My Favorite Expression

Two weeks ago I had a woman call our office for our services. Rick did the job and she wrote me an email saying that he did a fabulous job and thanked us again for getting she and her husband on the schedule so quickly (had a cancellation) and then all these niceties.

Now I don’t get those (niceties) often so you would think I would just love them and not complain. But something about this woman was a bit creepy. I thanked her and thought that was the end of it.

Then she wrote to me on Thursday and asked if she could speak to Rick.
I said he wasn’t in the office but I could help her.
She said, “No I need to speak with him.”
I told her I would page him and have him give her a call when he was able.

Now remember I do not tell people that I am Rick’s wife. They think I am just an employee who works here. I even go by my maiden name here. So keep that in mind.

Rick called her and then Rick calls me from the field to tell me that she is psycho and he thinks she is divorcing because she kept saying she wants this job done before her husband gets home and “that everything has changed in my life in the last two weeks”

He asked me if I could fit her in somewhere so he could drop by and see what needs done and get her on the schedule. "Why the hell couldn’t she just ask you Margaret? “
“Cause I think she’s hot for you “and we both laughed having no idea really.

I told him that his schedule looked like he could swing by there Friday afternoon in between appointments to see what is involved and if it’s as small as you say it sounds you may be able to do the job on Tuesday afternoon. So he told me that when she calls see if that will work for her. "I am not talking to her again - please deal with her for me okay?"

She did indeed call me immediately after I hung up with Rick.
I squeezed her in for the estimate on Friday as Rick and I talked about.
She was thankful I could do this on such short notice.
She thanked me over and over again and then went on a tirade about her hubby, complete with crying. Apparently he just came home one day and told her he didn’t want to be married anymore. She was surprised. He then left the next morning for California for a week. She got a realtor and she is trying to get the home ready to sell. It’s her dream home and yada yada yada…..whimper, whimper, whimper. TMI to me.

She said her husband is cheap and wouldn’t do all these things to fix up the house and she wanted them done before he came home to avoid him bitching a fit. She said he would complain to have to do it but if he doesn’t know it’s been done all the better.
I wanted to scream – I REALLY DON’T CARE LADY..
But I just muttered, Mmm, yes, etc.

Now on Friday Rick goes to do the estimate and then she calls me immediately upon his departure. (in the mean time Rick gets in his truck and tries to call me and gets voicemail because I’m on the phone with her!)

She wanted to book this ASAP and it must be before the dreaded hubby comes home from California. Then she went on this whole tangent on how wonderful Rick is. He is so sweet and handsome. His wife is so lucky. I wonder if she knows how lucky she is to have such a wonderful man in her life. He seems to be such a warm person and he is so good and kind that I know he will be rewarded. (Okay I am stifling a huge laugh here and it’s killing me!)


She then said, “I asked him for a hug and I think I scared him a bit and I just went for it.”
Now I am thinking, do I tell this nut job that I am his wife or what do I do?
I say nothing.
She repeats that he sure is sweet and cute. Okay already I get it!
I book the job for Tuesday – today.

Rick in the mean time has left me a voicemail while I’m on the phone with her to tell me to call him as soon as I get off the phone. I do.
He said, "OH MY GOD this woman is nuts. She started to cry and I put my hand on her shoulders which I know I shouldn’t have and she went in for a hug. I was standing there with my pen and invoices and my tools and I didn’t put my arms around her just stood there with my hands full. She is telling me stuff like I could give a shit. it was so odd and awkward you have no idea.....she's creepy man"

I am now laughing at him.

"I need a shower Margaret this isn’t funny."

He asked, “You know the worst part?”

“That you’re married?”

"No, Margaret that she is gross. Why don’t good looking young ladies do this to me?"

That is what you think is the worse part? Oh brother Rick.... What is wrong with her?"

"She’s been ridden hard and put away wet ya know?"

Ah, there it is…the expression that I had never heard of until I met him and it never fails to make me giggle.

“And she’s old.”

“What are you calling old, old man?”

"Well 60 is my guess.....maybe late 50’s but looks terrible. She has black hair that is like Elvira.
Not a shade found in nature you know? A smoker so her face is all crinkly. And no big boobs like Elvira or curves– she's just a scary homely stick!"

"Okay so what you’re telling me is if she was 25-40 and good looking I would have a reason to be worried."

"Well Bubbaloo…..not worried exactly….and he trails off like I won’t notice."

"Ah, laugh now funny boy she could be dangerous!"

"I know and that is what I'm worried about. I'm telling you she gives me the creeps and it's not becuase she is not nice looking but because she is just creepy."

So today he is at her house working on her master bath.
I called him and he sounded odd. It went like this…..

"Is she standing right there with you in the bathroom as you work?"

"Oh Yes, that’s right I can probably do it on this Saturday."

"Do I have to worry about finding rabbits or my dog boiling in my pot on the stove?"

"You may! I will call you when I leave here and head to the next job and we can figure the schedule as well as the proper top coat?"

"Sure, you’re making me laugh you know, like I’m a stranger."

"Yes,I know but I believe the low VOC top coat will have a lesser warranty."

"Are you scared?"

"A little bit. I’ll talk with you soon and we can discuss it then."

So blogger friends I’ll let you know what happened tomorrow.
I can’t wait until he leaves her house I know he will be calling me immediately.

M & M's and lousy baseball

Not a great day for me.

My team got their asses spanked last night & I have a new addiction..
M & M peanuts…..oh sure they are gluten free but not good for me.

My husband bought Halloween candy this year.
There is a damn good reason why he never has done this before.
I normally buy it every year and I buy candy I don’t like for a reason.
I buy Snickers, Reese peanut butter cups, Kit-kat bars other things I will not eat.
Normally we buy the full size bars from Costco but this year money is tight so we discussed buying Halloween size candy this year and not be as popular as in previous years on the block.

I guess since we discussed this he figured while he was at Costco picking up a Rx he could just pick some up….which is thoughtful kind of….
I really hate when Rick goes to Costco alone because they sell lots of stuff in big amounts. It’s a manly store with big ole sides of beef that he can’t walk away from and bricks of cheese the size of his head so when he walks in there he goes ape shit nuts.
But I digress…. I will tell you some of the escapades another time….back to Halloween.

Numbnuts brings home the variety pack of candy the size of Rhode Island from Costco.
Doesn’t he know that I can rummage through this until I find something I like?
Don’t you think after 22 years he would have figured out that I can hear candy call my name no matter how high you put this enormous bag? (I have step stools goof ball)

Yes I am short, 5’2” and hubby is 6’2” so he thinks if the candy is high I won’t eat it. HA!

The damn fool believed me when I told him that. But last night I kept hearing little whispers of, “Peggy eat me, eat me, up here, c’mon get me, Peggy eat me.”

How can you resist this I ask you?
(Honestly it wasn’t Rick saying those things either – he was already snoring in his chair)

So last night during the horrifically embarrassing game I hit that bag like a raccoon to a garbage can. He and the dog snored as I gained 5lbs from sugar and nuts.
So wonderful for my health issues I know. I ate 8 of them….8!! I am a pig.
While there may only be 4 in each of those mini bags that is still 32 chocolate covered peanuts I unconsciously ate while screaming at my TV.

I waddled upstairs feeling sick from M & M’s and my team’s lousy play.

I am feeling like shit today.

Anyone got any Ben and Jerry’s that may help settle my tummy?

Apple Pie ...part II

My sister wrote & asked me for this recipe after she read about it here.
Then a friend called and asked how to make this as well.
So my ugly but good pie is listed below.
I will write the directions as the recipe called for.
Then I will tell you what I did differently.

Now you are all assuming it’s good and I can’t tell you that because I can’t eat it.
You are going by my husband’s reaction.
He will eat anything…..that my friends is my disclaimer in case you all don’t like it.
BTW he has finished the whole pie as of last night.
I took it out of the oven at 4pm on Saturday and it was gone by Monday night all by himself.
If only women could eat like this....oh we can but then we look like a barn. Sigh.

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Now here is what I did differently than above directions.

