It's sort of over. The festival part and all of the visitors (for now). Now we are in clean up mode. God was good to us and we had beautiful weather the whole weekend with sunshine both Friday and Saturday and mild weather on Sunday (partly cloudy though). Of course it started raining Sunday night and finally quit yesterday afternoon. Clean up still had to go on, so I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup, some broccoli, cheese and corn chowder, biscuits and a triple banana bars dessert. We all ate the leftovers and soup and invited everyone working in the village on clean up to join us.
Not too many injuries at the fest, but still enough to keep me busy. When there is an emergency call, any board member that is free goes to check on it and get information and the story. At certain parts of the day, I am about the only board member free.
We sang our numerous times and it was fun. It was really strange without my Uncle Lloyd there. He had always been such a huge part of Cranfest for all of us, whether it was parking cars on Darin's house lawn, talking to the crowd, singing or just being present. We were all feeling his loss a little when we got up to sing. Well, evidently God knew that we needed a little something, so when our group "New Journey" formerly the Dads & Daughters sang, some funny stuff happened. During the one song the words are "In that bright land where we'll never grow OLD" and my Dad leaned over close to Uncle Ken during that time and Ken looked at Dad and said "too late". I guess you had to be there, but at that moment, I lost it and started giggling. I don't know how I made it through the rest of the song, but we did it. Then I explained it to the crowd and they all started laughing. Funny stuff.
Next song I am singing my solo and one of the pieces of music from Dad and Ken's music stand has fallen off and they are trying to deal with it, out of the corner of my eye there is Ken doing this shuffle dance step as the music for some reason sticks to his shoe. Finally with this big kick he sends it sailing through the air behind him and then kind of sighs. I lost it again. You cannot expect me to be serious when I am that tired and funny stuff is happening around me. It's not gonna happen.
Anyway, the reason that I recount these stories is that those types of things were the stuff that always happened to Lloyd. Little comments he made while we were singing, goofy things happening to him (he had that stupid things rule too). We were missing him and God sent that little blessing our way. Poor Ken he was upset because he thought I would be upset because it happened during my solo. I told him that I thought that it was the best moment of the night. Our group has always been known for our humor. We are the lighthearted moment and we were afraid that was over. Now we know it's not. What a blessing. We are really, really enjoying singing with Ken.
Jessalyn was WONDERFUL as she sang first on Friday in show choir. They did great and then came her moment on Saturday and Saturday night for her solos. Boy can that kid sing and she's only just turned 12 this last Thursday. Don't worry I'm not sending her to Americ*n Idol or something, but it really floors me sometimes, just how good she is. Then they did that black light thing with the gloves. I watched it quite a few times on the video clip Will had on here so that I could watch it while the Crantastics did it and not cry. Didn't happen. I started bawling at the beginning and cried to the end. They were great. We'll try to get you a copy of some of this stuff onto the blog.
We sang the National Anthem before the parade and did not mess it up. There's a plus! Who wants to screw up in front of thousands and thousands of people? Not me, but you know that stupid things rule. I'm always wary.
Will spent the weekend being Mr Mom and did a great job. He made sure that everyone got to where they needed to be and then ran courtesy for visitors and also fixed problems. I don't know what I would do without him.
Jacob spent the days running around with his friends. He seems to have had a great time, but now has picked up a bad cough. He cannot seem to quit coughing and now he's in his room in bed sick and home from school. Jessalyn woke up today said she didn't feel good and turned around to look at me and low and behold her face was really red and her eyes were almost swollen shut. Don't know what that's about, but it's a little better now. Still puffy, but going down. She has a fever, so might just be a bug, but probably allergies (they both take after their father, poor things). We'll have to watch her. So here's their first day home from school and it's the same day for both. I'm back to work, so that leaves them here with Will. Poor, poor man.
Life still is busy around here with our first frost due tomorrow night. They are harvesting cranberries and coming in with some HUGE berries. It should be a great harvest for everyone.
Well, I'm still trying to catch up to myself, finish at Cranfest and start on the fall work around the house. I should be about finished with all of it in April.
Have a blessed day.
dea
[side note from Will: I added a different "counter" to the site and decided to start over from one instead of starting with the known numbers from the last counter we had. Come back often and watch the numbers climb! This also adds "java script" to the site. Sometimes that causes problems. If it does I will just take it down like I did last time...(sigh). Enjoy!]
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world!
Do you remember that movie? I think I might have to sit down and watch it again. I think at this point in my life I can probably identify with it.
Have you ever thought you were actually caught up only to realize that you had left out about 10 things? That's me. Yesterday I worked at the P.O. for the final time until next Tuesday. It was a pretty good day, my phone only rang 10 times with Cranfest questions ( about 25 is the normal amount). Thankfully, my boss is very understanding.
Today starts "real festival" time. Today our 70 golf carts show up and I have to label each and every one of them with name tags. Fill out sign in sheets, clean the bathrooms at the office, go down to Tomah and buy most of the food for 100 volunteers and get the Suburban washed (all before 10:00 am). Then it's back to the fest with placing booths the remainder of the afternoon, while organizing some volunteers to take over some last minute stuff.
Al and Betty sent me a great birthday present! A refrigerator! They sent me money for my birthday which is very nice for me because I hate spending money on myself and I plan carefully on what I will get. It needs to be special. Well, this year the local military base is replacing some buildings with new buildings and a friend of mine is working on the project. They had all of these nearly new refrigerators there that they were selling for a song, so I had Randy grab me one. I have ALWAYS wanted an extra frig for times when I need the room, like Christmas Eve. This is a dream come true for me. Although, we're using it this weekend for the extra volunteer food. I am tickled pink. It's really nice.
Don't know how much blogging we will do in the next few days. Thank God He is blessing us with rain right now to settle the dust before some of the vendors arrive. Then the rest of the weekend it is supposed to be sunny and warm. Great weather for the fest.
Aside from working with the crowd trouble shooting, I am going to be singing with our new group "New Journey" Friday, Saturday, Saturday night and then we sing the National Anthem on Sunday before the parade. Jessalyn will be performing with Show Choir on Friday, Crantastics on Saturday and Saturday Night. Will is going to drive courtesy cart for visitors, do the Dad thing and make sure Jessa gets to her performances and then "emcee" on Saturday night. There is also a possibility that he might have to announce the parade on Sunday. Jacob is doing "guy things" with his friends. All girlfriends are on their own for the weekend. The guys decided that girls like to look at girl things and are no fun at festivals. What a hoot listening to them plan their days. They should have fun.
Well, I'm off to finish up so that I can leave for the office.
God Bless,
dea
Have you ever thought you were actually caught up only to realize that you had left out about 10 things? That's me. Yesterday I worked at the P.O. for the final time until next Tuesday. It was a pretty good day, my phone only rang 10 times with Cranfest questions ( about 25 is the normal amount). Thankfully, my boss is very understanding.
Today starts "real festival" time. Today our 70 golf carts show up and I have to label each and every one of them with name tags. Fill out sign in sheets, clean the bathrooms at the office, go down to Tomah and buy most of the food for 100 volunteers and get the Suburban washed (all before 10:00 am). Then it's back to the fest with placing booths the remainder of the afternoon, while organizing some volunteers to take over some last minute stuff.
