Farewell, 2018

After spending 365 days with you, it's time to say farewell to you, 2018.  But just as your predecessors, you taught me a lot this year.  

The biggest thing you taught me is to keep my eyes open to be able to see miracles.  I've always had faith in my Christian walk, and I've been a firm believer that miracles happen.  But it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I saw many many big miracles happen right before my eyes.  In 2019, I am making it a point to keep my eyes open for more miracles that I know will happen. 

You also taught me that seemingly bad things happen to us for a good reason.  Mid-year, I made a major change in my job duties at work, and the stress that I had for the last few years was gone almost instantly.  That situation also taught me patience. 

Thank you, 2018, for making me a stronger person.  

WTG, UK

TWIT and I would like to congratulate the University of Kentucky Wildcat mens basketball team on their win yesterday over University of Louisville in the annual Battle of the Bluegrass.  And we are late, but we would also like to congratulate the Wildcat football team on their win a couple of months ago against U of L.  

Now if we can win on Tuesday in the Citrus Bowl!

Go Big Blue!  BBN!!

Old Friends

The Old Man had a great day today.  In fact, all three of us did.

We had finished breakfast this morning and were all three still in our pajamas drinking coffee, when we heard a car pull in the driveway.  It was none other than the Old Man's Best Friend Hal.  He lives down in Jackson, TN but had been up here to visit friends in Simpsonville, and he came out to PRP just to check on the Old Man.  

He came up to visit the Old Man in the hospital. That in itself was impressive to me - coming up to Louisville from Jackson, TN just to visit a friend in the hospital.  But that's the kind of friend he is.

We had a great visit with him today.  We spent a lot of time reminiscing about the awesome things that Gram would cook/bake back in the day.  We all agreed we were so thankful for such precious memories. 

Friday Updates

It's been an action-packed few days here at The Compound.  

The Old Man had a visit from the home health care nurse today, and she said she would be here next Friday and if all goes as she thinks, he will be released from home health care.  Check mark.

Then the Old Man had a visit from the occupational therapy nurse this afternoon.  He said she put him through a half hour of exercises and tests, which he passed.  She said that he doesn't need her to come back.  Second check mark.

Each day this week I could see the Old Man getting stronger and stronger, thanks to the Lord and all of the prayers.  That's about all I can say. 

Something You Don't See Every Day

We needed milk and a few other things, so I got up early this morning and ran up to the Super Krogers, just in case they had some cool things that I couldn't live without.  But I digress. 

I got my milk and a few other things and then quickly checked out.  As I was walking out of the store, I passed by the Kentucky Lottery vending machine, the turn-in-you-old-cell-phone-for-cash machine, the coins-for-cash machine, and a new vending machine I had never seen before: turn-in-your-unwanted-gift cards-for-cash.  

The part that blew me away was, first of all, I have never seen a machine like this before.  I knew there are places online you could redeem the cards for cash, but have never seen a vending machine for it.  The second thing that blew me away, was the fact that it was before 9:00 in the morning, and when I passed by the machine on my way out of the store, there were at least 10 people waiting in line to use it. 

Public service announcement:  
If you think about giving a gift card to someone next Christmas, forget about it, and just give them cash. 

Merry Christmas

TWIT and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. 

Today, I am celebrating the miracles of the birth of my heavenly Father, and the life of my early father.  

Happy Christmas Eve

It's not Christmas until we've heard the Sweeney Sisters sing their Christmas Bells Medley.

https://www.downvids.net/sweeney-sisters-bells-medley--259279.html?fbclid=IwAR09nGzbWQssRE3NGYE2FaPmvPPmQVbdUdEcLpBvmxPapwepIAfAyo1bAk0

A Great Christmas Eve Eve

We've had a great Christmas Eve Eve today.  The morning started out with Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast.   The Old Man took a shower and said he felt great.  Then things got even better - The Old Man's Country Cousin and his Sweet Wife came up and spent the afternoon visiting. Talking about old times and laughing did better than I think any medicine could have done.  

Another Great Day

Today was another great day, thank the Lord.  He wanted one of his favorite crossandwiches from Burger King for breakfast, and I was very happy to run up to get them.  He ate his down like a little piggie, so thank goodness his appetite is back.

I spent a couple of hours finishing my Christmas shopping, and came home and we all three took a nice, restful nap. 

He's had a great day today - and he even felt like barking orders to me earlier today when I put up our inflatable Mickey and Minnie Mouse decorations on the front porch.  It sure was good to hear him tell me to do it his way. 

Another Update On The Old Man

Today was another day filled with answered prayers. 

This morning, he said that he slept better last night, and had a pretty good night's sleep.  I told him that each night should be getting better and better as he is getting stronger and stronger.

I checked online at his Norton's Chart, and saw that the EKG from yesterday's visit with his regular doctor came back normal.  Thank you, Lord.  And he got a great report from his home healthcare nurse this morning.  Once again, thank you Lord.

He had a great visit today with a dear, old friend, and the visit did both of them good.  His friend assured him that he would be back to visit again, soon.

Thanks again so much for first of all, the prayers, and for the kind emails, texts, messages, and phone calls over the past week and a half. 

Today Was Another Good Day

The Old Man had his follow-up visit with is family doctor this afternoon.  I specifically asked my friends to pray for no waiting in the germ-infested waiting room.  And those prayers were answered.  We walked in and were the only people in the waiting room, praise the Lord.  

The doctor saw him, and like his doctors at the hospital, he was amazed first of all that he lived, and second, at how well he is doing.  

He checked him over and said he was doing great, and did an EKG to make sure all was well with the old ticker.  And then he sent him home, and told him he'd see him again three months.  

As I said before, the Lord is still performing miracles, if only we keep our eyes open to see. 

Today Was A Good Day

The Old Man said that he slept much better last night, and tonight at supper he said he feels stronger.  He even looks and sounds stronger. To me, he seems just like he was a couple of weeks ago.  Thank you, Lord.  

