Handy or Handicapped?

Okay, this post isn't fair to the handicapped. I hope nobody gets upset. I have handicapped friends and I love them dearly, so don't get all ticked at me, 'kay?

I wanted to make a point. Hubby is a wonderful guy. He is very smart, very talented, and can figure out and fix about anything mechanical (with a motor) on the planet. He can fabricate metal. He can juggle two remotes, a can of beer, a half a pizza, and a cat. He can not dance, or sing, but hey! he's got lots of other talents.

One thing he is not is domesticated in some areas. Yes, when pressed he can grill a mean steak or fry and egg. He can run the vacuum and operate a washer-dryer. He seems to still have a few problems with directions.

Case in point. Tonight I went to my parents with a friend. We went to dinner. I left Hubby a detailed note about critter care (they were all cared for) and the lovely supper I'd left him in the crock pot. Roast, potatoes, carrots, mmmm mmmmm good. He was going racing with youngest son. Fine. He was going to come home first, shower, eat, etc..

I get home at 9 p.m. to the smell of burning food. A phone call later-

Me: Hon, what part of the note that said, "Turn the crock pot off or to warm" didn't you understand?
Hubby: I didn't read the note
Me: Because?
Hubby: I thought you told me everything
Me:...

We've been married for 25+ years. The training continues.

Wild and Wet

We've had some wild weather lately. Last night they were telling us we were in a severe thunderstorm warning area with high winds, hail, etc., but for some reason it just missed our house. It got very dark, and there was some wild lightening all around, but we only ended up with about a tenth of an inch of rain and the rest of it missed us. I'm not complaining, mind you. It's good to get some moisture on the crop, but we sure don't need the hail or wind. Over the weekend we ended up with a little over an inch-and-a-half, so that was perfect. It's always amazing what mother nature can throw at you.

Today it's cloudy and looks as though it could open up and rain again, but according to radar it looks like it's all past us. Supposed to be another hot, humid one.

I always laugh at the weather people on TV. They are always trying to be soooo accurate in their predictions. They have all kinds of maps and animated graphics to show you exactly what minute it's going to be over your house. They compete with who has the biggest most powerful most accurate radar in the universe - then, when they show it being over your house, it isn't always there!

A few years ago, Hubby and I were watching some tornado warnings in the area. Hubby is a farm boy and when warnings are issued and people are told to 'seek shelter immediately in the basement' he immediately runs outside and starts looking to the sky. In a previous lifetime he would have made a good scout. At any rate, we would shove our kids (4) and our animals (6) in the basement, then he and I would go outside.

This time it got really scary out and they were saying there were tornados spotted all around out area. (I never have actually seen one, but Hubby has. When he was just out of high school there was a force 4 tornado that came through and just missed his house by a mile. It totally destroyed a small town in nearby and did a lot of damage to neighboring family farms. He took some pictures of it and it was rather wild looking - huge! I hope to never see one like that 'in person'.) When the weather station gave the 'all clear', Hubby decided he wanted to go up the road to check on one of the fields. We left the kids home, glued to the TV and headed up the road. A little bit from the field the radio station issued another tornado warning. One had been spotted in our area. As they began describing the location, Hubby and I looked at each other. I could see him doing the mental calculation in his head as I did in mine. The realization came at the same time. We looked up. The tornado was supposed to be right above our heads! It was raining, some, but no 'nader.

I find it amusing that a few years ago one of the local TV stations remodeled and put a "weather window" in their "weather station". That's got to be the most accurate piece of equipment they have! A lot less expensive than the mega-watt-doppler-thingy...

Sweating Like a Pig

OMG... is it ever hot here! This is August weather. At least we got some rain over the weekend and our crops look good. I've been working in the gardens, pulling weeds and trying to get mulch put out. I did bare minimum last summer when we moved in, but now have lived here a year (I can't believe that!) and I'd moved some hostas and other perennials from the old house and have been trying to get them mulched - but of course, you must weed first. I've weeded a couple of times in anticipation of mulching, but things have jumped in the way (being sick, tractor needing fixed, etc.) that have kept me from mulching. Unfortunately, without the mulch, the weeds just keep on comin'! At at last I think I've made some progress. Whew! Now, if it would just cool off a touch... just a touch...