Al and Betty sent me a great birthday present! A refrigerator! They sent me money for my birthday which is very nice for me because I hate spending money on myself and I plan carefully on what I will get. It needs to be special. Well, this year the local military base is replacing some buildings with new buildings and a friend of mine is working on the project. They had all of these nearly new refrigerators there that they were selling for a song, so I had Randy grab me one. I have ALWAYS wanted an extra frig for times when I need the room, like Christmas Eve. This is a dream come true for me. Although, we're using it this weekend for the extra volunteer food. I am tickled pink. It's really nice.
Don't know how much blogging we will do in the next few days. Thank God He is blessing us with rain right now to settle the dust before some of the vendors arrive. Then the rest of the weekend it is supposed to be sunny and warm. Great weather for the fest.
Aside from working with the crowd trouble shooting, I am going to be singing with our new group "New Journey" Friday, Saturday, Saturday night and then we sing the National Anthem on Sunday before the parade. Jessalyn will be performing with Show Choir on Friday, Crantastics on Saturday and Saturday Night. Will is going to drive courtesy cart for visitors, do the Dad thing and make sure Jessa gets to her performances and then "emcee" on Saturday night. There is also a possibility that he might have to announce the parade on Sunday. Jacob is doing "guy things" with his friends. All girlfriends are on their own for the weekend. The guys decided that girls like to look at girl things and are no fun at festivals. What a hoot listening to them plan their days. They should have fun.
Well, I'm off to finish up so that I can leave for the office.
God Bless,
dea
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Orange paint and me...
I have a new fashion accessory, fluorescent orange paint. We have to mark all of the locations for the booths (I think there are over 1300). To help do this we have these squirter things that have a little wheel at the bottom and the paint goes in upside down and it rolls over the ground squirting orange paint as they go. They are pretty nifty but there's a trick to them. If you look at the ground instead of where you are going, you start to look like the "family circus" cartoons where they showed the paths of the little kids by using dotted lines. You can almost go in a circle because the ground is so deceiving. So as you paint the line, you look directly at the point that you are aiming for and aim for that as you go. It usually works pretty good, unless you are one of them that lean to the left or the right. There are a couple of us that no matter where we go we either lean to the left or the right and the lines can get pretty crooked (no I am not one of them). When you get as tired as we do and they start going crooked we can get giggling and then it gets silly.
The other day we had to move something so everyone handed me their squirters and I had already been holding 3 cans of paint. So in juggling 3 or 4 squirters and 3 cans of paint, somehow the trigger on one got caught on one of the others and started squirting. It was like trying to catch a garden hose! I had orange paint flying everywhere and couldn't figure out how to turn it off. By the time I got done I had all of these slashes or orange paint all over me from the top to the bottom. My shirt had stripes, my pants and even my hair. Well that started me laughing and that was all it took. I looked like some halloween nut laughing like a loon. Oh well, we all needed to laugh so it was all for the good.
We are done marking now. Tonight is coronation. Jessalyn is always my "date" for that. Will has no interest in seeing the Cranberry Queen crowned. Jessalyn's cousin Jessica is trying for Princess, so she is really excited to go this year and see how she does. We are rooting for her, but it's so hard to make it your first year with so many girls running (I think she's up against 12). We're behind her though. Jessalyn thinks she might try out next year. We'll see.
Monday is more finishing up stuff and trouble shooting. Some of the vendors started coming in yesterday. That always means "lost" people etc. I have quartet practise that night because we are singing at the fest Friday, Saturday, Saturday night and then the National Anthem for the Parade on Sunday. Should be lots of fun. We really want to get it video taped. Maybe I can figure out how to put a little bit of it on the blog.
Today is catch up day at home. I HAVE to dye my hair. I'm starting to look like my head is 60 with all of this gray coming out. Time to get "me" back. My house is a wreck with the remodeling etc. I have just be doing enough housework to get by the last 2 weeks. Today, I hope to get it all cleaned pretty thoroughly. That way it should last through Cranfest with just maintenance.
Well, time to go to church. Hope you all have a blessed day.
dea
The other day we had to move something so everyone handed me their squirters and I had already been holding 3 cans of paint. So in juggling 3 or 4 squirters and 3 cans of paint, somehow the trigger on one got caught on one of the others and started squirting. It was like trying to catch a garden hose! I had orange paint flying everywhere and couldn't figure out how to turn it off. By the time I got done I had all of these slashes or orange paint all over me from the top to the bottom. My shirt had stripes, my pants and even my hair. Well that started me laughing and that was all it took. I looked like some halloween nut laughing like a loon. Oh well, we all needed to laugh so it was all for the good.
We are done marking now. Tonight is coronation. Jessalyn is always my "date" for that. Will has no interest in seeing the Cranberry Queen crowned. Jessalyn's cousin Jessica is trying for Princess, so she is really excited to go this year and see how she does. We are rooting for her, but it's so hard to make it your first year with so many girls running (I think she's up against 12). We're behind her though. Jessalyn thinks she might try out next year. We'll see.
Monday is more finishing up stuff and trouble shooting. Some of the vendors started coming in yesterday. That always means "lost" people etc. I have quartet practise that night because we are singing at the fest Friday, Saturday, Saturday night and then the National Anthem for the Parade on Sunday. Should be lots of fun. We really want to get it video taped. Maybe I can figure out how to put a little bit of it on the blog.
Today is catch up day at home. I HAVE to dye my hair. I'm starting to look like my head is 60 with all of this gray coming out. Time to get "me" back. My house is a wreck with the remodeling etc. I have just be doing enough housework to get by the last 2 weeks. Today, I hope to get it all cleaned pretty thoroughly. That way it should last through Cranfest with just maintenance.
Well, time to go to church. Hope you all have a blessed day.
dea
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Teen years
Next Thursday our baby, our youngest turns 12. In her mind she is already 21. To make matters worse she's gifted. Add the almost 16 year old brain child and you have a mess. Now do not get me wrong. I mean it. I know that I have great children. In fact out of many of the families around here, we are one of the very few families that do not have "issues" with their kids. I am in no way making fun of those families and try to remember to pray for them daily and often. I know how hard it is with mine, let alone dealing with outside issues and traumas. This is stressful enough, that must be murder. I cannot even imagine the heartache.
Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how your children can think that you don't know anything. I AM 44 YEARS OLD FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!!! With just a sigh they can let me know that whatever I am saying or asking them to do is stupid. With that same sigh they can get my dander up faster than anything. I instantly go into the "red haze" area. It is my greatest weakness with my children. They act like I'm stupid and I instantly want to prove that I'm not and get offended. Makes you want to reach out and touch someone!
If I really put it into perspective though... by their standards I am stupid.
I do not know how to text anyone and don't know that I want to understand that foreign language.
I do not know how jeans are supposed to look now days, I didn't like the clothes in the 70's the first time around.
I do not understand how hair hanging in your eyes is "cool", it would drive me loony.
I have never been one to watch cartoons, let alone be one to sit and watch them on the computer.
I would rather be outside working in my garden than watching the news (they are like their father and like watching the news AND cartoons).
I'm not really very good at dealing with emotional trauma and the turmoil of being 16. I wasn't very good at it then. I am a very blunt person and have a hard time being politically correct. I don't beat around the bush very well, never have. Thank God he sent me friends that were the same way because I probably would have alienated every person in school.
I don't tend to discuss things to death (although there are exceptions). I try to deal with it and then just close that chapter of the book. I have to just "turn the page" because otherwise I find myself bringing the bad stuff back again. For me it really is turning the page and just going on. I cannot always do it right away, but I really try because I know that it's in my makeup to just write someone off for something they've done and as a Christian that's not how it's supposed to be, so that's a hard one for me, but I try.
