Waterworks Tuesday

As I type this, I am listening to my washing machine. I'm listening to see if it sounds normal. In a little while, I'm going to go into the laundry room and see if all the water stayed inside the machine. Unlike this morning, when it didn't! I was washing a very heavy bedspread which fills up the machine and doesn't rest evenly, so it's possible that the water splashed out as it bounced off of the blanket. The blanket did feel a little wetter than I expected it to, when I took it out and put it in the dryer. So it's also possible that the small amount of water that was on the floor was what dripped off of the blanket as it was loaded into the dryer. Probably not, but it's a possibility.

We're also waiting on a new part for the dishwasher. Because it is also having a problem with water staying insde. It isn't a big leak, and in the case of the dishwasher it's the seal or gasket that the door fits against. We ordered a part online and then it turned out to be out of stock. So Bill found another place online and ordered it through them - Sears, in this case. We have had a problem finding parts for the dishwasher locally. It was in the house when we bought it, but it's not that old. I remember when Darlene bought it, and it's not what I would consider to be old.

Both doggies are on the floor beside me. Frasier is grooming Maggie. Maggie was mad at him earlier, when I got home and let them in they started their usual play session. At one point, Frasier must have bit Maggie. Because she shrieked, loud and long. Then she pounced on him, and she was angry! But she got over it fast, because they were back to chasing each other very soon. They really are like a couple of kids at times. Lots of times, actually.

We don't have anything on eBay at the moment. We have a few more things to list, but we are going to wait a few days. With the economic troubles of the last few days, and the bailout failure, I don't see people buying a lot of things unless they are necessities. We don't have much to sell, but there are some overhead projectors that we'd like to get rid of. eBay has changed their payment policy. Starting in late October, they will not allow sellers to accept checks or money orders. It will have to be PayPal, which is the credit card company that eBay owns. And since they own it, they also get a cut of the fees associated with using it. On top of the fee they get for sellers listing items and the final value (sales commission) fee. I think that eBay is well on it's way to becoming a monopoly. We have been unhappy with eBay for quite a while, they have been slowly changing policies and when they get finished the sellers will have very few rights. They've already changed the feedback system. Sellers can ONLY leave positive (good) feedbacks. However, buyers can leave negative (bad) feedback without any problem. That is just one example of how messed up eBay has gotten, and is continuing to get!

The washing machine does not seem to be leaking! Wonderful! We already have enough to deal with, so I'm happy.

I will probably post the book list tomorrow, I just realized that today is the last day of September. I think I've read about 20 books, but I'm not exactly sure. There are a lot of biographies on my list this time. Otter needed a book for a school assignment and it was on the shelf that was in the biography section. So while she was looking for her book, I found a bunch myself.

No word from Virginia. I didn't expect to hear from her today anyway. She was off work for the hearing, I called her office shortly before 5:00 and they had not had any word from her either. I might not hear anything before I get home tomorrow, and then it will be email. In case it didn't go well today, I don't want to call her and upset her. With Virginia, it's best to let her contact me. However, if I don't hear from her by tomorrow afternoon I will go ahead and call her.

I guess I should go give Otter a hand unloading the dishwasher. Then I think she wants to make jello. There's always room for jello!

So What is Monday?

Baby Tuesday just doesn't quite work. So I don't know what to call Monday.

Otter had karate tonight. She managed to make the entire class, but they did not do anything strenuous. She still had to use her inhaler about half way through class time. We'll try again on Wednesday. But if their is any strenuous activity, she will probably have problems.

I would like to remind everyone of my prayer request for Virginia and David, regarding their hearing tomorrow for custody of their grandchildren.

Maggie beagle is always very excited when Otter gets home. Maggie and Frasier will wait for the bus, then as soon as they hear it they will run to the front door and wait. Wiggling. Maggie has apparently decided that I have some control over when Otter gets home, or maybe she thinks that she does. Because this afternoon, from about 20 minutes before the bus arrived the dog kept trying to get me to follow her. Each time that I gave in, she would lead me to the front door and act very excited. I think that she's got the idea into that little furry head of hers that all she has to do is go to the door and her person will appear. She's a very silly baby, that beagle! Frasier is always glad to see Otter, but he's very laid-back. Except in the mornings! Otter feeds the dogs, and they go absolutely nuts waiting for her to get up. Then it's back to being lazy for Frasier.

Speaking of Frasier, he was on his back the other night manuvering his belly underneath my hand. Of course, I obliged and gave the pooch a belly rub. But I noticed something. When I looked at his face, because he was on his back his loose skin was pulled back slightly. And he did not look like a dog at all. He looked very much like a coyote. And he also looked like 100% spoiled rotten!

If Thursday if Baby Friday, Then What is Sunday?

Baby Monday? Stands to reason, doesn't it?

I need to make a quick correction. Virginia and David's hearing for the custody of their grandchildren is TUESDAY, not Monday! Prayers are always needed, whatever day.

Today is Fall Housecleaning Day. Otter hates it when I have cleaning fits. I don't feel a bit sorry for her. She's been working in her room and is now going through some of her books. She has enough to stretch from here to the moon and back. Several times. But she occasionally does go through them and when she has some she doesn't want, we take them to a local book store where she has an account set up. She gives them the books, they give her a store credit and then she goes shopping for replacements. The book store donates to a local senior center's book sale, and Otter sends any books that the store isn't interested in to be donated. It's a win-win situation for everybody.

Our multi-legged friend the spider has apparently forgiven me for walking through his web the other day. Because he's been back several times, in the same space. He's actually a pretty smart bug, he builds his webs in front of the back window and since there is light on inside the window the bugs fly towards the light. Right into the web. We watched him yesterday, working on the web. I love to watch spiders, they are so neat. And this one is apparently a very sucessful hunter, judging by the number of neatly wrapped dead bugs we see him carrying off. We try to avoid destroying the web when we walk out the back door in the mornings.

