Playtime

I came home from work tonight, put my things down, let the ferrets out of the cage and walked into my room to change my clothes. I could hear them dooking, and chasing each other through their tubes, and then I realized the house got strangely quiet. I had a quick panic, thinking maybe the back door hadn't closed all the way and that the children had scattered to the outside world. I ran to the back door and upon entering my kitchen found that my ferrets discovered several bags of packing peanuts while I was in my room reading emails. I am sure it was Tauvi who found them first and instigated the field of white. I sat down on the floor and watched while the six of them scooted through the peanuts, pushing them and then hopping wildly through them taking delight in the way they scattered. The static would build up in peanuts and they would stick to the ferrets coats. They little fuzzbutts would get excited as the little white monsters stuck to them. Such amusement. It only goes to prove if observe what goes on around us, we can find entertainment without turning on the TV.

Bad Children / Angry Mother

From the Associated Press
First 3rd of the article

From its beginnings, New Orleans has viewed the surrounding wetlands and Mississippi River as the logical places for its waste. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the city again is turning to the swamp.
East of the city's residential neighborhoods lies a large tract of swamp land that has been turned into an industrial corridor. Even before Katrina it was besmirched with scrap metal and used parts yards, rust-colored streams and dead cypress trees.
Making matters worse, environmentalists warn, is that the mounds of debris from Katrina also are winding up here.
Already, illegal dumping goes on in plain sight. On one road, a pile of paint cans, telephone poles, biological hazard bags and insulation reaches several feet high. Some of it has been pushed into the swamp next to the road.

Hmmmmmm ..................................

We build cities on lands that were meant to be under water.
We build levees to hold back water.
We run pumps to keep water out.
We buildland fills and dump everything in them with no regard for what it will do.
We dump trash randomly into swamps and wetlands,because we don't know what else to do with it
We feel we own the land and earth we occupy.

No wonder mother nature has been so angry.

Looking For Handouts

I don't get it................
If you were to come into my house during hurricane season you could look around and find the pretty close to the following items.
5 flashlights
10 candles that will burn for 7-10 hours each
2 lighters
6 gallons of water
6 pitchers that will hold a gallon of water
1 full ice bin with an ice chest ready to hold 12 gallons worth of ice.
3 non electric can openers
1 full tank of propane for the grill
1 mini canister of propane for a portable grill
28 cans of soup, pasta, chilli, and meats
10 cans of fruit
5 bottles of soda
2 weeks worth of cat food ( for the cats and ferrets of course)

Now I figure if a hurricane hits and I don't need to evacuate....this should get me, my son, and the critters through at least 2 weeks. By then, hopefully, there will be access to food and water elsewhere, or I have the opportunity to get out of Dodge. Its not that hard to plan, and its not that hard to keep those supplies around. If a hurricane hits, I have to be prepared to take care of myself and my family. It is my responsibility. I figure if the electricity goes out, then we start on the food in the fridge first......cook it on the grill and eat away. Next is the freezer since that will actually keep for a few days, then the canned food. Some things will actually require some prepping........ like making ice, filling the water pitchers etc, but its not like you don't get enough warning these days. The forecasts are reasonably accurate, sometimes to my amazement. Now if I am told to evacuate.......I am boarding up my windows (plywood is stored) packing up the afore mentioned supplies, irreplaceable mementos, important papers, the kid and the critters and heading out........way out......... Possibly to my brothers in SC or to my fathers in VA.

So why is it that so many people don't prepare and figure they will wait for government handouts, such as food, water and ice? 2 days after the hurricane and people are whining because they have to wait hours and hours in line for the basics..... did they not prepare? Did they not read the paper, see the television, or listen to the radio? All which were saying a hurricane was coming and for how many days did Florida painstakingly wait for it to turn from Mexico and come this way? Hellooooooooo??? Why did all these people in South Florida have less than a 2 day supply of provisions? What if the storm had been as bad as Katrina and made the roads impassable. What if the relief trucks couldn't get through for a week or more? What would these people have done? Most importantly, when did it become the governments responsibility to bail us out.? I always though it was help and relief that the government provided..... not support. Can you imagine these people living in Guatemala? Americans are becoming soft and losing their self sufficiency. Whatever happened to taking care of yourself. I guess that went out with the days of being responsible for your own actions.