To them I'm sure that they think cleaning your room and doing chores is stupid. You will never need to know how to do these things. They won't come in handy when they get their own place.
Cleaning off the table and cleaning up your dirty dishes are a waste of time. Jake plans on eating on paper plates (until he gets married)...he told me so.
Taking out the trash is nonsense......don't know what's going to happen to the paper plates.
Cleaning the bathroom is really disgusting and they don't realize why they should have to clean up messes that THEY DIDN'T MAKE!! I just ask them if they ever plan to have children. And by the way, why is it ok if I clean up messes that I never made?
So I guess what it all boils down to is that it's true and I am stupid about being a teenager. I can deal with that. I guess I'm kind of looking forward to being older and "wise". I just have to keep on making them do the stupid stuff so that some day their kids can treat them like they're stupid and I can look back and say......
"I TOLD YOU SO!!!!"
Have a great day.
dea
Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how your children can think that you don't know anything. I AM 44 YEARS OLD FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!!!! With just a sigh they can let me know that whatever I am saying or asking them to do is stupid. With that same sigh they can get my dander up faster than anything. I instantly go into the "red haze" area. It is my greatest weakness with my children. They act like I'm stupid and I instantly want to prove that I'm not and get offended. Makes you want to reach out and touch someone!
If I really put it into perspective though... by their standards I am stupid.
I do not know how to text anyone and don't know that I want to understand that foreign language.
I do not know how jeans are supposed to look now days, I didn't like the clothes in the 70's the first time around.
I do not understand how hair hanging in your eyes is "cool", it would drive me loony.
I have never been one to watch cartoons, let alone be one to sit and watch them on the computer.
I would rather be outside working in my garden than watching the news (they are like their father and like watching the news AND cartoons).
I'm not really very good at dealing with emotional trauma and the turmoil of being 16. I wasn't very good at it then. I am a very blunt person and have a hard time being politically correct. I don't beat around the bush very well, never have. Thank God he sent me friends that were the same way because I probably would have alienated every person in school.
I don't tend to discuss things to death (although there are exceptions). I try to deal with it and then just close that chapter of the book. I have to just "turn the page" because otherwise I find myself bringing the bad stuff back again. For me it really is turning the page and just going on. I cannot always do it right away, but I really try because I know that it's in my makeup to just write someone off for something they've done and as a Christian that's not how it's supposed to be, so that's a hard one for me, but I try.
To them I'm sure that they think cleaning your room and doing chores is stupid. You will never need to know how to do these things. They won't come in handy when they get their own place.
Cleaning off the table and cleaning up your dirty dishes are a waste of time. Jake plans on eating on paper plates (until he gets married)...he told me so.
Taking out the trash is nonsense......don't know what's going to happen to the paper plates.
Cleaning the bathroom is really disgusting and they don't realize why they should have to clean up messes that THEY DIDN'T MAKE!! I just ask them if they ever plan to have children. And by the way, why is it ok if I clean up messes that I never made?
So I guess what it all boils down to is that it's true and I am stupid about being a teenager. I can deal with that. I guess I'm kind of looking forward to being older and "wise". I just have to keep on making them do the stupid stuff so that some day their kids can treat them like they're stupid and I can look back and say......
"I TOLD YOU SO!!!!"
Have a great day.
dea
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Stupid things rule/piece of junk jeep
So by now you must have realized that there is a pattern in my life....stupid things happen to me. Now I know that things happen to everyone, but I seem to be this magnet for crazyness (look who I'm married to. He had to be crazy to get into this).So......
Start on Friday night. Jessalyn is in town helping with Cranfest and hanging out with her friends. She asks if she can spend the night with a couple of friends at one of the friend's house. I think ok fine, that way she'll already be in town for Crantastic singers practice and Will won't have to bring her in Saturday morning. Saves gas. It works for me. Except the parents changed their minds. Of course they all came to me to beg "Can we please have it at Jessa's house and stay in the apartment for the night?", pouting lip and all. Me the big sap said fine.....forgetting that now Will has to bring them in for practise. (Believe me I'll pay for it for a while).
The next morning, I tell Will I'll take the truck and leave him the car (4 passengers do not fit in the truck). No problem. I've got a concert in the park to sing at after work, so I take my "good duds" to wear. Not thinking get everything into the CAR and get ready to go. Then I remember SHOES!
Good duds do not look like good duds when you are wearing white tennis shoes. So back into the house I go, run back out, get into the car. Start it up, back up. Crud....pull back forward and park car. Will needs the car. Get all my work junk and clothes out put them into the truck. Hike my body up into the truck (it's really, really tall) start the truck, back up the truck. SHOES! Stop the truck. Climb out of the truck and get the shoes. Hike back up into the truck and start on my way. NAME TAG.......tough. I go to work without my name tag which hangs in my car only to find I out I really did have my name tag which proceeded to then leave in the truckso that Will could take it to work with him Monday.
Go to work, it's raining all day. Just misting. More of a pain than anything. Head towards the park so that I can meet up with the rest of the group. If it rained we were supposed to have it in the church. Didn't happen. We sang in the rain. Actually the singers got to sing up in the gazebo, but while we waited to sing and listened to the others, we sat in the rain. Oh boy! Finally got up to sing. Things are going good. Sound systems having a little problem, but we keep going. We get to a song where I sing the lead and the solos and surprise, surprise!!!
I swallowed a gnat. Actually I breathed a gnat. Cough, cough, gasp, gasp, sing, croak, gasp, cough, croak, sing. Whew, made it through and lived. How can one tiny little bug cause so big a problem?
Fast forward to Monday. I'm ready to go to work. Ready to get there early except, I don't. I'm not sure what happened. It could have been the train that took forever that I had to wait for. It could have been the 3 people that stopped me to ask about Cranfest as I drove through town. It could have been the tractor that I was behind for miles without an opportunity to pass and he had her wide open. We were flying at 30 mph. No he could not pull over and let me by, it might hurt his tractor to drive in the gravel for 30 seconds.
Finally made it to work still trying to maintain my good mood. Sometimes it's really, really hard work to stay positive. I need to be in a good mood at work, they expect it and when I'm not, they notice. Terry says I'm always in a good mood and always happy with my life. There's a lot he doesn't know, but that's what makes me and my lifestyle different from them, joy. They notice it and every once in a while they notice and ask me about it. More and more I'm finding more chances to talk about Jesus and what I believe, but it's slow going because they are very lost, very defensive people. You tread lightly on that shaky ground with them.
Anyway, I digress. I get to work and they tell me that my jeep is in the shop and I have to take the piece of junk jeep (POJ for short). Of course as soon as he says that I know that I will have to put gas in it because most of the people that drive the POJ leave it on empty so that whoever is next can fill it. Since they all drive less than 10 miles per day, it stays on empty a long time. I get into the POJ and oh boy I can tell this will be fun. The power steering pump is going out on it, the brakes are shot, the thing smells to high heaven and I haven't even left the parking lot.
I start out on the route only to find that it pulls to the right really, really bad when you hit the brakes. Then I notice this loud bang each time I put it into drive. Then when you back up it drives itself in a circle. I'm not kidding you start backing up and the steering wheel turns itself. This is really going to be fun.
