The Rusty Spigot

Bad News/Good News March 6, 2009

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Cyclamen

The bad news: Doc got a verbal offer yesterday or the day before for the job in another state. He’s waiting now, before accepting, to see what their “Incentive Bonus Offer” is. Looks like I’ll be losing my full time job. He’ll be coming back once a month to see patients on a Saturday, and I will still be working for him then, and on a part time basis doing the bills, scheduling, insurance claims, etc from home. (He’ll provide a phone and wireless internet access for me.) The doctor down the breezeway is going to take over our office and use it as an admin office. Doc told him he needs to come up with a plan so that he (My doc) can use one of his rooms to see patients once a month. In other words “Tell me what you want to trade.”

The good news: Said Dr … (Dr. Milt, I’ve mentioned him before) said what he REALLY wants “Is for Kathy to come work for me.” Woohoo! So it looks like I could be maintaining two part time jobs. Dr. Milt will only need me on Tuesdays and Thursdays, possibly Wednesdays, unless he wants me/needs me to come in on the days he’s not in the office – I don’t know the details as of yet, because I haven’t spoken to him about it. He asked Doc if he’d “Put a bug in her ear” and see if I’d be interested. Heck, yes, I’d be interested! I love working with Dr. Milt – I’ve done so in the past when he’s needed someone. I’d be doing what I do now – only with more back office work (Which I love, and miss) and I think someone else would handle the scheduling. He mentioned he needs help with the QuickBooks work load, and I know that system inside out (Which Dr. Milt knows, I helped him with it when he first started his office.) I’m kind of excited about it, simply because now I don’t need to look for a job! We’ll see if it all pans out.

Another

Last night The Hub and I were commenting how well behaved Piper had been the past few days. She’d gone to bed all three nights without complaint, and last night she even ate her dinner! Later when I saw Dee I told her what we had said, and she also agreed, wondering why it had been so. Piper has just been a handful lately, so we were all well pleased with her behavior.

Lemon Blooms

Today Dee said “We spoke too soon! Piper has been terrible today!” I should have kept my mouth closed and not jinxed it.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this or not. I’m old and feeble brained, I can’t remember everything, now can I? One day I was collecting all the pieces of slate in the back yard, and I was laying them all down to start a path to the garden in the southeast corner of our yard. I had them all fitted nicely together, and was proud of myself – but all that “Hard work” made me need a break.

I later came out to find this:

Slate Sun

It’s undergone a few transformations since it was put down, but that’s how it looks today.

A week or so later, I came home to find this companion:

Slate Moon

My son … the artist!

Slate Sun and Moon

I love them! We have little sun and moon pavers/wall art hanging along the back fence, so this fits the “Theme” of the back yard (And our downstairs bathroom, may I add?) quite well.

Just Wondering …
Why do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?

Charlie! Back up that truckload of stress and dump it right here! March 3, 2009

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Apologies. I haven’t felt much like writing as of late. I don’t write because I don’t want to whine, but that’s exactly what I’d be doing, so I haven’t bothered.

Dee and the kids moved back in with us Friday night. Her (Non) mother called her a bad mother, and said just because she’s been raising her kids alone for three years doesn’t make her a good mother, and her (Non) step dad agreed with her mom. How could a mother, who didn’t even raise her own children, even pretend to know what being a good mother is all about? Dee was pawned off from relative to relative when she was young because her mother “Couldn’t handle” her. (Her Mom’s words. Not mine.) Dee IS a good mother. Her children are always clean and well fed (When they decide they will eat, that is) and cared for.

After Dee moved in with us, she went home to pick up the rest of her things, and there was a letter from her mother, telling Dee that she wanted Dee and the kids to stay there, but there would be “Rules.”

No taking the kids out during the day, ever, and certainly never having them out of the house past six p.m.

Do I really need to list any of the other rules? That right there, that JAIL SENTENCE, would be enough to make me run for the hills and never look back.

It’s all because Dee got her license and a car, and now her mom can’t control her by keeping her locked up at home.

I am not, and never have been a violent person, let me qualify that. I would not want to, and certainly hope I never meet that woman. There’s no telling how much damage I would do with my mouth alone. (Duh. Meaning harsh words, not that I would bite her or anything!)

We have some rules, here – like telling us if you aren’t going to be home for dinner so I don’t cook for an Army when only a posse will be showing up. We’d like to know if you are not going to be spending the night at home. That’s about it, though. Common decency is all we demand. Adults shouldn’t have to live by a child’s rules. Am I wrong about that?

