Music Therapy

I've been watching a lot of music videos that artists are posting because they are off the road and as Keb Mo said, I need to be playing even if it's just in my living room on Instagram.
I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Every type of music is being played by artists on Instagram. It's been enjoying the hell out of them all. 

Then Sunday night there was the Gershwin Awards. Garth Brooks was the recipient. I knew my fave Keb Mo was singing one of his songs so I look into the show. Not much else to watch and I had already won 2 games of backgammon.
Rick never has a chance, but God love him for his tenacity in trying to beat me.

We enjoyed this show a great deal.
Now I have never liked country music. I am a girl of rock 'n roll.
Country Rock like The Eagles or 38 Special or Molly Hatchet was as country as I got. 
But real country? Merle Haggard?  oooh ick!  
Oh, no way.  I swore that would never ever happen to me.
Impossible. I love AC/DC - Couldn't get further from country than that.

But then in the '80s, hair bands were fading and there was no new music.
At least not rock 'n roll. We were sick of classic rock radio and the same songs over and over again. I used to scream at my radio, there was more to classic rock than Led Zepplin for heaven's sake! 

Then I discovered some country.
I actually liked some and I was frankly horrified.
Garth Brooks had his 1st special on one night I was home alone. 
I thought I'd heard about this guy. He's kind of new, I am going to check it out.
The first song played and I thought, hmm, I need to record this for Rick to see.
Rick came home and I told him what I'd been watching and of course, he made fun of me. In fact, I recall his words, "oh my God you've gone country in your 30s we can no longer live together babe! What next? Liberace in your 50s?"
He thought he was pretty funny. 
Then he said in all seriousness "Margaret I don't like country for Pete's sake and never ever will"
Guess who loves Garth now?  We ate our words.

Then in the 80s, we found we liked Martina, Trisha, Kathy Matea, Travis Tritt Little Texas, Vince Gill. Who was I becoming? 
Our friend Michael busted my balls so much.
He kept saying, Where did my friend Peg go? I thought Paul Rogers was your favorite rock voice? My friend would never listen to this shit.
I would laugh and tell him if he didn't stop bugging me I'd play it the whole night when he comes over for dinner. Oh, how he gave Rick and me grief.

We got free tickets to see Travis Tritt and Little Texas through our company and Michael asked if we were really going to go to this thing. I said we were and he asked if we had big 'ole belt buckles. No, we do not. He looked at Rick's hair and said, "No mullet" you can't go. They won't let you in, no cowboy hat, no mullet, and no big ole belt buckle. We took the abuse but we went to the show. 

Speaking of cowboy hats. Why do men wear them? They aren't cowboys.
You don't wear your McDonalds hat after you leave work, do you?
I never have understood them and find them a bit odd.
But I wear a baseball cap I guess and I don't play baseball.
Oh I shouldn't have said that now I'm thinking about how much I miss baseball
Rick the other night said he used to wish for less baseball but this is "too less"
Sadly I understood that statement of confusing words put together.
Oh geez, I went off track there...

Thankfully Rick changed along with me. I was married as a kid to someone who's taste in music was so different from mine. So when he left the house, the turntable was changed immediately to what I liked. Heaven forbid Bad Company was on the turntable for him, it was removed and JJ Cale was put on or Clapton or The Doors.  So to love rock and begin to add in some country could have been terrible in our home. But thankfully Rick likes the same ones as me. Whew. The more twang the less we like. The more rock or balladeer then we generally like.

The show we watched is running in its entirety here.
If you like this stuff you'll love this show. 
The last 1/2 with just him and guitar are my favorite parts.

Looking for new and fresh TV and movies right now I am finding it difficult.
I don't much care for the meth mullet Tiger King that everyone told me to watch.
So this show filled in the void. 

And lastly, I know I've been complaining and I apologize.
If it wasn't for the money fears and being scared shitless I would enjoy the hell out of this. What's not to love for me being stuck in the house?
I'm stuck in the house with my favorite person in the world.
I don't find anything much better than that in all honesty!
I can't live without these 2 faces in my life!
And I don't want to live without these 2 faces in my life!
Being at the lake and being all zen on the water seems so far away right now.

New World, New Post.

Everything changed today. It finally hit my husband.
All the stress I have had he seemed to just let it slide off his back.
He just wanted to work and bring home the bacon.

This morning at 5:30a the phone in our office rang. Aargh.
He didn't hear a thing. I got up and walked into the office. I wanted to see if it was the 3-day job that started today. A voicemail was left but we couldn't hear a thing.
The caller ID said undeliverable. Never saw that before. I opened email and no emails from anyone that wished to cancel.

