Yesterday I met up with my cousins Cindy and Terry and Cindy's son Peter once more before Cindy, Peter and his wife and child head back to Oregon today. It was really nice catching up with all of them. It is a shame that Terry and I haven't seen each other regularly for the last several years since she lives in McKinney. I have been terribly remiss. I could have gotten in touch with her at anytime and just kept thinking that I would do it later.
Yesterday we all got together one more time because Cindy had left something at my parents house and so I brought it back to Dallas with me on Saturday so that they could get it from me before leaving for home. But I really wonder if it wasn't just some last ditch effort being made by a higher power to get us together once more before they left. Cindy texted me on Sunday night and asked that I bring my grandmothers diary with me when I met them. My grandmother kept diaries and I got one of them when she passed away. It is very special to me. I have had it since she died in the 70's and I really think it is one of the things that inspires me to write. I've read it cover to cover more times than I can tell you. I don't keep a diary, but maybe this little blog serves the same purpose.
So I took the diary yesterday and after having lunch we went to the Fed Ex store and copied every page. We made 3 copies of each page so that Cindy and Terry could each have a copy and if anyone else wanted one, it would be easy to make additional copies. As we made the copies we read several of the passages and laughed. Here's a typical passage:
Jan 31, 1974 - Thursday
"Went to a grocery store this morn.
It is a chore to go grocery shopping now - days, everytime you look at something you need to buy it has gone up in price... I don't know where it 's going to stop.
But one thing is for sure this one woman is not going to buy no more than is necessary until if ever the price goes down. How is that for a spirit, eh?"
I love two things about this entry that was probably mundane to her. One is that it was 1974 and she was complaining about the price of groceries. Some things never change. The other thing is the "eh?" at the end of that last sentence. My grandma was Czech. But she had almost no accent except when she said some words that started with a "W" or a "V". She pronounced "W's" like "V's" and vice versa. The other thing she did that I assume was a Czech thing was to say "eh?" after making a point. I remember hearing that "eh?" many times when I was growing up. It's my favorite thing about the diary. I love reading an entry and hearing her voice in my head as I read it!
It is fun to read the entries in which she was obviously very happy, mostly when she had been with family during the day. It is sobering to read entries in which she was alone and lonely with only her diary to express her thoughts to. I sometimes wonder if she ever thought that we would read her words and value them or if she thought the diaries would just be discarded when she was gone. I wonder if she would be surprised to know that 35 years after her death her three granddaughters would get together in Allen, Texas and spend an hour copying one of her diaries so that we could each read her words again.
Grandma was inspiring in many ways. She never learned to drive. Yet she went to see Cindy's family in either Arizona or Oregon several times after my grandfather died. I can't imagine never learning to drive, but having the courage to get on an airplane or bus and travel halfway across the country alone. Maybe that sense of adventure comes from having spent 3 months sailing across the Atlantic as a child to come to America. Her dad had come the year before and she and her brothers and sisters came across with her mom once he had traveled from New York to Texas and found a home.
Well, I should stop speculating about my grandmother and get busy. That garage is not going to clean itself, eh?
Roatan
Pirate ship?
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Day One-Eighty-Seven - A Little Chilly!
Burrrrrr..... It is cold in this house this morning. I will be very happy to get the pilot light lit on my furnace. It is only 65 degrees in here but right now it feels colder. It wasn't cold in bed at all though. The cats snuggled in last night and it was actually very warm in my bed. It is amazing how much body heat can be generated by a 10 lb. cat. The fire place is on now and I have a busy day ahead. So, I should warm up quickly.
Jingle is not happy at all this morning but I can't figure out what he wants. It is one of those mornings in which he is trying to tell me, but I just haven't figured it out yet. I have fed him, he turned his nose up at the food which is very uncommon for him these days. I opened the door to the garage, he walked out for about 20 seconds then came back in. I turned on the fireplace and moved his food close to his bed which is directly in front of the fireplace. I have tried to pick him up and cuddle with him, he doesn't want any part of it. I just went out and let him in the car. Maybe that will do the trick.
Yesterday was a great lazy Sunday. Even though I didn't have any interest in any of the football games I had trouble walking away from them. It was too cold and gloomy to do anything but sit in the living room and veg. I should have spent the entire day in the garage working on it. But how can you spend such a perfect fall day working? You can't.
I tried a new Gingerbread recipe yesterday. It wasn't good. It has too much cinnamon in it. I'm not a fan of cinnamon. Anytime the Gingerbread recipe has more cinnamon in it than it has ginger, that should be a warning sign. But this particular recipe used buttermilk and I have buttermilk that I need to get rid of. So, it was the recipe for me. Another way you might be able to tell that it is a bad Gingerbread recipe before tasting it is if you bake it and it doesn't even make your house smell good. It actually almost made the house smell bad. How can that be? I mean seriously, it has two components right in the title that should be guaranteed to make your house smell good, ginger and bread. How can you go wrong? Don't get me wrong, I don't need Gingerbread recipes so please don't inundate me with them. I have a perfectly good one that I made just a few weeks ago. I was simply looking for a recipe that would use up some buttermilk and give me a snack at the same time. This one did not work out for me. If you have a great recipe for anything that will accomplish those two things then bring it on.
I think Jingle may have been drugged. He is going nuts. I got a toy out for him a few days ago and he has totally ignored it since Saturday evening when I pulled it out. Then a few minutes ago, he was still whiny and apparently being in the car didn't do the trick, so I let him out on the patio. He came back in after about 45 seconds out there and is going nuts with this toy. Ha! And he just pounced on Shiner. Shiner jumped about 10 feet in the air. Maybe the crisp fall air is making Jingle high. It has at least made him frisky.
Well as I said earlier, I have a busy day ahead of me. So I had better go ahead and get it started. Have a great Monday and send me those buttermilk-snack recipes if you have them.
Jingle is not happy at all this morning but I can't figure out what he wants. It is one of those mornings in which he is trying to tell me, but I just haven't figured it out yet. I have fed him, he turned his nose up at the food which is very uncommon for him these days. I opened the door to the garage, he walked out for about 20 seconds then came back in. I turned on the fireplace and moved his food close to his bed which is directly in front of the fireplace. I have tried to pick him up and cuddle with him, he doesn't want any part of it. I just went out and let him in the car. Maybe that will do the trick.
Yesterday was a great lazy Sunday. Even though I didn't have any interest in any of the football games I had trouble walking away from them. It was too cold and gloomy to do anything but sit in the living room and veg. I should have spent the entire day in the garage working on it. But how can you spend such a perfect fall day working? You can't.
