E.....is for equine and equestrian

and those words sound so sophisticated for such a fun and laid back event. At least that's how it was for me. I know there are occasions when it involves lots of money and years of training and the horse is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars....but, for my own experiences, I'm talking about just the LOVE of riding. To get on a horse....most of the time bareback....and take off with the wind blowing in your hair, is one of the best things you can do for your heart and soul.

When I was 8 years old, my grandmother asked me what I would rather have.....piano lessons or a horse. What a ridiculous question! Even though I wish I could have done both.....of course I took the horse! Horses are a lot of work though. I was fortunate that we lived on a small farm so we had the room and the barns. My mother had previously owned horses so she was experienced in the care and feeding, as well as how to ride and saddle. The horse pictured is actually my horse and I owned him for 8 years. When I was 16, I sold him to a woman who was buying him for her 6 year old and I know he went to a good home.

When I owned him, I would meet up with other kids my age who had horses and we would all ride together. We loved to play "hide and seek" in the wooded fields. The rules were that you could not get off your horse.....so you not only had to find a place to hide yourself....you had to also hide your horse. So many times the horses would nicker to each other and betray our location. It was a lot of fun, as were the rides we took that stretched for miles on narrow, gravel country roads. We would stop along the way and have a picnic and we always remembered to bring along carrots for the horses. Of course they always had grass to munch on, so they weren't hungry.

I can't even begin to explain the feeling.....the ultimate freedom....of riding a horse. I would ride in our back fields almost daily and then over to an adjoining farm frequently to enjoy an additional 80 acres there. There were paths all through woods and around a small lake. It was so peaceful.....and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Just me, my trusty horse and my faithful little dog. How I wish I would have had the forethought to have had a camera with me. The pictures I have are only in my mind now. I have cherished those years all my life and can feel a smile slowly creep over my face as I think back and fondly remember. Just the sound of his hooves methodically hitting the ground and the squeak of the leather saddle under me.....the birds in the trees, ducks from the lake and the jingle of my dog's collar tags. When I'm stressed......I go back there mentally. I know I am so lucky to have these memories. So much so that I forgave my grandmother for tearing that picture out of the magazine. LOL (reference to the B post)

D.....is for Drive-Ins

Oh my lord.....my generation sure did love drive-in movies! I can't believe that almost every one of them are closed now. It was a wonderful date for teenagers. Lots of time to "neck" and if you didn't like your date that much, you could always watch the movie!! It was really convenient for families too. Mom and Dad could get an evening out without having to pay the babysitter.....the kids came right along. We'd fill the car with snacks, popcorn, pop and candy brought from home so we didn't have to pay the high prices there. The kids, dressed in pj's, hugging their blankets and stuffed animals, would snuggle back in the car and usually would fall asleep within the first hour or so.

The trips to the concession stand weren't so great....especially if you had to use the bathroom. Seems like there was NEVER any toilet paper left by the time it was your turn to use the facilities.....and WHY was that entire floor always wet? But it was a small price to pay for all the benefits you got. We always saw dozens of people we knew. The girls would all gather around the big mirror and discuss their "dates", while refreshing their makeup and ratting their hair up a bit more. A few sprays of Aqua Net and you were good to go.

Back in the late 50's.....my heyday for dating.....it was a simpler time. Gas was about 15 cents a gallon, max, and you didn't have to pump it yourself. We would 'cruise' different drive-in restaurants looking for all our friends and then, if something good was playing, we'd all end up at the drive-in movie....after burgers, cokes and fries of course.

I have a lot of fond memories of those times. I know those of you who are my age have those same fond memories. I will never understand why they did it ..... and WHO decided to close them up anyway? It seemed like they were always crowded and doing a good business. I just don't know. What I do know, however, is that its MISSED.

I have noticed that some drive-ins are making a come-back. In our town we now have a drive-in restaurant similar to those of my youth....complete with carhops. This is totally different than fast food drive UP windows. Also, drive up banking has been popular for quite a while now, as well as drive up prescription pick up. But I really do wish they would bring back drive-in movies.