Rick had to be in Alexandria at 8am. 
Normally that means he has to leave at 6am.
But in our new world of little traffic, he left at 7:15a.
He got to the house and the woman answered the door and would not let him in.
He was wearing his mask etc. 
She said I tried to call but my husband got sick last night.
We are not sure if this is regular flu or worse. 
We don't think you need to be here today.
Rick agreed and left as if his pants were on fire.
He got in his car and wiped everything that was exposed with the wipes. He had on gloves so he took them off and put them in the garbage bag and purell-ed the hell out of his hands and drove home. He got home, dropped all clothes in the wash and showered!

He is now in the garage cleaning up and organizing some of his work truck.
I am glad he is at home.
I personally think we should only continue to do empty homes, condos, and empty hotels, etc. I have been telling him this for 2 weeks now.
I know that isn't enough money to sustain us but it's better than not living.

He asked me after he got home this morning what I thought about him only doing empty places etc. Am I okay with it?
I said I have been telling you this for weeks you big goof. I'd rather live in a box under a bridge with you than live without you. This scared you and made it real didn't it? 

Look we've been rich, we've been poor now for the last 11 years so I am somewhat used to it. I prefer the 1st one but in our new world, it is what it is. If we lose the rest of what we have so be it. I just can't stomach you going into people's homes even if they stay away because we don't know how serious they are taking this.

In fact just today an idiot was not taking this seriously. She called to ask if we go to Hagerstown Maryland. I said we do not service the state of MD. In fact, your governor just shut down your state for all things except leaving your home for medicine or food. Nothing else, period. He stated police will be out monitoring and getting people off the streets. I don't think you'll find anyone to do this. She being the idiot she was said, "Oh I thought that was only for night time. I've been in my home for 3 weeks now" she whined. 
So what, we all have lady, get a grip. Your bathroom is not that important to remodel if it is working. I gave her the number to a company up in Maryland to appease her. He will tell her he is not working due to being shut down and he could get fined if working per the governor. 
Where did she get her news facts, Fox? I am shaking my head as I type this because her conversation with me was surreal. Her last words to me were, "this just can't get any worse."  
I hung up before I said something I shouldn't say to another human right now.  We haven't seen anything yet. And be thankful you still have a bathroom to use right now. Some don't or won't when they can't pay their mortgage.


Everyone I know is bemoaning being inside with their family, moaning about I can't do this or that. So what. I keep thinking about the meme I posted about Anne Frank. I don't think she wanted to hide for 2 yr either and miss out on her life.  

I get it I really do. I just know if she could write a book and still die. I could do something productive during this time too even it if is only cleaning my pantry and my closet! Marie Kondo, here I come!

My mom told me that my niece's girlfriend begged her to come over.
My niece told her, "I just can't, I live with Grandma and if I bring something back to her I'd never forgive myself. She's had open-heart surgery and is 78 and not the best of health."
My mom heard her on the phone and was proud of her and later thanked her. And then while I was on the phone I heard my niece come into the kitchen and say, "hey can I make cookies?"  
My mom told me she was going to be so fat when this was over. 
I said, "well I had a blogger smugly tell me I wouldn't get fat if I didn't eat them."
My mom laughed heartily. I said it wasn't that funny. 
She said, "spoken like a lucky skinny bitch."
I shrieked, "MOM". (she does not swear, well normally she hasn't) 
But we both had a good laugh at her saying that. 
I told her I stopped drinking. When she asked why I said I just don't have the time for both AA and OE meetings.
We made it a good Sunday conversation and had some laughs to take our minds off of all this shit. Gotta find the humor. 

I promise tomorrow's post won't be so dire. 
________________________________
Video of the day for Abby

Sunday

Then this happened during the crisis at the Mayo Clinic
(click the above link to get there)

Saturday

As I sit here in fear for our lives and livelihood I wonder how we will get out of this. He wants to open us back up because his stock market is not doing well. God forbid the rich friends will abandon him in November if they lose a lot of money. He ignores the medical professional. A man with a 5th-grade education and vocabulary won't listen to the things the educated medical professionals are telling him. He is too arrogant and vapid.
To hell with the people who needlessly die because your feelings are hurt.
I heard his obnoxious remarks at his press conference saying that those governors should have thought about being nicer to him. And he friggin' smirked. Is that not the definition of evil? Hilter like?
What the hell is wrong with this mentally deranged man?
A war president? How about a war crime president?
So he won't give the GOP governors or Dem governors their ventilators because they believe in the science as they watch their citizens die.
This should not be about his fucking politics. This should be about doing the right thing. I know he has never once done the right thing in his life.
But he's is fat, unhealthy and could die from this. You'd think before that happens he may wish to do 1 good thing in his life. Now would be the time.

