Good Job Done!

Well, I took the suggestion of my good pal Bluesleepy and checked out Mozilla Thunderbird for my email. since I have been using Mozilla Firefox for ever and really like it, I figured I’d check it out. It’s petty cool. Not as fun and frilly as Incredimail and I won’t have a cat that pops on to my screen and meows to alert me when have ‘incoming’, but I’ll adjust if it makes my ‘puter run better! I am so tired of it shutting down and acting up several times a day, the cuteness is not worth the aggravation!

I spent quite a long time last night ‘forwarding’ a ton of saved emails to myself, so that I could set up folders and save them in Thunderbird. I also closed my eyes and tried not to cry as I actually deleted several hundred others that I have saved from as far back as 2004 from when I first started using Incredimail. Including the one where I had just paid $24.95 a month ago to renew my access to their fun stuff. Oh well…………

When I arrived home form work about 1:00 today the power was out! It rarely happens here, but we were having some pretty high winds (there’s a tornado brewing in the surrounding area…again…that time of year!). Anyway, it blew a tree over and ripped down a couple power lines at the of our road. Hubby had just arrived home as well and since we couldn’t do anything else (Ha, ha) we decided a nap was in order. Apparently the whole household was in agreement. I awoke to this sight……..very rare indeed…….

I know it’s a bit hard to tell what all that black furry mass is on the love seat, but Puss Puss is on the left and Gus is on the right. I know she was there first and it is very special indeed that she allowed him to join her. Well, she wouldn’t have much of a choice actually, but by staying when he jumped up is her kitty way of ‘allowing’ him to sleep there.

Oh, and for all the comments regarding viruses, etc.. Back when we were ‘retired’ and traveling I got a virus on my laptop in the spring of 2001 while in Apache Junction Arizona. I lost E.V.E.R.Y. thing!! I had some pretty basic Norton stuff on my system then and what ever I got actually shut it down and invaded my hard drive and I lost everything. Gateway had to FedEx me all my system CD’s etc. (never leave home with out your OS and back-ups and reboots, blah, blah, blah!) They were great! I really loved the support at Gateway, which REALLY comes to mind these days when dealing with HP!! Grrrr!!!! Anyway, since that time I have the best that Norton offers…..in triplicate!! Not really, but if I take that all VERY seriously and keep on top of it all constantly. Come to think of it, I do need to do a backup on my external media device :). As for HP vs Gateway? I believe you get what you pay for. I should have been patient and willing to shell out a few extra bucks and gotten a new Gateway laptop. Their ‘puters and service is awesome.

I’m also almost eligible for an upgrade on my cell phone. It won’t be a Palm Centro like I thought I wanted, cuz after stopping in at the AT & T store yesterday, I don’t like it as much as I thought I would. The keys are SO tiny for my big hands (I am NOT a petite person by any means and have huge hands). However, I might go with a Blackjack or a Moto Q. I was really liking the Moto Q! Now I just have to talk Hubby into the $30.00 a month extra so I can access my email and the internet with it. As of a few minutes ago, he was relatively agreeable. but as we all know….that can change in a New York second!

Survey! Post 2

I would LOVE for all you guys to tell me what you use for email. My address is with Gmail, but I use the Incredimail program for my mail. I don’t like Gmail’s set up to use it for actually reading, composing and saving emails. Incredimail is so cool!! Or at least it WAS before I got Vista. Then it started acting wonky. So they finally came up with a beta version to use with Vista and that is even worse. It is constantly locking up or shutting down, like it did just now when I was sending out my update notification. I wasn’t finished with the message when it said it was shutting down, but when I restarted it, it had been sent anyway. ARGGGGGG!!!!!!

I like fluff and extras, which is why I started using it to begin with. And I have about 3 years worth of emails saved and categorized that I would hate to lose if I quit using it. I am a hoarder. I save copies of orders, emails from the kids and Terri and all sorts of other important stuff.

