Monday, May 31, 2010

Emails, swimming and relaxing...

Our lives were very laid back today!
Most would have enjoyed this way of life at any time.
I awoke late for me, at seven thirty and read my emails the newspaper and examined Facebook while having that always welcomed morning coffee, my only one for the day!
Then the pool was on the agenda and we all did splash in, Hubby and Skipper too this morning! It was a revitalizing joy for us.

My cousin doesn’t scare easy I have found out! Thank heavens! And she did have the where with all to respond within hours of my return email.
Since I have found family to be so refreshing, although at times irritating at this stage in life!
Arguably, we all need that connection.
Have it be us knowing our roots or whatever?
People from every walk of life need to know where they came from and where they went or maybe even where they are going.
Systematically we humans have a nosey bone in our bodies.
Which amounts to curiosity that causes us to question people we care about but some take offense by too many questions when others are forthcoming with lots of info!
There is a fine line of where to start and when to or where to stop.
And this gal has been unable to know when it is enough in those circumstances.

I just wrote back again to my new found Cous and hope that we continue this Nuevo relationship for a long time, and that I don’t screw it up!

Moving on… meanwhile back at the oil leak nothing is working and no one knows what to do! Scary as all get out! The latest is an idea to try another cone topper that while in the process may allow another twenty per cent of oil to leak out while being done.
You know world this is not good!
The environmental damage is extensive already and promises to be only to get much, much worse.

Unfortunately, the tourist industry is taking a tremendously hazardously hit without reasoning here in Florida where people have been misinformed about our waters….

LISTEN AGAIN FOLKS “NO OIL HERE ON OUR BEACHES!!!!!”

Our local news casters here are as frustrated, you can hear it in their voices as well as seeing it in their faces when they repeat that above lament to the public.
If we could only have the out of state media tell the people too!
Our people here already know that.

Let’s just hope that by the time they do understand our message that it’s not too late and it does get here, the oil that is…

On that scary thought I will wish you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!
PS Hope your holiday was safe and peaceful too!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Bold moves, great weather and strange ...

My title tonight is a bit intriguing?
My bold move was contacting a family member, a first cousin that I probably haven’t spoken with in over thirty years!
It was a wee bit scary but also a welcomed relief to make that contact with another person who has been enduring what I have been learning to deal with in recent years, MS.
Yes, my female cousin has had it for thirty-five years, since 1975.
To be fair we were never that close as children since she is a few years older than me, and for some reason I seemed to gravitate towards my boy cousins, why, who knows but I did.
The best part of making contact at this late date was the fact that we are both much older and mothers and it appears we have more in common than we ever did as children.
I found her on Facebook and we will now I suspect become email pen pals, but it seems that I have a problem of divulging too much information too soon when I do reach out to the old most memorable people in my past life.
To be honest I more than likely overwhelm people with a genuine thinking that I must tell all that has happened in those twenty, thirty or forty years that we had been apart in my first written back email!
And so this time I will try to be more diligent and thoughtful before I answer this particular person for I don’t want to scare her off too.

You see, I do write the way I tend to talk, motor mouth is an understatement when speaking to anyone, but you all know that since you have been reading this for some time now, right? No surprises here.
If I play my cards right I could learn a lot from all that she has been through, she could be my guide or mentor, so to speak. Although this illness is a bit different for each one of us who deals with it daily and there are four different kinds.
But who knows, perhaps we could just compare experiences and commiserate?

I must admit there is no complaining about our weather here in southwest Florida; it was picture perfect again as usual!
And so I made my way into the pool early and enjoyed at least an hours worth of ROM.

The strange part is that unfortunately I did not sleep well last night, and my body has been disloyal to me in the respect that the exercise program doesn’t seem to be working in a positive way.
For the problem of numbness and stiffness has moved into my arms as well as my whole of my legs now, and to tell the truth I am getting a wee bit frightened by that.

Hopefully, I will be approved for the new injectable medication and I will not have so many relapses which appear to be a daily event now, and I have taken to using the walker inside now too, no more furniture walking for tonight.
As I said the application went in last Monday and they said they would respond in two to four weeks.

Hubby barbecued a great dinner tonight and we both enjoyed it immensely!
I figured it out… barbecuing and reading lower the electric bill!

While you try to figure out my cryptic above message I will bid you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

How's your weekend going so far?

This is the so-called beginning of summer, and many take this first weekend of warmth to enjoy to the fullest!

Here in southwest Florida we are having sea pork or sea squirts floating ashore and they are being mistaken for oil or tar chunks, but they are not! The information below will let you know what they are:

The below information is derived from Wiikipedia and for a complete definition copy and paste and go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunicate

“While most tunicates live on the ocean floor and are commonly known as sea squirts and sea pork, others – such as salps, doliolids and pyrosomes – live above in the pelagic zone as adults.

Most tunicates feed by filtering sea water through pharyngeal slits, but some are sub-marine predators such as the Megalodicopia hians.”

Moving on… our day was our norm for us, but Hubby finally decided to join me in the pool, I suppose even after nearly twenty-four years of living here in Florida he is still thinking summer begins this weekend! It was so nice to share the warm tub-like waters with him and our Skipper!

He is again working on a project but this time a reconstruction, the board walk needed additional medium support since it is thirty-four inches wide and runs approximately sixty feet down to the dock. It had one of those spongy feels to it, and so Hubby supported it with four by fours that we fortunately still have left over from that free fence we received, and so although mucho labor is involved no additional expense is. Hubby is taking his time, but should be done soon it is only a matter of maybe a half a dozen four by fours for support and solid non bouncy walking boards.

I think I just discovered a severe problem with this program that my spell and grammar check has stopped working so forgive any mistakes that should have been picked up.

Actually, I just went to my email and corrected it from there. I suspect that is what I will have to do from now on.


Update: It has corrected itself when I closed my word program with fear of losing data!


Meanwhile back at the spill we just received word that the ‘Top Kill’ did not work and so now they will be moving on to trying something else!

Florida is only finding people with suntan ‘oil’ and seaweed darkening the waters here!

We are still just fine.

It was a lazy day for me I even napped this afternoon; we barbecued our dinner, which we will do all weekend. But isn't that what this weekend of the holiday is mostly about; to remember those who gave there lives to preserve our freedoms? And what better way to respect that than to display the American flag, barbecue and relax by the pool or beach, right? I think perhaps you will all agree!

On that note I will wish you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we well too!

Friday, May 28, 2010

How many of you enjoy gardening?

Thought I would go with a lighter topic tonight, I’m sure it’s all right with you?

Personally, I used to be an avid gardener, and since Hubby’s retirement I have been trying to get him to love it as much as I once did. Both my grandfathers loved it and they were manly men too! Besides one of them actually lived into his nineties, since I also heard that gardening is quite healthful.
My limitations have taken that away somewhat my ability to move freely around the yard that is.
I have been lowered down to an occasional shrew like hateful person because I was at one time not allowing weeds, overgrown or dead plants to be a part of the landscape.
Whenever I went out the door I would keep up with my gardens and for that they always had a manicured look, but since my ills have taken me to this level that I cannot seem to get out of they have not had that devoted attention. Now you know why I want Hubby to take over. It’s much more pleasurable to see beauty when you go outside than weeds and death, that’s all I am saying.

Consequently, when I do leave the solitude of my indoor environment I tend to find critical landscape uglies that really bug me, and as you may have guessed by what I said in my previous statement I have no patience to wait for it to be fixed.

You see, Hubby does not see those little problems that I mentioned as problems or even as not aesthetically appealing but unfortunately I do.
Thus my non politenesses of critiquing the way things look.
Guilt goes along with the actual telling of how things look to me, but the filter for me on my brain has been gone unfortunately for years.
Whenever I think I should try to be less critical I think that I would then be lying.

My darling man of my life and soul is more tolerant of the dying in flora that is.
Tomato plants or dead branches or dead trees he feel need several months to recover while I hate looking at their shriveled uglies stems and bodies, I suppose I am more the euthanasia type, for plants that is. Put the thing out of its misery, PLEASE!
Dead is dead.

But to his good… it would be unfair not to mention that when I do say anything to Hubby about this or that in the yard he does seem to notice and take care of it, but I feel that he should notice these things without me having to say anything to him. It makes me feel ugly myself and too bossy too.

Just maintaining what we already have growing is the major job for him plus tending to the veggie garden which he had built from scratch with raised beds, arbor and trellis’s etc., he waters the plants nightly when we haven’t had rain mostly using the water from the rain barrels which is quite a job!
He mows the lawn, trims and blows away the grass on the walkways and fertilizes everything and sprays for bugs, pruning bushes and trees and dead removal etc. actually exhausting!
He used to only have the lawn to take care of but even in the old days I would fertilize that at one time!
It saddens me not being able to do my part anymore, and frustrates me at the same time too.
I thought I had devised a plan to be of some help.
We have one of those rolling garden caddy carts that you can move around the yard and inside it hold tools or seeds and the like, and then you move it to where you want to work in the garden and it is a seat when closed.
But Hubby would have to place it where I would be working and it would be up to me to get there by walker or scooter, and he felt it was too complicated and it would be easier for him just to do it, and so I gave in and that was a few years ago and now I still can only watch and sometimes wait from inside or on the patio seated there.

Being once a type ‘A’ personality in business management I truly hate being on the sidelines!

Any-who, this morning we went grocery shopping and no pool today for me, but yesterday I was in for an hour.

I would like right now to wish you all a very good night and wish you all a safe and happy holiday weekend, find time to count those blessings and we will too!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pet Peeves Night including more rants

Who enjoys mudslinging in a political campaign?
Who doesn’t have silent joy when the mudslinger gets his come up-pence?
You know what I mean, someone whose only way to make himself look good is to trash his opponent? I don’t enjoy the first, but the latter makes me grin, to be honest.