Please take a moment to read this.
This makes me happy that I have a lot of his vacuum products!
If trumpy dumpy won't do it I am happy to see other leaders in our world helping in any way they can. Small but helpful. We need hundred of thousands but it's better than saying, I have them but you're not getting them.

Yes, I am out of sorts. Yes, I am cranky. Yes, I am angry.  Yes, I find this situation we're in bad but he makes it horrifically worse and it needn't be.

Here is my meme of the day -

Friday Funnies (to not think about viruses!)

This man makes me laugh. I laugh at this skit because it reminds me of family members, then again every time I watch him he reminds me of family.

'''

My favorite female comedian. No cheetah burgers!

oh yes, there is a way to fill the dishwasher correctly!

Well this just happened....

I went to Costco this morning during their "senior" hours. 
(8am - 9am)
I knew it would bug me. I thought I was prepared for what I knew it would be.  Everyone in their electric cart, blocking aisles, not giving a hoot about anyone else. Slow-moving, not keeping their distance. you know the old people stuff.

WHAT? But Margaret you are old!  Yes, but I don't walk slow, take up a full aisle, or drive a motorized cart down the middle of the aisles to plow down those in my way. I also know what 6ft+ social distancing is. They apparently do not.  I knew I'd be annoyed and they did not disappoint.

I got to the entrance and a person grabbed a cart, sprayed something on it and wiped it down and gave it to me. Then the man said to me, Miss, this is for seniors only. I said I am 64. He asked for ID. I said to him that if there wasn't a virus I'd kiss you. He laughed and said sorry but it's only for those 60 and up and we want to be certain of that. I told him I understood no problem. I showed him my ID. 
He winked at me and said, "you look good"  I told him he did too which made him actually giggle. He was a cutie. He was 100 so what did he know, I don't look good. Eyes are the first to go you know. 
I thanked him and as I was about to move forward a woman made a fuss. Loudly.

The woman behind me then yelled, "Hey why aren't you carding me? What makes her so special?"  I had to turn around. Was she joking around? Was she really going to be a stereotype of an old bird yaking about something so silly and unimportant? Oh, she was the latter. This was no joke to her. I so wanted to take a picture of her so Rick could see what I am about to describe. 

She was a white-haired lady with a big hump on her back and pushing a walker. She was wearing an old lady moo-moo type thing with a puffy jacket.  She looked to be 80 if she was a day. I wouldn't have carded her, I would have asked if she needed help today. Gee, why do people think yelling at this man makes them younger?  While she was yelling at him I wanted to tell him I was sorry. I felt bad for the poor guy. He probably can't see a lick and I was the only person in the store besides employees with something other than white hair. Give this poor man a break. I admit when I first heard her I thought she was joking around. But apparently, her feminine sensibilities were offended.

In all honestly who the fuck cares. So what, he made my day but now she was ruining it. LOL.  He was just trying to do his job to keep those darn 50-year-olds out of the store and taking up the senior's things. I get it, but why bother this man or make a scene. If I was 59 she would be screaming at him for allowing me to enter.  Oh, seniors.  
This is why I didn't wish to go to senior hours or anything senior ever. Seniors are old people. I am chronologically old but not an old person. And by the way, I indeed look every bit of my age of 64. This old man probably just doesn't see well. I would have hugged him after she left if I could have. He looked so bummed as she just berated him. He took it but I bet inside he was calling her names and wanted to trip her and her walker. I know I did. We are all under a lot of stress, give the man a break for working at his age and doing his job as it is supposed to be done.

This is also why we will never live in a 55+ community. Each one we've gone to is filled with old people who whine about everything. Oh, this neighbor made noise past 9pm. Oh no, I could not live like that. It's like living with my parents again. 

If I live through this, I hope to be a strong and healthy as I can be old person who is not going to tell you to get off my lawn. 
I may tell you to mow it but never to get off it. 😀

Meme Morning

Boy, there have been some funny memes from this damn virus so I thought I'd post some.

 I am seriously Jonesing for baseball so I had to get a few in here.

 I found an I Hate Joe Buck FB page. How hated must you be to have a devoted following on FB? Too damn funny. I'm glad to know I am not the only one. If he announces a game I will mute the TV and listen to the game on Sirius and then watch the TV.  He must go!!

