Saturday - until we gave up the ship
Good morning – this is me. We must be running on the little-bit wired side because we are sitting here very ready for someone to come in and help. It’s not a great thing to ask people, because you just gotta figure if its hard for you its going to be harder for them. It’s not even THEIR stuff needs to get moved.
I would like to say in my behalf that anything that could be done ahead of time got done. Let me see now …
Coffee table, chairs and drafting table moved out of the way in living room
Floor vacuumed
Kitty scratching post to bathroom
Bedroom shelves taken down and boxed and shelves broken down and stored
Floor would have been vacuumed, but she started smoking AND smelling … we’re
thinking the belt slipped, but I couldn’t figure out how to open it … so maybe Bob can help
Both china cabinets moved out of the moving path
Kitty food moved to cooking area of kitchen WITH dishwasher
Sewing machine and table got moved to an emptied closet
Back sewing closet took on all the sewing collected plus suitcases from emptied closet
Drawers got pulled out of dresser and stored in back of bed in bedroom
Bed sheets and blankets and pillows taken off and bagged
Shelves emptied from bookcase in kitchen
Kitchen re-arranged to take on loose stuff and coat rack and Maury’s TV, amplifier, speakers, etc.
And, then showered and dressed this morning … waiting, waiting…
See see … so I’m no shluff!
I called Bob about 20 minutes ago, but he’s just up to the point of making breakfast for Marcia and his daughter Christina. I have to be more patient, but in that process I also called Maury again to see if he could come before noon so he could be here helping at the same time Bob is here. OTHERWISE … Bob thinks its fine that I help, so I just made sure he knew I need to take breaks between hard stuff, because my back hurts and then needs 10 -15 minutes rest. It’ll be ok. It will be worth it to get all in place before Rich comes back on Sunday. I think the hard part is that we’re going to live with the bed, TV and such in the kitchen until Maury can move it, BUT that no longer slows down our process of moving around in the sewing room. I’m pretty sure that Rich is going to think that’s terrible, but … I don’t know what to do because anything that’s a change is terrible to Rich.
I’m pretty sure that Bob’s already called him to update Rich on what’s happening.
Bob works very hard at not being the middle-man, but that usually means that anything I could say or ask of him gets pretty immediately reported to Rich.
That’s why the top of my list included … can I talk to Bob and ask for help? He begrudgingly did it after a fashion, but his fuse is short until it sinks in and he can process it.
I’m not sure what Bob thought of my list … he said I could leave it in his garage and he’d pick it up when he got in last night. He’d thought at first of stopping over, but there wasn’t enough time because for the second time this week, he got caught in traffic coming home from the lake with his daughter and Marcia. Wow! He sure does seem to be taking good care of them!
Rich called last night. I was happy to hear from him, but I didn’t want to say anything of the changes, because that gets him unnecessarily frustrated. To be fair, he didn’t ask anything about how I was doing or what I was doing. I don’t necessarily think Rich is self-centered, but in the case of his fishing THAT’S a self-centered subject. Sometimes I have to tease Rich a little to bring him back to task. Like, did you wonder what your sweetie has been doing?” Then he says, yes, of course, why don’t you just say it. Then we say something like … we were just waiting for you to be interested. I know he tries hard, but something’s are a little harder for him. Again … when it comes to fishing … he’s off in a fishy-cloud.
And … eh, I be like a regular woman … I’ve got my plotting ways.
It’s kind of nice that Bob didn’t jump on things right away, because I really have some nice time to appreciate the quiet before the storm and I can appreciate the good work that’s been done. Last night we were going from space to space checking things out to make sure I’d carried them to their furthest point. I had TVs going in all the south rooms … so that the TVs in the living room and both bedrooms were all going. I probably couldn’t get by with that kind of activity if Rich were home. He’d be talking about saving energy or what not. Not that I have missed that life’s lesson … Just we were that much flowing from room to room. It kept us motivated, because we were less likely to sit down to really see what was going on.
Hehehe we were watching different channels in each room as well, so we were having an interesting experience with that. After things get settled, we’re hoping that Maury comes back to do both our converter boxes for the back rooms. Rich made the mistake this week of saying we don’t really need the TV in the bedroom, because we hardly ever watch it, but to me life is about options … we don’t need to do anything with that space. I think he’s fighting a situation in his head. Sometime this last week we went into the bedroom because we were having terrible gas, but then he didn’t like that I was in there because I wasn’t with him, so then next thing I know he wants to get rid of the TV. Man … that just isn’t going to happen!
Pswhoo. It’s later now. It’s about 10:45 am. Bob was over a while ago and he moved the dresser, TV, speakers, small fridge, and bookcase – not meaning to pun here, but he was “casing-out” the joint. He just moved the lightest of stuff. He should stop back here again maybe in the next hour. He had a shower he had to leave for at noon. I think he had to stop by at Target, but was expected to meet Marcia and his daughter at home and then they were going to progress to Christina’s baby shower. I don’t know if he’ll be too dressed up to really do it before he goes, but we can hope in that direction. It would help me A LOT with organization, because I’d have stuff to work on tonight. Otherwise it gets crowded to tomorrow when I would want a lighter day and it to be ready for when Rich comes home.
I KNOW he’s going to grumble, but I just don’t know how to get around it.
We talked to Dr. Marvin a bit about Rich the last time we were in. A good portion went to CARF, but at some point, I really begged off. Basically, the Rich part was in doing all the changes and hoping that he could cope with me being in a different room. It’s been going on for a long time where he seems to get upset when we leave the room. We’ve talked naturally about it. Rich sort of feels that it is great when I can keep myself pleasantly occupied when he goes, but when he gets back he wants undivided attention.
I love giving Rich massages, but it seems to be getting too much. He wants long ones on a daily basis. Basically, if he isn’t doing something directly with his hands … he wants massages. But, sometimes there are other things I want to be doing. Even if I’M just sitting staring at the TV, it doesn’t mean I want to massage. Sometimes I’m just tired. I didn’t think I’d ever say that. But, here it is.
Hmm, I wonder where Missy and Chief are. I think they are hiding pretty well.
They don’t like it when the house moves around – and for a bit of time their bathroom door was shut. I’m pretty sure they are under one of the two beds, but we were moving around things from both rooms - poor kitties.
Hmm, now it’s awhile later. It’s about 12:15 pm. I’m not sure all of what happens, but I know that something whatever included a bit of a nap. The kitties came out and have been moving around, but they have been more unsettled than settled. They kind of go in and out of the furniture and pull-up here and there.
I’m a little unsettled myself … one because I was so tired I fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon, but too because things had been going well, but now it’s past noon and I know that Bob can’t come back … question would be if he’ll be back all day. He has the shower and probably then there will be dinner and he will have to be getting back home. He did say he had nothing planned tomorrow, but he’s still got Marcia over and I’m not sure if he’ll have more time with his daughter and all that might be. Feeling a little neglected now. I had hoped he was going to come back before the shower.
I’m in the middle of a house that’s all turned topsy-turvy. I can’t get to over half my kitchen, the living room and bedrooms are all torn up too. There’s stuff on both beds and the couches don’t have any cushions on them. The sewing machines and drafting table are also out of commission by proxy of space accommodations. I did not cover up my computer here though and I still have access to my one spot of the seven couch spots. I took off the carton to one of the tables – the one that made it upstairs – the smaller one and I took the empty carton downstairs. Good me! See I can do something.
I also went in the bedroom and put stuff away from the shelve we took down there.
There’s 9 drawers on the dresser and I was able to use just the 3 smaller ones in the middle. I could probably go back and do some more work in the bedroom. I did put some of Rich’s papers that were out in his file cabinet. I just lifted and then carefully PLACED them in the drawer. I’m going to hear though how I’ve messed up his entire system. Ok, like that’s not real Rich. My thoughts were to put his fishy stuff and other that was on the old shelves in the middle third, then he’d get a third for his needs, and then I’d get a third for my needs. The nice part of me was saying I’ll let you pick out which 1/3 you want from the outside two.
But, now I’m thinking maybe I should just claim a 1/3 and get myself moved around … And, then he can use the extra space from me leaving only some of my stuff in the stand-up dresser. I would also like to clear up some of those extra blankets and pillows built up in the corner. I had avoided it mostly because not only was it hard, but it was going to use up some of my energy for doing other things that had to get moved. Bob said when he comes back he’ll bring his 2-wheeler for the more difficult pieces he left. I know reasonably then there’s not too much for me to be doing.
I’m thinking though that the original plan had Maury coming back at about 1-2 pm. If that were the case, we’d only have to wait ½ an hour and then maybe he could help some stuff being moved. I think he was going to give me up to an hour. Some of his stuff is already moved, so maybe I can get some of that stuff back. I don’t know if he could move the couches – well, I’m sure he could, but if he’d want to.
I’d like to get that last table up because it’s sitting in the middle of the entryway downstairs. If we could get the tables up, I’d be just that much happier, but it makes sense to do the couches first. After we took the cushions off they weren’t so heavy, but they are heavy enough and very awkward.
*Sigh* Should I then go in and take another look at the bedroom? I’d be much happier if I could go in there and it would actually look nicer. There’s a lot of furniture in there now. There’s a 5 foot dresser, a stand-up one, an old fashioned mirrored one and a desk cabinet for holding the big TV. The bed takes up any remaining space in the room, but there’s also a chair in there that floats in the way of everything. It really isn’t the dressers fault. I was able to keep just a few decorative pieces on top that weren’t fitting elsewhere – so it looks good enough, but it’s been painted blue and looks more like a kids’ dresser. Everything else in the room is some variation of brown. Ok, ok … nuf complaining. At least most the stuff I don’t want to be looking at is INSIDE the drawers. That’s a good idea, right?