Froggy asked me a few questions regarding my last blog entry. I'm going to expand on some of them a little bit. Starting with my bike. It's not dangerous. But it is getting to be very annoying. I am most likely going to replace it, but not right now. This would probably be the best time, stores start clearing out their summer stuff now to bring in winter things. But it's not in budget right now, so next spring is when I'll worry about that. Unless I find a super deal somewhere, but I'm not really looking. I think we paid about $10.00 for it at a yard sale, actually I think we only paid about $5.00 for it. Years before we moved, which was over 4 years ago. It was used when we bought it and I've gotten a lot of use out of it. I just need a newer one now.

Let's see, what was next? Oh yeah - Otter and karate. Froggy asked me if maybe it was something in the gym that is causing the problem. Quick answer: No. Otter's asthma is coming out of remission a bit, and it's changing. Which is a normal pattern. Her asthma seems to be following the same pattern as mine. This is something that has been a concern for months, it's not new. We just haven't mentioned anything about it because we weren't sure what we were going to do. She's going to attempt to go tomorrow and possibly Wednesday. But I think we're going to have to make the decision fairly quickly. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I've already talked to the lady in charge at the gym and she said that they would keep Otter's membership open, since she's come so far. And it's possible that she might be able to go back to it later, when she's a little older. We are going to discuss it more this week and probably decide soon.

Froggy, you reminded me about the beanie baby hummingbird. We are still looking. We just haven't been anywhere lately. It was actually something we discussed the morning I posted the blog entry, before you asked about it. Great minds think alike, huh? Or they run in the same gutter maybe. But we did realize that we have hardly found anything at thrift stores since you left. So you need to come back and go shopping with us again! We might possibly go to a thrift store later on, Otter needs some driving practice and that would give us a fun destination.

Politics maybe next time.

Did You Know that Today is Baby Friday? & Later Update

I heard that expression on the news a couple of weeks back, now I've noticed that the newscasters all seem to use it on Thursday. Apparently, it's not really Thursday. It's Baby Friday. Ok, whatever floats your boat. But to me, it's still Thursday!

However, it is the day before Friday so that is a good thing.

Otter drove us to school this morning. Where she was promptly seen by two girls from one of her classes. They looked pleasantly surprised, Otter looked more than just a little smug! She did very well, by the way. And I don't blame her a bit for being proud of herself.

In a little while, we are going to attempt a bike ride. I say attempt because I have to get the tires aired up a little bit first. I have this fear of blowing up my bike! :) We don't have a tire pump, Bill has an air compressor and a portable tank. He filled up the portable tank for me the day before yesterday but yesterday was karate so we didn't get anywhere near the bikes. Actually, I'm just waiting on Otter to finish today's homework. But we do need to air up the tires before we head out.

I am probably going to post some political thoughts in the next few days. Just thought I should warn anyone who might need warning! I'm not politically correct, which I think we all know by now. I'm also extremely conservative, which is probably no surprise either. By extremely conservative, I mean militantly extremely conservative. Just so there are no misunderstandings! Don't say you weren't warned...

Happy First Birthday, Scarlet! A couple of days late, but at least I did remember. And in the same month this time!

Otter had karate last night. First time since the early summer or possibly late spring, I forget exactly. It was just like it's been most times for the majority of the most recent classes: she was unable to finish class and had to leave early because of her asthma and needing to use the inhaler more than once. This is not something I've mentioned before, but we are about to be forced to make a decision regarding her future in karate and it's a decision we really don't want to make. In all probability, there is only one decision to make. We just aren't quite there yet. More on that later. But she is part of the decision making process.

We have had lovely weather lately, it's been in the low- to mid-80's for a couple of weeks. It's been really nice. It is supposed to be like that for a few more days, then mid-week next week it will start to cool down more. We are supposed to be in the low- to mid-70's by this time next week. Guess it's time to get ready for winter! I think Otter and I might go coat shopping this weekend, although I'm not sure if any are out in the stores yet anyway. I've seen jackets in a few stores, but we both need coats so we'll look but we might not have any luck for a couple of weeks. She also needs a few things like warmer shirts and could probably use a couple additional pairs of jeans. So we might go on Sunday. Froggy, we will think of you if we hit any thrift stores! I am also going to look for a few things myself, I have quit wearing slacks to work entirely and I think I need a couple of longer skirts. Theoretically, they might be a little warmer! (I don't even own a pair of slacks anymore, when my last few pairs "outgrew" me because of my weight loss I gave them to Goodwill and am not replacing them.)

Prayer Request: Virginia's custody hearing is Monday. Please keep praying! They need it.

Now I'm going to go see if Otter is finished with her math so we can go on that bike ride.

Ok, here's the later update: I couldn't get the air tank to work, Bill was home by that time so he wound up filling the tires on both bikes. Then off we went. And I promptly had a blowout! The back tire, it was not overinflated but the tubes are a few years old and we think that was the problem. We hadn't gone too far, and it felt like the chain was trying to slip off (happens a lot with my bike) so I was slowing down and nearly stopped when BOOM! Which threw Otter into a tizzy, I think she thought I'd been shot! I was almost stopped so I didn't fall off or anything. But I did have to walk the beast home and then I got the dogs on their leashes so I could still get some excercise along with Otter. I really think I need a new bike, but I am trying to watch expenses so I might just get new tubes. But there is still the matter of the gears not shifting well on my bike and the chain that comes off frequently. So I may get a newer one, but not right away!

More Funnies!

If you are too young to know who Abbot & Costello were, then you might as well skip this. It was sent to me via email and I think it's hilarious.

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT


ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO : Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO : No, the name's Lou .

ABBOTT : Your computer?

COSTELLO : I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou .

ABBOTT : What about Windows?

COSTELLO : Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT : Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO : I don't know. What will I see when I look at theWindows?

ABBOTT : Wallpaper.

COSTELLO : Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT : Software for Windows?

COSTELLO : No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT : Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT : I just did.

COSTELLO : You just did what?

ABBOTT : Recommend something.

COSTELLO : You recommended something ?

ABBOTT : Yes.

COSTELLO : For my office?

ABBOTT : Yes.

COSTELLO : OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT : Office.

