Another adventure and 2 movies

Yes.....sigh......I sort of live under a rock. I no longer go many places that are out of a 10-mile radius. To work, which is 6 miles away; to the grocery store which is 2 miles away; drugstore, 1 mile....well, you get the idea. The last time I met my friend at the Cracker Barrel, I got lost. This restaurant is about 38 miles from me, one way. It's about 15 miles from my friend. So it is an adventure. Since I'd driven it before, I was fairly confident that I could do it this time and not get lost. We set a date to meet for lunch on Saturday.

Saturday was gorgeous; sunny skies, high of 58. I had previously checked out the online map to this place and memorized places of business along the way. So on Saturday I turned up the car radio that was tuned to the 'oldies' station and set out. I did fine until I came upon the spot where you either get on the expressway or not. I was in the wrong lane.

Now I need to tell you something about me and driving. I try to be a courteous driver. I try not to make problems for other drivers so I am always anticipating what they may expect of me. The thought of me tying up traffic because I'm in the wrong lane and need to get over is unthinkable. So......I had to go with the flow and found myself on the expressway, when I did not want to be there. I knew the direction in which I had to head and so continued that way. When I got to the town that The Cracker Barrel is located in, I chose an exit and got off. Again, I was at the mercy of having to follow the road ("right lane MUST turn right"). I followed it along and this is where memorizing the businesses came in handy. At one of the intersections I found businesses on two corners that I remembered from the map and so I made a left turn right there, which once again set me in the correct direction. I finally found the place and was only 20 minutes late this time as opposed to nearly 45 minutes last time.

We love to visit the Cracker Barrel. Not only is the food absolutely delicious, but they have so many unique things in their store. I stocked up on their Pumpkin Butter and Apple Butter, hopefully enough that will last through the winter. I doubt very much that I will make this drive in weather that could change quickly. That's half the enjoyment of going; experiencing the scenery along the way.

Expressway driving makes me nervous because of the speeds in which people travel. I was doing 70 and the majority of drivers were passing me like I was sitting still.

I was in the mood for a movie that would make me laugh that night after I was safely back home. I went through my movie collection and found one that is maybe 15 years old or more, Made in America with Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. I'd seen it before but it had been many years so I decided to watch it again. OMG, I had forgotten just how funny it is. I laughed and giggled through most of it. Will Smith is in it too.....he looks like he's about 16! LOL. Anyway, it's a cute movie.....no bad language that I can remember, no nudity.....there are sexual innuendos but I don't think a kid would pick up on them. So if you want some giggles, check out this movie.

Last week I looked at Bridesmaids. It's a movie that has a little bit of most everything in it. Kind of high up on the "ewwww" factor and lots of bad language, a lot of sexual situations and simulated sex, although I don't think there is any nudity. It's a comedy and I did laugh. But over-all, it's more than just a comedy. As it covers love, friendship, jealousy, envy, depression, forgiveness and many more emotions, it's a good movie with some lessons for us all. Yes, it's definitely a 'chick flick' and I'll wager to say that most all of us women have experienced a lot of the things that went on in this movie.....that's what makes it so funny. If you get a chance, grab a fun girlfriend or two and check it out. Definitely NOT for the younger set or anyone easily offended. This is a movie for open-minded people who can laugh at situations that are off-color and in bad taste....for lack of better wording.

Til next time, when I cover news about the Shingles Vaccine, drugstores and prescriptions.
Keep smilin'!

I got pranked.....

with the old "ring the doorbell and run" scenario. I was not amused.

It was Friday night and I was watching TV in my jammies. I was kicked back and relaxed after a hard day at work - the only light on in my house was light from the TV. It was late but not too late.....maybe 9:30 or so.

Suddenly my evening was disrupted by the ringing of my door bell....4 times rapidly....making it hard to distinguish whether it came from the front door or the back door. I checked the front door first......no one. Then checked the back door.....no one. Sliding glass door and the deck.....no one. Driveway.....no one.

Now, I've lived here for almost 40 years. Neighbors have come and gone but a lot of us have lived here for that long or longer. I have no teenagers that live close to me any more. This is a safe neighborhood and I've never been afraid. I have never been pranked before. But neighborhoods change over the years......sometimes not for the better.

I will admit that there have been times I have forgotten to lock my doors over night and have even left for the day and forgotten to lock them. My neighbors have done the same. But things change when different people move close by. I made a promise to myself that I will be more diligent about locking up.