 Look at this smug asshole? Wouldn't you love to fire him? He's horrible at his job and his next review is going to be bad. HR told me so. :-)

Seriously only cares about his stocks, his businesses, his money. Oh no, the stocks dropped whatever will I do he panics. I know, don't fix the health of the nation just the big businesses losing money like me, your king. He does not give a rats ass about the citizens of the  US or he would help the states. He won't give the governors what they need because they aren't being "nice" to him. How can anyone be nice to this MF? People are dying and he is smug, petulant child who is extremely ill-equipped mentally to hold this office. But that's just my opinion. 

 My next theme is the need for everyone to drink. I have not opened a single bottle of wine I want you to know during this. I had margaritas on Friday but that was the last time. I can't go to 2 meetings daily when this is over...AA and OE. One crutch at a time people, one at a time. :-)

I posted this on FB and a 'friend' thought it was real. 

Oh my goodness! If I get into needing that much to drink to not think about the dire situation we are in I'm going for hardcore drugs, not just some wussy wine or gin!  If I'm going to do it, I'm going to go for it!

And if you wish to see a leader at work - watch Gov. Cuomo's live news conferences on FB. Oh my goodness he is the tough love we all need. My neighbor who by the way is a republican told me how his news conferences are informative and somehow calming even though he feels Cuomo's anger at the gov't not doing what needs to be done. So I watched yesterday's conference. Wow, the neighbor was correct. Gov Cuomo is what we all need right now.
Now that is a person who sees clearly. (my neighbor) he could put aside his party and see a leader that may not be in his party. But he also said he won't vote for the orange buffoon again either. He'd rather vote for a tomato. So there is that. 

Help with TP

My soon to be nephew in law posted this on Facebook.
He manages an Ace Hardware store and he posted this and it made me chuckle. 



I need to have lab work done. I am not thrilled about this. 
I just feel going to these places is a hotbed of germs etc. 
I called one location and I did not like their snotty attitude when I asked some questions. I get it, you're annoyed with everyone asking, but be nice until you hang up and then swear at me.
Hey, I do that all day long, you can suck it up too lady. 
But of course, I did not say that. I asked if she was having a bad day and she sighed heavily but did not answer. Wow, what a bitch. 
Honestly, you'd think people would be nicer right now. This woman did not get that memo!

My mom called to see how we were this morning. She is 78 with heart issues. She is asking us how we are. My goodness. I call her a great deal but I did not this Sunday. (we talk every Sunday) She wanted to make sure it was because I was busy and not sick. I told her I just talked to her on Thursday so I figured the 2 grandchildren staying with you would have let me know if something changed. I promise Rick or I will call you. 
She laughed and said, "can you tell I'm bored too?"
I asked, "You? You who wants to be left alone to read 24/7? Run out of books did ya?" 
She told me she was no longer going to the library. I explained amazon and for the love of all things, she just will not use the computer. She drives me crazy! Doesn't want to learn. She has a computer in her home. 
She said she gave up drinking for lent but it's getting harder and harder to do.
I said, "well isn't that the point to giving something up for lent? Something you like and something that is difficult? Hey you made me go to catechism for 12 years, you know this crap"  

"Peg it is not nice to call it crap"

"Catholic guilt and control then?"

"Margaret."
When she gets to Margaret I have to back off.😔
I may be a full-on old adult but she's still my mom so I have to back off.  You don't seem to ever outgrow that do you?
________________

Meme of the day

Before and After

It's come to this
Although I'm not as skinny on the left nor do I have legs that long... but neither am I as large as the right.
When all this started I was in the middle somewhere. But....
Give me more time in quarantine and we'll see.

I got an email that I found pretty damn funny yesterday.
Spanx sent me an email telling me they were 50% off.
(to the men out there it is a modern-day girdle for lack of a better way t describe it)
Anyhoo, I received an email with the header, Peggy, 50% off all your Spanx products.  I had to laugh because sure, I'm eating too much being home all the time and now they want to give me a Spanx product for 50% off how apropos. Or did only I get this? 
Oh dear. They saw my fat ass and suggested I get this now!
Squeeze into this so you can slide your fat ass out the door.
I've heard of getting ads you have previously looked at but this was damn scary. I did not look at any Spanx. 
Holding all this in right now is not a priority as it maybe should be. :-)

My life isn't a lot different except for more stress.
Yesterday at the 2pm press conference our governor again said he was not shutting down the state. He said, "we aren't there yet"  What exactly would need to happen to be there? Is it the amount of deaths? 10 new cases an hour isn't good enough? People were livid. FB was all screaming at him. It was ugly.