Well, today one of our state candidates for governor who has been not only trashing his opponent but he’s also been taking out of context what our president snippet news clips statements are and trying to make him look foolish as well.
But today someone went after this particular candidate with accusatory claims of this nasty guy being involved in defrauding Medicare with not so kosher claims.
How about that?
Some rack that up to bad Karma?
Or what comes around goes around, stop I’m getting dizzy folks!
But you get the gist of all this.
Politics by definition must mean don’t play nice for it appears that way to me, huh, what about you?

Illegal aliens is another hot topic and Arizona feels they need to check everyone they can to prevent it from continuing to get out of hand by instating additional legislation to support the already problematic situation that they are at their wits’ end to fix. But I already thought that law was on the books in every state in this country. Our candidate here feels that Florida should also have that law, now I am not an attorney, and I only took business law for a couple of years and I could be wrong but isn’t it true that once you arrest someone doesn’t law enforcement have the right to thoroughly check into their background including if they are here in the good old US of A with either a green card or visa or some other papers to make them legit, and that my friends is called probable cause to do that?
I suppose this is for the ones just here on vacation or minding their own business?
To me, I am sorry but this sounds like profiling because it is aimed at only one ethnic group and population. What about all the illegal Canadians, Australians, Germans, Iranians, Israelis, French, Italian, I could go on and on…get my point?
But seriously folks we love you all!
After all isn’t this America give us you’re tired and poor and let them join our freedoms by showing them how to do it?

The one thing that keeps sticking in my brain was the image of that elementary school child that asked our first lady, Michelle Obama if the president was going to arrest her Mom since she doesn’t have her papers?
My heart sank with those words and the look on that child’s face who by the way spoke perfect American English!
Our wonderful warm and brilliant mom herself Michelle Obama answered the child with well we will have to look into that, or some such thing. The point is she tried to reassure the child that everything would be all right like any decent person would, of course!
You all know the clip I am speaking of the same day as the President and she were hosting the Mexican Prime Minister and his wife’s visit to our Whitehouse with a reception.

The Top Kill had been initiated and for now within the last little while it has been temporarily stopped to see where they stand with the mud. With the equalized pressure of the Gulf water and mud, one person described it very sensibly as if trying to put two fire-hoses together with equalized pressure, not too easy I would think.

Our Pres spoke to us this afternoon to let us know how the government was in-charged and overseeing BP, and everyone is doing their all to stop the problem!

I heard from the new medicine company again with more information on this injectable that I still haven’t received yet! But I did forget to tell you all that the application for assistance was not too bad after all and went out Monday!

On that note I wish you all a very good night tonight, and ask you to count those blessings and we will too!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Top Kill...

The words for tonight are ‘Top Kill’, my friends, which means now we have one better idea up our shady sleeves of we think we know what we are doing, but really don’t and let’s throw caution to the wind and pump thousands of pounds of fluids into a five story pipe, what it is, is basically dumping mud and cement and throwing it into the well to see if that stops the flow of the environmentally catastrophic oily yuck and now how do you think that will work folks, because we now know we have a worldwide audience for this fine mess we got ourselves into?
Bud-dump bum.

And if this doesn’t do the job we have “Junk Shot”, (stay with me folks this one I explained last night, still available to catch up if you need to;) this is the one to fall back on, I thought but no its next on the list and if that doesn’t work we will throw in all fisherman who depend on the once pristine Gulf and their fishing vessels into the hole in the Gulf oozing disgusting red goop and if that doesn’t work we will just take more of the dead waterfowl, dolphins, manatees, sharks, octopus, redfish, tarpons etcetera, etcetera and on and on must I go on?
Horridly we all know now that they haven’t a clue on what will work, why you ask horrified?
BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR ANYTHING!
And they are all idiots, yes as simple as that folks.
Not everyone gets a functioning viable brain at birth apparently.

Listen, how many of you were in scouting as a child?
Well, don’t we all know that one must be prepared for any and all situations in life?
All right maybe not all, but if you are working in a specific field and getting extremely well paid for that job, then don’t you all agree that you SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO?

The news just verified that the, ‘Top Kill’ has begun; anticipation is all we of the Gulf coast have for hopeful desire for this latest move to do the trick.
For we the people of this part of this great land feel as if this being one of the few truly manmade disasters could have been, foolishly we believe, could have been prevented or at the very least avoided with more knowledgeable people running the sanitarian, called BP.
Too harsh you say!
This could happen to anyone you say?
Sure it could but when you deal with such a dangerous volatile substance you would think that OSHA or some one of that nature would have had a closer watch on how things were going?
Well, I am just a civilian and have never ever worked in the oil game, but isn’t it just common sense to take proper cautionary measures?
Rules of the road derrick well what have you?
There ought to be a law… now you don’t hear people shouting that, do you?
And why is that?
BIG MONEY runs the oil companies as well, no pun intended, as the wealthiest in the land here and abroad!
And so, now I am not saying anything isn’t Kosher with what happened there in the Gulf but we all know about those mines not being properly inspected in West Virginia and those guys cutting corners and creating a hazardous work environment for those people too…

Something to think about, that’s all I am saying… I wouldn’t cause any trouble but just sleeplessness in those thinking about how to solve this, but I don’t suppose they are getting much sleep these days anyway, at least I hope not!

Good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

This just in: For women those old enough to drink should drink that glass of wine tonight, but it only works for non smokers, which I am thankfully for nearly four whole years! It is supposed to prevent Alzheimer’s, whew, one less malady to worry about, thank heavens! I try my darndest to take care of that prescription concept!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Junk shot?

Oh you thought that they said jump shot, no basketball game here, and no joke either!

Who ever heard of such a practice? The next plan is to stop the oil disaster in the Gulf, what is this plan A. 1234 or B. 5678 or C. 91011; do you see where I am going here?

But they are going to throw junk (great more pollution added to the Gulf!), yes literally junk like golf balls, tires, knotted ropes, plastic cubes and the like down into the blowout preventer, the safety device atop the well!
You say WHAT?
That’s what these million + a year salaried execs came up with to stuff the spewing oil.

You know what this reminds me of when no one has a clue of what to do in an emergency or problem and some nitwit says let’s throw everything including the kitchen sink at it!
Crazy, but what they are hoping for is for to force- feed the preventer, the part that failed when this all began back on April 20th. They are hoping that it will stop it up and stop the leak or at least make it go down to a trickle.

The news just said that the leak is over a well that if not stopped it could go on for more than all of our lifetimes! Horrendous, but we thought we were running out of oil as an energy source?

Today there was a memorial held for the eleven who perished when the explosion first occurred on that day of infamy.

Shocking as it may seem our local noon news on NBC reported from the wires that BP was also involved in the Exxon Valdez spill back in 1989, I’m not clear in what capacity but that makes this only that much worse…no one has learned a thing!

Back in our little home front we had another beautiful day here in southwest Florida.
Just the right amount of sunshine with a nice amount of rain thrown in when all outdoor chores and fun had been completed; this is a little slice of paradise that we live in and don’t any of you in any other part of this country or the world believe otherwise.
Since the fear mongers are running off their mouths with lies, saying we this or that, I won’t go into details because they are way too vile and I don’t want their stupid thoughts and concepts to pollute my knowledge of what is true and real.

All I can say if you don’t come on down that means there is more room for me and my enjoyment of what we have here to offer, swimming, fishing, boating, concerts, perusing antique shops and museums, playing golf or tennis or just relaxing on the beach and all this is besides all those theme park amusements; not to mention gardens and zoos!
Yes, Florida is a play land for every demographic and don’t you forget it!
Most of the above I have become an audience to not a participator in recent years, but still its entertainment that I do enjoy to watch!

I know to most of you by now I must sound like a broken record but we do need you tourists to come down and enjoy what we have to show you!
Make those reservations and I promise you won’t be sorry, and no I don’t get any kick back, aw shucks, but I don’t, really!

The rain continues to gently come down cooling the warmer air from earlier in the day, but still very lovely and hovering around the low seventies.
Tomorrow will bring greener grass and more beautiful flowers shooting from the soil, our veggies just love this too!
And so who could complain about this gentle soul of a rain…

On that pleasant note I will call an end to this lame attempt of a refrain, and just say good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Silly me...

Who doesn’t need some form of validation?
The tabletop project has been placed in its final destination down on the dock with its four lattice grayish white designed garden chairs comfortably surrounding it, and the peace de resistance is the umbrella that is like the cherry on top. Although, a neutral tan color so as not to take away from the importance of the artwork, ha!

Confidence or arrogance; one might ask?
Over the years I have noticed that there is a fine line between the two, have you?

Well, as confusing as that may seem to most people who do know me the fact that I am feeling rather grand this evening since I emailed the photos of my attempt at art to a select group of my more familiar, who knows me peeps.
So far from the ones that I have heard back from the critiques have been exquisite in art world jargon… “In any case it is gorgeous - such talent! That is amazing and absolutely gorgeous. Are you planning to sell it or is it for you guys?”
Need I say more? And these were from only two people who are both well traveled and enjoy art!
But I gush way too much, so sorry folks!
Earth to Tobi, earth to Tobi? YES! I am here.

My rude way of talking myself down and back to reality! LOL
But I jest, not too subtly, although, somehow at this age, size and abilities I rarely hear such positive feedback about anything and to me it is more than heartwarming… it validates me as a human being who deserves to be here!

And perhaps in my floating through this thing we all call life there will be issued to me a new purpose to exist, you know what I mean, a reason for being?
Oh sorry, did I say floating that sounds way too airy and easy, no not me, nothing that simple here!
Life is difficult and at times more difficult than other times.
I know what you are all saying now, huh? You just caught on?
No, what I am saying is that it proves the commonalties of the frailties of us all and that we all desire to know our purpose, but some haven’t determined just yet that is what they are after, got it?