Maybe I should take another look. I’m a little thinking that the blankets really have to get moved, but they are going to take up valuable space taken up by other stuff in the closet. I don’t really want to put it on top of my sewing stuff waiting there for shelves to be built, because it will be then harder later to access. I had done such a good job of cleaning the closet back when Maury was coming in, but half is pretty full again AND the other half is taking up space with the sewing machine table.
Ok, maybe we better look around. Just in case we can figure out something else to improve things.
Ok, maybe that isn’t going to work out. I can’t get over there and really do anything with anything, but I at least progressed the thoughts. I would like to try putting some of that stuff in those airless bags we’d gotten way back whenever. I won’t be able to use the vacuum cleaner even if I could figure that out, because Bob didn’t have time to look at the vacuum. Big thing though is that they are hard to get to with the couch in the sewing room where it is presently, and then there would be no place to place the bags until after I removed the trays under the bed – they are going under the sewing tables. There’s another project too that maybe I can work on later tonight. It’s the one of getting rid of some junk in the open desk holding the TV in the bedroom. Looking at it just by staring … it seemed pretty yuck. That will be a good job to sit down with later … hmm, I wonder if Maury could fix the conversion boxes while he’s here … last time he said it should only take a couple of moments.
Sure be a lot nicer in the rooms back there if I could be watching a gazillion TV channels. None seem really what I want right now though. I muted the TV and will turn on some music. Ahh that sounds good. We’re going to listen to Corinne Bailey Rae for a while. Looking at the bedroom stuff was scary. Maybe after we figure if Maury is coming or not. Sometimes he runs late. Not sure all what he’s got on his plate. He told me, but we forgot most of it … just know he’s running busy. He’s running his household from his girlfriend’s place. I probably said it before but he’s got the girls staying over there on his days with them. I’m sure that’s got to be confusing, but it’s not my business so I’m backing out. Can’t say I like it though. Just doesn’t seem right. It’s only been 3-4 months of knowing her. Ok, shhh…
I’m trying to think if the bed and fireplace mantel were up and the couches were changed, then what would I be doing in there. I know that my tables would have space, but not much can be done before the shelves go up. The primary goal there was to get paint for the particle board. Bob wasn’t here long enough to ask those questions as to what I should get. I wonder if Maury would know. I could ask people at the hardware store, but I’m absolutely sure this is the worst time of the week to go. Maybe we could do that around dinner time? It would be a good project tomorrow to be painting the boards. I’m not sure if there is much kitchen space left and we’d have to leave the windows open. It’s been kind of rainy all day … not a lot, but enough to know it wouldn’t make sense to be working outside even if there were a chair or a place to keep the boards.
I suppose if it weren’t raining, I could leave them up besides the building, but I’m not so sure that’s a kosher thing the building would like to see. After Maury gets here or Bob to move the bed and TV, there just isn’t going to be a lot of kitchen space left. Ahh if it weren’t one thing it would be another. Maybe it’s just a day for writing? Not so sure I’ve done this very much … but maybe … it’s been one of the things happening at work, but I refuse that space into my brain right now.
Hmm, just seems there must be some impending thing that I’m supposed to be doing.
Close as I can get it’s the painting. Just be patient, right? I suppose it be bad Mom-taste to call and see if Maury is going to be making it. I feel kind of in a reading mood … I wonder … didn’t we get some magazines in? Wouldn’t that be nice for a little bit … Maybe take me off some stress. I don’t remember if we took our medicine this morning. I’m not sure if that’s my stress or just that there is so much going on and I’m not much in control of that which I can’t do on my own. Damn I hate that when it happens. Ok, now where would I have put magazines?
Starting out productively
Good morning. This is me. We’re starting out writing today from home. We’ve got about 45 minutes uninterrupted time. Fishyman has sprung the joint! He’s on his way up to WI as we speak … I think he has in mind to be putting his hook in the water in about 3 hours. He left before 5 am and now it’s about 6:15 am. Everything seems to be on schedule.
We had a good evening with him thought I’ve had MORE spectacular. This one was just a little bit mopey. It’s his first trip of the year and if I thought he had been thinking a lot over the winter months ABOUT fishing – it’s nothing like getting to the actual act. There’s been a lot of fishy talk and I had to admit that I felt myself a bit preoccupied with the sewing to take it totally to heart.
I felt bad because he said something like I know I’m boring to you. And it was like NO YOU are not boring, but there is a lot of fishy talk.
Afterward, we talked a little bit more personally. Not so much about the tasks he had left or when he was going to line the reel or such. There’s a LOT of details when it comes to fishing and even more so when you consider getting your house in order to be able to take a trip. Pswhoo. I love my fishyman, but I also love it when he thinks of things we’re both more interested in. Like – it’s even more preferable if you are talking of people your going fishing with than in the number of rods you’ve got loaded.
Ok, you! Quit complaining!
Rich took us out to dinner last night to a Mexican place. The food was ok though I loaded up too much on chips beforehand so I didn’t eat too much dinner. You heard the part of fishyman being preoccupied. I had been to a Dr. Marvin’s appointment so it was a late evening. Rich had been finalizing the boat details when we pulled up. Then after dinner we got home and never made it out of the bedroom. Ok, nothing wild and crazy, but our guy did get a round of his massages. Word is that we fell asleep and he got up for about a half hour. I don’t know must have fallen asleep at 8:30 pm? Somewhere around there.
I liked the thought of him going to bed earlier since he was waking up about 4 am. Our guy is used to at least 2 more hours of sleep and I know he has to struggle to get fully awake in the morning. *sigh* I know it’s a little sad when he goes, but we’re trying to be ok about that part … and I know that we’ve got parts that just can’t wait to get going on our planning.
Yesterday we started this thing about planning the things that need to be getting done as to the project. We didn’t get any calls from the newspaper readers about the mantel.
AHA! I think I did it … as to putting the ad now on Craigslist … I’m not sure if there is a delay … It seems like we did the right stuff, but it’s not showing yet.
We’ll have to see how that all works out. I’ll give it a day and then try again. It said something about looking for my post from 4-24-10 and because today is the 23rd, we’re hoping we did it right and there’s just a delay …
Well that’s about it for the moment … we’re all ready to head out. Be taking care of the day!
It took a couple of days, but I think we got the Sewing Room bugs worked out.
Afternoon. We’ve been working on the sewing room off and on for the last 24 hours. I think we’ve made some significant changes. The above is the design as she sits now. The first string of purchases are the 2 tables, the glass table for the sewing machine and a can of paint/brush. All three tables were purchased this morning. I would like to talk to Bob because I’m intending to spend the paint money today too if I can. I would like his advice, but it was a mess this morning with Rich. We talked to him first about the changes, and then he was like – it’s not going to happen for a couple of weeks. I was like, no … now. But, he backed Bob off where Bob and I had agreed to meet tonight or even over the weekend if we had to.
So, now I have to check with him once more and tell him that I’d like to go over to the lumber store to get paint so I can start painting the shelves. I don’t have to wait for anything to do that. It might be a little more congested in the kitchen, but there is nowhere else to work on the project without carrying all those boards downstairs and then back again.
Bob doesn’t have to do that part. I’ll get a plastic tarp, a paint brush and a can of paint. I’ve got the color I want in mind. Well mostly there’s a darker of the mauve and a lighter and I’m not sure which to go. One way or another they are going to be breaking up white walls. We couldn’t change that part, but the boards will break it up. As to the tables, they will just have to go in the front hall until we can bring them in. The glass top is easy enough to tuck away, but it’s going to take maybe up to three weeks for it to come in because it’s based on the design of my Viking Huskavara 980 – special ordered. We figured out we could use for a chair the one from the old office sitting in the hall. So that worked out.
The tables are walnut finished and one is 8 and the other is 5 foot, so they will tuck into each other giving me 5 x 5 ledge room and then by the second sewing machine there will be another 3 1/3 foot.
Many of the pieces for this design I have already. I have the couch, fridge, design board, TV, end table, shelving boards, shelving brackets and the two sewing machines. Everything else is pretty new. There is a two-part couch in the room now so we are going to change that part with a “right-arm” for the piece with no arms and the piece for the corner that can swing as a left OR right arm. We’ll use the three-piece in the sewing room to make a 9 foot couch going from the end of the wall and tucked in back of the tables. There will only be about 3 feet of the couch totally accessible, and then another 3 feet will have a 6” access and the other will just be for extra pillows and a blanket.
The big deal on the second stage of the project – the one that will have to take place after the fire place mantel sells is the $355 middle section. This is where we get 14 – 47” shelve tracks for the walls. Two will go over the fridge, six will go over the long table and six will go over the couch. Bob said that it’s not hard and that if you find one stud … you just measure them out and they are every 6 feet. That’s the part we were going to do all night, but Rich didn’t want Bob crawling all over the place over furniture. That part could wait a week. Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I’m sincerely hoping the fireplace mantel sells at the price we’re looking for. Maury should be moving this weekend or the next into his apartment, so he should be taking his TV, receiver, speakers, organizer and anything else he might have left. I left a message with him this morning and also asked for help getting the new cable boxes in and telephone connection. He’s going to put up a fuss about having to do so much especially while he’s moving, but then it has to be fair to me too. We should get something for having given him so much space for over the period of almost one year.
I hate to sound disgruntled, but I am. We didn’t mind the inconvenience until he started to pretend we didn’t exist … there’s got to be some natural barrier to that feeling.