Tomorrow, we have a follow-up visit with his family doctor.  I am not expecting any surprises.

As always, stay tuned. 

Another Update On The Old Man

There's not a whole lot to update on today. He said he had a great day, and was happy to get to visit with his cousin Cathy and her husband Jack. He was a little more "feisty", shall we say, than in the previous few days, and I am taking that as a good sign.

He really enjoyed his visit with my Friend Of A Lifetime Diva Stacy tonight. Thank you so much for the meals you brought. And more so for the love you showed tonight.

He still specifically asked me tonight to ask you all to continue the prayers for him. I assured him that just because he got home, it didn't mean that people would stop praying for him. And he wanted me to let you all know that he was praying for you all, too.

Another Update On The Old Man

It's just been one week since The Old Man's aortic artery aneurysm ruptured and he had his surgery. The home health care nurse came today and said he was doing awesome. She will be back on Friday, and if all goes well, she will sign off. Another major miracle. He goes on Thursday afternoon for a follow-up visit to his family doctor, and we aren't expecting any surprises.

He was in pretty good spirits today, and once again he wanted me to thank you all for the prayers, and asked for continued prayers. I assured him that his faithful prayer warriors would keep on raising him up. And he wanted me to let you know that he is praying for you all, too.  My Sweet Mother and I also want to thank you for your prayers. They truly helped.

As always, stay tuned. 

Another Update On The Old Man

After fortunately more ups than downs on Friday, the Old Man got to come home yesterday - just five days after he had the major emergency surgery.   As of 12:30 yesterday afternoon, he was home sitting in his recliner.  Major miracle.  

Another Update On The Old Man

Dad's hemoglobin levels were up last night and this morning. First miracle.

They moved him to a regular room this morning, just three days since the major surgery. Second miracle.

The majority of his doctors came in today and all said "we're done". And if all goes well tonight, he will go home tomorrow. Third miracle.

We talked to his nurse for a good while tonight, and to make the long story short, she told us that the surgeon that did his quadruple bypass in 2015 had a heart attack, and was discharged today. Even with all that is going on with him, Dad stopped and prayed for the doctor. Not counting this as a miracle, but just throwing it out there.

Thanks again so much for the calls, texts, emails, visits, and good thoughts.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Another Update On The Old Man

Yesterday was a day filled with ups and downs, thankfully more ups than downs. And just as I suspected, we had more miracles.

When we got to the hospital this morning, the renal specialist had just gotten there and was checking out The Old Man. He said that the kidney numbers were awesome and he was peeing like he should. First miracle.

Then we had another issue to deal with. The renal specialist also said the surgeon was concerned because his blood level was low. They had given him a pint earlier, and a couple hours later gave him a second pint. The surgeon wanted a CT scan to make sure that there was no bleeding. The renal specialist said that he felt confident that there was no bleeding and that it was "delusional", whatever that meant. If they did find bleeding, they would need to go back and do the more evasive surgery; the last thing that we all wanted. I started sending out the prayer request texts while they had him down in radiology getting the second CT scan. Before he went for the first scan, his cardiologist came in and he said he was so happy over The Old Man's kidney and other levels, and he said that he was also confident of no bleeding. Second miracle.

We waited and waited and still didn't hear anything from the doctor about the scan results. We got very nervous because lunchtime came and went and they didn't bring The Old Man his food; it was a bad sign, we thought - if they were going to do surgery again, they wouldn't want him to eat. But at about 2:00, his nurse brought him his lunch tray, and she had a big, big smile on her face. We still hadn't heard from a doctor, which we (and his nurse) thought was a good sign. Third miracle.

Later this afternoon, his blood pressure skyrocketed. And it stayed very high for about an hour. Once again, I sent out text prayer requests and within minutes, his BP was down in the normal range and when we left to go home tonight, it was still in the normal range. Fourth miracle.

Also later in the afternoon, the nurse had him move from the bed to the chair, where he sat for a good while. She said he stood up on his own and before she could grab onto him to steady him, he had already walked over very steadily and sat down in the chair. And he did the same thing going from the chair back into the bed. Fifth miracle.

All day long, The Old Man was able to get some rest took some naps. He kept telling us and his nurse that he didn't have any pain in his back or stomach. He looks "normal" - if you were to have walked in his room and saw him [minus all of the tubes, IV lines and machines he was hooked up to] you would swear he hadn't almost died two days ago and had major surgery. Sixth miracle.

Some old, true friends came to visit him tonight. Actually, I don't think of them as friends; they are family. He loved seeing all of them and chatting and laughing and reminiscing. I'm not calling this one the seventh miracle; I'm calling it a major blessing from God that they have been a part of my family's lives for a long time.

Thanks again for the prayers and concern

Another Update On The Old Man

Today was yet another day filled with miracles.

When we got to the hospital this morning, The Old Man was sitting up in a chair. The nurse said he had a great, restful night with no pain. And he was in very good spirits. All of this 18 hours after having major life-saving surgery. First miracle.

Things didn't go as we had wanted this morning and most of the afternoon. His kidneys seemed to have stopped working, even though his surgeon had put the stints in lower to not touch the arteries going to the kidneys. And his blood pressure was very low. It scared me because his nurse Katie was upset and so concerned. We all sat there around his hospital bed, everyone of us staring at the catheter bag, hoping to see it get fuller. I took a break and walked down the long hallway to the water fountain to fill my water bottle, and on the way I saw The Old Man's awesome cardiologist talking to one of the nurses. He recognized me and waved, and walked over to say hi. I told him that The Old Man was here, and gave him the Reader's Digest version of what had happened. He literally ran to The Old Man's room, got on the computer to check all of his charts, and started talking with The Old Man. He said he was going to tell the nurse and the other doctors that he was taking him off two of his current meds, as they might have some impact on his kidneys. When he left The Old Man's room, I walked out with him and thanked him, and he put his arm around me and said that he was truly amazed. He said that the majority of people that have an aortic artery aneurysm rupture don't make it. He also told me that even the test results and numbers say that he has a weak heart, it is a strong heart with the will to live. Second miracle.

