plate but making a lot of calls that the field ump should have been making. He just so happened to not see the play where the first base kid blocked the runner from advancing to second. We're talking standing in front of him with his arms out. This happened several times and when the coach called it out they simply didn't see it. They did however see Dylan knock a kid out of his way and talked to the coach about it. The coach had previously asked the boys how many of them played football, and told them to use their shoulders to get through if they needed to. Then there was the play where one of Dylan's team was coming into home and the catcher missed the ball but blocked the plate. He was safe but the ump said not a word about the play.
Now we come to the final inning. The game is tied 2-2 and they have completed 7 innings. They decide to play one more inning as they are within the time limit. Dylan's team does not score. There are two outs and they get a base runner. She steals second and then on a hit takes off for 3rd base. The ball gets thrown to 3rd and the kid puts the tag on her before she reaches the base. The field ump calls her out. Final out, the team starts to leave the field and the home plate ump suddenly yells "Safe". What!! The coaches are in shock, the kids are in shock. He had the out. A little arguing goes on and senior ump tells them he had a better view. The other coach tells him that she was clearly out. He's not budging. The game continues and she ends up scoring.
Dylan's coach ended up filing a protest to have the game brought back to tie. The coach from the other team agreed. This is where I have some respect for him. They clearly did not win the game and I know had the tables been turned Dylan's coach would have acted the same as he did. The kids get a little talk after the game and we overheard their coach tell them that although the record shows they won, he didn't think the win was fair.
The kid that made the play at third usually bobbles the ball when thrown to him. He lets a lot of balls that should have been fielded by him go into left field. This was his first real play and the smile that broke out on his face when he put the tag on was more of a look of relief. Soon turned to a frown but he got some reassurance once the game was over.
So I'm not sure on what the rule is on one ump overturning a call by another ump but I guess we'll find that out tonight. Hopefully they'll have different umps tonight.

Idiots

As anticipated group camp went well. The weather although not as predicted was tolerable and we made due with it. When I had heard the forecast of 88 and humid I was a little worried that we would be quite uncomfortable in that heat. We ended up with cloudy and a high of 64. We were able to get a quick look at the sun Saturday around 7:30 pm. I have learned to pack for the unexpected so I was good. I did however, leave my winter jacket at home this time.

Within a few minutes of arriving at group camp we had a visit from the camp host. He was just letting us know where he was located in case of any issues. We got to chatting with him and he broke into a story about some recent destruction on the site we were on. It seems some college kids reserved the site. He said he knew there would be trouble when there were about 60 guys and 1 or 2 tents. The party was broken up and tickets were given when the kids decided to burn the picnic tables and fence for firewood. Did the story shock me? No, it immediatly made me angry. He went on to tell us that some of these guys lost scholarships & State grants for destruction of State property. "Good" was my first thought. I bet their parent's are damn proud of them. Idiots!

My tolerence for property damage is zero. I'm sure alcohol played into this but wouldn't you think that out of 60 or so people that some would have the sense to stop it. I asked that question this weekend and the peer pressure excuse came up. I don't buy it. Maybe it's my appreciation of State Parks. I feel very strongly about obeying the rules and not doing any damage. Maddening is also the writing in the bathrooms at the campgrounds. Just because a portion of your taxes may go toward State Parks & Forests doesn't mean you have the right to destroy them. I'm thankful to live in a State that has one of the best park systems. The small fee that I pay for an annual sticker and campsite is well worth it.

This is where I also have a strong appreciation for my family and friends. I know that I can go on an outing with them and will never, even if they over indulged, need to stop them from any type of property destruction. People need to start showing some pride.

The Pub Crawl

Can I blame it on the weather? We did not plan to attend the pub crawl but with the forecast of rain for Saturday afternoon and evening we opted to join Ben & Nannette to benefit Easter Seals.

It started out at a locally known Irish Pub. We enjoyed a few beers while watching the Brewers battle against the Cardinals. We thought maybe we could get a quick glimpse of two of our friends who ventured to St. Louis for the game. He said he'd be a blue shirt in a sea of red. There were quite a few blue shirts and maybe we weren't looking hard enough. There was the Brewer fan with the foam cheese on his head, but that wasn't either of them.
After the first tavern we ran through the downpour across the street to stop number two. We were given a free drink ticket. The tickets were only good for certain beers, non of them being Miller Lite. Call me anal but I have become accustomed to a certain taste of beer. I will try others but just don't like the bitter after taste that some dark beers have. To me they all taste like I'm drinking a cup of coffee and I am not a coffee drinker. But I drank two beers and don't recall the name of them. On to the 3rd pub. At this one we were ushered into the basement. I immediately knew this would be the one where people got crazy. Maybe it was the beer pong that was set up and people immediately flocked to. There was another game that Nannette got in to with drinking your beer and then tipping the cups on the table. Ben, Barney and I watched the beer pong and drank a few beers. Nannette introduced me to a guy who claimed to be one of the Brewers cousins. Had the same last name . On opening day a few years back we had sat behind one of his cousins but that is another story. I remarked that this Brewer must have a lot of cousins and was told that basically the entire city of Oconomowoc is flooded with them.

On to stop # 4. This is the one that I do believe did us in. This is the one where all the drama from the younger people unfolded. After about an hour of listening to sob stories and feeling like I was Oprah I found an open spot next to Nannette on the stage and sat down. This is when the texting began. Two women sitting on a slightly dark stage attempting to text. I can use the excuse that I didn't have my glass's for the misspelled words in one text. Our husbands were seated not far from us and kept wandering over to see if we were still there. I'm still not quite sure why they seemed ticked off. I was just happy that I could get Miller Lite there. Sorry, call me a wimp but I can't keep up with the Irish and their high alcohol content in their beer.