1. I used a Pillsbury frozen pie crusts that you roll out – I cheated!I brushed egg white on the bottom crust so that it didn’t get soggy.I added a tsp of cinnamon to the apples and didn’t think that was enough so I just put in more. How much more you ask? I have no idea – maybe another tsp. I also put in a pinch of nutmeg.
2. When it came to the syrup I took the ¼ cup water and removed 1 tsp of it and replaced that with 1 tsp of vanilla. My thinking was it would be the same amount of liquid.I also didn’t pour it over the apples once in the pie crust because I knew I wasn’t doing a lattice top– I mixed it in the apples in the big bowl and then transferred them all to the crust.
3. I didn’t make a lattice top crust. I left some of the syrup out and poured that over the top so I could still get the sugary crunchy top. I am guessing about ¼ c was left out and used on the top. Again though I am guessing. I have to admit I sometimes cook and bake like the old Italian women in my family. All of it done by eye balling it.

Now Tallulah I expect you to perfect this because you are the high priestess of baking and cooking unlike myself. I dabble in comparision.

As Julia would say, Bon Appetit!

Monday Morning Tidbits

• It’s fall and I am loving it. I walked the dog this morning and all the leaves were fragrant and the smell of the air was just…..well fall like. Reminds me of apples. I love everything about fall. The colors, the weather, the leaves, the energy I get from it all. It really has its own energy and it’s one I enjoy much more than summer. It truly is my favorite time of year.

• My boys of summer are now my boys of fall and heading into the World Series. I was up way past my bedtime to watch the final out and jump around my tv room like a crazy old woman. Honestly if someone was looking in my windows they would have seen a woman in her pj’s and high on ½ a pain killer jumping up and down and no one else in the room. Hubby and dog went to bed at a normal hour like normal people. I never said I was normal.
• I made Rick an apple pie. Since I have a gluten intolerance I can’t have any goodies but it sure did smell good. The way he has been eating it since Saturday I would say it was good. He moans when he eats it and that’s a good sign. He laughed when I told him I was going to try something a little different. You see I decided to try this recipe I saw. But I never completely follow a recipe. It didn’t have cinnamon or nutmeg and I wanted both in there. C’mon who doesn’t have cinnamon in your apple pie? Then there was this carmel-y sauce you make and pour over the apples and then again over the top of the lattice crust. I added vanilla to that sauce because well I thought it needed a tsp of that as well. I also didn’t do a lattice crust – and just poured it over the top. It made it sugary and crunchy and everything that Rick loves. He was in heaven. I so wanted to have a piece but I just smelled it. He told me this was by far the best apple pie he has ever eaten so I guess I’ll do this recipe again. That’s a big deal since his mother’s recipe is the one he always wanted me to make before. Not pretty but apparently very tasty.

• My shoulder is giving me a lot of pain. I am concerned because it is just like it was before my rotator cuff surgery. Not good. Yesterday the pain was so bad it made me cry. I fear that something happened to it again. I hung in there until evening when I couldn’t stand it anymore and broke a pain pill in ½ and took it. I hate pain pills. But it took the edge off and that helped me to sleep….some. Not enough though.
• I heard Rod Stewart on TV this morning. No matter what genre that man sings I just love him. Gosh he has to be 60 something by now too. He looks great. I am sure he has had work done but he doesn’t look disfigured you know? I just saw a trailer of a new black comedy with Meg Ryan that looks great to me. But the whole time I just kept staring at her face. Why she did this to herself is beyond me. I too would love to look like I did at 25 but I have never seen anyone be able to without looking odd or disfigured so I guess I’ll just grow old and not I’m sure not gracefully either……going into old age kicking and screaming like I’m doing today.

Depression.

I read a lot of blogs and have noticed a common theme amongst them of late.
Everyone is depressed.

Is it the season? Is it the economy? Is it much deeper than that? I wonder.
Perhaps depressed people write more?

My first thought on reading one today was that I too was depressed when I lived in that part of the world. And the therapists I found there were most unhelpful, unconventional but not helpful by any stretch of the imagination.
So, I wondered if you get depressed living there or do depressed people find their way there?

Then I remembered a friend who lived in Pa. She had SAD, sun affected disorder. It’s that time of year and maybe that is what is causing all the depression.
Could it be that easy? Is it ever that easy?

Doctors don’t know shit about this trust me.
I remember when I had the world by the ass. Wonderful marriage, loved my job, making buckets of $$ and yet I could burst into tears at moments notice.
I couldn't understand why I was in this very dark and alone place.
No sleep, a walking zombie of depression. But my doctor kept insisting there must be something wrong with my marriage. The asshole had me leave with a box of anti-depressants and said, "this will help you." Ah the magic pill which I took.
I felt even worse. When I called his office to tell him that I hadn’t slept in 2 days because of the effect of these he told me, “but you feel better overall don’t you?” WTF?
Come to find out it was my thyroid which every numb nut said was normal.
I hate doctors but you all know that.

So why are so many of us depressed when we seem to have it all?
I don’t like my job, I make no money at said job and I have a wonderful hubby and we are stressed beyong belief with finances right now yet I’m not clinically depressed although a smart person sure as hell should be.

Why do so many women most of all get undiagnosed? Why are we made to feel less than if we do open up and say, “Hey things aren’t working for me right now.”
Why is this such a stigma?
If my heart didn’t work there is no stigma.
It’s an organ it’s not working properly end of story.
My brain is an organ too. If it’s not working properly then why is that a stigma and not workable? Just putting it out there. Got an answer?

Monday Mornings

Not a fan of mornings....any morning honestly.

I am not a morning person as my husband and dog are. Hubby wakes up all happy and talky and I want so scream at him but I remember I don't like to talk in the morning. If he had a tail like Izzy they both would be wagging like crazy in the morning. Both to drive me nuts I swear. How does one wake up like that?

I remember the 1st time I spent the night with him waaaay back in the day. That first night I remember thinking this guy is nuts, his water bed is set to 80 degrees and I'm dying here. I kept opening the window and there was a foot or more of snow and he kept getting up and closing the window. But it was worse come morning.

He got up humming! Humming I tell you!! Whistle while you work sort of thing.
Who the hell does that I ask you?
He was all perky and talking and singing his little song.
I wanted to just get dressed and go home.
But he was having none of that. He just kept talking and asking questions as I slowly moved about looking for my clothes off the floor.

Can't I make you something to eat?
Or would you prefer to go out to get breakfast?
God it's a beautiful day isn't it?
Wanna go to the beach this afternoon?
We can cross country ski or walk on the paths?
Do you have plans today?
Are you mad or something?
Cat got your tongue?
You are okay aren't you?
C'mon let's go get some breakfast on Peach.

OMG I WILL DO ANYTHING IF YOU PROMISE TO STOP TALKING AND HUMMING is what I am thinking but I say nothing and barely make my lips curl up to a smile.

You're not a morning person are you?

Ya think?
Do you get up this happy every morning?

Of course it's morning. What's not to be happy about?

Oh my God I wanted to crawl back into bed with the covers over my head but we all know his bed was hot as hell and the window was closed.
A good lay can only take get you so far is what the song in my head is playing!

He hasn't changed in all these years either only now he has a dog to talk to in the morning. Bad thing is he talks to her about me like I can't hear him.

Mommy is cranky in the morning isn't she Izzy?
She's no fun like we are is she?
It's going to be a beautiful day today too.
Do you want to go for a walk and let Mrs. Cranky Pants wake up and finish her coffee?
Maybe we'll get her to smile by the time we get back.

I guess he thinks this will make me feel better, or talk or smile but really.....
They leave and I swear if I had the engery I would do a happy dance but I might spill my coffee.

I need to just sit and enjoy the quiet non humming home.

This just makes me happy.....deal with it.

Tonight is the 1st game of the playoff's before the World Series.
I will be on the edge of my seat all night. I hope it will be a happy ending.
This is now my life for the next few weeks.
It's a sickness that has no cure....and I love it!
I can not even articulate how much this means to me.
Here comes #27!!!!!!!!!!

This makes me want to move to Canada......again

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/jon-stewart-takes-on-30-r_n_321985.html

Brrrrrr........

Okay those of us in the East and North are freezing our asses off right about now.
Man it's cold. And yes I am a wuss.

Our average temp at this time of year is 68. I even looked it up to be sure it wasn't wishful thinking. It's going to be a high today of 47. It's pouring rain and it's dark out. Jeez this is early isn't it? Kind of like Seattle weather as I remember it.

So here I sit in fleece in October for heaven's sake. I can't imagine my boys of summer will be be able to play ball this Friday night in this weather.
Halloween should be a hoot just like where I grew up....only without the snow.
It always seemed to snow on halloween when I was growing up but honestly it just always snowed up there period.

