Monday, February 20, 2012
I'm So Mad at Me!
Let's start with the cutesy stuff first so I can calm my BP down before I write about the stuff that has me going... (No paragraphing going on now, so I will start new paragraphs with **. Probably need to reboot, but I'm not going to do that in the middle of a post.) **Okay...so my grandchildren came yesterday afternoon (to their mother's, where I am now) so I could watch them for their President's Day off. All they did was play World of Warcraft on laptop computers, so it was no problem at all to babysit--except there was this one incident... Robin and Ryan were sitting next to each other, each on his/her own computer. Ryan did something annoying, so Robin slapped him on the face, and he hit back. There were no tears, so I don't think anyone was desperately hurt, but I did ask Robin why she slapped her brother. "I didn't slap him. I hit him." Grandma asked, "What's the difference between slapping and hitting?" Her response? "I don't know, but there just is!" Point made. **I turned on my cell phone today because I was going grocery shopping. (It should be obvious by that statement that I almost never have the cell phone on. It is purely a travel device for me.) I noticed that I had three voice messages. Two of them were from my bank. I figured they were checking up on some charges that I've made while visiting here because I am out of my home area, and I didn't tell them... They asked if I had authorized certain charges. The very first one the gal asked about was for $12 for "Complete Savings". Uh...no. All the rest were legit. I told her that I wanted to do some research to get to the bottom of it and that I would call her back. **I immediately logged onto my online account info and saw that the debit had a phone number attached to it. I called the number and determined that the Complete Savings thing came from the Just Flowers website where I had ordered flowers for Megan maybe two years ago. It had a box that asked if I wanted a $10 discount. "Click here." I guess I did, and that somehow authorized them to automatically deduct $12 a month from my bank account! I'm usually pretty careful about that stuff. I would never have knowingly given permission for someone to take money out of my account unless it was for a bill that is fairly constant. (For instance, my water bill and my phone bill come out automatically because they are usually within just a few dollars of a certain amount every month.) **Megan got to looking on my online bank account info. She could only get the history of the account to go back to October, but sure enough, the Complete Savings deduction has come out every month. I'm thinking that it has been coming out for a couple of years, AND I NEVER CAUGHT IT!!!! Yes, I saw stuff from Complete Savings, but not the debits...and/or I was confused about what it was. Ridiculous! I got the deduction cancelled and will be refunded the money for this month. Will have to follow up with my bank to see if any of the back stuff can be retrieved, but I'm guessing not. That's what I get for not paying close enough attention! Ran into another little detail about my debit card that I'll have to take care of in short order. (Bank is issuing new ones that need to be activated, but I ignored the memo, I guess!) Lesson learned. Ya know, $12 isn't going to kill me, but $12 a month for NOTHING over a long time really adds up! **Megan did my taxes online yesterday, and I will be getting a chunk back in refund. It seems that I don't make enough SS to pay income taxes on it, even though I have it automatically deducted from my benefit. Forced savings! Actually, it's a wonder I survive on what little money I do bring in. I certainly am not starving... **And speaking of starving, Reader's Digest indicates that my heart medicine creates weight gain because it slows down the metabolism. (Did I mention this before? I'm getting so senile, I forget!) Like I needed help in the weight gain department? Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. **I'm still in northern IL for a few more days. I just keep on pluggin'.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
I'm Sorry...
I was as much a fan of Whitney Houston as the average person, but her untimely death does not warrant lowering the American flag or stopping media coverage of everything else. She made some bad choices in life. We all have. She died. We all will. She holds no more special place in Heaven than the rest of us. Death is the great leveler. Now, let's let her rest in peace!
Speaking of resting in peace, I thought Megan's cat was actually going to join me in bed last night. But nooo... She came down a couple of times to visit but always left again. At issue is the fact that Meg and Denis won't let her sleep with them. If you've ever known a cat intimately, you understand that closed doors are challenges to them...especially when the ones they love are on the other side of it. The resident cat probably spends her nights trying to figure out how to get in the forbidden room.
My grandchildren will come here tomorrow evening to spend the night and the next day (their President's Day holiday) with me while M and D work. I don't have the least fear about keeping them occupied. Laptop computers supply that!
