Trains and Traffic

I am sure there is a logical explanation for the railroads scheduling madness. They never fail to run through the middle of Bossier City during the rush hours. Can’t they do it earlier or even later? On occasion, when I am running late for work in the morning you can bet a train will further detain me. Oh, they don’t just go forward because that would be too easy. They have to back up and try it again at a snail’s pace. Did they get it wrong on the first try? Yesterday on the way to class, the granddaddy of all snails stopped me and had the traffic backed up for what seemed like miles. Of course, as if that wasn’t bad enough, it was 5:00 rush hour. OK that’s it for the rage.

I am going to miss this class. It was difficult for me but, I think I am going to make it. I have really enjoyed the class blogs and learned a lot about writing, my group, and myself. I wish you all the best that life has to offer. I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe holiday season and in between, enjoy the short breaks. Good luck and be productive.

Happy Friday 13th.!

Gifts

I am in desperate need of some advice. What do you buy someone that has everything they want and need? My mother will be celebrating her 70th. birthday next weekend. I have the most difficult time trying to decide on a meaningful gift for her. She collects gnomes and between the two of us, she has every gnome that has ever been available in the Shreveport/Bossier area. She has everything for her gardening hobby. Mother lives a simple life and does not indulge in extravagant items of any kind. She is stubborn, set in her ways, and exhibits no interest whatsoever in new technology. This time of year always brings me tremendous anxiety. As soon as her birthday is gone, I must start thinking of a Christmas gift for her. Does anyone have an idea?

On a lighter note, I thought I would share Maxine with you. Maxine is a constant source of entertainment for me in my old age. We have a lot in common and her comics are always good for a chuckle to me. She is my HERO! Have a great and productive weekend.

Sailing-Slate URL

I was very confused about this slate URL business. I researched, e-mailed the instructor, and was still confused. Lately, I am feeling more like the dingbat, Edith Bunker, from All in the Family (there probably aren't many of you in this class that know who that is). I finally decided to look at a few classmates' blogs and surf the Slate website. To my surprise, I came across an article that was very interesting to me. I had never been sailing before so when I found this particular article I knew it was for me and the other adventure-seeking travelers out there. I decided to incorporate it in my blog. The story starts out comical as they reference the sun and its affects. Be sure to view the couples pictures in order to get the full experience. I can imagine myself sailing through the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean while enjoying the calm serenity that the sea provides me with. Several of the photos brought back memories of Cancun--my tropical paradise. It does not feel like much time has passed since I was there basking in the beauty the islands had to offer but, it has been thirty years. The memories are without a doubt better than these dreary, rainy days that have become so plentiful the last few weeks. I could use some sun, sand, sea air, and a large frozen margarita right about now. Thank God for memories!

What a RELIEF!

I am so glad that my daughter’s wedding day has finally come and gone. I can take a deep breath, relax, and concentrate on classes and homework now. Preparation of and the actual ceremony was hectic for everyone involved. There were half a dozen women in my house trying to get ready and my ten-month old grandson would not have anything to do with these women. He is very familiar with all of these women but only wanted me to hold him. I can tell you, it is very difficult trying to put make-up on and fix hair while holding a baby. The wedding party did not get dressed until we reached the rooms I had reserved at the hotel. The ceremony itself was thirty minutes late. What will go wrong—inevitably does. My daughter and son-in-law had a military wedding. The saber team entered first. That was it for me. I began to cry and did not stop until the ceremony was over. It was beautiful, my daughter was beautiful, and I have never seen her so happy in my life. She has decided that since she had the big wedding of her dreams she is now entitled to give others the advice not to have a wedding and to just take the money and run away for a great honeymoon instead. My other daughter (the Maid of Honor) has decided that she will not have a wedding because of the cost and stress. Of course, my response was, “Good, I will pay you not too.” I never had a big wedding and it is such a relief to have this one behind us. Have a great and productive weekend!

Wedding Day Bliss

This Saturday is my oldest daughter’s wedding day. I probably do not have to tell you that there is an extreme amount of nervousness and stress in my family right now. Don’t get me wrong, we are all very excited and happy about the upcoming event. I tried but, to no avail, to talk my daughter into a small wedding. She had the dream that most little girls do. She wanted a fairy-tale wedding with her dad there to walk her down the aisle. She will have the wedding she has always dreamed of but, instead of her dad (who has never been there for her) walking her down the aisle, it will be her best male friend; which I am sure will mean more to her in the long run. My daughter, Cassie, is twenty-five now. She went through a lack of responsibility stage after she turned twenty-one. However, she has evolved into a mature and wonderful young woman in the last two years. I have never seen her so happy. A child’s happiness is tremendously important to most mothers, me included. I remember crying with her and her sister when their hearts were broken. My future son-in-law is amazing. In January, he will do his second tour in Iraq. I am very proud of him and my daughter but I cannot deny that I am also very scared of him being gone for a year or more. I am sure everything will be fine. Until then, I am concentrating on getting my family and me through this weekend. I hope all of you get some down time this weekend – ENJOY!