Back to the starting point. By this time we were all starving and decided to order food. As I was eating my soup I wondered if I was the only one who felt as if their lips were swelling from the saltiness, Nannette leaned over and asked if my soup was salty. I thought maybe my swollen lips gave it away but we all had the same issue. The food came and was good yet again overly salty. We came to the bright conclusion that salty food makes you order more beer. Ha! I outsmarted them and ordered water. (at that point it seemed I did) All in all it was a good time and for a good cause. And once again I blame it all on the Irish.
Oh, and I am hoping to get my key chain from MO.

Analyze This

I have some crazy dreams at times but last nights has me stumped and ready to go out and purchase the dream book.

In my dream I had a stomach ache that wouldn't quit. Arnie urged me to see a doctor. At the doctors office I was informed I was pregnant. I was confused and listened to the doctor explain to me that the fertilized eggs and sat dorment for over 30 years which (in my dream) they will do. The shock was the realization that this was my ex-husbands baby. Arnie didn't bat an eye. It turned out that I had twin boys. I had nothing for them. I took them home from the hospital in a box and was worried I would get caught. I had questioned the hospital about car seats and was told that because they were unsafe they were no longer required. We had no crib so we put the babies in Dylan's old pack n play. (funny because I just saw this in the attic the other day). My ex husband came to see the boys and identified them as his but said we'd get no help from him because he already had enough mouths to feed. Shocking! I asked him if he could at least go pick up some diapers so I could take them to the doctor and he brought over two diapers. (cheap as always). In my dream I was stressed over what I was going to do but was re-assured by my husband that it would all work out. I think he was just happy we had twin boys as now there would be someone to carry the coolers at camping.

Hurry Up Scrap Man

I though going back to work would give me a break from yard work. Once my alarm clock went off I felt differently. How nice it would have been to just shut it off, roll over and catch a few more hours of sleep. Then I'd get up and at some point wander back out into the yard and do a few things or just plop in a lawn chair for a few hours and relax. Dream over...back to reality.
I'm not alone in this as just about every one of my co-workers have expressed their opinion on being here today.

Between trips to hardware stores and a lot of pulling of weeds, planting and moving plants around my entire 4 day weekend was consumed. We took a few hours on Friday night and headed to a Brewers game.

There were a few times when the heat consumed me and I headed in for a cold drink and cooling off. Our AC should be back in action within the next week or so, but as much as I dislike AC I did feel the need for it this weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love warm weather. Just could do without the 94 degrees with humidity.

Last night Barney and I were cleaning out behind the garage. This area seems to have become the heap of junk pile. I spotted the old and rusted out wheelbarrow parked back there with old leaves and a few pieces of wood in it. I thought he'd gotten rid of it last year. It was my grandpa's and then my fathers and when we bought the house it became ours. If I'm not mistaken I think it was my great-grandfathers. The thing has to be 80 or more years old. The bottom is rusted out. At one point my husband tried to repair and it worked for a year or so. Last night when I spotted it I immediately told him to take it to the curb. He said he was saving it for me in case I wanted it for flowers. Not a thing to say to someone who just finished digging in the dirt and planting for 4 days. I walked behind him as he wheeled it to the curb (mainly to ensure it made it there and not into the garage). I had to explain that you don't just hang on to something like that for sentimental reasons. I have many more things to remember my grandfather by.

As we walked away from the rusted wheelbarrow I hoped and prayed that the junk man would come before my husband had second thoughts.

Open Your Wallets

It's that time of the year again. The time that WKLH holds it's annual Miracle Marathon for Children's Hospital. We need to open our wallets and donate for the kids. You can wait for the power hour when a certain company will match donations, you can donate a lump sum or you can choose the $20.00 for 12 option. It that doesn't suit your fancy you may also partake in the live auction. I've viewed this and found several summer music packages that may appeal to some.

Then if you really need a push toward donating you can tune in and listen to some live interviews from those with good outcomes and those with not so good. They all have the same thing to say in the end, and wouldn't be taking time to share their stories if they didn't think Children's Hospital was an outstanding facility.

We as a family have made several trips to Children's. We've been blessed with having the outcome of each visit be good. Years ago my son was involved in a pretty bad car accident. As he was 16 years old he was taken to Children's. I have nothing but good to say about his continuous treatment over 2 years and the staff that took care of us. At 2 years old Dylan spent several days in Children's for a blood issue. Can't say anything but good about the care and concern given at the hospital.

Bottom line is..we all know someone who's child has visited Children's Hospital and I'm sure in the future will know of more. Donate...It's the right thing to do.

Choices

Another trip to Menard's is in order. This time to return the ceiling fan purchased the day before. It appears the fan only runs with a remote. I commend my husband for telling me before he installed it. I just don't think we need to search the house for yet another remote to turn a fan on. Apparently we should have read the foreign language on the box a little better prior to purchasing it. I picked up one that would more fit our needs at my local WalMart last night. Problem solved.

On to baseball. A good majority of Dylan's games are at a later time this year. When I saw the 7:45 start last night I had second thoughts on going. I have an early start this week and was really beat due to lack of sleep the past few days. The time rolled around and my final decision was to go. Barney told me to go and if I got tired I could leave early. I knew that wouldn't happen.

The game started out bad. The first inning had them down 4-0. They were hitting but the Sox were quick and accurate in fielding. The A's (Dylan's team) stranded a few in the first 3 innings. As all the kids are given a chance to play Dylan sat out the first two innings. He came on in the 3rd and hit a double and two batters later was driven in. 3-1 end of 3rd inning. Sox score 1 run in the 4th and manage to get out of a bases loaded situation with a 2nd to home double play that had the stands on their feet. 5th inning- A's have bases loaded and 2 outs. Dylan hits to the outfield and 3 runs score. He ends up on 2nd and then on a wild pitch gets to 3rd and then is driven home. They held them the rest of the game. Final score 5-4.

In the end I made the right decision by going and staying for the entire game. So what if Grandma's a little tired today. The game was played well and the game ball went to Dylan. I admire his modesty in saying his coaches should receive the ball for their coaching, hard work and patience with all of the kids on the team. "But I'll just take it".