I tried a new Gingerbread recipe yesterday. It wasn't good. It has too much cinnamon in it. I'm not a fan of cinnamon. Anytime the Gingerbread recipe has more cinnamon in it than it has ginger, that should be a warning sign. But this particular recipe used buttermilk and I have buttermilk that I need to get rid of. So, it was the recipe for me. Another way you might be able to tell that it is a bad Gingerbread recipe before tasting it is if you bake it and it doesn't even make your house smell good. It actually almost made the house smell bad. How can that be? I mean seriously, it has two components right in the title that should be guaranteed to make your house smell good, ginger and bread. How can you go wrong? Don't get me wrong, I don't need Gingerbread recipes so please don't inundate me with them. I have a perfectly good one that I made just a few weeks ago. I was simply looking for a recipe that would use up some buttermilk and give me a snack at the same time. This one did not work out for me. If you have a great recipe for anything that will accomplish those two things then bring it on.
I think Jingle may have been drugged. He is going nuts. I got a toy out for him a few days ago and he has totally ignored it since Saturday evening when I pulled it out. Then a few minutes ago, he was still whiny and apparently being in the car didn't do the trick, so I let him out on the patio. He came back in after about 45 seconds out there and is going nuts with this toy. Ha! And he just pounced on Shiner. Shiner jumped about 10 feet in the air. Maybe the crisp fall air is making Jingle high. It has at least made him frisky.
Well as I said earlier, I have a busy day ahead of me. So I had better go ahead and get it started. Have a great Monday and send me those buttermilk-snack recipes if you have them.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Day One-Eighty-Six - The Big Duck Hunt of 1983
So, last summer when the A/C had to be replaced they took the furnace out because they had to in order to replace the A/C. Both units are in the same closet and they sort of sit on top of one another. Anyway, when they were done, I went upstairs and had the guy re-light the pilot light on the furnace, because I knew it wasn't something that I would be able to do myself. It's probably do-able, but I am afraid of gas. Then a few weeks later, you may recall if you have been following this blog long, the compressor went out and that too had to be replaced. In order to do that they had to change one switch inside the closet that contains the furnace. Apparently, when they did that, the pilot light went back out. I didn't think to make sure they re-lit it then. Ugh! So, it is 67 degrees in my house and I can't turn the heater on.
I am okay today. I can survive 67 degrees with the fireplace on and a sweatshirt. But eventually I will have to turn the heater on this year. I don't even know who you call to get a pilot light lit. I think I will start off by calling the people who replaced the A/C and see if they will just come out and do it without charging me anything since it is their fault it is out anyway. But if they are going to charge me to do it, I think I want to try getting someone else to do it. After all, why should they make more money off of me?
I don't like being cold. I like being cold even less than I like being hot. I suppose I am slightly spoiled. But it is 2012 and I really don't think perfect temperatures at all times are too much to ask. I mean after all, we have figured out how to use gas and electricity to heat and cool our homes. I should be able to experience the perfect temperature of 72 degrees at all times at this point in my life. There was a time when I would have been happy to experience 52 degrees, or even 32 degrees rather than the twenties that I had to face one day with my brother, Ronnie down around Matagorda Bay.
On the day in question, I was a photojournalism student at SFA. Ronnie was still living at home. He had a beautiful black lab named Sal. Sal was a great dog. It was duck season and she was a great retriever. Ronnie had been wanting me to go hunting with him for some time to get some pictures of Sal retrieving ducks. So, during a weekend home from school, I agreed to go. First of all, a cold front had come in and it was remarkably cold for Bay City.
So, Ronnie got me up early on the morning of the big hunting trip, (it was my first and LAST duck hunting trip to be exact) at approximately 4:00 a.m. Fortunately, he already had his john boat loaded in the back of his truck and we headed to Matagorda. We got to the boat ramp area before daylight and picked the boat up out of the bed of the truck and set it in the water. I had to help with this part. I could already see that this was a lot more than I had bargained for. Ronnie put his little 8 horsepower motor on the back and Sal and I got in the boat while Ronnie moved his truck to a parking place. When Ronnie came back, he started the motor and off we went down this bayou to the place he was planning to duck hunt. Once we got out there and in the blind, the sun started coming up. It was a really pretty morning but there were no ducks around and it was damn cold.
I'm not one of those tough girls who really likes roughing it. I mean, I don't mind camping on occasion, you know if the temperature can maintain a constant 72 degrees 24 hours a day. I particularly enjoy camping in a 32 foot motor home with air conditioning, heat and indoor plumbing. I actually enjoy fishing if I can get someone to take the fish off of my line for me. But I do not suffer for the sake of outdoor activities. It just isn't me. On the morning in question, I will just go ahead and tell you that suffering took place, but it wasn't just me.
We sat out in the cold for a few hours. Ronnie had put decoys out and we quietly sat waiting for ducks. They just didn't get the memo that this was the place they were supposed to be. I saw some water fowl flying in and quickly pointed them out to Ronnie but he said that they were water turkeys and you aren't allowed to shoot them. So, we continued to sit and wait. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Ronnie gave up. More water turkeys came flying in and Ronnie decided that if he was going to get a picture of Sal retrieving on this particular morning it would have to be a water turkey. So, he shot one and Sal went and got it and I took her picture. When Sal came back even she was shivering. So, Ronnie decided it was time to leave. Me shivering, meant nothing. But if the dog was cold, we had to go.
Ronnie went to round up the decoys so that we could load them back into the boat. Before leaving the blind, he handed his shot gun to me showing me that it was on safety and told me that if I saw ducks come in, I should take it off safety and shoot. I sat there holding the gun as I watched what I assumed were more water turkeys flying in. They had almost landed when I looked out at Ronnie who was motioning furiously for me to shoot. Apparently, they were ducks. Oops! So, I tried to shoot, but the safety was on, then when I got the safety turned off, it was too late. Ronnie came back wet, cold and not too happy about my lack of knowledge concerning the difference between ducks and water turkeys, after finally getting the decoys picked up.
The three of us climbed in the boat and Ronnie shoved us off then turned to pull the rope that starts the motor (like the kind on a lawn mower) and it wouldn't start. He fiddled around with it and it still wouldn't start. We were floating around, getting further and further from land. Ronnie pulled his jacket off so that he could stick his hand down in the water to do something to the motor. It still wouldn't start. We floated past a piece of drift wood and he told me to grab it. I did. As it turned out, we apparently didn't have any oars in the boat, so when he had seen the drift wood, he had been pretty excited. Had I realized our predicament, I would have been excited too. So, he started trying to paddle us a little with the drift wood while continuing to mess with he motor. It had taken us about 20 minutes to get where we were going downstream with a motor. I didn't want to think about what it would take, going upstream using a piece of drift wood for an oar. We were all freezing, Ronnie wasn't wearing his jacket and his sleeves were wet. Sal and I were both shaking and sometimes Ronnie would pull the rope and the motor would start but then it would die again.