WORMS....

I am familiar with the fat, slimy, let’s go fishing, earthworms however, over the last few months; an introduction to a new worm has presented itself. In all of my years on this earth, I have never seen a worm even similar to this new type. They are black, two to six inches long, and not even as big around as a toothpick. They have invaded my property. Wherever there is concrete, there is an abundance of this new breed of worms. For the few days at a time, we have sunshine the worms are still there. What are they and where did they come from all of a sudden? Are they drowning in the saturated ground? This situation has become increasingly annoying for me. Extreme caution in walking is necessary to avoid stepping on them and I certainly don’t wish to track them into my house. My covered patio, once my sanctuary, is now like walking onto a minefield of disgusting worms. I believe that the occasional nasty slug was sufficient. I try to pick them up with the flyswatter and sling them into the yard, but they are so thin they end up breaking in half. Am I responsible for making more worms? They certainly seem to be multiplying and I have no idea how to get rid of them. Any suggestions out there?

My Worry

Awaiting the arrival of the flu season is nerve wrecking for me this year simply because reports of numerous confirmed cases of HINI and the regular strain of flu have surfaced over the last two months. I work in education so I am in contact with many people daily. I am constantly with my grandchildren if I am not working. Yesterday, we found out that one of my four-year-old grandson’s flag football teammates had the HINI flu and that was the reason he had not made it to a few practices and games. Now, the coach has it. The coach did not start feeling bad until after the game this past Saturday. Along with many other teams, my grandson’s team plays their games at LSUS on Saturday. Since we are not in the flu season yet, I am worried about how this year will end. This class is great, because the only illness we can contract is a virus on our computer (hopefully not), which in turn will make us sick when the repair bill comes due. Stay well and have a productive weekend.

Unbelievable

I love my 1979 Chevy Truck and have always been content with it. My fiance', Bob, had a Suburban and a Ford Truck. For the last year, I had been driving the Suburban (or Nana Bus) since I am constantly transporting our grandchildren. Bob decided to partake in the Cash for Clunkers program and traded in the Suburban for a 2009 Mazda Tribute, which I now drive. Until recently, I had never owned or driven a brand new car. On the way home last week, I was stopped at a red light and was rear-ended by a young girl in a jeep. UNBELIEVABLE! We had not even gotten the permanent tags yet. It has been over 30 years since I was involved in an accident and I was furious. The girl was not paying a bit of attention to driving because she was too busy with her cell phone. I have always been against driving and talking on the phone because ther is no way you can concentrate fully on both. This is becoming more of a dangerous situation every day, especially since texting has become so populaar. When somebody is sitting at a green light, or pulls out in front of you, or eases into your lane accidently, you can bet that nine times out of ten they are on the phone. What did we ever do without cell phones? I remember that life was not bad without them. There is no phone call that is worth risking your own life or someone else's life over. It can wait until you get to your destination and the call can be returned or you can pull off the road to talk if it is that important. Life is too short and phones are not worth injury or death. Cell phones are a convenience not a necessity. As you can tell, this is a very serious matter to me. I will climb down off of my soap box now and wish you all a wonderful and productive weekend.

RAIN

The pitter-patter sound of rain on a metal roof provides me with a soothing calm. There is a peacefully tranquil feeling associated with sitting by the window watching the rain fall and splash into the accumulated puddles on the ground below. A day or two of this serenity is quite sufficient and a week of this dreary wet air is now starting to border on depressing. My personality thrives on the bright, cheeriness brought by a sunny day. The ride home from work offered my dull mood some solace as the bulging gray clouds parted just enough to tease me with a few rays of sunshine. Hopefully the days ahead will bring much more of these beautifully brilliant rays of sunshine along with an improved mood for me. Hope everyone has a productive weekend.

Not enough hours in the day!

It has been a very hectic weekend. I am looking forward to going back to work on Monday to get some rest. My oldest daughter (Cassie) and her fiance' (Bryan) are in the process of moving and I have had their 8 1/2 month old son, Cody all weekend. Cassie and Bryan will be getting married October 17 and I had no idea how much planning (and money) goes into this blessed event since I chose to go to a Justice of the Peace. Cassie just picked Cody up and I thought I would have some time to myself to read and do homework. That is what I get for thinking! My mother dropped my oldest two grandchildren off five minutes later. My house is anything but quite right now but, they are having fun. I am torn between what I want to do and what I need to do because they are only young once and I will not be here forever. Arianna has informed me that she does not want me to die until I am 100 years old. Unfortunately, that is not a choice we get to make. I let her know that she will always be in my heart and I will always be in hers. It is very hard to make a small child understand that you have no choice in the matter and that you will not be around forever.

I have reached a period in my life where I am, for the most part, completely happy. Having a body double would be the only way I could be more fulfilled.