The nurse came in to remove the stints and tubes they had in his neck and she asked us to go get a snack or whatever while she did her work. We (me, Minnie, my cousin and her husband, and The Old Man's cousin and his wife) all walked down to the big ICU waiting room and chatted. While we were there, The Old Man's vascular surgeon walked up and had a huge smile on his face, and gave us the thumb's up sign. Even though it appeared that The Old Man's kidneys had shut down, he said he was amazed at how good he was doing, and he was still optimistic for no dialysis. At the time, we were honestly a bit skeptical, but this came from the surgeon, so we were happy. Third miracle.

After many glasses of water and a couple of IV bags, the BP was still low and he wasn't peeing. My cousin and I started sending out text prayer requests and asked our faithful prayer warriors to specifically pray for the BP to stabilize and most of all for him to pee. Shortly there after, his BP had risen, and praise the Lord, he started to pee. Fourth [major] miracle.

Shortly after, the renal specialist came in to check things out. Just like the vascular surgeon, he was amazed at how good The Old Man was doing, especially now that his BP had risen some and he was peeing. He asked The Old Man where we lived, and when The Old Man told him PRP, he said that they had just built a new dialysis center off of Dixie Highway. And then he said "But you won't need to use it." Fifth miracle.

People can be skeptical if they want - that's their prerogative. But my family and friends can testify to the many miracles we've seen performed over the past two days. And something tells me, there are more miracles to come.

Thank you all so much for your comments, texts, phone calls, and messages, but most of all for the prayers.

Another Update On The Old Man

I've been getting lots of texts and calls, so I want to update everyone. I am going to do my best to list all of the miracles that the Lord performed for The Old Man today.

Let me preface by saying that in just the past two weeks, Dad had made tremendous recovery with his bullous pemphigoid (huge skin blisters issue). Yesterday was the first day he had been able to wear regular shoes, and he went to church and also back to church last night for the Christmas program.

Yesterday morning while we were at Cracker Barrel, Dad's aortic artery aneurysm ruptured. We had just gotten our food, and started to eat when he said he had excruciating pain in his lower back. This continued, and then all of a sudden I looked across the table at him and he had a blank look on his face and had zoned out. My cousin's husband told him to swallow his food and he didn't respond. I immediately called 911 and a man at the table next to us overheard and came over and said he was a nurse. He took over and cleared his mouth and got him down on the floor on his side. First miracle.

The man's wife came over and put her hand on Dad's chest and prayed for him. Within seconds, he snapped to (he was only zoned our for maybe a minute or two, but it seemed longer) and was his old self - trying to get up from the floor and get in the chair. Second miracle.

EMS was there within two minutes of me calling. Third miracle.

He was able to stand up and walk to the stretcher. He was as alert and coherent as he always was. Fourth miracle.

The ER rushed him through, and the nurse rushed him to get a CT scan. It took maybe 15 minutes, where normally it would have been 1-2 hours. Fifth miracle.

The tests confirmed what the ER doctor was hoping would not be the case - that his aortic artery aneurysm had ruptured. He called for a vascular surgeon who also confirmed. The surgeon said that he would need surgery immediately or he would die. They were able to get him in surgery about half an hour after the doctor told us this. The surgeon laid it all on the line for us - he could do the surgery two says. One - he would cut him open from below the heart to his groin and repair the rupture. But the blood clots that had formed would move down, and to make the long story short, he would lose the kidneys and need to be on dialysis. The second option was much less evasive and an easier surgery on the 84 year old patient - he would make two incisions in the groin and put in stints to repair the rupture. But the stints would cut off the blood flow to the kidneys and he would end up on dialysis. Bud didn't hesitate and told him to do the "easier" (his words) surgery.

The surgery lasted about three hours, and when the surgeon talked to us afterward, he said that everything went well, and that he was able to put the two stints in lower, so they wouldn't affect the arteries going to the kidneys. MAJOR sixth miracle.

They kept him in the recovery room for four hours on his back to make sure there was no bleeding. Seventh miracle.

We went back to see him once they got in him the ICU and his color was great, and his spirt and temperament was like Normal Old Man. And he said he didn't have the pain anymore. Eighth miracle.

They took more blood while we were there, and the surgeon asked his nurse to give him the results immediately. All of the levels they checked were normal, especially those related to the kidneys. Ninth miracle.

He was finally able to get some water and he inhaled his cup of Jello, another good sign. He was still in great spirits, all the time giving thanks to God for the prayers answered. So we left him in the very capable hands of his ICU nurse and we went home, where we will all hopefully get some rest tonight.

But wait, there are still a few more miracles to tell you about. 

I had the day off, so I was there with him when the aneurysm ruptured. If it had been any other day, I would have been at work, and chances are he would have died here at home. Tenth miracle.

Last but not least, my Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband were still here with us. They had been here visiting with us since Friday, and had planned to go home this morning after we all had breakfast together. The Lord had other plans for them; the Lord wanted them to be here beside my Sweet Mother and I today. Eleventh miracle.

I hope the Lord forgives me if I missed out on telling about any other miracles. He already knows how thankful we are for everything He, the doctors, nurses, and others did for us today.

Another Update On The Old Man

I am very happy to report that The Old Man was able to not only go to church this morning and back again for the Christmas program tonight, but he was able to wear his regular shoes!  That in itself is nothing shy of yet another miracle from the Lord.  

Bring On Old Man Winter

My cousin's Dear Husband spent all morning and part of this afternoon out in the cold getting the Girls' coop winterized.  We had to go to Lowes and get some pieces of sheet metal, and he cut them to fit in the slide-out trays that are the bottom of the chicken coop.  Then he put some insulation inside the nesting boxes.  After all of that, I refilled the bottom of the coop with a thick layer of wood shavings and put a lot of straw into the nesting boxes to keep them warm.  They seemed pretty happy and appreciative. 