So, finally, he got it started and said hold on and we took off before it could die again. We were driving along as fast as the motor could move the boat. I was sitting in the front of the boat. Ronnie was sitting in back steering the motor and Sal was between us. I saw some motion out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Ronnie motioning like crazy for me to try to get his jacket. It was hard to hear anything over the motor. So, I looked down in the bottom of the boat for his jacket and Sal was sitting on it. The good news is that it was helping to dry her off while keeping her warm. I tried to get it out from under her without tipping the boat over while we drove. Ronnie finally shook his head and told me to forget it.
When we got back to the boat ramp, we all got out of the boat and Ronnie told me to hold the rope while he went and got the truck. He and Sal went up the hill and came back down in the truck. Then Ronnie and I had to lift the boat up, turn it over and put it in the truck. I was frozen and tired and hungry and not the least bit happy about any of it. While we struggled to get the boat in the truck, I said, "where's Sal?" Ronnie pointed into the truck. She was sitting in the cab of his pickup on the seat with the heater running full blast and watching us while we stood outside freezing.
All of this had taken place so that I could take pictures of that dog who was supposed to love cold wet weather and she was sitting inside the pick up, with the heater running while I was outside, working and freezing. I was not happy about any of it. I vowed that I would never go duck hunting again. I haven't. I don't understand the attraction. Yes, it was really pretty watching the sun come up out there in the marsh and it would have been even prettier if there had been ducks and I could have gotten a picture of Sal, "the wonder dog", doing her thing. But there is nothing worth going out on a marsh before daylight when the temperature is below freezing. Thanks, but no thanks! I'll just stick with my optimal 72 degrees at all times.
Have a good day! I've got to go find a sweatshirt!
I am okay today. I can survive 67 degrees with the fireplace on and a sweatshirt. But eventually I will have to turn the heater on this year. I don't even know who you call to get a pilot light lit. I think I will start off by calling the people who replaced the A/C and see if they will just come out and do it without charging me anything since it is their fault it is out anyway. But if they are going to charge me to do it, I think I want to try getting someone else to do it. After all, why should they make more money off of me?
I don't like being cold. I like being cold even less than I like being hot. I suppose I am slightly spoiled. But it is 2012 and I really don't think perfect temperatures at all times are too much to ask. I mean after all, we have figured out how to use gas and electricity to heat and cool our homes. I should be able to experience the perfect temperature of 72 degrees at all times at this point in my life. There was a time when I would have been happy to experience 52 degrees, or even 32 degrees rather than the twenties that I had to face one day with my brother, Ronnie down around Matagorda Bay.
On the day in question, I was a photojournalism student at SFA. Ronnie was still living at home. He had a beautiful black lab named Sal. Sal was a great dog. It was duck season and she was a great retriever. Ronnie had been wanting me to go hunting with him for some time to get some pictures of Sal retrieving ducks. So, during a weekend home from school, I agreed to go. First of all, a cold front had come in and it was remarkably cold for Bay City.
So, Ronnie got me up early on the morning of the big hunting trip, (it was my first and LAST duck hunting trip to be exact) at approximately 4:00 a.m. Fortunately, he already had his john boat loaded in the back of his truck and we headed to Matagorda. We got to the boat ramp area before daylight and picked the boat up out of the bed of the truck and set it in the water. I had to help with this part. I could already see that this was a lot more than I had bargained for. Ronnie put his little 8 horsepower motor on the back and Sal and I got in the boat while Ronnie moved his truck to a parking place. When Ronnie came back, he started the motor and off we went down this bayou to the place he was planning to duck hunt. Once we got out there and in the blind, the sun started coming up. It was a really pretty morning but there were no ducks around and it was damn cold.
I'm not one of those tough girls who really likes roughing it. I mean, I don't mind camping on occasion, you know if the temperature can maintain a constant 72 degrees 24 hours a day. I particularly enjoy camping in a 32 foot motor home with air conditioning, heat and indoor plumbing. I actually enjoy fishing if I can get someone to take the fish off of my line for me. But I do not suffer for the sake of outdoor activities. It just isn't me. On the morning in question, I will just go ahead and tell you that suffering took place, but it wasn't just me.
We sat out in the cold for a few hours. Ronnie had put decoys out and we quietly sat waiting for ducks. They just didn't get the memo that this was the place they were supposed to be. I saw some water fowl flying in and quickly pointed them out to Ronnie but he said that they were water turkeys and you aren't allowed to shoot them. So, we continued to sit and wait. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Ronnie gave up. More water turkeys came flying in and Ronnie decided that if he was going to get a picture of Sal retrieving on this particular morning it would have to be a water turkey. So, he shot one and Sal went and got it and I took her picture. When Sal came back even she was shivering. So, Ronnie decided it was time to leave. Me shivering, meant nothing. But if the dog was cold, we had to go.
Ronnie went to round up the decoys so that we could load them back into the boat. Before leaving the blind, he handed his shot gun to me showing me that it was on safety and told me that if I saw ducks come in, I should take it off safety and shoot. I sat there holding the gun as I watched what I assumed were more water turkeys flying in. They had almost landed when I looked out at Ronnie who was motioning furiously for me to shoot. Apparently, they were ducks. Oops! So, I tried to shoot, but the safety was on, then when I got the safety turned off, it was too late. Ronnie came back wet, cold and not too happy about my lack of knowledge concerning the difference between ducks and water turkeys, after finally getting the decoys picked up.
The three of us climbed in the boat and Ronnie shoved us off then turned to pull the rope that starts the motor (like the kind on a lawn mower) and it wouldn't start. He fiddled around with it and it still wouldn't start. We were floating around, getting further and further from land. Ronnie pulled his jacket off so that he could stick his hand down in the water to do something to the motor. It still wouldn't start. We floated past a piece of drift wood and he told me to grab it. I did. As it turned out, we apparently didn't have any oars in the boat, so when he had seen the drift wood, he had been pretty excited. Had I realized our predicament, I would have been excited too. So, he started trying to paddle us a little with the drift wood while continuing to mess with he motor. It had taken us about 20 minutes to get where we were going downstream with a motor. I didn't want to think about what it would take, going upstream using a piece of drift wood for an oar. We were all freezing, Ronnie wasn't wearing his jacket and his sleeves were wet. Sal and I were both shaking and sometimes Ronnie would pull the rope and the motor would start but then it would die again.
So, finally, he got it started and said hold on and we took off before it could die again. We were driving along as fast as the motor could move the boat. I was sitting in the front of the boat. Ronnie was sitting in back steering the motor and Sal was between us. I saw some motion out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Ronnie motioning like crazy for me to try to get his jacket. It was hard to hear anything over the motor. So, I looked down in the bottom of the boat for his jacket and Sal was sitting on it. The good news is that it was helping to dry her off while keeping her warm. I tried to get it out from under her without tipping the boat over while we drove. Ronnie finally shook his head and told me to forget it.
