Whiny/Wonderful Wednesday

If misery loves company, does happiness prefer to be alone?

I've always wondered.

I've got two bloggy friends that I've met in real life and love like they were my sisters who are both going through a real time of crisis as single moms... and both are without the amazing support network that I am so blessed to have. I want to take them both in. I'm sure Pop wouldn't mind two more women, four more kids and a half dozen more animals living with us, right? We love strays, don't we?

It is so easy to be discouraged on days like today. There's a major front coming through which makes the parts of me that already hurt from this nasty old dirty word - arthritis - and the f word - fibromyalgia - weather fronts make it so much worse. 

But I have to keep perspective and know that even though I'm hurting, we (and by "we" I mean "me" but I'm just not used to being an empty nested single person and forget that I'm no longer the head of a group of people... I'm just me.) we/me won't go hungry. In fact, it's much more likely now that my kids will feed me... since Cody lives next door and is an excellent cook and often brings over his leftovers... or my co-workers will feed me since they are such a loving and generous bunch of ladies... or my dad, who always makes sure that me, mom, grandma and a half dozen fur babies are fed and happy. 

It's infinitely easier to survive/thrive when your basic needs of food/shelter are taken care of.

I just wish I could do this for my friends who are hurting/stressed/worried/alone. Nobody should ever have to feel that way. I'm praying that God will put people in their paths who will make a way for them. I'm praying that they never fear for their safety and well-being and for that of their kids/furbabies.

I mentioned the other day about a cashier who was unkind to me because of my race. I neglected to mention the sweet girl at the Krispy Kreme store who smiled and wished me a good day. Or the girls at the drug store who used to be sort of discriminatory but have learned that I always smile and thank them for their hard work and acknowledge the fact that they have a very short lunch hour and work long hours and in return have come to be kind and welcoming to me. Overall, there is much more kindness in my world than meanness. I hope that people see me as a source of kindness. 

Out of the many, many lives I cross path with over the course of a day... between home and work and cyberspace and the travels in between... the large majority of them are blessed, divine appointments. When you are already distracted and distressed by disability... (which I have decided to rename my "less ability" and not disability in my case because I am partly abled... I'm not completely unplugged from life)... when it takes all of your energy to push on... it's important that every encounter be otherwise unencumbered by unpleasantness. That's always my goal... that I don't make anything harder by having a nasty attitude.

That means that once I get through with my pouting and feeling sorry for myself here, in the blogosphere, I make myself presentable, put on my happy face with the help of cosmetics, and go forth and conquer. I was teary and prayerful on the way to work yesterday, certain that I should just turn around and go home and get back in my nest... but I knew that we were already short-handed and several others were not feeling well... so I was determined to hold up my end of the bargain and keep going. 

So I wiped my tears and walked in the door and was greeted with a "we are so glad to see you... how are you today?" and that cheerful greeting gave me the courage to do what I needed to do. I answered with "just peachy!" even though I wasn't ... but saying it made me want to live it... and so I worked my very intense five hours and went home and melted into the nest where I stayed for the rest of the day until I went to bed... and enjoyed breakfast for dinner, courtesy of Pop... and shared my bacon with Little Kitty... which made him happy and in return made ME happy.

I know it's not always that easy. I know that there are a lot of people who aren't greeted cheerfully, who don't have breakfast for dinner in the nest, who don't have a short little five hour work day... because not so very long ago, that was my life, too. And although the pain has become gradually worse over the past two years... and although on days like today it really, really sucks to be me... I am still way, very much better off than I was. And even though today will be hard - my hands are swollen and stiff - my back has a searing, hot pain - walking is an unpleasant chore - the more I hurt, the more I will try to be cheerful, with the prayer that everyone I encounter will mirror my attitude and that my attitude will be worthy of mirroring.

Which leads me to the point of all of this which is... in all the divine appointments in your life today... you may not know what burdens the other person may be dragging along with them on their journey... and although you probably can't take those burdens from them, you can definitely not ADD to their burdens by making your encounter with them unpleasant. A little kindness is a balm that with soothe an aching soul. 