COSTELLO : Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT : I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO : I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I wan t to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT : Word.

COSTELLO : What word?

ABBOTT : Word in Office.

COSTELLO : The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT : The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO : Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT : The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO : I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO : That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT : Money.

COSTELLO : I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT : It comes bundled with yo ur computer.

COSTELLO : What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT : Money.

COSTELLO : Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT : Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO : I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT : One copy.

COSTELLO : Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT : Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO : They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT : Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT : Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO : How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT : Click on 'START'.............

Funny Stuff!!

Only in America .......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front..
Only in America .......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America .......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters..

Only in America .......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America .......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

Only in America .... ...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ... Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Some Questions Answered! And Other Comments

Well, I'll answer one question anyway. Froggy's question in fact. Specifically, she asked if I'd brought any plants inside recently since we were inundated with flies. The cactus did come in, but that was actually after the fly problem started. However, we discovered that the flap on the dog door from the garage into the kitchen was hanging down too far and there was a sizeable gap. We think that the flies were coming in from the garage through the gap, that is the general direction/area we saw them in. We still get the occasional one, but not so many since the weather got cooler. But I do have a few plants outside that will be brought in in the next few weeks, I usually check those plants in case they bring in unwelcome guests. The last time something came in, it was a tiny tree frog and it came in on a cactus. We caught it and took it back outside.

We really enjoyed church this morning. There were several people who weren't there today, they missed a very good sermon that made a lot of sense. It dealt with the reasons we do things. Do we do things to please ourselves? Or do we do things because God wants us to? It's a topic that has been on my mind lately, and the sermon was very timely. I have noticed that with this church a lot. I'll have something I'm thinking about and quite frequently my questions will be answered the next Sunday at church.

Otter had a 45 minute driving session this afternoon. I'm not calling them lessons any longer, since she knows how to drive now. But she does need to practice, so I'm calling it practice sessions. She is doing really well. It just takes me a while to get the mirrors back where I want them, after she's driven! The seat is easy to adjust, but the mirrors take me forever.

I have a roast in the oven at the moment. Actually, I have two roasts cooking. I have hardly ever been able to find a big roast, so we usually wind up with one that we eat in one sitting. Bill's a big eater, so what would give most people left overs for a second meal usually is not quite enough for us! So I finally just decided to buy 2. Two take the same time to cook as one does, since they are the same size and are in seperate cooking bags and pans. Both have potatos, carrots, celery and onion in the bags and I'm also going to make some brown gravy. Otter helped with the vegetables, so it didn't take any longer to get two ready than it would have taken to get one ready. I also have a loaf of honey whole wheat bread in the bread machine. It should be ready a little before the roasts are done.

Yes, I still make Pioneer gravy! I have never been able to make gravy from scratch, mom did try to teach me and Nana (who is the world's best scratch gravy cook ever) did, too. But I still just make glue. So I don't even bother, I just use my old favorite - Pioneer, naturally. Well, it is also pretty good. But if I have a choice of two brands, one being Pioneer and one being something else, I'll always ALWAYS take Pioneer. Not just gravy, I like almost all the other products that Pioneer makes. Although I was never too wild about the chili or taco seasonings. I'm not sure if they still make them or not, they were not big selling items.

We have known that Frasier is smart pretty much from the first moment we brought him home. He reminded me this morning of just how smart he really is. I sat down on the couch with a cup of coffee in my hand. He came up to me like he usually does when he wants a chin scratch. But as soon as I moved my hand within reach, he whipped his head away and bumped the hand holding the coffee. Then as soon as it started to drip over the side of the cup, there was Frasier trying to catch the drip! He didn't quite catch it, it dripped onto a blanket I had over my legs and he licked it off the blanket. Then he tried to do it again, but I was on to his tricks by then so it didn't work. But he watched the cup the entire time. Dog's smart, he knows what he wants and he generally can figure out how to get it! The scratches on his nose are healing up. The scabs have come off, and the new skin is pink. I don't know if it will turn dark like the rest of the skin on his nose or not. So he might have a multicolored nose.

I have a spot on my nose that I'm watching, as well as Frasier. I woke up Friday morning and it looked like I'd scratched myself on the top of my nose almost where my glasses rest on the bridge of my nose. But this is Sunday and it still looks like it's a fresh scratch. So I'm keeping an eye on it, and if it doesn't heal up soon then I'll call the dermatologist. I have never had skin cancer, but Dad had it and it can be hereditary to an extent. I've also have more than a few bad sunburns, thanks to my red headed complexion. Another family legacy! Not that I'm complaining, I actually like being a redhead. I just don't like the sunburn thing that goes along with it.

Aarrrggghhhh!

In honor of International Talk Like A Pirate Day, this one is just for you Otter. Since I personally can NOT stand Johnny Depp (mostly because of his politics), this is probably the only time you will ever see his picture on my blog! FYI - if you want to see Otter do her impression of a redheaded Texas Woman, ask her father what he calls the pirate pictured above!

Anyway. It's Friday. I'm glad. It's been a busy week. I got quite a bit done at work, put out a few sudden "fires" and dealt with my older boss being every bit of his nearly 92 years. Otter had her last two driving lessons and she also was my chauffer this morning on the way to school. I managed to get some stuff on eBay. Lots of housecleaning & stuff. Dealt with two crazed canines. Normal life, in other words!

That's it for today. Short entry, but I wanted to get the picture up on the correct day. (And before I forget, Bill's name for the pirate is Girly Man!)

Some Thursday Rambles

This was meant to be a Wednesday Rambles, but our internet service was down yesterday. It was a widespread problem, but eventually Windstream got it fixed. I'm not sure what the problem was, but it affected a lot of people.

Read this: http://www.newsweek.com/id/159233 It explains a lot I didn't realize about migraines. And it makes perfect sense. Anyone who has them will find it very interesting.