Hmm, should say here too that the old fabric shelve is going back to the living room. It’s got to take up some room in clearing space from the desk, coffee table and cutting board. There’s so much stuff on those surfaces we cannot move in there. I don’t know how to do it neatly, but some things should change. I believe also that the fabric and baskets under the table/desk in the living room will come back to the sewing room as will some of the stuff that’s on the top of the file cabinet. There’s a box of cut-outs and a bunch of cups with markers in them.
That’s going to get cleared so there is nothing up there but the ironing table and MAYBE sometimes the iron. O would like to also put up there I guess the fabric that we are working on currently – though the best idea might be to get a wicker for each project and unless working on it directly it has to go on the shelves.
There’s that whole fabric bag too. That should have some kind of storage in the back. I’d like to make sure the cats don’t figure it is the kind of bag they can urinate on. Heaven forbid we leave a stray jewel bag.
Hmm, maybe what would work there is a LARGE wicker basket. It could go under the design board. Hmm, we did something, but better figure another $50. We like these baskets (Just the $7 ones)
I like the idea of varying size baskets sitting on top of each other. The widest these get is 15” and the most tall 10”. I’m just working on a system now to take care of the scraps. Be relatively easy when having down time to grab a basket and start cutting them down. One of the shelves can be used for the organizing of various size pieces. Now as I sit here … I realize that I would like plants, but that would mean going past $900. Maybe if I can get all this in control, then I might be able to ask Rich if we can have some plants. It … oh that’s right … kitties chew on plants. Hmm, I wondered … that’s probably why we don’t have any.
Maybe we should at least get some pretend plants? Ok … that would be the thing then. We could go over to target and I could ask for $200 faux plants for my birthday mid-July. I would have to specify pink, white or green plant. I’d like to have a nice hanging one too in front of the window. Hmm, that sounds like a plan
I tried adding a couple of plants to the picture, but that turned out not to be a good idea. We better let that go. But as far as hanging plants, we could put one over the TV, in the middle of the two windows over the back corner of the couch and over the table to the left of the couch. I don’t want any in front of the shelves though. I wouldn’t mind hanging a half dozen plants on either side of the shelves. That would take some time though and they’d have to be pretty. Maybe that’s something that we could do over time. We could tell Rich whenever we’re mad at him he could give us a silk plant … Hmm, that would work!
Hmm, did we ever get to the third level? I’m not sure … I think I left off on the 14 shelving tracks. Two go over the fridge and six each to the wall over the big table or the couch. Then we just use the boards we got. The ironing table is actually going to be an ironing blanket and we’ll get a cutting board like the white one in the living room. Both pieces are about 24 inches plus or minus some, but will fit on the table proper. The six lamps are just individual ones focusing on just the area they are covering … I should be able to move them around to get light where we need it to go.
The third level is getting the curtains made … this is a better picture of them.
Aren’t they beautiful?
I can’t believe I found it in Jinny’s collection. It was one of the very last and should be used in whatever proportion I can figure out although I budgeted myself for only 14 yards. I will have to measure windows today. I’m hoping I have the hardware from CS because I don’t have much more of a budget. The darker one is the actual color of the curtains. I’m thinking that if I did it right, I could put lace under or over it … might have to ask CS. It’s a high window so the lace isn’t quite as affective. And, we’re going to need remembering that the windows are 3 feet back of the table and machine so we’re not going to want to have to do too much.
Hmm, better get this day saved I got some work to do with it. I will include yesterday’s too.
OK. Maybe been teasing you with this a bit, but this is the last turn of the room before we closed out for the day. I talked to Rich and he gave us permission to talk to Bob. He said that it was ok that we do stuff like the painting. I'm going to show Bob the project ask for good advice like what kind of paint to get or if we need a primer and in general we hope he helps us out where we show up to be needing help. It would be nice to have a little positive support and Bob is really good for that. We talked over Rich saying everything is for later and how that isn't realistically me. I think all three of us understands. I don't want to upset Rich by having excessive contact with his friend, but doing this kind of thing is something Bob is much better at then either of the two of us. I really would like to see it go through. Ya know? Anyway here is the project - MINUS the plants (gifts I hope).
Summary of Monday's thoughts
We thought we should catch ourselves up here. We’ve been gone for a bit again. The last time we wrote it was before the Quilt Show. I had been spending time looking for Joe and Cari’s Shower and Wedding gifts. Thought I’d introduce you too to the above. This is Tilly the Tall Cat. It’s a little Jim Shore statue that Emily and CS got me. It was really nice of them. They said it was my birthday, but it really isn’t my birthday yet. I don’t know how to properly thank them. CS knew that I loved Jim Shore from comments made about one of her quilt magazines. I had bought a few statues for the sisters here at St. Rose. It’s just a wonderful object! Can’t say enough about a “Quilted” Kitty!
This is the picture from Joe and Cari’s stuff. Really good stuff!
I can hardly wait until they get it … I think all the objects have been shipped. I feel real good about them being paid for too. I’m having a little problem otherwise though. Rich has been talking to me and he’s really pressuring me to stop spending for the wedding. But, I told Joe that I would like to give them an additional $1000 for shopping at Tandy Leather Goods. Rich got really mad at me when he found I’d done all of the above. He had counted on that money being there to cover some of the checks he’d written out of my account. We had thought that a wrong thing to do because we had other things we wanted to do with the money. He knew it was to go to kids, but he didn’t realize I’d be so fast about it. But, I told him that if I didn’t do it it wouldn’t happen.
I think Joe is worth the amount of money I want to spend on him. I think both the kids are. I don’t know how to get past the Rich impasse. Then I felt guilty because Friday I went to the show and I found a really good table I would like to redecorate the 2
nd bedroom with. I’m going to make it into a sewing room. The stuff I have now is good, but then there will be that much more. I will most likely hold onto my Viking as long as I can, but then make a special account to be saving for a Bernina. Of course we want their top of the line model. That’s going to be hard. The table though is more doable because it comes in at about $850-1000. That’s the amount of money I had thought I could save for Joe. Now that interest is conflicted.
I talked about it to Rich this weekend. He’s not against saving for the sewing table, as he is spending more money on the kids. Maybe we can talk him into like $100 a month for a while to the kids. He’s still frustrated with me for taking on $5000 for Joe’s school loan. He said that was money we didn’t have either. Rich really thinks the $500 gifts and the quilt good enough all considering. I think he thinks too a little harder on the situation because of the lack of attention the boys put into our relationship. I don’t know what to do yet.
Over the weekend, I did work on a room arrangement if I did get the table.
There would be an option one and an option two. Eventually I would get a bed in there I think rather than the couch so people like CS could sleep over, but that would necessitate splitting up my couch further and bringing it to West Bend. I really like my couch and would prefer it in the bedroom, but I don’t know how to do it sleeping-wize. I know CS has me sleeping on her couch and that she doesn’t have an extra room, but I think Rich would have a harder time with CS in the living room if she was going to sleep when he was up. I’m not sure what to do yet.
CS is texting with me now. It appears that Mark’s birthday is going to be one of the days we’re up there and she wants to rent him a limo like she did for his 30
th birthday. We discussed a few household items and now I’m asking her the cost of a Bernina 830. She just said it was the next step up from her 440. I don’t really want to be OVER her, but it be nice to have something.
Right now we’re pretty much upsetting CS. I don’t mean to be doing this, but she has to be brought up on this new set of AM ideals. I’m thinking I want the best … always have … so I’ve put into the dream works a big workstation and a $10,000 sewing machine. But, she’s against it. But she’s coming at it from a viewpoint that’s pretty competitive because she didn’t get the table or have the newer machine. She did have the next sewing machine to this before this second was created. She’ll want to update hers especially if I get one. It would strike her I believe as unfair. Right now she’s saying everything that’s probably true … I don’t need one, I don’t sew enough, the space would cramp me, but want and desire aren’t that easy.
I suggested that she could turn her bedroom and workroom around and now she’s agreed with me because she’s thought of it before. She said she didn’t really need the dressers. I don’t know what her dresser need is, but it would be fun to create with her a bigger space. It be nice too if it were big enough for the four of us to be meeting. I’m thinking of those big tables of hers down in the basement. I don’t know if that would crowd it though, because she needs more shelf space too. She’d lose though the bathroom attached to her bedroom. To be fair all the rooms are close enough to get by with it, but I’d love to here her ideas on how to perfect her space. One of the problems making it bigger to fit more people is that it wouldn’t be as intimate as her work space now. It’s pretty much a 1 or 2 person room. One behind the desk and one behind the sewing machine.
Good good … we’re on the same track. It’s lightened up between us as we dream about her space with her. She has to be turning around space in her head too in that she has a very large basement to work with, but it’s not as nice down there as upstairs obviously. That’s the problem with unfinished basements … they aren’t finished! She does have some big church tables down there though so that maybe those could be used for when the group gets together. Not sure which way she’s going to want to go. She’s admitting now to having dreamt about the sewing table/workstation last year. I think that’s the hard part is when someone else looks closer to a dream you had wanted. I’m pretty sure she would rather have the 830 than the 440, but things will fall as they may. She’s still probably closer because she has a machine that can be traded in.
We’re talking to her about using her big church tables and making room with them … she says they could fit 8 people. I told her last text we could get sheets and make them into a curtain around the back part of the space by using rope and typing to poles. Let’s see what she thinks of that idea. Would take some work, but not a major expense. She’s eventually going to want to do something with Nate’s room too. It was really a mess down there last time. I think she’s thinking the same too … she commented about long sides together. She’s worrying over Mark’s messes downstairs. I told her at least it would separate his space from hers. She says she spent 2 days cleaning and he messed it up in 10 minutes. She is now saying that Mark has reinforced the table and its good.