Watching a show about Yellowstone National Park. We were just there this summer. Interesting stuff! I've been to Yellowstone two other times in my life, but there is always something else to learn. Love it!
Not sure exactly what day I will return to Plainfield. Gotta get my taxes done first and try to figure out the whole Medicare thing. Whatever!
Speaking of resting in peace, I thought Megan's cat was actually going to join me in bed last night. But nooo... She came down a couple of times to visit but always left again. At issue is the fact that Meg and Denis won't let her sleep with them. If you've ever known a cat intimately, you understand that closed doors are challenges to them...especially when the ones they love are on the other side of it. The resident cat probably spends her nights trying to figure out how to get in the forbidden room.
My grandchildren will come here tomorrow evening to spend the night and the next day (their President's Day holiday) with me while M and D work. I don't have the least fear about keeping them occupied. Laptop computers supply that!
Watching a show about Yellowstone National Park. We were just there this summer. Interesting stuff! I've been to Yellowstone two other times in my life, but there is always something else to learn. Love it!
Not sure exactly what day I will return to Plainfield. Gotta get my taxes done first and try to figure out the whole Medicare thing. Whatever!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Slow Lane?
I know the title of my blog is "Life in the Slow Lane", but I must tell you that I made it to my daughter's (where I am now), about 30 miles north of Chicago, on Saturday, in 3 1/2 hours! I'm sure that's not an all-time record, but considering that it takes 2 1/2 hours just to get to Merrillville, IN, I don't think that's too bad! The roads were clear and dry; traffic was light; there was no congestion or slow-downs anywhere; I didn't have to make any pit stops; and I have an IPASS device in my vehicle that lets me motor on through the toll stops on the Tri-State Tollway. (They call it Open Road Tolling.) Anyway, I got here at least an hour before anyone expected me. Yay!
My grandchildren were here when I arrived. Or at least, their bodies were. They had their noses in dual laptop computers playing World of Warcraft, sitting right next to each other without fussing. (They can only do this at Mommy and Denis's house because the laptops belong to Mommy and Denis.) Basically, they came up for air long enough to eat and (eventually) go to bed.
Sunday was our Valentine's Day with the children. We started off the morning with heart-shaped, pink pancakes that Megan made special. Both children got V-Day cards with a little cash in them, and a heart-shaped box of chocolates each. Robin got cute little heart-shaped pink crystal ear studs, and Ryan got a big Ripley's Believe It or Not book, just chock-full of weird things to look at (right up his alley). A little later in the day, Megan and Robin made homemade chocolate-covered strawberries. Yummy! As we were taking the children back home in the early evening, we stopped to pick up Robin's new glasses, which are already defective and have to go back.
Megan and Denis have a new baby--a young cat that they adopted from a shelter. She's probably five months old or so, and spent most of her young life in a cage. She had to be "fostered" for awhile because she was afraid of everything, until Meg and Den brought her home. Now, she's just afraid of me--Big Bad Grandma! She'll play with me, and she'll even come and sit with me if I curl up with Megan's blanket...but the rest of the time, if I even so much as move, she runs. We had made pretty good progress in the cat-human relationship department until yesterday. She was walking on the edge of the kitchen sink. I went to move something out of her way. That spooked her, so she jumped up into the wall cutout between the kitchen and the living room. That sent everything from there clattering down into the sink, including her, which spooked her even more. She leaped to get down, and my effort to catch her backfired. She did a flip in the air and landed on the floor on her side. She got up and gave me THAT look--like "See what you made me do?" and ran off. The rest of the day, she wouldn't have anything to do with me. Back to Square One.
In my absence from home, some not so cool things have happened. The father of one of my dear friends died. He had just been put under hospice care due to cancer...given maybe two or three months to live. He made it maybe a week. That was sad.
Then, too, my former stepson is battling serious cancer. He met with his doctors this week. The word is that they will do surgery to remove his gall bladder, bile duct(s), and half of his liver, but they haven't been able to reduce the toxins in his blood stream enough yet to do that, in spite of a couple of stents designed to drain the nasty stuff off. Please put Eric on your prayer list. He is way too young to have to deal with this!
