Weather Rock and Roll, Part Deux

All evening functions, practices, etc., were canceled for school this afternoon in anticipation of a winter storm aimed at us.  The warning was issued for a 24-hour period, beginning at 7:00 PM tonight.  Most of the teachers headed for the door just after the last bell.  I did, too.  Would have been home in time for my haircut appointment, but my car wouldn't start.  Tried a number of times.  Nada.  Okay...so...fortunately, one of my team members (who lives in Plainfield) was still in the building and gave me a ride home.  I called a Monrovia automotive garage to make arrangements to have the car towed (probably two blocks) and repaired...but they needed the keys which I didn't think to leave.  So...my car remained in the parking lot at school, to be buried under whatever is going to hit us tonight.

When I got home, I arranged for Grandma Judy to pick the children up from day care to come home.  (I could have done it.  The old Taurus is still here...but I was so cold, I didn't want to mess with it!)  When Meg got home, we drove to Monrovia to leave the keys in the drop box at Nancy's Automotive; HOWEVER, we then went to the car in the school parking lot----------and it started right up!  I hate that!  Decided in that instant not to bring it home but to drive it to Nancy's to save the tow fee and get it fixed, once and for all.  It has pulled this not wanting to start thing on me three times now, and once on Meg.  What the hell--it's only money.  And I don't care to be stranded again!  I was grateful to have the Taurus still here, as a spare car, but Nathan's buggy stranded him just yesterday or today, so he is in need of it.  To everything there is a season.  Meg's vehicle purchase came just in time!

The "new" mini-van has a DVD player in it.  Great babysitter!  We ran errands tonight and didn't hear a peep out of the children!

If the storm hits as predicted, we will have at least a 2-hour delay for school tomorrow.  We'll see!  If no delay, I won't have a radio in the car to talk.  The repeater will get a break!

Weather Rock and Roll

Yesterday, I took Robin (and Ryan) to a follow-up doctor visit...then to McD's for supper.  Meg joined us when she finally got shed of work.  When we departed the place, the tornado sirens were sounding.  Hmmmm...

Got in my car and turned on the radio for a Skywarn net.  My club had folks on the road doing storm spotting.  We no more than got home when the power went out and stayed out.  I lit oil lamps and we gathered flashlights.  The children were wound by the excitement.  There were fights over flashlights, cautions about being near oil lamps.  My biggest worry was the roar outside.  We came very close to taking cover.  We weathered the storm, which passed quickly, but the children were still wound up.  Thank goodness for batteries and oil lamps.  We managed.  The power was out about two hours. 

NWS confirmed today that there were two twisters in the area...mostly to the north, but close. 

Today is Frodo's eighth birthday.  The children wanted to make it special for her.  She got a new toy and a couple of chewy bones.  The dog doesn't have a clue... 

I have given my "No S. S." lectures to my classes today.  No "Stupid Stuff"...which is better than what I want to say.  We have a number of students who are out right now because of drug-related behavior.  They don't get it.  I just keep on trying...

Big Busy Day

Left for school a teensy bit early today.  Got to the stop sign at the end of the off ramp from I-70 to state road 39, and a police car came out of nowhere behind me and "whoop-whooped" his siren at me.  I moved over what little I could.  He went around me to--guess what?--yet another accident at 39 and the I-70 on ramp just a few yards away.  No other emergency vehicles were there, yet.  Fun, fun.

After school, I met with the Bulldogs Amateur Radio Club.  Our equipment came in--a dozen 2-meter HT's, battery packs, alkaline battery cases, two 6-radio multiple chargers, etc.  We spent the time putting stuff together.  It's always fun getting new equipment!

When I got home, it turned out that Meg had taken a personal day.  She had a follow-up doctor's appointment today and was going to work...but ended up going to several car dealerships to check out what they had (that she had already seen on the Internet).  She made a low-ball offer on a pretty nice mini-van (2004), and to her surprise, they accepted it!  She had to appear at 6:00 to pick it up, so I dropped her and Ryan off at the dealership (just down the road from us), then took Robin to her Daisy Girl Scout meeting.  When we all got home, we took a little ride.  It was dark so I couldn't see it well, but what I could see looks good, and I am much relieved that she will have a more reliable vehicle.  The old Taurus is being given to Nathan--her former husband.  It has a fairly "new" engine in it that his parents paid for...a new heater core...decent tires...a relatively new battery.  It has some problems that Nathan can take care of.  His old Beretta is about shot.  He needs something better.  In any case, we have a "new" vehicle in the drive.  Nice!