I make it through half the route dealing with all of the above and then I back into a driveway to turn around and the wheels lock up on me. Oh great! It's now taken me twice as long and there is no jeep to replace this one. This is wonderful. I finally get the wheels going and start praying. Hard. I baby the POJ through the rest of the route and finally make it back to the post office almost 2 hours late. I tell the guy who handles the jeeps that it needs a doctor quick. Now he knows that so far everything that I have told him on the jeeps that I have driven has been true. I am very particular about my jeep and he knows that I know enough about them to be able to suggest what is wrong most times. He gets into it and tries backing up without touching the steering wheel. It proceeds to drive him in a clockwise circle. Then he pulls forward and it does it's big bang thing. He drives back again and it again turns it's own steering wheel and suddenly my postmaster who has been watching the whole time yells stop and points at the front left tire. We all go look at it only to find it horizontal under the jeep. Evidently I have driven the entire route or at least most of it with a broken control arm on my left front tire and who knows what else is messed up on it. Thank you God. Now I get a chance to tell them about how I prayed myself back to the post office. Stupid things happen to me, but God is good.
Now for the other "good news" that we were blessed with on the Cranfest front yesterday. The banks started foreclosure on Jellystone and it closed it's doors yesterday. It was not due to close until the day after Cranfest, so now we have hundreds of vendors and visitors with no place to stay. They are trying to figure something out with the bank for that weekend, but so far no dice. Damage control started yesterday with continuation today. As far as I know they did not even plan on telling the people with reservations that they were closing. Those people are due to arrive here and think they have a room and all they will find is a closed hotel. Great Googamooga. I'll let you know how that progresses. It's not Cranfest's fault at all but we will bear the brunt of the blame for it from people during the festival. Just what we need.
Anyone got $42 million dollars? I know a great park with lots of potential you can buy.
Have a great day.
dea
Start on Friday night. Jessalyn is in town helping with Cranfest and hanging out with her friends. She asks if she can spend the night with a couple of friends at one of the friend's house. I think ok fine, that way she'll already be in town for Crantastic singers practice and Will won't have to bring her in Saturday morning. Saves gas. It works for me. Except the parents changed their minds. Of course they all came to me to beg "Can we please have it at Jessa's house and stay in the apartment for the night?", pouting lip and all. Me the big sap said fine.....forgetting that now Will has to bring them in for practise. (Believe me I'll pay for it for a while).
The next morning, I tell Will I'll take the truck and leave him the car (4 passengers do not fit in the truck). No problem. I've got a concert in the park to sing at after work, so I take my "good duds" to wear. Not thinking get everything into the CAR and get ready to go. Then I remember SHOES!
Good duds do not look like good duds when you are wearing white tennis shoes. So back into the house I go, run back out, get into the car. Start it up, back up. Crud....pull back forward and park car. Will needs the car. Get all my work junk and clothes out put them into the truck. Hike my body up into the truck (it's really, really tall) start the truck, back up the truck. SHOES! Stop the truck. Climb out of the truck and get the shoes. Hike back up into the truck and start on my way. NAME TAG.......tough. I go to work without my name tag which hangs in my car only to find I out I really did have my name tag which proceeded to then leave in the truckso that Will could take it to work with him Monday.
Go to work, it's raining all day. Just misting. More of a pain than anything. Head towards the park so that I can meet up with the rest of the group. If it rained we were supposed to have it in the church. Didn't happen. We sang in the rain. Actually the singers got to sing up in the gazebo, but while we waited to sing and listened to the others, we sat in the rain. Oh boy! Finally got up to sing. Things are going good. Sound systems having a little problem, but we keep going. We get to a song where I sing the lead and the solos and surprise, surprise!!!
I swallowed a gnat. Actually I breathed a gnat. Cough, cough, gasp, gasp, sing, croak, gasp, cough, croak, sing. Whew, made it through and lived. How can one tiny little bug cause so big a problem?
Fast forward to Monday. I'm ready to go to work. Ready to get there early except, I don't. I'm not sure what happened. It could have been the train that took forever that I had to wait for. It could have been the 3 people that stopped me to ask about Cranfest as I drove through town. It could have been the tractor that I was behind for miles without an opportunity to pass and he had her wide open. We were flying at 30 mph. No he could not pull over and let me by, it might hurt his tractor to drive in the gravel for 30 seconds.
Finally made it to work still trying to maintain my good mood. Sometimes it's really, really hard work to stay positive. I need to be in a good mood at work, they expect it and when I'm not, they notice. Terry says I'm always in a good mood and always happy with my life. There's a lot he doesn't know, but that's what makes me and my lifestyle different from them, joy. They notice it and every once in a while they notice and ask me about it. More and more I'm finding more chances to talk about Jesus and what I believe, but it's slow going because they are very lost, very defensive people. You tread lightly on that shaky ground with them.
Anyway, I digress. I get to work and they tell me that my jeep is in the shop and I have to take the piece of junk jeep (POJ for short). Of course as soon as he says that I know that I will have to put gas in it because most of the people that drive the POJ leave it on empty so that whoever is next can fill it. Since they all drive less than 10 miles per day, it stays on empty a long time. I get into the POJ and oh boy I can tell this will be fun. The power steering pump is going out on it, the brakes are shot, the thing smells to high heaven and I haven't even left the parking lot.
I start out on the route only to find that it pulls to the right really, really bad when you hit the brakes. Then I notice this loud bang each time I put it into drive. Then when you back up it drives itself in a circle. I'm not kidding you start backing up and the steering wheel turns itself. This is really going to be fun.
I make it through half the route dealing with all of the above and then I back into a driveway to turn around and the wheels lock up on me. Oh great! It's now taken me twice as long and there is no jeep to replace this one. This is wonderful. I finally get the wheels going and start praying. Hard. I baby the POJ through the rest of the route and finally make it back to the post office almost 2 hours late. I tell the guy who handles the jeeps that it needs a doctor quick. Now he knows that so far everything that I have told him on the jeeps that I have driven has been true. I am very particular about my jeep and he knows that I know enough about them to be able to suggest what is wrong most times. He gets into it and tries backing up without touching the steering wheel. It proceeds to drive him in a clockwise circle. Then he pulls forward and it does it's big bang thing. He drives back again and it again turns it's own steering wheel and suddenly my postmaster who has been watching the whole time yells stop and points at the front left tire. We all go look at it only to find it horizontal under the jeep. Evidently I have driven the entire route or at least most of it with a broken control arm on my left front tire and who knows what else is messed up on it. Thank you God. Now I get a chance to tell them about how I prayed myself back to the post office. Stupid things happen to me, but God is good.
Now for the other "good news" that we were blessed with on the Cranfest front yesterday. The banks started foreclosure on Jellystone and it closed it's doors yesterday. It was not due to close until the day after Cranfest, so now we have hundreds of vendors and visitors with no place to stay. They are trying to figure something out with the bank for that weekend, but so far no dice. Damage control started yesterday with continuation today. As far as I know they did not even plan on telling the people with reservations that they were closing. Those people are due to arrive here and think they have a room and all they will find is a closed hotel. Great Googamooga. I'll let you know how that progresses. It's not Cranfest's fault at all but we will bear the brunt of the blame for it from people during the festival. Just what we need.
Anyone got $42 million dollars? I know a great park with lots of potential you can buy.