Last year here we sat out on the porch with our lawn chairs and cocktails and handed out candy to the kids. I love halloween. I love seeing all the kids and I love the chocolate.....hey I bought it.

I remember having what I thought was the most beautiful halloween costume of my whole life.
I guess I was about 6-7 yrs old. It was a fairy costume. White dress with sparkles & big sparkly wings and I wanted to wear this outfit all the time. Yes, I was a fru-fru little girl. (and still am I love me some sparkly) How I loved these wings. That is what I remember most.

It snowed a few feet and I had to have on my snow pants and boots and I thought that was quite enough. But noooooo, my mom wanted me in a coat, scarf up to my nose, hat and gloves.
I really didn't mind the gloves I could still hold my sparkly wand with gloves.
But to cover up my wings?

I am a ole menopausal woman now and I remember this like it was yesterday.
I sure as hell can't find my car in the mall parking lot on most days, but I remember this vividly.
I cried like crazy. I wanted people to see my sparkly wings!!!! I was told that if I kept up this behavior I wouldn't go at all. The idea of no wings AND no chocolate was more than my 6 year old self could handle so I behaved.....kind of.

I know I was wimpering when my coat had to be put on. Just as we were leaving my Mom's sister showed up. My Aunt Dee Dee was a spoiler. I mean to say she spoiled my sister and I like you wouldn't believe. She had no children and being with Aunt Dee Dee was always so much fun to my sister and I. Dee Dee walked in and saw us all wrapped up in snow clothes and said to my Mom, "where are their costumes?" I immediatley asked if I could show Aunt Dee Dee my fairy wings. So off comes the coat and scarf. She makes a fuss just like I wanted.
She asked my mom, "why don't you just cut them off and put them on the coat?"
My mom responded with, "The way they are attached it will rip her costume."
My Aunt said the magicial words, "So what, it's not like she'll be able to fit in this next year right?" At which point I jumped up and down and said, "Yes, mom pleeaaaasssse!"

I don't know how Dee Dee did it but my mom gave in. Dee Dee winked at me and I hugged her.
My mom uttered something about "your Aunt Dee......
So the brat I am got to have my wings on the outside of my snow suit. You could only see my eyes, my wand and my wings but I just didn't care!! I wish I could find a photo of that because that would be a hoot. I know it must have looked completely ridiculous but I was happy as any kid could be on halloween - 2 feet of snow or not!

Toxic People

Toxic People don't know they are toxic.
Negative people don't think they are negative.

Would they see it if they were shown hours of video with their comments and behavior?
You know like the surprised targets see their ugly clothing choices on What Not To Wear?

Something happened to me when I turned 40.
Yes, something other than my tits and ass falling that is.
I started to not be a people pleasing person. I no longer was going to say YES, when I really wanted to say NO. It was truly one of the most difficult things to do. Yes, even more difficult than eliminating carbs or trying on a bathing suit in winter with those glaring flourescent lights!

I started slowly. I found saying No was uncomfortable. I would squirm. But I continued.
I found the uncomfortable place was better than saying yes to do something I couldn't do and then going home to bitch to my husband about how dare they ask me to do this. So I realized that Dr. Phil did say one thing in his life that made sense - people treat you the way you allow them to treat you. I was being walked on because I was afraid if I didn't let them they wouldn't like me. So began my era of "people treat me the way I allow them to treat me."
That became my mantra as I continued to forge ahead with my No's. Oh my family was the worst. I was a bitch they would say. I heard it all. But I stuck to my guns. Even though some of those times made me cry I was determined.

I will bend over backwards for family and friends but I am finding that most will just suck the life out of you if you let them. So are those really friends? I mean c'mon we all know family we're stuck with good and bad. But "friends"? We don't have a lot of options here. We can talk to them. We can try to explain our point of view. Perhaps a when you do this it makes me feel like XYZ. But if they don't understand and continue to do this then is it time to move on or is that mean?

I have chosen to move on. Life for me has been a lot of highs and lows like for most people. Right now I don't need all the negativity. I also don't need the bullshit.
I am straight up no chaser for God's sake - c'mon I don't like bullshit.
One does not have to be hurtful to be honest. That can't be said enough - "you can be honest without being hurtful" repeat after me.

I wrote an email awhile back to some friends as a joke. I know if I posted it here ya'll would comment on the humor or comment in kind with your witty retorts. However I got one back that was negative. One. Normally I would have let it go but it was the straw that broke this camels back.

When discussing this with the person I told her there were 2 but there was only her negativity. I wanted to open dialog. This had been going on for a long time. (my husband pointed out when she was visiting how everything no matter how mundane became a negative comment from her) I was now tired of it to be honest. But I wanted to show her that she didn't have to go there but how? I mentioned that it was a joke she realized that right? oh she did she said. I asked if she could explain why she said what she did then to me I was puzzled. She went on a negative tirade. I realized right then that there was nothing I could say so why say more. She was exhausting and I was tired. I left it float there and I said nothing more. I ended the conversation and in my mind the friendship to. It made me step back and look at all the things said over the years and all the snarky comments said I realized I had to purge this and I did. I sometimes still feel badly but mostly not. She insisted there was a positive comment at the end that I was overlooking. And God love her she was correct and I told her that and that was all I said.
She didn't get it so what point was there of pointing that out to her. It did make me laugh though. The equalivant would be, "You are a Big, Fat, Stupid, Low Class White Trash Piece of Shit, but your hair looks kind of nice." What you didn't hear me tell you your hair looked nice?
That kind of thing.

So I have moved on. You are asking, so why the hell did that come up today?
Because today I saw a quote that read....
Toxic relationships are like broken glass. It’s better to leave them broken...than hurt yourself trying to fix it.

Now if only family members could stop finding ways to suck the life out of me from miles and miles away.

Fall

As you can see by the new header I was at the lake this weekend.

The water was cold (65) the air was crisp (67) and the water was like glass. Great for boating and there were a lot of other boaters doing the same. I love boating this time of year because the leaves are falling and it smells great, you see a whole lot more of everything because the trees are thinning out. Izzy loved all the ducks she saw, that kept her perched up front of the boat watching them all.

It's that sad time of year when the hammock comes down and all the outside furniture comes in or gets covered. The refridgerator and cupboards are emptied and it just makes me sad.

Izzy was in heaven and swam her little head off. She didn't think it was that cold. Brrr....

It's funny but I actually feel badly for her that she has nothing but a city dogs life for the next few cold months. She is so free there, no leashes, running so hard her ears are back and being able to smell everything and anything. Her tail is in constant motion she is so happy. And she sleeps a lot there as well from all the exercise.

Rick and I feel the same. I swear as soon as we pull into the driveway our blood pressure lowers and it's so relaxing. I love the smell of all the trees and fall leaves. It's a bitch to rake an acre of trees but the smell is the best. We did a lot of work on the house and getting things ready for winter but we also had a wonderful time. We drank a lot of wine Saturday while working which I must confess makes for a lot more laughter and fun for tedious jobs that neither of us wanted to tackle.

And then late afternoon on a beautiful Saturday we hunkered down together into the double hammock wrapped in a comforter and had a wine nap, a full 2 1/2 hour wine together with Izzy sleeping by the side of the hammock the whole time with us. She was swimmer dog tired, we were just buzzed in the middle of the afternoon.....life is great.

Now back to city life....kicking and screaming all the way.

One of My Favorite little Trails...by Izzy

Here is a photo of where those snorting deer jumped out at me and Mom that I told you all about a few days ago......

This is me just being pretty staring at the pond that my mean parents won't let me jump in.

This isn't the pond that gave me swamp eye so I don't get it why I can't go in there.

Honestly. Parents!

This below is just me watching some birds.... can you see how dark my winter coat has come in?

My summer highlights are all gone on the top of my head.

For some reason that makes mommy sad - she's nutty, I'm just a dog and I roll in poop so who cares.

Can you see the place they shaved my leg for the IV?

It's itchy and so is my belly that they shaved. I am not happy about any of that but they told me I had to because they didn't want little Izzy's around. I don't see why not they tell me I'm a good girl why not lots of me????

Life

I guess it’s true that you are born when you were supposed to be born. That you get the parents, children and the pets that your heart was meant to share. That everything in your life has a reason and a purpose. Never really thought about it much but as I age I have begun to see things in my rear view mirror that I think give you a different perspective.