When we got back to the boat ramp, we all got out of the boat and Ronnie told me to hold the rope while he went and got the truck. He and Sal went up the hill and came back down in the truck. Then Ronnie and I had to lift the boat up, turn it over and put it in the truck. I was frozen and tired and hungry and not the least bit happy about any of it. While we struggled to get the boat in the truck, I said, "where's Sal?" Ronnie pointed into the truck. She was sitting in the cab of his pickup on the seat with the heater running full blast and watching us while we stood outside freezing.
All of this had taken place so that I could take pictures of that dog who was supposed to love cold wet weather and she was sitting inside the pick up, with the heater running while I was outside, working and freezing. I was not happy about any of it. I vowed that I would never go duck hunting again. I haven't. I don't understand the attraction. Yes, it was really pretty watching the sun come up out there in the marsh and it would have been even prettier if there had been ducks and I could have gotten a picture of Sal, "the wonder dog", doing her thing. But there is nothing worth going out on a marsh before daylight when the temperature is below freezing. Thanks, but no thanks! I'll just stick with my optimal 72 degrees at all times.
Have a good day! I've got to go find a sweatshirt!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Day One-Eighty-Three - Fair Time? Fun Time!
Okay, today I am really tired! Ugh! I think I could sleep for a week. Maybe two. So, two days in a row, I am working on this blog before 7 a.m. You may be thinking to yourself, "Wow! Now that Susan is a business owner, she is all over this morning thing!" Well, don't get used to it. I am not now, nor will I ever be a person who gets up early by choice. It is all about you, people. I am driving to Nacogdoches this morning and I decided that it would be unfair of me to deprive you of this blog before I left. And it doesn't stop there. I'm taking my laptop and staying at my brothers house tonight. So, I will be able to blog again tomorrow.
So, yesterday my cousins and I went to the fair. I had a great time. I hope they did too. Here is the really great news. I was able to limit myself to only one corn dog!!! I know what you are thinking.... "But Susan, this is your one chance of the year to eat unlimited corn dogs! What were you thinking??!?!?!?" I may go back. There was a booth that had really great pillows and I have been wanting a new pillow. But I didn't want to have to haul a new pillow home with me yesterday. So, I didn't get it. Let me show you what I did get. I know at least one person who is going to be very jealous.
The insoles come out and you can just spray them down when they get muddy. As I am sure you can imagine, walking across my paved parking lot to the dumpster can be quite treacherous... Not! We each bought a pair of these. Well, except for Peter. He didn't get a pair. That would have just been weird. I'm sure that Cindy and Anna will be able to get a lot of use from these when they get back home to Oregon. I'm not sure that Terry and I will get quite as much use from them here in the Metroplex. But I'm taking mine to Nac today. It could rain before I come home and I must be prepared! These little jewels would have been nice to have had on my feet during at least one day in Barcelona a few years ago.
All in all, I think I did a very good job of walking past vendors yesterday without buying much trash to bring home with me. This is an achievement. I have a very low threshold for resisting the urge to buy junk that I don't need. After all, who among us couldn't use a steel jalapeno griller shaped like Texas???? You know the ones that hold the jalapeno standing up so that the cheese doesn't ooze out of it? I know I could use one at least once a year. So, the fact that I made it home without one is remarkable. I'm still not sure I'm in the clear as far as buying a steam mop goes. The demonstration for those beauties was pretty amazing. I actually handled one. My ugly miserable white tile would look so much better if I just bought a steam mop and there's a website.....
Here's something interesting to check out if you go to the fair.... There is a Celtic rock band playing there and I think the guy said they play 4 shows a day during the fair. I know what you are thinking.... Celtic Rock???? Really???!??!!? But give it a listen. You might be amazed. Who knew that anybody could rock the bagpipes like this? http://www.killdares.com/ That phrase just sounds crazy, "rock the bagpipes"?
I rode the train to Fairpark yesterday. Our DartRail system is kind of great. I must say that I parked my car at the Arapaho Station at 10 yesterday morning and even with hopping off and changing to the Green line at Pearl St. I was still inside the fairgrounds at 10:50 yesterday. While I could have gotten there in my car a little quicker than that, I would have paid $15 for parking, spent at least $4 on gas and driven around looking for a close parking place and then still walked 15 minutes from the parking area into the fairgrounds once I had arrived negating the time savings that I would have gotten on transport time. Taking the train, cost $4 roundtrip and they dropped me off at the front gate. I was standing next to Big Tex before 11.
The trip home was even quicker and easier! I walked out to the Fairpark train stop (at the front gate) a few minutes before 6 and the sign said a Green train would be there in one minute, it was. I got on and went to the Pearl St. Station where a Red line train was waiting, got on it and it left within less than a minute. I was back at my car by 6:30! I know that in the last year there has been some publicity about violence on DartRail. But yesterday, there was a strong presence of Dart Cops on the trains. My ticket was checked going in each direction which hasn't normally happened to me in the past. I liked it that someone with a uniform and gun walked through the train checking tickets and sort of checking the passengers out too.
I get aggravated when I spend the $4 for my local day pass and then no one checks it. I think to myself when that happens that probably half of the people on the train didn't even buy a pass and are just riding for free. I only saw one man get a ticket in the cars I was in yesterday. I don't know what the fine for riding without a ticket is, but $4 has to be cheaper.
Well, I am going to finish my coffee and get a little work done now so that I can hit the road. You guys have a great day. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
So, yesterday my cousins and I went to the fair. I had a great time. I hope they did too. Here is the really great news. I was able to limit myself to only one corn dog!!! I know what you are thinking.... "But Susan, this is your one chance of the year to eat unlimited corn dogs! What were you thinking??!?!?!?" I may go back. There was a booth that had really great pillows and I have been wanting a new pillow. But I didn't want to have to haul a new pillow home with me yesterday. So, I didn't get it. Let me show you what I did get. I know at least one person who is going to be very jealous.
The insoles come out and you can just spray them down when they get muddy. As I am sure you can imagine, walking across my paved parking lot to the dumpster can be quite treacherous... Not! We each bought a pair of these. Well, except for Peter. He didn't get a pair. That would have just been weird. I'm sure that Cindy and Anna will be able to get a lot of use from these when they get back home to Oregon. I'm not sure that Terry and I will get quite as much use from them here in the Metroplex. But I'm taking mine to Nac today. It could rain before I come home and I must be prepared! These little jewels would have been nice to have had on my feet during at least one day in Barcelona a few years ago.