This morning was also the day the hard countertop guy was coming to replace my scratched and stain hard surface Glacier white sinks. But alas his trip down here from Tampa, an hour and half or more away was for naught because he was misinformed and told that the sink was cracked which is under warranty still for five more years and could be replaced, but scratches and stains are not! Well, my initial phone call/emails to the company were to find out how to take care of the problems without causing more. It was they who insisted that I needed a new one, I lamented. I again explained that I would like to know how to solve the problem; he said he could sand it for one hundred bucks and we said no thank you!
But he was kind enough to explain how Hubby could do it himself, and Hubby has the natural ability to get the job done thankfully!

The oil spill is still creating havoc in the northern Gulf, sadly but to our benefit here since we are fortunate to know that the loop current has closed itself up and its circular rotation has prevented the oil from heading to our shores here in southwest Florida, so far.
Horridly the devastation up in the northern Gulf is so extremely horrendous on fishing, fishermen and the entire industry. Many water wildlife are dying and it is a disgusting miserable shame that the problems totally have already gone beyond our worst imaginations, and at this point it has somewhat stayed in that area of the first explosion with miles and miles of oil seeping out with reddish goop intruding on the shorelines of Louisiana, and impinging on the lives of all who thrive on these used to be pristine waters; how truly wasteful stupid and oh so sad.
Too many alphabet soup initial execs expressing delays again from doing what has to be done, with more and more excuses, what gives? What is this all about that no one has any answers?

No one’s future is exact or none of us know every detail of what’s to come in our lives, but some of us have failsafe plans, not written down but somewhere in the confines of our problem solving brains so it baffles me that people who make millions a year in salaries don’t know what to do?

Any-who, on that thoughtful question I will wish you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

As if I was commissioned to do my art work...

The gloss protectorant is drying as I write this Blog tonight; my tropical sunset mural has been completed!
But unfortunately the stench from its odor is confined to the garage, and now Hubby, my project finisher has had to open our garage to allow the fumes to go out!
The table top has had two coats of this smelly but high gloss glassy appearing top coat.
Hopefully it is not harmful to us or Skipper or the ecology but it does smell, but so does good cheese my Dad always said... LOL!

Amazingly it appears to not look too terrible, the mural that is if you squint at it and look at it from afar.
Nah, Hubby says it is just fine and looks good too.
Too late now anyway once that glassy stuff goes on I think only a bomb or a hurricane could blast it off.
This gal is hoping for neither.
And so like a time capsule, the deed is done.
Only the future of my table's lifespan will tell…oh let me explain…
You see this round wooden top is the replacement for the original fiberglass top that was nearly twenty-four years old and its history goes back to our first Florida home on the other coast.
That is the home that we installed our first Florida pool, but second pool et al.
It was quite an elaborate project that we did have a very good pool company involved in the entire project, but first they had to remove a tree and then build a retaining wall.
And after all that they installed the rather large 18’ by 36’ rectangular nine foot deep pool with diving board and six by six foot spa with waterfall. It had both solar and electric heaters; our sons were water lovers from infancy.
And the project took nearly two months, due to the fact that if they went over their completion date they said they would pay us a hundred dollars a day…those were the days back in 1986!
Oh that table yes we had bought it for our new pool and deck area, unfortunately the chairs are long gone, and also we had purchased a new barbecue way back then, but alas living so close to the ocean, down the hill and across the street on the east coast of Florida that very expensive barbecue rusted through in just a few years. The base to that table has survived the hourglass of time and the newer fiberglass lattice styled chairs survived even Hurricane Charley! And so when Hubby asked me if I wanted the utility tabletop that he made with metal legs tossed from work from when we ran the in-line skating program for PAL, Police Athletic League, I sold hotdogs, chips and sodas to support the kids, no money earned all went back to them. Hubby hauled the ramps he had made.
Some times we almost didn’t break even, but we did recycle the soda cans and that did help too!
So that is where the wooden table top originated… gosh that top is about thirteen years old if I recall when we were doing all that!

And so once again I have disproved my theory that I have any artistic ability, I will admit to being crafty but a true artist no way not me no how not in the near future either
But I did take history of art in college and have been to so many museums in Europe including the Louvre and the Smithsonian’s in D.C too, as well as New York, Philly, and Tampa etc. so I do appreciate it all, yes I really do.
Perhaps its just more mindless entertainment for this gimpy old gal, but who really knows, what I did do is recycled an old table and made it new again with Hubby’s help and for that I am as proud as punch!
Oh and Hubby did hang my newest sign for our veggie garden, which if it had more room on it would have said, ‘Welcome to Our Veggie Garden’, but alas it was too small for all that so I settled on the single message that it was ours.
Sounds so selfish, but not really since we do share; I guess you could call us sharecroppers, by gosh! That’s what we are!(This is a stupid awful mistake on my part for sharecroppers were not a funny or to make light of their situation please read this and copy and paste, and forgive my ignorance and for not a funny joke: http://www.answers.com/topic/sharecropper )

On that silliness I will bid you all a very good night, and ask you all to count those blessings and we will too!

PS I was back in the pool again too between painting, trying hard to banish some of this ungodly weight. And last night I took my new ride down to the dock to watch the sunset but sadly it was rather cloudy. And it was our movie night and we had a wholesome time watching the Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan, very cute!

PSS Now we are getting ready to watch four and half hours of the LOST finale!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

777 Could that be a lucky number for me?

That particular number represents this Blog’s postings in numerical quantity, how about that folks?
I am amazed who would have thunk that I could be so loyal to this medium of sprouting and shouting my so opinionated and not too controversial rants.

And once again today was an extremely busy day.
I went into the pool and began another artful project but on a much grander scale than I have attempted in quite some time.

Years ago I had done a mural on a shed, would you believe?
Yes I did, and it was called, ‘River Life’, because at the time we resided along the Peace River in Punta Gorda. And as you might expect that river was well named.
That shed was actually a utility trailer and when we moved here after it fulfilled its usefulness it was dismantled along with that glorious mural which was loaded with whimsy since my water wildlife creatures had long eye lashes and were all rather smiley.
Sounds silly now, but it was a happy look that the neighbors would comment on often in a very positive way.

Today’s project is actually a smaller much smaller version of that concept but minus the whimsy. This time I am in the process of doing a tropical sunset on a wooden four foot round table top. Quite a challenge since I have not done it before, but I hadn’t done that mural on the shed before either until I did do it got it?
Body mechanics wise this one is more preferable since I can sit on a chair and roll around, the previous one was a standing and reaching one, but I was feeling better in those days.
I have seen artful types study photos or pictures of their desired idea, remembering that so I did that too. I found just what I thought would be appropriate and printed that out here on the computer and taped it to the bottom of my sunset on the table to begin my background, which I did begin this morning with the acrylics and latex paints that I had already.
Then I determined which additional colors I would need, and hubby took me again to Jo-Anne’s and now I do believe I am set far as those go.
We picked up at the home store a clear high gloss oil based protectorant to apply over it once it is completed, giving it a glassy look hopefully.
Hubby again was in-charge of primer and exterior white coats which had been done yesterday with my plaque.

We did eat lunch out at our new favorite barbecue place, Wally’s; believe it or not the chef is a grad of the Cordon Bleu in Paris! Yes, the one in France.
The food is great and priced very reasonably for the portions which I had to hand over to Hubby to finish, since we were on our way out not on our way home where we could take them back there in a doggy bag.

Any-who we went on to Jo-Anne’s for the paint and after that to Publix, our grocery for non perishables, including one of my prescriptions and our vitamins and such.
From there the home store with lumber in mind to repair the dock, but most of the pieces Hubby examined were either warped bowed or shedding creosote terribly.
And so we nixed it for now. He didn’t want to replace bad boards with bad boards, not logical.
But we did find Insecticidal soap for our worm problem on our Bougainvillea, and Scott’s Summer Guard for the lawn.
And a few other necessities like a new toaster, since ours has been acting a wee bit bi-polar never knowing if it will burn or not toast our toast!
It was about time.

We were happy to see that the mail had come with plain white envelope and the automatic injector for this new medicine that I must inject daily once it comes, but it isn’t here yet folks!

I suppose it is good that the financial questionnaire came today so I have all of tomorrow to fill it out. It comes from NORD, National Organization for Rare Diseases, not the pharmaceutical company. I am becoming well educated in trying to get the help one needs when in my particular non insurance predicament.
And in this learning perhaps I can pass some of this knowledge on to you.
It would feel wonderful to know that I helped even one other person who may be going through a similar situation.

And so I will wish you all a very good night on that happy possibility and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and we will too!

Friday, May 21, 2010

A little bit crafty and a little bit rollator...

Signing in again that is that I made another telling sign, but this time it locates our veggie garden and claims it for our own, and yes, I have signed into this site tonight, ha haven’t I?
In more common speak it is that I made an entrĂ©e sign to our garden that has written on it, “Our Veggie Garden”, how original you say?
Nah, I know that you didn’t say that!
It is more interesting than that since I did decoupage vegetable pictures hot off my clip art section in this word program, how clever of me and cost effective, huh?
Hubby purchased the aesthetically pleasing oval unfinished wooden plaque at Jo-Anne’s Sewing and Crafts for less than three bucks, and he painted it with white primer and white exterior paint left over from our fence so no cost there either.
For letters to spell out my message I did a combo of wooden left over ones and vinyl also left over in my craft drawer ones, all in two shades of blue. They at one time were used to spell, “Casey”, for our dearly departed feline friend’s litter door entrĂ©e.