I'm so grateful that I worked yesterday. I needed the hours on my paycheck... I needed the sales numbers... I had some really good leads... I helped a few people... I participated in the 3 dimensional world... I enjoyed a laugh or two with my wonderful co-workers. It was worth the pain, it really way. And since I worked yesterday, instead of facing three days of work and two days of weekend ahead of me... I'm facing TWO days of work and three days of weekend! 

It's a Wonderful Wednesday. It really is!

Truth Day, Tuesday - My Personal Profanity

It's time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Arthritis is a curse word. I try not to curse so I think the next time I need an expletive, I'll just shout, "ARTHRITIS".
I recommend this for you, as well. That thing that is your "worst thing"... make it your personal profanity.
Mama had a tooth pulled yesterday mid-day and by the time I got home, a couple of hours later, she was still bleeding excessively.
I drove her back to the Dentist's office and there we sat for the next two hours.
They took her back right away but it took that long for the clotting to start.
It looked for a little while like they were going to have to stitch her up (when I had a tooth pulled a year ago, my dentist put the stitch in to start with, I highly recommend this.)
Sitting is not something I do well, especially after sitting at work for my five hour shift.
I was and am in a lot of pain. Didn't sleep well last night.
Mama feels guilty but she shouldn't. It's the dentist's fault, not hers.
I wasn't gonna let her just suffer. Sometimes you just have to buck up, buttercup and do the right thing.
I sat for two hours. Daddy missed his golf game, took care of the furbabies and washed the dishes.
We all pitch in, that's what families do.
The weather is bad, too. High humidity makes my joints hurt, my back, my hands, my feet.

Frizzy hair = pain.
Gray skies = pain.
Rain = pain.
That's just my truth.
I finally gave up on using the duvet cover on my bed. Too many animals, especially little dogs who lift a leg on anything hanging down, like a comforter.
Instead, I just tucked my fuzzy blankets in where they don't hang... and I left the white comforter uncovered and fold it up and put it on top of the bed during the day. I need a fitted sheet in a matching color to go over the box spring since I can't do a dust ruffle or anything hanging down. Those little boy dachshunds are little puddle makers.

My curtains are crooked. A cat tried to climb them and I haven't climbed up to fix them yet. I will, eventually, get sick of them being off kilter and fix them. If type A is high maintenance and needs everything perfect, I'm probably type Q. I'm like... "eh... whatever."  I used my last bi-weekly burst of energy to hang up the clothes that pile up during the week. The curtains will have to wait until the next power surge.

Here you see the fuzzy blanket. I also put the electric throw on the bed and turn it on before I leave in the morning so the cats can enjoy the warmth. It's not really unattended because my mom gets home not long after I leave, if I work in the morning, and she is there for several hours after I leave if I work in the afternoon.

Today I'm working from 10-3, just to be different. I wasn't scheduled to work today but we have some sickness going around the office and our office manager asked me to trade being off today for being off on Friday, just in case we're not at full staff today.  "A 3 day weekend? Don't mind if I do!" I texted Austin to see if he needs me to come up this weekend and get him. One word answer, "no". I wonder and worry about where he is and what he's doing but he's going through another prodigal season so I just have to patiently wait it out.

This is Stubby the 3-legged wondercat enjoying his folded up comforter.  He has a really sweet face, you just can't see it well because he's so dark that he doesn't photograph well. I took this photo in the dark so the flash caught him. He makes me think of Grizzabella, the old cat in the musical Cats who sings the song, "Memory". He's not as cuddly/dependent on human contact as Trouble but he crows like a rooster when he gets the slightest bit of affection. He starts his crazy little cackle if Cody sits on the bed because he knows he'll get some attention. Cody comes over to love on the cats whenever I'm out of town. I can tell when he's been there because my tv is always set on ESPN.