All in all, I think I did a very good job of walking past vendors yesterday without buying much trash to bring home with me. This is an achievement. I have a very low threshold for resisting the urge to buy junk that I don't need. After all, who among us couldn't use a steel jalapeno griller shaped like Texas???? You know the ones that hold the jalapeno standing up so that the cheese doesn't ooze out of it? I know I could use one at least once a year. So, the fact that I made it home without one is remarkable. I'm still not sure I'm in the clear as far as buying a steam mop goes. The demonstration for those beauties was pretty amazing. I actually handled one. My ugly miserable white tile would look so much better if I just bought a steam mop and there's a website.....
Here's something interesting to check out if you go to the fair.... There is a Celtic rock band playing there and I think the guy said they play 4 shows a day during the fair. I know what you are thinking.... Celtic Rock???? Really???!??!!? But give it a listen. You might be amazed. Who knew that anybody could rock the bagpipes like this? http://www.killdares.com/ That phrase just sounds crazy, "rock the bagpipes"?
I rode the train to Fairpark yesterday. Our DartRail system is kind of great. I must say that I parked my car at the Arapaho Station at 10 yesterday morning and even with hopping off and changing to the Green line at Pearl St. I was still inside the fairgrounds at 10:50 yesterday. While I could have gotten there in my car a little quicker than that, I would have paid $15 for parking, spent at least $4 on gas and driven around looking for a close parking place and then still walked 15 minutes from the parking area into the fairgrounds once I had arrived negating the time savings that I would have gotten on transport time. Taking the train, cost $4 roundtrip and they dropped me off at the front gate. I was standing next to Big Tex before 11.
The trip home was even quicker and easier! I walked out to the Fairpark train stop (at the front gate) a few minutes before 6 and the sign said a Green train would be there in one minute, it was. I got on and went to the Pearl St. Station where a Red line train was waiting, got on it and it left within less than a minute. I was back at my car by 6:30! I know that in the last year there has been some publicity about violence on DartRail. But yesterday, there was a strong presence of Dart Cops on the trains. My ticket was checked going in each direction which hasn't normally happened to me in the past. I liked it that someone with a uniform and gun walked through the train checking tickets and sort of checking the passengers out too.
I get aggravated when I spend the $4 for my local day pass and then no one checks it. I think to myself when that happens that probably half of the people on the train didn't even buy a pass and are just riding for free. I only saw one man get a ticket in the cars I was in yesterday. I don't know what the fine for riding without a ticket is, but $4 has to be cheaper.
Well, I am going to finish my coffee and get a little work done now so that I can hit the road. You guys have a great day. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Day One-Eighty-Two - Can't Contain the Excitement!
It sucks when you have to set an alarm so you can have fun. Today will be nothing but fun and I had to set two alarms for it to make sure that I didn't oversleep. Then I hit snooze for 35 minutes. Really? I'm putting off having fun in seven minute intervals? But in my defense, I was up until after 1:00 overnight because you know.... my business website finally went live and I was able to start up my page on FB. So that was a little exciting!!!! All of this is becoming more and more real and I am a little beside myself with excitement. Okay, I'm a lot beside myself.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
So, I still have a lot more training to do. But in the meantime, you my friends, can go ahead and start using my website. Ideally, that website would just be for you to shop around a little and then contact me, letting me personalize your travel experience. But in a pinch, if I am unavailable or perhaps untrained as I currently am when you need to book, you can do it yourself through that sight. As a traveler, I have worked through a travel agency before and found the experience pretty lacking. I didn't think they were that helpful and I thought, why involve other people and help them gain a commission when I wound up doing all the work myself? Plus I didn't think I was getting the best deal going through an agency. So, I stopped going through an agency and started just taking care of my own travel.
With my own agency, I want to make your job in planning a trip a lot easier. If you are like me and feel like planning the trip is half the fun, then don't worry, I won't take your fun away from you. I'll simply guide you and give you ideas if that is what you are looking for. But if you decide that you want to go some place and don't want to be bothered with a lot of details, then are you ever in luck! When it comes to travel, I'm sort of a freak, I think the details are fun.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
I'm still trying to make a decision about blogging. There is not a question in my mind that I will continue to blog. I really enjoy it. The thing I have been trying to decide is whether or not I should start a new travel blog and maintain this one, or just turn this into a travel blog. I think two daily blogs is too much for you and for me. So, if I did two of them, they wouldn't both be daily. I'm thinking a weekly travel blog and taking this one down to only 4 or 5 days a week. After all, I'll be working too, sort of.... I mean, is it work if you can't wait to do it?
In other news, I went to this networking thing last night in Frisco. I really enjoyed it. I joined a couple of different networking groups over the weekend on MeetUp, but when I started looking into them, there seemed to be a lot of really strict rules. Who knew there were so many rules to networking? I thought it was just about getting together, talking, helping one another make connections and perhaps exchanging ideas. I didn't realize that you could be disqualified from your chosen networking group for missing three meetings. Really? A kid can miss three days of school and not be kicked out, but if I miss three networking meetings in a year, you are going to kick me out? No thanks! The funny thing is, I probably wouldn't miss any meetings. But if you are going to start out by throwing out all of these threats at me, then I don't really want to be a part of your group. It just sounds a little stressful to me. I mean, who shows up to a networking meeting and takes attendance anyway? Probably the bitch who takes attendance would call me Meers and you know how I hate that. (That miserable Mr. Lampkin scarred me for life...)
So, the networking thing I went to last night turned out to be one that a friend had invited me to rather than one of the rule intensive ones I found on MeetUp. It was really nice and I think it will be beneficial. It is a group for women who own their own businesses.... you know.... like ME! Hee hee!!!! I'm a business owner. This world has gone topsy turvy I tell you!!!! Of course, my business cards were just ordered on Sunday so that haven't arrived yet. So, I went there with no cards to pass around which made it slightly awkward. But everyone was so nice and welcoming that I feel like next time when I have cards it will just be like giving them to you guys. Plus it's a small group and they just started meeting not too long ago.
That's another thing! My business cards shipped yesterday. I can't wait to get them. Y'all are going to get so sick of seeing them!!!! I'll give you one every time I see you. They'll be everywhere! You'll walk into a bathroom in Sri Lanka and there will be another one of my darn business cards plastered to the wall with a handwritten note on the tile next to it in black Sharpie that just says "REALLY??!?!?!?!?!" and an arrow pointing to the infernal card.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
Okay, well I'm going to go ahead and get a few things done so that I can get started on my fair day. Woohoo!!!!! This isn't Wednesday, It's CORNDOG DAY!!!!! Talk to you tomorrow.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
So, I still have a lot more training to do. But in the meantime, you my friends, can go ahead and start using my website. Ideally, that website would just be for you to shop around a little and then contact me, letting me personalize your travel experience. But in a pinch, if I am unavailable or perhaps untrained as I currently am when you need to book, you can do it yourself through that sight. As a traveler, I have worked through a travel agency before and found the experience pretty lacking. I didn't think they were that helpful and I thought, why involve other people and help them gain a commission when I wound up doing all the work myself? Plus I didn't think I was getting the best deal going through an agency. So, I stopped going through an agency and started just taking care of my own travel.