Doing a Happy Dance

Daughter and SIL came today to get their furniture and things they've got stored in a unit. Now that they have a bigger place to live, they decided to get it all and take it. They came early and brought the "grandcritter", Bug, with them. She is such a doll. Only about 5lb now. She's such a sweetie! I got to "critter sit" while they packed up.

Had a nice visit with the kids. I miss her. They've promoted her to a management position and now she has to work most weekends, so won't see as much of her. That's a bummer. Hopefully we'll get down to see them sometime soon. We don't get away very often.

Was a good day...

Sad Day

Today was the funeral for our landlord. It was very nice, but long... and hot. We're having rather a heat-wave and even though it was in the morning, it was late morning and no a.c. in the church. I felt sorry for Hubby and son in their suits.

Some funerals I've been to the person looks just like themselves only sleeping. This guy didn't look like himself at all... he was a man who always was smiling or laughing about something and he just didn't look right since he was so sober. I hope people remember me laughing...

Tip of the Iceberg

Forgot to mention Monday when Hubby was home he got a phone call. One of our landlords passed away in his sleep Sunday night. He and his family have been our landlords for 70-some years. Was really weird. He'd not been sick or anything. Just passed away peacefully. That's how Hubby's dad passed a few years ago. It's a shock to those around the person, and you don't really get a chance to prepare or say goodbye, but man... that's the way to go. No pain... just go to sleep and not wake up.

Tonight's the visitation and tomorrow's the funeral. They've asked Hubby and youngest son to be pallbearers. Have to take son shopping tonight for a suit. He's never owned one in his life. This should be interesting.

It's Spreading

Would you believe the kid that lives at home is now sick?
Would you believe the puppies even threw up today? What's with that??? Sympathy pains?

Isn't Sharing Fun?

Me. Sick.
Hubby. Better.
Hubby gone.
Figures.

Hubby: ...But you're USED to being sick... and you do it so often...
Me: sigh

ICK Alert!

Hubby is sick. Throwing up, stomach cramp sick. Of course, this morning he had set up some appointments that had to be kept regarding farm stuff. Me... wife...going from one town to another (we farm in two counties) to keep his appointments. My cell phone rings:

Hubby: You going to work when you get done?
Me: I was planning on it.
Hubby: Do you have to?
Me: Why?
Hubby: Would you come home and take care of me?
Me:....

You know what my day was like from there.

Luck and Guilt and All That Stuff

I realize I whine a lot. Not a little, a lot. I'm much better than I used to be. I tried a few years ago to adopt the attitude that while I'm not "Suzy Sunshine", I can still try to look at the positive side of things. I do think there is something to drawing negative energy to you if you are negative.

That being said, I feel so badly for a friend of mine whose mother has been going 'round and 'round with the Big C. When I was a kid, people didn't even say the word 'cancer' unless it was in very hushed voices. I got the impression if it heard them it would attack them. Some people still can't say it without hesitating. We've gotten so that we are pretty good about checking ourselves and having the doctors check us and early detection has helped increase our chances of surviving. Also, they have come up with new ways of killing it... or at least they try.

Personally, I think one of the more hideous aspects of cancer is the way it deceives. One moment you are ill, the next you are in remission and may stay that way for years... then, bam! It is back and usually worse than ever. Or, it may never come back again. Sometimes, there is no remission. A woman in my local area found out she had cancer and in three weeks she was gone.

My friend got married a little over a year ago. About six months before his wedding, they'd diagnosed his mother with cancer in her spine and said she'd probably not make it to the wedding. Well, she did, but she was in pretty tough shape at the time. Then shortly after the wedding, she went into remission. It was amazing! She got her strenth back, her hair back, and her life back.... for awhile. A month ago she was having headaches and went to the doctor. There was a tumor on her brain. Three days ago they did a spinal and found cancer cells have spread everywhere. Today they are sending her home to die.

I feel so sorry for him. I'm glad that she had more time with her family and was able to see him get married and another grandchild be born (his sister's). I'm glad they've had more time to get used to the probabilities of death. I'm sorry that he had to ride this rollercoaster.

When I start whining about my backaches or my headaches or my various grumblings on why things are perfect in my life, I hope someone slaps me up side the head and reminds me how lucky I truly am. I am. I know it.