This is how you know Monday is gonna really suck... my mom's poptart on the ground. She eats breakfast on her way to her crossing guard post - you know, the one she retired from at the end of last year. They still haven't trained a replacement for her so she's still working. Yesterday morning when she was feeling so bad with her broken tooth... and running late... she dropped her dang poptart. I had to take a picture of it... it seemed symbolic... even more so after the day played out with her bleeding too bad to eat, take her pain meds or just in general get comfortable. It was much, much later in the day before we got back home and Pop heated up some potato soup for her. I had cereal.

Since this is Truth Day Tuesday, I'll confess that I had cereal for breakfast, a bratwurst that my co-worker brought for lunch and cereal for dinner. Cuz that's just how I roll. Nary a veggie or piece of fruit in the bunch. It's little wonder that my cholesterol is off the charts and my strength is waning and my arthritis is flaring. I need to do a better job of eating nutritious food. I know better.

T-minus two hours until I need to start getting ready for work... 8 hours plus until I'm back in the nest, Lord willing.

So ... that's my truths for the day. Anybody have anything they want to share? Comments welcome. Love and hugs, y'all.

Poop on the Floor and Other Reasons to Love Monday

I woke up with a steaming pile of poop right in the middle of my bedroom floor this morning.
Our big dog, Lily, is arthritic and hates going outside sometimes.
Sometimes she goes 3 or 4 times a night.
When Austin is here, he usually takes her out since he's a vampire (meaning that he's up all night, not that he sucks blood).
Otherwise she usually picks a victim and that person gets very little sleep.
It was me Saturday night.
Thankfully. A weekend. Except...
I've had a headache ever since.
One night of sleep interruption does me in for a few days.
I slept great last night... slept all night... and woke up with an uncomfortably full bladder...
And a steaming pile of poop in the middle of the floor.
And mom in the bathroom.
Have I mentioned there's just one bathroom here?
We are all on different schedules so it usually doesn't matter.
Except... this morning.
Poop in the bedroom and there was about to be a puddle on the floor.
Mom's having a tooth pulled today.
My head is still killing me from yesterday.
I mentioned that already.
Her breakfast hit the ground.
She didn't have time to call and cancel her appointment with the glass people to fix her cracked windshield.
So that has to work into my glam time today.
Once I get to work, especially on a Monday, there's no time for anything.
It's a sprint, this job, compared the the marathons of previous employment.
Those long, slow days full of pain where time stands still are behind me.
Now I have short, fast days that fly by.
She's going to the dentist this morning and planning for a day of feeling icky.
It's so hard to deal with things when you don't feel well.
It's like... when you live with pain all the time... you become accustomed to it.
Then when something else happens - like dental pain - it's more than you can take.
Trust me, I know.
You've already used up all your tolerance on the stuff that already exists.
And Oscar, the dog, has had an attitude lately with the cats.
Usually they're ebony and ivory living together in perfect harmony.
This morning he set off against poor Stubby the three legged wonder cat...
Snarling... barking... chasing that poor handicapped cat back from his perch.
I had to yell at Oscar.
I like quiet mornings.
I have to slip into the day.
Give it a little time on the heating pad while my spine unwinds and the muscle un-spasm.
I know that's not a word.
I left what I thought was a cute comment on a friend's facebook the other day...
Where I intentionally misspelled a word for dramatic effect...
And someone snarked behind me with the correct spelling.
As if I don't know.
I wrote back... "it was supposed to be funny".
Another sweet girl who has been loud and proud about her faith in Christ...
had someone come behind her with a profanity laden comment, telling her to "get over it".
I came behind her and encouraged her to stand strong.
The meanie said she was too smart for all that "Christianity stuff" (paraphrased)
I wrote back that some of the smartest people I know are Christians.
Like my sister-in-law, Dr. Gant.
At the Dollar General yesterday, picking up a few necessities, not feeling up to driving to the Publix...
Al Sharpton playing on the radio throughout the store, spreading hate against white folks.
The cashier didn't speak to me at all.
Greeted others as they came in. Others that looked like him. I didn't.
I was friendly anyways. Answered the questions he was too racist to ask.
"Yes. I did find everything ok. Thanks for asking"
"I'll be paying by debit card"
"You have a nice day, too"
All those people who died in the nightclub fire in Brazil...
the bouncers blocked the door to keep people from running out on their bar tabs.
People.
Dogs.
Pain.
Mondays.
They all really get to me.
I want to find Reasons to Love Monday but I'd rather just pout, whine and complain.
And cry.
I'm so tired of pain.
It's going to be a long day.
Which means, more than ever, I need to find Reasons to Love.
Here goes:
1. I am not defined by what people do to me, I am defined by how I respond.
2. Time does pass. Filled with pain or not. The day will eventually end.
3. Even if I don't feel like doing the whole glam routine, even if I don't have time, I can pull it together in twenty minutes or less.
4. There was creamer for the coffee this morning and it is good.
5. Jim Parsons was adorable on the Red Carpet last night. I love Jim Parsons. He's my latest gay crush.
6. Little Kitty is in his nest. He learned that from me. From East to West, the Nest is best.
7. I'll be back in mine in 7 hours plus a few minutes.
8. I'm leaving my warm fuzzy pjs out so I can be back in 'em by 3 today.
9. The dogs have gone back to sleep.
10. God is still good.