After discovering "no one" at any of my doors and turning on porch lights and flood lights......I did become a bit concerned. I figured it was a prank, but there is always a little doubt in your mind that maybe something more sinister is at work. I called my grandson. I asked him if he had been here, by any chance....just clowning around. He said no, why? I told him. He became concerned. Within minutes he and his friends were here checking out my yard and then they retreated to an area where they could watch and sat there for about a half hour, just watching. Nothing was amiss and they didn't even see any gangs of kids. My grandson is grown and his friends are BIG. I was glad they had my back.

Now, although it did cause me some inconvenience and a little concern, I'm not really complaining. It was one of those "innocent" pranks.....nothing was taken, nothing was damaged. I didn't have the "bag of dog poo on fire" on my front porch. They just got a kick out of seeing the lights go on at each door I guess. I'm glad it took so little to amuse them. But my grandson and his friends will be watching from now to Halloween......and if the pranks get frequent or damaging, I would not want to be the prankster in this case.

On Halloween, our neighborhood is one of those that doesn't give out candy anymore.....the kids around here all go to church, school or private parties so they are not out on the streets after dark. I used to get a kick out of seeing all the costumes, but it really is much safer for them to just have a supervised party. Besides that, the last few years that kids were coming around, I was only getting bigger high school kids, not even in costume.....the little ones were celebrating in a safer environment.

I have been seriously thinking of getting another dog and so has my daughter. In the spring, maybe.....when housebreaking will be easier. We want bigger dogs, that will double as watch dogs, taken seriously. Her number one choice is a Rottweiler/English Lab mix.....that's what she had before and that dog was absolutely the best. Hopefully we can get two puppies.....sisters.

Of course I have not cleared it with Queen Abby yet......my rat terrier who basically dictates the goings on around here. She does not think she is a dog. She hates squirrels. She thinks cats are just squirrels without fuzzy tails. She does not like other dogs......so it could be interesting.

This sounds like me.....

....some of it.....sometimes.

You Are Highly Authentic

You're as real as they come... and quite modest too. You are very self-assured, and you have a healthy amount of self-esteem. You feel confident that you can take on the world. You have a great sense of humor, especially when it comes to laughing at yourself.

The Watercolor Test

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

It Would Be Funny.....

if it wasn't so sad. I received this from a friend and was speechless. Just listen. I wonder what color the sky is in her world.

Click on the title to play the file.....a caller and a D.J., over the air.....talking about illegal immigrants and Arizona. It's only about 2 and a half minutes long.

I can't believe so much time has gone by so quickly. It's actually been pretty boring in my life.....but sometimes boring is good. I'll take that over drama and trauma any day.

I'll be back in a couple days or so and see if I can give you all something to laugh about.

Just gimme my coffee.....

that's all I ask.....just let me have my beloved cup of coffee.

In September of 2009 I bought a Keurig coffee maker. The coffee produced from this machine is purely heaven sent. The most delicious cup of coffee I've ever had, PERIOD. I was in love. Yes, the coffeemaker is expensive initially but it makes such a terrific cup of coffee in record time, you forgive it for being expensive. The K-cups (what you use to make your cup of coffee) I purchase through Amazon and figured out that it was costing me roughly .36 a cup, which is not bad at all. They have recently raised the price of coffee so now it's about .46 a cup. I run it through the same K-cup twice to make a 16 oz cup and the strength is just right for me. So, I'm getting a 16 oz cup of coffee for .46. In less than a minute.

Actually, I still am in love but I am now able to see the object of my affection without the rose-colored glasses; I'm able to see its major fault. That being: it seems to tire quickly and then refuses to do its job. In other words........it's moody.

The first coffeemaker quit 2 months out of warranty....just before Thanksgiving. I rushed to the store and bought a replacement. I was having a houseful of company for dinner and I had to have a coffeemaker! Now that pot has quit on me but thank goodness it's still under warranty. So, after trying everything I read to try and fix it to no avail I decided to call the company. This was yesterday (Sunday). I was shocked, amazed and very happy that they not only answered the phone (on a holiday weekend yet) but I actually got a real live HUMAN.

After taking my information and assuring that I was, indeed, still under warranty, she advised me that a brand new coffeemaker would be on its way to me and to expect its arrival within 5 business days. She also informed me that they would need a specific part from my present coffeemaker returned to them and would provide the means to do that. I'm more than happy to do so.....my present coffeemaker is of no use to me in its present condition.....i.e., not working.