So other than that – no word as yet if I am losing my job. The boss went for his interviews in the other state this past weekend. He hasn’t been offered a job (Yet) but if he is offered one he will take it. He was in a car accident while there – slipping around on the ice/snow. Bad omen, I’d say.

Taxes. Ugh. It’s not that ours are very difficult normally, but I have come to a road block. I am unsure how to report the theft of items from the house. Singlely? As one mass unit with just the total amount listed and “Household items” as the “Stolen object?” I need to go down and talk to my friend Sheila tomorrow morning and ask her – she’s a tax preparer and will know, or will find out for me.

Haven’t sold the old van yet.

The community garage sale is in two weeks and we have not begun getting things ready for that. (Or is it three weeks?)

I planted some peas, jalapenos (Seeds and one plant) and a new tomato plant. The old tomato plants magically made it through the winter and are still producing, but I don’t know how long that will continue. The peas have come up – all 38 of them, and the peppers haven’t poled out of the ground yet. I also planted a lime tree (Bearss limes – as big as lemons! It’s got some small limes on it already!) The lemon tree is growing in leaps and bounds, and some of the older lemons are now as big as … thinking … kumquats. We also planted two Shamen Ash trees to replace the two Ficus trees that froze a few winters back. They are about ten feet tall and doing well so far. The aloe blooms are getting very tall and I just cannot wait to see those blooming. Last weekend I pulled almost all the crab grass from the front yard and sprayed the weeds in the rock gardens. I reckon that’s about it on the gardening front.

I have some cool photos I want to add to this entry, but I haven’t resized them yet, so they will have to wait.

Just wondering ….
Why don’t you ever see the headline “Psychic wins the lottery?”

On Being Judgemental Feb 19, 2009 February 19, 2009

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I have become much less judgemental in recent years, and I had thought that I wasn’t very judgemental at all. I’ve come to realize I am still judgemental, but not so much about things that really matter – more about trivial things, and I need to just stop it! For example – I won’t judge someone on the color of their skin, or a disability, or say, tattoos or hair color, but I have noticed I judge about clothing, or say … what they are eating. If i read someones blog about what they are making for dinner, and I know a bit of their health history, like … diabetes, or high blood pressure or high cholesterol – then I find myself judging them for what they are eating. (I’ve long since stopped judging over weight people on what they eat, as I myself am overweight, and just because I see someone eating an ice cream cone doesn’t mean they eat one every day!) I need to stop feeling like a know it all and wishing I could write out menus for people. As for the issues I have with clothing (i.e. she shouldn’t wear that, her muffin top is showing, or she’s too old for that short skirt, or man, does he ever wash his clothes?) I am not sure I can ever make that go away. The Hub teases I’m on the Fashion Police Squad. He can’t gripe about it too much, because I have passed the trait on to him. He was actually walking away from me in the store the other day and came all the way back to say “Check out Miss Thang in gold.” Hee hee!!

I had the day off today (I REALLY needed the day off, I wish I could explain why, but I can’t because though it does concern me, it’s not my story to tell) and went out to the base to have my bloodwork done. I need to make an appointment for my three month check up but so far haven’t been very motivated to do so. I think it’s because I’m going to be ashamed of my HbA1c results. I expect them to be on the high side because I’ve been fighting off illness for so long, and I am super stressed out about a few things. I’m not going to stress about it, though, because I KNOW why they will be high, and I KNOW it’s not because I’ve been going crazy with my diet. That doesn’t make it suck any less, though.

I might be losing my job. The boss is interviewing in another state next weekend. In some ways I feel like it’s a betrayal. I’ve stuck by him through thick and thin, and not getting paid regularly – and now that the times are really rough, he’s going to bail and leave me without a job. (If he takes the out of state job) I can understand it from his side – he needs to make money, too, and business hasn’t been that great, but .. geeze. I let my Xray license lapse because I thought I”d be with him for many more years. I have no idea what it will entail to get it back, but I suppose I’m going to have to look into that now. I am thinking of trying to get a job at the base hospital if I have to look for new work. It’s closer, the traffic headache will be less, and I am certainly capable of doing an MA job or reception job out there. If I can get my Xray license back, I could try for a position in that clinic, too. See? Stress. Another way to make those blood sugars skyrocket.

I am starting to get over this … cold? Whatever it may be. I just can’t seem to shake the extreme fatigue.

Jack Ford. Yummy.