I either need to quit being so anal about my email or need to find some other solution. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Day Off

Man, I got another day off! 2 in one week. Woot!! Well, I won’t think ‘woot’ when I get my next pay check, but I have SO much to do that today, I don’t care! So with this mile long list of things to do, here it is, after 8:00 and I’m in my jammies and blogging. That’ll help me accomplish a whole lot, now won’t it?

One good thing about it is that the one friend that I often hang out with on my days off is out of town for a few days (gone to the Texas Flower Gardens lucky duck!), so I will most likely get a heck of alot more done than usual. I’ll miss that, but at the end of the day I will feel like I accomplished something for a change!

It’s back to just me in the Cash Office. The other girl I was training last week has decided it is too stressful and doesn’t wanna do it any more. Good grief!! I don’t get it. I LOVE it! My supervisor, B does too. That’s what she did for years before becoming the Office Coordinator. We are just a rare breed, I guess. So she is covering for me today. I could have worked, but I have some stuff that I just really need to get done today. And I did ask her for Sunday off because Hubby will be home and I need for him to help me move some stuff out of the 2 spare bedrooms so Chaos and Poolie will have room to get to the beds in 15 days when they arrive!! WOOT!!!! After that I am pretty sure my next days off will not be until the weekend they are here, which I have already requested and been approved for……and will be SO ready for by then!

In preparation for that wondrous event, the barn is finally being painted. Marcos came last night and did the 2nd coat of red and this weekend will do the white trim. YES!!! I so wanted my barn to look like a real barn before Poolie and Chaos get here, and fortunately Hubby was in agreement………now if I could just get the house painted……..oh, well. All in good time!

As for the neighbor kid, I see some of you remember his antics from the past. For those of you that don’t here is a bit of background . His father does realize what a terror he is and his mother pretty much ignores it. I think she thinks he will grow out of it or something. I have no idea. His dad is in ‘denial’ of sorts. Spends all of his time working out in his shop or over here helping Hubby to avoid Mama AND the kid as much as possible, I think. He’s a great guy, but totally brow beaten by the wife. He just gives up and finds any and all excuses to stay away. Sad, but true. As for the bird bath, Hubby saw him sit on it, but if the kid was confronted he would deny it. There’s no retribution to be had here. He doesn’t come to our yard often because I chase him off when he does. He is always getting into Chuck’s materials or scrap piles and he’s gonna hurt himself and I DO NOT want that happening in our yard!!! But enough about him. Just thinking about him gets me all fired up!!! Someday I just may hog tie him and put him in Dixie’s stall with her and let her ‘have her way with him’. If I find a good set of earplugs and turn some music up really loud, I won’t hear a thing………I swear!

Anyway, I’m off to do my stuff and I leave you with this lovely photo of those darling gems that are the true light(s) of my life!!

From left to right: Xander, Timmy, Emily, Riley and Maggie. And I am loving my SIL a little bit more these days for letting my handsome grandsons have hair!! He loves to shave their heads (not really ’shave’ them, but close LOL).

My Bird Bath Died

This is a photo of the bird bath that Riley and I made together the summer of 2001. It’s one of those special things that can never be replaced. I got the idea from one of my Mary Engelbreit craft books and Riley and I worked for hours just painting and laughing and making memories! It graced my garden at the river in Alaska and it made the trip safely to Arkansas lovingly packed for me by Hubby so that it survived the 3800 mile journey in a goose neck trailer, all the way down the AlCan Hwy, across Canada and back into the good US of A. Sunday, Hubby realized that it was broken and thought he could hide the remains hoping I wouldn’t notice that it was missing from my front flower bed. And I didn’t notice……for about 15 minutes! Apparently the Terrorist neighbor kid sat on it one day a couple weeks ago and Hubby just thought to check it for damages. When he lifted the top pot off, the other 2 fell to pieces. So, I still l have the top pot, which I will be planting flowers in for the table on the back patio. At least I have that. My heart is broken. yes, I have the memories of the fun we had and yes, I have a bunch of pictures I took of Riley painting away………but it’s not the same. That kid is such a shit!!