Otter had a driving lesson yesterday. She drove us to the library. She did pretty good. Then I drove from the library to the grocery store, and she drove from the grocery store until we were nearly home. We had a change on drivers towards the end of the drive. There was a police man that was about to turn out of a street we went past. He was aimed to turn right. But then when Otter drove us past, he suddenly turned left. Which put him right behind us. And he stayed that way. For a very long time. He wasn't exactly tailgating, but he was close! It made her pretty nervous, but she handled it well and didn't really make any mistakes. I had her take us down a pretty curvy road and she kept the car between the lines and on the road so I think she did pretty good. But when we got to a certain point, I had her turn into a place and I took over from there. If the cop had stopped us, I would have asked him for specifics on why and then I would have informed him that she was learning and she would have shown him her permit. I don't know if he was trying to make her do something, or if he was following because it was obviously a teenage driver. But he was definitely following us, and not just going the same way. But he was dissapointed, if he was hoping she'd goof up!

New Baby! Otter's newest cousin was born today, Caleb James. He's healthy and mom is fine, but I forgot to ask the important question: what color hair? His older sister has a head full of red hair, and there are quite a few other redheads in the family. His parents are Bill's sister's daughter and her husband. Bill is getting old, if his YOUNGER sister is now a grandmother of 2!

I'm not positive, but the hummingbirds may have moved on. I haven't seen any for a few days. I'll leave the feeders up for a while, at least some of them for any southward bound birds that need a snack on the way.

I guess we'd better start looking for tulip bulbs soon, since we should be planting them in about 6 weeks. More or less, depending on the weather. And around that same time I'll be moving more iris bulbs.

I think that's it!

No More Complaints About Being Bored!!!

Because it always comes back to bite me. I said I was bored yesterday. Then I had to spend a couple of hours at the ER with Otter and a banged-up knee. She's fine, her knee is ok and her father has now been lectured by both Otter and myself about not over-reacting! But I'm not going to complain about being bored again. Because now I think it's Billyboy's turn! And that's always a Very Bad Thing.

Today would have been Dad's birthday. We're going to have peanut M&M's in his memory in a little while. They were about his favorite candy, he had such a sweet tooth. He loved children, dogs and anything sweet to eat. I miss him a lot.

Otter has another driving lesson tomorrow. Then she has her final one on Thursday. I was going to take her driving after work today, but I had to hang around the phone in case Bill called me to come get him since he was having car trouble today. It is something he can fix but it made it dicey for him to drive the van. Then when he did make it home, we had to go to the auto parts store for the part he needs. After that, he mowed the back yard and we got dinner organized (spaghetti!) and then it was just too late. I'll try to take her Wednesday and let her get some practice in.

We are still having a fly problem. We can not figure out where they are coming from. There were two that just suddenly appeared out of nowhere when we were eating dinner, they just appeared over the table and then they suddenly turned into 3. As I watched, two became three. I think that they must be cloning themselves. I wish they'd stop, because the Venus flytraps can't eat another bite! They can only consume so much at a time, then the leaves stop closing until they need more food. And they are very well-fed at the moment, so I don't think they'll be ready for another meal for several days at least.

Perfect early-fall weather here. It's still officially summer, but I am considering it to be Fall. Really beautiful lately. It's supposed to be very nice this week, and it might even get into the 40's the next few nights. Not long now until winter!

It's been a fast year. It seems like it should just be early summer or late spring, and now it's already mid-September. Wow.

We have a few things on eBay now. I listed a few things this afternoon, and I'll be listing more this week. I have a few more things that I've cleaned out and we also have some shirts, warm socks and gloves to list. We bought a bunch of stuff at an Army surplus store that closed due to the owners retiring, in June when Otter was at camp. We got a bunch of shirts out of it, several pairs of gloves and lots of socks. We bought it to resell and there are still quite a few things left. I haven't quite gotten to listing that stuff yet, but we will get on it soon. We were waiting until the weather started to turn. And since it seems to be turning, I guess we'd better get busy!

Sunday Morning Bored! **And a Later Update!

I'm bored. Probably pretty obvious from the title, huh?!

Anyway. Back to being bored. We kind of forgot about church this morning. Actually, we didn't forget about it. But we did forget to watch the clock. And by the time we realized that nobody knew what time it was, it was too late. So I rearranged my Sunday plans a bit. What there were of them, we didn't have a big day planned anyway. Otter wants to get some driving practice in today and she wants to go to a thrift store. So we'll do those a little later on. And maybe go to Michael's. That was the extent of our afternoon plans to start with. I'm just not dealing well with nothing to do between now and then! I did get a loaf of bread started and I started a pot of soup in the crockpot last night, too. But my jeans are in the dryer so I have to wait on them, otherwise we'd probably be out getting driving practice in.

We didn't get much weather yesterday. We were supposed to get quite a bit of wind and rain, courtesy of Hurricane Ike. We did get a breeze, but not very bad. I haven't checked to see how much rain we actually got, but even with the fact that it rained quite a bit last night I don't really think we got the 10" forecast! Bill did have to go out in the rain last night - at about 9:30 we were hearing too much rain right outside the office window and Bill thought he'd better check the rain gutter. Which turned out to be overflowing due to a good sized twig with leaves clogging it. If the rain gutters get stopped up and overflow, they can tear loose from the house. So he had to climb the ladder in the rain and clean it out. But he managed to not get injured and he didn't even get all that wet.

I put a bucket and my watering can out on the deck yesterday afternoon, then I used the rainwater they collected to water my inside plants this morning. I was going to get my rain barrel cleaned out today but I don't think I'm going to be be able to. Even though it's to collect water, it needs to be able to dry out after I clean it. So it's going to wait a few days. But I want to get it ready and working as soon as I can.

We have a fly problem. We have had anywhere from 3 to about 6 in the house for the last several days. We keep killing them, but either they are zombies or reincarnated! Except that for every one we get rid of, two more show up. It's getting really frustrating. Maggie is at least happy, she gets to stalk them and sometimes she actually catches them. Then she plays with them until they stop moving. Then sometimes she eats them. Frasier has no interest in them, but Mags is quite the little bug hunter.

