So I'm not sure if you've heard, but Atlanta is running out of gas. Literally. Dave and I didn't do much over the weekend because of the gas crisis. But we were able to completely finish the bedroom renovations and we've moved out of the guest room. I went through all of my clothes and Dave went through a lot of his and we now have four huge trash bags full of donations for the local Goodwill. I am through with keeping clothes that I may someday be able to fit back into or that may come back into style. I am fighting the pack rat gene and so far, I'm winning.
Besides all of the cleaning and organizing I was able to accomplish, this weekend's gas shortage had another positive influence. Twitter's real-time messaging service was elevated to a whole new level when Atlantans started using it to let each other know where to find gas, and even what grades were available, how much the station was charging, and how long one could expect to wait in line at that station. The search tag #atlgas was added to these tweets to make it easier for others in the Metro Atlanta area to find fuel. I think at one time, the #atlgas tag was ranked fourth in the trending topics on Twitter, which at that time, placed it in a position above tweets about the bailout.
Speaking of the bailout, I am ready to hole up in my house and wait for teh storm to be over. The economy is not looking so good and all I can do is hope that our politicians know what they are doing when it comes to this plan to bail out the financial institutions that are failing fast. I also hope that the bailout doesn't allow those responsible for this fiscal mess to walk away scot-free and with millions of dollars of profits in their pockets, especially if the middle class is going to be taxed with providing the 700 billion needed for this bailout. Life can be so unfair sometimes; I hope this isn't one of those times.
But I am going to try and put all of the nation's crises out of my head for the time being, even if I have to play this song over and over in order to accomplish some semblance of inner tranquility. I have a full tank of gas and I'm ready to leave all my troubles behind. Beach vacation with friends, here I come!
Have fuel, will travel
On Fall, bathing suits and home improvement
Today is the first day of fall and this morning's chilliness definitely announced the end of summer, like a punch in the gut. It's also officially the second half of my work day and I am so tired and hungry. Maybe I should eat something?
I am hoping that a cold front is not scheduled for the first weekend of October. I have my last hurrah of summer beach trip planned and I want to be able to wear my new swimsuit. I made the mistake of trying on swimsuits late last night, since I couldn't sleep anyway, and discovered that most of mine are either too small or make me look like I am trying to be 21 years old all over again. So I got online when I first got to work this morning and bought this one. If it fits. (Please fit.) My size is fluctuating so much lately, that I am having a hard time figuring out what size to buy. I spent all day Saturday going through my clothes and now have 3 big black trash bags full to give to Goodwill. I don't know why I have been hanging on to stuff I used to wear in high school (hello, 10 year reunion that is coming up next year!). I do not think I will ever be that size again, so I was cut throat this weekend and got rid of a lot of things that I used to love. When they still fit.
This weekend was also spent cleaning out our hallway closet and finishing up our master bedroom. Dave installed the baseboards and I applied two coats of polyurethane to them. I painted the closet in that room, too. Now all we need to do is apply one light coat of paint to the entire room and closet and we'll be able to move back in. I can hardly wait until I get to sleep in my king sized bed again. If I get up in the middle of the night for any reason at all, Dave immediately rolls over and claims the entire full-sized guest bed for himself and I have to fight my way back in.
Two Important Updates:
1. My grandma is doing so much better. She's been staying with my mom since she got out of the hospital last week and I know that must be frustrating for both of them. I think she will be moving back into her little cottage very soon and she'll be back to her old tricks, as long as she takes her medication like a good girl.
2. I have kept to my exercising-during-my-lunch-break plan and it is going well. When it is too hot to walk, we have been doing yoga in an empty office using this site. I highly recommend it for people who do not have the time or inclination to go to a yoga studio (like me!) and would prefer to practice on their own time and at their own pace. At $10 a month, it's a very reasonable way to exercise.
Life is a highway
It's turning cooler in the mornings and I am beginning to dress more warmly before I leave the house. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to ride the bike, but I plan to continue as long as I can. I am going to have to invest in some thermal underwear and some warmer gloves.
I almost ran out of gas on my way to work. I forgot that Dave and I had gone to dinner on the bikes this week, so the tank that usually lasts all week didn't. I stopped at a station near the house that is completely out of gas, except for premium. That's been a problem around here since hurricane Ike shut down the oil refineries in Houston. I think Atlanta gets its entire fuel supply from Houston. I missed the panic where everyone was fighting to fill up over the weekend, since I was in Florida. I'm sure things will be back to normal before too long, but it's interesting to see how people behave when there is a shortage of something as crucial as fuel. It makes me appreciate the bike that much more...2 gallons and I've got a full tank!
As I was riding to work this morning, I was thinking of all of the things I've learned in the last few months of riding. So as soon as I got to my desk, I decided to write them out:
—Learn to be flexible and ready to shift into another gear or swerve around a problem at a moments notice.