The Real World Does Exist

I've mentioned before about what an anti-social person I am. That's why it touches me so to have all these...I don't even know what to call them. "Blog-friends" or "Cyber-people" sounds rather cold. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a postcard in the mail the other day from one of these people. Kenna is on a roll sending old postcards to people and I got one! I know this seems like a silly thing to get excited about, but in my previous experience with the world of cyberspace, it seems most people are so paranoid about someone finding out anything real about them, that they lie through their teeth or, at the very least, don't follow through on a a project like this.

It came at just the right time. Thanks, Kenna.

It's ALIVE!

Hey! A thanks to all of you who sent your good wishes. I'm back in the land of the living... (Actually, I was back in action Saturday, but it's been rather a zoo trying to catch up on all the crap I missed while laid up. I'm sure you understand!)

I finally figured out what I did. I tried to start the rototiller on Monday night and had a hard time of it - you know, pull the cord, twisting, over and over and over... yeah, you get the idea. I made Hubby start it Saturday so I could finally get my veggie garden in. My poor plants were looking pretty sad when I finally got them planted. Hopefully they come out of it. They look a bit perkier now.

As far as enjoying my jammie days, Bunny, well... they weren't exactly the way I like my jammie days... I slept through most of them.

A Pain in the... Back Pt.3

Now we come to the present. I still do things I shouldn't do in ways I shouldn't do them. I still overdo in the garden, or pick up a box that is probably too heavy or any number of dumb things that cause my back to stiffen and be sore for a day or two.

Occasionally, I do something I don't even know what I did and I cause myself spasms that may last an hour, day, or week. I have some muscle relaxers I use that make my back feel better, but they also zone me out. I have the old standby heat and ice. I have 'rest'... Eventually it goes away and I tell myself not to do that dumb thing again (if I have figured out what I did).

Well, this three-part saga has led up to the point. I've been laid up for the past three days with back spasms. I'm not happy about it. I don't know what I did. I wish I hadn't. I don't want to go to the doctor or chiro or anyone. I do want to get better. I think I'm getting better. I hope I'm getting better.

Thanks for listening.

Oh, yeah, and P.S... even if Brad walked in right this minute and wanted me, it ain't gonna happen.

A Pain in the ...Back Pt.2

Leap ahead in time to ten years ago. Mother's day. A beautiful spring day with farmers out planting. I, being the Good Wife, decide to ride along for a bit in the tractor. For those of you who haven't ever been exposed to the rural way of life, riding in a tractor with no passenger seat is like parking your backside on your car's armrest while someone else drives the car. Just about as much room, and just about as much to hold onto. Hubby happened to hit some rough ground and I was jostled quite heavily while being twisted sideways. This is not a proven fact, it's just the only thing I could come up with after the fact.

The next day I woke with a stiff neck. You know, you can look one way but not the other without searing pain going down your spine? Two days after that, my left arm was in excrutiating pain (my spelling leaves something to be desired.). The only way it wouldn't hurt, is if I held it across my body and supported it with my other arm. Being as I use computers for a living, this isn't a good posture.

Having had such luck with my former chiropractic experience, I decided to first see the medical doctor, but not to wait so long to see the chiro. Medical doctor had no sympathy with the fact that I couldn't lay in bed, (at this time) hadn't slept in three days, and couldn't get comfortable. Chiro took x-rays, did tests, and gave me a treatment. Then said I needed to come in three to four times a day at first. He didn't see anything on the x-ray, but figured it was something out of alignment putting pressure on a nerve.

I went to the chiro - even weekends. Three to four times a day. He would pop my neck and say, "Now, that's better, isn't it". After I felt like my head was going to come off of my shoulders, I would say, no... not really. We did this dance for three weeks. Talked to my medical doc who happens to be chiro friendly. He recommended another one who had a different technique.

Tests, x-rays, whatnot. Now we try traction and roller bars and getting 'pinged"... I don't know what the hell that is all about, but it's really stupid when you do it. No luck.

Last hope... the doctor sends me to get an MRI. What do you know? I have a herniated disk in my neck. One that no one ever saw on any x-ray and which had been getting yanked and popped and cracked and twisted and all the other lovely names you want to call it... I called it PAIN.

Surgery. Came out of surgery. Went home two hours later. Never felt better. Sure, I had surgery pain, but after what I'd just been through, that wasn't anything! I have a scar to remind me that I really need to be selective about my medical care from now on.

To be continued...