Have a great day.
dea
Friday, September 12, 2008
Remembering
On Monday we were asked to sing the Star Spangled Banner again before the Cranfest Parade. It's an honor that I do not take lightly. The only problem is that it is soooo hard for me to sing it without crying. Especially last year during our salute to the military. There we were with all of those veterans of all ages standing around us at attention, saluting and some even crying. I just kept telling myself, just look at the book Deanna, look at the book (we didn't really need the book, just used it to keep from thinking too hard). I'm not just talking a "few" veterans. We had upwards to 150,000 people at the festival and the moving Vietnam Wall. There were vets all over. So many stories... so many lives lost. It was a moving experience for many of us.
Then I remember Cranfest 2001. Just a few days after the towers fell. People were still so emotional and raw. We decided to have a moment of silence and you never would have believed that awesome moment God gave us. Imagine this if you can. A small town that is made of up only 5 blocks on Main Street. This whole town is filled to capacity with people. There are booths lining each yard on the main drag. Thousands upon thousands of people are walking around. It is shoulder to shoulder people. Everyone talking and laughing (unless they are eating). Music plays on many corners and you can hear loud amusement ride music in the background. We ask for a moment of silence for the victims and you can see it happen. Just like dropping a pebble into a pond the people close to us were silent and then in waves the rest just stopped, stood still and listened. Suddenly this huge crowd was making no noise and we were all together, one big family. Then we rang the bells in the church towers from either side of the town, so all you could hear were bells tolling loud and clear AND THEN the coolest part of it all. One of our local bald eagle pair was curious and he came winging his way in and soared right over the town, very close to the ground. That was about all most of us could stand. There were quite a few tears that day and then....we all sang God Bless America. It was one of the most moving moments in my life. You should have heard that song ring. You could actually feel it coursing through your body. The sorrow, the pride, the resolve. The resolve to make it right, to stand as one against this enemy. That was then.... what about now?
In 2008 have we learned any lessons? I'm telling you I am so sick of listening to people who are not proud of America. I'm sick of listening to the whiners and complainers who really don't know what they are complaining about, they just complain to complain. It's kind of like those professional mourners that spend their lives going to funerals and crying and wailing. Sometimes they didn't even know the person, but they can sure put on a show. Now, it seems like we have this tide of people running through our nation that have no idea what they don't like, but they don't like it. I would bet that at least half of them wouldn't recognize the officials they complain about in a picture. I bet half of them never even voted. I bet half of them only voted for the party and not for their own convictions. It is so frustrating!!!!!
I work with some people that are voting along party lines, but could not tell you the name of the vice presidential candidate on the Democr*tic side, yet they are voting for them. There are people on both sides doing this. What has happened to people?
What happened to the resolve after the towers fell? What happened to the unity of the country. Now it seems to be the blame game and everyone is blaming us instead of the idiots that were the creators of that terrible act. It's kind of like two houses in the path of the tornado. One is blown away and the other is saved. Wonderful story, except when we blame the house owners instead of the tornado. Get a grip people. Where is your patriotism? Where is your thankfullness? We live in the greatest country in the world. We live in Freedom! Freedom! Do we realize how many people would love to live in this country and can't? Do we realize how blessed we truly are?
Try going to the supermarket and looking at the aisles. That's freedom. Most countries do not have the varieties we have. Look just at the green beans. Many countries have just one brand, one variety. You just find one type of green bean on the shelf. How many do we have, I count 6 just off the top of my head.
When you get into your car are you grateful that you have it? When you move from one room in your home to another are you grateful that you do not live in a one room shack with a dirt floor? When you decide tonight to have chicken and potatoes and tomorrow night to have beef are you grateful that you have variety? Are you even just grateful to have food? When you go to your Dr. and complain about the cost are you grateful there is a Doctor to go to? When you go to bed at night are you grateful for the pillows, blankets and BED?
I truly believe that this is what has happened to this nation. We have forgotten to be grateful. We live in the greatest nation, have the most blessings, enjoy the most freedom, are blessed with the most opportunities and don't even see it. We forget what our forefathers endured to bring us to this point and we spend more time in arguments and debating. We play the blame game, when truly we should just be grateful that we are here and grateful for our blessings. Sure things cost more, but they are still available......we're rich and we don't even see the important things.
When it all boils down to it, did the towers teach us anything? It seems to me that we need to practice being grateful, sit down and read the constitution and start being Americans again.
God Bless America.
dea
Then I remember Cranfest 2001. Just a few days after the towers fell. People were still so emotional and raw. We decided to have a moment of silence and you never would have believed that awesome moment God gave us. Imagine this if you can. A small town that is made of up only 5 blocks on Main Street. This whole town is filled to capacity with people. There are booths lining each yard on the main drag. Thousands upon thousands of people are walking around. It is shoulder to shoulder people. Everyone talking and laughing (unless they are eating). Music plays on many corners and you can hear loud amusement ride music in the background. We ask for a moment of silence for the victims and you can see it happen. Just like dropping a pebble into a pond the people close to us were silent and then in waves the rest just stopped, stood still and listened. Suddenly this huge crowd was making no noise and we were all together, one big family. Then we rang the bells in the church towers from either side of the town, so all you could hear were bells tolling loud and clear AND THEN the coolest part of it all. One of our local bald eagle pair was curious and he came winging his way in and soared right over the town, very close to the ground. That was about all most of us could stand. There were quite a few tears that day and then....we all sang God Bless America. It was one of the most moving moments in my life. You should have heard that song ring. You could actually feel it coursing through your body. The sorrow, the pride, the resolve. The resolve to make it right, to stand as one against this enemy. That was then.... what about now?
In 2008 have we learned any lessons? I'm telling you I am so sick of listening to people who are not proud of America. I'm sick of listening to the whiners and complainers who really don't know what they are complaining about, they just complain to complain. It's kind of like those professional mourners that spend their lives going to funerals and crying and wailing. Sometimes they didn't even know the person, but they can sure put on a show. Now, it seems like we have this tide of people running through our nation that have no idea what they don't like, but they don't like it. I would bet that at least half of them wouldn't recognize the officials they complain about in a picture. I bet half of them never even voted. I bet half of them only voted for the party and not for their own convictions. It is so frustrating!!!!!
I work with some people that are voting along party lines, but could not tell you the name of the vice presidential candidate on the Democr*tic side, yet they are voting for them. There are people on both sides doing this. What has happened to people?
What happened to the resolve after the towers fell? What happened to the unity of the country. Now it seems to be the blame game and everyone is blaming us instead of the idiots that were the creators of that terrible act. It's kind of like two houses in the path of the tornado. One is blown away and the other is saved. Wonderful story, except when we blame the house owners instead of the tornado. Get a grip people. Where is your patriotism? Where is your thankfullness? We live in the greatest country in the world. We live in Freedom! Freedom! Do we realize how many people would love to live in this country and can't? Do we realize how blessed we truly are?
Try going to the supermarket and looking at the aisles. That's freedom. Most countries do not have the varieties we have. Look just at the green beans. Many countries have just one brand, one variety. You just find one type of green bean on the shelf. How many do we have, I count 6 just off the top of my head.
When you get into your car are you grateful that you have it? When you move from one room in your home to another are you grateful that you do not live in a one room shack with a dirt floor? When you decide tonight to have chicken and potatoes and tomorrow night to have beef are you grateful that you have variety? Are you even just grateful to have food? When you go to your Dr. and complain about the cost are you grateful there is a Doctor to go to? When you go to bed at night are you grateful for the pillows, blankets and BED?