This clarity came to me while watching my tivo’d Mad Men eipisode last night.
I watch these women who have no choices. Who have marriages that do not fulfill them.
Who have children not because they want them but because society makes them feel less if they should ever utter the phrase, “I would prefer not to have children”
Educated women who speak more than 1 language with degrees out the ying yang but to be married must give it all up to deal with laundry, dinners and being arm candy for your upwardly mobile husband. They all seem to be walking depressed pretty zombies. I just wouldn’t have lasted a minute.

I don’t think I could have held my tongue or stayed in “my place” . I don’t think I could have been put into a peg that didn’t feel right for me.
I believe I would have squirmed and wiggled until I was completely and utterly bonkers. I would have been one of those women who had a “breakdown” I guess it was good that I wasn’t born until much later.

While I am an old fart in today’s world I am young enough to have lived to see the fight for women’s rights. Oh sure we have a helluva long way to go but it’s so much better.
I have had choices. I remember in high school when all I ever wanted was to be a disc jokey. For 2 years my guidance counselor told me to get it out of my head. No college for me in communications. I was a girl and I should think about nursing or teaching. I wanted none of either. I continued on my quest. I even took a test that they gave to see what we were suited for. I am sure it a Myers Briggs type of thing back in the day. My test results came back with one of the careers well suited for my personality was disc jockey. That was when the guidance counselor told me that women couldn’t become disc jockeys because they “drone” No one will listen to them so I had to stop this nonsense. He heard about my paper for English class where I interview the “morning mayor” of a local radio station and that while the paper was good (got an A) I had to stop all the foolishness and think about another career. This was the 70’s. A decade after Mad Men and while it was better it still wasn’t great for women.

There are still so many things that we can improve on. Here in 2009 I realize that at age 50 a woman becomes invisible. A Man at 50 is distinguished and sexy.
I also know that today a woman in power or that wants power or to be moving up in her career is considered a bitch, too tough, power hungry and or a lesbian. A man who strives for power in his profession is considered a go getter, driven, and sexy. So you can see that while it is better it’s not quite there yet.

Watching Mad Men sometimes makes me sad for the men too. They are so confused. They would no more engage in their children’s lives than come out of the closet. They have fears of being too soft. They have the stress of being the only bread winner. They can’t be relaxed and be honest. It’s all a show for them too. Today’s man has sometimes gone to far to the feminine side for me but it’s still better than these machismo’s in 1963 any day.

I love the clothes on Mad Men although those pointy bras and girdles would kill me. But then again are Spanx that much different? I love that women dress for shopping. Yea, it’s ridiculous in today’s world but there is something to be said for proper attire in certain situations and arenas. (this goes for men as well but being a woman I will focus there) I miss that. I am not a person who will wear sweats on a plane. I don’t give a shit how long the flight is. That isn’t me. You can be comfortable without looking like you’re traveling in your PJ’s. I’m an east coast gal who believes in dressing. I fit more in NY than LA. Even though I’ve lived in neither. Stacy on What not to Wear would love me just for not traveling and going in public in sweat pants.

So while I bitch about 2009 and it’s lack of civility, manners and just plain ole niceness I believe this is the right time for me to be here. I had a career that those poor women in Mad Men could only dream of. I have a partner in my life and not just a husband. I can wear sweats to go to the grocery store if I wanted to. I can choose to not have children and while there is still a stigma I don’t have to wear a scarlet letter.

All in all I think I was born at the right time for me…..how about you?

Deer, Mommy and Me

Hi Izzy the dog here....I'm writing for my mom today.

My mom is a bit clumsy, like me. She dropped her camera in the bottom of the lake and ooooh boy was Daddy ever mad at her! So she doesn’t have any new photo’s of me except in video. She is always carrying that little video camera with her. (it’s the size of a phone) The poor woman needs a kid or two so she'd leave me the hell alone but it could be worse I guess. I do like posing.

She says I look like velvet and she has to capture it.

She tells me it's fun to capture all my shenanigans

I think she is just crazy. I know I’m cute as a button though.

Everyone tells me that so it’s not conceited to say that is it?

Little kids love my ears. The little girl across the street is always playing with them.

She’s 3 and she always says my ears are so soft. Whatever...it feels good so I let her play.

The other day when mommy and I were walking on a trail by our house 2 deer jumped out at us. That day she didn't have her video camera. The deer just ran out of the woods and stopped dead in their tracks and stared at us. I think we starteled them like they did us.

They were only 2 ft. away! Mommy screamed. We were frozen. I just sat there and stared at them. I was so scared I didn’t even bark. The big mommy deer started to snort and stomp her feet. We thought they were going to charge us. That got mommy really scared. I think she peed a little.

The mommy and baby deer then ran past us so fast and so close to us that we felt the wind. Then mommy and I turned and ran right behind them. They ran right into the street but no one hit them thank goodness. My little heart was pounding so hard and I bet mommy’s was too. We both ran home real fast! She told Daddy she had never been that close to a deer before except at the zoo. I don’t know what a Zoo is but I hope we’re never that close again…..they are kind of scary and big up close....especially that one that was snorting so loudly at us.

As soon as my parents get a new camera I’ll send you some new photo’s.
They keep saying that business is slow so they can’t get a new camera right now. I don’t know what that means but I miss posing for all those pictures….cause I’m cute right?

Fixer Upper

I woke up to Izzy licking my arm dangling over the bed.
She comes to me first every morning because I feed her. I sat up and realized she couldn't eat this morning and was wondering how the hell I was going to deal with this. Today was her day to get "fixed"

God how I love this little dog. She was so excited as my feet hit the floor. She ran around to the other side of the bed wagging her tail & Rick was already up and dressing. He said he'd take her for a walk first. I ran downstairs to hide her bowls. No water, no food after 9pm they said. And this girl is on a routine. She eats after her walk because we make her or she would just wake up and go eat.

Last night she had spa night. We figured after surgery she wouldn't be able to get a bath and such for awhile and we aren't fond of stinky Izzy as much as pretty Izzy.

So she had her nails trimmed, furminated and a bath. Oh she loves to be furminated. (if you have a dog and don't have a furminator you don't know what you are missing!!!!) She even likes the ole dremmel for her nails. But oh how she doesn't like a bath. She hates them!
I find that funny since she loves water so much....walking into puddles, rolling around in water and swimming. But a bath - she will run.

My hubby used to give her a 'bath"and take her with him into the shower.
So now every time Izzy is in the bedroom and my husband is getting undressed she will high tail it out of the bedroom so fast because she figures, "he's naked again & he's gonna want me to get a bath and I'm outta here!"

So this morning she walked to keep her away from food. We played and wrestled and then she sat at the spot where her bowl was and just did a heavy sigh. That made us laugh. She sat there quietly for a long time as we got dressed for her trip to the vet's. She had to be there at 7:30am. At 6:50am she wimpered and kept staring at the empty spot where her bowls used to be.

Dear Lord I thought I was going to cry. This poor thing. I wish I could communicate with her to say why we are doing this to her. So one more little walk to occupy her mind.
Out the door we go, the 3 of us. She sees her girlfriend at the end of the block and that made her forget all about her hunger. She ran to go play with Libby.
They wrestled as we adults discussed how the poor thing has no idea what is about to happen to her.

On the way back to the house we decided to head over to the vet's a bit early. Get her in the car and keep things moving. Izzy loves the vet.....don't know that she will after today but she loves going there. They make a fuss over her and their are other dogs there, what's not to love?
We parked the car and got out with she and her food. She was pulling us into the office. Everyone there acts so excited to see her as they take her from us. Not even a look in our direction from her and off she goes.

She is spending the night there. I don't understand why. No one is there with her after 8p so why couldn't she come home? But it does give us a night out. Going to dinner with some friends and having a date night. It should be a fun night.

The chances of us not thinking about her and how she is dealing with being alone is nil.
That is what is bothering us the most. She doesn't even like it when we're not in the same room w/her so this ought to be something for her. I am hoping she is still loopy from surgery and pain medication so she will sleep a lot and not notice that those 2 nut jobs who spoil her aren't even around.

For me to get through this I think I'll be drinking alot tonight.

Now this made me laugh

http://www.whyihatepeople.com/

I don't know why but this made me howl when I saw it.

So I'm not the only one.......Go figure.

Great Weekend

Honest to God I had a Great weekend.