With my own agency, I want to make your job in planning a trip a lot easier. If you are like me and feel like planning the trip is half the fun, then don't worry, I won't take your fun away from you. I'll simply guide you and give you ideas if that is what you are looking for. But if you decide that you want to go some place and don't want to be bothered with a lot of details, then are you ever in luck! When it comes to travel, I'm sort of a freak, I think the details are fun.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
I'm still trying to make a decision about blogging. There is not a question in my mind that I will continue to blog. I really enjoy it. The thing I have been trying to decide is whether or not I should start a new travel blog and maintain this one, or just turn this into a travel blog. I think two daily blogs is too much for you and for me. So, if I did two of them, they wouldn't both be daily. I'm thinking a weekly travel blog and taking this one down to only 4 or 5 days a week. After all, I'll be working too, sort of.... I mean, is it work if you can't wait to do it?
In other news, I went to this networking thing last night in Frisco. I really enjoyed it. I joined a couple of different networking groups over the weekend on MeetUp, but when I started looking into them, there seemed to be a lot of really strict rules. Who knew there were so many rules to networking? I thought it was just about getting together, talking, helping one another make connections and perhaps exchanging ideas. I didn't realize that you could be disqualified from your chosen networking group for missing three meetings. Really? A kid can miss three days of school and not be kicked out, but if I miss three networking meetings in a year, you are going to kick me out? No thanks! The funny thing is, I probably wouldn't miss any meetings. But if you are going to start out by throwing out all of these threats at me, then I don't really want to be a part of your group. It just sounds a little stressful to me. I mean, who shows up to a networking meeting and takes attendance anyway? Probably the bitch who takes attendance would call me Meers and you know how I hate that. (That miserable Mr. Lampkin scarred me for life...)
So, the networking thing I went to last night turned out to be one that a friend had invited me to rather than one of the rule intensive ones I found on MeetUp. It was really nice and I think it will be beneficial. It is a group for women who own their own businesses.... you know.... like ME! Hee hee!!!! I'm a business owner. This world has gone topsy turvy I tell you!!!! Of course, my business cards were just ordered on Sunday so that haven't arrived yet. So, I went there with no cards to pass around which made it slightly awkward. But everyone was so nice and welcoming that I feel like next time when I have cards it will just be like giving them to you guys. Plus it's a small group and they just started meeting not too long ago.
That's another thing! My business cards shipped yesterday. I can't wait to get them. Y'all are going to get so sick of seeing them!!!! I'll give you one every time I see you. They'll be everywhere! You'll walk into a bathroom in Sri Lanka and there will be another one of my darn business cards plastered to the wall with a handwritten note on the tile next to it in black Sharpie that just says "REALLY??!?!?!?!?!" and an arrow pointing to the infernal card.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
Okay, well I'm going to go ahead and get a few things done so that I can get started on my fair day. Woohoo!!!!! This isn't Wednesday, It's CORNDOG DAY!!!!! Talk to you tomorrow.
http://www.placesuwillgo.com/
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Day One-Eighty-One - Go Mosquitoes!!!!!
Okay, well, now that football season is over for all intents and purposes I think it is time we start looking toward what is really important - you know, the cruise in January. Give me a break people. It's all I got. But before we go there I just have a few things to say about the Cowboys then I won't mention them again until next year.
The Cowboys owner and GM is barely marginal as an owner and sucks as a GM. Worst of all, the owner won't fire the GM because, oh yeah, it's him! The head coach is worse at coordinating an offense than the GM is at managing a team. But here is an interesting fact, he is not the offensive coordinator. He just assigned himself the duty of calling offensive plays or maybe the stellar GM made that decision, who knows. There is a guy, Bill Callahan on the coaching roster who is supposedly.... get ready for this 'cause it's greatness..... he's the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach.
Yes that's right, the guy who is supposed to be coaching the worst part of this team (the offensive line), is also the guy who is supposed to be coordinating the offense and on most other teams, he would be calling the offensive plays. Either he has the worst and most uncoachable offensive line in the NFL or he sucks at his job. Or perhaps both. It's all starting to make sense. For the last 19 years the owner has hired mostly inadequate people as head coach and then not allowed them to do half of their job while he has done half of it (poorly) for them. It works out great for him. Most of them with the exception of Bill Parcells were just happy to have a head coaching job in the NFL so they couldn't say to Jerry, "we do it my way or I walk" since Jerry's response would be, "with what I'm allowing you to do, my granddaughter's brownie troupe could do your job, so okay". So, the pattern has been, hire an inadequate person to do a job that we all know they are unqualified for, then do the job for them since it is the job you wanted in the first place. When you fail, fire the person with the title then go out and find another pansy who will just take the ridiculous sum of money for another couple of years while you do his job poorly. Jerry has done it with head coaches for years.
So on this go around the head coach is a former player who was never good enough as a player to get a starting job but a lot of the fans wanted to coach this team and who, yes, we all know because we've heard it 1,000,000 times, went to Princeton. This guy was going to be the savior. Well guess what. The same puppet master is still pulling the strings. The only difference this time around is that one of the puppets is actually holding another set of strings in his hand. Folks, if the puppet is holding strings, the puppet master is still making the moves. So here is what you've got, you have an owner who is also the GM, the coach has no authority, which means that the owner is making most of the coaching calls, the offense is being run by the coach who, perhaps I mentioned this previously, HAS NO AUTHORITY, so the offense is also being run by the owner. If Jerry could figure out a way to put himself or a member of his family in every position on this team, he would do it.
I can see it now, Charlotte Jones at center snapping the ball to Jerry, while Stephen and Jerry Jr. block and then Jerry throws the ball to himself and who can't get down field to catch it, so he starts crying and blames the head coach who he fires as a result. Well, I say it every year about this time, I am over it. Another year has been wasted. And many more will continue to be wasted. Unless a rogue West Nile carrying mosquito makes it's way into the owners box at the Deathstar and does away with the entire Jones family, we have seen the last football championship in Dallas. Jerry Jr. or Stephen will take the team over when Jerry is gone and since they share a brain, they will be no better. We can't even make Jerry buckle under by not going to games. If we try that the entire country of Mexico just buys the tickets and goes, so Jerry still gets his money.