Gotta run. Love and hugs, y'all.

Make Your Mess Your Message

Make your mess your message. - Robin Roberts as mentioned by Sharon Osborne on Good Morning America.

That's my marching orders for the day.
Few people can say that their life turned out just as they had planned.
Everybody has something that is their "worst thing".
In this life you will have trouble... God promised us this... He also said to take heart because He had overcome the world.
Their were two people in my orbit who I prayed for daily... they wanted with all of their hearts to find a somebody special.
Valentine's Day 2008 I had a conversation with one of them... their heart broken that they were alone and so desperately lonely. I'll never forget the hurt in their voice.
The next Valentine's Day the other taught me the phrase I still use, "Singles Awareness Day". Humor but truly, again a longing to be one with someone.
I understood their desire to find a significant other because at that time, I wanted the same thing.
Just to be significant somewhere, to someone.
I prayed faithfully and both have recently become engaged.
God is good that way.
I also prayed this prayer, "Lord, either bring that someone special into my life or CHANGE my heart and remove that longing".
He answered that prayer, too. My answer was different.

If you don't believe in a Higher Power. I understand. It's hard to see beyond the beyond.
I wish for you to believe otherwise...
but the point here is that you truly do just have to take a little time every day to cast your cares upon the Universe, to gather your thoughts and review your hopes and dreams.
The thing is... I've spent a lifetime chasing a dream that wasn't in God's plan for my life.
At least not now.
I've been down more back alleys and dark, dirty paths... I've even followed the yellow brick road... believing things with my head that my heart knew weren't true.
The older I get, the more time that passes, the more of my story that is revealed, the more I understand and embrace this beautiful journey.
Life is just that. Beautiful.
Like that air freshener commercial where people are put in horrid and disgusting places with a blindfold on and they don't realize the true circumstances because the smell is wonderful.
Sometimes you do have to put on a blindfold and just smell the roses.
Faith is believing what you can't see.
More than that. Sometimes faith is believing beyond what you currently see.
Maybe your life just needs a little air freshener.
That's my message for today.
Little Kitty has become attached to a gift basket. It came with fruit and it still has the packing in it. It's his little nest, bless his furry little heart.

Photo finish Friday. Hope you enjoy!

sitting on the nest

 Helping Mawmaw fill the cat food bin.

 electric blanket heaven!

 chewing a straw in the nest

Got Anything To Be Thankful For? It's Thankful Thursday, Y'all.