I have heard that there are a few still in existence. If you're lucky enough to have one in your town....enjoy it to the max. Remember the heaters we had to hang in the windows when it was winter? They did keep us warm. Either that or it was our teenage raging hormones that was keeping us warm. I remember really getting into trouble with my parents while on a date with the man I ended up marrying. We both fell asleep at the drive-in and woke up with a start. We were the only car left in the lot and the people who ran the place were on their way to our vehicle to find out the problem. We quickly put the speaker back on the pole and left. No cell phones back then.....and I was 2 hours over curfew. My mother was beside herself with worry.

Yes, it was a simpler time and I loved it. I'm grateful that I lived during that era. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Maybe a wealthy entrepreneur will take a chance and bring back the past.

C.....is for Commercials

Ah the land of TV Commercials! Commercials are irritating mostly because they are taking you away from a program that you actually want to view....even though they do offer an opportunity to quickly run to the bathroom or to the kitchen to grab a drink or snack. Commercials are not that long if you check each one individually....but on a commercial break its not uncommon for 10 different commercials for 10 different products or services loudly trying to persuade you to buy buy buy.

I have seen commercials that I just love, however. We all remember "Mikey", the commercial I have pictured. That commercial stayed in our memories for years and in so doing.....the product they were advertising stayed in our minds. (Life cereal) I love emotional, touching commercials. Make me cry and you've got me hooked. Anything with animals seems to be a good bet. Humorous commercials are great also. How many of you remember the Alka Seltzer commercial from so many years ago....about the HUGE dumpling that the newlywed saved and froze for her husband? I have many favorite commercials and kudos for all their writers.

However.....

There are an over-whelming amount of commercials that just plain make me mad. I realize that "s-x sells" and that is probably one of the main problems in our country today....but that's for another post at another time. So many commercials are just that. Nothing but s-x. (I'm not spelling it out completely because I don't want to be a google hit for the s-x seekers.) Anyway, have you seen the commercial that shows nothing but a young woman's behind in various poses and articles of clothing.....mostly underwear..... and the commercial turns out to be an ad for SHOES. This almost sent my brain into vapor lock. Then heaven help you if you watch daytime TV. I really try not to. The commercials will nearly fry your brain. The constant bantering about suing....for big money.....BIG money. Fall down your steps at home?.....are you a renter? Then SUE your landlord and get BIG BUCKS. Neighbor's dog growl at you? SUE. This has led to anxiety and loss of sleep and your health has deteriorated. Blah blah blah. In these days of people looking for easy money this just plants the seed. I've had two claims against my homeowner's insurance and both parties (spread out over a 20 year period) didn't carry it through because it was discovered they were "enhancing" their so-called injuries. Afternoon TV is almost nothing but lawyers and "get out of debt".

In my opinion, such as it is, if they all stuck with humor the product or service would be remembered and the commercial would actually be watched. Who doesn't love the little dog with anxious dreams about his precious bone? The song alone is a winner. Good job, Traveler's Insurance.

B.....is for Books, Books....everywhere

.......and not enough time to read them all.

I have had a love affair with books my entire life. My mom told me that I used to sit on the floor when I was just a toddler and carefully look at magazines....not even wrinkling a single page. One day my grandmother saw me looking at a picture in a magazine that she thought was not age appropriate. Back then, it sure could not have been anything racy but, nevertheless, she bent down and ripped the page out of the magazine right before my terrified eyes. Mom said I was heart-broken! She related that I cried and cried for what seemed like hours. So my love of books, magazines and pictures has been around since before I can even remember.

I once had a sweatshirt that read "So many books, so little time" and it stated exactly how I felt. One year when I was in my teens, my mom had a birthday cake made for me. It looked like an open book, much like the picture in this post. On it she had written "Oh give me a good book to read and let the rest of the world go by". Yes, my mom sure did know me. But then, I inherited my love of books from her.

I probably own over 500 books....maybe more. All but a handful are hardcover. I have two stacks of books in my guest room that are each four feet tall. These are the books that are waiting patiently for me to take one in my hands and become friends with it and the joys it holds inside its covers. And, yes....it seems like there is "too little time". Every time I get the stacks reduced a bit, I add more to them because new books have come out that I just MUST read.