The Wanderer

Ever wonder why when one thing you own breaks and requires repair that other things will soon follow suite? It started with my truck making a noise for the past few weeks. It would only happen once in a while and therefore was hard to diagnosis. Well of course it decided to act up when we left for camping. My plan was to take it in Monday morning. My husband had other plans and after talking to our neighbor (a service manager) found the problem and fixed it for $10.00 and a few hours under the truck. My hero..he save us at least $100.00. Well we all know when you save on one thing that something else will break. In our case it was the ceiling fan in our dining room. I went to turn it on after work yesterday and it had one speed-super slow. Then it began to make a grinding noise and just stopped dead. Once again Mr. Fix-It to the rescue only this was a lost cause. This would require a trip to our local Menard's as the light also went out.

Menard's wasn't exactly on my list of things to do last night, but I we decided to kill two birds with one stone and get some other things needed for the yard and repairs. Once there we went right to the ceiling fans which took about two minutes to irk me. I had no problem finding a fan from the tons they have on display, but apparently we should have brought along someone able to read another language. Every box we looked had the Spanish side of the box facing out, requiring us to turn each box in order to read it. Now to be fair, maybe they could have turned 1/2 the boxes with the English language facing out. I saw this as not only a huge inconvenience to a customer, but also a safety hazard. There was an elderly couple also looking at fans and he was having a problem lifting and turning the box so he could read it. I realize a company wants to appeal to all customers (money is money) but is it to much to ask that they appeal to the natural origin customers also? BTW the ceiling fan ended up costing as much as the savings on the truck.

We then went along our way, picking up a few things and then it was on to the paint department. I suggested I wait for the paint while he went to get the last thing on the list. I told him that I would come over by him after waiting for the paint. As he walked away I knew I had made a mistake...again. From where I was standing I had a clear view of him walking toward the window area. I saw him take two detours then I lost sight of him. After securing the paint I started off toward the window area. I did not detour, but rather stayed in the main aisle and glanced down each window aisle. Not a sight of him. I ran into a neighbor , a former co-worker and the Dillers. Staying in the main aisle I chatted with them for a moment while still keeping my eye out for him. As they walked away they promised to send him my way if they spotted him.

I continued to look around in the area and then I pulled out my cellphone. I'd had enough at that point. As I was making the call I spotted the Dillers once again and saw that they were sending my lost husband toward me. He was on the complete opposite side of the store. Back by the paint. I saw he was carrying a roll of tape and wondered if he had ever gotten over to the windows at all. Turns out he had no luck in that area and rather than coming back to the paint area right away he stopped to look at a few things. As we were walking toward the check-out I lost him two more times. You would think by now I would learn my lesson in going to the store with my husband. I think I go with him because I fear that if he goes alone he may not come home for a few days and I would really miss him.

That Was Just What I Needed

It had been 8 months since we had been camping. Last season we ended up canceling the last two trips due to weather and changes in plans, so I had been looking forward to this trip. When I woke up Friday morning to rain and fog I didn't even care. But luck was on our side as by the time we left it had cleared up.
Once we got to our destination everyone went about their own little duties of setting up camp. One by one others arrived and within no time things were set up and people were relaxing with a beverage of choice. The rest of the weekend went well. Beside one or two useless June bugs we weren't bothered by bugs unless you want to count the few ticks that were found on shoes or socks. The only critter we saw was a chipmunk that took an interest to the peanut shells that didn't make it into the fire pit.
The weather was great. A little toasty on Saturday afternoon but those who did not care for the sun were able to find shade. As usual the food was good and the silly songs made up about the food drew plenty of laughter.
The most enjoyable part of the weekend was my ability to sleep straight through the night. Both nights I heard or woke to nothing until 7 hours later when the sun hit the camper. There were no trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I slept through someones car alarm, barking dogs and others getting up. I woke up well rested and feeling pretty good. My hubbie also noted how well he slept. We discussed this on the way home and I suggested he set up the camper in the driveway and we'll just sleep out there. Who would think that sleeping on a piece of plywood with a thin mattress would give you such comfort?

Her Momma Is a Hooker

Ah the knowledge and innocence of 12 year olds. Since my daughter has returned home we see the girls more often and have become involved in their every day lives. The highlight of dinner usually starts out with the daily gossip but I try to turn it into what they may have learned in school that day. In the past eight months I've come to know some of their friends and listen to the frustrations that 12 year old girls have. I now know the boys they have secret crushes on and although I continuously tell them they are much to young to think of boyfriends yet, I still listen to "just how cute he is" and "he ate lunch at my table" or "he asked so and so about me". Come on, we all have to remember back to that stage of life.

Yesterday I picked the girls up after school and in route I spotted this girl about their age walking down the street. I had to do a double take. This girl was a little chubby and had on some short shorts with a belly top. May have needed a size or two bigger because she was hanging out all over. The jean shorts were barely covering her butt and the bright yellow shirt exposed quite a tummy roll. What made me really look was the bright orange spike heeled shoes. Both the girls expressed shock at what she was wearing and then both looked back and said "Hey, she didn't have that on at school". They said she was dressed normal at school and had flat shoes on. They commented that she must have changed her clothes after school. Then one of them says " You know they say her momma is a hooker". Grandma double take. Should they know what a hooker is at this age? Well they don't because the "Grandma, what is a hooker? question came next. I did my best to explain and added that they would never hold that profession. I also commented that if I was ever driving by and saw them dressed in that way that they would be in the car so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. I was told I'd never have to worry about that. Let's just hope so.

29 hours from now I should be in the car in route to the campground. I'm really looking forward to a relaxing weekend. The weather is still looking promising. If not, I don't really think it will be a problem. I'm just looking forward to a good weekend.

FT 9005

Yes, that is you. Mr. Litterbug. I had the pleasure of driving behind you on the freeway this morning and discovered that you must either be quite the chain smoker or felt the need to empty your ashtray along the way. The three or four cigarette butts that came out your window and toward my truck irked me a tad. I'm not a butt flicker so I have no tolerance for people that do. Use an empty water bottle or ashtray and then take the time to empty it in the proper place. So if that wasn't enough you felt the need to toss your empty coffee cup right out your window. WTF! Carry a small trash bag in your car for these things. Good thing you exited because Lord knows what was going to come flying out next. Our city streets & freeways are not a giant garbage can and should not be used as such. Do you think you have people for that?
Done with that soapbox and on to the next...