Frasier had his own little drama Friday afternoon. Maggie came running in to get me, so I thought maybe he'd gotten out. She led me to the living room, and right to him - he was in the living room, and his head was down a bit. I looked at him and he had what I thought was mud all over his nose. Then I noticed it was dripping. Because it was blood, not mud. At first we thought it was fang marks, like from a snake. So I looked outside, and didn't see anything. He let me wash his nose off with a damp cloth, and we think he caught his nose on something and scratched it up. Possibly a jagged piece on the fence, where the neighbors dogs have broken through in small places. I also had to go clean off the flap on one of the dog doors, since he noses the door to open it and it was also bloody. He quit bleeding pretty fast and we just kept on eye on him but he's ok. However, since he was already laying down in the floor so I could check his nose I also got the claw trimmer and got both of his dewclaws. He's pretty good, when I have to do anything to him he will lie down and be reasonably still. So I took advantage of it! He did not like it, but he let me trim the dewclaws without a lot of arguing with me. His nose is healed up now, I only can tell that it was ever scratched because I know where to look. He's back to being my lazy Frazy now. My big, spoiled, furry baby.

Froggy & Toadly, tomorrow would have been Dad's birthday. I have my peanut M&M's in the freezer, we'll eat them tomorrow. Got yours yet?

Here's that later update I mentioned in the title: She's her father's daughter. That is probably enough to figure out what I'm getting at! However, no bones were broken this time - although it did involve a trip to the ER. More about that in another post.

Just Stuff. And Some VERY GOOD Stuff!

The VERY GOOD stuff first:

Virginia's son-in-law called her attorney and said that he's willing to let them have official custody. He wants one day a week visitation, he's willing to let it be monitored. He says he'll pay child support. With his past history, he probably won't keep up with either the visits or the child support. But the important thing is that the children will stay in a safe environment and be raised with love and not having to worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they'll have a place to sleep.

One of two things happened. Either he discovered how much an attorney would cost (and his track record is only spending on himself) or he is not willing to do what it takes to pass a drug test - and there would be regular ones down the road.

Virginia and David are meeting with their attorney early next week. They wanted a few days to think it over, mostly to be sure that he's serious and won't change his mind when it comes time to sign all the official paperwork.

However, they still need prayers. Also the son-in-law, he probably needs to be prayed for as well.

And now, on to the other stuff! Otter drove us home from the grocery store yesterday, just a short drive but she did great. She got tailgated, but I told her to ignore the jerk and not let it rattle her. And I also told her that when she was going to need to stop at the next intersection, to start early so he wouldn't ram into the back of the car. She handled it very well.

But at least it's Friday and it was a long week. I was sick all last week, then I really didn't feel the best until about Wednesday. I've been very busy at work, but I'm just about caught up.

We're probably going to be in for a rainy weekend. How much and when depends a great deal on hurricane Ike. Right now, it looks like Galveston is the center of the target. Galveston was hit in 1900, something like 6,000 or 8,000 people died. This storm is just as big and looks to be following the same track. Most of the people in the area have evacuated, but there are still some who think they can ride it out. I read an article just now, the police were going door to door before they evacuated themselves. They were telling any people who insisted on staying that they needed to write their SS #'s on their arms, since they might be gambling with their lives. That would certainly get my attention, but apparently the shallow end of the gene pool is still populated! However, the population might be taking a dip soon. I like my home, but it's not really worth risking my life over in a situation like that!

Uncle Froggy (Otter's nickname for Froggy's husband) works in Houston, he smartly headed home yesterday well ahead of the main evacuation so he probably didn't have quite as much traffic to deal with as the people who left after about noon yesterday. I saw some pictures just now of downtown Houston. I don't honestly think I've ever seen that area deserted. But it is now! Froggy - does Uncle Froggy want a different blog name? Otter also considered Crazy Uncle, if he'd prefer that one. :)

Other than that, I'm just glad that it's Friday. This week feels like it's had 5 Mondays. Now I'm going to go get into my chocolate stash.

To Remember

7 Years ago today, we all lost something. We might not have had a connection with someone who lost their life on that day, but we all lost something. We lost our innocence. We lost something precious and irreplacable. May we NEVER forget. If we do, then those lives were wasted. We owe it to them not to forget, not to let their lives go unmourned or unremembered.

I think that Allan Jackson said it best:

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the childrenWho lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that Bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

Rainy Day Thoughts

It's been rainy most of the day. It started raining while I was on the way to work this morning (fortunately after I'd taken the recycling stuff to drop off!), it quit for a while and then it started up again. It's supposed to be rainy for the next few days. And if the hurricane hits Texas like it's supposed to, we'll be dealing with it in a few days as well. We need a few days of a nice, slow rain. Like today. Hurricanes do get up this far inland, but they are generally at tropical storm status by that point. But they can still be bad storms. We're used to bad storms, this is Tornado Alley after all.

Although I could probably do without having to unclog one of the rain gutters! For some reason this afternoon, I had the strongest feeling that I needed to go check the rain gutter the side of the garage. And I'm glad I did, it was clogged and running over. Bill got home just after I discovered it, so he got the ladder and unclogged it. And he discovered that it's also slightly loose at one end, he gave it a temporary fix and when it's stopped raining in several days, he'll see about a better fix.

While all that was going on, Otter was out driving. She got to drive in heavier traffic than she's been in, which was good for her. She also worked on parellel parking. And she learned about driving in the rain. The instructor said that she did pretty good. She has two more lessons, they are Tuesday and Thursday of next week. We might not be able to take her out for a few days, it depends on the weather. But she's going to start driving me to the store, when we go to church, etc. I don't take her to school every day, she rides the bus most days. But when I do take her, she'll be doing the driving. She says that she feels a lot more confident about it now. She is turning into a pretty good driver.