I love the feel of a book in my hands and the smell of a brand new book. I will often just open one up and bury my nose in it and inhale deeply. I know this all sounds crazy.....but this is just a little bit of my personality. However, I do own a Kindle. I like the convenience of throwing it in my purse and always being ready to start reading. It will never replace an actual book for me, but I've grown rather fond of the convenience. Good grief.....a Kindle can hold over 3,500 books....or so I'm told anyway. I have about 15 on mine right now. Its also quite common for me to have several books going at the same time. I think the most I've had going at once has been 3.

My son does not read books at all. He's missing so much. My daughter will read voraciously when she's in the mood. She devoured the entire set of Philippa Gregory's Boleyn series in just a few weeks. My grandson is a reader but doesn't read too often. Hopefully, my granddaughter will enjoy reading enough to do it often.

So I am very grateful to all the authors out there......for, without them, we would have no books to enjoy. With them you can escape anywhere in (or out of) the world. Anywhere your heart desires and never leave the comfort of your living room.

Right now I'm reading The Passage, which is can't-put-it-down terrific........ and on my Kindle, Torn the second part of the Trylle Trilogy. which is just a fun- easy reading fantasy story, but it does hold your attention.

Thank you to those of you who welcomed me to "The Challenge". I hope I can follow through. I, too, am looking forward to reading new blogs and meeting new people so I can add you to my list of awesome bloggers that I've come to know and love. Thank you again for your warm welcomes! Enjoy the weekend and find joy in the fact that Spring represents new life and that can also be interpreted to mean, "A new look on life". Keep smilin'.

This is a great "A" post.....

Well, after reading Jamie's post, I decided to also join the A-Z Challenge. The button is on my sidebar if you'd like to join us. I'm number 973. This challenges you to write a post for every day in April and each one begins with the next letter of the alphabet. X should be interesting, I'd say. Anyway....this is going to be a real challenge for someone like me who only posts about 3 times a month. LOL

But now on to my "A" post. I'm so proud to say that last night we went to Parent-Teacher conferences and my granddaughter is on the All A Honor Roll! We are so very proud of her. She's only been at this new school since February 14 and has worked very hard. Her hard work shows! They also had the kids stand up and do reviews on a book they've recently read and they also had to make up a poster board presentation and then actually perform a task that was mentioned in the book. My granddaughter made a huge valentine....showing how to cut out hearts and put ribbons on them. She then passed out home-made valentines. This was from the Junie B. Jones book, Mushy Gushy Valentine. These are great books for the 1-2 grade level. She was very surprised when she won the 1st Place ribbon for best in the elementary category. Again....I'm so grateful that we transferred her.

So that's it. My A post is all about my granddaughter, whose name starts with an "A" and her being on the All A Honor Roll.

TGIF.....have a good one and a wonderful weekend.

Just a quickie.....

Yes, unfortunately, I had to have another shot. Finally, today, my eye has stopped complaining but its still all red. The eye doctor was very happy with things when he looked at all the images of my eye. He said the problem has almost completely reversed itself. This second shot should keep it from happening again. I'm still not seeing as well as I once could, but he's optimistic that my sight will improve with time and the distortion will go away. My next appointment is in 6 weeks.

We drove down there and back in freezing rain. Thank goodness my daughter is a good driver and I felt at ease with her behind the wheel. Because of the weather, school had been canceled and we had to take my granddaughter with us. She was very good. She had brought along about 1,900 Barbies to occupy her time there. We stopped on the way home and had brunch. By the time we finished, the numbness was wearing off and my eye was beginning to really hurt. I was glad we were only a mile away from home at that point.

My granddaughter took her test for her orange belt in Karate today and obtained it. She is one proud little girl......and we are very proud of her as well. She is FLOURISHING at her new school. She gets up in the morning and is anxious to go. At her old school, she hated going and would leave the house in tears every morning. They advised my daughter that she was failing, yet at this new school, she has tested right at grade level and one grade higher in reading. I think she was so upset all the time at the old school that she had given up and wasn't even trying anymore. I'm so grateful that we got her out of there. Its awful to see a child so unhappy....especially when you can fix it. One of my daughter's friends is also pulling her two children out of that school. I really do think that things need to be investigated there. And another thing....KUMON, where my granddaughter has been enrolled since last fall, has gotten so overcrowded that they have had to move into bigger quarters! Parents are dissatisfied with the public school system and their lack of interest in actually TEACHING. More and more of them are doing just what my daughter did....enrolling their children in programs that will actually teach them something. I suspect something will be done very soon to improve our inefficient and defective school system.....which, in years past was one of the best in the state. Parents are not going to put up with it much longer.