I'm back on the late schedule for work today and tomorrow - I work from 11:30-4:30.
They always ask which schedule I prefer and I (honestly) answer that both have their benefits and drawbacks.
Late means a slow morning so I can sort of ease into the day. That's helpful on cold mornings when my joints don't want to cooperate.
Late means there's no scraping of frost off the windshield.
Late means seeing most of Fox and Friends (I was still asleep when it began today!) and watching Live with Kelly and Michael if they have someone on who is interesting.
Early, though, means less traffic on the way home.
Early means being able to take my pain meds earlier, if needed, which results in less suffering.
Late means running errands before work.
Early means running errands after.
Late means longer to glam in the morning, if I so desire.
Early means a ponytail usually.
Either way... there's usually a stop off at Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks or Atlanta Bread Company for a beverage and a snack/meal.
Yesterday it was Dunkin' Donuts since they have a drive-thru, it was too cold to get out of the car.
Our local Dunkin' Donuts is such a well-organized and friendly place. They always optimistically say, "see you tomorrow". I love that.
We also have the option of Krispy Kreme, if you desire a breakfast of hot sugar and grease that dissolves in your mouth without chewing. Occasionally, I do.
The doctor's office called yesterday and said that my cholesterol was up, they're increasing my cholesterol meds.
Guess I should keep Krispy Kreme off the rotation for awhile.
I need to research anti-inflammatory foods, cholesterol busting foods, etc and I need to put them on the shopping list or go shopping myself.
Pop loves (or doesn't mind) shopping and it's usually painful for me.
I do it when I have to but don't mind missing it.
They're expecting ice in the mountains tomorrow and I would love to see it and take fabulous photos.
I would hate to slip and hurt myself, it could be devastating.
I worry about my goofy, unsupervised adult child up there.
I haven't mentioned...  I was five hours out of town when he had his first "financial emergency" and needed to get the cash I left at the house for him. For emergencies.
He said it was to pay for gas for his friend to take him job hunting.
I believe it went to more nefarious things.
I demanded receipts of how the money was spent or there would be no more donations to his carefree lifestyle.
Hand up. No hand outs.
I got reprimanded at work yesterday by my boss (who I love, I really do, best boss I've ever had. He's such a great guy that none of the employees grumble about him behind his back and that's never, ever, ever happened for me. I've always been in work environments that involved lots of complaints and mocking and so on, except in Florida. Everyone loved Kathy.) *end suckup*
Anyways... corporate audits our social media presence and I had posted something that violated their rules so I had to delete it. Boss thought what I put was a great idea from a marketing standpoint.
It creeps me out in a very small way that there is such supervision.
However... my blogging style is bold and honest and sometimes I share more than I would share in person and sometimes that's not the best way to be and sometimes that is a great thing as it opens the door for conversations that I wouldn't organically initiate in real life. It provides a pathway into relationships that would not otherwise exist or be nurtured.
It takes courage and humility to be transparent and it's hard at times but the rewards far exceed the drawbacks.
Yesterday at work was difficult from a pain standpoint. More than usual. Still a little weak from the illness of the past week. I kept thinking that I would have to leave early but I just kept working and the time passed quickly.
I love my job and I love my co-workers. There are a lot of different personalities but this is a much more mature work place and you can really tell a difference. It also makes it easier to do my job because everyone  works toward the same goal, the same end - it's not competitive, it's an encouraging, supportive work environment.
It was hard to leave the mountains this time because I left my heart up there.
When I was running errands on Tuesday morning, it felt very comfortable, just like when I lived there. Going up on the weekends you get the tourist experience and that's fine, except for traffic.
Being there during the week reminds you that you're living in a community that cares.
People use blinkers, hold doors, say good morning and wave, even if they don't know you.
They assume that you're a friend because there's only about a degree and a half of separation. If they don't know you, they know your mama'n'em.
They post on the community facebook page that somebody saw a stray dog north of town and someone posts that it's their cousin's dog and goes to get it.
I love that place.
I think it's a great, awesome work of God that He put me in a workplace that I would enjoy enough to push past the pain. In a place that was such a good fit that I wouldn't run away when I need to chase my heart and make sure he's safe and settled.
It was a great work of God to put me in a place where I had great relationships here, much support and human interaction- and animal interaction.
Because this is what He ordained for this season of my life and I am grateful.
Tuesday I saw this fella at the mountain house:

Any idea what kind of bird this is? He was big and completely not intimidated by me.
Yesterday I had to stop at the pharmacy. I have to go there again today. They're nice there but slow.
Seven prescriptions filled in two days. Pharmaceutical companies love me.
It's Thursday.
You got anything to be thankful for?
I do.
Love and hugs, y'all.