Let's talk rude people for a minute. I'm at the local WalMart and walking in the entrance. Guy is coming out with his cart. First off I am going in the door clearly marked "Enter". He is coming out the "Enter" door. He's not moving to the side, just walking right through the middle. I figure he's not going to move so I move to the side. As he walks past I politely say "excuse me" to which he answers "F You". I was a little floored and wondered what I had did wrong and my moment of confusion turned to anger and I nicely replied " F You Too Asshat". Didn't feel any better after I did so. I wasted words on a jerk. Apparently I wasn't the only confused one because Mr. Cart Giver-outer had the same confused look that I did.

On a lighter note...3 more days until the first camping trip of the season. It's been a long 8 months. I think making a list may be in order to ensure nothing is left behind. First non-drinkable item on the list will be my shiny new flashlight. Then of course come the other essential items- cold cup, Lawn chair, some clothes, blanket, pillow, shower shoes, notice there is no rain gear in this list, that's because there is not rain in the forecast (for now), I guess some food would be a good item to pack also, a book, some rag magazines, toothbrush, comb, a hat, and that's all I have for now. Three days.

Call In The Family?

In any failed relationship there are two sides to the story. When my first marriage failed my parents were instant on my moving back home. There I went with two kids in tow. I appreciated it then and to this day still do. I didn't tell my parents all the details of the marriage because I -#1 didn't want my father to do injury to the father of my children and I felt I was old enough to handle my own problems. He pulled some pretty nasty crap after I moved back home and I often wondered why my father didn't go nuts on him. Instead he kept his cool and later I realized that he did so to not badmouth him in front of his children. Believe me, he voices his opinion now.
We have a similar situation now. My daughter has moved back home. She shares custody of the twins. I have tried to remain neutral in the situation siting the "two sides to every story" theme. He's pulled some crap like loosing their tax return to a student loan he swore he paid off, not telling her about the state refund (swearing it never went in the account) and promising her money and having some bullshit excuse when he can't pay her. Problem is he likes to spend money. He likes to go to Cigar bars and buy expensive booze. The final straw came this weekend. In lieu of some money she had borrowed him last year he made the agreement to continue to cover her car insurance for 1 year. On Saturday she found out he hasn't paid it in 6 months. 6 months she's been driving around with her kids and no insurance. To some people this is no big deal but to me it is. Her car is parked now until her doctor releases her to drive but we are now in the scramble to insure her car. But of course there is a road block as Mr. Responsible cannot locate the title so we can have his name removed, switch it to our name and insure her car (much cheaper rate) which now means a mess at the DMV. Not my favorite place to go but it is what it is. My problem is having the will power to not open my mouth in front of the kids, so I found my latest release is working outside. This could be a long summer and I could have a beautifully landscaped yard when all is said and done. I think it might be less stress on me to call in the family. Ooops, did I say that out loud.

Who Opened The Flood Gates?

We really do need this rain so I really shouldn't complain. Right now it doesn't bother me because I'm at work and can't do much outside anyway. Just wondering if Dylan's first baseball game of the season will be rained out tonight. I just heard the rain is to diminish early this evening with a high of 47 degrees. I foresee one large mud puddle of a baseball field. To the boys it might be fun. To the observers it could be a little uncomfortable.
Sounds a little silly seeing as I stand outside and watch him play football in the rain and cold. My logic in that is it is later in the season and I expect it to be cold and rainy. I guess only time will tell today whether or not I will be sitting on the bleachers in the cold and rain cheering his team on.
I was going to write about our fridge at work today but I see my friend Super Steve has already written a blurb on his work fridge. I just have to say that ours is nasty. It's been said that it was cleaned out last Friday but I have my doubts. We are told that on cleaning day "all containers, bags, and leftover food will be thrown away". The same cottage cheese container from a month ago is in there. There is a bag of cantaloupe cut up that has turned to mostly all juice. Our fridge is now used by more than 15 people. Some office personnel have just moved to our area and with it came their lunches, water bottles and bags of food. Plus, when a fridge is cleaned out wouldn't someone wipe the shelves clean of the ketchup goobers. I'll just keep my little lunch tote on top of the fridge as always.

Headache Gone

I woke up this morning to the birds chirping and a nice breeze blowing in my window. It was almost as if the morning went out of its way to greet me. As I went about my morning rituals I found myself it a very good mood. Packed my lunch which included a Jell-O pudding (one of many that I received as a birthday gift), fed the dogs and off I went.
The ride in was good as there isn't much traffic at 5 am. I found myself singing along with the radio and didn't even have the dreaded Monday morning feeling. Got to work, did a few things and at 7 went out to the line for the daily production meeting. My mood was great! My headache was gone! Yes, the headache in the form of a person has been transferred from our department. No longer will I need to listen to her complaining or witness her mood swings. It could be better noted as the thorn in my side has been removed. See, good things do come to those who wait!.