My suggestion is two-fold at this point I could come down 2 weekends and help her clean this weekend, or I could work from the island and give Linda and Emily the table for their sewing machines. I would just work on cutting projects. That would be more doable than sewing on the island. I’m still going to need working on surviving the chair … that’s going to be hard, because there’s only small butt spaces, legs dangling without circulation and back’s going to be put out of place.
I think its pretty sure by now that we’re going to go up to CS over this weekend to help with basement and then up there the following weekend to sew with the girls. By the way … these next two pictures represents the project we’re going to be working on together. I’m really looking forward to it.
AHH CS came up with a compromise … I’d forgotten to think about. She said they could clear the desk area in the kitchen. Wow! That be nice. It’s a good size … just always filled to the brim with stuff that doesn’t really move. It’s just stuff begging for a home to be placed. WooHOO! That will keep me off the stool. Thought better me than other guests. CS is going to need her sewing machine thing. That will leave Mark the island for fixing things in between. CS just finally stated that shouldn’t I be working and that we’re going to need to take a break from texting so I could go home. She’s probably right. She’s heard the part of not working as much when sister comes by earlier in the day.
We’re going over the processes to finalize things. I’ll go up this weekend while Rich is fishing and help clean up the basement or plan moving the rooms around if CS wants it. It might take some talking through of her pros and cons. I like working on space. Maybe we could make a diagram. Sounds like for the next weekend though she’s gravitating around being upstairs in the kitchen. We’re going to need new scissors and plastics though to cut the stencils. So I requested to do all kinds of work, but not have to go shopping. That seems reasonable.
I did let her know that if I went anywhere I would go out to meet Royce. Both her and Emily have a lot to say about his services. He’s the guy in town who sells the Bernina’s. I made sure she realized that realistically it would take me a couple of years to come anywhere close to be having some serious money to put down on a machine. I’d have to be saving like $400 a month … and I just don’t make that much. Maybe more like $300 a month, but that’s IF I had a couple $1000 from taxes and I would have to save money from gifts and that would have to include NOTHING else coming up! Sure help if I weren’t paying for a car.
Tuesdays Blogging - Joe and Cari's Wedding Gifts
Good morning. We’re going to try this again. We just lost 3 paragraphs because the computer freezed-up. We said something about not writing since Friday. It’s now the next Tuesday. It’s about 8:45. Rich got in about 15 minutes ago. We’re both at work. I did the regular things I do in the morning. Sr. Theresa just came in and I guess I will be doing the group outside for 15 minutes at lunch time. That’s not too bad – could be worse. Holly will have the inside group – just a few stragglers and then be able to catch phone or door. Sr. says she’s going to be out all day.
I think that Sr. Marcella is taking courses in Italy for like the next 3 months. That was nice for her, but I think Sr. Theresa then has to mess with other sisters coming in at night time to stay with her and eat and do worship service. I don’t know yet what kind of strain this is for each of the parties involved. I didn’t ask what sister was going to be doing today, but there is no problem with her being gone for the day.
Most of the time this last weekend has gone to the new quilting blog located at:
QuiltingMooses.blogspot.com
These are a couple of the recent pictures
We’ve read about 450 blogs – or at least glanced at some and read others. That’s about 11% done … quite a few left to go … I have to believe number is about right, but there sure is a lot more to be reading. I’m not sure if the 11% is accurate.
It would depend … not sure maybe I better count again. Hmm, pretty close actual number is 462/4042 = 11.4% complete. Hey that’s not real bad! I was really grateful that I had saved the blogs that we’d read, because inadvertently when we switched the blog name, we erased our links to the blogs we’d picked out as the top ones. It made backtracking a lot easier last night. I was so relieved not to have to start from scratch. It’s a lot of hard work doing that kind of reading.
It’s enjoyable, but still a task.
I’m pretty sure that was the only thing affected. The first picture shows a lot of the changes that went through after the first run. Yesterday I’d started working on another change for the title part, but we aren’t sure that Emily wants to be an honorary sister … we’d like to include her in the blog so she can look at it and/or contribute when she wants. She’s not really into though social stuff on the computer. She says she does enough computer stuff at work and she doesn’t want accounts that her invasive relatives could get to. So we were thinking this might work … in that if she did go on-line, she’d have a place that she could be at without her relatives looking in on her. It has a name they couldn’t relate to her. I would really like her to be a part of the whole deal. She’s just so nice and she’s as interested in the quilting as CS and us. There’s quite a few of us actually.
Most of the people in the Quilting Blogs are into the activity as a big part of their lives. It’s kind of cool like walking into an artists’ colony. I think if Emily could do it it would make her feel less lonely or isolated. We’ll see … we’ll be talking to her in a few days at the International Quilt show here in Chicago over the weekend.
We talked to CS yesterday. Emily had given the two of us a couple of books and I left them with CS because I don’t have much time for reading. CS got into one, and now is half-way through the second although she said she wasn’t going to read the second until she got some quilt work done. *sigh*
Who am I to talk about not getting work done … just better not go down that avenue.
There was also a side trip Sunday. Rich had gone to get Bud’s son’s trailer to move a used riding lawn mower to Chris and then he picked up some furniture there for Jon and then he picked up me for the ride. It was a couple hours down and a couple back. We dropped off the trailer at Rich’s Mom’s and shared some pie with them, and then didn’t get home until about 9:00 pm. I fell asleep on the way back. I’d stayed up Saturday night until 4 am and then only slept for 3 hours so I was pretty beat. I’m sure grateful for Rich being able to drive long distances safely. While we were at Rich’s son’s we had a lunch/dinner. He was just getting up and most likely was going back to bed, but he took us to a Thai place that ended up being really good. It was a nice general talk – not too detailed. Jon seemed pretty tired and I don’t think he talks excessively. It was just nice.
Yesterday and today I’ve been at work. Not doing much obviously. CARF is coming and it doesn’t seem to matter. Rich has helped with a few things. I’m grateful for that and I know I really have to do a few things for sure, just can’t seem to do it. I’ve done this before so it is not unlike me, but it’s hard to grapple with just the same. But, with that we’re leaving it again … because it’s too much. I will try to think about it again in an hour or so. Maybe that would work. That’s right we were going to try working ourselves toward that direction. Now that both Sister and Rich are gone for the day – Rich left and isn’t expected to get back until about 3 pm – it’s going to be that much harder, but who knows maybe I can get in some free work time without too much stress. I think it’s time that we cleared the desk again and get some work done for the Qnotes. I had another goal too where we were going to write out the goals and objective sheets for all the clients. If I’m short on CARF I can at least say I’m good on the files. I’ve got to send out another letter to for people who are behind in things in their files. I suppose that will be the goal then. I don’t know if I could get all the way done with this in the next three days, but it be a whole lot nicer getting to next week. Again Friday is the quilt show.
I would like to leave open the possibility that if the quilt show was really good I could go back over the weekend. CS is lending me her walker/chair so that should help in that direction. We’ll have to see … if I can’t take pictures it will take away from part of that experience and I think there is just so much you can handle taking in on its own. Maybe I should make a few other goals like collection brochures or business cards. I would like to study the whole phenomenon on quilting as best I can. I just don’t know how much I can handle or at what cost.
It costs $10 a day or $25 for the three days. Plus there is going to be parking and eating and you just know you are going to want to buy something. It be hard not to, but I might have to go that route.
That reminds me … we really had a nice moment this morning. We were getting a $20 out of our envelope. It looks like we have $100 in there, but its suppose to last the rest of the month. BUT, there was a big check on Rich’s dresser, so we out of habit looked at the amount. It was for $500 … Wow! Nice! And then we looked over to who it was for and it was for me!!! I couldn’t believe it! It turned out to be more compensation back from our insurance company for that accident that Nathan fixed for us after we’d gotten an estimate. Apparently the other guy had paid out for the deductable. I thought the matter was over because the cost was like $700 something and State Farm had paid the $200 something off the top, but now we got the bottom and I hadn’t even expected it, because we never went get it fixed officially. Nathan said it had a memory something kind of material so he just heated it up a bit and smoothed it out. Wow! That was quite the deal.
I told Rich on the way out that he should have talked to me about it, but he said he was going to and that he wouldn’t have spent it on bills, but that it should go somewhere special … and then we realized what he was saying and that I’d been talking of getting Thom a birthday present and Joe a wedding shower gift and a wedding gift. AND, now here all that was possible! I was just so excited!
Oh man oh man … just been over at Target. I can hardly wait until Rich gets the check in the bank! I’ve spent $362 plus there will be tax and most likely delivery. There most expensive items were a new flat screen TV, a playstation entertainment center and a digital reader all between $2-400 each. We decided to give him the NEXT most expensive gift and then add some other stuff to go with it.
I hope we can get it before someone else does. I decided to go with a camping theme. Basically he has some real nice outdoors or tools things and I want to encourage them getting out of the house. I know that Joe faithfully goes on the Nero Adventures, and I’m thinking if it were more convenient then Cari would go too. So we’re shooting in that direction. I’m going to make a collage of all the things we are going to get if our luck holds out. This is so much fun.