In the rim of the plaque which is indented I painted that with my apple green paint that I created for my stool tops and trim on my TV controller holders of galvanized metal buckets styled. That which had been painted two different shades of blue for the main parts, one Wedgwood and one pale baby blue, since one is for in here, which I call the sunroom in the Wedgwood and green and the pale baby blue and apple green for the living-room one, the colors are coordinated with those rooms décor.

To complete the newest sign it will be given white chains so it can be hung from the white lattice style arbor entering the garden, very cottagey, another Tobism.

The other half of my title tonight refers to the arrival of my new, brand new walker en seat combo! Did I mention that below the seat is a container for I know not what yet…Oh yes I do! For when Hubby went to take out our sadly confined no getting out to fish for many, many moons boat on the lift for his test drive down the canal and out to the harbor to see if sitting so long hasn’t destroyed it…I took my new ride/walk down there via the boardwalk Hubby had made for such a use, and sat and looked down the canal for him with my bottle of water which road safe within that encasement along with the cell to make sure Hubby was fine and didn’t have any problems and was able to contact me from his own cell. Although, our boat vintage 2003 and bought new then, but like new since it has rarely been used in the last four years due to Hubby’s back and my inability to get off of it easily.
I did wait down on the dock with even a sun umbrella which I had attached to my new aide too, it had a screw on plastic sort of thing. It is an eye catching patriotic red white and blue one with giant red stars and smaller white ones on a navy colored background!
Although, my problems were location, location, location for the umbrella where I had placed it, it opened with blocking my view! LOL I did try to move it but was unsuccessful, and then while in that process for trying to relocate it the heat encompassed me so harshly I had to seek shade and a fan up on our covered patio which also has a wonderful ceiling fan that makes you feel nearly ten degrees cooler.
And so I waited up there and Hubby arrived back safe and sound with his boat mate Skipper! Skipper to him for boating is like Skipper for me for the pool, he loves both.
Why when he was a mere eight weeks old when we first brought him home we took him out on the boat to see if we could name him a pretentious nautical name…Skipper.
If he tried to jump overboard from fear or got seasick we knew he would never be sea worthy, all our previous pups were great sailors but had not been named for our joint love of the water and for our forty-years of enjoying that sport. He passed the test and voila he was bestowed the name Princely Skipper, there is more to it but if I told you then I would have to kill you, kidding! Any-who that is how and why he was named; and once established his love of the water too we took him to the barrier islands and let him learn how to swim, like we did with all his predecessors here on both coasts and at the Jersey shore too where we lived previously as well.

The news is showing how the oil disaster that had not come here yet but how it is destroying the Louisiana coast line and wildlife, it is truly devastating!
Those responsible should be held accountable, and some feel that we should boycott BP, but the small stations are owned independently as franchises and that would be disastrous in harming our own business economy once again.
I also played devil’s advocate on FB, Face Book saying that if we don’t utilize their stations how will they be able to pay us all back from this horrendous catastrophe they caused? Aren’t we sure, at this point that claims will more than likely be in the BILLIONS?

On that provocative question I will bid you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The governor declared a state of emergency for southwest Florida!

Although, the oil is NO threat to our shores and this declaration is just for cleaning the shores up if it should come here, and to pay for that clean up within a seventy-five hour period of that disastrous possible happening.

BUT FOLKS RIGHT NOW THE BEACHES ARE QUITE PRISTNE HERE STILL! Including NAPLES, NO TAR BALLS THERE FOLKS EITHER! So please come on down and visit us!

Boy the waters south of here are …rather quite active with promise of who knows what, although, the true skinny is that we are going into a La Nina that will compromise our protection from that last year’s model of El Nino from the previous hurricane season!
This site is our local NBC station’s updates on our weather, if you want to see for yourself, just copy and paste: http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=12514726
and you will be in the know too.

As I have said previously that our hurricane season has been purported into becoming a very vicious one, and so far no one has changed those predictions. Frightening as that all seems the oily Gulf may have a positive reaction to that, some say it could slow the major systems down from forming into monster canes.
Now wouldn’t that be just great! And here I was concerned that they would make that oil slick shoot all over the many states surrounding it in the loop!
Actually, in reality no one knows since this situation is unique unto itself.

Today was just an all round perfect chamber of commerce sort of day!
Anyone living here would ordinarily be right to utilize their bragging rights!
But alas the northern sectors of our country too have had one heck of a beautiful day as well, and so to whom shall we shout those proud as punch for our quiet perfection in our atmospheric realm to holler about or to?

I went into our pool again today; both the air and water temperatures were simpatico, and so why not!
And I did enjoy my time in there thoroughly until one of my feet went into spasm while kicking in that warm eighty-seven degrees lovely joyous water for my training program for the ROM, range of motion movements I was making.
It was the second time in the morning that it had happened and so that Baclofen is definitely getting a workout for use purposes.
Oddly enough the whole concept of doing an Acquacize program of any type for any ills from MS to arthritis to heart disease to whatever is to aid in mobility with the ability to move, without ironically I say, without any additional pain.
Oh well, what is one to do?
I cannot stand, literally, but that is not what I was about to say what I was going to say is I can’t stand not moving at all!
Even though last year I was smart enough when hospitalized to ask for the pneumonia shot, and it does last for supposedly five years. The reason I asked for it is because they put that darn catheter in me and I had no idea how long I was going to be in there and since I was a fall risk they would not allow me out of bed, thus the fear of pneumonia.
My Dad back in 1986 died from pneumonia due to his stroke; actually that was his complication, even though they did try in those days to put him immediately into physical therapy with his severe stroke,a brain stem thrombosis.
You see, he was fatally allergic to penicillin, and in those days they didn’t have too many alternatives to his treatment.
And so that is what stuck vividly in my brain thus my shot desire.
Lack of movement is notorious for ill people getting lung disease and infections of that particular type.
Since some days I am quite slack in the movement department due to how I feel I am now somewhat reassured that is one less problem to worry about.
Whoa can I go on or what?

Well it's time for me to close for tonight and wish you all a very good one and count those blessings and we will too!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Amazing how a company can follow up when you don't even have their product yet!

Last evening I received a phone call from the pharmaceutical company that makes the medication that my neurologist wants me to be on, me too by the way, for my RRMS, relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.
They were following up on her, my doctor’s request to get me ready for when I will be on the injections, what have you the front men, or in this case the front women.

This was including my own personal contact person in the state of IN, Indiana, she just wanted to let me know that they would be sending me by FEDEX my automatic injector within the next few days, and also the RN, registered nurse that will be teaching me how to inject this daily medication called me this morning. Who is local by only being about a hundred miles north of here.

They did give me to another RN last night to ask any questions I might have, but that one was in another mid-west state MO, Missouri I believe she said.
And I was also told that I would be having a peer advisor to talk to any-time I needed to discuss my feelings or if I had any questions, so far I have not heard from her, but I am sure I will.

This is the most attention I have had since … gosh I really don’t know since when? LOL
And if it weren’t for the reason of me having an incurable disease I would almost be enjoying it.
Who can complain being in the center of a program that will give my diagnosis the wings to be respected in the sense of having people wanting to do something about it, I know I am not too proud to accept the help that I truly need and have wanted for years!

The crazy part of all this is that I don’t have the medication yet or even the forms to fill out to get the financial information taken care of.

You know, I figured it out, the number crunching I mean, and if I were able to live a mere twenty more years, who knows with medication I could that if they approve me for the financial assistance that it would be nearly three quarters of a million dollars worth of injections! Mind boggling, huh?
I suppose they are capable, but still that’s a lot of bucks!

Any-who, I did go into the pool this afternoon after lunch because would you believe the air temperature only got up to the eighty-five degrees that I needed by then, but oddly enough the pool was at eighty-six degrees earlier then the air finally caught up!
Unfortunately, after only forty-five minutes my upper right side went into severe spasms so Hubby went into the house to get my Baclofen and I took two of them and relaxed for few moments and then went in to shower and change, a warm shower seems to help too.
Oh well, I did have a not too short workout.

I did something else this morning I went on the site where I got my reasonable mobility scooter and looked up their cost of walkers with seats and I found one that was a fraction of the cost of the local medical supplies because it was on sale for one hundred and twenty-one bucks off! And so I ordered it at that bargain price, which is nearly what an old used one would be. My idea is to try and walk a wee bit and rest with that seat and perhaps I could take off some of this nasty weight and not have my hips hurt so much!
But I need to be able to rest and the Ataxia has screwed me up so badly with my balance that this might work if I don’t go gung ho right away and pace myself.

On that more positive concept I will wish you all a very pleasant good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Are my hopes going to be dashed?

Today I made a disturbing finding that my future medication’s price tag yearly cost is a few thousand dollars more than our yearly income!
Wow! How is that possible?
Who are those people that can afford to have Multiple Sclerosis and pay for feeling better, more easily than we poor people can afford to?

Frighteningly, that has been a proven theory of mine and the rest of the thinking people of the world that we know, what am I talking about you ask?
That only the wealthy will survive these illnesses.
Does that sound fair?

On the positive side they have programs for us falling between the cracks types, that we can fill out the paperwork just for the asking for some consideration to be privileged enough to be in their scholarship program, huh?
That’s what this feels like.
Can I pay it back when I am cured like with college loans on gainful employment? LOL, wouldn’t that be great!
OH NO! But this medication is not a cure; it will just prevent more relapses and stop the disease from progressing! I still want in and bad!
Again I must figuratively jump through their hoops to hopefully meet their criteria to be exposed to wellness!
If not, too bad on you!
And we have flunked many before.
Why would anyone want to continually get smacked in the face with these refusals?
A glutton for punishment I suspect or perhaps it’s just my unwieldy perseverance?

And they are sending me the forms to fill out in the mail real soon in a plain white wrapper the contact woman kept saying as if I really cared who knows I can’t afford tens of thousands of dollars a year to pay for medication, really, yippee!