One bit of GOOD news from home, however, comes from a young couple (both former students of mine who live in Plainfield). Their 2-year-old little girl was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney (Wilm's tumor) and had a kidney removed last week, with chemotherapy and radiation to start soon. After the surgery, the doctors and pathologists back-tracked a little, and sent tissue to Chicago to be further tested. It turned out that the tumor was PRE-cancerous and that the child is now free of cancer and will NOT have to go through all of the rest of the rigamarole. I just had a good feeling about that one!
When I'm visiting in the Northland (Grayslake, IL), I try to keep busy by helping out however I can. I usually don't clean, but I do help organize. I'm not asked to do anything, but I don't like just being a lump when everyone is at work, ya know? Most of the time, I do fix the supper meal and clean up the dishes afterward. I also try to keep up with the laundry so that we all can enjoy the weekends without having to worry about those mundane little things. The last time I was here, I tried to organize the food cupboard. Big mistake! The cupboard is deep and stuff gets buried. The bottom shelves are too low, and the top shelves are too high. Now, I usually just ask Megan if she has this or that. It's easier than trying to dig through everything!
Right now, I am watching the cat run all around the living room being a cat. If I try to pet her, she'll poof. Stupid cat! Which reminds me of a story. My former mother and father-in-law, Helen and Artie, lived in a nice place with a big patio, years ago. There was a cat that kept coming around, so they put food out for it. Helen was kind of a prickly person, God love her, but she was offended that everyone seemed to be able to pet that cat but her. It wouldn't come close enough for her to pet. One day, we all watched through the patio glass to observe her go out to try to make friends with the cat. Sure enough, as she reached for it, it turned and started to walk away--at which point, Helen reached out and grabbed the cat by the tail and yanked it back to her. Of course, that was the end of that! Artie mumbled under his breath, "Well, there's your problem, dumbass." We all laughed. Thankfully, Helen didn't hear him through the glass. It was just such a Helen thing to do. Pity the poor cat!
Enough for tonight!
My grandchildren were here when I arrived. Or at least, their bodies were. They had their noses in dual laptop computers playing World of Warcraft, sitting right next to each other without fussing. (They can only do this at Mommy and Denis's house because the laptops belong to Mommy and Denis.) Basically, they came up for air long enough to eat and (eventually) go to bed.
Sunday was our Valentine's Day with the children. We started off the morning with heart-shaped, pink pancakes that Megan made special. Both children got V-Day cards with a little cash in them, and a heart-shaped box of chocolates each. Robin got cute little heart-shaped pink crystal ear studs, and Ryan got a big Ripley's Believe It or Not book, just chock-full of weird things to look at (right up his alley). A little later in the day, Megan and Robin made homemade chocolate-covered strawberries. Yummy! As we were taking the children back home in the early evening, we stopped to pick up Robin's new glasses, which are already defective and have to go back.
Megan and Denis have a new baby--a young cat that they adopted from a shelter. She's probably five months old or so, and spent most of her young life in a cage. She had to be "fostered" for awhile because she was afraid of everything, until Meg and Den brought her home. Now, she's just afraid of me--Big Bad Grandma! She'll play with me, and she'll even come and sit with me if I curl up with Megan's blanket...but the rest of the time, if I even so much as move, she runs. We had made pretty good progress in the cat-human relationship department until yesterday. She was walking on the edge of the kitchen sink. I went to move something out of her way. That spooked her, so she jumped up into the wall cutout between the kitchen and the living room. That sent everything from there clattering down into the sink, including her, which spooked her even more. She leaped to get down, and my effort to catch her backfired. She did a flip in the air and landed on the floor on her side. She got up and gave me THAT look--like "See what you made me do?" and ran off. The rest of the day, she wouldn't have anything to do with me. Back to Square One.
In my absence from home, some not so cool things have happened. The father of one of my dear friends died. He had just been put under hospice care due to cancer...given maybe two or three months to live. He made it maybe a week. That was sad.