Update on The Old Man

I took the Old Man back to the dermatologist this morning to get the stitches out from the biopsies and for a check-up on his horrible rash and blisters.  The doctor was very pleased with the progress, as were we.  His feet are clearing up, as is the rest of the rash and blister spots.  The doctor said the rest of the healing process would be slow, but he was very happy with the progress so far.  That news made us all very, very, happy. 

Christmas Vacation, Sorta

I'm off tomorrow and Monday and will be enjoying a nice long weekend.  My Favorite Cousin from up north in Lafayette, IN and her Dear Husband will be arriving tomorrow morning and will be holidaying with us until Monday.  We so look forward to their visits.  We plan to eat, drink and be merry.  

Can't Have Nothing Update

I was surprised to get an email back from the ConAgra Corporation today, apologizing all over the place for their bag of Bertolli not having any bowtie pasta in it.  They said that they would be sending me some coupons for free bags of Bertolli, and they asked me to give them another chance.  

I will most definitely give them another chance - we love our Bertolli bowtie pasta with spinach and chicken.  I'm thinking that our dud bag was just a fluke.

Stay tuned.

Can't Have Nothing

Every other week, we have one of our favorites for supper, Bertolli's Chicken Florentine and Farfalle.  It's just enough for the three of us, and it is truly one of our favorites.  But tonight, we were in for a surprise.  My Sweet Mother opened the bag and poured it into the skillet, only to find that there was no pasta in it - only chicken and spinach.  Sure, we got more chicken in the bag that we normally would get, but that's just because there was no bowtie pasta.  

I went to the Bertolli website and gave them all of the pertinent info.  I'm hoping they will at least give us a coupon for a free bag.  

We will continue to buy this, until we discover another bag with no pasta, and then, that's all she wrote.

Stay tuned. 

Thank You, Girls

I am very, very happy to report that the Girls are back in action. After three months of no eggs due to molting and growing new feathers, they are back in business.  We got one egg on Friday, four on Saturday, two yesterday, and four again tonight.  They are very active, and are eating like crazy.  They enjoyed the Lucky Charms cereal and raisins we gave them tonight. 

Thanks again, Girls.  You rock. 

Christmas Decoration 2018 Update

I made at least 87 trips up and down the basement steps today to bring up all of the Christmas decorations.  It wasn't an easy task but I did it.  And got a lot of steps in on my Fitbit, I have to add.  
The tree is up and decorated, and we're slowly but surely getting the family room, back porch, and dining room decorated.  We're waiting a day or two to put our inflatable Mickey and Minnie Mouse on the front porch until the high winds and storms that are forecasted have passed through.

Stay tuned. 

Christmas Decoration 2018 Update

We spent over an hour last night putting together a two and a half foot tall wire lighted rooster for the back porch, and today, my two elves put up the Christmas tree.  So progress is being made.  Tomorrow morning I will make multiple trips and down the basement stairs to bring up the many boxes of ornaments and decorations for my elves to put to good use.  

Stay tuned. 

We're Thinking It's Going To Begin To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Now that the Old Man is on the mend, we can focus our attention on getting The Compound all Christmas's up.  I got one of our favorite pieces of decoration, the Christmas Deer made out of tree limbs, out of the garage and in its usual place in the side yard.  It's a start.  And I've located the Christmas tree in the garage, too, and will get the wagon out tonight and lug it up to the house for the two elves to hopefully put up tomorrow.  Then on Saturday morning I will make probably a bazillion trips down to the basement to bring up box after box of Christmas "stuff."  So we aren't decorated all up like a lot of people right now, but at least we have a plan and one week to get our Christmas on before my Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband come to visit for a few days.  

Stay tuned. 

Update On The Old Man

After the Old Man dealing with the mystery rash for two and a half months, we were finally able to get him in to the dermatologist today.  It took about 30 seconds for him to diagnose what the Old Man's family doctor couldn't.  It's something called ballous pemphigoid.  He said he sees it a lot in the eldery.  Anyhoo, the main thing is that he prescribed meds to get it cleared up.  

On the way home from the doctor, it broke my heart with the Old Man said "You don't know what agony I've been through over the past two months."  No, I don't.  But I can't tell you how many times I prayed that the Lord would take his rash away from him and give it to me instead.  But He didn't.  He knows best.  

Now it's time for healing, and to be able to enjoy Christmas at The Compound. 

Pray For Me, America

As I type this, I'm listening to a local TV channel's weatherazzi giving the current weather report: light snow and some ice pellets are falling now in our area.  The roads are too warm for it to stick, but that won't stop things from making this morning's trip to work Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  Jesus, take the wheel. 

It Figures

Wouldn't you know it?  It's Sunday evening and I'm feeling much, much better - just in time to go back to work tomorrow.  Go figure. 

Small Business Saturday

TWIT and I would like to ask everyone to visit a small business today and buy something from them, even if you didn't need it.  Today is Small Business Saturday.  And I'm thrilled that Good Shepherd Security Consulting had a contact today on Small Business Saturday. 

Keep it local. 

Black Friday

Today sure seemed like a Black Friday to me.  The extent of my Black Friday shopping was buying toilet paper on sale at Walgreens.  I was on the couch on or on the bed most of the day fighting a cold.  If it weren't 7:00 right now I'd go on to bed.  

As I've said before, pray for bettah dayz. 

Happy Thanksgiving From The Compound

The 'Rents and I would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.  We hope you all get to have a fun, happy, drama-free holiday.  

Thanksgiving Trivia

In case you didn't know, we have Thanksgiving to thank for the invention of TV dinners.  

Swanson created their frozen dinner meals in 1953 because they had 260 tons of extra turkey that year. Unsure what to do with it, a salesman suggested packaging it onto aluminum trays with other sides like sweet potatoes. (Airline meals are also said to have helped inspire the trays!) Regardless, we hope that Swanson employee got a big bonus that year.

And for that, we are all thankful. 