When winter finally shows up, she's going to get the ice driving lesson. I want her to be as prepared as she can be for that one, I had to learn it the hard way. When we moved to NE OK, it was at the end of February and while it was still cold at times there was no ice or snow to deal with that year where I had to drive in it. We had some winter weather, but I was not working yet and was able to stay home. The next year, I'd gone back to work and when we were expecting a bad ice storm Bill made a point of telling me as much as he could about how to drive in the stuff. But hearing about it and actually doing it are two very different things. My first ice driving experience happened because I was at work and I had no choice - I had to learn it and in a hurry. It started icing up and my boss told me to leave about 3:00, it took me 2 1/2 hours to get about 7 or 8 miles from my office to Otter's daycare. Then it took me a long time to get home, but I managed. I stopped at the grocery store up the street from the daycare because by that time, it was after 5:00 and the traffic was getting bad. I was nervous about driving in traffic with icy conditions, so I spent about an hour buying groceries, and by the time I got back on the road again there was very little traffic. So it worked out pretty good. And Otter is going to be taken out to the streets behind us and taught ice driving, because living up here it's a necessary survival skill!

Frasier and Maggie have spent quite a bit of time this afternoon having a grooming session. They were running around chasing each other in the living room a few minutes ago, but they are back to grooming again. They are a very good pair, they get along so well. Better than just about any other dogs we've ever had, in fact. And they are very spoiled, which I think they know!

All day long, I've had to remind myself that it was actually Wednesday and not Thursday. For some reason, it felt like a Thursday. My boss had the opposite problem, he kept thinking that it was Wednesday. I just wish it were Friday!

OK, both doggies are now snoozing. They are both in the floor next to me, head to head. They're so cute.

Well, Bill's making hungry noises so I guess I'd better get this posted! I have to feed him occasionally, after all. :)

The Countdown is Over!

Otter had her first professionally taught driving lesson today. And she did wonderfully! The instructor said that she did everything very well. She drove into the downtown area of our small city, but that's not saying a lot because it's pretty small. But she did have to deal with some traffic, changing lanes and parking. She drove past her school, also. He sounded like he was very impressed. She has another lesson tomorrow, then two next week. Then it's up to us to get her the rest of the required hours for the final license. I've already told her that once she's finished with the lessons next week, she's going to start driving more when we go places like church, the grocery store or to take her to school. I think she's going to be a very good driver. Let's just hope that she can learn to parellel park!

Virginia's custody hearing went pretty good. Her lawyer advised her before anything really got started that there was probably going to be visitation by the kid's father. Virginia's son and daughter-in-law are both child abuse investigators and they had all the ammunition that they needed, both on the father and on most of his family having either prison records (bad ones, records that really matter in this case) or more than one sister having had children removed because of abuse and/or neglect. So the visitation would have been set up to be supervised & limited - and he would have had to pay for it. As a condition of the visitation, the lawyer suggested that they have a drug test run on him. Which was voluntary and he agreed to do. While they were waiting for the results, the kid's father stated that he wanted a delay because he hadn't had time to get an attorney - he's had over 2 weeks. But that's beside the point now. Because he wasn't smart enough to stay away from certain "banned substances" and now he gets NO visitation. The hearing has been postponed or continued until the 30th, and the protective order is still in force. At that point, anything could happen. There will be another drug test, that much is certain. If he gets an attorney and has a clean test, the most likely scenario is that the children will stay with Virginia and David but that he'll have visitation. Again, it will be supervised & limited and he'll have to pay for it. But a lot of that depends on what kind of attorney he gets, he is probably going to try to get a "public defender" type, where he won't have to pay or will have to pay a reduced fee. Or he might do what he usually does - expect that the rules will be bent for him and he is not a very truthful person, either. So everything is still up in the air, and prayers will still be needed. Nobody thinks that he really wants the kids, but that it's just spite on his part. All of this could have been avoided if he'd just grown up and taken responsibility. But that probably won't happen, if it hasn't by now.

Happy late Birthday, Scott! And Happy Birthday today, Pippin!

Maggie beagle managed to get herself into a little trouble this morning. Someone got into the trash in the night, it was still in the trash can this time and not just in a bag on the floor. Since Maggie was extremely interested in the can last night and I had to get her away from it more than once, I'm thinking that she was probably the culprit. If it had been Frasier, there would have been more taken out of the can because the only stuff that was pulled out was right at the opening and about all she could reach. She's kind of a short dog, after all. She was acting guilty this morning, too.

It was a very pleasant day today, it was in the 70's. We needed jackets this morning. It was cloudy and overcast at first, but then the sun came out and it turned out to be very nice. Partly cloudy and not too warm at all. Tomorrow should be back into the low 80's, and the next few days will probably also be in that range. But we might get rain, and if Hurricane Ike hits far enough north in Texas we could get rain out of it early next week. But who knows, this morning Ike was supposed to go up the east coast!

I still have hummingbirds, but I don't expect them to stay around much longer. I think that some of them have already started migrating south. I have really enjoyed them this year. I'm also starting to think about the tulip bed and planting some bluebonnet seeds in the whisky barrel. I've planted seeds before, but always at the wrong time. They need to be planted in the fall, so I'm going to try seeds again and see what happens. I am not counting on being able to find them at the garden stores next year, this year was a bad one for them. I'm also planning on moving a few more iris bulbs in about 2 months. I'll find a place for them somewhere!

Sunday Drivers

We just got back in from a driving lesson. Otter is doing great. She drove us around the neighborhood, the streets behind us and part of the neighborhood next to ours. The professional teacher comes Tuesday, and I think she is ready. Bill worked with her a little bit on parallel parking last week. I'm not even going to attempt that one, I can't parallel park on a good day! (Depth perception is for the birds).

We are all in various stages of recovery from the cold, Otter still has some congestion and an occasional cough. I am still coughing, not as much but still hard coughs. My lungs are sore but my ribs aren't as tender as they were. Bill managed to avoid a bad case of the bug, he has some congestion issues and some coughing but he has had the lightest case of it out of the three of us. But we skipped church this morning, we really don't feel like we are up to going anywhere. The driving lessons might be the only time anybody actually goes anywhere today, and I'm not really sure if that counts or not!