Truth Day Tuesday

It's back again! Our day to really 'fess up to our deepest, darkest secrets. A chance to bring those old skeletons right out of the closet. Time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothin' but the truth so help us God.

Mine will be few because I'm eager to get on the road but I'm making myself wait until ten am to hopefully avoid any traffic snarls.

I went to the doctor today. He was not pleased. My blood pressure was up. My weight was about the same but still way too much. I haven't been taking all the meds he prescribed... honestly... some of them I completely forgot about in the move. I had to confess that I hadn't had a "woman doctor visit" since Dr. Parker left, which was more than a year ago. I had to confess that I wasn't comfortable with my cutie-patootie doctor handling that for me. He understood. He thinks I definitely had the flu. He was not happy that I never got a flu shot this year. He thinks I have a kidney infection. Did labs for that. He thinks I have gastritis from the different meds I'm on and.... added two more for my blood pressure. He asked if I was having vision changes. I am. So. All in all... I got an F at the doctors office.

And to make it worse... when it came time to do the urinalysis I. could. not. pee. Me, the girl with a one hour bladder capacity, the girl who restricts liquids when I am traveling... not a drop. I was so embarrassed. Not too embarrassed to share it with you all, apparently. They took my blood and I finished off the water bottle I was drinking and was successful in my second attempt. And, wouldn't you know? My bladder was about to BUST by the time I finished my errands and got back home.

I found a pair of glasses in the parking lot of the doctors office - bifocals - and took them in to the receptionist. It was a lot of extra steps but it seemed like the right thing to do.

I did the drawing for the gift card that I told y'all I was going to do last Tuesday. Yes, it took me a week. And I have to confess that I didn't actually draw names. Don't shoot me or report me to the Blog Police. I looked at all the people who responded and I picked someone who I knew really needed a little pick me up. I looked at all the potential winners and I knew - for most of you anyways - that you would have WANTED me to do it that way because you are all a loving, generous, awesome bunch of ladies and you know that has to be the way I really feel because it's Truth Day.

I celebrated my (not) awesome visit to the doctor by having pizza for breakfast. I may not live long but I'll dang sure enjoy myself along the way.

I've worried all night about remembering to lower the thermostat and turn off the hot water heater. I must do this before I leave the mountain house.

I slept magnificently last night and did not want to get up.

I forgot to eat dinner last night.

I went and secured my post office box in Cleveland today. If you want to mail me stuff there, knowing that I won't get it for a little bit of time, until I'm back in town, the address is P. O. Box 986, Cleveland, GA, 30528. Having a P. O. Box makes me feel all mysterious and mature.

Ok. Folks. That's all I've got for now. Maybe more later.

I'm not offering a prize this week because I am obviously LOUSY at following through on it but I hope you'll still take advantage of the opportunity to bare your soul on Truth Day and I might just get inspired to send you something ANYWAY.

Love and hugs, y'all.

(Oscar the dog coveting my pancakes the other day.)

Reasons to Love Monday - With A Lot of Pairs-of-C's

I'm in the last 24 hours of my January Mountain House Trip... and I am feeling immensely better than I did over the weekend and am welcoming this lazy day off with open arms!

I slept a little later than I meant to and rolled out of bed (off of couch, I should say) and pulled on my jeans, aka my "outside the house" clothes and headed into civilization for a visit to the pain doctor. I didn't have time to put on makeup so I just tossed the essentials into my purse (which is really an insulated lunch bag with my name embroidered on it but since I never take a lunch anywhere, I have repurposed it as a purse, which highly offends Austin, who hypocritically thinks that pajama pants are acceptable for anything and everything, so who is he to judge, right?) anyways... I tossed the essentials into my purse to apply at stoplights, forgetting that stoplights are few and far between, even when you go all the way into Gainesville, so I ended up applying my makeup in the doctors parking lot.