I also called CS and told her that I’d talked to Joe and told him I felt very left out and that I was upset about my sister not being invited and that it was not well thought out to surround me with Garvey’s and their friends and family without someone to keep me company. He apologized saying that he hadn’t thought CS would come down all the way from WI for the bridal shower. He did ask then if I could send her address so he could make sure to send her a wedding invitation. I thought that was fair so I let CS know. She seemed ok with that, but it made me feel uncomfortable to tell her my son hadn’t included her, but then he barely included me … so I felt justified in telling him that I wouldn’t go to the shower. I did call him back after the second time and I talked to him saying that I was frustrated for several things about my boys, not all of which included him. I had been frustrated with Maury’s separation, saying that it would be most likely a long while until I met his girlfriend although my granddaughters loved her and didn’t mind the extra discipline she was adding and that Maury was grateful for the discipline Jacki placed because it was what made him a better person. That was so highly distasteful … still having my problems with it.
But … the money discovered this morning made me feel a whole lot better. I’m still going to put aside OTHER money, because pretty much all of this $500 is spent.
$100 will be for Thom and the other $400 will be for Joe and Cari. I know at first I thought I’d save it for the wedding – at least $300 of it, but now I would like to spend $400 now on the bridal shower and then still save up the money for the wedding. If I could save a couple hundred dollars during April, June and July I might have another $5-600 to save for the wedding, plus I will hopefully by then have the quilt done. So … are you ready to hear my gift ideas? Ok, ok cool … let me work up a picture!
Good morning. We are just going to write a bit because we keep tracing our steps between the sewing blog, the AOL emails and the Facebook page. I don’t know what we’re looking for to change. We are hyper enough so that nothing seems to be sticking. It’s a Friday about 9:10 am. Today is the first Friday of the month so there should be an Administration meeting as soon as Sister gets out of church and Rich get here. I don’t know, but am thinking she won’t wait for Holly if she isn’t here by 9:30 am.
Sr. had me jumping already in that she called me down to meet concerning one of the DSPs she’s displeased with and then I had to spruce up some notes I’d taken for her on an Advisory Board meeting. That didn’t seem to be much problem … just a few moments. There was a little problem with one of the parents who is new and wants to walk her daughter down to the group’s room … sister made sure she knew that wasn’t really doable. Too many people come in the door to not have the halls more protected … if it weren’t parents it would be drivers or anyone else who came in. Usually, the secretary opens the door, but before she gets here, Sr. places a client or two at the door. They are good, but not able to withstand a pushy parent. Just have to work the system proper.
That’s about all of work I really want to do. Maybe though that is the subject we should be doing. We talked to Dr. Marvin about it last night. Well, at least to the degree we could feel like talking to anybody about not wanting to talk to anyone. We were a little crying-like in his office, and then we got home and we were crying-like there. As soon as you say that term more authoritative … someone within us screams “I WAS NOT CRYING!” Shh, shh…
That’s not the point. Thing is that things were hard for us. I think the scales could have tipped either way with Rich, because he’d just gone shopping and someone asked if we got any ice cream and that would make her feel better. But, Rich said no that he’d gone to the store without single servings. She quickly pointed out that was the third time in a row … and the tears started all over ago and lasted over an hour. I remember too that we were hiding behind a pillow for a long time and it wasn’t until much later that someone came out because Rich had come closer to the couch and was folding T-shirts wrong.
He was pretty nice and understanding as those kinds of things go. I don’t know if we ever got to a part of figuring things out, but I do know we talked about work and the boys at Dr. Marvin’s. At some point, someone through in we didn’t catch any fish, but that seemed to be a mute point … just something that helped tipped the scales.
I think Dr. Marvin believes we can do the CARF work, but that if we don’t – it won’t get done. The boys hit us at a different emotional distance. I think that was the intolerable point of no return. We were remembering one offense after another from one and then we’d turn and we were feeling it from the other. Dr. Marvin said that they are inconsiderate and that we were going to need putting some emotional “safety” in-between. He didn’t use that word, but pretty much it was like we are going to have to take care of ourselves and not take things personally when they have problems.
I really don’t think we’re doing anything because so little happens between us over time. I think they need someone to dump on and that’s us … I remember saying something to Dr. Marvin about wanting to crawl into a ball and dying. He seems to want us not to retreat – just move out of the way. Its tricky stuff though because we don’t feel able to do what he wants. We feel small and over-powered. Right now we’ve only got Dr. Marvin and Rich that is going well enough … and Rich always feels shaky. Yesterday he had someone from the State come in to do something of an investigation to the cards. He didn’t know it, but the dealers were supposed to be on the volunteer list. I thought the dealers were paid by the poker people. I’m thinking Rich thought the same. There wasn’t a clue on that one. He put in a call to the poker people, but I don’t know if they’ve called back yet. Probably not. I really hope that all turns out well.
Rich said that because of that we were in violation most likely … nothing seems real sure, but I’m not sure if that’s just Rich’s interpretation. We asked him what was going to happen. He said that it was between most likely a fine or becoming a felon. I’m like no what’s going to happen. We weren’t registering. We were hearing the word felon, but we didn’t want to do that to our brain. Right now it’s a struggle. We’ve seen other people going through that sort of stuff, but we just can’t believe that’s going to happen to Rich and Rich and me. Most likely we’d both go under. Sister would have to let go of Rich and I’d probably end up going with him especially after CARF.
We talked about it to Dr. Marvin only a little because it was too much to handle. We were closing down and we were at that space where we’re just staring and don’t seem to be processing anything except that black space in front of us. We’re just not doing real good with all our life.
Hmm, Rich just came in when Imelda did … Sister is going to have her shred a bunch of old records so we asked Rich if he would move the shredder for her. She was going to lift it and it was like … yeeks! No I don’t think so! It means that our meeting is going to start up … the
Top Choices today ... well at least for the quilting blog
Good morning. Thought I should write out a few quilt thoughts. I have gone through about 308 blogs so far. I did Wisconsin first because that’s our home turf, but then I decided to go back through countries and states alphabetically. I’ve done Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, American Samoa, Argentina, Arizona, Arkansas, and about 40 from Australia. As much as I appreciate ALL the blogs I’ve found there are 8 in particular that I know I will go back to for whatever reasons blogs are interesting to me. These are the first ones that I’ve saved to our blog files. I’m encouraging Connie Sue to do the same, but she has a lot of time restrictions so I’m not sure what direction she will go. Anyway … here’s the first “Top Choices!”
I’m pretty proud of these choices. In general what I look for is substance, a lot of good pictures, the feeling that I’m going to learn something from them, intelligent commentary, and very few games and giveaways. The blog has to be fairly current and viable to the craftsmanship of quilting. I’m not real interested if there is too much other going on in the blog like adding things with yarn, embroidery and such, clothes or doll making. These are good things for the people doing them, but as to suiting my own interests I like to stay primarily in the area of quilting. It's hard for me to look at a blog that is overly crowded, messy or with commercials. I’m interested also in some personal, but if I’ve gone a whole long page and it’s all personal, then I tend to disconnect. AND, the quilts have to be something I’m attracted to. Usually that means that the quilter has added tones without just going out all bold and contrasting. I’m not particularly interested either in children’s quilts, but if they hold something of extra charm or distinction they will draw my attention. I'm into taking a journey with the quilter.
No, I’m not a qualified quilting critic, but if I’m going to spend my time at a site I expect a lot of it. I’m not sure that I would pass my own qualifications as to our site though I would hope to fill others ideals. I aim to get through the 4016 quilts or whatever number the directory has in the end. I like to know the range of quilting blogs out there and I’d like to pick up ideas. I think this is really valuable as a quilter. It be nice to pick up some friendships too. I don’t think I have much to offer yet in that although Connie Sue (CS) has been quilting 3 decades, I’ve just passed my first year. Maybe this is good in that I have the eyes and interests of a beginner so I can build my path without too much to detract from it.
We need to have a habit first before we can break it.
I am happy … well at least comforted to know that so many other quilters have projects going on too that they haven’t completed. It seems to be the thing that quilters gather materials and ideas and start and stop projects on whim. I should probably make next a list of projects that we’re working on either on our own or with CS … hopefully she’ll add from the list, and then we can detract from the list as we may. I like that some quilters use the term “finishers.” We’re more apt to take pictures of things in progress because I don’t have the speed or time to work through so many quilts in a manner that would be timely. But, we could look forward to some finishers too!
A very LONG Wednesday
Good morning. This is me. We’ve been away for a while now, but mostly because we’ve been working on the other blog. If you are interested the Quilted Moose – Sisters Sewing on Spruce is right over here …
http://quiltedmoose--sisterssewingonspruce.blogspot.com/
We increased the number of posts by about 90%. There are about 60 posts over the last week. Most of them are picture combinations like this one.
I went back to the start of this sewing thing with CS when we first met up again Easter Weekend last year. We tried to capture each new experience as a “Quilt Poster.” I’m real happy with how it turned out. I would like to post the pictures here, but there are so many that the best thing to do is direct you to the other blog. Vince – this means you too! Please stop by and visit the other. I think you will enjoy all the pictures and certainly that CS and us are getting along as well as we are.
Hmm, we seem to keep falling asleep as we sit here … it happened to us this morning and in general just lately. We’re thinking or writing and then we realize that our eyes have closed and we were out of things again. I’m worrying a little about the sleep apnea. I’d like to avoid all that though. This morning we got up around the regular time of 4:30 am and then we ended getting drowsy so we curled back in bed with Rich and slept until 6:30. I think the real worrisome part would be if it affected my driving. I might bring it up to Dr. Marvin, but then I don’t really want to make a big issue out of it. It’s been a while since we went to see Dr. Albright. That’s not real high on our priority list. I don’t think anything is really going on new with us medically, except we’re having trouble being so overweight its getting hard to get up and around. Hard to think of going to the gym if you don’t think you are going to make 15 minutes.