At Least Today Seems Like Thursday

It's Tuesday and with our holiday this week, it seems like it's Thursday.  Only one more morning to get up early and then four days without having to go do work. 

And on a side note, as I mentioned the other day I've been fighting a cold.  This morning I woke up with a sore throat.  It feels like I swallowed razor blades last night.  I'll be making multiple trips to the bathroom today at work to gargle with trusty warm salt water.

Stay tuned. 

Monday, Monday

I apologize for not posting yesterday.  I was a bit under the weather dealing with a cold.  I rested all day, and am feeling better today.  Thank the Lord we only have to work three days this week.  Yes, I am truly thankful for that. 

Sad News From The Compound

I am very sad to report that our beloved Willie the rooster is gone.  He was here Wednesday night when I came home, and he was in his usual spot on the top of the chicken pen.  But it was the start of the freakish ice storm.  When I woke up the next morning, he was nowhere to be found.  

I've walked through the back fields of our property and through the property of neighbors on both sides of us and still no sign.

The Old Man says that he came here on his own, and he believes he left here on his own.  We hope and pray that during the ice storm Wednesday night, Willie remembered his former home, and hopefully he left here to go back to where he was dry and warm.

In the meanwhile, we're sad.  We had quickly grown to love our Willie boy.  

Flashback Friday

Today, I am flashing back to two weeks ago, when I met with our retirement fund gurus at work, and the guy told me that I could retire in three years and two months and start drawing from my ZCO retirement account.  The countdown is on.  Be warned that this will most likely be a weekly post.  Just saying.  

Welcome Pre-Winter, Again

When I attempted to leave for work this morning, there were more limbs down on our driveway than there were back in 2009 when we had the big ice storm.  And all of the limbs were from trees that were Neighbor Nick's.  When I was ready to leave for work this morning, I didn't hesitate to knock on his door and tell him that he needed to get up and help me move the limbs from HIS trees that were blocking MY driveway.  He was happy to oblige, and help me get on my way to work.

There are still lots of smaller limbs from Nick's Trees that need to be removed, and I'm hoping he will remove them in the few days ahead. 

Welcome Pre-Winter

I was an hour late getting home today because I had to wait at the car mechanic's shop to get my tires put on and a front end alignment done, in addition to getting upper and lower ball joints,  shocks, and various other things put on.  But I digress.  When I left the shop and headed home it was sleeting bigtime.  It was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride going home.  The roads weren't all that slick, but people were driving very crazy.  Once again, I digress.  They're calling for a tenth of an inch to a quarter of inch of ice tonight.  Not something we like to hear for mid-November.  But hey - I've got new tires, so bring it on. 

Tuesday, Tuesday

It was a long old day at work.  Every time I looked out the window and saw the dismal, gray day, I thought to myself that it looked like it could just open up and start snowing at any minute.  It didn't, thank goodness, but the weatherazzi is starting to get worked up over a system moving through tomorrow night into Thursday morning, that could bring (and I quote) "possible accumulations of snow, ice and freezing rain" into the area.  On an unrelated note, I had to stop on the way home from work today for milk and bread.  Stay tuned. 

Monday, Monday

It's a little after 6:00, and we've had supper and done the dishes and all three of us here at The Compound took a little nap.  And I think possibly a longer nap is in our near futures. 

Happy Veterans Day

TWIT and I would like to wish my Old Man a very happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your service during the Korean War.  Your commitment to keeping our country safe has not gone unnoticed. 

Manual Labor

Today was a day filled with manual labor by yours truly.  The Old Man was still not feeling up to par, so he gave direction, aka told me what to do, and I did it.  

We got the chicken coop all winterized for The Girls.  I cleaned out the coop, gave them new wood shavings in the bottom of the coop, put new shavings in their nesting boxes for when they hopefully will start laying again, and we ran the cords and got their heated waterer and their heat light all connected.  

I'm not sure about the Girls, but I know I will sleep good tonight. 

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

I never mentioned this before, but last fall, I joined the Churchill Downs Racing Club and became part (albeit a small) owner in a race horse named Rare Form.  

He didn't do so well in his first three starts, but today he broke his maiden with a big win - he was in the lead from start to finish, and paid a great 7-1 price.   Many thanks to trainer Dale Romans (a South End boy) and to his jockey Robby Alberado.  

Needless to say, this made my day, week, month, possibly, year. 

Oh Happy Day

The investment firm that handles Zoeller employees' retirement funds was at work today meeting with people one-on-one to go over their retirement accounts.  I signed up and met with the guy today, and after the first five minutes, I would have done a cartwheel if I could.  I can retire in just three and a half years and draw from my Zoeller retirement fund until I reach 62 and can start drawing my Social Security.  

The countdown is on.  

Overheard At Work

And I quote:

"I don't drink that much.  But I drink."  

End of quote. 

I'd Like Another Extra Hour

The 'Rents and I are watching my Titans play on Monday Night Football, and the Old Man just said he wished it was Saturday night again so we could get an extra hour of sleep.  I have to agree. 

Happy National Chicken Lady Day

TWIT and I would like to wish everyone a very happy National Chicken Lady Day.  And yes, I am proud to be a Chicken Lady.  

The Girls are still growing in the tons of feathers that they lost during molting, and they haven't been laying.  But I will give them an out since they are molting.  When the birds go into molt, their bodies require every little resource they have to regrow their feathers .If you think about it, their bodies basically rejuvenate themselves in a matter of weeks. That has to take a lot of nutrients and energy to complete this process in such a short period of time.That is why chickens don’t lay eggs while they're molting. They don’t have enough nutrients left during this time to lay eggs and rebuild their bodies simultaneously.

They've been molting for about six weeks now, and you can visibly see the new feathers coming in, so we (and I'm sure they) hope the end is in sight.  They aren't totally naked; just bare in a few spots.

So now you know probably more than you wanted to know about molting from Puddin the Chicken Lady. 