Then, too, my former stepson is battling serious cancer. He met with his doctors this week. The word is that they will do surgery to remove his gall bladder, bile duct(s), and half of his liver, but they haven't been able to reduce the toxins in his blood stream enough yet to do that, in spite of a couple of stents designed to drain the nasty stuff off. Please put Eric on your prayer list. He is way too young to have to deal with this!
One bit of GOOD news from home, however, comes from a young couple (both former students of mine who live in Plainfield). Their 2-year-old little girl was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney (Wilm's tumor) and had a kidney removed last week, with chemotherapy and radiation to start soon. After the surgery, the doctors and pathologists back-tracked a little, and sent tissue to Chicago to be further tested. It turned out that the tumor was PRE-cancerous and that the child is now free of cancer and will NOT have to go through all of the rest of the rigamarole. I just had a good feeling about that one!
When I'm visiting in the Northland (Grayslake, IL), I try to keep busy by helping out however I can. I usually don't clean, but I do help organize. I'm not asked to do anything, but I don't like just being a lump when everyone is at work, ya know? Most of the time, I do fix the supper meal and clean up the dishes afterward. I also try to keep up with the laundry so that we all can enjoy the weekends without having to worry about those mundane little things. The last time I was here, I tried to organize the food cupboard. Big mistake! The cupboard is deep and stuff gets buried. The bottom shelves are too low, and the top shelves are too high. Now, I usually just ask Megan if she has this or that. It's easier than trying to dig through everything!
Right now, I am watching the cat run all around the living room being a cat. If I try to pet her, she'll poof. Stupid cat! Which reminds me of a story. My former mother and father-in-law, Helen and Artie, lived in a nice place with a big patio, years ago. There was a cat that kept coming around, so they put food out for it. Helen was kind of a prickly person, God love her, but she was offended that everyone seemed to be able to pet that cat but her. It wouldn't come close enough for her to pet. One day, we all watched through the patio glass to observe her go out to try to make friends with the cat. Sure enough, as she reached for it, it turned and started to walk away--at which point, Helen reached out and grabbed the cat by the tail and yanked it back to her. Of course, that was the end of that! Artie mumbled under his breath, "Well, there's your problem, dumbass." We all laughed. Thankfully, Helen didn't hear him through the glass. It was just such a Helen thing to do. Pity the poor cat!
Enough for tonight!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Deadlines. I Need Deadlines.
I am on this blogspot site quite by accident. I've had horrible Internet connection problems over the past week. AT&T was here yesterday, and things were better for awhile, but for most of today, I haven't been able to connect. Want to take bets if this gets published or not??
Going to Chicago on Saturday. I've been waiting for some stuff to come through in the mail, which hasn't happened...so tonight, I just decided to head out and hope for the best. Having Saturday as a deadline gives me something to shoot for. Suddenly, I am inspired!
Tomorrow, I will drive to my bank and order new checks, get the oil changed in my car, pay a couple of bills, clean, and pack. That will work, right?? Please pray for my aging car. Every time I start out on a trip like this, I wonder if the buggy will make it. Hope so!
I will have Internet connections at my daughter's. I can still be in touch!
Love you all...
Going to Chicago on Saturday. I've been waiting for some stuff to come through in the mail, which hasn't happened...so tonight, I just decided to head out and hope for the best. Having Saturday as a deadline gives me something to shoot for. Suddenly, I am inspired!
Tomorrow, I will drive to my bank and order new checks, get the oil changed in my car, pay a couple of bills, clean, and pack. That will work, right?? Please pray for my aging car. Every time I start out on a trip like this, I wonder if the buggy will make it. Hope so!
I will have Internet connections at my daughter's. I can still be in touch!
Love you all...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Why Does Life Have to Be So Hard??
I know that life on this earthly plane can be difficult, but why does it all have to fall apart at once?? It can get tough to keep a stiff upper lip, unless one is a master of denial (which I am), but still...
My former stepson has serious cancer. He's only 43. It is cholangiocarcinoma--cancer of the liver bile ducts. Over the past 3-4 weeks, he's been in surgery three times to insert a stent to drain off the toxins before they can even operate on the tumor. The first stent came out. They replaced it. The second one got kinked. They replaced it and added another (this, just today). And this is just the beginning.