Yea, I was sick. But Sunday the cloud lifted. Oh sure I sound like a heavy smoker with this hacking cough and gravely voice but I felt better.

It could have been the bottle...or 2 of wine I drank with a little (very little) help from my spousal unit.

It could have been the codeine in the cough syrup or the dayquil I added just for good measure.

It may have been the solid 6 hours of sleep I got.

It could have been the quality of all those ingredients mixed together with my team clinching the American League Division Title..

My Boys swept the evil Red Sox. And while that is always sweet, winning the division in front of them was even sweeter. Okay it's not the world series but it's a step closer.

I jumped around my living room like a nut job high on cough syrup and wine.

Now only 5 more days until the weekend.

Sick and Tired Today

I am sick.

My husband goes into other peoples homes and brings home all these germs then I get sick. This time he got sick. And what a pain in the ass he is when he is sick.

First off he won’t acknowledge it. Second he won’t go to the doctor and get something so he will feel better and stop bugging the shit out of me. "Margaret I don't feel good"
"Why don't we go to the doctors?"
"Nah, why waste the time and $20 co-pay?"

I swear to God if his arm was falling off and bleeding all over the damn place he would say, “I’ll be fine, let’s just give it a couple days.”

“But you’re bleeding on my white rug you big oaf”

“Oh the Oxi-clean will get that right out! Now can you just help me hold my arm up now so it doesn’t fall to the floor?”

This was him all last week... He was coughing and hacking all over the place. He blew his nose so hard I couldn’t hear TV so I had to rewind the show over and over again to hear what I was missing. (Compassionate wife that I am)
I suggested getting something like medication from the doctor so this didn’t get worse.
But going to a doctor is just so silly and frivolous.

Each day he came home worse. He looked like shit. He whined oh how he whined.
His ears hurt so badly. His eyes hurt, his sinuses burned and he said that he thought this was moving into his chest now.

“Oh Honey I'm sorry, but don’t go to the doctors because the life insurance is paid up so after you leave me and I collect all the money I am thinking of going to Italy. I’ve always wanted to spend some serious time there”

He sneered at me and then coughed up a lung.

I offered soup, tea, aspirin, Dayquil, Nyquil, liquor, a ride to urgent care , a swift kick in the ass – anything! But do something other than WHINE and COUGH.

As the week went on it surely moved into his chest and now he was dragging his ass around the house sneezing, coughing, blowing and rattling. I had had it! I was getting his 6’2” ass in the car somehow. My plot was to approach him all seductively and tell him that I want to have sex with him but out in the car like the old days. He’d buy that you see he’s easy like that. Get him in the car and drive him to the doctors. Idiot. Reality knows that he could no more be that young flexible kid again even if he wanted to. Even sick his penis rules him.

We found out from the doctor that he has a middle ear infection that moved to his sinuses, ears, throat and down to his chest. For a month he kept telling me he felt like he had water in his ear. I didn’t know what to do for him. Apparently that water sits there and germs grew and viola you get sick and it begins to move and you end up like the mess he is. Sadly this germ is contagious which I found odd and honestly didn’t believe. I mean I don’t have water in my ear.

I’m sick now……really sick. But I do take medication….I’m thinking a Nyquil float…. ice cream and Nyquil – kicks 2 additions at once.

Tenacity

You've heard me rag on doctors a lot here.
Been to so many Md's and holistic dr.'s and all claim to be God's for me.
It's more like a God complex than them actually knowing squat.

It takes a lot of tenacity to keep digging when you know they are wrong and something is not right with you......

This young lady is my hero!!!

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/archive/Teen-Outsmarts-Doctors-In-Sciene-Class.html?yhp=1

My Garden

I'd show you a picture of my garden if my camera was not at the bottom of Smith Mountain Lake. So you will have to imagine....

I have always had a green thumb. I was big into plants and flowers. Then when I lived in Seattle I got into food gardening. I planted my first food garden as I like to call it with all the things I like in stir fry. It thrived and so did I. So the following year it expanded as well as me moving into flowers. Everything thrived. I was in heaven. I couldn't wait to come home from work to go out to my gardens and see what was happening.

Was it the water here? The temperate climate? The lack of sun and heat? I'll never know. But it was my best experience of that city sad to say.

After leaving Seattle I never had a food garden again. I never had the time with the new job and all the traveling. I had flowers but they were never as big and beautiful as when I lived in the PNW. I longed for the big tulips I grew or I bought there and not the little ones I was now getting.

Every year here I have a patio filled with beautiful flowers. My neighbors always comment and when a friend was visiting from Seattle she said that when you walk into my home and see all that glass and the flowers behind it you are drawn to the patio immediately. I loved that. It made me feel good because that is how I feel as well.

But this year that wall of windows into my patio hasn't beckoned me. I don't know what is going on. The dirt? The weather? I actually had a farmer give me cow dung so I could mix it in my dirt to fertilize everything. Didn't help the petunia's much. My dwarf dhalia's were just damn sad. My basil was picture perfect until some critter started to eat it. My tomatoes were not my best....good to most folks but not me. The rest were thriving so for the life of me I can't figure it all out.

It wasn't as humid and miserable this year as most. Is that the reason? My dirt was new and mixed with prime fertilizer. I actually did nothing different this year. Watered the same etc.

So standing out there this morning removing some dead petunias and other things to get ready for fall I felt as sad as my flowers looked.

This made me laugh!

I have been in communication with a customer who was hysterical about the chemicals to reglaze her bathtub. Her landlord was requesting this work be done. She called daily for a week to ask about the chemicals. She asked how bad this would be for her lungs, her kitty cat's lungs. She wanted to know if she had to move for a few days. (NO) We made an appointment. She called to cancel because she was feeling under the weather and didn't want to have to leave and if she stayed she was worried about her lungs and these chemicals. She decided to move out of her condo with her cat and went to a friends over night so they didn't have to be exposed to the chemicals. A bit extreme to say the least. None of this was toxic and while it does smell it also dissipates quickly. I explained the industrial fans etc all to no avail.

Finally we arrived to do the job. The landlord was meeting Rick there to let him in. The landlord showed up with his wife in tow. They let Rick into the condo and as they opened the door they were met with a heavy foul stench of cat and heavy cigarette smoke. The landlords wife immediatley covered her nose and proclaimed, " OMG It smells awful in here - it smells like a bar!"

These people who smoke like this are always the ones concerned about their lungs. Don't you think that's a hoot?

It reminded me of this from back in February.
http://straightupnochaser.blogspot.com/2009/02/from-service-point-of-view.html

Friday Ramblings

Not the biggest reality show watcher. I have 3 that I watch.

The Biggest Loser, The Amazing Race and Flipping Out. Two of those I watch religiously, Flipping Out only occasionally. The rest to me only portray the lowest of human behavior and I get enough of that during life so I have no need to be "entertained" by it in my "down" time too.

My question to ya'll is why is everyone that is on a reality show getting their own TV shows or opportunities? What do you think are their qualifications for this? Please answer at right.

First there was Elizabitch Hasselbitch. She was on Survivor and then gets a gig on the style network and The View. Ruined the View for me had to stop watching that show. Self righteous wench. Besides her family does anyone like her? It isn't about not agreeing with her politically it's about her self righteousness. Her inability to be wrong or God forbid listen to another side of the story. Oooh I just want to slap the blonde right off her brown roots!

Then these crazy ass women who go on the bachelor and are horrified that they get dumped or lied to. C'mon grow the hell up and figure out your true love is not some scum bucket on a reality show who knows he'll get to bed a lot of women and have them fight over him. Oh I fell in love with him. It doesn't matter that its only been a week because I know it's true love. Could they be any more pathetic and desperate sounding? A real man doesn't want someone like that to do much more than bed. The odds of winning the lottery are probably better. One chick did get married and that's gonna be it honey. But this "cheerleader" got to be on Dancing with the Stars and now has a gig on some TV show. And I'll bet she is getting paid quite well. Those looking for anchor positions on television need not apply. You'll have to find another way to pay those college loans. How 1990 of you to think that doing this the hard way with hard work and education was going to get you your dream job...pleassssse!

Now there is Kate of Kate plus 8 or some damn thing. She is on the View I read and in the same article that she is going to do a talk show? What the fuck? So the millions she got from whoring her kids around for the world to see wasn't enough? And having a litter is the qualifications for this? Wow. I need to get busy....oh wait I don't have a uterus that could be a deterrent. Maybe I could adopt like Angelina Jolie and they'll still want me to host a show.