A Pain in the ... Back Pt.I

Many, many years ago in a land far, far away... oops! Wrong story. Several years ago when my kids were small, I went through a period of bad lower back pain. My parents, loyal chiropractic patients, kept trying to get me to go to one. My doctor thought I needed some tests, and a specialist. The specialist did the tests (which included putting needles into my legs and sending electricity through my limbs... isn't that considered some kind of torture???) After said tests, I was put on a variety of pain pills and muscle relaxers and ordered to have 6 weeks of bed rest. Mind you, I had a 2, 4, 7, and 9-year-old child to keep track of. Bless my MIL... she stepped in and watched those kids for me for six weeks.

At the end of six weeks, there was no improvement. Back to the specialist who... get this... suggested another six weeks of bedrest, medication, etc. I don't think so. I gave in and contacted the chiropractor my parents' chiropractor recommended. He did all his usual x-rays, tests, etc., and gave me a "treatment"... then told Hubby to take me out to dinner and a movie - that I had been cooped up in the house waaaay too long.

After several weeks of treatments, I was fine. My belief in chiropractors was born.

To be continued...

If I Were Only Young Again

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Stalker-Not

I just wanted to let those of you who read me to know that I've set up an AIM account and although I tried to contact some of you last weekend, I was ignored. Now, I realize that you are probably constantly bombarded by adoring fans who can't get enough of you, and you try to keep your privacy sacred, but I just wanted you to know that you may not recognize me in my "other persona" and therefor were not being mean, but were just being cautious.
My AIM name is sane2b. I realize that has nothing to do with being torn, a page, or sue, but hey! When you come onto this system late in the game you take what you can get. Also, it is rather a goal of mine to be sane.

So... when you see me out there in AIM land, please don't be scared. I'm not trying to molest you and will respect your privacy if you wish. I'm just touchin' base and trying to let you know I like you! I really like you!

Are Ya Lookin' at Me? II

Manager: Hey! I like your hair! You colored it!
Me:...
Manager: Well, I just wanted to tell you I noticed it since I didn't notice you cut it Friday.
Me:...


I color it about once a month. He's never commented before.

Are Ya Lookin' at Me?

This post should be titled "Men and the Powers of Observation". There has been a running theme in our marriage. I cut my hair, my husband threatens to shave off his beard. I have never seen Hubby without it in the REAL world. I've seen pictures. I encourage him to keep it. He is one of those men who just look right in a beard. It's not long, not short, just medium and well-kept. It's gotten a bit more gray in it, but then we've all gone a bit more gray...

When the kids were small, he said he couldn't shave it off because he was afraid he'd scare them and they wouldn't know him.

When we first got together we started comparing notes and figured out that about a year before we actually were introduced, we'd seen each other in a bar and I'd leaned on his back while talking to my girlfriend and the bartender! Would you believe, I can remember what his shirt looked like, but can't remember the guys' face?!?!? This was my future husband! BUT... he didn't have a beard. Hmmm... does that mean he was so unremarkable that I just ignored him? We'll never know. (I suppose alcohol could have had something to do with it, but I'm pleading the fifth - pun intended?)

At any rate, I cut my hair rather short when we were first together and the beard-removal threat has hung over my head for the past 25+ years. Finally, yesterday, after being SO SICK of a three-year hairstyle that I thought made me look older than I am and doudy (yeah, I am really THAT old, but I don't have to look it, do I?)... I cut it off. I mean, it is short. The front is longer, I still have bangs (fringe?) and some around my face, but the back is about 1" long. (Short?)

Daughter went with, so I'm blaming her.

We picked up Bug and were heading to my parents to show them the new puppy. We aren't out of town yet. We get a phone call from Hubby. He needs help moving from one field to another. Hmmm... here is the test. Will he hate it? Will he like it? Will he get out the beard-shaving threat? I tell daughter I'm not going to say a word and see how long he takes to start commenting.

He gets in the car. He's sitting right next to me. He looks at me. He talks to daughter. He talks (a lot) to dog. He keeps giving me looks, but says nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. I visit with him. I look at him. I look out the window so he can get a GOOD look at the back. Not one word. Daughter sits in the back seat and we roll eyes at each other in the mirror. She shakes her head. A lot.

We had mentioned to Hubby the night before that we were going to go get our eyebrows waxed today. I let it drop that I was getting my haircut.

We get home from my parents' house. I walk in the door.