Megan mentioned that Ryan was a hit with the female car salesperson.  He told Miss Rebecca that his mother was looking really nice today, "But not as good as you."  That got him a sucker and a comment that it was the nicest thing anyone had said to her all day!  He's a charmer, that one!

Next project:  the garage remodel deal.  Meg's cousin is coming Wednesday to take a look.  I hope he isn't too overwhelmed by the mess here!  I don't have too much time to clean things!

New Hair?

So...rotten face...but new hair.  New hair?  Yup!  The other day, I noticed some cute little short hairs--about an inch worth--along the scar from the summer's surgery.  It ain't much, but it's all I've got!

I do like the weekends!  The children are with their father in Muncie; I have been doing non-stop laundry all day.  (Also got in a nice long nap.)  I'm hoping to have that finished tonight so I can do some repairs tomorrow.  Have some projects that have been waiting for me...

The children's other set of grandparents--Nathan's folks--just came back from a retirement trip to Hawaii.  They came back to find out that one of Grandma Judy's favorite uncles had passed away.  Welcome home to cold weather.  Welcome back to reality.  When Uncle Dale's wife passed away a mere three months ago, Judy ended up doing a lot of the preparations because all of Aunt Betty's immediate family was men.  They needed her to find appropriate burial clothing, etc.  That family has had its share of family deaths lately--but thankfully, all of those who have passed had lived long and full lives.  May God grant that to the rest of us!

Better?

Meg has been to work for two days now and seems to be surviving.  We THINK the fever is gone.  Hopefully...

I have been toying with the notion of retiring at the end of the school year due to the district's offer to do a buy-out (for health insurance)...but having crunched some numbers for awhile now, the decision has been made for me.  Not this year!  I would only be bringing in half of what I make now, and that's not going to work.  End of story.

The other day, Ryan was looking at me up close.  His experience with "skin" has to do with fruit.  When it is wrinkled, it is rotting.  Well...he took a good look at me and told me that my face was rotten.  Out of the mouths of babes...

Here we are nearing the end of January already.  I don't know where the time goes, and I'm not sure what the future will bring.  I only know that we keep plugging along with a modicum of satisfaction mixed with chaos.  A cousin of Meg's who is in the construction business is coming in a week or so to take a look at the garage remodeling project.  It's time!

 

We Aren't Healthy YET!

Meg had an appointment with an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist today.  She really didn't want to keep the appointment because she was without fever all of yesterday...and felt somewhat okay.  Well...they took her temp at the doc's office...and it was over 100.  Problematic.  After all of these drugs, she's still not up to snuff.  The doctor seemed concerned.  Gave her a steroid pack to try to bump up her immune system.  If the fever exists tomorrow, they will do blood work.  She is tired of being sick, and I am worried about her. 

The children, God bless them, are good kids...but we really, really need to get something done here in the house to get a handle on the space.  Bedrooms!  We need bedrooms!  I am remodeling everything in my head.  Don't know where the money is going to come from for all of this, but something has to be done so we can exist in something of a normal way of life.  Soon!

I have a couple of classes that are driving me nuts.  Fortunately, my last class of the day is a good group--a small group--and my blood pressure goes back down before I have to launch for the day to go to my second job at home.  We all have our crosses to bear.  I waffle from feeling really good to feeling defeated by the chaos, but we are all doing the best we can to make lemonade out of the lemons that life has cast at us.  Meg is doing very well at the workplace.  I'm just ready to retire!!

A dear friend of mine is enduring the no-win situation of watching his 85-year-old mother go downhill in rapid fashion.  His father is still living--also 85--so his life is complicated by worrying about Dad, too.  He is wearing himself and a vehicle out by driving up and back to Anderson, IN, every day while his mother is in "assisted living" but combative and unhappy about her circumstances.  I can do nothing to help.  The end of life is as complicated as the beginning of it.  I wish him well!

It's only Monday and "ahm tard" already.  So...where is KB9RDO on the radio these days???? 

Counting Chickens...

I was a bit relieved today knowing that Meg and the children were going out to dinner with Meg's stepmother who is in the state, visiting.  I would have the house to myself!  I wouldn't be cooking dinner!  Yay!!  Well....not so fast...  Meg came home from work early due to illness, canceled the date with Stepmommy...and I got to break the news to the children when I picked them up from day care.  I compensated by taking the kids to Chick-fil-A where they could play for awhile, then we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things.  Then it was bed time, etc.  In short, the whole evening was shot.  I rejoiced too soon!