On a lighter note, Dixie LOVES being sprayed with the hose…..(Susie not so much..as in, not at all)

She was just bucking and running around and kept coming back for more! I don’t know who had more fun….Dixie or us!

I haven’t posted in so long that I know there must be a gazillion things I wanna write about, but I’m coming up empty.

The Mood Has Swung

I’m gonna start out with a few good things and then launch in to some bitching about my day.

First, Gus got a hair cut and (more importantly) a bath yesterday. Neighbor chick has started her own grooming business which she thus far just does on weekends until she can get in a position to build a real shop and do it full time. All of her clients have leedle dogs~ Yorkies, Poms, etc., which makes Gus a huge undertaking for her. That really amuses me, but anyway, using my zoom lens from behind the horse barn, so as not to distract him too much, I got a shot in progress.

Obviously he spotted me, but stayed put. I always ask her not to put that damn ‘doggie perfume’ on him and she does anyway. So I spend the first few days strongly encouraging him to go to the barn and roll in the hay……..even essence of horse poop smells better than that damn stuff she puts on him!! But he’s clean and trimmed up and happy.

Other good stuff since my last spouting off, was my Physical Therapy evaluation and first treatment. My PT guy agreed that the other DR had ordered the wrong type of treatment for me before, which is what led to these new and worse problems. After 1 treatment my pain in my hip is almost non-existent and it is just a THRILL to be able to walk normally……….as long as I don’t over do it, which of course I did yesterday, but I learn the hard way. (it’s the only way I know, apparently)

Work was hell today. It was very busy yesterday and every cashier must have been sleep walking or had their head up their ass! MY GOD!! What a mess today. Annoying as hell, but fixable. Done deal.

While I was at work, Hubby planted all my flowers………..in all the wrong places. I can’t tell you how many times we went over where I wanted stuff. ‘Nough said. Dork!

So I was at work 1 1/2 hours longer than usual, working on all the problems, which greatly contributed to the fact that I had apparently gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Left work grumpy and drove home thinking of how I just wanted to come in the house, change my clothes, load the dish washer, throw in a load of laundry and work on Tim’s quilt for a couple of hours. Ahhhhh. Do you think that happened? NoOoOooOOO! I walk in the door and am greeted with, ‘thank god you’re home. I’m starving!’ Then he proceeds to drag me around the yard and show me where he had planted my flowers for me………half of which are in the wrong place. Biting my tongue I just went in, changed and fixed him breakfast. Loaded the dish washer. Came here, read 1 blog and he came to get me to help him outside. I got to operate his squirt boom to help him move some steel I beams. It is now 4:00 (I got home at about 1:00). I have chicken marinating to grill and I need to make macaroni salad and bake some fooking cookies for his lunch…..plus the load of laundry (HIS work clothes!)

I have 170 entries backed up in my Google Reader and my email is at about 54 unread. CRAP!

I was terribly distracted of thoughts of swinging one of those I beams back around….and WHAP! Evil, evil woman. BWahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better go get busy.

New Month, Old Gripes

I don’t suppose I should start a post, cuz I don’t have a whole lot of time.  And all the stuff that’s filling my head that really needs to get out, shouldn’t be put here anyway.  It’s been a sad, dark few days.

My birthday was Wednesday and it’s always a hard time for me.  It has been since my Dad died 11 years ago.  He & I were so close and there was this special thing he always did for my birthday………then when I lost my Mom it got a little worse.  Then being away from Terri and the kids…….unbearable.  Why is that?  It’s only a day like any other day.  Last year I was there and the kids made such an awesome party of it.  I was wanting to go this year to be there for Terri’s birthday (May 14th) and that’s not gonna happen.

Hubby did nothing, which is fine.  I don’t want anything from him, but I do deserve something.  Even tho’ I’m still in this house for all the wrong reasons, I am here and do all that is required of a good little wife (almost).  At 10 PM Wed night I found a card laying on the kitchen counter.  One of those big, fancy expensive cards describing what a wonderful wife and partner and friend I am, Blah, blah, blah.  And he’s got to follow it up with how it took him 15 minutes and he read ‘dozens’ of cards to find the ‘right’ one.  Bullshit!  Who needs that crap?!?