I suppose they feel that it is less embarrassing, huh?
People are losing their jobs, homes, and life savings all I know is that I can’t afford medication for my illness.
And of course I will fill them out, my discreet new friend!
Who really cares if they send me the forms in a bright red envelope, I will still send them back express, whatever that means, fast I guess?

I had some pool time again this morning and heard back from my English Prof friend who was kind enough to commiserate with my situation with the medication and told me of her personal experience with high price, but curative medication that actually was over four thousand for only a three weeks dosage! But it did make her better from that horrid dermatological infection that was systemic ill and caused while hospitalized.
But fortunately her Hubby’s insurance paid the bill except for the acceptable meager amount of twenty-five bucks!
Not as comforting as one may think.

Before I go into to my unjust jealousy mode I will wish you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Left the compound today with a purpose...and I believe many issues may have some eventual resolve.

In more simplistic dialogue I went to my neurologist and now it looks as if I may very well have been put on an injectable medication for the RRMS, Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis as it is called, and the medication is Copaxone, and oddly enough I am saying hooray to that!
For most people going onto medication of any sort is at the very least a not very nice experience and the sooner that you can get off of it the better, and at the very best it is a cure for whatever is ailing you at the time of your need.

This is neither of those things; what it is, is a lifestyle change since it encompasses my hope for my future of not getting any worse than I already am!
It is not a cure or a temporary fix for the MS but a way to help prevent more relapses and less damage over the long haul and that is why I am so pumped up with these juices of excitement.
The only possible glitches are if I am unable to get the financial assistance to support this drug habit, figuratively speaking, no literally! Because, you see this is a life long commitment to the therapy of a daily injection.

This well appointed medication came with an entire package deal; no, I mean it, a hard cardboard folder like thing which contains a spiral information booklet in the kit and DVD to boot.
I began watching the DVD at four o’clock and by five twenty it was still going and Hubby fortunately had made dinner tonight since I was still not feeling too well, and he called me to dinner, and so that informational DVD is on hold now and who knows how much more is on it? LOL It seems to go on forever…

I also had the doc take care of the form to continue with my disability form for parking the car that is up on 7-10, which she did readily.
All in all it was a positive day in the need to take care of business department.

The other nice thing that occurred today was the email note from my old English Prof friend from the writer's workshop and she told me about our possible future barbecue and that she is in, which is great!
But I hope I am feeling great to do all it entails, Hubby is more than willing to hold up his end of the deal, by doing the barbecuing.
Now there are salads and dessert to make and that usually falls on my responsibility, and so that is why I said we will see.

Hopefully that party will happen.

Good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

It's Official...We are in the rainy season!

But a wee bit early for it.
We just not only had a good old fashion rainstorm but a power outage for nearly two hours!
Yes, that is the demarcation for the Florida wet season.
I know most will argue that it actually starts next month.
With the power outage though that’s my proof!

In my opinion I think this was just a test for what’s to come, considering our power company said there were only two hundred and thirty homes here without power for those two hours.
I think it was a good reminder, better yet wake up call, to stock up on batteries, and to roll out those generators and dust them off and power them up to check them out!

Here when you contact the FPL, Florida Power and Light Company all you do is dial 1-800-4-OUTAGE, easy enough to remember and thankfully I have over the years.
That number puts you in touch with a computerized voice that gets your location from your phone number and asks when they want to give you updates if the home number or a cell number is the best contact number, and they do follow through; a power life-line to find out when comfort will return.
You see; when these outages occur they seem to come with the high humidity of the storm logically, but the rain cools the air and you find yourself opening windows since the air-conditioner cannot work, which just brings that humidity in, therefore compromising true comfort, got that?
A vicious cycle, huh?
For me anyway, the humidity weighs me down, my muscles weaken more, and I feel as though the air is doing the nasties all over me!
All body functions are amplified in the negative.
So much so Hubby had to go out to the garage into the car to get my walker!
I try not to use it inside due to the little four footed friends, but now only Skipper I was too afraid of running him over, and I furniture walk in our home instead, but in other peoples homes I will use it to get to a seat not unlike when going into a restaurant.
I do have canes but switching off hurts my shoulders and dummy here tried those things when we had solar guy and insurance guy over last week, all that did was have my shoulders act up once again!

Any-who that is why this is a wee bit later tonight than usual.
It was a lovely beginning to the day today and I did get my pool time in before the storm hit, just before we had our lunch. I knew it was time to get out when the breeze came up around me in the pool, like a chilly vortex, and then a sprinkling of rain began!

And I took a bit of an afternoon nap too today for a whole forty-five minutes.
A half an hour was a smidge to little and the extra fifteen minutes seemed to help and was just right!

Please all of you have a very good night and count those blessings of yours and we will too!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Nashville Fundraiser here in Florida and dear older friend's birthday wishes, and my birthday twin's working hard on our genealogy!

Fort Myer’s Florida is the locale for the fundraiser today to help the people of Nashville Tennessee and I am also sure all those surrounding areas impacted with that dreadful flooding!
I only knew about it due to me being on Facebook and so I thought it beneficial to contact my toddler hood pal up their in Tennessee and let her know that we know down here all about their disastrous happenings and that people cared enough to help!

With that said, my dear old chum misunderstood my involvement and thought that I was the one responsible for the fundraiser, and I sure wish I had the ability to do that but I didn’t and I hadn’t. And so I did let her know who I believe is responsible and that took an awful weight of guilt off of me. I only claim what is mine, not unlike the rest of you I am sure.

I thought it also rather interesting that today is that particular friend’s monumentus sixtieth birthday, and to be honest and fair she is just six weeks my senior.
Decades determine milestones in my book and all should be counted and as we age perhaps bi-decades should then be afforded that same respect, what do you think?

My birthday twin of a cousin which may be confusing to some of you, let me explain it is that we actually have the same day and year birthdays and she has been working for years on our genealogy and she is brilliant the way she shuffles all the generations and her research is impeccable, only on occasions there are a few, very few slight glitches in the program that is used. I am relentless in informing her when it screws up about my branch of the families’ info.
I fear that she may take it personally since I write back intensely when I see the mistake to let her know, but just don’t understand why the program keeps putting my father’s last wife that he had for only a year as my younger son’s second wife?
It drives me batty, and she would have been way too old for him!
When Dad married the woman, three years after my Mom passed away that woman was seventy-five and he was seventy-eight, and the one son that the computer is trying so hard to make my younger son’s wife and he was just nine years old at that time!
It’s just so weird to me.
Any-who, my cousin knows how to fix it; I think?

Aside from our nearly two hour visit to the grocery today I have been explaining away things on this technical marvel in my spare time, and oh yes I finished that book I started yesterday it was only a little over three hundred pages called, ‘Dark Shadow’ most recent one from one of my favorite authors, Randy Wayne White, a local guy, who is famous here, and can’t write fast enough for me and Hubby, yes we share, and also has a few restaurants named after his main character in his books, and that is: Doc Ford thus the Doc Ford restaurants in Fort Myers and Sanibel.
His sites for your info is, copy and paste: http://docfords.com/
http://randywaynewhite.com/Site2/Welcome%21.html

Oh you are wondering why we took two hours at the grocery…silly it was an outing!
And we were out of everything, get it?

On that silly note I will bid you all a very good night and suggest for you to count those blessings and we will too!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Ten out of thirty-five best beaches in the USA are right here in Florida folks!

Does anyone read their welcome screen that your online provider puts there for that purpose; we do and update it several times a day by hitting the refresh button!
That’s where I get a lot of current information, doesn’t everyone?

That the fact that we have all those great beaches for the world to visit was on this afternoon’s welcome screen, how about that?

I also found out that Barbara Walter’s heart valve replacement surgery went well today, and she will be back to work in September. Good for you Barbara! Happy to hear that!
And that Regis Philbin will be having blood clot surgery on his leg and he will be only out one day from work, and he’s seventy-eight! Show off! Just kidding folks, but isn’t he something?

I think that Betty White has brought out all those truly hardy seniors that have either very few ills for their ages or none at all!
And that is amazing!
It used to be unusual for septuagenarians and octogenarians etc. it was considered for them to be normally making only funeral arrangements, not parachuting dates, water skiing and rock climbing arrangements! But they are, as well as dates out with a new person they might have just met, travel plans to go to wild and crazy places, and even wedding plans!
I want some of what they had! LOL
Thank heavens for all of them.
Did you also notice that the age of Willard Scott’s Smucker’s centurions are also surpassing that even one hundred milestone number and some that he has wished a happy birthday to have actually been over a hundred and ten? Wild! More power to them I say!

That terrible plane crash in Libya the other day had a sole survivor that nine year old Dutch boy. It has happened a few times before in other plane crashes with only one child survivor. If I was more religious I would call it a miracle. But I truly wonder how that does actually happen, do you?

The President got tough today about the oil spill needing to be cleaned up!
Good for you sir, and I do mean that…nothing else seems to work, maybe a stern scolding might since those companies are acting quite child-like!
I am being sincere though, it seems like they who have been so-called experts trying for the last twenty-five days have no idea how to fix it, and no matter what they try it doesn’t seem to be working!
Who put them in-charge of this?
And why didn’t they think of this ever becoming a possibility?
I know hind-sight, huh?
You oil people claim to be professionals in your fields then why haven’t you done feasibility studies with all scenarios prior to this incident of catastrophic impact?
DENIAL that it could happen perhaps? Or just arrogance that it couldn’t happen to you?
Didn’t we all learn a valuable lesson from the Exxon Valdez disaster back in 1989?
I guess many did but what’s your excuse: so you weren’t paying any attention?
Shame on you!

Think about it folks…

Good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Message to WORLD...THE ONLY OIL ON FLORIDA BEACHES IS SUNTAN OIL FOLKS! AND…That's not really on the beaches it's on PEOPLE sunning themselves on them! So come on down or over or what have you, ya hear?