Now, blogger people, I have a very stubborn husband. 
He is working. I am not happy.
I am actually shocked at the number of calls we have and the big jobs that we are doing. One lady didn't care if it was 3 or 4k she just wanted it done. I can't see it, so we can't estimate it. She said you'll tell me when you get here. What is the friggin' hurry? So now everyone is at home and realizing their homes need refreshed or updated so they are doing this now. It is so stupid, as is my husband.

I was hoping if the governor said he was shutting us down he would not go to work. Yes, it would hurt us so badly. We sadly only have a few months to live off of. We made a big mistake in expanding our company and getting a small loan. It will be paid off in 5 or 6 months. But in the meantime, no money, no can pay the loan, or mortgage, or the electric company, at least not for a long long time without money coming in. So there is that stress factor.

Add the fact that my husband is going into people's homes who don't appear to take this seriously and I worry about him. I told him I'll live under a bridge in a box with him. But I can't do this without him!  
We disagree. He is being a macho ass if you ask me. 
His need to provide. Geez.  I appreciate it but damn it we'll figure it out, we've done it before when we lost our jobs nearly at the same time. 
His life is more important to me.

So the governor finally shut down the state later in the day and listed non-essential businesses and essential businesses. Contractors and home improvement are considered an essential business. WTF?  So now Rick says, see the governor is not shutting us down.  I was livid to say the least. Giving him a reason to head off to work.
Aargh!

He has been doing empty homes and for that I am thankful. He arrives in a mask and wearing gloves. We have this whole protocol I go over with customers for when he arrives and while he is there. After he is done, all protection is thrown away and he sanitizes himself and off to the next one and do it again.
He has a busy week and the phones are ringing off the hook. I can't tell you how shocked I am about this. I think it may change today since the governor shut us down. Maybe now people will think that their ugly cabinets will be there if they survive. Also, our distributor for the Italian coating we use on cabinetry has shut down. So we can't do a full kitchen now anyway.

In the meantime, I have a doctor's appointment today. They are doing this over the phone. I was sent my lab results and she and I were to go over this at 8:30am. It is now 8:50a. She's even late for the phone call. 
Crazy huh?

Another Monday

How ya'll doing?

It appears I am a stress eater. I have gained 200lbs in 2 days.
Okay not a full 200lbs, but it feels like it.
I put on my jeans yesterday and I could wear them but to sit AND breathe at the same time was impossible. 
Oh boy.  

My husband seems to think because we have so much food in the house he must cook it and it must be eaten. I told him yesterday he must stop cooking. Please. 
If I wish to ever get out of the house on my own, walking out the front door, stop the cooking because I eat it.  And he can't make something for 2. No. He makes vats of food. We can feed the neighborhood with what he cooks. 
I fear they will need a crane to remove me from the house. 
Oh, how'd she die? Coronavirus? Oh no, obesity, her 5'1" frame could not take 300lbs.  

I had no liquor Sat or Sun. I refused food for most of the day. Rick can't wrap his head around this and his belly isn't getting any smaller. I told Rick that fattening up does not prevent the disease! Oh, this man is crazy.

We were to have 2 friends arrive on Friday. 
You may remember me telling you this. Then on Thursday, we heard that they were closing all rest stops on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. WHAT? No potty breaks? They were keeping open the gas station part of it but not the actual rest stops. They stated they would put 6 port-a-potties for people and they hoped to clean them daily. HOPED to clean them daily. 

I wrote to them and said, Are you sure you're still coming? I didn't want to say it in a way they would think we didn't want them but this was now getting stupid.
So they canceled. We were bummed but we so understood. And what if they couldn't get home to their family? So canceled was the right thing to do. 

In the meantime, I bought food we don't normally have because 1. fun people were here and we'd want junk. 2. they don't eat meat on Fridays and I wanted things they could and would eat so the menu was expanded.
3. we bought booze we don't normally drink cuz they like it.

So Friday we went outside because it was 80 degrees. Our deck is still under covers for the winter. Rick pulled off the cover to our patio table and we sat outside having a margarita with the tequila we bought that they like. 
Our patio has leaves and dog toys and is a hot mess of debris and not yet summer/springized. But it was too nice to stay indoors. 

I got a bit loopy because I was trying to stop eating most of the day and then I had a margarita and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Rick and I were sitting on our patio watching our neighbor go back and forth using his new tile saw on his patio. He was putting in a backsplash in his home. He was cussing up a storm and Rick and I found it highly entertaining. On one cut I could tell what he was doing with that saw. I said to Rick that is not going to be even. Rick laughed partly due to the fact that I knew this and partly because he knew it too and that poor son of a bitch was going to begin swearing again. 