The Plan

Yesterday I made a plan for today. It was simple. Go to Dylan's baseball game, come home and lay out on the deck in the new lawn chair my husband purchased for me for my birthday. This is what really happened:
Got up at 7:30. Phone call a little bit later that mother in law was having issues with her lawn mower. My husband said he'd stop in the afternoon and check it out. Got to Dylan's game by 9. Throughout the game I made note of the weather. By the time I would get home the air would be warmer and the conditions would be perfect for an hour or so on the deck with good book and maybe a nap. Left the game at 10:45 and mentioned to my husband that he should stop at his mother' s house on the way home instead of making another trip. My first mistake. We pull up and see his niece and sister by the garage with the hood open on the niece's truck. Didn't pass emissions and they were trying to replace a part. Of course Barney got right in there. During the stop I received a phone call from my grand daughters who had a tragic story. It appeared that their friends were all going to the mall and the friends mother was suppose to pick them up however got called into work. She was willing to pick them up but wouldn't be staying with them. Of course my daughter would not be able to take them as she can't drive nor walk around the mall and didn't want them going without parental supervision. Some sucking up was done to get me to go. Figured I could kill two birds with one stone and do the mall walk and return an item . This could delay the original plan. An hour later we left the mother in laws house with the lawn mower in the back of the truck. The impatient girls were waiting and we took off for the mall. I walked the mall they walked around with their friends. I gave them one hour and them were good with it. Upon leaving the mall I noticed some clouds forming. My plan was starting to fizzle out. Got a call to please stop and pick something up on the way home. Another 10 minute delay.
Turning the corner of my street I saw there could still be some hope for my plan. Parked and got out of the truck and walking up the driveway I hear the neighbor call out my name. Damn!
1/2 hour long driveway conversation. Made it into the house with one thing on my mind. Here it is now 3 hours later and my plan has been completely wiped out. "what time is dinner" I think if I get up early enough tomorrow I can pack my chair in my trunk and find a nice secluded spot somewhere. The phone will be accidentally left behind.

Someone's Been....

Ever get that feeling that someone has been in your stuff? That eerie yet maddening feeling. Came in to work this morning to find my favorite pen missing, gum wrappers on my desk and a notebook that I keep track of my hours in open on the desk. Could it be that someone felt the need to go into my drawer to find a pen & piece of paper rather than using the ones right on the desk? Hmmmm. I smell snooping here.
I'm to tired to investigate. I may rig my stuff tonight.

Long Day

My daughter had her 3rd and hopefully final back surgery yesterday. This has been a long, dragged out ordeal that we're praying will come to an end and she can be on her way to a less painful life. The doctor seemed very positive, but then again they usually are. I remember 3 years ago speaking to him before and after the surgery and yesterday it was pretty much the same conversation.
We arrived at the hospital at 7am and they whisked her off. We were directed to the waiting room. I realized then that we were at the smaller hospital without all the fringe benefits. The last two surgeries were at a larger hospital which has some perks. But you pay for perks. There was a coffee pot but no coffee brewing. No problem for me but some of those older ladies were complaining. We made a pot of coffee. One of the perks of being at the hospital is that is was a walk across the street to the best doughnuts in the city. Of course we waited until after we said our goodbyes as they took her to surgery, and then took a walk. Picked up a paper and magazine on the way back and settled down for the wait.
After about an hour Barney started to nod off. I was wondering how he could even be remotely comfortable enough to sleep as the chairs were not at all designed for comfort. I felt like I was sitting on a rock. Out of boredom I began to study the people around me. It seemed that a lot of people knew each other. Must have been neighborhood surgery day at the local hospital. One lady was volunteering her kids to cut the lady whose husband was in having surgery's grass. Another guy was discussing recent garage break-ins in with another woman in his neighborhood. I felt a little left out but found entertainment in listening.
I also discovered that I was not the only one in discomfort. One lady began to doze off and nearly slid off her chair. The TV was placed in a pretty awkward place and there were maybe 8 local channels. Its funny how a Soap Opera can be on and although most of the people most likely ever watch the soap..all eyes were tuned in (including my husbands).
They were kind enough to give us updates every hour or so but it was 5 1/2 hours until the doctor came to talk to us. It was another 2 hours after that when we got the call that she was going up to a room. I did get to see her and although relieved I had to chuckle. Her lips were very swollen and upon inquiring the nurse told me that because the airway tubes were in so long that once removed it is sometimes a reaction for a patient to bite their lips. Well she did a good job on her lips. She has a little Jolie action going on. As requested prior to the surgery I was there with the Chap Stick and once it was applied she was happy. In fact I was there with the Chap Stick for a few hours.
As of 9 last night she was pretty much in and out of sleep. They have an epidural going right into her back for pain. This is supposed to be a 4-5 day stay and then home with a back brace for 6-8 weeks. No lifting, no driving, no bending..pretty much all she can do is walk, lay down or sit. I think we have our work cut out for us.

Gimme Back My Fence!

NyQuil gives me horrible nightmares. I was having a hard time sleeping Saturday night and was still a bit stuffy and had a pretty sore throat. After some tossing and turning I gave in and took some thinking I would be able to get some needed sleep.
The first dream that I recall is Dylan getting his baseball stuck between the deck and the fence. I didn't want him to reach back there because I was afraid he'd get hurt so I did. I felt something hairy and I pulled my hand back only to have a skunk in it. The funny part of this is I woke up scared and holding on to a stuffed animal that was left on my bed.
The next dream has me a little concerned. I walked outside on my deck and our fence was gone. The Arab lady next day was running around saying (in broken English) that she didn't know who took the fence or why, but she wanted it back to keep her kids in the yard. I was angry and demanding to know who took my fence. I saw a truck parked on the street and a guy loading pieces of our fence in. I saw a lady standing with him and began to yell at her. She claimed the fence was an eyesore (kinda is) and she was sick of telling us to fix it. I kept telling her we never talked to her and to give my back my fence. In my sleep I could feel this anger. When asking her who the hell she was, she claimed to live on the corner. I told her she couldn't even see my fence from where she lived so wtf did she care. Arnie came home and was totally unconcerned about the fence. I then was so angry I picked up a screwdriver and began to stab this lady's big fat fleshy white arm. It didn't phase her so I said I was going in my house to call the police and a lawyer. I pretty much woke up then. The part that had me a little nervous was the stabbing part. I must feel very strongly about my fence.

On another note, my Sunday afternoon shopping at my local PnS was nasty. Either I missed the after church people or they all ran home and changed. I saw way to many tube tops and shorts that were being worn by woman who should have bought them at least 2 sizes larger or not worn them at all. I say if you want to wear one and it looks that bad then wear a light blouse over the top. When it's rolling up from the bottom or rolling down from the top it is to small. I understand that men like to see a little butt cheek at times but they don't want to see cottage cheese. It was also dirty wife beater tee shirt day. One of my biggest peaves. Once again I vow to get my shopping done during the week to avoid this.