If you think about it it's like someone without decorating, contracting experience or training having a show on HGTV or someone who can't boil water having a show on The Food Network....or not being able to carry a tune in a box and getting a record contract....Oh wait there are a ton of those aren't there?

Civility

• As I have written so often I have serious issues with the lack of manners, respect and civility in our current culture. It really frustrates me.
  
  

Just consider what has been going on in the last few months.

• Someone threw a shoe at President Bush. Now I disliked that man more than most but even I wouldn’t throw a shoe at the President of the United States. I may have dreamt of holding his nuts in a vice or make him have to sit and listen to the parents of the fallen soldiers but I wouldn’t have yelled out while he was speaking or thrown even my ugly sneakers at him. I still have respect and decorum for heaven’s sake unlike…..

• The right wing self righteous numb nut in the house who yells Liar to the current President of the United States while the President has the floor.

• Kanya West who so rudely jumped on stage as the winner of the Music Video Award stood there dumbfounded, yet politely watched, as he made a complete an utter ass of himself. (as all of the examples have) We all love Beyonce and know she is talented. Shut your whiney ass up Kanya and sit down. Share your condolences with Beyonce in private.
  
The crazy ass blonde woman who would not acknowledge the deli clerk who was trying to assist her because she was too busy texting.

.........to name just a few.

The other day I saw a Bonnie Hunt show. She was discussing how over the weekend she was at Bed, Bath and Beyond. She had a terrible incident with the sales staff that was on one hand unbelievable and yet on the other so typical today. It was exactly like most of my ranting blog entries about poor service, and rude & disrespectful people.

What the hell is going on?

I heard this morning on the radio that Mary Hart, from Entertainment Tonight fame has written a book on manners or respect…..something like that. She feels that society has gone to hell in a hand basket as my Grandmother used to say.

So I guess all we old broads are thinking the same thing aren’t we? (okay I many not be as old as Mary Hart but then again my legs are not near as long and lovely either!)

The only good thing I see from Kanye West’s tirade was that a lot of young people even feel it was inappropriate and wrong. A lesson learned. I saw a clip where 50Cent said, “it was so unfair to have this poor young lady lose out on that special moment of winning her first video award”

Now who’d have thought 50Cent would be the guy making sense?

Swamp Eye

Izzy has swamp eye.

Okay so that isn't the professional medical term for it but it is what it is.

This poor little dog. She has seen the vet so much in her first 6 months.

Rick was playing with her in this area of our subdivision that has a big ole pond. It is icky.
That is the professional term.
It is filled with algae and all kinds of slimy icky things. If there is anything living in it, none of it is anything positive. Oh a parasite or two....that type of thing.

Rick was throwing sticks and she was fetching and running like a retreiver having fun.
This little boy was walking down there with his Dad. He asked Rick if he could throw a stick.
He threw it and it went into the "swamp" and before they could even stop Izzy, she dove right into the water for that stick.

2 days later she has a beet red eye that is running this icky gooey gunk. She is scratching at it something terrible. Rick had eye surgery awhile ago and we had left over eye medication.
So we put these antiboditic drops in her eye and it got white again. We were out of the medication and because her eye was white we figured she was fine. Ah, not so fast grasshopper.

Now it's worse than ever. Poor thing was in such distress this weekend. We also had a numbing eye drop left over for the eye from Rick's eye surgery. We debated if we should use it because it burns something awlful at first. But honestly when the burning stops it numbs it and feels so much better. Saturday night she was a mess and was swating at her eye and didn't sleep much and neither did I. So last night we used the numbing drops. Oooh it burned the poor thing. We held her eye and her paw to keep from touching it. Once her body relaxed we let go and we could tell it was now numb. She was our puppy again. The best part?.....she slept like a baby because it was numb.

So today I took her to the vet and she indeed has "swamp eye" Basically it's an infection like pink eye. So we have drops and she is expected to be well in a week. The vet agreed it was probably that darn pond. So no more hubby or kids throwing sticks near any body of water we don't want her in. She's a water dog - she loves puddles, pools, lakes, swamps etc.
But she hates baths - go figure.

Now I would show you a picture of swamp eye Izzy but I dropped my camera on the bottom of Smith Mountain Lake over Labor Day. Now that's a story.

Flipping Out

No, this has nothing to do with Jeff Lewis from Flipping Out on Bravo.
I may be as crazy as he is at times but no, this is more a case of Ms. Cranky Pants never having to go outside amongst people anymore..

I hate being around the public anymore especially the young. Oh I don’t begrudge the skinny bitches their youth. No it’s more like their lack of respect, manners and lack of social graces.

I was at the grocery store yesterday afternoon hoping that it would be dead since it was the first football day and everyone would be glued to their TV’s. No such luck. The place was packed with men , women and children.

I’ll start with bratty children. I was in the dairy aisle looking at some products when these little kids starting to run up and down the aisle like mad men. A worker who was stocking the shelves asked the kids nicely to not jump on the long cart with the items he was stocking. He asked these kids 3 times to stop climbing all over it and to get off. All the while the mother is chatting loudly about NOTHING of importance and laughing on her cell. My guess is she was between 31-36. Not shopping just standing in the middle of the aisle gabbing.

I am now moving down the aisle when one of her bratty kids stops in front of my cart and hops on it like she’s a bum jumping on a moving freight train for a lift. I stop the cart and tell her that she needs to step down and she laughs and says no. She was adorable I will admit except her behavior was making her uglier by the minute. I did not move my cart. She is now trying to climb INTO my cart. If I let go I fear this cart is going to fall on her. I turn around to the mom and say, “hello? Could you ask your daughter to step down from my cart so I may continue shopping?” She says NOTHING. She hears me but turns her head to ignore me. I am livid.
I walk around to the front of my cart and kneel down and say to this cute little brat that I have to continue shopping so I would like it very much if she would get down now. I take her hands gently off the cart and she just stares at me. I say Thank You and smile. She just stands there smiling at me like she's in a trance. Weird. I begin to walk away when this woman decides to stop talking on the phone and she yells to me, “Hey,don’t ever touch my children again!” I ignored her as she did me earlier and I picked up some eggs and rounded the corner.

My last stop was the deli counter. My husband asked me to pick up some things for him for his lunch. I stood in line and waited my turn. My turn came up and this woman began to help me. She called for backup after she took my order because now the line was growing very long (about 7 of us) The new employee came out and asked the blonde woman behind me, who is now standing next to me, what she needed. The woman didn’t answer because she was a too busy texting. Finally she looked up and asked about specials and then she said, "I'd like some Boars Head American cheese, no wait I think I want this chicken instead, oh I don’t know.
She finally narrowed it down to this cheese by Alpine lace because “it’s cheaper and don’t slice it too thin because it will be hard to take apart…..oh I don’t know I really like boars head….whatever just make it a ½ lb” And off she goes back to texting.
The deli clerk asks, “So you want ½ lb of Alpine Lace then? Ma’am do you want Alpine Lace then? The woman continues to text and never looks up. The deli clerk asks again louder, “Ma’am do you want me to use Alpine Lace for you?” The man behind her taps her on the shoulder and she doesn’t even turn around. What in the hell is so important is what I wanted to know.

The poor deli clerk is frustrated and looks at the woman helping me who only shrugs her shoulders. I finally say, “She asked for Alpine Lace because it was cheaper, she wants a ½ lb and she doesn’t want it sliced too thin because she says the slices get stuck together.”

At that moment 4 things happened simultaneously. The deli clerk did as I told her, this woman never even looked up, the man behind her walked around her and high fived me and the rest of the people applauded. She never stopped texting and laughing to herself. You would think this person was a tween by this behavior but she was clearly in her mid to late 30’s.

I said to her when she finally looked up that the deli clerk was asking her questions and she said flippantly, “ I know but I was busy.”
I thought my head was going to explode. Ugly Margaret took over.

“You do know that this employee is busy too – do you not see the line of people behind you? Your behavior is rude. Where are your manners and social skills? By example you are teaching your children to be disrespectful and rude as well.”

She just stood there with her mouth open as the man behind her said, “you know we are all busy and have places to be. Was your text an emergency?”

She then turned to me and told me I was rude. I just smiled and said nothing more.
Look, you can’t match wits with those that are unarmed. I said what I had to say. She grabbed her 1/2lb of Alpine Lace cheese and left.