Should I have been offended when the doctor asked how I was doing and I answered with, "I think I've had the flu" and he replied, "you don't look well." Should I be grateful for the validation or offended at the judgment on my parking lot makeup skills?

Anyways... it was an uneventful visit... apparently my pee passed the drug screening test last month because they didn't require me to take that $400 worth of lab work this time. (Seriously, FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. You can buy a drug screen test at the drug store for $30. For four hundred dollars they should have been able to tell me what medications my 4x great grandmother, Tabitha Pennington was taking in Kentucky two hundred years ago!)  They are pleased with the dosage I'm using of the pain meds and we are going to try dialing back the nerve block meds that we used for the past two years to delay the start of pain meds. But not until I'm feeling (and looking, apparently) better because they don't want me to confuse need for a particular medication with symptoms of the Whine Cellar Flu. They ordered a blood screen of my vitamin D levels, since I'm having a check up with my General Practitioner tomorrow morning with all those fasting blood tests anyways (there goes another month's salary). 

I don't have to go back to this doctor until March 19th at 3:15pm. I'm mentioning that time because I always forget the appointment time and end up calling on the morning of my appointment and finding out that I'm supposed to be there in ten minutes. Now we all know. Of course, since that's a Tuesday afternoon which does NOT fit in with my usual practice of scheduling appointments on my way TO the mountain house or FROM the mountains house and the last thing I want to do is head home at 4pm on a random Tuesday and then work the next day. So I'll end up changing the appointment and forgetting the time again, I'm sure.

ANYWAYS... I left the doctors office and since I was still feeling TONS better than I have over the past week (or more), I stopped off to get gas (so I don't have to on my way home tomorrow) and ran into the dollar store to get a birthday card to go with Jamie's present which has been rattling around in my trunk for the past three weeks. I stopped off at McDonalds to get breakfast and a to do a little snooping (more on that later) and they parked me for an egg mcmuffin (seriously? probably the most often ordered breakfast item on the menu and you park me like I ordered some random off menu item?) and then I went to drop off Jamie's birthday present, three weeks past her birthday.

I called ahead and told Angie I was stopping by but I was NOT coming in... and NOT hugging anyone just in case this Mountain-Strepto-Monia is still contagious. So my sweet girls came out to the back deck to meet and greet me....

 Check out this snaggle-toothed little red-head! The reason I titled this entry "with a lot of pair of c's" is because of a story that Angie told us about Jamie's birthday cookie. Jamie has some pet name that she's given herself  (I think it's Bob but I could be wrong) and when she was telling her mom what she wanted her birthday cookie to say, she said, "Happy Birthday Jamie... and then in those PAIR OF C's... I want it to say Bob"  "Pair of C's?" her mother asked. And Jamie drew in the air what she meant... parenthesis.( At least that's how I think the story went. I've slept a few times and had a fever or two since then so I might not be retelling the story completely accurately but you get the idea. I hope.) 

I should mention that ironically, my dad used to call me and Jim, "Fred and Ralph" (I was Fred) and I used to call Sarabeth "Max" so... apparently we all must have old man names for nicknames.

I bought Jamie a set of magnetic paper dolls for her birthday (three weeks ago) which I think are called something other than paper dolls since there's no paper involved. My Aunt Ginger makes these amazing paper dolls to give out at the food pantry at her church. They are incredibly elaborate with adorable outfits and she spends a lot of time and money making them. I was a paper doll fanatic and my Jamie gurl is such a fashionista that I knew she would love this set. She did. She even said, "I love fashion!" (Although, she may have just parroted me saying, "I knew you love fashion" now that I think about it, but, either way, it's a true statement that our little Bob DOES love fashion.)