Yesterday we were better working on our quilt materials, but today we’re not having a very good day with it. Yesterday we started I think around the time that Rich got in. We worked a little longer after he left, but he was going fishing with Bob so there wasn’t any real motivation there. The last two hours were playing/napping.
It’s already 10:30 am. And we don’t have the ambition again. Best that at this point we just be keeping ourselves up. It’s a Wednesday. Last week was a buzz. We had taken off Tuesday and ended up working on the sewing blog. And, then we went fishing with Rich Wednesday and Thursday, and then we went up to CS & Mark’s Friday and Saturday and met up with Emily too. Then we made it back in time for dinner at Joe’s and then we went to Rich’s Mom and Bud’s and had Easter dinner with Marcia and Bob too. After that we weren’t in any emotional position to go to work on Monday.
So we stayed home and finished the blog. We wanted to catch it up to a year with the sewing and CS. It was like our anniversary gift.
You’ve already heard about yesterday and we’re caught up to today. I should say a few things about the time being spent last week. Maybe we’ll stop in the washroom first and then we’ll be back and try to trace back a few of those steps. BRB.
Ok back. Let’s see let’s start on Tuesday. I think I was doing regular things like Facebook, emails and maybe even working on the blog. I’m not sure if I got up to that part. I do remember something about CS leaving a note saying she’d tried to write something in the blog and she’d lost about an hour of writing. I reminded her about using Word to write and then copy/paste it over. You never know when the Internet is going down so you want to make that precaution. With Word if the power were to cut off it would have saved a copy for you so that is always worth the while.
I think it was pretty soon we’d figured that we were going to stretch together the pictures and some story of where we’d been. We knew we had a lot of material to go through from both CS and our Facebook photos. Almost all the time pictures were being taken. There was a long sting through December to March though when nothing was happening. CS was busy being sick and we had lost contact with our battery power cord so even though we were working on some things – mostly cutting scraps, there wasn’t a lot of picture taking or much going on with sewing. I knew about then I’d gotten tired of the fishes and had stopped so we had Bob and sometimes Rich complaining about where their gift was. We’re still backed up on that project. I don’t know what it is about quilters, but we’ve been reading for a while now other Quilting Blogs and starting projects without finishing them is something that appears quite regular.
I don’t know exactly how we found it, but it was back I believe on Tuesday that we found a new spot – maybe through Yahoo or Google, but it’s called Quilting Blogs. I think the owners name is Sharon Zurbrigg. Her site has an International quilter’s directory of like 4016 quilters who also blog. You have to go through their approval process to be included. We submitted our name and I think we were accepted on the 30th. I didn’t realize it right away, but then going through some recent entries I’d discovered our blog. That made me real excited, because in general the quality of the blogs is very good. I’ve gone through them some now over the last three days. We started the blogs under Wisconsin because that’s where the Quilted Moose is located. I went through all 69 of them and then I went back and collected four of them I really enjoyed or would like to look at again. I’m not sure if CS if familiar enough with blogging to understand that it’s good to have a blog list of people you would like to know, but I think it’s pretty cool. I’ve got it functioning so that you get the name of the quilter’s blog, and then a picture if there was one shot on their last entry, and then there is a couple of sentences from their last entry and it records how long ago the blogger had last entered a post.
The other thing is that I’ve got it set to alphabetical so the entries are lining up like that. Naturally too there is a hot link back to the blog. It should be pretty cool
I’m thinking that CS might want to look at her own Blog list. She can either share ours, or she might be able to collect her own Blog list. That might be a better idea and much more like FB where we can share links, but have our own favorites.
Hmm, thought of that too. CS put a link to her FB, so we also put a link to our FB under hers. She did put one entry in since we started up again, but I wished she would have talked more of herself. To be fair it was kind of a declarative statement on the meaning of our anniversary and being together again. Sometimes things get a bit mushy to the point of me being uncomfortable, but I know there are other parts taking it to heart. CS said that this has been her best year ever and … well, I shudder a little because there have been years with her Dad, son or husband that should have also been good, plus there were the Carol years – her friend who used to live in West Bend.
To our credit we should think it’s ok though if we are at least ONE of the good things. I’m glad she had a better year than in the past, I’m also thinking that her reduction of weight has a lot to do with it. It sounds like she spent years being bedbound because of her weight and other conditions. I had a hard time over the winter with her staying in “illness” mode for so long, but I think getting out to finish the Spring Fling quilt seemed to progress that situation.
For the record, I don’t like it that sometimes we’re ignored as to being a presence with her on FB, through Email, and now through the blog. I don’t know if she relapsed, or is playing some kind of game. She could just be busy, but it has been established that we have fairly good communications so there’s really no excuse for her not to pick up her phone and post a quick note on a daily basis. I don’t want to feed into the bad psychology part there. There are some feelings of abandonment. We don’t’ like not knowing in general how she’s doing. Maybe it’s kind of selfish … we don’t want to go through all the relapses.
I think she’s worrying over taxes too so there is that also, but again there’s no reason for not having a quick update. Maybe she is used to being invisible? I don’t know each of us have so much unreality in our lives that it’s just not healthy. I don’t like hearing whatever excuse either. This kind of stuff makes me grumbly. I won’t go chasing her or anyone though for that matter.
I don’t know how much I’m being affected too in having put so much of myself out there with the approximate 50 sets of collated pictures, that I’m feeling a little rebuffed in so much a lack of enthusiasm. HMPF!
Ok, moving on. As we noted, that took up most of the Tuesday before yesterday and the Monday this week when we stayed home. We’ve been in and out of the blogs … I think we explained already over the last 2 days. I’ve gotten through Wisconsin, and then we started from the beginning and are toggling through the states and other countries. They are represented by 69 countries in total. We’ve done Alabama, American Samoa and Argentina. Alaska is next. Maybe we better fold in Canada too though Alaska comes before Alberta. It looks then like we’ve looked at 80 blogs and have accepted 5%. Yeeks at that rate we’re going to have a list of 200 blogs. We might have to rethink that, but … It would be a very comprehensive list of friends ;)
There … we just had lunch and finally heard from CS. It sounds like she had tax work on Monday and had to return today. She didn’t say how that was going. She didn’t say much about yesterday or today otherwise. She said something about Mark being home and interrupting her schedule, but I don’t know how much of a schedule she’s keeping. We gave her an assignment to either add blogs or post and entry to our blog. Things like this have to be taken seriously! I gave her an arbitrary deadline of 6:30 pm tonight. I figured that give her over 6 hours to finish taxes and do something productive. HMPF! It’s hard to be an older sister. But, if we are going to be an entity it can’t be just me. She had one entry last year and one entry this week, but then I added about 60 entries in addition to that. She has to give a little more if it’s going to be “our” blog. I think I have to teach her about blogging. Like with this one … you want to keep it up. I know that I go through some times when I haven’t posted, but there’s a sense of obligation that things aren’t right until you go back and catch up.
So with that said … I think it pretty much gets us up to Wednesday and Thursday. We got off a little late on Wednesday morning. I had a hard time going to sleep the night before. I found that we had a hard time sleeping. Once we got started – between us everything seemed fine. There weren’t any lectures or arguments during the entire trip, though there was some friction when he attempted to put sun block on - even though we were burnt from the day before someone in particular was not about to go down without kicking and screaming. *sigh* I suppose if I put together a little collage it would look something like this.
Pretty cool, hmm? I’ve been liking these collage styled pictures … it seems a little work, but the result is nice … you get everything most important all up front.
Hmm, back to the real world here … It’s about 12:45 pm and now Rich is here and it is raining hard. Rich says it’s going to snow tonight. Man that just seems criminal. Ok, let’s not get into too much reality.
Both fishing days were pretty long, but neither were full 8 hour days. Seems that we had to orientate ourselves around the need for having a bathroom – someone like me found a nice tree *sigh* Well, to be perfectly frank … there is something very liberating about that … so it’s not too much a REAL heavy sigh.
We had sandwiches, cheese and peanuts in the boat with some water and pop. No, I didn’t want to drink too much. As to the actual part of fishing – it was pretty good all considered. I got pretty tired by the end and we were sun burned. We did a lot of casting … almost the entire time out there. It was discouraging not to get a fish. I think this was twice out without a fish. Rich got two, but there was only one bass, so he is saying he got only one fish. I figure if it’s on your line and in the boat … it gets counted!
On the first day after we came in we ran into a fishing buddy of his. He was a younger guy by himself. Apparently, he’s the only one of Rich’s fishing friends that live so far up north. He gave us a couple fishing hints and told us where the best place to eat was. So we packed up and he unpacked. He was going fishing as we were finishing. Rich and us went back to the motel and he took a shower, and then we went the mile down the road to get dinner. AND, the guy we’d just talked to said he was already done fishing. He was at the bar having a beer. He said he caught his two fish. Hmm, Rich is only partly thinking he caught something. I think he just wanted to hang with us ;)
He seemed a nice enough guy … a little shy. He turned mostly to Rich though would explain things to us if we asked. It was one of those times you hang back in a conversation, because you are really not a part of it. Men get together and I think they just want to amaze the women, so we were amazed and paid attention. It seemed friendly. I was steered toward the fried green beans. Wow that was something.
They tasted like green bean casserole with plenty of the fried part.
After that we went back to our room, but Rich said I was very close to him taking us to the hospital with heat stroke. We just laid down on the bed and didn’t really get up again for the rest of the night. Rich watched a show and fell asleep at 10 pm a couple hours after I’d gone down. The fishing was nice in that it was very nice on the lake – weather was good and everything felt comfortable. Rich let me experiment with lures and he gave me a spincast rod. Sooner or later I’d have to learn from it. I spent a lot of my fishing time figuring out how to present my bait on either rod. It was a study.