So, here's the plan. Quit caring. It's just easier this way. I know, I say this and then next week, I'll be right back there, watching and caring. But if we start some kind of support group that meets at game time and we are allowed to only talk about things like sodding a lawn or when to plant trees, we'll be happier! I promise, this could work. We could all bring pictures of our pets or children in Rangers gear and pass them around the room. Who can resist a Chihuahua wearing a Rangers cap???? Not me! Be strong my friends, we'll get through this! In the meantime, root for the mosquitoes!!!!!
The Cowboys owner and GM is barely marginal as an owner and sucks as a GM. Worst of all, the owner won't fire the GM because, oh yeah, it's him! The head coach is worse at coordinating an offense than the GM is at managing a team. But here is an interesting fact, he is not the offensive coordinator. He just assigned himself the duty of calling offensive plays or maybe the stellar GM made that decision, who knows. There is a guy, Bill Callahan on the coaching roster who is supposedly.... get ready for this 'cause it's greatness..... he's the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach.
Yes that's right, the guy who is supposed to be coaching the worst part of this team (the offensive line), is also the guy who is supposed to be coordinating the offense and on most other teams, he would be calling the offensive plays. Either he has the worst and most uncoachable offensive line in the NFL or he sucks at his job. Or perhaps both. It's all starting to make sense. For the last 19 years the owner has hired mostly inadequate people as head coach and then not allowed them to do half of their job while he has done half of it (poorly) for them. It works out great for him. Most of them with the exception of Bill Parcells were just happy to have a head coaching job in the NFL so they couldn't say to Jerry, "we do it my way or I walk" since Jerry's response would be, "with what I'm allowing you to do, my granddaughter's brownie troupe could do your job, so okay". So, the pattern has been, hire an inadequate person to do a job that we all know they are unqualified for, then do the job for them since it is the job you wanted in the first place. When you fail, fire the person with the title then go out and find another pansy who will just take the ridiculous sum of money for another couple of years while you do his job poorly. Jerry has done it with head coaches for years.
So on this go around the head coach is a former player who was never good enough as a player to get a starting job but a lot of the fans wanted to coach this team and who, yes, we all know because we've heard it 1,000,000 times, went to Princeton. This guy was going to be the savior. Well guess what. The same puppet master is still pulling the strings. The only difference this time around is that one of the puppets is actually holding another set of strings in his hand. Folks, if the puppet is holding strings, the puppet master is still making the moves. So here is what you've got, you have an owner who is also the GM, the coach has no authority, which means that the owner is making most of the coaching calls, the offense is being run by the coach who, perhaps I mentioned this previously, HAS NO AUTHORITY, so the offense is also being run by the owner. If Jerry could figure out a way to put himself or a member of his family in every position on this team, he would do it.
I can see it now, Charlotte Jones at center snapping the ball to Jerry, while Stephen and Jerry Jr. block and then Jerry throws the ball to himself and who can't get down field to catch it, so he starts crying and blames the head coach who he fires as a result. Well, I say it every year about this time, I am over it. Another year has been wasted. And many more will continue to be wasted. Unless a rogue West Nile carrying mosquito makes it's way into the owners box at the Deathstar and does away with the entire Jones family, we have seen the last football championship in Dallas. Jerry Jr. or Stephen will take the team over when Jerry is gone and since they share a brain, they will be no better. We can't even make Jerry buckle under by not going to games. If we try that the entire country of Mexico just buys the tickets and goes, so Jerry still gets his money.
So, here's the plan. Quit caring. It's just easier this way. I know, I say this and then next week, I'll be right back there, watching and caring. But if we start some kind of support group that meets at game time and we are allowed to only talk about things like sodding a lawn or when to plant trees, we'll be happier! I promise, this could work. We could all bring pictures of our pets or children in Rangers gear and pass them around the room. Who can resist a Chihuahua wearing a Rangers cap???? Not me! Be strong my friends, we'll get through this! In the meantime, root for the mosquitoes!!!!!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Day One-Eighty - Fair Days - Snow Days - Flood Days - No Comparison
I'm having trouble studying my travel agent manual. Not because I can't get motivated or because it isn't somewhat interesting. The problem is that my cats don't seem to like it when I work. I think that is what Jingle's problem has been for months. They perceive anything I do other than sitting around as a distraction from them and it cannot be tolerated. They can hear me open the loose leaf binder that I put the manual in from any room in the house. Even if Shiner is out on the patio, he hears it open and they both come running.
Once the troops are assembled they attack. Jingle starts his meowing. This particular meow sounds like he is trying to say something like "I'm sooooo lonely and all you ever do is work on that book!!! Do you love that book more than you love me???" Shiner just does this thing where he pats your arm with his paw and looks up at you with his little "I used to be homeless and sometimes I still get lonely and need to be reassured" face and whatever I am doing has to stop so that I can sit and pet the cats. Then Shiner lays across my manual to ensure that I will not pay attention to it for the next hour or so. I have to hand it to them. There aren't many better ways to thoroughly pull me away from anything. They are smart little cookies.
But still I believe I have managed to get a lot done in the last few days. Perhaps not as much as I would like. But I'm nearly half way through the training manual, I have a webinar scheduled for this afternoon, business cards have been ordered along with personalized thank you notes with the business name on them and I have joined 3 networking groups one of which meets tomorrow evening. Today, I need to really try to figure out how to set up the website. I think this could be what gets me which is why I haven't gone back to it since I purchased the domain name.
The good news is that my distractions today should be minimal. With this perfect weather, the cats will stay fairly well preoccupied with the birds and squirrels outside since I'll have windows and doors open. I cooked yesterday, so I don't have to cook anything today and I only have two errands to run this morning after I finish the blog. My errands consist of getting cat food and one of those headsets with the mic on it for my webinar. I'll also, be able to use it on my telephone for later so that I can type while I am on the phone with a client. So, I think it will be a good investment.
I want to get as much done as possible in regards to training today and tomorrow. I am taking a fair day on Wednesday. One of my cousins will be in town from Oregon and we are going. Then Thursday I am going to Nacogdoches for a few days. The cousins from Oregon will be going there and I'm going along. I'll stay at my brothers house this visit since Cindy and family will be at Mom and Dad's house. It will be fun.
Last week I talked to some friends who work at AAFES and they said that their employer gives them a fair day. I think that is the sign of a truly great employer. Sometimes I wish I had grown up in the Metroplex just because I know that all the kids around here get a fair day every year. A fair day sounds like the perfect day. I mean it's like a snow day or a tropical storm or hurricane day without the bad weather! You can't beat that!!!! I never went to a school or worked for an employer who gave fair days. Well, I mean until now. Now I work for this great woman! Late in the afternoon, when everything is starting to wind down for the day, she will even sometimes, allow me to go in the kitchen and pour a glass of wine to sip while I finish up. I've only worked here for a few days and she is already giving me Wed - Fri off this week. Of course, next week she'll no doubt be cracking the whip.