Yesterday, I became aware that the toddler child of a couple of former students (married and living in Plainfield not too far from me) has cancer. She just had surgery to remove a kidney yesterday. This is a BABY, for God's sake! Why does this happen??
The toddler child of my daughter's childhood best friend got a spiral fracture of his leg. No one really knows how it happened, but they sought treatment for him...and he is now in a cast from his toes to his hip. Poor little guy!
The father of one of my dear friends is hospitalized, probably in the final days/weeks/months of life. I ache for him.
Another of my good friends is going through financial difficulties that may mean the loss of his house.
Another dear friend is suffering from backlash from decisions that his children and grandchildren have made, and they are trying to make it seem like he's at fault for being unable to rescue them.
Yet another good friend has some health issues that affect his quality of life--problems with his neck, legs, heart, diabetes...you name it.
My nieces don't get along. Aside from that, both are suffering some major health problems for middle-agers...and both also suffer from relationship problems with their children and expanded families.
Every stinkin' day, my sister is dealing with her husband's growing dementia. He has been an excellent provider with such a fine mind, but now they both are suffering--he from knowing that his mind is slipping, and she from trying to deal with it. Feeling sorry for them isn't enough. A lot of people just don't get it. I'm probably one of them, but I keep trying.
I decided long ago that if one lives long enough, one eventually encounters all of the dysfunctions of life. I guess I've lived long enough! As I putter around in my tiny house, trying to make it okay, I wonder why. I just don't want to leave a mess for anyone to clean up after I croak...but 20 years after I do, it isn't an orderly house that people will remember. I have to begin to focus on what is really important beyond spinning my cleaning wheels. I want people to think that I made the world a little better for having been here. I just wish it weren't so darned painful for them or for me to get through the tough times. I want a magic wand to wave to get rid of cancer and the rest of the world's ugliness!
Why does life have to be so hard? I wish I knew!
My former stepson has serious cancer. He's only 43. It is cholangiocarcinoma--cancer of the liver bile ducts. Over the past 3-4 weeks, he's been in surgery three times to insert a stent to drain off the toxins before they can even operate on the tumor. The first stent came out. They replaced it. The second one got kinked. They replaced it and added another (this, just today). And this is just the beginning.
Yesterday, I became aware that the toddler child of a couple of former students (married and living in Plainfield not too far from me) has cancer. She just had surgery to remove a kidney yesterday. This is a BABY, for God's sake! Why does this happen??
The toddler child of my daughter's childhood best friend got a spiral fracture of his leg. No one really knows how it happened, but they sought treatment for him...and he is now in a cast from his toes to his hip. Poor little guy!
The father of one of my dear friends is hospitalized, probably in the final days/weeks/months of life. I ache for him.
Another of my good friends is going through financial difficulties that may mean the loss of his house.
Another dear friend is suffering from backlash from decisions that his children and grandchildren have made, and they are trying to make it seem like he's at fault for being unable to rescue them.
Yet another good friend has some health issues that affect his quality of life--problems with his neck, legs, heart, diabetes...you name it.
My nieces don't get along. Aside from that, both are suffering some major health problems for middle-agers...and both also suffer from relationship problems with their children and expanded families.
Every stinkin' day, my sister is dealing with her husband's growing dementia. He has been an excellent provider with such a fine mind, but now they both are suffering--he from knowing that his mind is slipping, and she from trying to deal with it. Feeling sorry for them isn't enough. A lot of people just don't get it. I'm probably one of them, but I keep trying.
I decided long ago that if one lives long enough, one eventually encounters all of the dysfunctions of life. I guess I've lived long enough! As I putter around in my tiny house, trying to make it okay, I wonder why. I just don't want to leave a mess for anyone to clean up after I croak...but 20 years after I do, it isn't an orderly house that people will remember. I have to begin to focus on what is really important beyond spinning my cleaning wheels. I want people to think that I made the world a little better for having been here. I just wish it weren't so darned painful for them or for me to get through the tough times. I want a magic wand to wave to get rid of cancer and the rest of the world's ugliness!