At about 3-3:30 pm we left for the trip home. Well, at least to Rich’s mother’s house and Bud’s. When we got in we showed Bud the pictures right away. I think the only thing that really concerned him was that Rich’s fish seemed too small. *sigh*
There was some more arguing between Bud and mom, but I think things were pretty calm. I just remembered being tired. Early to bed again.
The next day we woke up late. There were only a few things we needed to bring to CS. We got ready and left out. I think the trip was uneventful. No tickets! We kept on speed control. We got there I think about 11 or 12. I don’t really recall that part too well. I think we put our feet up had some Mountain Dew and some ice cream and then maybe started looking into projects. Matter of fact, I remember now that CS and us ended up in her sewing room me at her desk and her at the sewing machine. She gave me a couple of cords to help with getting the EQ6 over to the laptop, but that didn’t really work. It did work that I had my flash drive and I was able to retrieve the directions for the Dancers in Park project from the big old computer. There were a lot of sheets to be pulled out and coordinated. After everything was out, we went to work on tracing and cutting out thingies for the pieces.
I think by the end we had 2 of the three done as to cutting out the tracing plastic and cutting out the material. I know that CS finished her piece Friday night for class. She left early with Emily on Saturday and I stayed home to work. I did get a shower before they got back around 10 am. It took a while to get set-up. I had done what I could to conserve space on the table so that Emily could sit across from me. CS and Emily brought in her table, although CS says she hurt her back. We should have waited for Mark to move it.
CS started working on the Dancers, Emily finished a project with her memory quilt and then cut-out and sewed the pieces for next month’s class. After I finished cutting out the fabric for the second part of our thing with CS then I cut out CS pattern for her class work. That seemed to work out, but we were rushing the time.
We were going to leave at 4 pm, but we left at 4:30 pm. In between there – maybe about 12:30 – 1 pm, we went out for lunch.
There was a fair amount of talking and goofing around while we were working, but actual work was getting done too. When we went out to eat though the conversation got a little more somber. Emily had showed us a picture of her two sons. One had been still born and the other died within hours of that time. It was a very sad situation and it’s only been 6-7 months. Emily is obviously still grieving the loss pretty hard. We stayed there most of the meal. It was a good time to be there. I was glad to hear that Emily also is seeing a counselor and a support group. I think both CS and I feel grateful to be her friend. We made her an honorary sister
The trip home went pretty good and we coordinated the time with Rich so that we were both pulling into Villa Park about 20 minutes early to be meeting Joe and Cari.
Minutes after we got there then Joe got there and before we got through the door then Cari was pulling up. It’s pretty funny actually that we all arrive at the same destination by separate vehicles at the same time. It’s like the beginning shot of Father knows best, or the Simpsons. We were all 10 minutes fashionably early.
We were given a tour of their place. It was pretty small, but Joe pointed out that it was bigger than their last place. It seemed that the two were doing well in the space. It had a living room, bedroom and kitchen, plus bathroom and a nice balcony. Cari made a good pulled beef dinner and while she was fixing things and then after when she was washing dishes, Rich and I listened and talked to Joe.
There was more open conversation the second part and the first part was primarily me asking questions or listening for Joe to talk about his Nero game. It was an enjoyable time. I don’t feel they don’t necessarily dislike me, but I don’t feel they necessarily feel close to us either. We’re just visitors. I don’t really want to talk about those feelings right now too much.
It was similar as to being with Maury on the phone on Easter. We had played phone tag with him, and then it was like he started talking about how much he enjoyed being with his girl and how much the girls loved her and then he talked about her being more of a disciplinarian and how that was actually good for the girls. He talked about not having time or inclination to have us meet, but that he might be married to her within a year. He also went into talking about how much better off he and his brothers were to find Jackie as a Mom because she was more of a disciplinarian and apparently Maury turned out pretty good. It was all highly insensitive and rude. I don’t know if he understood what he was doing though it seemed he’d gained a fair amount of steam. We were like, uh-huh, uh-huh. Then we boiled over in the car afterward. We were still driving.
I think by the time we got home about 15-20 minutes later, I was ready to let go of the situation and focus on Rich being there. I’ve in the last week or so altered my FB so that Maury and Joe aren’t reading my personal information … that is if I did it correctly. I’m tired of them pretending to think the life they are sharing with me is good enough. Rich said something about Joe inviting us to dinner. Then we got negative and pointed out that he’d lived in his new place 8 months before he invited us over. Maury didn’t even think of doing anything with us for Easter.
It’s been 3 months since he was over with his girls. I just get so angry. I don’t think I’m a terrible person, but I feel like that what my boys think.
I can see this whole thing with Maury’s girl going very badly in that she is already demanding that the girls be more orderly and regimented. I also heard from Rich who heard from Bob who heard from Maury that Maury is not playing poker, because of the new girl. I don’t even know her name. As far as I’m concerned fuck that shit, fuck that DUMB shit, fuck them.
Ok, maybe we’re still angry. This was the same way it was with Lauren … while she was around, Maury tore into me and made me an unsafe person. Three years before I was asked to babysit. When that fell through Maury came over for support and a place to be … we gave that to him. But, now there is another girl and its like I’m being separated from my son again. And, like the first time I’m being separated from the girls. It just gets me so angry. I don’t know what to do with those feelings. I need some distance from the hurt I am feeling. I don’t know what to do with the anger. And, because now I’m angry … that just proves to Maury that I’m a bad person. I checked out his facebook and he’s talking about playing volleyball with his dad. Well, FUCK THEM ALL!
Ok, just the mad talking … I don’t want my kids screwed up. Just rather be by myself rather than have them push how bad a person I must be in their absence from my life. While we were over at Joe’s one of them said something about if we were coming to the bridal shower. It was like huh? Maury said something later to the effect of Joe not sending an invitation. I don’t know if he was repeating something he heard from Joe and was knowledgeable about or if he was assuming because we’d said we didn’t get an invitation that we wouldn’t be.
Joe said something too about being Cari’s birthday soon. I didn’t pick it up, but Rich did. Rich asked me if I would go to the wedding party or at least send something. My feeling was at least expressed to him at the time was that if I received an invitation I might consider sending something, but right now I’m not too happy about sending anything. They didn’t talk about their wedding, but that Joe had been ordering the guys clothing. I saw today something that Cari said to Maury about getting the girls something. I wasn’t even aware they were in the wedding.
Maury says that it was messed up in that there were 6 girls and only 3 men. He was going to be there, Sensei Steve and Alex. Maury pointed out that Bob, Anthony Hanson or his two cousins should be in the wedding instead of the guys each having two girls. I got the feeling there is friction there yet. Maury is still spending freely, Joe is still being conservative.
I’m guessing that Jackie has stepped into the position of the Groom’s mother and that it is like the last wedding with Maury where I’m just not a part of anything or included in the plans. I just feel so angry. At this point - I’m not sure if I will be at the wedding. I can pretty much bet that I won’t be at the wedding shower. I will still make the quilt … seems were a little confused with that because we were doing better, but then we’ve been now taken over by angry parts.
Shoot … shoot this isn’t going well. We’re starting to think of Dr. Marvin and our safety net. Thoughts of feeling so low as to being suicidal are flashing at me – made more complicated because Rich was in here and secondarily reminding me of the CARF. Apparently, he asked something from Sister and she got down on him because of things being done last moment and that it should be over now. There’s so much unreality it’s going to be hard to put together. Thinking we need to back up into something safer. I feel desperate to be doing something with the anger.
I’m so not dealing … just not dealing. Maybe if I pushed us a little further – though away from family … that sounds like something that is going to have to come up with Dr. Marvin. I think beside all this there was Sunday … that was spent in the morning going over some blog work, and then the afternoon into the evening being at Rich’s folks place. Bud got angry at Mom again where he was going off on her and then she yelled back. I don’t know why that happens, but it does at least once each time we are there. After that it somewhat settles down, but she’s really not talking to him directly, because he jumps on her for so many little things … as if she disgusts him and is needed to be put down. I just don’t see it.
This time it happened in front of Bob and Marcia. I felt embarrassed of the situation. I had been talking to Mom on my own all the time that Bud and Rich were out working on the boat. And, then at 10 to Bob and Marcia came in. Rich’s mother needed help in the kitchen and she needed to back out. So first Bud came in, but he couldn’t handle her directions and had started berating her. I called for Rich to come in and help. He was able to do things without anger. Bud was allowed to back out and Rich’s mother was listened to appropriately. Things went smoother.
I was in and out of teasing on a lighter note with Bud. I wanted him to direct himself at me rather than Mom. And, I was just nervous. I don’t do well with anger. You could probably see that from above. The actual dinner went pretty good after Rich went to the kitchen and then included with that a carving of the ham.
Rich’s mom and us had talked on and on about things in general. We never fight or argue. I hate seeing her going through what Bud dumps on her. I can’t believe his situation very easy in that Mom has her limitations, but it just isn’t fair … what he does is emotional abuse. Bud likes to say it was a pre-nuptial that he got to yell at his wife and his wife could yell back at him. I hate it.
Dinner was good and then after dinner we cleaned off the table, or actually I took care of stuff after Rich had passed it through to me. I rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher and then cleared the counter. Bud indicated when it was time for desert and I got the plates. Then he hinted when it was time for me to take the plates off. Nobody is directly telling me to do the dishes, but I feel its like my duty because I didn’t pay for the meal or cook it. Least I could be helpful.