I guess that those of us that find strength in ourselves, think for ourselves and take care of ourselves are a rare breed.

Little Thief

The cat food that we leave outside for mittens has been disappearing rather quickly. I thought another cat was eating the food so we started putting the food out only when Mittens showed up. With the cooler weather I had left the front door open and was letting the breeze come through the screen door. Last night as I sat in the living room watching TV, I heard some noises outside on the porch. I had fed Mittens about 30 minutes earlier and I knew there was a little bit of food left. I got up to see the culprit and what I found outside was the above critter. Peter has named him Awesome Possum.

Cool Nights

Wow Hurricane Wilma slams through and leaves us with cool temperatures. My AC is off and the windows are open. Ahhhhhhhhhhh fresh air to clean out the staleness of the house. The ferrets and the cats can't get enough of it.

When Does It End?

So to fill in any holes....... my mother and father have been in divorce court for 15 years......yes 15 years. My dad was paying alimony and child support like a good boy and when my sister and brother went to college he paid for that. Eventually all the kids were gone and he retired to a quiet life with his new wife in the hills of VA. When he retired he no longer wanted to pay alimony as the only income he had was his pension, which my mother got half of, and his social security check. My mother wanted to continue getting money so off to court they went, where they have battled it out for the last 15 years. Recently my father was thrown in jail for failure to pay alimony as he had been given a year to come up with a reasonable settlement. He made many offers and it seems none of them reached my mother, as her lawyer didn't think they were adequate. Well he eventually got a letter to report to jail, which he did. I learned of it 3 days after he went in, by a letter he mailed out to all his children.
Us kids have always stayed out of it and for the most part they kept us out of it..... but this I couldn't. So I talked to my dads wife to find out what had been offered and went to my mother....after several back and forths, they came to an agreement and we let the lawyers fill out the legal documents so that this could come to an end. Great....Mom got her settlement and a small monthly alimony and dad got his get out of jail card. You would think this to be the end of it right? NOT! I was sent some legal paper work for her to sign so that the case would be closed in FL as well. She got really pissed. She didn't like the fact that he was making it so she could not come back on him in future years. She particularly didn't like that clause that said she could not take him back to court for any further monies unless he stopped paying. I told her that if she signed the Va papers what was the problem with signing the Fl papers....her response was... "What if I get wiped out by a hurricane?"
Me: "Its not his responsibility"
Mother: " So what am I supposed to do?"
Me: "Thats what insurance is for and your other family members"
Mother: "He owes me. We were married"
Me "Were is the opprative word"
Mother: "And what about you?"
Me: "We'll if your wiped out by a hurricane, more than likely I will too. After all I only live
5 miles down the road. I am sure we would share a temp home untill all was fixed,
well, as long as you can deal with a teenager."
Mother: "Well thats all was your fault!"

( And that is a whole other story!)

So when does one person stop owing another person everything?

Why can't people drop the bitterness and move on with their own life?

Don't they realize that if they do, they will be happier? Dwelling on the crap that happened in the past only drags you down.

And why are some people so vindictive? Does it go back to their bitterness?

Ugh!

Oh yipeeeeee.......another hurricane on its way. I need to move.

Quick Quip

Geeeeeez!!! My kid is such a baby when he doesn't feel well. He whines more than Inglenook. I can't stand being around him when he is like this.

Sundown

I have been thinking a lot about sunsets...........
I would guess that it is because I now only work a short distance from a beach. I have pondered many times making a right turn toward the coast, but instead, everytime I get to that specific traffic light, I chicken out and go home. I still, just can't seem to do it. Ya know whats really silly? I haven't been able to watch Stargate. Pete introduced me to that show and we watched it together, every Friday....... The things we do to oursleves because of memories....................