I made a pot of beans this morning, and now the whole house smells like pinto beans. I am probably going to make some cornbread in a little while, possibly jalepeno cornbread. I make beans the way Mom taught me, it takes about 3 hours but they are so good. I'll put it in small containers and freeze them. I am thinking I might make my famous soup in the next several days and freeze some of it as well.

I'm also doing what little laundry I have and there are a few household chores that I might get done. But mostly, we're just taking it easy today. Bill and I both woke up early, around 5:30 (Thanks Frasier!). So we had coffee and sat out on the deck before dawn. It was very nice out there, but there was a little bit of lightning so we didn't stay out there very long. But it's going to be mild weather today, so I might go back out there this afternoon. I like to sit out there and read. But it depends on my lungs, there are some weeds at the back fence line that I think are ragweed - I haven't investigated them yet so I'm not sure.

Possibly we had a bat on the front porch this morning. I went out to get the paper after we'd come in from the deck and it wasn't quite light yet. When I opened the door, I turned on the porch light. As I went out the door, something dropped down from the front porch and flew off. It bumped the roof of the porch first, then it managed to get out from under the porch. I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, so I'm not positive it was a bat. But it wasn't a bird, and it was a lot bigger than a bug. If it was a bat, I wish it would come back! We still have quite a few mosquitos for it to eat.

At least it was better than last week, when I walked out on the deck and went right through a huge spider web! Big spider, too. It at least managed to get out of my way, but it was probably upset that I'd gone through the web. Took forever to get all that stuff out of my hair! I swear that spider gave me a dirty look as it climbed up onto the roof! :)

I might get a few things on eBay today. Maybe. Or maybe not. Just depends. This might be updated later today, so check back. But I did want to remind everyone of my prayer request for Virginia's hearing tomorrow. Also - there are two birthdays this coming week! More about those later.

Friday's Installment from Illness Central!

Well, Bill's got it now. He was up a lot last night, unable to sleep. When I got up, he said he had a sore throat and he sounded rough. He was also starting to cough. So he decided to stay home today. I went to work, although I still felt cruddy. There were a few things I really needed to get done. By 9:00, I knew I was cratering and was about to head home. Which is when my older boss got there. And he immediately started yelling at me. Not because I'd been sick most of this week. No, he was mad at me because he said I never should have come in! He basically ordered me home, but I was about to head that way anyway. I left about 9:30. I had to drop some mail off at the post office, I "did a drive-by" with that and then I realized that my car was on fumes so I went to the gas station. And then I stopped at Wallyworld because I'd run out of soy milk this morning and I don't like to do without that - it helps with hot flashes. But I still got home pretty quickly. The dogs were happy to see me, Bill was still parked and is now napping. I can hear him snoring. Frasier is asleep in the floor beside me, and I think that Maggie might be curled up in Otter's bed.

I do feel a lot better, but that's not saying a lot. I am still coughing up a storm and it's extremely painful. It reminds me of several years ago when I fell off of the teeter-totter and bruised/broke a few ribs. (Long story, involves my big brother). Anyway, I am not coughing quite as often but when I do cough it seems like I cough harder. My lungs are just plain sore. I'm also at what we call "the talking stage" with my asthma. We call it that because when Otter gets to that point, she can not quit talking. In my case, I usually want to get up and move around which generally involves having to clean something. (I unloaded the dishwasher and swept the kitchen floor. I would have done more but Bill wouldn't let me). It's actually a strange phenomenon that occurs when you are not getting as much oxygen as you need. The body's response is to get you moving one way or the other, it's an effort to generate activity which would make you breathe more thereby getting more oxygen into your system. I don't know if it's ever been officially recognized by the medical profession, but I have heard of it before and I've also seen/felt it in action! I have a friend who has really bad asthma as does one of her daughters, and they have had to deal with it as well. Froggy, what about your asthmatic offspring?

I guess everybody's seen my new picture on the blog, over on the side above the Israel Flag. I want to be very clear on this one: I am extremely pro-life. No reasons at all can ever justify the destruction of what is a living Human being from the moment of conception. In other words, murder of the unborn. I realize that not everyone shares my viewpoint, and I don't expect it. But that is my opinion on the matter. It is always a very important issue for me in any election. It always will be. And I'm not alone, my entire household agrees with me. Because they choose to, of their own free will.

Ok, enough with the politically charged stuff. For the moment.

Virginia and David's custody hearing is at 9:00 Monday morning. They have to be at the courthouse by 9:00, they don't know if the actual hearing will be at 9:00 or if that's when the docket opens. There might be other cases on the docket, but sometime Monday is when the issue will hopefully be decided. Virginia is very nervous, which is expected. I'd be a basket case if I were in her position. So, I'm still asking for prayers for this situation.

I can hear the Magginator, sounds like she's in the living room and is playing with something. I'd better go check on her, her buddy Frasier is still asleep and Bill's still snoring! We had a fly problem this morning, about 4 of them and it's her heart's desire to catch one. She might be chasing one. There was one that kept landing on her back and tail earlier, I almost think that it knew what it was doing and it like to drove her nuts. (That is not a grammar goof, it's Texas-speak.) She's crazy to start with, but she was even nuttier than usual with that fly bugging her. So I'm going to go see what she's up to, because when Maggie is left to her own devices bad things can happen! :) Oh, she just came in to see me so I guess she either caught the fly or got tired of the game.

Checking In From Illness Central!

I'm still here and still sick, but I am a lot better. I did not get much sleep last night, but three of the times I woke up are Frasier's fault. For some reason, he decided that he needed to rearrange the carpet he was sleeping on - notice I said carpet and not his blanket! I woke up to hear him scratching around on the carpet and told him to stop. The first time, he left the bedroom. I think he just quit the 2nd and 3rd times. But I was awake many other times, mostly because I was so stuffed up I could hardly breathe. I decided to stay home again today, I am finally fever-free but I have a really bad cough and I'm still sneezing. A lot. I have also had a headache nearly constantly since about Tuesday. I'm also very sore from the coughing. I'm going to work tomorrow, and hopefully I will be able to stay the entire day.