Just wondering ….
How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

February 15, 2009 Over-reacting February 15, 2009

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We had a fairly busy Saturday … for us. We did our grocery shopping yesterday, then took the van to have it’s OBD testing so we can renew the registration. It still needs some work before we can sell it, but the registration expires today, so we needed to get that taken care of so we don’t get ticketed for letting it lapse. After that we ran out to Wally World to pick up some weed and feed for our lawn. With all the rain the weeds have come out in full force. Amazingly, the grass hasn’t greened up with all that rain, but the weeds are certainly thriving.

I, of course, picked up a tomato plant and a jalapeno plant to get them started. My other two tomato plants are still producing, but I expect that to end here shortly.

I picked up some citrus fertilizer, as well, because I want all those lemons to actually ripen. The lemon tree is still setting out new blooms and new shoots, and all those lemon buds from a few weeks ago are starting to turn into little baby lemons. Most of them are about the size of grapes, and there are tons of new blooms, too, so hopefully we’ll get a lemon or two eventually.

Dee got her license a few weeks ago, did I mention? This weekend she was heading to Ft Hood to pick up her dogs with her cousin (Who, thankfully, has been driving for a bit longer than Dee.) We were supposed to watch the kids, but her mother ended up taking off the weekend and tomorrow so she could watch the kids. Just as well, as I am still not feeling any better. Anyway, she was going to stop by last night at around six for directions on how we drove to Ft. Hood. She never showed up, and I wondered if perhaps the trip had been called off. We never heard from her at all to say she wasn’t coming over.

This morning I texted her and asked if she had made it to Ft Hood yet. She said no, that they were still in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. I wrote back “Oh, wow! You took the long way!” She said they left yesterday at about 4 pm, and had driven all night. It was nine thirty when I texted, so that was 17.5 hours, and DFW is still about three hours from Ft Hood. It only takes about 15 hours to drive the way we went, and she asked how they should get back home, because she needed to be home tomorrow. She also sent me her cousin’s cell number so I could text the directions to her, as Dee’s cell phone was about to be out of juice. So I start texting the directions (You know what a pain in the patoot that is? There’s quite a few twists and turns to get back to I-10, so the directions are a bit lengthy.) I get “Ugh! Are these the instructions to go back???” I text “Yes, do you not want them?” and I get back “Oh, no, we do!” I was slightly perturbed because 1. You asked me to send them, and 2. If you had stopped by like you said you were, you could already be on your way home, or at least grabbing a few hours of rest before you head back out and 3. Why are you acting annoyed that I’m sending them when not two minutes ago you asked for them?

I texted that I was sorry the directions were a bit lengthy, but had you stopped by the house like you said you were going to, you’d already have them. I didn’t hear anything back, and I never finished sending the directions. Perhaps I’m just over-reacting, but I would think two young ladies going on a thirty hour trip (Well, in their case it may well be over 40 hours, since they went the long way) would have been more well prepared. Her aunt gave her the directions, but it seems she could have asked her step-dad and/or us, who have all driven there, before taking direction from someone who has not been there before. Eh. I’m washing my hands of the whole situation.

I’ve got manicotti in the oven, one of my favorite meals, and I’m nauseated just thinking about eating anything. Because I’m ill and fighting something off, my sugars are a bit out of whack, which stresses me the hell out, and makes my sugars even more out of whack. No seriously high or low numbers, but enough off my usual control that it displeases me.

I have to work tomorrow, and everyone else in this house has the day off. How unfair is that?? I did have Friday off, though, and they didn’t. I went and got my hair cut, and sat there for two and a half hours because my stylist was the only one working and it was freakishly busy. She cut my hair a bit too short, so it’s a little hard to blow dry, but in a week or two it should be fine. I was thinking my trip to the salon would be a quick one, but alas, it was not and my whole day was shot after that.

Just Wondering ….
Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Feb 9, 2009 February 9, 2009

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I’m still alive!

I don’t really like complaining about my health, since there are people who have so many more problems than I do, and I just have the weird everlasting bug that’s going around. I was feeling lots better for about eight days, but now it’s back with a vengeance. I’ve been so poorly I haven’t even been playing MapleStory very much. I’ll leave it at that.

I’ve been harvesting tomatoes! I actually had enough at one point to make a small pot of spaghetti sauce. I’ve still got a few ripening on the vine.

In other garden news – my aloe vera plant is sending up bloom shoots! I’ve never seen an aloe bloom, so it will be interesting. I’ve got four large spikes coming up. I can’t wait to see how they look in full bloom. The plant itself is huge, and I planted it as a small, five spike plant. Below is one of the spikes.