I truly believe that this is what has happened to this nation. We have forgotten to be grateful. We live in the greatest nation, have the most blessings, enjoy the most freedom, are blessed with the most opportunities and don't even see it. We forget what our forefathers endured to bring us to this point and we spend more time in arguments and debating. We play the blame game, when truly we should just be grateful that we are here and grateful for our blessings. Sure things cost more, but they are still available......we're rich and we don't even see the important things.
When it all boils down to it, did the towers teach us anything? It seems to me that we need to practice being grateful, sit down and read the constitution and start being Americans again.
God Bless America.
dea
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Well the race is on....
and here comes me at the back.....probably will not win, but please God let me finish the race. THINGS ARE CRAZY!!!!
School has been in for what, a week now? Already my bottomless pit of a son has gone through tons of food (costs bunches for lunch money that one does) and Jessalyn has brought home a book order, a need money for show choir order, a need money for school pictures for both of them, class ring for Jacob order form, 2 field trip requests and who knows what else. In the past didn't they jsut send you to school and you sat in that room, ate your lunch brought from home and then played outside at recess by using your imagination with your friends instead of $50,000 of equipment that the kids will complain about next year as being old? It sure is expensive sending kids to school. Now they want to have two fund raisers in the next couple of months. Wow. It's not that I begrudge them anything that has been going on, it's just after the 4th or 5th request it started hitting me, just how much you have to shell out month after month. It's cheaper to keep them home over the summer. Life was so much simpler when I was the kid going to school.
As far as the house.....nothing I planned happened this last weekend. The stupid TMJ hit and I ended up not being able to clean the carpets. Thankfully, I have a WONDERFUL husband who cleaned the one for me. Bless his little heart.
Today I took the day off from work. My shoulders are really bothering me. I think it's from the heavy volume of mail the last couple of days. Some people will get 15-20 magazines a day and it makes me hurt. Good grief, I just read what I've written and I sound like a whiny whimp. Sorry about that. Ok, so I'm not my usual happy camper self, but it'll come back to me. I also sound like I'm falling apart and I'm not. I think most of it is the change in the weather.
I hope to use my day off to let my shoulders rest and to catch up with myself and all my junk that needs to get done. Will and the kids are all gone so I can fly through the house (although the dog still gets in the way). I'm catching up on housework and paperwork this morning, cooking for 25-30 people for lunch (volunteers at Cranfest), and then going in to work on paperwork, marking etc in there.
I pick up Jessalyn at 5:00 today from show choir practise and then we have family night (eating at McD's or some such place) before heading to church for our first night of Bible study and youth group. We had taken August off from that as a church. Now we start back in.
Well, time to get busy. Hope you have a great day.
dea
School has been in for what, a week now? Already my bottomless pit of a son has gone through tons of food (costs bunches for lunch money that one does) and Jessalyn has brought home a book order, a need money for show choir order, a need money for school pictures for both of them, class ring for Jacob order form, 2 field trip requests and who knows what else. In the past didn't they jsut send you to school and you sat in that room, ate your lunch brought from home and then played outside at recess by using your imagination with your friends instead of $50,000 of equipment that the kids will complain about next year as being old? It sure is expensive sending kids to school. Now they want to have two fund raisers in the next couple of months. Wow. It's not that I begrudge them anything that has been going on, it's just after the 4th or 5th request it started hitting me, just how much you have to shell out month after month. It's cheaper to keep them home over the summer. Life was so much simpler when I was the kid going to school.
As far as the house.....nothing I planned happened this last weekend. The stupid TMJ hit and I ended up not being able to clean the carpets. Thankfully, I have a WONDERFUL husband who cleaned the one for me. Bless his little heart.
Today I took the day off from work. My shoulders are really bothering me. I think it's from the heavy volume of mail the last couple of days. Some people will get 15-20 magazines a day and it makes me hurt. Good grief, I just read what I've written and I sound like a whiny whimp. Sorry about that. Ok, so I'm not my usual happy camper self, but it'll come back to me. I also sound like I'm falling apart and I'm not. I think most of it is the change in the weather.
I hope to use my day off to let my shoulders rest and to catch up with myself and all my junk that needs to get done. Will and the kids are all gone so I can fly through the house (although the dog still gets in the way). I'm catching up on housework and paperwork this morning, cooking for 25-30 people for lunch (volunteers at Cranfest), and then going in to work on paperwork, marking etc in there.
I pick up Jessalyn at 5:00 today from show choir practise and then we have family night (eating at McD's or some such place) before heading to church for our first night of Bible study and youth group. We had taken August off from that as a church. Now we start back in.
Well, time to get busy. Hope you have a great day.
dea
Monday, September 08, 2008
Know any good salsa recipes?
There has been a pattern running through many local gardens this year.....nothing seems to get ripe. Most of the people that I have talked to about it agree. Most of our tomatoes are still green. There are lots of them, but they are not getting ripe. Of course we have not had a terribly hot summer and now the weather is turning cooler for the fall (in fact our low tonight is forcast to be 38). I'm not sure if all of it will be ready for harvest or not.
My tomatoes just now seem to be starting, but I think they will all get ripe at the same time. That means lots of canning. Does anyone have any good salsa recipes for canning? Thank you God for the harvest, but please give me the energy. Between Cranfest and trying to get the house in order for refinancing.....I'm tired. I had hopes of getting the carpets cleaned in the blue room, our bedroom and the family room this weekend. I got started on it, but then this stupid TMJ struck. Boy is this stuff a pain, Literally. I'm fine and then all of a sudden my head feels like it's falling off.
Today we go and sing for the nursing homes in Tomah. It's a blessing. Of course Mondays are the worst day for me to do it, but it's the day that everyone else could. Seems kind of strange sometimes, that all of them are retired, but this is the day they could do it? Anyway, those old people are wonderful and they love having us come. It's a trial sometimes to get there, but so, so worth it.
Tonight is our last Cranfest meeting before the festival. We are down to 16 days before the fest (although it's closer to 14 for me since set up is just as busy as the real thing). I just LOVE this time of year. When you are a person that just loves "TO DO" for others and make them happy, this is like the greatest thing. Where else can you make over 140,0000 people happy? If you think about the "big picture" of this festival it can be overwhelming. We just have to think of each "little part" in order to make it work. After all, there really are only about 25 people that do most of the work (of course there are others that come in and work in parking, etc) but set up and the running part it's a pretty small crowd. Come Monday morning after, the clean up crew will be down to about 10. Pretty amazing.
The kids are doing great in school so far. Jessalyn seems to be finding it easier every day. Of course it's all made better by the fact that her "bestest friend" her cousin Jessica is going to the middle school too now. They get to ride the bus together everyday, so that makes it fun. I remember that things were made much better by my cousin Kris riding the bus with me. It gives you someone to talk to.
Jake seems to have found his way right away this year. Aside from the sprained toe and foot, he is doing pretty well, I think. At least there are no notes from the teachers saying anything different.
Last Tuesday when school started it was the hottest day of the year and very humid, low 90's. Wednesday it was a high of 58 and rainy. Since then the hottest day has been in the 70's. I am not ready for fall and all it entails, but it seems to be happening regardless of what I think. The temps make me happy at work riding around in a big tin can, but the near panic that it gives a person when they think of all the stuff that they need to get done before winter is not fun. Especially when you are riding around in a big tin can with plenty of time to think.
Well, I need to leave for work in an hour and if I play my cards right I can get another load of laundry done, finish the kitchen and maybe even clean at least one of the carpets. Here goes!
Hope you have a great day.