I think Smocha may be right about it being Firefox that's causing my problems with Blogger. Even though a lot of you have said you can see the Followers pictures.....I cannot. But they are all still listed when I look them up on my account. So, obviously more research is necessary. Hopefully one day I'll sign on and they will mysteriously be there. LOL

Hope everyone is doing OK in your little corners of the world. Here, we are anxiously awaiting flowers and green grass. Even though the calendar says its Spring....Ma Nature has a different idea. Its 24 out right now. Keep smilin'! (so much for a "quickie" post....sorry, I just got to rambling.)

Followers......where did they go?

All the little pictures of my followers have disappeared. Anyone else have this problem? Sometimes Blogger acts very strangely and then in a few days it straightens itself out. I've been waiting for about 3 days now, but my Followers have not reappeared.

So, all of you that were/are "following" me......I did not delete you. I'm hoping they will all return as suddenly as they disappeared. If not, I'm hoping I can find out how to "fix" it. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Tomorrow I go back to the dreaded eye doctor and freezing rain is predicted ALL DAY LONG. Yep, I'm in good shape all right. If my fear of doctors doesn't do me in, my fear of sliding all over icy roads should do the trick.

I'm still here.....

I've just sorta been like Snoopy on a lazy day....trying hard not to think about my next appointment with the dreaded eye doctor. This time I know what to expect and, of course, that sets off a nice case of nerves. That event will take place next Wednesday, the 23rd.

I sure do wish I could have said that my eyesight was back to normal....or even just near normal, but sadly, that's just not the case. The floatie has dissolved but my actual eyesight is still distorted and blurry in areas in that one eye. He did say it may take a few shots....so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm trying not to think about any of it.

In the meantime, I've been keeping busy as much as possible; working, reading and sleeping. HA! Actually, I've been working on a logo for a friend of my daughter's. He has a relatively new business and wants it for that. No wonder people who do that for a living make so much money. It's HARD WORK. It not only pulls on all your creativity, its also very time-consuming. What he wanted me to draw free hand did not turn out to my liking.....so now I'm looking for an alternate method. Plus.....you know I have to be in the right mood to even work on this kind of stuff. I haven't gotten very far on it.....but I have made some progress.

Granddaughter is doing well in school and in Karate. She will be testing for the orange belt in a few weeks. Grandson has moved in with his girlfriend and the first thing they did was get a kitten! A Bengal kitten! I certainly hope they did not bite off more than they can chew as I've heard these cats demand lots of attention and are very vocal if they don't get it. Time will tell.

Sorry I've been so rotten about posting but there just hasn't been anything worth writing about going on.....and I know you all don't want to hear about my aches, pains and ailments. Its raining here right now and supposed to get up to the 60's by Thursday. Maybe that warm weather will give me a boost of energy....ya think??

Oh yeah.....today is my birthday. (nonchalantly throwing handful of confetti in air) We are going to do something as a family this weekend for it. All I want is a cake and no fuss. I remember when birthdays used to be fun and full of surprises. Now it just makes you amazed that you've chalked up another year and managed to stay out of jail. Keep smilin' everyone. Thanks for visiting.

The story continues.....

I went back to the retina specialist for my checkup. My vision was still bad in that eye even though the floatie had mostly dissolved. This time they only dilated the eye that was giving me the problem. And sure enough....my vision tested much worse. Back to the scans and photo-imaging. End result is that I have now developed something in that eye totally a separate issue from the 'floatie ordeal'. Its something called myopic degeneration, not to be confused with macular degeneration. But its just as serious as far as I'm concerned.

About what I understood is that since I'm so near-sighted (myopic) the retina has thinned over the years and its gotten thin enough that blood vessels had started growing up through it. This has just started to happen and it was caught right away and the cure rate is extremely good because of that. My vision has been distorted because the blood vessels have changed the surface of the retina. I'm no doctor by any means, but this is what I understood. Anyway, I have to have injections to my eye. I had the first one Wednesday. Yes! Injections IN my eye. Sounds awful and I didn't dare let myself think about it. This medicine is supposed to shrink the blood vessels and make them retreat.