Let’s see. The kids and Dea went back home the day Brock left to go back to Afghanistan, but they’ve been back a few times. They were here over the weekend, mainly so Bryce could babysit while Dea was out until all hours of the morning. I fear there’s a bit of advantage being taken – but she pays Bryce to watch them, and he wants the money. I think we are supposed to take care of the kids all weekend long this weekend while she goes to Texas to pick up her dogs. I’m sure that will be a blast. Piper must say “I miss my momma” about a million times each hour that her mom isn’t here, and it’s really very annoying. We’ve taken to ignoring her when she says that, or “Where’s my Momma?” after we’ve told her several times. Now we just say “Where did we tell you she was?” or “Where do you think she is?” She’s old enough to remember what she’s been told, and most times we think she says it just to hear herself whine about something. Child never stops asking.

I’ve been going to the dentist to get the much needed work done on my teeth. Friday I got a blue filling. The tooth needs a crown, but we just did the build up Friday. I’ll go in a few weeks for the crown prep. The blue filling, I take it, is a heavy duty polymer or something. The decay was really bad and went nearly to my jaw bone. It never hurt me, and I never even knew it was bad. A corner had chipped off, so I knew that had to be repaired, but I had no idea it was as bad as it was. The decay wasn’t even on the back of the tooth, where it had chipped off. Even the X-ray of it didn’t make it look as bad as it was. It looked like it would be a simple filling replacement. So, I guess I can say I got a new Bluetooth on Friday. Heh. I slay me.

Just Wondering …

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Addicted 01-26-09 January 26, 2009

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Hi! My name is Kath and I’m addicted to an MMPRPG. When Brock was home he got me signed up on this game he plays – Maple Story. He gave me a million Meso’s (The money on the game) and bought me a beautiful 4000 meso frock “So you don’t look like a noob.” He lead me through the first eight levels so I could pick my career (Magician) and then he left for Afghanistan. Argh. It’s always “I have to get to the next level so I can ____.” I think he’d be pretty proud of me, I’m a level 23 now. OMG. I can’t believe I’m saying my son would be proud of my achievements in an online game.

Unless you have lots of time on your hands … don’t do it. I’m serious, you’ll be stuck in your computer chair for all eternity killing tree stumps and blobs of sticky liquid and weird monsters that leave you gifts when you kill them. all to satisfy quests you are performing for administration characters who are “Unable to leave this area.” (Yet, you see them in every area you go to, with little books over their heads, reminding you that you are supposed to be doing a quest for them.) It’s great fun.

I can no longer rag The Hub for playing his online game, except for the fact that he pays a monthly fee, and this one is free. (Unless you want to buy more storage space, or goofy adornments for your character, such as the frock Brock bought for me.)

So anyway.

Brock left the day before our 25th anniversary, and two days before my 29th (With 18 years experience) birthday. We never got around to making Christmas cookies, and to my disappointment, we never took the family Christmas portrait, either. The days we were all together we were eating or laughing or telling tales on one another and we just never remembered to snap that picture. I didn’t even take many pictures, really. It was just wonderful having everyone around, and spending time with Brock. I’m grateful for that and there will be more opportunities for us to take a picture together.

I’ve got to get going – someone needs 50 red evil eyes or 53 saplings or 999 blue horny mushroom caps!

Just Wondering ….
What disease did cured ham actually have?

In Which Piper Tries to Pull a Fast One January 11, 2009

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Tonight at dinner Brock told Piper she had to finish up her dinner or she was going to go straight to bed. She only had two or three bites left, but she didn’t have much to start out with, and she’s been a real pain in the patoot about eating lately. Brock got up from the table, and I had started washing the dishes. Piper had dropped her napkin and asked me to get it. I told her my hands were wet, but if she could wait just a minute I’d be over to help her. Dee was sitting right there, so she got up and got the napkin. Dee was tending to Gavin or something, but turned back just in time to see Piper dumping her food into her napkin and folding the napkin closed. Piper didn’t realize Dee had seen her, so she pushed her bowl over to Dee and said “I’m finished, see?” When Brock came back he asked Piper if she was done eating (Dee had informed him what Piper had done) and she proudly stated she was done. He reached over and unfolded the napkin and said “What about this? Are you going to eat that?” Piper shook her head no, and got sent to her room.

How do kids learn that?

We all did a whole lot of nothing today.

The Second Christmas – 01-10-09 January 10, 2009

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Blaine and Nicole came over last night so he and Brock could “Have a few drinks together” – for the first time. Brock went in to the Army the day after he turned twenty one, so he didn’t even get to have a celebratory drink that night, and Blaine was living in Georgia at the time, anyway. Blaine and Nic were planning on spending the night – just easier than having to drive across town and have to come back the next morning for our second Christmas.