Happy Breeders Cup Day

This year's Oaks Day and Derby Day races went down in history as being some of the rainiest (yes, that is a word) race days ever, but today's Breeders Cup is one of the prettiest race days.  It's clear, a tad bit cool, and no rain in sight according to the weatherazzi.  

Tooth Extraction Update

I procrastinated and waited too long to get an appointment to get the tooth pulled, and the infection set back in.  So I'm back on a week's worth of antibiotics to get the infection gone and then we'll hopefully get the tooth pulled.

Stay tuned. 

Tooth Extraction Eve

It's All Hallow's Eve aka Halloween, but it is also Tooth Extraction Eve.  Tomorrow afternoon I have an appointment with the dentist to get the pesky tooth finally removed.  Surprisingly enough, I'm not all that nerved up about it.  I know the dentist will numb me up good and will also give me some good pain killers for the after party.  I just want the pesky tooth out.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that I waited too long after I took the antibiotics before I called and got the appointment to have it pulled, because just in the past three days the infection has started to set back in.  

I called the dentist yesterday morning and asked if he wanted to call in some more antibiotics for me to take so they would have a chance to work until my appointment tomorrow afternoon and he said no, for me to just be there at 3:30 sharp.  And that I will.

Stay tuned. 

File Under: WTF?

It's been another crazy WTF day here.  Now, all of the neighborhoods and official cities are changing Trick or Treat to tonight since there is heavy rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  

All I can say is back in the day, we didn't let a little thing like rain bother us.  

I'm really scared for my future with these young folks being in charge of things.  

File Under: WTF?

I've read so many crazy posts from friends on Facebook today, all I can say is truly WTF? What were you thinking?

Over and out. 

Hogzillas - beware

During the course of my day today, I saw not one, but four ground hogs out and about.  I'm very disappointed that more people aren't out like us, trying to get rid of those pesky varmints.  

Stay tuned. 

What A Not So Great Day This Turned Out To Be

I just got home moments ago from a meeting at church, only to hear the news about a deadly shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh this morning. 

I've been thinking for the past few months about officially closing Good Shepherd Security Consulting because I haven't had any paying clients in years.  But today's news has changed my mind, and I'm going to keep on keeping on.  

It's not really about the money - sure, I like when I get paid for my consulting services, but truthfully, if what I do can keep one church safer and more secure, than it's all worth it. 

What A Great Day This Turned Out To Be

This morning's ride to work was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  It was misting, slightly foggy, and my wiper blades were beyond help.  As soon as I pulled out of my driveway, I just said Jesus take the wheel.  

On the way home from work I stopped at an O'Reily's Auto Parts and got some new wiper blades.  I sprung for the deluxe Rain-X edition, as was recommended by several coworkers.  I paid the blades and turned to leave the store, when the twenty-something (or possibly younger) clerk asked me if I would like for him to put the blades on.  I told him heck yes.  And it took him longer to open the package of blades than it took for him to put them on. 

He went on to say that he enjoys helping the customers by putting on wiper blades and installing batteries, while the older clerks just want to stand behind the cash register.  

As soon as I got home, I called the store and spoke to the manager and put in a good word for this kid.  His mama and daddy sure raised him right.  

We Had To Go To Work Again Today

Our office pool had ten bucks worth of Powerball tickets for last night's drawing.  We didn't get anything back.  So that's the end of our office pool for now.  

As for me, I will be buying Powerball tickets for myself for Saturday night's big drawing.  Yep, you already know I'm a gambler. 

Stay tuned. 

We Had To Go To Work Again Today

Our group from work pooled our money again for last night's Mega Millions drawing.  Instead of winning the $1.6 billion, we won ten bucks.  But we're not giving up without a fight.  We used that $10 and got 5 Powerball tickets for tonight's $660 million drawing.  Stay tuned. 

Tuesday Updates

It's been a little bit crazy at The Compound lately.  Here's the current updates:

The Girls are still not laying any eggs because they're molting.  Their bodies use the protein to grow new feathers instead of laying eggs.  From what chicken experts tell us, this could take up to three months.  So to those of you that have been getting eggs from us, just be patient, and we will get eggs to you as soon as they are laying again. 

The Old Man is still fighting his mysterious rash, but it is improving.  Thanks to the Lord for prayers answered.

My bad tooth is much much better after the round of antibiotics.  I'm procrastinating and have been putting off calling and getting an appointment to get the damned tooth pulled. 

My Sweet Mother is still sweet, and doing her best to put up with me and the Old Man. 

As always, stay tuned. 

A Great Sunday

I was more than happy this morning when the Old Man was able to go to church today. He missed last Sunday due to his bizarre rash and his hip pain.  But today he made it to and from church like the boss he is.  So to me, that made it a great Sunday.  Nuff said. 

Saturday Updates

Our group of 28 players won a whopping $28 in last night's Mega Millions drawing.  But that's ok.  We'll roll over our winnings and buy 14 more games, and I'm pretty sure everyone will be back in for Tuesday's drawing.  As always, stay tuned. 

Happy Friday

The Mega Millions frenzy hit ZCO today, and me and 27 other coworkers pitched in ten bucks a piece and we got ourselves 140 tickets for tonight's over $1 Billion  Mega Millions jackpot.  

I'm not sure I will be able to stand it until 10:59 tonight when the drawing occurs.

Stay tuned. 

I Had To Go To Work Today

Unfortunately, I did not win the Mega Millions lottery drawing last night.  But in my defense, nobody did.  Out of the ten sets of numbers that I played, I had one number.  

But I stopped today on my way home from work and got more tickets for Friday's expected billion dollar drawing.  

Stay tuned. 

Another Missed Opportunity

I found out too late that yesterday was National Grouch Day.  I could have been grouchy all day long if I'd only known.  Maybe I can use a Mulligan and be grouchy today.  

Stay tuned. 

Hurricane Michael Update

I just got a text from my SF and her daughter went up to Dothan, AL today to get her beloved granddaughter and bring her back down to Florida.