As I walked to the check out another woman came up to me and said that it needed to be said but she didn’t think she would have been so polite as I was. I am not proud of flipping out on her nor do I think I was as polite as I could have been. I stooped to her level and I am not proud of that. But this was my last straw that day. I am so sick of people not having manners when it comes to phones and texting.

I have an 18 year old coming to live with me in a few weeks. I know this could be battle. But there are going to be some ground rules on this phone and texting. We will be going over etiquette with technology in public. I know it’s going to be tough but damn it I am going to make society get this if it kills me – and the way it’s going it will kill me first. I'm not such an old fart that I don't understand wanting to text my friends as a kid but a grown up should know better don't you think?

I know, I know, you all are thinking I'm that crazy old lady who lives down the lane.
Well, I guess I am becoming her.....proudly so though.

My New Header

This gorgeous photo is courtesy of my friend JOAN PINELLI.

She and her family were on vacation at Smith Mountain Lake where she took this photo.
(you know the lake I am always at and talking about)

I loved it and had to have it. She is really a talented photographer!

Sunset at the Lake

It's been awhile

Been very very busy dealing with idiots, family, customers and other assorted goof balls.

Life has been crappy and I have completely and utterly become 100% misanthropic.
Yea, it's not pretty but it's true.

Let's start with these numbnuts who seem to be a very loud and uneducated majority in our nation who are protesting our president for daring to speak to school children about studying hard and respecting teachers. How dare he! They call it socialist brainwashing? Calling him a Nazi? What the hell is wrong with people? (a lot apparently)
As a fellow blogger pointed out today these are the same uninformed @#$%! who insisted that I had no right to dislike Bush since he was our president and as president, I needed to respect him. Aaargh!

Comparing a war criminal and someone who believes in torture doesn't compare with someone telling you to dream big, work hard and achieve all you can achieve. To find something you are good at and run with it. Ooooh scary socialist brainwashing.

In the meantime - let's hope tomorrow brings us sunshine and some happy smiley people our way. I know I could sure use them after this last couple of weeks!

Good News for a Change

Because our company deals with homeowners we work with a lot of people who have just recently bought a home or are trying to sell a home. Realtors tell them to call us to make that pink bathtub and tile white for resale. Sometimes only to refresh the old tub and make it look new again so people don't see their bathroom as a deal breaker.

In the last month we have been hearing about a lot of movement in the housing industry.
Yesterday alone I had 3 people tell me their homes sold at asking or over with multiple offers. Two of the 3 said they sold their homes in 1 week.

One woman who has been looking for a home for 4 months said that it’s a whole different world than it was 4 months ago. In the past 8 weeks she lost out on 2 homes because she was outbid. She finally got her new home but it was just above asking price.

This is great news. Okay not that they had to pay over asking but that housing values are going up and that money is moving and shaking again. I realize that in my neck of the country things like this happen sooner but if it’s happening here it will begin to move about and that is such a positive indicator.

I personally believe that people during a down market do tend do to the things they need to do to sell their homes. And doing those things will automatically make it sell faster. When in a hot market they don’t stage or do the things necessary because they just assume they don’t need to. But I don’t care if it’s a hot or cold market you should always organize, clean and stage your home to sell. You wouldn’t sell your car when it’s filthy or littered with MacDonald’s bags, assorted strewn litter, maps and sippy cups etc. So why do you think you should sell your home that way?.....and so many people do! Never could figure out that logic.

On another positive note I read online on NPR today that the site Careerbuilder.com, (the job site) said their survey found that 53% of employers expect to hire full time employees. They also stated that 4 in 10 plan to hire contract, temporary, or project workers. C’mon 53% is pretty damn good coming out of this recession. You may not need a new job but sadly there are a million or so who do! That not only helps my business it helps all of our businesses.

Now I haven’t heard a lick of this on the news. I suppose that isn’t good to know.
Who wants to put the public at ease?
Maybe the logic is because in the steel and rust belt things are still depressed. But wouldn’t this give them hope? I have also noticed that on our local news the Cash for Clunkers was a HUGE success. Dealership owners were always on TV talking about how great it was for their bottom line, albeit their horrific load of paperwork for the government and waiting on their cash. Point being it brought the people in the door and they sold inventory and they were very happy!!

So why the hell wasn’t that on the national news? Only the negative of the whole program was all I ever saw on the national news. And you know there are dumb people out there that only hear and see what is put in front of them and don't look any further. Those assholes of course are always the loudest. Honestly I wish good news would get out as fast and as loudly as bad news does.

The other good news is that there HE was on the front page of the Life Section of the USAToday. Hmmmm………
It’s made my day so much better……I only see the positive here.....only see the positive.

Sigh.

Monday's Books, TV and Dog Walkers.

I began reading "I know this much is true" and I can't put it down.
I love when a book grabs me from the first page. That doesn't happen often but both books I have read from author Wally Lamb have done just that.

The first book I read of his was given to me by an acquaintance who knew I loved to read. She did it as a thank you. What she didn't know is that I hate paperback books. Hate them.
So I never read it. Besides it was an Oprah's Book Club pick and it said so on the front all large and proud. I didn't need that - I never much like Oprah's choices in books so it was another reason not to read it as far as I was concerned.

We were taking a 2 week vacation to a rental house at the lake where we now have a home. We never ever have had 2 weeks of nothing to do. NEVER. This was going to be a first. (and last)
I know me well enough to know that I would be antsy without work etc. So I brought 10 books. One of which was, "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb.

I opened the paperback and remembered why I hate them. So uncomfortable to hold and so small. I read the outside and then put it down and grabbed another. The 2nd time I picked it up I decided to peak inside and read a bit. I began reading what I thought would suck. Oprah book clubs books make me daydream while reading and that shouldn't happen. I shouldn't be thinking about shaving my legs, or cleaning the oven, when I am reading. If I am wondering about the font of the type it's a sure sign the book is not my cup of tea.

I opened She's Come Undone and couldn't put it down until it was finished. My husband begged me to put it down at 3am and come back to bed. I absolutely loved that book and could not even imagine how this man could have written this. He thought like a woman. I kept thinking this had to have been written by a woman. "Wally" must be his pseudonym.

So here I am blogging and thinking about this book - see what I mean? It's a good book.
897 pages of a good book. It's a biggie but I am determined to read it all. Not being on vacation it may take me a bit longer.

Another Monday morning topic is my husband's dog walking "friends"
I walk the dog all week until he comes home. He gets the night shift and weekends.
It was a deal we worked out long before we had the dog.
But here is what I have noticed.
He apparently doesn't seem to know any men who walk their dogs.

Take this morning for example.
Izzy loves to watch the joggers go by. She can have her nose buried in the grass and as soon as she hears a jogger she will look up and sit there proudly as they jog by.
This morning two pretty women are coming up to us and I am watching Izzy watch them when one says, "Oh is that Izzy?" I say of course, "Yes" And they said, "HI IZZY" in a sing songy voice as though they know her as they jog by.
Now I am thinking, who the hell are these young frigging pert women? They don't even have a damn dog!

I see Libby coming towards us. Libby is a black lab that is 1 year old. She lives 3 blocks from me on the same side of the street. Last evening Rick took Izzy out and he ran into Libby and her mom, who I refer to as Blonde Mommy. Rick comes home and tells me that Blonde Mommy is divorced and she and her 3 blonde little girls live in their house with Libby. Libby is crated all day and gets a bit over zealous (who wouldn't if crated all day) so she and Rick allowed the dogs to be off leash and play down at the pond. (not allowed to be off leash in the neighborhood or there is a big whooping ass kickin' by the HOA Nazi's) He told me that Blonde Mommy asked if they could have a play date and maybe come to our home and have them play and wear 'em out like they were doing there.

I asked Rick, "Who actually is the play date for the dogs or Blonde Mommy?"

He laughed and said, "the dogs - don't be silly"

"Do you speak to any men who walked their dogs? "

"The men don't say hello, the women do."

"Oh so you don't say hello to men?"

I say hello to everyone, the women are the only ones who respond.....and hey wait a minute what about Joe who loves my shoes? Joe and I always stop and chat."

Okay you got me on that one - that is for a sure a Bromance.

"Boy you are the popluar old guy in the neighborhood aren't you?
Both sexes are loving up ole Rick aren't they?"