Now that that is out of the way, by the way you are very welcome our state chamber of commerce and all you local offices too.
We have been hot and sunny for the last several weeks with our beaches all of them still quite pristine.
So please folks don’t change those plans to visit us because we are waiting here for you all to come on down.
Even the problem here with the broken sewer line that dumped ten thousand gallons of raw sewerage into our nearby waterway, and now the bacterial advisory was cleared and proven to be all clean and all good again by the testing!
Our beaches, hotels, restaurants and activities are all here for you to enjoy!

Today we went out and about to do a few errands.
The library was first on our agenda to return and chose some books, which is the branch that is also part of the Cultural Center so we did go in there for a visit to see what might be going on and to our surprise a small gaggle of Red Hat Society women were there. For what we do not know, but it did appear to be some type of tour; and the bits and pieces of conversation that I though I heard was that they were possibly looking for a meeting location.
We checked out the shops too and looked at the hallway walls, which tell you what classes are available. Many were half or full day workshops, but alas Hubby and I didn’t see any that suited our enjoyment wants or desires.
Fortunately, we did locate four books to borrow from the library.

From there we went to lunch at the outer edge of the malls parking lot where many of the chain restaurants reside. We had chosen the Italian one offering all you could eat soup salad and bread sticks, Hubby had the chicken flatbread both again our usual beverages of unsweet iced tea with lemon and coffee.

Hubby suggested stopping on the way home at one of those charity run stores to look for a walker with a seat for me. You see mine is quite old that I did get years ago when we had insurance, its now in another Rube Goldberg piece that Hubby added wheels to, and has no seat. The theory is that if I had one with a seat to rest I might be able to try a bit of walking when we went out having no pain or exhaustion and not needing to take out the scooter so often. A second hand one would be fine for me and cost effective too, since new ones are very expensive as much as a few hundred bucks, would you believe, and without insurance or Medicare that is out of pocket monies for us! This falling between the cracks thing is getting old.

Last stop was the smaller chain hardware store to get propane and orchid food, it was a one stop shop since I had called ahead before leaving home and they had both!


I had every intention of going in the pool before we left this morning, but it never got up to eighty, and so I showered and changed to go out, and while we were out it got into the high eighties and low nineties!

The solar project took a not so good turn today; a little more research now is seemingly making our previous number crunching and feasibility study not jive with our desires of not having anymore financial concerns. We told the company that we would let them know in about a week or so. Hubby thought we should possibly get another price, which is a good idea and what we have always done in the past on these sorts of things. I will continue to keep you posted.

We seriously hope that our invitation to visit here is utilized, and I will say it again as formally as you like,”COME ON DOWN FOLKS!” The Florida coast is waiting for all of you!

Good night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Back in the pool today and the water was luscious...

Redundant as that might seem to most of you; it is how it was…really!
Delightfully neutral in its temp, causing a velvety sensation encompassing me all over my rather plump and generous body, there was only one glitch in the whole incredible process and that was the fact that the water was actually warmer than the air! Not a problem you say! Oh I beg to differ with you…
The air was hovering around eighty-two and the tub, my pool, was at a more than a pleasant eighty-eight! And the problem was, I’m sure most have guessed by now… that since the air was cooler it felt frosty upon exiting the water.
And so my muscle spasms were in full force once again.
With me trying to be into full exercise mode I did have to call it all short due to that inconvenient problem, and only stayed in for about thirty-five to forty-five minutes in total, which isn’t too bad, I would say.

Other than that we had a few other temporary problems that I noticed before Hubby awoke. First was the air-conditioner condenser that is outside, it is on the same side of the house that our veggie garden is and I noticed that it was moving the hibiscus also on that side but up against the house. Oddly enough though the indoor part of the unit was not in its on mode and could not be heard; when Hubby did get up he took care of it by just resetting it by the on/off switch, too easy; why didn’t that occur to me?

The other was that digital TV contest that is on our local NBC station and my online form was screwed up and their was no selection, it was blank, for your date of birth and so it therefore would NOT allow me to enter the contest!

Later on the whole Facebook page would not come up and so I shut the computer down for about the fourth time and voila and both worked again!

There were three things that threw a wrench into the day but for the life of me and Hubby we can’t remember! They say whoever they are that when you forget that whatever it was you were trying to remember probably wasn’t that important after all and so don’t bother to worry about it; I will take that, OK!

We all know more times than not worrying is counterproductive and that we shouldn’t, but we can try to change things when we can.
That is a bit of a prayer, quite paraphrased, that people with addiction problems use, but even without any it rings useful and true.
It’s funny; I have never been in any addiction rehabs for anything but I used to quote that to my seniors when I taught different things like Acquacize and when I was co-president of our support group for arthritis and stuff like that! One of those lovely elders set me straight on the origins of that expression or prayer have you and that is the only reason why I know where it came from.

My other fun during my mornings is writing on my Facebook page to the news and weather people who on occasion ask provocative questions that I always have an opinion. I can hear you all laughing now!
Of course she does!
True I do that here too, don’t I?

On that continuing theme of redundancy I will bid you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!

An update: Hubby remembered what the third thing was, my bill pay online had not been credited from yesterday although it was for our Visa that was with our checking account at the same bank and so is our mortgage.
I called to see why it was not showing up when it always was instantaneous before, and get this: they said that they had to send a check to pay it; now I ask you: they had to send a check to themselves? What’s with that?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hello? Are we there tonight?

Was that an attention getter?

Now I would like for all the people in Tennessee to know that all our hearts here in Florida and elsewhere in the country want you all to know that we would like to know what we could do to help you?
I had been to Nashville in 2005 and loved that place it was great; a fond memory.

We as a nation have so much daily to contend with due to all these natural disasters, now Oklahoma too in the disaster mix, needing help!
But we Americans are a ‘can do’ type of people and so I truly believe that where there is a will there is always a way!
And so I suggest that all non-profit organizations: Red Cross ( actually I am sure they are already there) and the such and people out of work who need to find their own way in life might find solace in helping others and go up there to be of assistance.
Go with supplies from local groceries, home centers, etc. and notify the media that help is needed! You will be surprised how they go out of their way when you just ask.
When you help others you help yourselves; just do it!
We did over the years and human nature is truly amazing when given the chance to help.In actuality you get so much more back when you help others.

For us on the Gulf Coast, plan B is in the works with the latest method for capping off the oil leak has begun with what they call a top hat, pray it works folks!
This is not by any means a natural disaster and affects all of the country not only our local shore lines. From oil and seafood prices and the quality of nature in our estuaries and all other tributaries such as the Mississippi River; these millions of gallons of spilled crude oil is an absolute gargantuan disaster, which has been continuing since April 20th.
Don’t forget those eleven who died immediately from this one too!
And has been a slow-mo catastrophe for the rest of us to watch in shock with little ability to do anything, the idiotic topper now is that the companies are all passing the buck in the blame game, BP, Halliburton, and Transocean Ltd. who are the culprits who are responsible. Hopefully they will do the right thing, own up to their responsibility and pay for this horrendous mess!

Anywho…
We had that appointment today with the solar people, and it appears to be doable.
How it works is that you get the system installed and pay it off from the monies you would have been paying for your electric bill, which should be zeroed out from the system or be in your favor for about twenty or thirty bucks a month paying you back until the initial cost of the system is paid off and then you will be off the grid, greenly speaking, and then you will receive bigger bucks, got that? And this is the system for the hot water heater, whole house electric and the swimming pool! Whoa alternative energy what a concept!

Update: My mysterious rash has gone as mysteriously as it had appeared thankfully no additional intervention needed!

I think that’s it for tonight folks and so I will wish you all a very good night and suggest you count those blessings and we will too!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mysterious rash on both upper arms and plotting a get together!

Many of you, at this point may have come to the conclusion that I am either crazy or brilliant!
Working off of those two with no in between possibilities I will now let you in on this most recent symptom.
Sunday, after my poolie exercise routine and before my BIG day out I found a disturbing rash, for lack of a better word, on my upper left arm.

It appeared to be an allergic reaction to possibly something.
And since I was using a new sunscreen I thought maybe that could be it, but the fact that it was only in one location that idea didn’t wash, if you know what I mean?
Racking my brain for other probabilities I said to myself, self perhaps Skipper did have fleas after all and when he was in the pool with me they jumped off of him and on to me!

Nah, we couldn’t find even one on him although Hubby sprayed him with the flea spray last night. Today he went in for his grooming experience and we asked the professionals there to see if he had any, and they again said no that they couldn’t find any!
And I had proceeded to go into our pool once again today, and now this is crazy I have the same odd rash on my right upper arm too!
Well, it stung so much I have no idea what it is but I couldn’t stay in the pool any longer, and asked Hubby to test the chemicals, since last week the chlorine was too high he had lowered it and now with his new test it was registering too low.

The pool had just been vacuumed and appears to the naked eye like crystal clear water, but who knows, really what microscopic critters may be abounding within.
Anywho, I read online that what it appears I have is some type of insect bites that I should treat with hydrocortisone, which I fortunately had in the house!
They have calmed down considerably since treatment, and hopefully I will not need any medico’s intervention.

Have you ever missed people of like mindedness that you yearned to chat and network with on so many diverse topics of common interest?
Well, my writer’s workshop peeps from years ago are in that mode of possibility, and have indicated it might come to fruition!
We all have been somewhat scattered to the winds, speaking figuratively of course.
In actuality only one has returned from some distance, the leader of the pack, so to speak, the Prof, college English that is, of the group, and the rest of us are the somewhat educable peeps of learning desire.
Barbecue is the topic for the germ of an idea, which I cast into the throws of maybes and what ifs.