—Forget about the road you've already traveled. If you mess up a little, mentally shake it off and just keep on going.
—Be aware of the road directly in front of you, but don't keep your eyes there. Keep your chin up and your eyes pointed forward. You will be a better rider if you are always looking toward where you want to be.
—Loosen up. Tension will just cause your ride to be shaky and your mind to become preoccupied with what could go wrong. The bike wants to move, so let it.
—Don't think too hard about how the bike is able to work the way it does, just appreciate that it works.
—Don't think too much about how fast the ground is moving underneath you. And whatever you do, don't look down.
—Don't panic. If you do, don't grab the brake for a full-stop or you'll end up hurting yourself and the bike. Pull in the clutch and just glide until you get your bearings.
—Wear protection. Even if it's uncomfortable, it'll save your skin.
—Baby the bike. Feed it the best fuel possible, check the tires and brakes often. If you take care of your ride, it will handle so much better, making the ride that much more enjoyable.
—The biggest hazard that you have to worry about is other people. Be confident in your own abilities, but be cautious of the intentions of other drivers. Learn to read them and be ready to anticipate what they are going to do before they do it.
Is it just me, or can almost all of these tips also be applied to living life?
Short but sweet
My weekend was a whirlwind, how was yours? My grandma was admitted to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning last Friday and it was not looking good. She was pretty much incoherent and did not know who anyone was or where she was. The news was pretty grim while the ER doc tried to figure out what had happened. When the possibility of encephalitis of the brain was mentioned, I left work, packed a bag and started driving to Florida.
When I arrived on Friday evening, Gram was doing much better. There was still no diagnosis, but she was a lot more coherent and she knew where she was and she recognized her visitors. But she was still dizzy and fatigued. She also didn't remember much of the ambulance ride or admittance to the ER. Apparently she was pretty hard to handle when she first arrived to the hospital and she doesn't remember any of it.
On Sunday, we finally got a diagnosis from her physician. It seems she had experienced a Transient Ischemic Attack or mini stroke. She had started some sort of diet that required her to drink 64oz. of water a day and by doing so, she had flushed her system of sodium and increased her blood pressure. She will have to be on several medications to manage her heart and to prevent clotting and future strokes. She was also ordered by her neurologist to stay away from any and all weight loss programs. He wrote it on a prescription sheet. At her age the last thing she should be worrying about is her weight!
A lot of love in a little package
Dear Prue,
Two and a half years ago, we decided to get another dog. Kaylee was a few months old and so emotionally needy that we wanted another dog to take some of her attention off of us and onto her new sibling. Come to find out, a tennis ball is pretty much all we needed to give her to keep her entertained for hours, sometimes just staring at the ball, willing it to fly from her so she could go retrieve it again and again and again.
Anyway, I checked Craigslist because surely there was someone giving away free dogs somewhere around Atlanta. And there was! Your mom was a full bred English black lab, calm and well-mannered, and her owners did not have a clue what you father was. But that was okay! We saw you and immediately fell in love with your inquisitiveness and also with how you immediately took to Kaylee and she to you. We brought you home and thought, having two dogs will make everything so much easier! Boy, were we WRONG.
Throughout the two and a half years we have had you around, you have chewed through the drywall in your dog pen, in the hallway, and you started on the foyer but I stopped you just in time. You have eaten off the side of one of our love seat cushions and now I have ugly slip covers to hide the damage you inflicted. You have torn apart and eaten almost every toy we have ever given you in a matter of minutes. You have eaten books, books I was in the middle of reading and books I was saving for any future children I might have. Oh and the chicken! You grabbed that free-range chicken that meandered into YOUR yard and shook it so hard there were feathers everywhere! If chickens have nightmares or suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome, then that chicken is screwed. You have also become very brazen about checking out what wonderful things are in the garbage can...using your nose to lift the lid and peering in. If we leave the house, even if we are going to be gone for a few minutes, you are locked in a crate while Kaylee is allowed to roam free. Because you cannot be trusted.
Since adopting you, we have discovered your paternity. Your dad was a whippet, a sight hound breed known for being agile, strong-willed, and hard to train. Here's a paragraph that sums up the breed quite nicely, "Leaving a Whippet pup alone for more than a couple of hours is a recipe for a problem dog. Some folks get away with it, but every Whippet with behavior problems we have ever taken into rescue came from a home where no one was there during the day. Around three years old, magic occurs and the Whippet turns into a perfect dog. Before then, you need to be ever-watchful, ever-patient, and ready to replace furniture when necessary.*"
We haven't reached the magic 3-year mark where you supposedly become a perfect dog, but to me, you already are perfect. You are willful and sneaky, but you are also the happiest dog I've ever been around. You love to be right near me or your dad, sometimes laying on our feet or curled up on our laps. You get into things and are disciplined, but being in trouble doesn't faze you. You are destructive, but we have learned to channel that behavior, allowing you to chew cardboard and junk mail while we watch and laugh at how excited you get. You love your big sis and she loves you, allowing you and only you to take her tennis ball right out of her mouth so you can play with it, of course. You are the sweetest and most loving dog ever and I am so glad you came into our lives when you did.