He laughed but I would say it didn't hurt the old man's ego!
He keeps telling me that when he turned 50 he became invisible to women.
I always knew he was full of shit on that one! I think he attracts even more.

Now to TV. Tonight is the last night of Nurse Jackie. I love this show. It stares Edie Falco.
She is so great in this show. She plays this flawed character to perfection. I cringe at the shit she does yet you seem to understand and forgive her for some reason. She makes her empathetic even when she is doing something so wrong. But who I think brings so much to the show that gets so little recognition is her "intern" nurse. (is there such a word for a nurse) Zoe is a hoot. That character is priceless. She makes Rick and I laugh like crazy. The show is so good I wish it weren't on Showtime so more people could see it. But then again regular TV would never have anything this good on it because there is no laugh track. The dialogue is real. The people and their flaws are real and big and ugly. The problems in the work place are so real at times it's uncomfortable. It's a train wreck and it's emotionally tugging. How often do you get both?
I just love it.

Speaking of work......

Yipee! It's Friday

Okay today is a slow work day - not good.

Being in your own business you tend to look at this differently than say if you are slow at your job that someone else has to worry about the $$ and you can cut out early.

While at the new doctor's office yesterday I went in with my list.

My plethora of issues.

Poor fella.

I was whining about losing my libido. I miss it so. I even told him how one female doctor reponded when I told her that I missed my libido and asked how could I get it back she responded with, "OH you are ONE of those."

Apparently she saw the letter S on my hospital gown as I sat on that crunchy paper table in her exam room. Ah, ha she knows! And nothing was done about it because she insisted nothing was wrong with me. Another MD bites the dust.

So Wednesday when I mentioned this to my new doctor I handed him the blood work from the lab that was done in late June. I circled some things I thought were very relevant.

He looked at the paper work, looked at me and said,

"Did the other doctor see this lab work?

"Yes, she did."

"No medication or discussions were given or had?"

"Nope. Just the previous comment was made."

>

Your testosterone is 0 - zilch - nada - you are a dried up old prune.

Okay he didn't say I was dried up - he probably just thought it.

>

He then asked if sleeping was on my list -

"Oh yea, if I get 3 straight hours I am thrilled to pieces.....a walking zombie but thrilled to pieces."

He showed me what I had circled on the lab results.

"I'm wondering how you slept at all with your progesterone so low."

"Oh great....so this can get better?"

"Yes and we will get there."

"Dare I ask about my estrogen?"

Sure. It's not great either.

Before he had a chance to discuss with me his thoughts I went into mine on HRT and bio-identicals. I know that a lot of women swear by their synthetic HRT replacement drugs. I also know that drug companies paid for a lot of studies and to market them very well to tell woman that HRT replacement drugs do not cause breast cancer or cause a higher incident of said cancer.

However I don't buy it. My mom died from breast cancer at 44 years old. Her sister died from breast cancer and it is rampant on my mom's side of the family. I want to take no chances.

I want bio-identical hormones. I have been studying this for a few years now knowing this day was coming. Everything I have read or seen has me convinced this is the way to go for me.

I understand if you choose another route - but for me this is what I need to do for my life. Everyone always says to me that it will make them have their periods and they want them to stop. Well not for me. Lucky me had my uterus removed in 2000 from constant tumors . I have my ovaries and cervix so I did not go into menopause back then but my cycle stopped. To me it was the best of both worlds. To me. (don't write me and tell me I am a horrible person)

When I was done yammering about HRT and finally took a breath he smiled and said he couldn't have said it better himself because that is what he would recommend as well.

I came home to tell my husband that I was in menopause and what we were doing about it.

He said, "I thought you would be bitchy like my mom"

So you're saying I'm not bitchy?

"No more than you've ever been" he said with a smile

"Gee thanks."

"No seriously I thought it would be horrible - I can live with this."

"Oh good becuase I was so concerned about you while I am dealing with this."

"Okay that didn't come out right did it?"

"Nope."

"But I know what you mean - I just wanted to see you sweat."

"So you are getting testoterone and the others and you'll be my horny slut muffin like before and we're getting an 18 year old moving in with us?"

"OH. MY. GOD. THIS TRULY IS A SICK AND TWISTED JOKE MARGARET!!"

I know. I know.

Damn, I went and made Plans

My mistake was making plans. I made plans and they just got screwed.

Rick and I have a wonderful life. We are still smitten with each other and have carved out a nice little life for ourselves. We know we are fortunate. Oh we don’t have lots of money but we have this relationship that I wish more could have. It’s so rewarding and fulfilling. So here we are with no children at home and having a grand ole time. (his daughter is 29 and living out of state as of today)

Then we do something stupid and get a puppy. It changed our lives. I am so in love with this hairy beast but if I knew what I know now I would have waited until retirement at least. So much work and time.

Now I have an 18 year old niece coming to live with me. It’s way too long of a story to just plop in here now. But this will mean a whole new life all over again. My husband is supportive on this but I know how much he will miss our time. He loves this young woman and knows she needs our support and guidance right now so he is willing to do all of this. But he mentioned this morning that he will miss me. I’m right here I told him but I so understand what he means. We’ve become very spoiled and we are that sickening couple who always want to be together. I know it makes me want to puke every time I say it so I get what you are feeling.

In the mean time I am in the midst of menopause I found out yesterday at the doctors, I am getting an 18 yr. old and dealing with an ailing puppy.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Are there enough drugs for all of this? Am I completely and utterly crazy? Why now?

As I told my niece, you never stop learning lessons. You just have to keep your eyes open and be open so you see them.

Well my eyes are wide open – c’mon bring it on!

Izzy - the crazy Chocolate Lab

So now that I have shared my issues with health let me share Izzy's.

After this dog flu hit our pup she has developed other issues. First let me tell you that it's been all over the news about this dog influenza so it has been spreading like wild fire here in DC/Northern Va.

We noticed that Izzy got sick each and every time she had a vaccine. Of course there would be the round of antibiotics etc to make her well. Or did they? Then about the time of this upper respiratory flu stuff she began to sneeze - a lot! She was having a myriad of symptoms. I mentioned to my husband that i think all these drugs have taken all her good flora and now she can't fight anything. He poo-poo'd me. As each day went by and it all became worse. I am with her 24 hrs a day. I see her chewing herself, sneezing, having dry flaky skin, losing hair, excessive tearing, ear itching, chewing her paws, scratching around her genitals and she had gotten a very foul order as well as a fouler than normal poo. (That wasn't all but that is a good deal of them)

My pretty baby had now become my stinky girl!

When we mentioned all of these things to our vet she insisted she had an allergy to her food.

We buy special food for her from the lab breeder. It is not the stuff you get at the grocery store all filled with fillers and corn etc. It is good food for a lab. I knew in my heart this was not a food allergy. The vet insisted and was a bit condescending to me about it when I suggested this could be candida albians/systemic yeast. She smiled politely and brought me a bag of soy infused dog food. I said I wanted to try things my way first and if it didn't work I would use her food. She acted like I was trying to kill my dog. Just the opposite. You want to keep giving her drugs. She can't take any more drugs!

I did not want this puppy eating soy based food. That is so bad for a dog. So I bought the vets expensive food and brought it home. I have not opened it yet. She did say I could bring it back if my way worked. "if my way worked" was said in a passive agressive way let me tell you.

So far so good. http://www.nzymes.com/pc/symptomChkrResults.asp?condition_id=1951

Izzy is having some die off - which means she is getting some symptoms a bit stronger but not bad. She didn't have the rashes but she has a slight one on her belly now. I know that is from the toxins coming to the surface. Friday begins week 2 where it's amped up a notch. She may get lethargic next week - which truth be told that ain't a bad thing! I could use the down time. However it is for her own good. The foul smell is so much better. We are bathing her every other day - she hates it but she stinks! Besides we are using something that is good for her with this condition. Last night while playing with her on the floor I noticed that she didn't smell anymore. So I know this is working. She has also stopped sneezing.

So it's like this poor dog really is my child - we are both dealing with the same thing. However I think hers will be resolved sooner. I think I will be changing vet's if I can find an open minded one. God it doesn't matter what degree they have as long as you call them Dr. they don't listen or trust you. They just can't think outside the box.

In the meantime I expect next week to be difficult for Izzy but after that she should only continue to improve. Boy we 2 girls are a real mess aren't we? Only difference is Izzy is still playful, happy and loveable. I am Ms. Cranky Pants.