By the way, Will is still great, although I think he misses his little yellow band aid.
dea
My tomatoes just now seem to be starting, but I think they will all get ripe at the same time. That means lots of canning. Does anyone have any good salsa recipes for canning? Thank you God for the harvest, but please give me the energy. Between Cranfest and trying to get the house in order for refinancing.....I'm tired. I had hopes of getting the carpets cleaned in the blue room, our bedroom and the family room this weekend. I got started on it, but then this stupid TMJ struck. Boy is this stuff a pain, Literally. I'm fine and then all of a sudden my head feels like it's falling off.
Today we go and sing for the nursing homes in Tomah. It's a blessing. Of course Mondays are the worst day for me to do it, but it's the day that everyone else could. Seems kind of strange sometimes, that all of them are retired, but this is the day they could do it? Anyway, those old people are wonderful and they love having us come. It's a trial sometimes to get there, but so, so worth it.
Tonight is our last Cranfest meeting before the festival. We are down to 16 days before the fest (although it's closer to 14 for me since set up is just as busy as the real thing). I just LOVE this time of year. When you are a person that just loves "TO DO" for others and make them happy, this is like the greatest thing. Where else can you make over 140,0000 people happy? If you think about the "big picture" of this festival it can be overwhelming. We just have to think of each "little part" in order to make it work. After all, there really are only about 25 people that do most of the work (of course there are others that come in and work in parking, etc) but set up and the running part it's a pretty small crowd. Come Monday morning after, the clean up crew will be down to about 10. Pretty amazing.
The kids are doing great in school so far. Jessalyn seems to be finding it easier every day. Of course it's all made better by the fact that her "bestest friend" her cousin Jessica is going to the middle school too now. They get to ride the bus together everyday, so that makes it fun. I remember that things were made much better by my cousin Kris riding the bus with me. It gives you someone to talk to.
Jake seems to have found his way right away this year. Aside from the sprained toe and foot, he is doing pretty well, I think. At least there are no notes from the teachers saying anything different.
Last Tuesday when school started it was the hottest day of the year and very humid, low 90's. Wednesday it was a high of 58 and rainy. Since then the hottest day has been in the 70's. I am not ready for fall and all it entails, but it seems to be happening regardless of what I think. The temps make me happy at work riding around in a big tin can, but the near panic that it gives a person when they think of all the stuff that they need to get done before winter is not fun. Especially when you are riding around in a big tin can with plenty of time to think.
Well, I need to leave for work in an hour and if I play my cards right I can get another load of laundry done, finish the kitchen and maybe even clean at least one of the carpets. Here goes!
Hope you have a great day.
By the way, Will is still great, although I think he misses his little yellow band aid.
dea
Thursday, September 04, 2008
To the Doctor's again!
I said I wouldn't do it. We have spent too much at the doctors office already. Our finances aren't exactly providing a surplus - if you get my hint. My problem usually gets really bad for only a couple of weeks at a time and then the rest of the year is bearable.
Usually.
I was just telling my mom that I wasn't going in for the tests and then getting the "new" shot that is available for my allergies. It is a bit of a hassle and we have been at the doctor's a lot lately and we really, really can't afford it. Only, I went from bad to worse. I haven't had a more than four hours of sleep at a time in over a week. The night before last was really the pits. None of the normal meds I've been on were helping. Yesterday morning I woke the kids (and the wife) for school at 5am. I had been up since 2am. After getting everyone awake, it hit me hard and I collapsed into my recliner and didn't move for another 4 hours. Not than I slept for more than 20 minutes at a time. After 20 minutes my head and nasal passages are so full I have to spend the next ten minutes trying to convince them to drain. I'll spare you the details.
Anyway, Dea calls me around 10am from work and proclaims:
"Your appointment is at 3:30 this afternoon." It's amazing how sniffling and sneezing can take all your authority away. Her tone suggested I shouldn't argue and I didn't have the strength anyway.
So, as we walked into the doctors office again, I was surprised that there wasn't a plaque on the wall proudly proclaiming just which wing we had paid for. I was even more surprised that we had a different receptionist, again. All these trips in such a short time, and I think there was a different receptionist each time. I only noticed because by now, I would expect to have been greeted by name and not have to go over our "info" yet again. No love.
Speaking of "no love"; There's more. Bad news: I had to get on a scale just to discover I have actually gained weight. I had hoped that perhaps I had lost some. Nope! I now weigh 228 pounds! Keeping in mind that I'm 6ft 1inch. That isn't too terrible. If only more of that was muscle and less of it was just plain fat...
There was some good news. My doctor, who really is a pretty good guy and even better physician informs me that I don't need to do all the tests now. Perhaps later but for now, if I want the shot it would be okay. Then came the even worse news:
See, Deanna has been teasing me by telling anyone who'll listen that I didn't want to do this because I'm afraid of the shot. That's just silly. I get a flu shot every year by my own choice with no problems and no drama.
However, I was under the impression that this would just be a shot in the arm. (please insert the buzzing noise for a wrong answer here)
The nurse comes to get me and takes me to a room and closes the door.
It's just a shot, so that is weird, but I'm not really paying attention.
I'm busy telling the nurse about Deanna's teasing me and how it's just a stab in the arm when the nurse surprises me with: "except this is the kind you get in the butt."
That stopped me cold. Uh, oh... really... THAT I did not know! I could feel the blush starting. For me that is a big thing. I think I have blushed maybe 3 times in the last ten years. All of three of those have been in just the last two years. I guess I really am getting soft. (in more "weighs" than one.)
The nurse is quick but not completely painless. Still, it wasn't that bad.
At first.
I walk out with Deanna, grinning when I tell her about the shot and start to notice I'm limping. Then it starts to feel like there is a tennis ball shoved under the one cheek (so to speak). It starts this slow, slow building then after a couple more minutes it peaks and I proclaim to the world: OW! Then is starts to subside. Only to repeat every half hour for the rest of the day. I will be just walking along and then will have to stop to announce OW! and then continue on like some kind of mad man.
As we are leaving the doctors office, I inform Deanna of another part of my conversation with the nurse:
"...Seeing as how my wife is the one making me get this shot; I can honestly say she really is a big pain in my butt! I have witnesses!"
The final indignity came this morning when I got out of the shower. I didn't realize the nurse had bothered to put a band-aid on me; a cartoon band aid. Like the kind you give little kids to keep them from crying.
Yeah, I don't think pride is much of an issue for me anymore...
How's your day?
Will.
Usually.
I was just telling my mom that I wasn't going in for the tests and then getting the "new" shot that is available for my allergies. It is a bit of a hassle and we have been at the doctor's a lot lately and we really, really can't afford it. Only, I went from bad to worse. I haven't had a more than four hours of sleep at a time in over a week. The night before last was really the pits. None of the normal meds I've been on were helping. Yesterday morning I woke the kids (and the wife) for school at 5am. I had been up since 2am. After getting everyone awake, it hit me hard and I collapsed into my recliner and didn't move for another 4 hours. Not than I slept for more than 20 minutes at a time. After 20 minutes my head and nasal passages are so full I have to spend the next ten minutes trying to convince them to drain. I'll spare you the details.
Anyway, Dea calls me around 10am from work and proclaims:
"Your appointment is at 3:30 this afternoon." It's amazing how sniffling and sneezing can take all your authority away. Her tone suggested I shouldn't argue and I didn't have the strength anyway.