Karma

I had to laugh at my son.

Tonight we were watching tv and a show came on called "Earl". Now if you haven't seen it or its previews, it about a guy who noticed that everytime something good happened to him, it was followed by something bad......really bad. He figures it is due to the fact that he did a lot of really shitty things to people through his entire life, so he figures in order to get good, without the bad, he give back to all those he took from. Sounds like karma to me.... you reap what you sew, you get what you give, what goes around comes around, and so forth. I have always been a firm believer in this. I always tell Peter to let things go when he wants revenge ...like when his car got egged. I tell him that in due time those responsible will get payback and to just let it go.....he tells me he is tired of my preaching and he is tired of hearing about karma.

My point????

He liked the show and watched 4 episodes with me..................

A Question Asked

I have a bumpersticker on my truck that reads: My "heart" belongs to a fireman. An aquaintance that I ran into Saturday said, "Your gonna scrape that bumber sticker off, aren't you?" I remember looking at the bumper sticker and then looking at her..... I said, "No...... he still has it." It was just what naturally came out of my mouth, and what was the truth. For the rest of the weekend I thought about Pete.
I called his old cell #.
A photographer has it now.
I called his house #.
It is in use.
Neither had been removed from cell phone. I can't bare to take them out. I thought, how can the world go on, when mine has stopped? Now, I do realize that the world does not revolve around me but this personal crisis, at times, still knocks me to my knees, and it seems that everyone should notice. Selfish, I know, but this is the biggest crisis and most painful that I have ever been through.

Sometimes I wonder why my friends still bother with me when I get into these moods. I know they don't understand, and I know they probably thinks to themselves....its time to get over it, but it just isn't that easy. I guess that is what makes them my friends.

I know I am trying to redefine who I am. Its not easy.

So while my world is frozen in time.....the rest of life moves on........ wouldn't it be weird if I came out of my coma in 2020....................................

Hockey At Last!

Ahhhhhhhhhh the sound of skates cutting ice, the slap of a stick on a puck, and the grunt of men as they pound into each other...........

I went to a preseason hockey game with Fred and Peter last night. When I walked into the Ice Palace it was like returning home. While the game was not that exciting, after all the new players are still being tested, while tried and true sit the bench, it was great to watch. I sure hope Burke steps it up a notch on his goaltending. It was a let down when Khabi didn't resign with the lightning, but I think Grahame wants to prove something and he was great as backup last playing season, so we can hopefully remain stong in the goal.

We hung out at Shots (an outside bar at the Palace) after the game and rubble rubble, the booze burgler was back as well. He must have had a dry season last year. Not having hockey really must have cut into his drinking habit. We all chuckled as he made his rounds.

Teenagers

I am so tired of dealing with teenager mentality.
I am really beginning to loathe them. I got up today and had a calm quiet morning and early afternoon, then I go outside to go to the grocery store and what do I find, my car and Peters car have been egged. WTF. I am so tired of this bullshit crap. I am sure that Peter's car was the target, and mine was hit because it is parked next to his, but I am tired of this shit....... I mean really tired of it....... Six months ago it was condoms and douche bottles all over the yard and smeared on the house....... then it was someone driving through the front yard after a heavy rain and tearing up the lawn.

What the fuck is wrong with these kids??

Why do they have no respect for private property?

Do their parents not keep up on when they are out? ( It happened after midnight)

I am trying to believe that karma will pay them back, but it still is pissing me off. Quite frankly I would like to knock them clear into next week.............or should I just say knock the snot out of them.

Waiting

My sister lives in Texas......Onalaska Tx..... we haven't heard from her yet, but hope all is well. I understand that phones are down, electricity is down, and so are cell towers. Only thing that worries me is that they had serious problems with the Livingston Dam and some areas were evacuated. Most problems in the area were down trees and the listed utility outages. I am sure all is well and we will hear from her soon

Quick Quips and One Not So Quick

QUICK

• My son and his girlfriend decided they wanted to spend time with me. We rented some movies and bought some pizza and bonded.