The Friday Doughnut

Why is it that the Friday doughnut is more exciting then doughnuts any other day of the week? I've pondered that for a while. People bring doughnuts on Monday...not thrilling. Same for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but bring in doughnuts on a Friday and you are every body's hero for the day. It's the talk of the shop. And news travels fast. I got the call a little after 8 that there were doughnuts in the lunchroom. And of course there is usually a reason (around here) for the doughnuts. Birthdays being the number one reason. This is funny because the production people haven't worked on Fridays for a year now and this seems to be when management or salaried people bring in the doughnuts. Of course because it's 8 less that you need to buy. Even though you see these people every day and eat lunch with them.
If you're a production person and bring doughnuts in on your birthday you need at least 2 dozen and that being if everyone just takes one. That is not the case around here. I'm a one doughnut eater. Usually half at break and the other half at lunch. The doughnuts that people bring in here are usually National Bakery or Grebes,so they're pretty big. None of those Krispy Kreme nightmares.
Is there a rule for one only? If you walk in the lunchroom and see the person delivering them does it give you freedom to sit down and eat 2 or 3 or does the politeness bell ring in your head. Around here the call that there are doughnuts will go out and people will break each other out so they can run and nab a doughnut. Some will chow them down right away and others will wrap one up and put it in their lunch bag for later. Some will chow 2 down right away, and then you have those that will ask you to save one for them. Yea, right. Not around here.
So like I said, I got the call around 8. I went to the lunchroom at 9:00 and there were two doughnuts left of 18. I should have went earlier because all that was left was the puss filled chocolate doughnuts. You snooze...you lose.

The Repercussions

Despite missing Opening Day, I feel pretty lucky that I got to go to a Brewers game during their first home series of the season. I wish I could say I can't complain about the weather, but then again it's Wisconsin and it's early in the season.
There was no set plan for this excursion which made me a little nervous. I got spoiled going to the games with my husband and friends. We always have a plan. This was a different group and I did not know what to expect. We parked by Wongs and I was just about ready to spring for the stadium parking when I found out there was a shuttle. On a normal, dry day maybe the walk wouldn't have been so bad but it was miserable out. I thought tickets were in hand but found out we'd be standing outside while my boss stood in line to claim his vouchers for the Upper Terrace Reserved Obstructed View Seats. The story was unfolding on the way to the game. He got these vouchers at BP for filling up his tank. I never knew until yesterday that there were obstructed view seats at Miller Park. I know now because I sat in one. The railing on the steps blocked my view of home plate. No problem as the 3 seats next to me were empty so I simply moved over and was lucky enough that no one showed up claiming the seat.
The game was good. A little nerve racking in the 1st inning but things settled down and the boys proceeded to win. Throughout the entire game I had some blast of cold air blowing down on me. I was freezing and had my jacket on during the entire game. I had to look around to see if I was the only one being hit by it and noticed the guy in front of me. His comb over was blowing around a little.
The problem with taking a shuttle is that after the game you need to find it and hope to get a seat. Seeing as you don't need a ticket for the return, just about anyone can get on. Of course the sky managed to open up right at the end of the game so we were soaked. We did manage to spot the Wongs van and got on. Had a pretty crabby driver until a conversation started about the Stadium charging for the shuttles. Mr. Shuttle Driver was upset because this year they put traffic directors in the shuttle area which he said were making a mess of things. He lightened up after a bit and had some stories.
I felt a little bit of a cold coming on yesterday and I guess sitting in damp clothes with cold air blowing on me didn't help the situation any. Today I am full blown snot nose, sore throat and ear ache. I'm returning my vitamins to the store as they have done nothing for me this season at all. I'm done with shots and antibiotics. I've wiped down things in my house with Lysol so many times this season that I should have stock in the product. Nothing is helping. Not even Stb's cure.

Here We Go Brewers...

Here I go. Off to the game today. After some arrangements were made to cover my duties it was confirmed that I would be going. It has been named a field trip.
It's odd when you attend a game outside of your normal circle of friends. I'm used to getting to the parking lot, kicking back for a few and taking in the sites around me. I asked if we were bringing anything along and was told by my boss that he doubted we'd be tailgating due to the weather. Hey, I've stood out there in worse weather. That's what jackets and gloves are for. So as of right now I'm not sure what to expect. I did somewhat prepare and purchased a bag of Brewers peanuts to munch on during the game. I'm trying to be a positive thinker and make it a fun time. I must remember to make note of where the vehicle is parked so I do not lose my ride back to work for my car. I'm horrible at being the one to remember where we parked.

So as if my body wasn't completely over my last illness I seem to have been blessed with a sore throat and cold. Started the extra dose of vitamins and cold tablets last night. I'm sure I got this one from my daughter as she was sick all weekend. No matter how much I tried to stay away from her and wiped everything down, it still got through to me. I'm wondering now if it was even worth it to get the flu shots I got. I know what I have this time isn't the flu, but this is ridiculous how many times I have been sick in the past 6 months. I'll need to make sure the cold tablets are taken before the game so I don't need to bring 7 boxes of Kleenex with me.

Go Brewers!