So, as we walked into the doctors office again, I was surprised that there wasn't a plaque on the wall proudly proclaiming just which wing we had paid for. I was even more surprised that we had a different receptionist, again. All these trips in such a short time, and I think there was a different receptionist each time. I only noticed because by now, I would expect to have been greeted by name and not have to go over our "info" yet again. No love.
Speaking of "no love"; There's more. Bad news: I had to get on a scale just to discover I have actually gained weight. I had hoped that perhaps I had lost some. Nope! I now weigh 228 pounds! Keeping in mind that I'm 6ft 1inch. That isn't too terrible. If only more of that was muscle and less of it was just plain fat...
There was some good news. My doctor, who really is a pretty good guy and even better physician informs me that I don't need to do all the tests now. Perhaps later but for now, if I want the shot it would be okay. Then came the even worse news:
See, Deanna has been teasing me by telling anyone who'll listen that I didn't want to do this because I'm afraid of the shot. That's just silly. I get a flu shot every year by my own choice with no problems and no drama.
However, I was under the impression that this would just be a shot in the arm. (please insert the buzzing noise for a wrong answer here)
The nurse comes to get me and takes me to a room and closes the door.
It's just a shot, so that is weird, but I'm not really paying attention.
I'm busy telling the nurse about Deanna's teasing me and how it's just a stab in the arm when the nurse surprises me with: "except this is the kind you get in the butt."
That stopped me cold. Uh, oh... really... THAT I did not know! I could feel the blush starting. For me that is a big thing. I think I have blushed maybe 3 times in the last ten years. All of three of those have been in just the last two years. I guess I really am getting soft. (in more "weighs" than one.)
The nurse is quick but not completely painless. Still, it wasn't that bad.
At first.
I walk out with Deanna, grinning when I tell her about the shot and start to notice I'm limping. Then it starts to feel like there is a tennis ball shoved under the one cheek (so to speak). It starts this slow, slow building then after a couple more minutes it peaks and I proclaim to the world: OW! Then is starts to subside. Only to repeat every half hour for the rest of the day. I will be just walking along and then will have to stop to announce OW! and then continue on like some kind of mad man.
As we are leaving the doctors office, I inform Deanna of another part of my conversation with the nurse:
"...Seeing as how my wife is the one making me get this shot; I can honestly say she really is a big pain in my butt! I have witnesses!"
The final indignity came this morning when I got out of the shower. I didn't realize the nurse had bothered to put a band-aid on me; a cartoon band aid. Like the kind you give little kids to keep them from crying.
Yeah, I don't think pride is much of an issue for me anymore...
How's your day?
Will.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
whew!
Tag you're it.....It's what I felt like saying to Will this morning as he walked out the door with the kids to start the routine of playing with the dog while they wait for the bus. That same dog woke us up at 4:11 am this morning. Of course this is not when I am supposed to wake up, just when Will gets up. I get to wait until 4:30 and then pray awhile before getting up. I think those days are over. Will said something to the dog and promptly rolled back over and dozed, although I think we might have had some type of conversation at that time, it's a blur. I of course got to listen to the dog whining and sighing. Ok so he only did it once maybe twice, but that was enough. Up I get out of the bed 30 MINUTES EARLY!! If it becomes 30 minutes each day that means that I am missing 3 1/2 hours of sleep a week. Great.
I started the coffee and started into my day. Jessalyn woke up on her own and started getting ready for school, which in itself is a trauma. This is her first day of middle school. She is very nervous. She is a very shy kid believe it or not, I'm not sure where she got that one, but this is a big step for her. She of course went into a panic about whether she had the right stuff in her bag. She didn't of course. Air head! I Fixed her up after lots of stress and now she's ready, although she has re-fixed her hair about 5 times.
Jake on the other hand got up and finally got his pencils and pens together. I had forced him to collect folders and tablets yesterday, terrible mom that I am. He threw everything into a back pack and he's ready. No trauma, no stress, except on my part because I'm sure he'll forget something. He calmly eats his breakfast, brushes his teeth and heads out to the bus planning his first nap of the day while on his way to school.
There sure is a huge difference in the two kids. Of course school is one of the least important things on Jake's list, except that it affords him a chance to see his girlfriend and friends. Although, he still says that he does not want to date until he is 18. I think that one will change as soon as the driver's license comes into play. Probably doesn't want his mom driving him and his girl around. Jessalyn on the other hand quite often stresses about classes and grades. Sure are two different kids. I have a feeling that she is like me and Jake is like his Dad.
Yesterday we went down to some friends of ours farm. I gave them a sewing machine that I had here. A friend had given it to us and since then we have had 3 in the house. I get the chance to sew like once a year if I'm lucky, so it was just wasted space having this huge machine with all of it's fancy buttons. I know they'll use it, so it was a great idea. While there, we took a tour of the farm and saw the cows, held the goat "Angel" who is a family pet's baby. She is sooooo cute. She loved the taste of Will's shoe laces (he was not thrilled). Will was more interested in the machinery (wonder why?).
They had kittens, burros, geese, ducks, chickens, turkins, guinea hens, cows, miniture horses, dogs and probably a bunch of other stuff so Jessalyn was in heaven! She wants to live there and just mess with animals all day. She still insists that she wants to be a vet. Should be interesting to see if she sticks with that plan.
Well, time to get busy around here. My second load of clothes is in the washer and dryer. I'm sure there is plenty more for me to do before I head out to work. Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful day.
dea
I started the coffee and started into my day. Jessalyn woke up on her own and started getting ready for school, which in itself is a trauma. This is her first day of middle school. She is very nervous. She is a very shy kid believe it or not, I'm not sure where she got that one, but this is a big step for her. She of course went into a panic about whether she had the right stuff in her bag. She didn't of course. Air head! I Fixed her up after lots of stress and now she's ready, although she has re-fixed her hair about 5 times.
Jake on the other hand got up and finally got his pencils and pens together. I had forced him to collect folders and tablets yesterday, terrible mom that I am. He threw everything into a back pack and he's ready. No trauma, no stress, except on my part because I'm sure he'll forget something. He calmly eats his breakfast, brushes his teeth and heads out to the bus planning his first nap of the day while on his way to school.
There sure is a huge difference in the two kids. Of course school is one of the least important things on Jake's list, except that it affords him a chance to see his girlfriend and friends. Although, he still says that he does not want to date until he is 18. I think that one will change as soon as the driver's license comes into play. Probably doesn't want his mom driving him and his girl around. Jessalyn on the other hand quite often stresses about classes and grades. Sure are two different kids. I have a feeling that she is like me and Jake is like his Dad.
Yesterday we went down to some friends of ours farm. I gave them a sewing machine that I had here. A friend had given it to us and since then we have had 3 in the house. I get the chance to sew like once a year if I'm lucky, so it was just wasted space having this huge machine with all of it's fancy buttons. I know they'll use it, so it was a great idea. While there, we took a tour of the farm and saw the cows, held the goat "Angel" who is a family pet's baby. She is sooooo cute. She loved the taste of Will's shoe laces (he was not thrilled). Will was more interested in the machinery (wonder why?).
They had kittens, burros, geese, ducks, chickens, turkins, guinea hens, cows, miniture horses, dogs and probably a bunch of other stuff so Jessalyn was in heaven! She wants to live there and just mess with animals all day. She still insists that she wants to be a vet. Should be interesting to see if she sticks with that plan.
Well, time to get busy around here. My second load of clothes is in the washer and dryer. I'm sure there is plenty more for me to do before I head out to work. Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful day.
dea
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