I have to commend this company for doing everything possible to make their customers happy. The coffeemaker is superb when it's working right.....it's just temperamental. We've had a few summer storms that have caused intermittent power outages and maybe that had something to do with it.....I'm not sure. All I know, it was working on Friday and on Saturday morning, the settings were all messed up and eventually it shut itself down and wouldn't come back on.

If you research it on the Internet, you find many people having much the same problems.....but almost every one of them have nothing but praise for the company and how well it stands behind their product and how hard they try to please their customers as long as you're still under warranty. I guess that's all anyone can ask.

For the weekend, I went downstairs to the basement and pulled my old Bunn coffemaker out of retirement. I've had it for years and it still worked for me. I was able to make a pot of coffee, although it was not the best as I was using coffee from two years ago.....but it WAS coffee and I figure it's better than nothing at all. I am so used to being able to have a cup of coffee in a minute or less that I was pacing the floor waiting for the Bunn to make the pot and it couldn't have been more than a 10 or 12 minute wait. Funny how we become accustomed to the FAST life....it's an addiction.

If you think about it......that's how we expect everything to be. FAST......INSTANT.....we are a nation of no patience. And yep.....I include myself in that equation. Remember when (all you seniors out there) when we had to wait until something "warmed up" when we turned it on before we could get sound (radio) or a picture (TV). That would drive our present day younger population absolutely crazy. Well.....keep smilin' y'all And DO take some time to stop and smell the flowers!

Well, it's obvious.....

that SOMEBODY in my neighborhood either took their graduation money and bought enormous car speakers or got the actual speakers for graduation. I've written before about the idiot who drives through and rattles all the pictures hanging on the walls.........well he was nothing compared to this new idiot.

This new one comes through and it honestly vibrates the organs inside your body. Its a sickening feeling and I can't understand how anyone could be in the vehicle with the power those speakers possess. You never hear any words to this so-called music....its just the bass that you hear.....and I can't even say you hear it....you feel it, and not in a good way.

No matter what, there always seems to be individuals who just HAVE to push the envelope. This idiot and ones like him will eventually be the cause of having laws written forbidding this type of display. It was bad enough when it first started but at least it was tolerable. Now, it has just gotten ridiculous......and dangerous. There is NO way the driver of such a vehicle could hear an emergency vehicle coming.

Come to think of it.....I haven't heard the first idiot in a bit now.....I'm beginning to think that he has upgraded and this new one isn't a new guy at all.....but the same one with bigger speakers. Unless you've experienced it, I can't begin to describe how irritating it is....especially at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Yep.....lawmakers.....get those pens busy. I'm sick of it.

Speaking of music.....the Woodward Dream Cruise had wonderful weather this last weekend. (click on link to see photos of a lot of the vintage cars that were there) There was some trouble here and there but you have to expect that when a large crowd of people are gathering anywhere. The 60's and 70's music was wonderful to hear again and the cars were gorgeous. It is, indeed, like stepping back in time. Well, except for the idiots that insisted on playing dirty rap music at ear shattering levels. That was not appreciated but people just moved on and left that area in search of a place where they could sit back and enjoy the music of the times.

The packages containing school clothes are coming in; 3 yesterday and 2 the day before that. I'm hoping we will get most of the remainder today. At least with this new school we won't have to worry that they are not going to be open next year or in the years following; they have plenty of students but not so many that it takes away from individual attention if its needed.

I can't believe that summer is nearly over. Fall is a favorite time of year for me (summer taking first place) but its also an emotional time. Fortunately...... not in a bad way. Keep smilin'. Make everybody wonder what you're up to. LOLOLOLOL

Stressed spelled backwards.....

is desserts and I certainly felt like having a boatload of them after the news we received. Talk about frustration! I think I made up some new swear words! The christian school my granddaughter attends contacted my daughter to let her know that the school will no longer be open; registration was way down and it just wasn't profitable enough for them to do it. WHAT!!!!! School starts in less than 10 days!

She wore uniforms at this school and so we hadn't worried about shopping. She was basically all set except for a few small things. Now....we had to buy her an entire wardrobe....but first we had to find another school for her since public school is definitely not an option. That took one whole day but we did find another school. There are 10 times more children attending this new school and their curriculum is better. They have some different rulings in reference to a dress code and no, they do not wear uniforms. The kids can wear regular clothes but they have several restrictions. No jeans or slacks on girls. They have to wear dresses or skirts and they can NOT be above the knee. Art class is once a week in the evening; they are permitted to wear denim skirts or jumpers for this class. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a denim skirt that was knee length or below. No writing on any of the tops or jackets, only black closed-toe dress shoes for class, but tennis shoes for gym. Girls have to have one outfit that consists of a white blouse and black skirt. I'm sure we'll find out more as we go.