 His wife came outside and saw us over the fence and asked if she could come over. We know she has been working from hom but we told her yes, but keep a safe distance. We ended up eating together but kept our chairs 6+ ft apart and we had some good laughs about it. I know we probably shouldn't have done that but we did. It was weird but nice at the same time. To be so far away and yet talking to one another was weird. 

We even ate the birthday cake that Laura wanted from Dairy Queen. I ordered her cake and when I went to pick it up they asked what I wanted to be written on the top. I said we can skip it because they aren't coming. (I had called and asked if I could cancel the cake and they said I could but there would be no refund. WHAT?) 
So we shared the cake with the neighbors as well. We cut up the rest of it and froze it in pieces for both the neighbors and Rick. I can't eat the cake, thank God, it has cookies in the middle. They loved this cake so that was a good thing.

I tried to attach a video I took of us all on the deck that was pretty darn funny. But apparently, it won't go from my phone to my pc no way no how. I don't understand why either.
Oh well.

For the life of me I can't believe how the phones are ringing in our office and people want this done now. WTH is wrong with people?  We had another flight attendant want her new condo kitchen cabinets refinished/refaced. Seriously isn't your job as a flight attendant risking your life enough? 
Can't this shallow shit wait?
I just shake my head at people.

In the meantime, my governor is asleep at the wheel like the ole trumpster.
He will never shut us down and that keeps people having a false sense of security. (and he's a dr no less)
This is what I call an entitled population issue, isn't it? 
You can hear them whine, "I don't have to stop my life and you can't make me." 

_______________________________________
Oh and one other thing - I tried to comment on a blog that said I could leave no comments because I was not a member of the blog. What the hell does that mean? I follow her. I comment all the time. This is new. I guess I am either blocked or she doesn't even know this is going on because she has no comments on the post. Oh well, Mildred what is up? If it is blocking, teach me how to do it!

My Week

Dogs and Social Distancing

When I was growing up "they" delivered beer to our house all the time.
I asked Rick if he did as well and he said yep, his dad called and they delivered.

In today's world of delivery for everything they no longer do this.
Is it because of some law?
I don't drink beer due to the whole celiac thing. And Rick doesn't drink much due to his gout issue. So we always have beer on hand for people who stop by and for Rick every once in a while but we mostly take in wine and liquor.

Now the liquor stores don't deliver, never have. But boy would that be a good idea. I mean they deliver pot around here why not liquor?
I can show my ID and have it paid for and you can leave it on my porch.
I know it's not legal but it seems to me in times like these it should be.

I heard the nicest interaction yesterday.
On my lunch break I sit outside on the wall while Izzy sprawls out on the sidewalk, looking over her domain. 

A man and his daughter were bike riding. They stopped at the corner by my house. Dad needed to catch his breath. His daughter was laughing at him. Calling him out of shape and old. He laughed and then they sat on their bikes with their feet on the ground and just chatted. At one point I looked over at them and saw him give her a look like he just discovered this wonderful creature in front of him. It was lovely.  He told her how proud he was of her. He was probably in his 40s and she was about 14. Could have been younger, you know how girls at that age look far older than they are.

Then the girl says, "hey dad that dog is Izzy she never moves if you walk by or if I ride my bike on the sidewalk wanna see?'  

He told her not to do it because if the dog moved she could fall off the bike or hurt the dog. She got up on her seat and said, "no way Dad, not Izzy, watch"
Then she proceeded to leave the street and go onto the sidewalk and rode right past Izzy and she never moved just as this girl said. The young girl stopped a house down from me and turned to her dad on the street and yelled, "SEE? Told you."
The father looked at me and I waved and said, "Izzy doesn't bother a soul"  
He said, '"I've been hearing about your dog for years. You don't walk her on the leash right?"  Yep, that is us. She is a great dog.
He asked if he could pet her.   Now my mind is going - she is closer to me than 6 ft then you will be too. But I said okay and moved.  He came over to Izzy and pet her and said some things and then looked up at me and said, "Thanks, now when my kids and wife talk about your dog I can say I too know beautiful Izzy."

Izzy just takes in all the love the little whore. She eats it up.
We hear this stuff all the time. Is that Izzy? We don't know these people.
But they know Izzy and we find it adorable. We can be a mile from home and we still hear it. Everybody loves this dog and she loves everybody but not their dogs. She loves people, other dogs she can take them or leave them. We have found over the years that certain breeds she will just stay away from but she loves her family of labradors. Little dogs bother her and as she has aged puppies drive her nuts. 