I did NOT catch a good shot of her adorable little smile as she admired her goods but this is the shot I DID take while I was standing a healthy six feet or more away from my loved ones. I blurred the photo for my sister-in-law who was in the process of getting ready to go and didn't yet have her makeup on because I don't want any of you to think she has the flu or anything, (because apparently a lack of skillfully applied makeup means you MUST be sick. )

In case you were wondering what my Reasons to Love Monday are today, here's a picture of the lake. Because it's been at least 48 hours since I posted a picture of the lake. And it IS still there, in case you were wondering. And I AM still here for another twenty four hours or so, give or take. I miss my Trouble kitty like crazy but having the other fur-babies here all weekend helped. We (and by "we" I mean my parents) fixed up a little Poop Pen for the dogs in between the front porch and the bank in front of the house so that we didn't have to walk the dogs on leashes (and again, by "we" I mean my parents) every time they had to do their business (and by "they" I mean the dogs, not my parents) and I realize as I'm typing this that I've already told you about the new Poop Pen, which is really sad, considering that's sort of been the highlight of my weekend.

That. And a lovely conversation I had last night with a lovely fella. (Although he would highly object to being described as "lovely" since he is quite the rugged, manly man of a guy.) This in no way changes my "Significant Other Embargo" because frankly, I can't think of a single reason to not be single at this stage of my life. My kids don't need me to supply a male role model any more (not that I ever managed to provide that in the scope of a long term relationship, ever)  I don't need someone to supplement my income. (thank you, daddy!) I'm terribly, TERRIBLY unsociable and I honestly don't care if I never ever, ever again shave my legs. I just don't. But after a weekend of quarantining myself... which came after a disappointment in not seeing someone I dearly love and desperately needed some bonding time with over the holidays... on a weekend where my youngest birdie, once again flew the coop (more on that later) in a season of life where I feel less alone but more lonely, if that makes sense... while still adjusting to the limitations in my life that make it hard for me to get out there and be with the three dimensional people, it was nice to have a lovely conversation like that. That is all. It made me feel a little less like a hermit.

Here's the thing about the youngest birdie. He wanted to stay up here between this visit and whenever the next one is (which he apparently thought was next weekend, as in, four days from today, three days after I leave, um. no!) and reconnect with his people (you know, like Fat Pat and Fluffy and Married Friend and the only one of his friends that I ever really approved of, Logan) and try to gain gainful employment so that he can stay up here with his people all the time and be independent and not sleep on an air mattress in his grandparents' computer room. I wholeheartedly endorse the prospect of him being gainfully employed. I'm semi-supportive of the idea of him being self-supporting. I am less than convinced that the job interview that he supposedly had on Saturday actually happened and I am furthermore less than convinced that any of his friends are in the position to take him in as a homeless, unemployed creature for any length of time, including the time between this visit and whenever the next one is (which, based on my work schedule, won't be for several weeks yet to come). I am delighted that he put roots down here. THIS was exactly what I wanted for him, a small town where he could find his place in the world. I love that he loves it here. I am not interested in raising adult children nor am I financially able to do so.

But here's the thing: supposedly he is supposed to call in to the McDonalds tomorrow to find out if he has a job and if he does he will supposedly require a haircut and a tie for his uniform. "A tie?" said I? "A tie." Said he. So when I was driving back from the doctor this morning feeling better than I had in days, I called young son and said, "hey... let's go ahead and get your hair cut and buy you a tie so that if you get hired, you're ready to go" and... if, thought I, you don't get hired, you will look more employable. "No." said he, "I just want to go back to sleep". Which, thought I, was out of context for someone who was super excited about potential employment which would lead to potential permanent residency where he wants to be. And then... as I drove through McDonalds for my egg-mcmuffin (for which I was PARKED) I noticed that every single employee was wearing a polo shirt. Minus tie. Which made me think that unless my kid is in contention for Chairman of the Board of McDonalds, he might just not be telling the truth about this whole McDonalds thing. Just a hunch.

The Falcons lost. A President I do not care for has been sworn in for another four, possibly/probably destructive years. My Uncle Carl is in the hospital. The precious baby of a precious girl that I have known since she was a baby is having heart surgery tomorrow. I'm a tiny bit feverish and I believe I wore myself out with my errands this morning. I'm going to return to the state of vegetative hibernation that I've enjoyed for the past three and a half days. Despite all of this,  I found a few Reasons to Love Monday and I hope you will too.

Love and hugs.