I got busy on the Internet and online shopped for HOURS. I am praying that we have time to get everything before the first day of school. Its all been ordered and so now we wait. I had absolutely NO idea just how hard it would be to find skirts and dresses that come to the knee or below. It has been a nightmare.....I feel like I've been through the Boer War. At this late date a lot of things were sold out, especially the types of clothing I needed. So many cute dresses out there, but almost all of them are short.....coming to the mid-thigh. Not acceptable. I had very good luck in finding sales and had promo codes and coupons to also help out. One pair of shoes only cost $7.60 after the deductions went into effect from the sales plus the promo codes.

I'm a lot angry at her old school for waiting until the very last minute to inform us. It was very inconsiderate as far as I'm concerned. Their excuse was that they were waiting for a last minute miracle to keep them open. Humph.....well maybe if they hadn't raised their prices $50. a month that would have helped boost their enrollment. Pardon me for being snarky but I'm tired from all that shopping. My mouse finger will never be the same. LOL I'm just thankful that I have the means to use a computer to shop. If we would have had to do all this by driving to various stores, walking, searching, waiting in lines.....lordy......how I remember doing that when my kids were little. If I had to do it again I think it would probably do me in.

How about you guys.....do you have all your back to school shopping done?

I don't know if it's in the stars.....

or what.....but this picture describes pretty much how I feel about now. It seems like every time I turn around I'm spending money for necessary things that have to be done.....like repairs.

Last week I had plumbers here. They did manage to get the kitchen sink fixed, but the bathroom drains are still clogged. They are no better than they were before the visit....matter of fact, they may be a bit worse.

So I called them and they are coming back today. I let them know that I did not plan on paying them again because it was not fixed the first time they were here. I'm not trying to be difficult.....but I just want to get what I pay for.

On Sunday my daughter mentioned to me that I was losing cold air from around my freezer door. Well, I had thought that too but was also thinking that perhaps something wasn't sitting on the shelf right, not allowing the door to completely close. I had fooled around with moving stuff in there and thought I had the problem solved, but I guess it wasn't. I don't know if the hinge has gone bad or the seal.....but the refrigerator seems to be running constantly. The food is frozen, but the ice cream is not rock hard, which I think is a good thing....but definitely shows there is a problem with losing cold air.

I have an appliance insurance plan through my gas company. At only $9. a month, it has paid for itself a couple of times through the years. I called and YES, that problem is covered so they are supposed to be here today to work on it. At least this won't cost me anything more than I've already paid. But it did remind me that my refrigerator is getting old and is probably giving me warning signs that I'm going to need another one soon.

My small circulation fan I keep in the bedroom quit and I had to buy another one. During the hottest days of summer.....you know I paid an inflated price for the replacement, but I needed it. It just seems like a bunch of little things....a ripped screen, a broken downspout, a warped garage service door that will no longer close properly and lock.....just a bunch of "irritants" and all of them mean money flying out the window.

I think the fates felt sorry for me and gave me a small something to keep my spirits up. I checked my bank statement the other day and I had an extra deposit of $89 from social security. When I called to find out about what it was, cause I had no idea.....I was informed that it was some sort of back money owed to me. Its a one-time payment, but better than a kick in the teeth. Today in the mail I get a bill from my doctor.....$140....charges from over a year ago that my insurance didn't pay for some reason. I will be calling them today to find out what that is all about. Sigh.....win some, lose some.

And how is YOUR summer going? Just remember to keep smilin'.....it keeps people confused and off-guard, if nothing else. LOL

I was hoping for.....

a Cha- chingle......but instead it was a CHA-CHING!

Ahhhhh yes.....two plumbers in my tub. And why YES, you DO see lip-prints on his boxers. I was hoping for Spongebob boxers to make me giggle....but I guess the lip prints are a close second.

They work in teams. This team snaked my drains. $162.50, thank you very much. The second team responded about an hour after the first team left and repaired the kitchen sink....it needed two new drains that attach to the sink. They put new washers in my faucet to prevent it from dripping and wrote out the bill; $160, thank you very much again. CHA-CHING.