My one really true friend in this godforsaken place I live, the one that knows my heart…….did everything possible to make it a pretty special day, but those of you that know me well also know that it wasn’t enough.

Ah, but a bright spot!  My cell phone rings and all these sweet little voices are singing Happy Birthday and my sad heart begins to fill with all that love and happiness!!  Then I find myself being like my Mom, and instead of appreciating these good things, I am left longing for what can not be.  God!  I hate when I am like that!!!!!  Maybe writing it all out here will make it go away…..ya’ think?!

Well, I gotta get ready for work now.  Hopefully I can write a more pleasant post when I get home, even tho’ I’ve been ‘informed’ that I have alot to do today!  Meh!

Mystery of the Perfect Hips

I think that perhaps this new DR I went to today was almost annoyed that I had been referred to him. Mostly I think he was annoyed at the DR that sent me. He looked over my MRI films, had some more x-rays done today ~while I was standing so he could see more clearly how things were seated~and announced that my hips are perfect. He also said that I have tendinitis/bursitis and is sending me to Physical Therapy~3 times a week for 3 weeks. He wants to see me in 6 weeks, at which time he hopes to be able to determine if it my back is what is the cause of the problems I keep having with my hips. He informed me that my back is ‘a mess’ and is ‘in horrible condition’ and we need to get rid of the tendinitis so he can evaluate my back situation.

I am amazed. The DR I have been gong to told me #1 that the ligaments in my left hip were all torn and worn but not bad enough for surgery. His thing was to send me to PT to strengthen my abs and back muscles to ultimately relieve the stress on my left hip. Then he came up with this thing that I had bone rubbing on bone in my right hip. THIS DR said that it is most likely the PT that I had been doing and was attempting to assimilate by exercising at home, in addition to the extra stress I put on my body doing too much physical work at both jobs, that caused the problem in my right hip. He feels the totally wrong approach was taken and wants to evaluate my back condition further. He said that my ligaments look fine, there is a tiny bit of arthritis, but otherwise “perfect hip joints”. And he was quick to point out to me that he is a specialist in hip surgery and replacements, so I can rest assured that he is quite adept at analyzing these things.

I wasn’t real crazy about this guy, in the sense that he was ‘all business’, short and abrupt and actually breezed off before I was ‘done with him’. At first that left a tad pissed off, but in retrospect, he dealt with all that was necessary with out the fluff!

So that the DR report for the day.

In other news, they have me training a gal this week so there will be someone else other than just my supervisor to cover for me on days off and such. She doesn’t seem real crazy about doing it, but she seems to be a fast learner and is the type to learn it and do it regardless. Since she is aware that she will only be doing it probably 1 day a week and covering for any vacation time I take (LOL), she’s good with it. She just wouldn’t wanna do it on a regular basis.

And tomorrow is my birthday. I don’t really feel like being 56 yet, so I’m thinking maybe I will be 54 instead. What do ya’ think?????

New Shoes!

The girls got their manicure and new shoes yesterday. They are prancing prettily, I must say.

The ‘Ho got new shoes today, too. She needed them very badly. It’s pretty special when Hubby lets me go get my own tires, cuz I take care of my ‘Ho and she deserves only the best! And I am VERY fussy when it comes to tires. The tread has to be just right, and they have to be excellent on wet roads (especially around here, the way it rains!) and hug tight when I’m sailing around corners! $900 plus later (gulp) me & the ‘Ho are happy girls! I did have to go to Sears, so I could put it on our Sears card and that really made my day!