The guys all stayed up pretty late – I know even The Hub was late getting into bed. I was up until about two thirty (Way, WAY past my bedtime) but actually managed to sleep in until eight or so. We had our breakfast rolls and then opened presents. Afterward we were standing out on the porch telling Nic about how someone used to jump in the pool or get thrown in on Christmas day for quite a few years. They joked about throwing Bryce in, but I didn’t really think anything about it, other than to say “Not until I get my camera!” I came in to start the chili, and two seconds later Brock comes in laughing “I threw Bryce in!” It’s a darn good thing Bryce is such a good sport.

Ah, yes. It’s so nice to have all the boys home together!

We all watched a movie together after Bryce got dried off and I got the chili going in the pot. Everyone was pretty wiped out from staying up so late, so it was nap time after the movie. I laid on the bed watching FoodNetwork, but never fell asleep. I wanted to, but I knew if I did I wouldn’t want to get back up.

Made a great pot of chili for dinner, and instead of cornbread, I used the batter to make cornbread waffles, instead. Everyone seemed to like them, and there weren’t any left, so I guess they were a hit. The chili was very good (After I added enough hot sauce to my bowl to make it spicy – can’t make it my usual way – the daughters in law and grand babies don’t take to kindly to our level of “Spicy.” )

The grand kids have been uber fussy the past few days. Gav has been throwing tantrums like I have never seen him throw, and Pipe has been goading her brother, acting much younger than her age for attention, and being kind of defiant. I’m so ready for my life to get back into some routine, I can hardly wait to be the boring lady I usually am! Though I absolutely love having my son and his family here, I’ve had enough turmoil for a few months. I am looking forward to some quiet evenings in a few weeks when the house goes back to being a little less occupied!

I’m about to fall asleep where I sit, so I’ll try to get some new pictures posted tomorrow.

MitMarie – answer your phone some time!!

Tuesday 01-06-09 January 6, 2009

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This evening we’re going to check out the car I’ve been eying at one of the local dealers. Last evening I shampooed the carpet in my van and cleaned all the surfaces, finishing with one of those products that leave a nice shine behind. The Hub was going to take my van to work, and vacuum the places that didn’t need a shampooing, and wash the outside. However, I knew I was going to be home before he was today, so I said I’d just drive my van and vacuum and wash it when I got home.

I was SO not meant to wash that van today. I lugged the hose cart around from the backyard, and I couldn’t get the darn hose to unwind. It’s encased in a shroud, so it’s not like I can just poke and prod it to get it to work. I tugged and pulled and re-hurt my bad shoulder in the process. I finally get enough to unwind so I can at least get to the far side and the back of the van. I fill the bucket with water and car wash – start cleaning the one side facing the sun, and it streaks because the surface of the car is so hot. (The windows were near impossible to get clean, as soon as I’d spread the window cleaner on it would dry!) Anyway, I get to the back of the van and the bucket I am using cracks from one side to the other on the bottom. Argh!

Between the rinsing and the washing, one would turn the water off on the nozzle, right? Right, except if you’re me, and the nozzle won’t shut off. It starts spraying backward when I twist it to turn it off, drenching my shirt. I drop it to the ground, and start toward the spigot to turn it off (The very spigot that’s in my header, in case you were wondering!) The hose starts flopping around like a fish out of water because of the water pressure building up from the nozzle not closing completely and my pants get soaked. Double argh!

I did finally get the van washed, but seriously, I don’t know why I bothered. It doesn’t look much better because the clear coat on the paint is foggy from the desert sun beating down on it for 11 years. Triple argh.

Calgon take me away.

Yesterday the boss and I went out for Vietnamese food for lunch. We went to our usual haunt – the one that the owner insists we call her Mom. I don’t know why she likes us as much as she does, but we always get special attention from her. She doesn’t even take our order anymore, she knows what we want and just brings it out after she doles out our hugs. Anyway, Mom wasn’t there. A bit surprising, and I worried something had happened to her. I hope she’s okay. We headed to this other place that we like, but stopped going to because Mom’s place is closer. I forgot how much I absolutely love the dish I always order there. It’s stir fried egg noodles (Thinner than vermicelli) and veggies with tofu. I was in pig heaven, even though I ate less than a third of my plate. I brought it home and ate some for breakfast this morning. I could eat that every day!

I haven’t even thought about what to make for dinner, so I better go hunt something up before the hungry beasts start stalking me, threatening to pounce unless I feed them “Something good.” Heh.

Entry featuring Piper tomorrow!