Last evening on our after-dinner walk a man said, "Hey is this Izzy?"
Now, mind you all this takes place at least 6 ft away. It's kind of funny talking to people like this. 
Anyway...
We, of course, tell him yes it is Izzy. 
His son said, "Dad this is the dog that is on the sidewalk after school when we get off the bus. We all pet her and play with her."
The father told me how a few nights ago he heard all about this great dog and was asked why can't they get a dog. 
The father told them that not all dogs are like Izzy that is why.
Then the father asked, "if I get a dog would you like to train him/her to be like Izzy?"  
We laughed and said no but thank you. It's a lot of work and 1/2 of the work is the dog. We got a great dog. 
We also got a dog that was not hyper from day 1. 
We did the unthinkable and went through a breeder when Lab Rescue failed us. We explained how the breeder breeds non-hyper labs which we thought didn't exist. (www.labpups.com)
But they do indeed breed these excellent AKC dogs and have older dogs to adopt as well. 
But all labs are so easily trained because they so want to please.
"See Dad I know I could do it please let's get an Izzy"
The dad said to Rick, "See what you've done to my household?"

Rick told the young boy that after all this is over (covid-19) he can come by sometime to walk her ....but on a leash, if he'd like to learn how to walk her or to come to play with her and throw the ball, etc. 
The kid got so excited and was jumping up and down. 
The father thanked us and off they went. 
We could hear the kid, "come on dad we can get a dog where they got their dog so it will be a good dog like Izzy. Pleeaasse! I promise I'll take care of her"
We both have a feeling this father will be in contact with us again, just a hunch, he will want the breeder's name if he gets a dog or help with his rescue.

For an anti-social person getting a dog sure changes all that. 
Especially as one as popular as Izzy. 
Now with everyone home, I see a lot of dog walkers during the day. Normally it's just me and their dog walkers. So to see families out walking last night it was kind of nice even though it was for all the wrong reasons.

And on that note I wanted to share with you a post someone left on our community FB page that I thought was perfect.

"No caterpillar ever turned into a butterfly without retreating into its chrysalis. From the outside, it looks trapped and confined, but on the inside, t is transforming. Its former self melts away, and when the time is right, when all the changes that need to be made in order for it to fly not crawl in this world when complete metamorphosis has taken place, it will emerge from its chrysalis in all its beauty. Nature is giving us a chance to transform our world by transforming ourselves. May we emerge from our chrysalises as kinder, braver, more compassionate, more loving, more grateful, more sustainable creatures than we were before.

"We need a change of heart, a reframing of all our conceptions and a new orientation of our activities. The inward life of man as well as his outward environment has to be reshaped if human salvation is to be secured."
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Anything New?

My hairdresser opened her new salon yesterday. 
Oh, dear. I felt bad for her but there is no way anyone should be getting their hair and nails done right now. Not what one calls social distancing. 
I think over the next 3 weeks we are about to find out everyone's true color. 😊

We have canceled all estimates and repairs. The things on the books no one is canceling we are shocked. We are taking our chances and doing the last few days on the books because we need the money. We had a repair on a tub that a woman who is an international flight attendant called about. We had done her tub a couple of years ago. She got a new shower door and the workman did some damage to her bathtub. She called and asked us to come by to repair it. 
NOW, knowing she just went to India and then two weeks before she was in Asia I just felt that we should probably not go to her home. I told Rick it was unsettling to me. She can use her tub so it's not like it's imperative right now.
So Rick decided that all estimates can be done via phone for now.
And all non-essential things like a repair will be put on hold until after this nightmare. She was most understanding but was disappointed we weren't coming. I told her if it gets to the point it can't be repaired we will do it all for free again when the dust settles from this virus. She understood. I was shocked to hear she was still flying. Who the hell is traveling internationally right now? In fact, I thought we were not supposed to. 

None of the jobs are essential really. But those that have a small repair can still use their bathtub are going to be fine. Those ugly cabinets aren't going anywhere. I am shocked they want all these people in their homes. I've talked to everyone for the rest of the month. (not many now) I just have to say, it is what it is and try to be calm. Not easy. We will get to them. I actually had a woman say she needs this ASAP. She is trying to sell her house. I can't fathom people going to look at homes right now but I may be wrong.

I wish our banks would do the thing they are doing in Canada. They have 6 banks I believe I read, who are forgoing 6 months of mortgage to help their citizens out. I know America doesn't have the same empathy sadly so it won't happen here. But God that would help us sooooo much! It would be the difference in making or breaking us. 