Usually, they are a little better at stopping me from overworking, but with Bob and Marcia there I think they wanted them to note how efficiently I worked for them. I don’t know maybe it’s just cuz we’re in a miserable mood right now so everything is being muted.
Rich is in and out of my office using the copy/printer machine in my office. I’m so lost to all that its just incredible. There are so many holes I couldn’t begin to count. It’s like sticking one’s finger in the dyke. Feeling pretty miserable … thoughts turn back to the being suicidal. It wouldn’t be fair to Rich though because he’s trying and he’s always done his best for me.
Yesterday he went fishing around 1:30-2:00 pm. He went with Bob and didn’t get back until about 9 pm. I’d preoccupied my time at the computer with just running the TV, but not listening to it. He came in and turned it to something he wanted and then he made his dinner and I believe dinner for me tonight. After he got done eating he must have lay down on the couch and sighed. I remember looking over to him with irritancy thinking out loud … what maybe now you want us to interrupt what we’re doing and come over and be forced to watch bad TV so you can get rubbed? Like where was the emotional bonding … was I that obviously a stupid wench?
Ok, this is just more of the bad mood talking.
That was a nice thing. Carrie just posted a note thanking us for the picture of our Grandma. I hope that she got the other part too where my Grandmother is being interviewed. But for now I’m settled that I did the best I could in sharing what we had. I don’t recall the linkage of things that got Carrie to that point. It’s too much for me now to be trying to understand. I think we left enough clues.
Poor Rich is working hard. He’s doing what we haven’t been able to do in that he’s working for CARF. I nod and agree, but he doesn’t know we’re not doing work again.
We are busy typing and the books are open. At one point, I showed him something we found. It’s pretty deceptive. I don’t know what’s wrong with me that I can do this kind of thing. It’s like such a void of responsibility it’s incredible. I don’t know the other feelings that go with it. I’m not sure if I think it will be ok, if it will be problematic, if I will be fired or let go, or if CARF is just going to cause me more trouble in saying they are going to come back in a year. It doesn’t seem that any of these options are holding on me enough so that we are doing anything to force a better ending. We’re just under a month now to go. It feels like I’m sabotaging the project because I just can’t make myself think of it - sort of how things happened with the school. I just stopped doing it until there weren’t any options and I was just “out.”
I don’t know what to think, but even thinking this much is a lot for me. I’ve got to look around and see what else I can be thinking because I’m not handling those thoughts. I want to dig myself under 6 feet. I don’t really want to be dead … just want to be LIKE being dead … pretty much just so I don’t have responsibilities. I don’t want to be responsible for nothing. Not being a mother a worker a nothing.
I’m having trouble also with the sister and lover roles, with the exception that those two people include more of me in their life, so they are worth hoping more for.
There we brought to Carrie’s attention that there was an auditory video too. Maybe she hadn’t seen it. If she commented on the picture surely she would have commented on that too. Her brother had been by to see it earlier when it was first posted.
We don’t have much in common, but we did share the same Grandma. I think CS is closer to Carrie and knows a little of her where I don’t know her much at all. I do know she gets pretty frustrated, but never quite says what’s on her mind through FB. I’m not close enough to her to be overly involved. We would need some real time together. Just don’t think that’s going to happen there was too much space between us and our lives.
Shoot. Gotta go through one more hour. I am going to have to be more connected tomorrow and Friday. I’m thinking though that I lost my capacity to work, though I’ve been typing pretty much straight through the day. Hmm, maybe since about 10-10:30 am. Not sure. What the hell am I sure of? I seem to be having a bad day, but it will be much better if I can just get home and not be responsible. Rich has got a card game tonight and I think he’s seeing his youngest son. I don’t know, but would hope Bob is going there too.
I didn’t ask about the conversation I heard him having with his son. By this time I couldn’t recall even a lead back into that conversation. He’s on the phone now too. Hmm, he can go tonight and Saturday. He must be talking to Bob. He said excellent so I’m thinking they are going to go play poker – though probably separately if Rich is going to be seeing his son. Rich sounds real happy … I think something had been happening to cause the situation to be more worrisome. I’m hoping that part is over now. I’ll interrupt Rich to ask after he gets off the phone. He will short hand the info over. Now though he’s asking to drive together, so maybe he’s not seeing the son. Hmm, maybe something else came up with Bob … cuz Rich said let me know. They still seem to be negotiating. I think Bob might be at the club? That wouldn’t make sense. Better I just wait and see.
It doesn’t make too much difference to me anyway, I knew I was going to be home by myself. Rich is going to tell me what happened in just a second. He’s trying to finish something before he loses his train of thought.
Ok, so now I get it … Bob wanted to go together, but he wanted to go too early … I guess Rich had committed to spending some time with me and the dinner with his son was off. Not sure what happened there. He told me he’d already talked to me about it, but we didn’t remember. So, I guess I go home in 50 minutes, Get there about 4:45 and then I get Rich for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Or something close to that.
I’m almost wishing it had gone another way. I didn’t really want to focus on anything even close to a relationship tonight. I had planned to be reading blogs and just disappear in all that. I wanted then maybe to write a little about what I was experiencing in the reading of them. I thought I should check in on CS too.
I’m not sure if she’s seeing the accountant by now. Apparently, it is someone she used to work with and trusts and who owns a couple of H&R Blocks. I hope it works out. She didn’t want to talk to Mark yet about it, but she’d feared owing about $20,000 in penalties.
Rich on the other hand seems to be doing a little better. He’s been working on taxes this year with his new accountant … one of his fishing buddies. I think he saved up like $11,000 and it might come in at half of that. It’s hard to tell until it’s a done deal. Right now we’re hoping the best for him. I think Jon asked for a couple thousand to hold him over. Rich hadn’t had that money, but now might be able to lend it to him. I think it was just a cash in hand kinda deal. John NEVER asks for money … so I could see Rich biting at the bullet to get him the money. It’s just kind of a father thing of wanting to be helpful.
We still haven’t heard much from Jillan. Hopefully he calls her soon. I think he’s only been placing messages far an few between on her answering service. She’s being kind of evasive. Maybe she is working things out with Dawna. I understand there was a couple of job offers for over the summer, so now she’s going to have to decide between that or coming back and whatever in-between. As much as I’d like to see her around more, I know there are benefits and problems anyway she moves, so she’ll really have to think what she wants. I would like to hear a little more … STILL … as to how she’s doing.
I’m not going to overdo it though … Lordy only knows how much I’ve mucked up on my own parenting skills. YIKES … still 40 more minutes. Just want to get out of here, though the part that speaks to Rich when he’s in and out of the office seems calm enough … that could be thrown into a wrecked overdrive if he only looked over to see what we were typing. Fortunately for me he’s not been invasive today. I don’t think I could have handled it.
Hmm, just took care of a little mail. That was like 10 minutes. We just stopped to ask Vickie what she’s going to have for dinner. I think she waits down this last bit of time like us. We’re like BOTH just makin it through. She’s pretty happy today – though maybe tired emotional because she was able to talk to Nick on line.
This is something because he just shipped to Afghanistan. Pretty happy Mama!
Hmm, not much from CS. I think she’s ignoring me, but today might be self-suspicious between hiding from work and being angry with the boys. I wish Rich was going with Bob to the game. I just want quiet uninterrupted me time. Time I can have the screen over to where I’m interested. I think maybe looking at 4000 blogs might be an extremist view of me dealing with life. It’s where we are though. Boy Rich should have on roller skates today. He seems to be doing good and having a productive day. Nice.
We’ve been listening to Simon and Garfunkel all day. Could I blame that for the reason I’m not doing work? I wish I could … just we’re way over our head … Don’t know how to get out. I know we have to work, but we’re not. It’s a bad cycle. I keep looking over to the email and picking up on anything they might drop on my desk over there. Ok, yes advertisements … they’ve just become exciting. ANYthing, but work … man do I hate that word. What can I think of that would help out right now.
Hmm, I canceled something that I guess I’ve been receiving for 5 years. It had little relevancy over anything, because the emails don’t say anything … just refer me to a cumbersome site. I decided to put a stop to it and now the site wants to know what they’ve done wrong. SHEESH! First machines talk to you on the phone and now though the email. Something is going wrong in our civilization.
Let’s not talk about all the reasons something is going wrong with me. That wouldn’t be a good idea. Where is Dr. Marvin when you need him. It’s raining hard out. I’m going to get wet. 20 more minutes. I can do this, right? The only thing we’re thinking of seriously is that we want to be walking out the door and going to the car and maybe never coming back. Rich is leaving me feel spooked because of the actual need to appear as if we’re working. Why do I have to work. Have we asked that lately. I’m sure there isn’t a perfectly good answer – except that I know we have to make money. This is the part we might think we should start our love life over again and this time find someone that has money so I don’t have to work. One person that we befriended on FB today had a second home in the Dominican Republic.
Why isn’t that me? No … I’m not very happy with my life.
Yesterday before we turned ourselves over to giving Rich our full attention, I was thinking dull and dreary thoughts. I don’t know how he puts up with me. Yes, eventually we did come around and be nicer. Hmm, we just saw a news flash from CNN that a country close to Afghanistan just got taken over by a former staff and that the President no longer holds that position. Wow. If there would be a bad day … I’m thinking that the old President certainly must be having one. I think those are like coups where people get killed in the street trying to rid themselves of old officials. How does that kind of thing happen. Where is the military, or should I say on which side is the military. Who do the people follow.
What would I do if I really had a hard life. Maybe we’re making it harder on ourselves than we should be. Why can’t I just do things regular? I just want to leave.