The group would be fairly small; about ten in all and the location would be here.
Hubby would be the chef; barbecue being his specialty and also being less worry for me too to do things.
And two lovely peeps have already offered to bring something.
Menu aside, I get all funny when people offer that.
I mean in the respect I don’t know what to say to them, since I am more of a last minute type of Gal never that far ahead prepared for things, spur of the moment is more my style and less stressful!
Too long preparations makes me wacko.
I always want everything perfect, and of course it never is.

The big evening is looking like the end of June the weekend before the holiday weekend.
I will keep you all posted.

On that note of hopeful fun and excitement plans I will bid you all a very good night and to all count those blessings and we will too!


PS Sleep tight in your heavenly place Miss Lena Horne your talent and beauty will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of seeing it!
She has passed at the age of ninety-two.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Jumping to conclusions and expect the unexpected...is always nice! PS Happy Mother's Day!

You know something I was wrong, yes this woman, AKA Tobi, of many mistakes making daily again was W-R-O-N-G! Today was surprisingly good and nice and pleasant, and not at all sad or miserable.
And I will tell you that that was quite a relief!
Being wrong has its rewards.

Everyone and his Mother knows what today was, oh excuse me for the pun, nah, since today was Mother’s Day!
And somehow in my mind I played it over and over like a broken record why this day was so powerful over me and my past issues of family life and the preconceived notion on how it should all go down to be a successful day, and never ever could be.
That alone should have told me it was doomed for failure.

But as I said when beginning this rant that again I was proven wrong!
Let me start at the beginning, OK?

Sadly I awoke before five A.M. expecting magically I know not what.
Oh yes I do, a pile of Mother’s Day cards littering our dinette table.
Or at least some emails from my sons telling me how much they love me and that they were on their way to visit and that we would all go out to brunch!
I know only in the movies, huh?

But Hubby is the one who changed/saved the day for me!
When he awoke he uncovered the pool so I could take an early dip, but then made breakfast for me!
While he was sleeping I was able to finish the second of the double header of movies we were watching last night but I was unable to stay awake for. The line up had been, ‘Nine’ and then ‘The Tooth Fairy’. With the second one being the one I fell asleep on, and so this morning in the wee hours I watched that.

After my morning pool exercises and shower and dressing, but of course you knew that; we got into the car and went over to Fishville to see the Arts and Crafts Show and have some lunch at our favorite waterside fish restaurant. We both had the lobster casserole, a new dish on the menu and it came with their delish Cole slaw and our choice of a second side which happened to be the house salad for us both! Hubby had coffee and I had my unsweet iced tea, same as usual.
But let’s face it, it was a special occasion! And believe it or not; that lunch was not that dear in price for what we got, and was worth every cent.
I felt as special as the meal.
What did you expect at this size?
Food is my diamond necklace!
And when you stop that nasty habit of smoking everything tastes that much better!

Wait... there is more!
Hubby bought me an orchid, a beautiful lavender colored one that came with instructions how NOT to kill it!
I always wanted one and so at only eight bucks we went for it!
After a few more short stops, including one at the bakery section of the best grocery in the south, Publix where Hubby purchased a doubled fudge chocolate cake. I hear you saying: how decadent of you both!

Wait there’s more: When we got home we still had one flick left to see in our rentals and since it was in to the ninety degree temps outside and so we sat back in our air-conditioning, relaxed and watched, Its Complicated, and it was good too!


Come on folks, you know he had that big job of making this day a VERY HAPPY ONE!
He succeeded and do you know what the icing on the cake was actually?
Our son, the elder one, that I thought would forget to call, well he didn’t!
Of course the hole in my heart from the other one not, is still in my heart, but I guess you could say I am batting in the fifty percentile and that aint too bad, huh?
Nah, I’ll take it!

Hope that all you Moms out there too had a VERY Happy Day!

Good night to you all and to all of you please count those blessings and we will too!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Anticipation and when 'Happy' means more than that!

I will take the last topic first, if you all don’t mind, do you?
Since I can’t hear you; I will take it that you don’t, mind that is. LOL
Anywho, the other day I saw that a new magazine had made it’s debut last month with an amazing name that makes you think that all there is to it is goodwill and good cheer and great times, fun, you name it in any very positive way, attitude or concept in publishing and it is called ‘Happy’!

Simplicity at its most simple and finest I think you will all agree.
And so being the mood swing maven that I am I thought wow something to promote my emotional well being, and oddly enough I can think of about a dozen close and thousands of not so close people that I know who would benefit from that very worthwhile notion also!

These people from this magazine sound like they are really on to something and it could be really BIG, humongous BIG!
Starting this magazine when the world is in turmoil, people are loosing money, homes and jobs, sounds just like what the doctor ordered to bring back mental stability!
Now if we can just get everyone to read it, then the world would definitely be a better place, and so I am dedicating these paragraphs to that new less than a month old avenue to upbeat thinking and I will also include right here and right now how to get there from here, right here and right now! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Magazines/117580634934467?v=desc#!/pages/Happy-Magazines/110944588937886?ref=ss
I suppose you will have to copy and paste it, the above site that is.

Part two of my title which in actuality was stated in part one, got it?
Doesn’t matter I will continue anyway, you know why? Since I can’t hear you! LOL
I believe the word for the day is ‘anticipation’, ah what a troublesome word that can be at times, you know why? Never mind, I still can’t hear you and please stop shouting! LOL!

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and for all you Moms out there have a very happy and healthy and loving day! I truly mean that with all my heart.

But for me it is a horrible reminder of the day that my father died, May 11, 1986 and that was Mother’s Day that year, and that my Mom has long passed away back in 1982, and that one out of two of my sons is estranged from us, not by my doing, since I still love all my children and the other is working again on the holiday and probably will forget to call since he does forget often, unless he is dating a family oriented woman, which he is not. These are facts, not by any means anger, actual sadness.
Not to mention the fact that Hubby’s Mom is now under the control of his sister and is probably put away or if we call or send anything it would have been confiscated.
This is not imagination, because for her short time of being coherent during this recent dementia, when asked if she had received this or that she had said that she never did, and we did send her cards and gifts often! Calling her does not register anymore either, because she forgets who we are or that we did. And traveling there is way too far with her in Pennsylvania and us here in Florida. Her daughter is five miles away, or closer, who knows anymore.

Darn, I am so sorry for this Debbie Downer talking but you know me…
On a not so tragic note, Hubby has plans for me tomorrow and I will let you all know if they do come to fruition, but I know him to be a man of his word!
So there I go with anticipation of something good or great happening and you know something… I bet it will!
Let’s play pretend for a second, OK? I can’t hear you, but that’s OK, I know you are all there.

My perfect Mother’s Day would be having my Hubby and both our sons and their families here to celebrate and we could be like the rest of all of you, happy! That’s crazy I know, but it would be all I could ever want to have them here and to be the best family ever!

Good night to all and to all count your blessings and we will too!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Smelly, nausea, cancer driven globs of disaster filled black guck!

Oh the joy of our futures, or maybe NOT!
The dome that is a one hundred ton box has just made the news and is in place over the oil leak!
And they did it earlier than expected too!
We have something wonderful to look forward to if it should work!
Our wildlife and beaches will be saved, hooray!
In order to be a voluntary help you must get certification to clean up what has already been spilled, but many areas offer the training and if you so desire to be involved check with your local EOC, here in Florida try this site: http://www.floridadisaster.org/ , for more information.

Closer to home, actually only a few canals away from our home, yesterday, somehow, some idiot, now you may think that is too harsh but wait until you hear this, some idiot dumped raw sewage down our local Fordham waterway! Our beach complex is over there, and now on this heat seeking missile, heat wave, Mother’s Day Holiday, of a weekend those people not as fortunate as us with pools, haven’t the option of going there to chill! Just horrible! The water was immediately tested and yes, the bacteria levels are high and unsafe, just dreadful! Humans sadly make too many ecological mistakes that we all suffer from. We must all be more aware of those choices, please world think before you act.
What could this person have been possibly thinking?
It boggles the mind; ever hear of a pump truck?
It had to be where there are still people with septic tanks and now with the cost of everything being so high didn’t know what else to do, at least that might be the possible scenario, since I hate to think that they just thought it was a good idea to get rid of the problem to dump human waste in our pristine water of our harbor.
I guess we are just fortunate that we are on both city water and sewers.

Anywho, I was back in the pool again and the temperature was bathtub warm, actually a few degrees warmer than the morning air, would you believe?
The contrast of water to air temps this morning made for a foggy eerie London-like morning!
In fact I took a picture of the sun coming up in the fog, which I emailed to the meteorologist at our local NBC TV station and it was shown on that station this morning with my name mentioned for the credit! Now if I get a few more thousand of those I could…. What could I do? LOL

Tiger Woods made the cut to play this weekend in the Players Championship! It would be too sad for that gift of golf he has had to also have been lost in the shuffle of all his horrendous mistakes. Everyone needs something to build on to make a worthwhile comeback! People are worth getting a second chance, and a third if necessary…

Scare in Times Square again, but fortunately this one that had to evacuate all the people again for more blocks and hours was a non issue since the canvas bag cooler that was of concern was only full of water bottles, thankfully!

On that less controversial note of happenings I will wish you all a very lovely good night and to ask you to count those blessings and we will too!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Wow what a ride! And I thought roller coasters were only in amusement parks!

Did you watch the stock market today?
What a ride, huh?
Not for the feint hearted.
Happy that we are no longer involved.
Too many losses for us way back in the ’89 crash!

In a way that was a good thing that we were already poor when the economy tanked this time and so we didn’t lose anything! LOL, not really… losing some bucks would have been nice to be able to have a bit of complaining rights, but alas we don’t!
And as far as the housing market goes we bought our little gem of a retirement home back in 1998 cheap and before that also went under with our definite scaling down mantra in place, due to; lesser income and my ills since I was not working by then for four years already and Hubby was a rookie cop for those first few years, and salaries were disgracefully pitifully low, now I believe they start them much higher; at least I do hope so!