As of now, the main thing is to keep the family together as much as possible.  Clothes, toys, and other necessities are coming in for this sweet little girl.  Like I said, the main thing right now is that she's with her Nanny where she feels loved and safe.  

Getting On My Soap Box

First of all, I apologize for not posting yesterday.  It was a bad tooth day and I spent the majority of the day either on the couch or on the bed resting.  Nuff said.

Now I would like to turn my attention toward the weather.  The front moved through and we literally went from having the a/c on to having the furnace on.  Yesterday and today the highs were in the mid 50's.  To hear people on FB talk about it, you would think it was 20 below today in Louisville.  Get over it.  What are you all going to do when it REALLY gets cold? 

I'm getting back down from my soap box and going to have a drink.  

Good News

Praise to the Lord for prayers answered.  My friend's daughter and her boyfriend were able to find an apartment where they can now call home.  That in itself is a miracle, with so many people displaced down in Panama City Beach.  She will be able to have her beloved granddaughter with her, and that's the main thing.  

This, Too, Did Not Go As I Planned

As I type this, I am truly sick to my stomach over a dear friend's daughter losing her home in Hurricane Michael.  Her boyfriend also lost his home, too.  I actually cried when I heard that they both slept last night in their car because they couldn't go anywhere.  

I know, I know -- everyone will be saying "at least you all are ok" and that is first and foremost.  But they both still lost their homes.  

My friend's great-granddaughter has a major soft spot in my heart, and in the heart of my SF's.  She was born two months premature and there were a few times when they thought she wouldn't make it.  But thanks to the Lord, she is now thriving and in second grade.  Her grandmother sent her up to Dothan, AL a few days ago before Michael hit so she would be safe.  

I talked to some of the SFs today and we will do all we can to make sure that the sweet little girl gets her toys, clothes, and her beloved cowboy boots replaced.  I'm not saying that to brag or draw attention to us;  we just love that little girl like she was our own.  She's been through more in her short life than any other child should have to go through, so we want to make sure she is taken care of while her grandma tries to rebuild everything that was torn apart yesterday. 

This Day Did Not Go As I Planned

I've had an annoying tooth problem for a month or two.  It's a tooth that I had had a crown put on about 25 years ago, and had three root canals done about 10 years ago.  To make the long story short, the tooth is abscessed and needs to be pulled.  

I called my dentist last Friday to get an appointment, only to hear the voice mail recording saying that he retired the week before, and he was referring his patients to a dental clinic, which luckily for me is a mile from my office.  I called the clinic and they said they take walk-ins from 8 to 11.  So I was there promptly at 8:00 this morning.  

The fees are on a sliding scale, and they said I would need to pay $60 for today's visit.  I almost fell out of my chair.  I had to ask twice to make sure I was hearing the lady right.  I was more than happy to pay $60 for treatment that would probably cost me triple at a dentist's office. 

When I was finished paying, the lady said that the dentists were in a meeting and would start seeing patients at 9:00.  So I went back to work and then headed back down a few minutes before 9:00.  When I got to the dental clinic, I saw a sign that said that the dentists were in training and would be seeing patients at 10:30.  So back to work I went.  

I came back and was back up in the clinic at 10:20, only to be told that their computer system was down (after hearing them page IT on the intercom a few times) and I would have to wait.  So I waited and waited.  Finally after an hour of waiting, the system was back up, and they printed out my paperwork and then called me back. 

 After xrays and more waiting, the dentist finally came in and he was with me only about two minutes; long enough for him to tell me that the tooth was bad and needed to come out.  He then told me I had three options based on how big my purse was.  One was an implant, which is $$$$$.  The second option was a bridge, which was also $$$$.  Then he said my third option was a partial, which was a whole lot less.  But he also said I had a fourth option -- not doing anything and just chewing on the other side of my mouth. 

He gave me a prescription for antibiotics to clear up the infection, and said that when I ran out of the antibiotics to call and get an appointment to get the tooth pulled.  

So that's how my day went.  But you know?  In the whole scope of things, it could have been a hell of a lot worse.  I got a call this afternoon from a School Friend whose daughter lost her house in Hurricane Michael today.  She and her family are fine, but they still lost their house.  So yep, things could be a hell of a lot worse. 

Stay tuned. 

Happy National Pizza and Beer Day

TWIT and I would like to wish everyone a very happy National Pizza and Beer Day.

Unfortunately, we did not have pizza and beer today at The Compound.  I'm having some major issues with a tooth, and it was all I could do to chew some spaghetti tonight.  But never fear.  When my tooth issues are all cleared up, we will in deed celebrate a belated National Pizza and Beer Day. 

Props To My Hispanic Peeps

TWIT and I would like to give major props to the Gutierrez Family.  Maria of the family was on a local TV channel's daily lifestyle's show today, talking about the family's most awesome Italian restaurant, Tuscany.  

We love all of the Gutierrez family - Maria, Marcella, Tino, and Miguel.  We feel like they are a part of our family.  They've all worked extremely hard to build up their restaurants, and we look forward to each visit with them.  

Public Service Announcement

To the thousands of people attending the St. James Art Fair:

Do all of the car drivers a huge favor and pay attention to the walk/don't walk signs at all of the street corners.  Yes, they apply to you, and they are in sync with the stop lights.  When we are stopped at a red light, then the walk sign will be white, and will show an icon of a person walking.  That means this is when you walk.  When the stop light is green and we are moving through the intersections, the walk sign will be red, and will show an icon of a hand, meaning do not walk.  How hard is that to figure out?

What Happened To Customer Service?

Actual verbatim transcript of a conversation I had with the clerk (sorry - I'm not sure what to call them) in the electronics department at my local Wal-Mart this morning.  And I quote:

Me:  "You all sell Surface Pro tablets.  Do you sell any accessories, like the charging cord?"
Clerk: "I don't know what we sell." 

Nuff said. 

Go Away, Black Cloud

It seems that the Black Cloud is hovering over some friends and family again.  It's time that it moved on out of the way and left those good people alone.  