So, since Wednesday will be kind of like a bad weather day without the bad weather and I have no previous experience with fair days I'll tell you about a bad weather day from my past. When I was a sophomore in high school we lived in Lumberton. That year in April I turned 16 but a few days before my 16th birthday a really bad weather system came in and it rained buckets for days. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a tropical storm or anything just because it was only April. But anyway, it flooded our neighborhood. The night that it got really bad, my parents woke us up and told us to put anything we wanted to keep up on our beds. Once I finished stacking my Barry Manilow albums and stereo on my bed, I went into the kitchen and Mom and Dad were each at a door with a bucket soaking water up with towels as it came into the house and wringing the towels out into buckets.
They stationed me to work the garage door for a while. By morning we were able to stop doing that when water stopped coming into the house. But for days we were stranded in the neighborhood. On the second day my dad was able to go to work by going to the creek and being ferried across where someone from work picked him up. But the entire neighborhood was nothing but a big lake with houses and trees coming up out of it. Ronnie and I got our little john boat out during the days and rowed around the neighborhood. But you had to be careful not to create a wake because that would send water into someone's house. I don't remember how long we were stuck in the neighborhood. But I know that we missed several days of school while we couldn't get out.
On my birthday my mom baked me a cake but since she couldn't go to the store she had to use what she had available. So, she baked a layer cake from scratch with this fluffy white frosting and since she didn't have candles she used chocolate chips to put a big "16" on the top of the cake.
Several days after the initial flood we had to sweat it out while waiting for the rivers to crest. No one was sure until the rivers finally crested whether or not the house would end up with water in it. My mom and dad have pictures at their house of the water around the house and me and Ronnie in the john boat rowing down the street. Let's face it, I just reread that and it didn't sound fun at all. Other than missing school there was nothing good about it. So, in all honesty, the only kids in the state who really get to miss a day of school each year and know that it will be fun are the kids in the metroplex. Even with snow days, they aren't guaranteed plus you have to be cold. So, I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Fair Days ROCK!
I'm going to see if these cats will let me study. Have a good day and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Once the troops are assembled they attack. Jingle starts his meowing. This particular meow sounds like he is trying to say something like "I'm sooooo lonely and all you ever do is work on that book!!! Do you love that book more than you love me???" Shiner just does this thing where he pats your arm with his paw and looks up at you with his little "I used to be homeless and sometimes I still get lonely and need to be reassured" face and whatever I am doing has to stop so that I can sit and pet the cats. Then Shiner lays across my manual to ensure that I will not pay attention to it for the next hour or so. I have to hand it to them. There aren't many better ways to thoroughly pull me away from anything. They are smart little cookies.
But still I believe I have managed to get a lot done in the last few days. Perhaps not as much as I would like. But I'm nearly half way through the training manual, I have a webinar scheduled for this afternoon, business cards have been ordered along with personalized thank you notes with the business name on them and I have joined 3 networking groups one of which meets tomorrow evening. Today, I need to really try to figure out how to set up the website. I think this could be what gets me which is why I haven't gone back to it since I purchased the domain name.
The good news is that my distractions today should be minimal. With this perfect weather, the cats will stay fairly well preoccupied with the birds and squirrels outside since I'll have windows and doors open. I cooked yesterday, so I don't have to cook anything today and I only have two errands to run this morning after I finish the blog. My errands consist of getting cat food and one of those headsets with the mic on it for my webinar. I'll also, be able to use it on my telephone for later so that I can type while I am on the phone with a client. So, I think it will be a good investment.
I want to get as much done as possible in regards to training today and tomorrow. I am taking a fair day on Wednesday. One of my cousins will be in town from Oregon and we are going. Then Thursday I am going to Nacogdoches for a few days. The cousins from Oregon will be going there and I'm going along. I'll stay at my brothers house this visit since Cindy and family will be at Mom and Dad's house. It will be fun.
Last week I talked to some friends who work at AAFES and they said that their employer gives them a fair day. I think that is the sign of a truly great employer. Sometimes I wish I had grown up in the Metroplex just because I know that all the kids around here get a fair day every year. A fair day sounds like the perfect day. I mean it's like a snow day or a tropical storm or hurricane day without the bad weather! You can't beat that!!!! I never went to a school or worked for an employer who gave fair days. Well, I mean until now. Now I work for this great woman! Late in the afternoon, when everything is starting to wind down for the day, she will even sometimes, allow me to go in the kitchen and pour a glass of wine to sip while I finish up. I've only worked here for a few days and she is already giving me Wed - Fri off this week. Of course, next week she'll no doubt be cracking the whip.
So, since Wednesday will be kind of like a bad weather day without the bad weather and I have no previous experience with fair days I'll tell you about a bad weather day from my past. When I was a sophomore in high school we lived in Lumberton. That year in April I turned 16 but a few days before my 16th birthday a really bad weather system came in and it rained buckets for days. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a tropical storm or anything just because it was only April. But anyway, it flooded our neighborhood. The night that it got really bad, my parents woke us up and told us to put anything we wanted to keep up on our beds. Once I finished stacking my Barry Manilow albums and stereo on my bed, I went into the kitchen and Mom and Dad were each at a door with a bucket soaking water up with towels as it came into the house and wringing the towels out into buckets.
They stationed me to work the garage door for a while. By morning we were able to stop doing that when water stopped coming into the house. But for days we were stranded in the neighborhood. On the second day my dad was able to go to work by going to the creek and being ferried across where someone from work picked him up. But the entire neighborhood was nothing but a big lake with houses and trees coming up out of it. Ronnie and I got our little john boat out during the days and rowed around the neighborhood. But you had to be careful not to create a wake because that would send water into someone's house. I don't remember how long we were stuck in the neighborhood. But I know that we missed several days of school while we couldn't get out.
On my birthday my mom baked me a cake but since she couldn't go to the store she had to use what she had available. So, she baked a layer cake from scratch with this fluffy white frosting and since she didn't have candles she used chocolate chips to put a big "16" on the top of the cake.
Several days after the initial flood we had to sweat it out while waiting for the rivers to crest. No one was sure until the rivers finally crested whether or not the house would end up with water in it. My mom and dad have pictures at their house of the water around the house and me and Ronnie in the john boat rowing down the street. Let's face it, I just reread that and it didn't sound fun at all. Other than missing school there was nothing good about it. So, in all honesty, the only kids in the state who really get to miss a day of school each year and know that it will be fun are the kids in the metroplex. Even with snow days, they aren't guaranteed plus you have to be cold. So, I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Fair Days ROCK!
I'm going to see if these cats will let me study. Have a good day and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)