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

Last week I was notified by my Manager that I would be going along with him and 3 other QC employees to a Brewer game tomorrow. He informed my boss that he needed to find someone to take my place. I had this little bit of guilt going on(for a second or so) because I figured they'd find an operator to take my place. These are people I used to work right next to and here I was going off to a game while they did my job. That didn't last to long because I knew none of them would hesitate if the tables were turned.
So here it is the day before we're to go and my boss has yet to work on finding someone. I had a few suggestions but he claims he's on it. Yesterday when I had asked he cursed and said he'd forgotten about it. I have this feeling that at 10:00 tomorrow when we're supposed to leave that I'll be watching them pull away without me. Picture me running after their vehicle. I had some doubts about going with the three men but really all that matters to me is I'm going to the game. It will be interesting to see how this all works out.
On another note today is officially known as "The day after Opening Day". I've heard 3 different radio stations use the phrase so far today.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

On a daily basis I encounter a few bicyclists on my way to work. They are easy to spot. Most of them wear reflective clothing or have flashers on their bikes. They tend to stay over in the parking lane and some ride on the sidewalks. It's still dark when I'm driving in. This morning was the worst exception of a cyclist I have ever seen. This guy is riding in the right lane and wearing pretty much all black except for the white on his shoes. No helmet, no reflectors and just tooling along like he owns the road. He's heading west on Watertown Plank Road and crosses over Highway 100 through the light. Am I wrong or are cyclists supposed to obey traffic signals? He almost gets clipped at that point. I happen to turn onto Watertown Plank and end up right behind him. I think I may have been the only driver that saw him. Guy on the left whipped by as I slowed down and attempted to change lanes to pass cycle man. Car in back of me slows down and as I change lanes just about clips the guy. I moved around him and back into the right lane and see another car just about clip him. Drivers were changing lanes at the last minute to avoid hitting him. It's one thing to drive in the parking lane and have drivers move over a little, but don't bike in the right lane if there is a parking lane. I wonder if he ever made it to his destination.
I saw buds this morning. On the trees. This is the beginning of my favorite season. Baseball and when everything starts to turn green. Not that green is my favorite color but it is a true sign that the long dreary winter may soon be over. It is a sign of outdoor activities beginning to take hold and a sure sign that camping is right around the corner. I also saw a fly, which I can do without. I know we have a few weeks to go yet but I sure am ready for the warmer weather and all that it brings with it.

7

Still a bit queasy and it's now day 7. I'm not quite sure if I've kicked the diet coke habit because I am craving one. Sprite has become my new friend. Sprite and Tums.
The good thing is my food is staying put but with the queasy feeling I have a feeling it's putting up a fight. The thought of certain foods can cause some nausea yet. My husbands offer to fry up some eggs Sunday morning sent me running and I tried to throw out the Swedish meatballs yesterday but he had a fit. They better be gone today by the time I get home or they're hitting the garbage.

Day 5 & Things I've Learned

As I enter day 5 of having this wonderful virus I starting to wonder when this little visitor of mine will decide to leave me. I've spent a lot of time laying either in bed or on the couch. This is not a norm for me therefore I felt my mind wandering to a zillion other things. Maybe I was trying the mind over matter method of healing. At this point I think the matter is winning. I have not been out of the house since Wednesday night and quite frankly I don't think I'm ready to head out anywhere as of yet.
This laying around has given me a lot of time to discover things and to think a lot.
Things I've discovered :

• I do not like the tile on my bathroom floor.
• My shower curtain does not match my bathroom
• The screw that is missing on the cabinet door handle has been missing for nearly 5 years. I know I asked my husband to fix it.
• My daughters cat loves hiding in the bathtub.
• Sprite has become my savior. 7 up just didn't work as well.
• A saltine cracker as small and dry as it may be can taste mighty good after 3 days of not eating.
• A bagel is not made to be eaten dry.
• When you have a stomach flu the thought of the last thing you ate will make you want to hurl all over again.
• The smell of someone heating up that certain food will send you running.
• The Urgent Care Nurses at the local hospital are all males.
• An IV can make you feel a little better.
• I think I'm going to need a refill on the anti-nausea medicine
• A baked potato with no butter is tolerable. I must really be sick.
• A sick person should not cook dinner for the rest of the family. What's wrong with that picture.
• My husband has done a fairly good job of making sure I'm ok, but I don't think he could ever be a full time caregiver.
• If there are 6 commercials on tv-at least 4 of them will be about food.
• Of the 4 food commercials shown only 1 may be of a remotely healthy food.
• Hunger will subside after 2 days. I'm wondering how long I can rely upon my stored up fat because I now have no urge to eat. (you don't have to answer this one, I already know it would be a long time)
• My stomach flu hit full cramping force on my son's birthday. If it was labor pains they'd be over by now and I'd have something wonderful to show for it.
• I'm almost out of bathroom cleaner.
• The Golden Girls can be funny when you are bored.
• Lifetime movies are all basically the same.
• I wonder how much of the Judy Garland movie was true.
• There sure are some goofy cartoons on now days.
• My left over cat loves me.
• I'm glad I had those coupons for the cushy toilet paper.

Thanks for Sharing?

Some things are just not meant to share. Take for example the stomach flu. Last week one of the twins had a two day bout with the stomach flu. I tried to keep my distance but living in the same house as a sick one can be a little tricky. I had the Lysol out and really tried to stay away. Then Dylan had it last week but was over Saturday & Sunday. On Sunday my stomach was feeling a bit queasy but I was still doing okay. Monday same thing. I took a couple of Tums through out the day and was careful to stay away from any dairy products.
It hit about mid-day Tuesday. Just a very sick feeling and a nice headache to accompany it. I was a good wife and went home and made dinner. Swedish meatballs and egg noodles. I took a few bites and then called it quits. Headed to bed early just to be interrupted by the effects of the flu. Never got much sleep and called in to work. It just wasn't going to happen. The work thing was out of the question.
I spent the next 24 hours very close to the toilet. Couldn't seem to find anything that would stop the pain in my stomach. Tums and 7 up were not doing it. I thought I was done with the bulk of it by yesterday afternoon and ate a cracker. Not so lucky there.
Around 9 last night the pain was just too bad and I opted to make a trip to Urgent Care. I had called my doctor and she suggested doing this rather than waiting until the next day to come in.
Several anti-nausea shots later and an IV for fluids I was on my way home. Scripts were written for more medicine. This is a type of stomach virus that has been going around.
Here we are a day later now. The pills are helping the pain but I'm still a little gurgly. The dry toast I ate an hour ago seems to be raising a ruckus. Right now I'm so hungry I could spit and I just go a whiff of the leftover meatballs my husband is heating up. Instant nausea feeling. Two days of work down the chute. This better clear up soon. I don't think Stb's cure will work for this. Haven't had a diet coke since Tuesday.