Even though the boxers did give me a chuckle, it didn't crack me up.....so it wasn't worth $322.50 in my opinion. If you really think about it.....with the time involved, these guys make more than doctors!

It's never a good time.....

for a leaky pipe. I just have to keep reminding myself that it could have been worse. At least the dishes were all done.

My niece and her son were here from Arkansas so I had a family get together on Saturday. Late at night after everyone had left, I didn't notice the puddle on my kitchen floor until after I noticed that my kitchen drain seemed to be clogged. The dishwater from earlier still hadn't completely drained out. I put some Drano in it and when I came back to check, it hadn't done a bit of good, which is unusual. I then noticed there was a puddle in front of the sink. (hey....I had a lot of my mind that day...lol) I opened the cupboard under the sink and water was all inside there and was overflowing out onto the floor. I could feel it coming rather rapidly from the sink pipe.

I ran to get a bucket and hand-dipped the water out of the sink (cursing). I kept hoping that the Drano was mixed with enough water that it wouldn't burn my hands off. And I also wondered if maybe putting the Drano in there had caused the problem...I have PVC pipe under there. Since Drano comes in a plastic container.....I kinda doubt that it eats plastic. But when you're stressed, you think of all kinds of weird scenarios.

So today I made the call to the plumber that we use and asked the answering service if they could call me tomorrow so I could make an appointment with them. I can get by without my kitchen sink for a couple days. This month I have extra bills due and its a tight month. Of course.....it would happen at this time. But then again.....its never a good time to have plumbing woes. $$$$$

Never brag........

only show gratitude. The picture is exactly what it looked like yesterday afternoon as we peered out of the office building window. In all my years I really don't remember seeing such black clouds envelope an area the way these did. I was reminded of the movie, Independence Day, where the alien ship slowly takes over the entire sky over the city.

It was in the 90's and miserable. A nice rain was needed....but not a storm. As soon as the black clouds were visible from the windows, we started trying to get to the Internet to see what was going on weather-wise. Over the fire radio, we could hear the fire departments west of us going out on run after run for downed wires, trees, etc. We knew we were in for it.....yet there was this faint glimmer of hope that it may miss us. We've been fortunate in the fact that a lot of storms go south of us. Something had happened because we were not able to get to the Internet....probably lines down somewhere. So we just had to depend on our own eyes and listen to emergency services do their thing.

Within minutes it was as dark as night even though it was only about 3 in the afternoon. Then the winds and the rain came......it poured so hard that cars were pulling off the roadway. The phones started ringing with people asking if we were under tornado warnings. What? People still haven't learned to tune in to their TV or radio for up-to-the-minute notices. I didn't know much more than they did.....that it was raining and dark. And yes.....frightful looking. Now here is where the selfishness creeps into my being. In the back of my mind I was hoping desperately that I would not lose power. I have a freezer nearly full of food, plus that.....its NINETY SOME degrees out and I love....LOVE my central AC.

The storm whipped through in about 10 minutes or so.....just long enough to cause havoc in some areas. The sun was coming out as I dialed my home phone number. If my answering machine picked up, then I would know that I still had power. We had heard on the radio that a major intersection a little over a mile from me was down due to a tree on a transformer. YES! I silently yelled to myself....the answering machine picked up. I had POWER! I was already thinking of sleeping in comfort during this hot spell.

Through-out the afternoon I heard from several co-workers.....a lot of them were going home to no power. One lived about 2 miles from me. Just before I left for home, I called my house again and heard my own voice answer as the machine picked up. I had a smile on my face. I was lucky! But I know not to brag. I've lived long enough to know what happens when you brag.

It only takes me 11 minutes to drive home. I saw evidence in that 6 mile drive of the storm's fury. Lots of branches and traffic lights out. I pulled into my driveway, got the mail, and hit the remote to open the garage door as I got back in the car. Nothing. I hit it again. Still nothing.

You know us humans are funny that way. When something won't work, we just can't seem to give up. We always have to keep trying it....3 or 4 times before we finally accept the inevitable.

Needless to say.....since my garage would not open, that meant that I had no power. I parked outside my garage door and came into my house. It was still cool inside but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Thinking about all the power outages in the area, it could be days before I would be restored. What about my food in the freezer. I do have a generator, but haven't the strength to operate it any longer....if it still works. Its been a long time since I've fired that puppy up.