In somewhat lighter and possibly happy news. 

• I am talking to less creepy mean people! Did you see my happy dance? 
• My husband is around more. (wait is that happy news?)
• I am gaining weight from stress eating. Not happy news but a fact.I ate goulash last night. A big ass bowl that my hubby made with my GF noodles. It was so good I ate way too much. I may not fit outside my door when this is over.
• My hair can grow out now and not as many people will see my too short of hair
• I may get to grow out my hair and my color. I always wanted to go all white but EVERYONE tells me it will look awful on me. Hmmm.....
• It's warm and sunny and Friday will be 80 degrees.
• My dog has taken to sleeping until 5:30 - 6am.  This is a first in 11 years. I think her aging is the issue and that part of it we don't mind.
• Had a man yesterday say my name so many times it made me laugh. He was a big flirt. Rick saw him in the afternoon and he wanted to know what I looked like and if I was married. Too funny. Rick came home and said to me, "I almost told him what I always have told you, 'you give good phone' "  Oh that made me laugh. He has said this since our first conversation on the phone before we met. Apparently, I sound good who knew? It brings an image of those phone sex operators who are fat, ugly, sitting in a moo-moo with their hair in curlers being a phone sex operator and if the poor fella on the other end saw them it would be lights out. That's how I feel. I may sound good but seeing me would hurt their mental images. 

Enjoy your confinement and if you watch a good movie or comedian streaming let me know. Tried for one last night, the guy was horrible and he didn't wear a shirt. We did not get far. Why the no shirt is anyone's guess. If he said why I didn't hear it. No, he did not a six-pack, more like a keg with a maga attitude. Awful!
Don't recall his name but it's new on Netflix. I don't recommend.

Doctor Visits

I had a doctor's appointment for Thursday.
You remember that mass on my retina. Yeah, she's still there. (betty she has been named)
My eye doctor's office called me early Monday to tell me that a doctor in the group was in contact with a person who tested positive for Coronavirus.
After much thought, they felt it best to close the office since he didn't know and had come to the office.
So my appointment was canceled. Great I sat on my glasses and can't see a lick.
I may have to just begin to learn braille while quarantined.

Then I called my podiatrist office because after that cortisone shot I was to return on Friday. (yes a week of appointments like a good old person) 
I asked if they were closing. She said they were considering it and they would call me. I said, "I think I will beat you to it, I'd like to cancel. Sitting in an office with all those people is just not something I need to do right now."  The woman on the phone whispered, "thank you for getting it"  She told me to call back when the dust settles. If I need anything doctors are always on call. She did think they would be closing but it wasn't official as of Monday morning.

Then my main doctor's appointment was next week to go over the 18 vials of blood I had drawn last week. (My annual appointment) I asked if they were closing. She told me "not yet," I said if I change my mind can we go over my labs on the phone? She said it has been done. Call me at the end of the week.

The more I thought about this the more it bothered me. A doctor's office is asking me to come to sit with sick people just to go over my lab work.
Now I know it's a lot of lab work and issues to address.
But nothing will be done in the office that can't be done on the phone except them weighing me. Thankfully so, with all the stress eating I'm doing.
I think if they don't close I'm not going. I was out in the masses at grocery stores. That is all I"m doing. Rick is going into people's homes for a few more days and we have to be smart. He wears practically a hazmat suit but still, you never know.
I don't need to bring something home to my "elderly" man who is not at the tip-top health shape of his life.
Am I being crazy? Perhaps. But we all must remember that match visual I posted and that tells me to stay home. And why wouldn't the doctor want me to stay home and do this over the phone? She still charges me $350 for an office visit if in person or on the phone so why does she care?   I had it done before when I was unable to get there after my knee surgery. So why not know?

The woman across the street has asked us to pick up some milk for her if we went back out today. Rick is out so I asked him to stop and get her some.
She dropped hers and she was so upset - milk all over her floor. 
She said she was about to cry as she cleaned it all up. 
I imagine the tears are just from the stress of it all you know?
She had diabetes and is somewhere around 75-78.  I am not certain. I just know she's older and we try to help her a great deal. Her daughter lives in this development and doesn't do squat for her or even check on her or call her weekly. How do kids do that? I live 400 miles away (I think) and I call my parents (stepmom) weekly and sometimes far more as I've done recently to check on her. Just to see how she's doing. Why wouldn't you unless you don't talk to your family.

Here are some more memes on this fun we're having.