Not Working For Free

Time flies when you're having fun? It's been a year since I took the QC job and yes, I'll admit the time has gone by fast. The position keeps me busy which can make for a fast paced day. There are the days that drag by but something always comes up to keep things rolling along. I don't miss the days as an operator and can only hope that I will never need to take a position as one again.
So, as I said one year in this position. At my final interview when we went over all the terms and conditions of the position I was told that I was moving into a salaried position. The terms were I would be making the same amount of money but paid twice a month. I would no longer have a paid lunch and would need to work 1/2 hour extra a day. I was also told that if I worked in excess of 40 hours a week I would be compensated by either comp time off or over-time pay. I had accumulated 10 hours of comp time over the past few weeks and took some hours last week. I turned in my slip Thursday. Yesterday my boss tells me that word of the comp time has hit his boss and he needed to tell me that I was in a salaried position therefore do not receive comp time. I jogged his memory back to the final interview which he sat in on and he did seem to recall the conversation. Conversations went back and forth yesterday, but only between him & I and him and his boss (who is the one who set the conditions in the first place). I asked what I'm supposed to do when I'm in excess of 40 hours. I was told that as a salaried person I am expected to sometimes work in excess. Really?? because my salary is based upon a 40 hour week. So does that mean if I work 45 hours one week that the following week I can work 35? No answer.
The next subject that came up was lunch. I seem to be the only salaried person working 1/2 hour more per day for a lunch. I watch other salaried people walk in the door at 7 and are leaving at 3. I see them in the lunch room. Today we have a meeting. One I'm sure I'm not going to enjoy. I asked for the meeting so I know what I'm supposed to be doing. If my salary is based upon a 45 hour week am I wrong to ask to be paid for 45 hours. All they did when the change was made was take my prior years salary and spread it out over 24 pay periods.
I'm finding this all so very unorganized and having the feeling that this did not come about by him getting my comp time slip. I'm pretty certain that one of the cry babies I work with whose salary is based upon 45 hours a week and sits in a bar with this guy has whined.
I'm going into this meeting with a throbbing jaw from a root canal yesterday. I have the "bring it on attitude" going on right now.

The Cracker Girl

On my way home from work yesterday I decided to stop and return some items of clothing that I had purchased at a local Strip Mall Store. I was given an in-store credit for the items. I was able to find a few things but was about $20.00 short of the credit. I had the nagging feeling to spend it but couldn't find any further clothing items I wanted, and I didn't want to carry the credit around with me for another two months. I ventured over to the intimate apparel area and began to browse. It was then that I noticed three AA women enter the store. Hard not to notice as they were a little loud. "Oh, look at those yellow shoes. I need to get those". Not my style, but to each his own.
I was sifting through a pile of underwear which were on sale for 5 for 19.00. This was exactly what I needed to fill the credit. Minding my own business I proceeded to dig around for my size and the colors weren't exactly of my choice but they'd do. I must have been giving off the "help me" vibe because all of a sudden one woman walks over to me and loudly announces "Girl, why you gonna buy those bland ol' panties? Y'all need to look over here at these colorful ones. That's what's wrong with you crackers, y''all don't spice it up enough for your men". I immediately started to laugh. "Cracker???" Seriously??
She went as far as to pick some out for me. Nice purple lacy, cut to high heaven ones. This is not what I was looking for at this store. Then with them hanging from her hand goes over to find a matching bra. She hold up this bra and then looks at my chest and says "Maybe you need to go to a petite section for your bra. I don't think they carry your size here". I nicely told her that those panties were not what I was looking for today. She huffs and tells me she's just trying to help me out , gives me a little pat on the arm and goes back to join her friends.
This ordeal had caught the attention of the cashier who came over very shyly and asked if I was okay. I was still laughing at the "cracker" label I had been given. Should I have been offended? Not to long ago I watched a comedian who had a whole little blurb on a white person being labeled a cracker is equal to an AA being labeled the N word. Something I've never refered to anyone by. I found my new label quite funny.

The Circle

I credit my parents with putting a lot of time and effort into raising their children to work hard, have good morals, stand up for themselves and see the good in people. Of course in my teen years I thought they were a bunch of fuddy duds but eventually what they taught me kicked in.
In fact I can't think of much I would change about the way I was raised. My mom tended to yell a lot but with working full time and raising a bunch of kids I can see why. Dad was the logical "let's talk about this" guy and still is. I've seen him snap a few times but now understand why.
I had friends who's father's were at the local tap every night after work and Mom was expected to hold down the fort and make sure the dinner was warm when he decided to make an appearance. I chuckle when I think of my Mother keeping Dad's dinner warm while he was out tipping a few with his buds. Oh Lord, she would have put us all in the car and went to fetch him right out of there. My Mom had balls.
One of my parents favorite quotes was "YGY" (you'll get yours). Whenever we did something wrong they would curse us. Little did I know that these curses would carry over into my life of raising kids. As my kids grew up I found myself using some of their tatics. I would often try to remember my feelings toward my punishments and what was the most effective. Grounding wasn't always the best thing, plus they'd let me off early because I think I drove them nuts. Writing..that was always the most dreaded. I think I hit the nail on the head when that became my favorite punishment to give out. My son would just cringe. To this day we still hear about the camping trip where he was forced to sit and write 500 sentences. Was it effective? I think so because I don't remember him having to do it after that. Both my kids said we were the rottenest parents in the world for the writing punishment and vowed they would never, ever pass this punishment on to their kids. That is until...the other day when I heard my son tell Dylan that if he kept it up he would be sitting down and writing. My head snapped around so fast and I was able to catch the look on my son's face that said "Don't say anything Mom". But see this didn't just happen once in the past week, it also happened with the twins. I came upon them sitting at my kitchen table writing. It was then that I also noticed the Ipods and phones had been taken away. She must be the rottenest mother in the world.