I came inside and laid across my bed.....ticked off. Yes, ticked off. I could hear my neighbor's generator running. I could probably get him to help me, even though I really hate bothering people. All of a sudden the power came back on and I felt truly blessed. So far, it has stayed on but.....nothing would surprise me. Its going to be in the mid-90's again today, tomorrow and over 100 the next day. I hope the storms stay away but we all know.....extremely hot weather and electrical storms just seem to go together. They are predicting strong storms again on Friday.

Good news.....

I went to the eye doctor yesterday and my eye is improving nicely. The vision has improved remarkably. He was extremely happy about it....(not as happy as I was though). The very best thing was that I did NOT have to have another injection. That truly made my day.

So.....I go back in 3 months unless something unusual happens....then he wants to see me right away. I left there in a fog....for real because my eyes were dilated.....but I did notice a little jaunt in my 'get along'. I hope that I never have to go through that eye problem again.....and also hope that it never happens to anyone I know....or know of.

So today is Friday and its going to be a beautiful day. Tomorrow they are predicting the high's in the 90's again but its better than a blizzard any day of the week. Have a wonderful weekend.

I put it off as long as possible.....

but I finally had no choice but to go grocery shopping. I was out of bread, milk and (gasp) dogfood! So after work, I trudged to the grocery store in 87 degree heat.....walking uphill 20 miles. No....wait....just kidding about that last part. Even though I felt like I'd done that.

Now I am able to walk.....I just no longer do it well. With my bad knee and my bad hip (I know I sound like Grandpa McCoy) I cannot walk for long periods of time. So I opt for the riding grocery buggy. When these things work well, they are fantastic! I can get my shopping done twice as fast because they move faster than I can walk. That's when they work well.

Most stores only have 2 or 3 of them available. Some of them have definitely seen better days. A lot of stores have a problem with PARENTS letting their kids play with them (take them for a ride through-out the store, terrorizing small children and seniors on foot.) So, the problem with going shopping late in the day is that the buggies are basically pooped. You may walk in and find them all neatly lined up with their cords plugged in getting charged, but that doesn't mean that they have been sitting there more than 5 minutes. It seems like I have a greatest knack for picking the buggy that will die halfway through the store at the farthest point from help. I will usually have a full basket when this happens. One time a checker rescued me by bringing me another cart and we swapped out the groceries from my totally dead buggy to the other one.

Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to ride one of these things when its nearly dead? A snail moves faster. I'm serious. They barely move and you inch your way toward the front of the store so you can unload your groceries. Grass grows faster than these things move. But.....ahhhh when they are working well and fully charged.....you breeze down the aisles, the wind whipping your hair back as scenery of cereal boxes and canned goods whiz by. Why....just the joy of it makes you forget about all the high prices of the items being offered.

Unfortunately, today was another day in which I chose the buggy that died within minutes of me taking it. Since I wasn't getting a lot, I continued to use it and inched my way through shopping. The red light blinking and the beep beep signal convinced me I'd better forget the last few things and head for the check out. I must have been a pretty pitiful sight. No wonder that 3 year old was looking at me strangely. I don't want to think about it.

Ahhhh.....

my day off and I could sleep in a bit. I looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand and it said 8:45, which meant it was actually 8:15 because I have my clock set 30 minutes fast so I won't be late. (don't think about that statement too much, ok?) I stretched and decided that I would sleep in a bit longer.....after all, it was my day off and I had no plans.

I turned over and snuggled against the pillows and started to drift off again. At this point I heard a firecracker so loud and powerful that it actually shook the house. I mumbled to myself, shaking my head. Some people have no sense, I thought. Here it is, not even 9 in the morning and they are already shooting off fireworks. I hoped that it was going to be the only one for a while and then I drifted off to sleep. I awoke about 45 minutes later. I'm not quite sure of the time because when I looked at my clock, the face was dark. I knew in an instant what had happened. I put things together immediately..........I'm quick like that. The loud noise I'd heard a while before.....it was no firecracker, it was the transformer again and guess what? I had no power! And.....there was for sure a fried squirrel laying on the ground at the back of my or the neighbor's yard.

This is a never-ending war between us, the power lines and the squirrels in our neighborhood. The squirrels are always the loser,but we end up suffering because it knocks out our power. Sometimes the power company is not busy and they can get us up and running again within a couple hours......sometimes, its 5 hours. This time it was 2 hours.

You know when you are without power......it seems like everything you want to do involves electricity. I ended up reading a book without my morning coffee.

You can understand why none of us around here are fond of squirrels.....even if they do have those huge brown eyes and that cute fluffy tail.