Thank You, Dr. Amanda

I had to take my Sweet Mother to see a podiatrist this afternoon.  With her being diabetic, her doctor said she'd feel better if she went to a podiatrist to get her toe nails trimmed instead of going to the Asian nail salons.  

Let me preface by saying that in the years that my Sweet Mother has gone to the nail salon in our hood, they've never cut her or caused any problems.  But with her insurance covering this, we jumped at the chance to go to the podiatrist.

Dr. Amanda was awesome.  Not only did she trim my Sweet Mother's toe nails, she gave a very thorough foot exam, and I was thrilled that she got a great report.  

We will be back in ten weeks for another toe nail trim, courtesy of their insurance. 

Just Like I Remembered

The 'Rents made me a special treat today - while I was at work, they made a batch of old school No Bake Cookies aka Wheat Fudge.  We always called it Wheat Fudge when I was in elementary school.  And I've got to say that they tasted just like I remembered.  I've had these awesome treats through out the years, but this is the first time that we've ever made them at home.  And they rocked.  I could have eaten 3 or 4 of them after supper but I held myself to just one.  

Happy Late National Coffee Day

TWIT and I are very sorry to be a day late in wishing everyone a happy National Coffee Day.  It was yesterday.

So, to celebrate, I suggest that we all drink extra coffee tomorrow!  I'm all in. 

Happy National Homemade Cookies Day

I know I am giving this information to you late in the day, but today is National Homemade Cookie Day.  

I am very happy to report that the 'Rents made a big batch of No Bake Cookies today, upon my request.   I can't wait to eat my supper and have a few. 

It's not too late - you still have time to make a batch of homemade cookies tonight.  

A Bad Day For Break Downs

This weekend hasn't been very good here at The Compound.  

On Friday, the main drain that goes into the sewer line was clogged, and we had to call for the plumber to come out and unclog it.  Luckily for us, they were here within an hour of me calling them, and it was a quick, fairly cheap fix.  

Then yesterday morning, we discovered that an electrical circuit that has two sockets in the kitchen and the socket in the basement where we plug in the washing machine were out.  But it, again, was a quick fix.  Luckily, we only use one of those two sockets in the kitchen, so we simply moved the trusty Bunn coffee maker over to another plug.  And in the basement, we plugged the washing machine into the socket where we have the dryer plugged in, and we were back in business.  

I'm hoping for a better week for all things electrical and mechanical. 

Happy National Drink A Beer Day

TWIT and I would like to wish everyone a happy National Drink A Beer Day.  I apologize for posting this late - you still have time to go get a beer and drink it.  I know I will. 

Thank You Mother Nature

TWIT and I would like to thank Mother Nature for the weather today.  We had a couple of showers, but all in all it was a much better day than we've had in the past week and a half.  

We are over having a half a foot of rain fall here in  Louisville since last Saturday.  But I'm very glad that the oppressive humidity was way lower today than it's been in the past couple of weeks.  Keep it up. 

A Bad Day For Electronics

It's been a bad day for electronics with me.  First of all, my iPad Mini won't charge up.  I tried a dozen different configurations with different charging cords and charging methods and nothing.  Then, my cool new-ish Bluetooth earbud that I use at work to listen to the radio wouldn't hold a charge, either.  It's just been a bad electronics day.  

I emailed the manufacturer of the earbud and they gave me a promo code to use through Amazon to buy another one, which will be delivered in two days.  As for the iPad Mini, I called the Apple Store and the amount that it would cost to replace either the battery or the charging port was more than I paid for the iPad Mini in the first place.  I did a quick check on eBay and I can buy one with a 90 day warranty for less than half of what Apple quoted for repairs.  

It's days like this that I wish I never had any electronics at all and were like the Amish people that I met a couple of weeks ago. 

Happy National Voter Registration DayT

TWIT and I would like to wish everyone a very happy National Voter Registration Day.  How do I celebrate this holiday, you ask?  By registering to vote!!  Visit https://vote.gov/ and you can get all the info you need on how to register.  In Kentucky, the deadline to register to be able to vote in the November 6 elections is October 9. 

Start Getting The Animals Together

Today was the third consecutive day of rain.  It's time to start getting pairs of animals together to get on the ark.  Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday. 

There was so much rain and mud that the city cancelled the second day of the big Bourbon and Beyond music festival yesterday.  And this weekend at the same location is supposed to be the Louder Than Life music festival.  I will be very shocked if they don't cancel it.

Stay tuned. 

Happy Birthday, Mom

TWIT and I would like to wish a very happy birthday to my Sweet Mother.  In terms of favorite birthdays, hers is second only to the birthday of Jesus.  Yes, I just said that. 

The Partying Continues

We just had adult beverages and some midday snacks to tide us over till we go to the second of three birthday dinners in honor of my Sweet Mother's birthday.  Even though it's been cloudy and raining all day, we're still happy and celebrating. 

Let The Festivities Begin

Sunday is my Sweet Mother's birthday, and we officially started the partying last night with adult beverages.  Tonight, she had her favorite seafood, pan fried oysters.  And I'm pretty sure we will have more adult beverages later on tonight. 

Yesterday, someone called and offered me free tickets to the Bourbon and Beyond music festival this weekend, but I had to turn them down.  Even though I would have loved to have seen Lennie Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, and Robert Plant, I would rather spend the time with my Sweet Mother.  Nuff said. 

So Happy It's Thursday

It's been a long, action-packed week, and I am so glad it's Thursday.  That means only one more day to go to work this week, and then we all get two days off.  And I know that for that, we are all thankful. 

New Product Alert

TWIT is excited to report that the good people at Heinz is rolling out a cool new product – Mayochup.  It’s a bottle of ketchup and mayo mixed up.  It will be available later this month, but within the next few days, it will be unveiled in will be available in Chicago.  The company asked condiment lovers to vote for a Mayochup food truck to come to their city to be the first to taste the new condiment, and Chicago won.  Never fear.  It will be available in stores country-wide in a few days.