Hubby: How did the eyebrow thingy go today?
Me:...
Hubby:Oh, MAN... I'm an idiot. You got your hair cut, didn't you?
Me:...
Hubby: I like it!
Me: You'd better.

He's a man. He has an excuse.

(Oh, and by the way... I've been at work (with six men) for four hours now and someone JUST noticed... )

Coming To the End

This week has flown by... my youngest daughter and grand-critter will be leaving in just a couple of days. That makes me so sad. I've really enjoyed having her here and it's going to be hard to have her go away again. "The baby" slept through the night last night! She's been such a good little pup. All the pups were out in the yard last night playing well together. The older pups have been so good with the little one. If she takes away their toys, they just let her have it, or very gently take it back. It's so funny.

Me: Aren't you going to miss Bug? Wouldn't it be fun to have a little one like that?
Hubby: Whatever...
Me: Really?!?!
Hubby: Whatever...
Daughter: Dad, you know you've just cracked the door open!!
Hubby: Yeah, whatever...

I'm gonna have to think about this one!

The Crazy Lady

I had a scary thing happen yesterday morning. I'd taken off the morning from work as daughter was taking new grand-critter to the vet and I wanted to go with. We'd not gone yet and the doorbell starts ringing off the hook! I mean, it was being LAID on. I start for the door, and I see the handle start moving - whoever it was was coming in! Turns out it was the old lady from across the road. (We live in the country and our house is on a long drive that winds back into the trees next to a farm field - her house is right across from the entrance to our driveway.)

She's standing there, all disheveled, barefoot... yelling at me because she can't breath because "he's spraying that poison again!" She started going on and on about "he sprayed it two weeks ago and I've been in bed ever since coughing" and would I like to hear her cough? She is going to call the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) because we shouldn't be spraying when it's coming toward her bedroom window! She can't breath! Do you want to hear me cough? Do you? ...and you started a fire and I had to sit up all night worrying about my house burning down! ... I try to intercede... "Ma'am..." "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I'M stupidbitchingcrazywoman's_name FROM ACROSS THE ROAD!"...(She steps back and looks at the house)...(insert snooty tone)...must be nice to be rich and be able to build a fancy house like this and not care if you POISON other people! I'm 84 years old and I have lived over there just fine until THIS... I walked all the way over here and DO YOU WANT to HEAR ME COUGH?

I couldn't get a word in edgewise. She was ranting! I closed the door. She left... barefoot... she got out in front of the garage and started waving her arms around and talking to herself... Then she started walking down the driveway, stopping every 10 feet to bend over and cough/spit/whatever. When she got near the end of the driveway, we saw a pickup pull in the drive and pick her up, then her daugher came across the road and they all went back to her house. (Found out later the pickup was the mailman). I'd called Hubby, I was so shook... yes, he was spraying just the edge of the field again. It was legal - the wind wasn't blowing. It wasn't going anywhere. Yes, he burned the ditch about 5 weeks ago and the wind wasn't blowing her way and he was there watching it.

He decided he was going to go down and talk to her. He met up with her daughter on the road. She was soooo apologetic. I guess her mom's never done anything like this before, but daughter said she'd just come from the attorney where she's been trying to figure out something to do with her mom. She's been drinking again and has some dementia and is getting worse and daughter doesn't know what to do about her. She told Hubby that her mom will say, "do you smell that chemical?"... and daughter will say, "noooo"... but doesn't make any difference. She gave Hubby her cell phone number so if mom shows up again we can call her.

It was a real shock - like day and night. She was so sweet this winter when I took cookies over to them and when Hubby cleaned snow out their driveway (for free) . Wow. What a change. I know my Dad is a mean drunk, but at least he's the devil you know... you know what buttons NOT to push. With a stranger it's hard to know what to say to calm them or whatever. I was so shocked I was speechless!

What worries me, too, is I know she has at least one gun and uses it occasionally on the crows. I think Hubby was going to call the daughter sometime soon and see if she can be sure that is put up. I don't know what daughter would have done if she would have been here by herself. She sure didn't need THAT... and if we'd been gone? Who knows! In that state, she could shoot our dogs, pull up all my flowers, who knows? So unpredictable...

Guess we're going to have to be more careful about locking the doors - even when we're home. She tried to walk right in! Hubby said he thinks the daughter almost wished she had so she could use that as evidence to help put her mom away...

When I'm an old crazy lady my kids have permission to lock me up.