And if that's not enough to deal with, Bill started having symptoms last night. He had a sore throat and then he still had one this morning, and he was starting to get sniffly and coughing some. I told him that he's forbidden from getting sick but he might not listen to me! It seems to take a couple of days to really settle in, so if he's going to get sick it should be about Saturday.

My friend Virginia's custody hearing is Monday. The process server finally located her son-in-law and served him, so the hearing can go forward. As of this morning's email from her, nobody has heard from him. He has a couple of options. He can show up and protest, he can show up and not contest it, or he can just not show up - which would effectively mean that he's not contesting it. The third option would really be the best for everyone, especially those precious children. He has taken them before and kept them for days, then brought them back when he got tired of having to be responsible. Brought them back filthy, not having had a bath in days and he's also brought them back hungry. As in not having meals. Any prayers would be appreciated, the best thing for those children really would be for their custody to be given to their maternal grandparents.

It's finally quit raining. The sun is shining but it's still a little cloudy. I looked out the front window while ago and we have two smaller limbs down. It was windy all day Tuesday and yesterday, and both limbs look like they've been dead for a while. But Gustav has moved on north of here, and the weather is nice today. Or at least it looks like it's nice though my window!

I have managed to get a little bit of laundry done today and I ran the dishwasher. But neither of those are hard chores to do, mostly I've been on the couch with a quilt and a book. And I'm heading back there shortly. I don't want the couch to feel lonely! Besides, I've been up long enough and I'm starting to get really tired. So, back to the couch with me now.

My new image at the side of the posts is courtesy of Milehimama blog.

Just Checking In Briefly

I'm still here. And I'm still sick. I went to work yesterday, then I came home about 9:00 or thereabouts and I stayed home today. When I called my boss to tell him I wasn't coming in, the first words out of his mouth were to tell me that he wanted me to stay home today.

I did have to get out today, it was raining and very windy (Gustav remnants) so I took Otter to school. She's still got quite a bit of congestion and we didn't want her to have to stand out in it at the bus stop so I took her myself. But then I came home, got back into my pj's and parked myself on the couch. With a blanket, kleenex (I went through 2 boxes today), plenty of water and a dog on the floor next to me. Frasier spent pretty much all day beside me, he slept a lot of the time but he would also come up to me and rest his head on me - his version of a hug, I think. I got up a couple of times but mostly I was lazy. I have fever still, I took it mid-afternoon, then Dr. Otter insisted on taking it again after she got home and I still have it, but it's less than earlier. I just got up to check my email and I'm heading back to my couch and my quilt in a few minutes.

I'll have a few political observations in the next few days, when I feel better and can get my thoughts together where they'll make sense. (No comments from Froggy or Toadly about me making sense!)

Apparently, it wasn't just an allergy!

What Otter was dealing with last week was more than just an allergy. It was more like a cold. I know this for a fact because now I've come down with it. I started feeling a tickle in my throat last night, then I was stuffy all night long. I woke up with a sore throat, and I have been blowing my nose every few seconds. I went in to work, did a few things and was caught up by 9:00 (caught up from being off Friday when Otter was home, it's not a busy office), and then I gave in and came home. I had to stop at the store because we ran out of milk this morning. So I ran in and out as fast as I could, then I came home. And I've been sneezing my head off for the last 30 minutes or so. The dogs are glad I'm home, but that might just be because they can now have access to the house and I opened their gate so they can run around the entire yard. But I prefer to think that they are just happy to get to spend some time with me! :)

Otter is back at school today, she's still a little congested but she's doing pretty good. I was really afraid that it might be pushing it with the zoo yesterday, but she is just about recovered. Except for having to blow her nose frequently, but that's typical with any type of cold-type bug. However, Bill was also a little stuffy this morning, we don't want him to get sick. He's not a good patient!

I'm going to go make myself some hot tea now. With plenty of honey! And then I think I'll lie down on the couch for a while. I might add to this later so check back this evening.

Guess Where We Went Today!

We went here:

In my August book list, I mentioned a book about the Tulsa Zoo Penquins. These are the penguins:

We saw lots of these:



And two of these:

We didn't seen any of these, they were all in their burrows:

We saw two of these:

We didn't see these: (They were probably sleeping inside their dens, they sleep about 90% of the time).

We saw several of these:

Also bears, plenty of snakes, alligators, assorted birds, penguins, the alligator snapping turtle and he was actually moving, deer, geese, swans, tortoises, chimpanzees (there are two babies!) and about a billion people.

I got all these pictures off of Google, they are supposed to all be from the Tulsa Zoo but I'm not too sure about the otters. We took one of Otter's good friends with us and it was a very enjoyable day. It was a fun day, warm and sunny and my feet hurt. But they have been sore ever since I spent nearly all day yesterday cleaning my house! (And spending quite a bit of time unclogging the vacuum, but Frasier doesn't want to discuss that so I'm not going there).

I've sneezed several times and so has my Otter but she's better. My allergies started acting up last night, and Bill has also been sneezy. But it's the time of year for that to happen. Good thing I bought a bunch of kleenex when Walgreen's had them on sale recently!

While we were gone, Bill transplanted a volunteer maple that came up by the shed. Hopefully, it will survive. When we got home, he got busy cleaning out the garage. Not totally, but I now have a path to get from the door to the door of the kitchen. No more having to drag groceries through the front door now! I had to replace the battery in my door opener, I haven't used it in so long that the battery quit. But since I couldn't get more than literally about 2" inside the garage because of all the junk piled in there, I didn't worry about the battery so I never replaced it.

We didn't plan on anything specific for Labor Day, so I got the Foreman grill out and we had hamburgers. I got some potato salad at the grocery store yesterday, and a frozen ready-to-bake apple pie. I made the pie last night and we sampled it, but there is plenty left which we'll probably get into very shortly. It won't last long around my house! I know, Froggy - I should make my own instead of buying a cheater! But it was still good. Besides, you are the pie cook in the family. I make pecan pie from scratch, but since we are not big pie eaters I don't have a lot of experience in it!

The pie is calling me now. I'd better go answer it. Wouldn't want it to get lonely!