He washed my eye down with Betadine (that's probably spelled wrong).....which I did feel. Then he numbed my eye.....which I also felt. But the actual injection.....I did not feel. Thank God!

When I got out of there it looked like I had been the loser in a fist fight. My eye was swollen and extremely red. I have to put antibiotic drops in it and also liquid tears in it. Today its sore and feels like someone put a handful of sand in it. The liquid tears help that. I have to be careful of infection. Eyes seem to heal fast and I can already see and feel an improvement and its only been a bit over 24 hours since I had this done. What they injected me with is usually used for some other disease and therefore my insurance will not cover it. Its $82. I have to have another one in a month. Hopefully that will be it. Hopefully.

The doctor's office called me this morning to check on me and see how I was doing. I think that is extremely thoughtful and something a lot of doctors fail to do anymore.

So......how is everyone else doing?

Well.....I drew a pig

My friend sent me an email with a link to a personality test in which you "draw a pig". So, being adventurous, I decided.....why not. I drew the pig (as best I could using mouse and cursor) and the results amazed me because they are more true than you could imagine. LOL

Go here if you want to read it. Go here if you want to take the test yourself. To be fair to your own test....don't read my results until you've drawn your own pig and received your own.

In other news.....my eye keeps improving but my sight in that eye is still very bad. My appointment has been changed to the 23rd so hopefully by then I will notice a bigger difference.

My daughter is pulling her 8 year old out of the public school system. We are both deeply disgusted with the things that have been going on at that school. We have waited for a year and a half for things to get better but they have not. We thought that perhaps it was the teacher she had last year and we were willing to see if things changed this year with a different teacher. Some things improved but others have not and the children.....for the most part....are just plain MEAN...and they are getting away with it. She will be attending a private Christian school starting Monday. Stay tuned for updates.

Hope all is ok in your little corners of the world.

Potpurri.....

or....a little bit of a bunch of things.

First off.....my eye. It has improved but its been happening so frustratingly slow. My vision is still distorted and it really throws my depth perception off. My follow-up appointment is in 10 days, so hopefully I will be all better by then.

The blizzard is old news by now. We did not get nearly as much as was first predicted (24")....thank goodness. But we did get about 10 inches and its snowing again today. They say we may get another 4" to add to what's already on the ground. The wind was miserable though. It was coming out of the north which made it even more cold or maybe it was just the thought of "north wind" that did it. At one point my sliding glass door froze closed. LOL, I guess that's a heck of a lot better than having it freeze open! My poor little dog had to go out in snow that was as deep as she is tall. She took it all in stride though. She went out, did her business and then was at the door ready to come back in to the warmth.

We are breaking in our new supervisor at work. None of us quite know what to expect and most of us are a little bit nervous. He's probably just as nervous about us. Its been amusing to watch some of the employees interact with him. I guess I can safely say that there have been no surprises.....the suck ups were at their best and the lazy ones were breaking their arms patting themselves on their own backs, trying to convince him how much work they do. Its unbelievable. Anyone could see through what they are trying to do.....I'm shocked that they can't see it themselves.

My daughter had a friend.....a man her own age. (40's) She's known him for quite a few years but they've only just been friends. She thought highly of him. They tossed around the thought of perhaps him moving in with her and sharing expenses. She has a huge extra bedroom and he said he could help her around the house doing stuff that she can't do....like shoveling snow for example. They enjoy each other's company and get along well. He stayed over at Christmas and was included in our family festivities as well as dinner. A few days later, after he'd left, she noticed that half of her medications were missing. The pain pills she has to take as well as muscle relaxers. To say that she is devastated over this is an understatement. Now we've found out that he has a drug problem. We haven't seen him since then. He's not stupid....he knows that she has missed her meds by now. What was really sad is that she had to go 20 days in pain.....just because this addict wanted to get 'high'.....she had to suffer. This is why my daughter has trust issues. This is the second time this has happened to her....the first time it was a babysitter that did it. And no....she didn't make a police report. Even though she is 100% sure he took them, she has no real proof. He was once an honorable man and he has to live with what he's done and I know it will eventually haunt him. And so.....now we know why "his own family" was not helping him out. He's been unemployed for a year, getting unemployment and hasn't even been looking for work. It should have raised flags with us, but we've known him for so long....it just didn't. Sigh....live and learn.