Why does life have to be so hard? I wish I knew!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
God Has Smiled on Indy! (So far)
As you all know, Indianapolis is hosting the Superbowl this year. (Today!) It has been a years-long venture, and apparently the efforts have come to fruition. There are many glowing reports about how Superbowl Week has gone in Indy. One sports writer--from Baltimore, no less--wrote that the Indianapolis Superbowl experience has been the best one out of the last 18 that he has been to. That's pretty special!
Of course, it didn't hurt that the week has been sunny and unseasonably warm. Only yesterday turned off cool and rainy. Today, the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is still quite a bit above normal. All of the media has been here. Many celebrities. Downtown--the "Superbowl Village"-- has been flooded with mostly locals who have taken advantage of the party. One media station labeled it as "human gridlock" downtown. Still, people have been happy, uncomplaining, and well-behaved. (So far.)
There was one column written by a sports writer that cast doubts that Indianapolis could be a good place to host such an event, but he goes on to report that all is well. (So far.) What many people don't consider is that Indy knows about crowds and celebrity. Every year in the month of May, then again in August, 500,000 people converge on 16th Street and Georgetown Road for the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It's gone on for 90-some years. IMPD and ISP are the most patient law enforcers when it comes to legal crowds and drunks. They know the drill: keep traffic moving, smile and nod a lot, and only get in the face of people who are outright unruly or deliberately breaking the law. It works. (I have three former students who are State Troopers here.)
The Indianapolis Colts aren't in the Superbowl this year. (sigh) But who is? The New England Patriots--largely disliked by Colts fans because of a couple of years that the Pats knocked the Colts out of the playoffs at the last minute--and the New York Giants, with the Colts' favorite player's little brother Eli Manning. Everyone here is rooting for the Giants, swearing that the Patriots should not be allowed to win at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Personally, I have always been somewhat disinterested in professional football. People talk about this great play or that great tackle, and I mumble that those guys get paid handsomely to be good. (Sour grapes for a retired teacher who worked her buns off for 40 years and now can just barely support herself in retirement.) My daughter, however, is an avid Colts fan and truly understands the game. (Hey...I was a football coach's daughter and I STILL don't totally understand football!) It was always fun to be around her when the games were on. (She's in Chicago Bears country now but is still a Colts fan...at least until Peyton Manning retires or gets cut.) If the game took place earlier in the day or the weekend, I would have insisted that Megan and Denis be here. As it is, they wouldn't be able to get back to the Chicago area in a timely manner after the game. Also, I've witnessed a lot of Superbowls that were blow-outs, with one team being so far ahead for the whole game that it almost didn't seem like a fair fight.
Still, the Superbowl in Indianapolis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, never to be repeated in my lifetime. I wish I had the ability to be downtown with the crowds and join in the festivities. I just can't. Would that the Colts were in the game, but they aren't! Double bummer! I have enjoyed watching the hooplah on television and can say, with no prejudice, "May the best team win".
I can also say, "Go, Giants! Go, Eli!" :)
Of course, it didn't hurt that the week has been sunny and unseasonably warm. Only yesterday turned off cool and rainy. Today, the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is still quite a bit above normal. All of the media has been here. Many celebrities. Downtown--the "Superbowl Village"-- has been flooded with mostly locals who have taken advantage of the party. One media station labeled it as "human gridlock" downtown. Still, people have been happy, uncomplaining, and well-behaved. (So far.)
There was one column written by a sports writer that cast doubts that Indianapolis could be a good place to host such an event, but he goes on to report that all is well. (So far.) What many people don't consider is that Indy knows about crowds and celebrity. Every year in the month of May, then again in August, 500,000 people converge on 16th Street and Georgetown Road for the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It's gone on for 90-some years. IMPD and ISP are the most patient law enforcers when it comes to legal crowds and drunks. They know the drill: keep traffic moving, smile and nod a lot, and only get in the face of people who are outright unruly or deliberately breaking the law. It works. (I have three former students who are State Troopers here.)