• Whats wrong in blog land? None of my regular reads are updating and even my favorite commentors aren't commenting, on mine or the others.

• When will humans learn that mother nature rules the earth. We can create great cities in places they were never meant to be, but she will take back the land when she wants it.

NOT SO QUICK

A week at my new job and so far I like it.
I feel comfortable.
I like the people.
I like the fact that I used less than half a tank of gas, where I use to use a full tank.
I like that I get paid every week.
I like that there are animals in the office......1 dog, and 2 cats.
I like that I can wear jeans and shorts to work.
I like that, while I have things to learn, they don't hesitate to throw things on my desk and say,
"Here..... handle it." knowing I can.
I think I can stay here for some time to come........

Dressed Up......Kinda

Well I promised pictures of Peter actually dressed up, but notice the loosness of the tie, baseball hat and his shoes....... I guess I will never win in getting him fully dressed up from head to toe. It passed his girlfriends inspection so I guess I will take this............ maybe at the prom we will be more thorough.

Homecoming

Peter's girlfriend wants to go to Homecoming and of course is dragging Peter aloong. We had to go out and buy him some nice clothes to wear, and ones that meet Jenny's approval on what she wants him in. Easy enough.....
black shoes,
black pants,
black shirt
and a tie the color of her dress.

Check
Check
Check and
Check

I can't wait to see him dressed up......last time he had on dress clothes was for my brothers wedding........ Peter was 11, I think.

Pictures to follow after the event on Saturday...........

Notice

Today I gave my notice at work.

I start a new job Monday.

This is scary for me......while I have been unhappy at work for some time now it is stil something familiar....... something that is there and has been there for over 7 years. We humans, are creatures of habit and change makes us uncomfortable. But I guess life is kinda like a set of monkey bars, each rung is a time in our life, and at some point you have to let go of one to move forwrd to the next. It is scary as we swing suspended by only one hand knowing that we have to grab the next. If we miss grabbing the next bar, will we fall, or do we have enough in us to continue to hold on with one hand while we figure out how to get our grasp with the other? I hope to find that I will have that firm hold as I believe that this new job is the only way to move forward....... no layoff worries and more money within 6 months.

A great book recomendation that helps deal with corporate change....... Who Moved My Cheese.

And another thought for today....
On a bottle of Aquafina: Pure Water-Perfect Taste
Shouldn't that be Perfect lack of taste?

Quick Quips

• Peter finally is working again. He got a job laying cable and fiber optics, and get this: Its a full time job, 40 hours plus OT and its a Mon thru Fri 8-5.
• My dad is in jail for alimony issues. My mothers friggin lawyer was given several offers for payment and on behalf of my mother turned them all down. He NEVER even consulted her! I called my mom and told her and is she PISSED! This is not a humorous issue, but, I never thought I would see the day when I was getting my father out of jail................
• Possible new job in the future........................
• I have volunteered to foster rescued pets; small exotics- ferrets, snakes, lizzards, etc, from Katrina. The SPCA was happy for volunteers who were knowledgable with these animals. No visitors as of yet.
• Watch out when using a debit card at gas stations.... Hess currently puts a hold of $75.00, of your hard earned money until your gas purchase clears......this could be anywhere from 1 to 3 bussiness days.

Quick Quip - A Common Gripe These Days

Gas!!

UGH!!

• I quit using my air conditioning just to save gas..... makes for more laundry.
• Reports are all over the US that people are actually calling into work, saying they can't get in, because they have no gas, and no money to buy any.
• People are being stranded along side the road because they run out of gas because they either don't have the money to buy it or pushed their car as far as possible, in order to not have to buy it.
• People are making choices between food and gas. (Me included)
  
  Oil companies reported record profits. When will the gov't regulate prices so that gas companies quit ripping off the public?