Meg's illness is problematic.  She went to the doctor a week or two ago with a sinus infection that made her teeth hurt.  Got antibiotics.  While on the meds, she came down with ear involvement.  (Infected, bubbly-feeling, and somewhat painful.)  Back to the doctor.  Okay...different antibiotic.  That was what?  Four days ago?  Yesterday, on her way home from work, she began to feel all-over achy.  Developed a fever.  Didn't eat much supper.  Went to bed somewhat early but didn't get much sleep.  Today; she went to work even though she didn't feel good.  This afternoon, she finally gave up and came home via the doctor's office.  By the time she got there, she had a fever of 103.8.  The doc took her off the antibiotic she was on and gave her a different one, made an appointment with an ear/nose/throat specialist...then they gave her a fever-reducer and made her sit in the office for 20 minutes before they would let her drive home--all of about a half mile.    If the fever reducer hadn't worked, I think the next stop would have been the hospital.

Tonight, Meg has been somewhat nauseous.  The antibiotic is supposed to be taken with food, but the fever doesn't want her to keep stuff down.  The nausea isn't a major problem...but we need to get this fever/infection under control, and it isn't happening so far.  She won't be going to work tomorrow... 

I hate it when my family is sick.  It disrupts the normal flow of things, not to mention the worry about if I/we are doing the right things.  Robin is on her second round of antibiotics for an ear infection.  Ryan and I are the only ones who are healthy right now, and I'm not sure about us!

In the future, if I begin to count my unhatched chickens, someone needs to poke me in the ribs and remind me that Aesop knew what he was talking about!

 

Happy Birthday, Bro-in-Law!

My brother-in-law of...hmmmm....45 years or more?...has a birthday today.  I won't mention how old he is, but it's more than 66 and less than 68.  Heh heh.  I called and it sounded like he/they had a pleasant evening.  Always good!

Granddaughter Robin is on another round of antibiotics.  Her pneumonia has cleared, but her ear infection hasn't...so she is getting something else that doesn't taste good.  We mix it with chocolate or strawberry milk.  Tonight, she was drinking it in the kitchen when Meg and I heard her say, "Oh, shut."  We looked at each other.  Huh??  We asked her to repeat.  "Oh, shut."  Sure enough.  She had spilled her strawberry milk/medicine cocktail on the floor.  Her interjection could have been a whole lot worse!  We told her that she could get in trouble for saying things like that, so I think that might have cleared it up.  We'll see!

I did some cleaning out of the refrigerator tonight.  Ugh!  There were green things in there!

Late.  Time for bed again.  :)

 

 

Interesting Commute

This morning, Meg and I noted that there was a light dusting of snow on the ground.  No big deal.  What was it?  A half inch?  She left to take the children to day care then go to work, but returned home after a bit to announce that I needed to leave for school as early as possible because the roads in Plainfield were bad.  Sure enough!  Plainfield hadn't been out salting.  All of the roads in town were slicker than a rat's behind.  Fortunately, the interstate was mostly just wet.  There had been an accident near where I exit.  There was a helicopter flying overhead, and I drove past the Channel 6 News truck just off the interstate at my exit.  Everything had been cleared by then, thank goodness.  I got to school on time, barely in the door when the bell rang for us to be there. 

It soon became apparent that there were going to be late buses.  Three of our staff members were in the ditch at the same place on State Road 39...and there was a backup of cars, including a school bus, as they were pulled out.  Other buses arrived at school sooner, but still late.  The students reported slide-offs everywhere.  (The funny part about the staff members was that it is basketball Homecoming week.  Today was "crazy hair" day...and our secretary--in the ditch--was wearing a multi-colored clown wig when the police arrived to help her out.  She swore she hadn't been drinking!)  The snow was called "surprise snow" because the weatherman hadn't bothered to mention it.  And it seemed pretty obvious to most of us that no one had gone out to check on the drivability in the pre-dawn hours.  We SHOULD have had a 2-hour delay today.

It has been a long day and I am ready for the boudoir.  We'll all be tired tomorrow!

 

Fun, fun...

Every day, I think of little things to add to my blog...but then the day gets by and I don't write them.  The next day, I wonder why anyone would bother to read them anyway!

There was a Snack 'n Craft night at church on Friday.  I intended to be there...but Robin had a doctor's appointment at 3:45, and by the time I got her in and out, then got her prescription filled, and took the children to Burger King for dinner...and got them launched to Muncie via their mother, the evening was shot. 

I spent most of the weekend grocery shopping, doing laundry, and trying to put the living room back together after Christmas.  It took all freakin' day!  There is still one surface that needs help, but it will have to wait. 