The Indianapolis Colts aren't in the Superbowl this year. (sigh) But who is? The New England Patriots--largely disliked by Colts fans because of a couple of years that the Pats knocked the Colts out of the playoffs at the last minute--and the New York Giants, with the Colts' favorite player's little brother Eli Manning. Everyone here is rooting for the Giants, swearing that the Patriots should not be allowed to win at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Personally, I have always been somewhat disinterested in professional football. People talk about this great play or that great tackle, and I mumble that those guys get paid handsomely to be good. (Sour grapes for a retired teacher who worked her buns off for 40 years and now can just barely support herself in retirement.) My daughter, however, is an avid Colts fan and truly understands the game. (Hey...I was a football coach's daughter and I STILL don't totally understand football!) It was always fun to be around her when the games were on. (She's in Chicago Bears country now but is still a Colts fan...at least until Peyton Manning retires or gets cut.) If the game took place earlier in the day or the weekend, I would have insisted that Megan and Denis be here. As it is, they wouldn't be able to get back to the Chicago area in a timely manner after the game. Also, I've witnessed a lot of Superbowls that were blow-outs, with one team being so far ahead for the whole game that it almost didn't seem like a fair fight.
Still, the Superbowl in Indianapolis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, never to be repeated in my lifetime. I wish I had the ability to be downtown with the crowds and join in the festivities. I just can't. Would that the Colts were in the game, but they aren't! Double bummer! I have enjoyed watching the hooplah on television and can say, with no prejudice, "May the best team win".
I can also say, "Go, Giants! Go, Eli!" :)
Friday, February 3, 2012
What a Difference a Year Makes!
Last year at this time, we had an ice storm. My car was encased in a half-inch of ice, and the temps weren't going to help melt it. I was prepared with flashlights and batteries and oil lamps, complete with extra oil and extra lamp wicks. Thankfully, the power did not go out, but I still felt the need to dig out my car. I went out several times and started the car to run the defrosters, but it was to no avail. I took a screwdriver to the ice. Ended up scratching the daylights out of my car's hood and trunk lid, but never got a chance to leave the house.
A few days later, I was ticketed to fly to California to be with my daughter for a week or two. My friends Judy and Phil were going to drive me to the airport--normally a 10-minute drive--but it was snowing like crazy that day, on top of the ice. I told them I would meet them at the curb because I didn't want them to attempt walking up the icy driveway to get me. God bless them, they were here on time. It soon became clear that Phil's truck's wipers weren't working properly. It was a white-knuckle trip. When they dropped me off at the curb at Indy International, I left my snow boots in their truck, saying that I hoped I wouldn't need them until I got back.
When I finally landed in San Jose, it was warm! Maybe 70 degrees. It was like Heaven! I relished the sunshine and enjoyed a day or two of warmth before things got rainy and cold (by California standards).
Fast forward one year--the year without a winter. Indianapolis is hosting the Superbowl...and guess what? Temperatures have been in the 60s all week! I don't think we've seen more than two inches of snow at once all winter, so far. It's February now, so unless the weather gods are totally angry, winter is on the down side. Ain't it grand?? Rain is on the way...but it is ONLY rain. I am now officially and totally spoiled.
I had a funny this week. My granddaughter, Robin (age 9), lost a tooth at school but decided not to tell the adults in order to determine if the Tooth Fairy is real. Her stepsister ratted on her by telling the parents. The parents responded accordingly, and Robin came down the next morning all agog that her experiment had worked. She KNEW the Tooth Fairy was real! I am thrilled about Robin's scientific mind in trying to determine truth, but she needs to learn about variables that will create false results. What we have now is a child who has an idea about scientific investigation but still believes in the Tooth Fairy!
I will be going up to visit my daughter and grandkids as soon as I am in receipt of my Social Security tax info. It was supposedly mailed in January, but either I've lost it or it never arrived. I've put in for a replacement. It will be a help-grandma-with-taxes trip. I hope!