On a happier note.....my 8 yr. old granddaughter has energy to burn and has been getting yelled at in school because she never stops moving. We figure busy hands are happy hands so my daughter enrolled her in Karate school. She goes Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Top that with taking Kumon (tutoring for math and reading) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as well...... plus bible school on Wednesday evening, this little girl doesn't have much spare time. However, my daughter is totally exhausted!

Well, I'm going to cuddle up with a good book....its snowing like crazy outside and the perfect night to do something along those lines. Whatever you're doing....be safe. And...of course....keep smilin'!!

Some problems......

I've had some eye problems for the last 3 weeks and just went to a specialist today....referred there by my ophthalmologist. Floaties (if you have 'em, you know what they are about....if you don't have them.....you probably will when you get OLD). Anyway I had a huge one that scared me so it had to be checked out.

I think I'm going to be ok. I've read so many eye charts in the last couple days, I should know all the letters by heart. Whenever I can't read a letter I always feel like I'm flunking a test at school or something. My vision has been blurred in one eye because of floaties and its frustrating beyond description....especially for someone like me who is constantly reading.

Anyway, I will have the test results tomorrow but I have to see the retina specialist again in 3 weeks to make sure I'm progressing as anticipated.

Thank you to all of you who kept the faith and kept on checking back here for a post. I appreciate that more than you know. I have been making the rounds as much as possible and reading.....with one eye no less. LOL Thank you also for the emails....you know who you are! I'll be back.......in just a few more days. Promise. (this gettin' old is the pits)....Oh well....keep smilin' anyway!!

Movie Reviews.....

The movies we watched recently and the ones I'm going to review are: Despicable Me; The Sorcerer's Apprentice; Knight and Day and Salt.

Despicable Me. This is a tug-at-your-heart animation, complete with orphans. It was entertaining and the evil one (Gru) delights in doing wicked deeds but underneath all that bad....there is a lot of good and it takes 3 little orphan girls to spot it and make it grow. Gru's competitor for top villain of all time is Vector who is a constant thorn in Gru's side. (Am I the only one who sees a physical resemblance to one of the world's richest men?) Good movie, nice little humorous moments that adults will like....but the minions didn't impress me that much...probably because I'm old and crabby.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice: I like Nick Cage so my review will be a bit prejudiced. It gives you a tiny bit of history at the beginning which dates back to Merlin, then it brings us up to present day, which is when the movie takes place. The special affects are awesome and it has a good story line. A bit of humor thrown in for good measure and you've got a good movie. Lots and lots of action....chases and fight scenes....but nothing gory. My family ranges from old (me) to young (8) and we all liked the movie equally. I would love it if they could do a sequel to this with all the same people. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you're into this type of movie (think Harry Potter in present day).

Knight and Day: I came across this movie accidentally and I'm glad I did. It stars Tom Cruise and Carmen Diaz. I found it to be very entertaining. He's top-secret government on the run and she's just a girl who loves to work on old cars. They meet at an airport, which may or may not have been accidental. The adventure starts from there. Humorous situations and one liners keep it on the lighter side, but lots of action keep you interested. Running, jumping, car crashes, fire, explosions, hundreds of dead bodies, shoot-outs galore, even backwards on a motorcycle. Sure....its impossible to do the stuff they do....but its fun to watch. Its just a fun time and isn't that the reason we watch movies?

Salt: Angelina Jolie. I'm almost speechless when it comes to this movie. I put it in the player and I don't think I took another breath until it was over. It was intense! The plot will have you guessing right up to the end. Talk about not knowing who to trust!! Takes place in present day and she is employed by the CIA and is highly respected by her co-workers. Suddenly she is accused of being a Russian spy by a defector and her attempts to prove her innocence only make her look guilty. Intrigue, action, suspense, thought provoking plot....special affects galore. Lots of dead bodies, blood but not so much as to define it as gore and fighting, fighting, running, hiding, fighting. Not a very good movie for the younger set because of all those reasons but at least there was no nudity or f-words. Excellent movie. I read that she performed her own stunts to top it off. Amazing woman. She made this movie 2 months after having twins.