Sears is in a near by city and it’s about 45 minutes from my house. It’s also a part of the biggest mall in NW Arkansas, so normally waiting 3 hours (WTF??) for new tires wouldn’t be an issue. But, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to walk around the mall much, I called the other day and made an appointment so I wouldn’t have to wait long.  Made it for Noon, got there at noon……….left at 3:00.  Can you say GRRRRRR?!  Today I had the pleasure of my back hurting and BOTH hips and legs aching SO bad, that even tho’ I took a good book to read, sitting in their crappy little chairs, in their crappy little waiting room was most uncomfortable as well as unpleasant.  When it was all over, the doofus that checked me out (and KNEW I was not a happy woman) was dumb enough to remind me to go on line when I got home and give Sears my feedback.  Boy Howdy!!  Did I ever!!

So, enough negative stuff……you guys probably hate coming to this dreary blog these days.  BUT, rejoice!  Tomorrow is my appt with the new Doc (Orthopedic Surgeon) and hopefully I will have a clue as to what the hell is going on with my body and how we can fix it!!  What I am really hoping for at this point, is that the ligaments in both hips are trashed and need repair.  That would be the least invasive procedure and I would walk away allegedly pain free, followed by a long haul of Physical Therapy, but that needs to be a life time routine for me for my back anyway.  SO, if I can get the pain to go away so I can actually do that, I will be ever so happy.  But I’m probably way off base with all this and must wait and see.  Who knows what evil lurks……………

That’s all the excitement I have for now folks!

Spring Stuff

It’s such a gorgeous day and I’m just happy to be having a day off. Hubby even treated me to lunch at my favorite Bacon Cheddar Burger place! When we got home I decided to hobble around and take pictures of some of the “Springness” happening around here. Behold my flowers!

Most of my Azaleas are still at this stage of budding

But a couple have opened!

And the white ones are all open

And my Hens and Chicks are having spring babies!

And my African Violets don’t want to be left out, so here’s a few of those.
The Mini Violet

Sniveling, cont’d

This whole hip and back thing is getting OLD an is also giving my Zoloft a run for it’s money, if you get my drift. I finally had to call my Doc’s office AGAIN today to see if they had gotten me an appointment with the other Dr that they are referring me to, and no…he hadn’t, but he would. Called me back and I actually get to see the new Doc on Tuesday. Why is it that Doctors and/or their staff have no sense of urgency what so ever?! I finally told “Nurse James” this morning that I was feeling like i was getting the run around, and it’s pretty bad when I can only work 3 hours a day because of the pain and then to be left feeling like no one gives a crap! I reminded him that Dr D was going to call in some more muscle relaxers and pain pills to my pharmacy on Wed, but he still hadn’t, my calls weren’t being returned and I’m very stressed and upset by this whole situation. It’s bad enough to be in constant pain, but when the people that you are paying to do something about it just leave you hanging is kinda hard to take! Geez!! And I am left wondering what exactly is wrong with me and what the hell my options are.

In a few days I’ll be 56 and I’m hobbling around like I’m 86. I am, by nature, a ‘flitterer’. I am always flitting around from one thing to another. Sitting still for very long periods of time is hard for me (unless I am engrossed in blogs). I am a person that walks at a brisk pace, never walk up the stairs, but ‘run’ (supposedly burns more calories, like I care, but it’s an old habit left from the days when I did care). I hate this! I finally dragged my sorry ass out to the barn last night, for the 1st time in about 2 or maybe 3 weeks because I couldn’t stand another moment with out some horse hugs.

You know how your dog or cat can tell when you aren’t feeling well and can be extra cuddly? Susie was like that last night. It was so sweet!! IT was probably also a fluke, because horses are very intelligent it’s true, but in reality I don’t think she was being extra sweet because I was crying on her neck. I would LIKE to think so, but…..I don’t know. Then again, maybe she WAS being so sweet because she understood what I was saying when I was telling her that I was afraid I’d never get to ride her again and inside she was thinking “YES! I don’t have to haul the Carrot Lady’s fat ass around any more!! YES!!!” Surely my Sweet Susie wouldn’t think such a thing, would she?? LMAO!!

And, my God! You people must be so sick of hearing about this!! Sorry, guys…..really. On a brighter note, my Goldfish plant is having babies! Wanna see?

Aren’t they cute????