As much as I enjoy the kids' visits with their father for an opportunity to get stuff done here, I miss the daylights out of them.  The minute they hit the door tonight, they announced that they were hungry.  Nathan said he hadn't fed them...so we produced food, then watched America's Funniest Videos.  Then bed.  (Where I am ready to go shortly.)

Robin's Kdg. report card was good.  She seems to be thriving at school.  Hope that lasts...  She has done very well.  She's a different child there...shades of her mother!  Once, when I was going to Meg's middle school to share some Civil War things, Meg told me in advance, "They think I'm a good kid there.  Don't blow my cover!"  Heh heh.

Frodo the Wonder Dog is in the doghouse with me.  Her entire raison d'etre seems to be FOOD.  I roasted a chicken today.  Took it off the bones and left it on the stove, above her reach.  Ha!  She somehow managed to knock the "bones" plate off the stove.  She got a bone...and God help the person who tries to get it away from her!  Frodo creates bigger messes than the children.  She thinks she IS one of the children!  Every day, I tell her, "You are a dog.  You are a dog."  I don't think she gets it...but I have to tell you that I am plenty tired of having to defend food.  It isn't funny anymore.  Even the children say at supper, "I have to go potty.  Watch my food."   If you are lonely and want companionship, I have the pooch for you!

My Elmer's mother is in the hospital at age 85.   He is such a lucky duck to be retired andhave both parents still living.  I think he is about to take on the worst of life...watching over aging parents.  Been there.  Done that.  I wish him all the best.

Time to hit the sack.  Hugs to all who endeavor to read this nonsense!

January 6th...and 63 Degrees???

I spent the weekend at my sister's near Springfield, IL.  Beautiful place...and nice to get away for a couple of days.  Have to go back to school tomorrow, which is a bummer...but we do what we have to do!

My trip to sister Shari's was the first since the brain aneurysm deal back in July.  I think she thought I would never go back...and even asked if I was willing to stay in the same bedroom.  Why wouldn't I?  It's a gorgeous bedroom!  The room had nothing to do with my previous illness!  Anyway, we spent most of the weekend touching bases with family...as if to show them that I survived.  Well...yeah!  Shari seemed relieved to note that my noggin scar didn't seem to show much.  The last time she saw me, I didn't look very good.  That didn't occur to me until just a few minutes ago.  She probably didn't know what to expect.  I'm just very nearly normal, Shari.  A little fatter, perhaps, but alive and kicking!

My sister is an excellent cook.  She takes forever to do what she does...but I am totally in awe of what she can concoct.  This morning, before anyone else was up, I was trying to figure out how I could delve into all of the leftovers without being too obvious.  Ha!

Having said that, it's time to do something about my weight.  The whole family somewhat depends on me to make good choices about supper and snacks.  Food has become too much a part of our lives.  Meg has a bunch to lose.  So do I.  One day at a time... 

Back to the grindstone in the morning.  Argh!

Happy New Year!

Obviously, I haven't gone to Illinois yet!  The plan now is to leave early on Friday for a weekend visit.  I can do this!

Because the children were in Muncie for four days, I simply couldn't give up the opportunity to "deep clean" with them gone.  Things here are so chaotic with so little space, etc., that even Meg is convinced that nothing can be done.  Au contraire!  As I sort things and put them in their places, I am aware that I/we are hanging on to things that just take up space.  LOTS of things!  I have filled garbage bag after garbage bag of stuff that just needs to be gone.  I keep working on that!

On New Year's Eve day two years ago, my brother dropped dead in a store in River Forest, IL.  I didn't find out until the next day when a police officer there emailed me asking if I were his sister and to please contact her if I was.  That set off a chain of events that took many weeks to resolve, but we finally laid my brother to rest on January 13th, in accordance with his wishes.  Meg worried that I would suffer this year with the memory of all of that.  I did think about it, with sorrow...but there were too many other emotions to deal with to look back.  I have prayed that my brother has posthumously "forgiven" his sisters for the injuries he perceived that he suffered with the sale of the family farm.  God rest his soul.

Meg was sick on NYE.  As much as she wanted to, she caved in and went to bed about 10:00.  I did manage to stay up until 1:00, just to say I did. 

I am not sorry that 2007 is gone.  Meg thought it was a stellar year for her.  I had a few more problems with it.  Thankfully, we are facing 2008 together!

To see pics of our fall and holiday occasions, click here:

http://dandelionwishing.blogspot.com/

My best to all of you for the new year, and always!