So....there you have it. My opinions, which coupled with $2. may get you a cup of coffee. LOLOLOLOL

New stuff.....

Well, its not only a new year for me but there are a lot of other new things going on. Some of it is good.....some of it was unexpected.....but since none of it was horrendous, I'm not going to whine.

We will be starting out the new year without a boss; our new one will probably be sworn in within a couple, three weeks. The whole building is apprehensive because no one knows what to expect. They have not even picked him (or her) yet! Our old boss is now a senator and we wish him well. I am confident that he will be an asset to our State. I can say one thing.....he will forever be in my memory as the boss that gave me the most expensive Christmas present I ever received in all my years of working. It was a check and it was very generous.....I nearly cried. He also gave each of us a huge Poinsettia plant which still looks fabulous, by the way.

I also have a new garage door opener. This was not expected. One morning about a week ago I went out to go to work. I pushed the wall button to open the garage door..........nothing. Why is it that when you try something and it doesn't work.....you have to try it again and then just one more time.....just to be sure? Well, here it is 7:30 in the morning, dark outside, temperature is about 15 and my garage door won't open. I have a 15 minute drive to work and I have to be there by 8. I grabbed the garden rake and snagged the manual override handle. I got the door open and then shut it manually but couldn't lock it. That day I called the garage door place and made arrangements for another door opener. Since my old one was 26 years old.....I didn't even think about repairing it. They came out the next day while I was at work and put in the new one. (I just LOVE this business....they are always willing to work with you on stuff like this) Wow....this opener is so quiet! On my drive to work, I realized that I have become a very spoiled old woman. When I was a young girl, I had to park my car in the barn on our farm....opening two huge barn doors to get out and then having to shut them again.....and not from the warmth of my car by pushing a remote either. Back then I considered myself extremely lucky to have shelter for my car so I didn't have to scrape snow.

Anyway.....moving on. I bought some movies for Christmas so we could watch them as a family. Despicable Me, Knight and Day and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. We got all snuggled down and put Despicable Me into the player and.........nothing. Now this VCR/DVD player is NOT user friendly at all. Matter of fact I really detest it for that reason. Its supposed to record on DVD and also transfer from VHS to DVD if you want....but I never could figure out HOW. I considered myself fortunate that I figured out how to simply PLAY a DVD in the durn thing. Well it went out on me....some sort of red light was flashing INSIDE of one of the knobs and I have NO idea why. I figure the thing was fried. Its about 2 years old and hasn't been used that much because its so hard to figure out. I usually look at DVD's on my computer when I watch them alone. But the family was here. Anyway I have a very old VHS/DVD player in the den and my grandson switched them so we could watch the movies. (why is it that kids can figure out electronics in a flash but it looks like calculus to most grown-ups?) So....now I guess I will have to replace that item and its a sure bet I won't get the same brand as I had in the living room before. (cha-ching)

Still moving on.....I went to cook Christmas dinner.....turned the knob on my stove for one of the burners and it came off in my hand....broke cleanly in half. So now my stove looks charming with just a post sticking up with no knob. I am hoping that knobs can still be bought for this stove that is probably 30 years old (counter-top). In the meantime....House Beautiful Is Not Me.

And lastly.....but not in any way least.....the drugstore shorted me 30 blood pressure pills. This was supposed to be a 90 day supply and I never thought to count them when I got them. I didn't notice it until I had only 1 left and realized something was very wrong here. Tomorrow I'm making a trip over there and we'll see what happens. They probably won't believe me since blood pressure pills are really in demand for the 'get high' crowd. Seriously though I hope they will believe me....I've only been a customer there for 30 years or so. My only saving grace may be that the bottle they were given to me in would....in no way....hold 90 pills like the label says it does. So....wish me luck. How they handle this will determine if I change pharmacies or not.

I guess I can say that the "new" year has started out with a bang for me but I'm not gonna whine. I've got food, shelter, an income and I woke up this morning! Have a great evening y'all. (remember....keep smilin'). I'll do a review on the movies in my next post.