Back in January, I got a call from Vectren saying that they wanted to come and check my gas meter because it wasn't showing any usage for September and October. I blocked out the whole day for them, but they never showed. The next day, as I was getting dressed, they DID show, but the dude was heading for the truck to leave as I finally got to the door. I waved and yelled, but he didn't see me. They've never called back. Yesterday, I got my gas bill which showed gas usage over the past year. Sure enough, Sept. and Oct. showed zero usage...but everything was normal both before and after. I was here and the furnace was on. At the very least, the meter should have shown the stove and water heater usage, but no. Either the meter failed...or the meter reader did. I have no explanation!
It's Friday. Just another day of the week for us retired folk. I wish I had the capability of going downtown to see the hooplah of the Superbowl Village in Indy. I've seen/heard a lot of really good press about Superbowl festivities. Wish the Colts were in the mix. It would sure change things for me! It's all a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I just can't hack it. Too many bucks; too many inconveniences. Best left to the young folks. I'm just not a young folk anymore!
Enjoy the weekend. Root for your best team. Most of Indy is rooting for the Giants (Eli Manning) because they dislike the Patriots for knocking the Colts out of finals too many times.
Look folks...it is only a game! Whoop-de-doo!
A few days later, I was ticketed to fly to California to be with my daughter for a week or two. My friends Judy and Phil were going to drive me to the airport--normally a 10-minute drive--but it was snowing like crazy that day, on top of the ice. I told them I would meet them at the curb because I didn't want them to attempt walking up the icy driveway to get me. God bless them, they were here on time. It soon became clear that Phil's truck's wipers weren't working properly. It was a white-knuckle trip. When they dropped me off at the curb at Indy International, I left my snow boots in their truck, saying that I hoped I wouldn't need them until I got back.
When I finally landed in San Jose, it was warm! Maybe 70 degrees. It was like Heaven! I relished the sunshine and enjoyed a day or two of warmth before things got rainy and cold (by California standards).
Fast forward one year--the year without a winter. Indianapolis is hosting the Superbowl...and guess what? Temperatures have been in the 60s all week! I don't think we've seen more than two inches of snow at once all winter, so far. It's February now, so unless the weather gods are totally angry, winter is on the down side. Ain't it grand?? Rain is on the way...but it is ONLY rain. I am now officially and totally spoiled.
I had a funny this week. My granddaughter, Robin (age 9), lost a tooth at school but decided not to tell the adults in order to determine if the Tooth Fairy is real. Her stepsister ratted on her by telling the parents. The parents responded accordingly, and Robin came down the next morning all agog that her experiment had worked. She KNEW the Tooth Fairy was real! I am thrilled about Robin's scientific mind in trying to determine truth, but she needs to learn about variables that will create false results. What we have now is a child who has an idea about scientific investigation but still believes in the Tooth Fairy!
I will be going up to visit my daughter and grandkids as soon as I am in receipt of my Social Security tax info. It was supposedly mailed in January, but either I've lost it or it never arrived. I've put in for a replacement. It will be a help-grandma-with-taxes trip. I hope!
Back in January, I got a call from Vectren saying that they wanted to come and check my gas meter because it wasn't showing any usage for September and October. I blocked out the whole day for them, but they never showed. The next day, as I was getting dressed, they DID show, but the dude was heading for the truck to leave as I finally got to the door. I waved and yelled, but he didn't see me. They've never called back. Yesterday, I got my gas bill which showed gas usage over the past year. Sure enough, Sept. and Oct. showed zero usage...but everything was normal both before and after. I was here and the furnace was on. At the very least, the meter should have shown the stove and water heater usage, but no. Either the meter failed...or the meter reader did. I have no explanation!
It's Friday. Just another day of the week for us retired folk. I wish I had the capability of going downtown to see the hooplah of the Superbowl Village in Indy. I've seen/heard a lot of really good press about Superbowl festivities. Wish the Colts were in the mix. It would sure change things for me! It's all a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I just can't hack it. Too many bucks; too many inconveniences. Best left to the young folks. I'm just not a young folk anymore!
Enjoy the weekend. Root for your best team. Most of Indy is rooting for the Giants (Eli Manning) because they dislike the Patriots for knocking the Colts out of finals too many times.
Look folks...it is only a game! Whoop-de-doo!
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