Anywho, we managed and eventually adjusted to our living and learning that less was a fine manageable lifestyle and much less stressful!

When we were younger we had the big home and everything anyone could want and our sons never needed anything, since they too had it all.
I suppose the fact that they were both well educated and on their own by the time we scaled down made our decision to miniaturize our lives that much easier.

Oh don’t get me wrong we are still living large by many people’s standards.
And we are just right for us and have more than enough for what our daily needs require.
Few get the idea of the simple life being that.
But we did.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty the expression goes, and for once I suppose that’s exactly what this all is.

I’m not bragging, no, I am thinking out loud and thankful for we have made way too many mistakes in our lives over the nearly forty years of our marriage.
For once this seems to have been all our right choices.
Boy, could I tell you stories of all those past wrong choices and maybe I will if the trauma of them hasn’t blocked them all from my mind.

Who knows some day I may just write all those horrendous recalls down in this Blog and scare the pants off of you all!

And so when I say I can appreciate the situations of others in those difficulties I am speaking from my heart and soul and personal knowledge of those experiences.
Our lives have not been that dissimilar to our stock market’s; and that’s no exaggeration believe me!

On that intriguing closing sentence I will bid you all a very good night and suggest for you all to count your blessings and we will too!

PS Did you all hear? The latest idea to handle the oil spill is to form oil boom posses with boaters joining the water brigade; not too farfetched and could work!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cinco de Mayo Amigos!

Hola!

Hope yours will only get better as the day goes on…

Since we are not much for going out at night we decided to do lunch and while we did not go to the Chihuahua fast food place we did go to another chain of a wee bit higher caliber, no offense to the other; a Southwest cuisine was in the offering at this particular one.

And so when in doubt order chicken, right?
Mine was basically arroz con pollo, chicken and rice but jazzed up with lotsa of this and that. I think there were anywhere from two types of beans to three to five different types of hot peppers, hmm I was in my glory, how I do love them and also other salad type items served in a bowl. Hubby had two chicken tacos and both meals came with Tostitos and they also had a bar like area that provided you with your choice of salsas. I had my iced unsweet tea and hubby had his soda and all of these satisfying yummies for would you believe, less than ten bucks! Ah fast food… can’t beat it in a crunch or for lunch or a hunch; sorry for the Doctor Seuss-isms, nah they were actually quite enjoyable. LOL

Got to wear my new outfit purchased yesterday, I think it’s the first time in years that Hubby and I looked like we might be together since I was back in my jeans jumper and gauzy blouse, and he in his jean shorts and striped denim shirt. I think we looked similar.

After lunch we opted for stopping by the home warehouse store. Hubby wanted to check some prices on a possible project. You see… years ago way back in New Jersey he built for our swimming pool up there a solar panel and made one for our neighbor too, way back in the 1980’s, and this neighbor who I still keep in contact with by email said that his still works!

Hubby is somewhat of a Rube Goldberg with the fact that he has used unconventional items to make things that we need or just might like, thus being the ultimate recyclers.
And so with that in mind he did his own financial feasibility study to see if it was not only possible but financially practical in cost effectiveness to make another homemade solar panel for our use once again.
Hubby had eight years of drafting and five years of engineering, and you thought he was just another pretty face, ha!

Although, we do have those professional solar people coming to crunch their numbers this coming Tuesday, but you know the saying if it sounds too good to be true...then it most likely is! They promise no out of pocket monies up front, and so we are putting together a back up plan. With this summer/heat wave hitting us now the pool doesn’t need them but since it is my only decent form of exercise this is for those three or four months that I can’t use the pool!
Last year was my longest swim season ever from April to November with just the un-leaky solar panels and the solar blanket, but now the panels are toast.
And so our do-it-yourself mode has kicked in.
But we will hear them out those pros; maybe it will be true and possible.

We are not newbies off a turnip truck as I have said before so we will keep level heads in our decisions.

On that note I will bid you a very festive night if you so choose and count those blessings and we will too!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Our day was busy, splashy, smelly, slow and interesting...

Have I gotten your attention?
I was very busy this morning doing this and that around the house; I suppose it could be called housekeeping, but there are some who might argue that fact. Alright try the word straightening everything up?

Then our pool came up to temperature quite early; actually by nine A.M. and it was…
drum roll please… already up to eighty-seven degrees, all because we have been having this heat wave!

Today I had my pool buddy once again, and he is my favorite in the four-legged variety, Skipper, our Bichon Frise who by the way... DOES NOT SHED! That’s why he needs a haircut every six to eight weeks! So as far as the pool goes, he causes no filter issues, which is great.
Skipper knows where the steps are and uses them for his entrĂ©e and exit, although when in the deep end I have also taught him how to go up off the ladder to exit. He loves for me to hold him or race him from the steps to the end of the pool, which is a very tiny one, by the way. He also loves for me to hold him like a baby and spin him slowly around or make silly swimming noises, silly, huh?Oh, by the way the smelly part of this story is… THE WET DOG!

After lunch we went out today to pick up one of my prescriptions and then over to the discount store where I found a few pieces of cute clothing, a denim jumper with a belt, and white button down short sleeve pocketed gauzy shirt to wear over it. I can’t try on things in the stores anymore so I was hopeful that I found the right size, which I did. The two pieces were only twenty six bucks! Also found a cotton black and white print to wear over the black jumper I had at home, it too was only twelve bucks and now my wardrobe is going that much further.
Looking nice at this size has been somewhat of a challenge but I do want to, I was such a clothes horse when I was thin and trim.
I am one of those people who truly believes when you look good you feel good, which allows you also to do good!
My theory was proven by the cancer society when they gave chemo patients wigs to wear, and had them made up with make-up, they found the beauty they feared they had lost, and many smiles followed.
This proven theory of mine has also on occasion been responsible for remissions, I know you are saying that seems a bit farfetched…Well, the idea is that a positive frame of mind can do marvelous things including aid in curative powers!

When ever I am tired I prefer to call up and order in, do any of you feel that way?
Tonight I did just that, and that too makes me feel less stressed.

On that note of something to think about I will bid you all a very good night and to all suggest that you count those blessings and we will too!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Dead is so permanent...

The news is carrying the horror stories of the failures to try and cap off the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and today was the day of the first deaths to be counted due to this manmade pollution, dozens of sea turtles are washing up on shore in the Mississippi area.
The turtles from the outside look completely normal but the wildlife people are presuming that they have ingested oil filled foods of fish and the like.

Sadly we all knew the time would come to see this and we all know that no one is standing around twiddling their thumbs watching the oil escape into our beautiful scenic and economically fulfilling waters being destroyed.
Amounts of the free for all flow have been reported from one thousand to a hundred thousand gallons a day, and each news media franchise has their own numbers.
All I know is that it is NOT good whether it is any of those above mentioned numbers!

Lee and Collier Counties to our south here in Charlotte County Florida, have devised plans already for when it comes to their shores. Charlotte on the other hand has not gotten on the news to let us know what they plan for us, and we are even a wee bit closer to the actual spill!
I do know that all the Emergency Management Facilities had a conference call today with our Governor Crist, who held a news conference at noon for all of us Floridians to see, although many were probably at work or school accept the unemployed and retired like us. He poignantly stated that “we should all prepare for the worst but hope for the best”. Now that I see that in print isn’t that the same lame stuff everyone pipes in when they have no idea what to do and since that is all we as Floridians can do?
It’s not like a hurricane that we can evacuate from, since we aren’t even sure exactly what is going to happen here, yet if anything.

BP is saying that they have a few ideas of trying a dome like cap, or to drill another side well and shut it off from there. Problems are they have never done that dome thing ever at a depth of five thousand feet and they have no idea if it will work since it is only a theory that it should, and the other idea could take as long as two to three months to build by robotics!

News keeps telling us it will hit Florida the only question is when and where, whoa mine too! To be fair only a soothsayer could know for sure even with wind and water current directions they are all still just guessing, since those things change hourly, daily and weekly.

Now to the practical side of this, tourism, the reality of that realization is way too scary for our already sadly compromised economy here.
Now Governor Crist is extending the National Guard coverage to Sarasota County, just above us to our north.

Hypocrisy is us we all know there is no way at this point with our energy needs that we could possibly all switch to anymore Green ideas for transportation and utility needs. Why it was less than a month ago that two major governors were saying drill, drill, drill baby!
My fear was that they were sending Palin clones to other states, but thankfully Governor Schwarzenegger of California, duh, as if you didn’t know who he was, has seen the light and changed his mind today and I know our Governor Crist has too!
If the United States government will follow the trend, please Mr. President we Gulf Coasters beg of you!
Nature’s wrath is again just around the corner next month is hurricane season; why then must we endure manmade mistakes?

Can you imagine if a hurricane was thrown into this mess, then where would all that oil go to?

Not to make little of our friends to our north between tornadoes and flooding the human deaths of dozens has been horrendously significant!
What did we all do to create all these terrible happenings folks!
It’s so scary not knowing what might come next!
Be careful peeps and keep the news in your daily living to know.

Good night to all and take care, count those blessings and we will too!


PS Good night, sleep tight, dear sweet Georgy Girl, for Lynn Redgrave who portrayed you, has lost her seven year battle with breast cancer and has passed on to a better place I am sure but only at the tender age of sixty-seven.
Footnote: My niece that was my eldest and that had died back in 2006 at the age of 50, from colon cancer and I years ago, in our teens since we were only five years apart, me being the elder, entered a talent contest where she sang the song Georgy Girl and I danced to it, and so that movie has such fond memories to me.

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go? :   My eyesight is going again... in case you missed it... Netanyahu snaps back against growing...