Love,
Me
On Politics and Polyurethane
If I keep blinking at you and looking confused, it's not you. I promise. It's just my brain going numb from either breathing the obnoxious fumes of polyurethane floor coating or reading and/or listening to the obnoxious mudslinging and finger pointing of each of our major political parties.
The good news: The floor is almost finished! It only needs a good sanding and the application of the final coat of polyurethane.
The bad news: If the fumes don't render all living things in my household brain dead, the continuing political coverage probably will. No matter what I do to try and avoid reading or talking about politics, it's pretty much inescapable at this point. I really wish November would hurry on up. I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils, so I could care less about all of the politicking and prefer to just get it over with already.
On that note, Dave came home last night to tell me that UFO's had been spotted over the Atlanta airport. Here's a link to a video recorded by a guy who saw them while at Six Flags with his family.
According to Dave, several FAA employees were talking about the incident and how the crafts were sending communication about a mothership returning on October 15 to collect the human race and redistribute us to a more hospitable environment because the earth had become unstable. (I guess they've also been watching the political coverage and have decided to intervene?) I'm glad the aliens are waiting until after my trip to Florida!
Excitement
I am so excited for my friend bluesleepy, I can hardly stand it! She had a baby girl early this morning and that has just made my day. Her new baby is beautiful and so is my friend and I just couldn't be happier for her family. Congrats, K!
I am also breathing a sigh of relief for my family members living in the Florida panhandle. It looks like hurricane Ike will be heading elsewhere.
This busy hurricane season is beginning to worry me a bit. You see, I am supposed to be spending a lovely weekend on the sugar white beaches of the emerald coast of Florida with seven of my really good friends. We have plans to go boating, lay out by the gulf, swim and see the wonderful sites that Destin has to offer. A hurricane will make all of these things a little difficult to do. Though there is always the possibility of a hurricane party. Wonder how everybody would feel about that?
Uneasy like Sunday morning.
1. The floor is stained and will be sealed tomorrow, I hope. I am tired of home improvement projects and cannot wait until we can take a break already. Also, I have learned that no project that Dave starts stays within budget. Did you know that polyurethane floor sealant costs $40 per gallon? I didn't either and by the time I picked myself up off the floor and recovered from that dead faint, Dave had already walked away and started cleaning up the rented sander to turn in tomorrow morning. Dave and his improvement projects are going to be the death of me yet. That brings me to...
2. Dave and I have been fighting today. About money. And I am sick and tired of it because it is literally the same fight we always have. I feel like I should say, "wait a minute; let me go find my script." After a lot of yelling, we are at an impasse. Until the next time, that is.
3. My friend, who I was all ready to give another chance after she about blew off our relationship, did not come to visit this weekend like she said she was going to. She did not call or email to say she was or was not coming, therefore I am guessing that she has made the choice I previously described as difficult much easier for me. I wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors as I wash my hands of her. Hopefully, she will eventually learn to treat people a little better.
4. I've been busy today with chores. I did the laundry, washed both dogs, cleaned and replaced the screens on all of our windows, straightened the house, and cooked dinner. For the rest of the day day I plan to do nothing more than read a book and drink some of my newly acquired Black Box wine that is both delicious and contains a convenient spout for easier dispensing. It is also vacuum sealed, so will last up to 4 weeks...though I will most likely have consumed it all by then, if my dealings with Dave continue to be as stressful as they were today.
5. I'm going to go and drink more wine now as I count down the minutes until bed time. I sure hope that next week is a lot easier on me than this one has been.
A man and his dog
Dave and Prue are busy working on the floor today. The sanding is almost done and that will leave staining and sealing and then it will be finished. And none too soon, since there is a major hurricane heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and, quite possibly, the panhandle of Florida where a lot of my family lives. We may need to move out of the spare bedroom sooner than we thought. I am hoping to be able to talk my mom and grandmother into coming up here if Hurricane Ike looks like it will be targeting the panhandle and we'll need all the spare room we can get.
So far, today has been busy. We went to Lowe's to rent a sander early this morning only to get it home and have it not work. Figures. So we took it back, along with about $60 worth of sandpaper. Dave actually had to explain that the sander did not work and ask for his money back to the same clerk that had rented it to him. I guess she just assumed that he had sanded his floor really really fast and that he was turning it back in. After an hour. It made me miss those little mom and pop hardware stores where you actually got to talk to someone who knew what they were talking about and also where you could count on good customer service. At Lowe's, you pretty much have to fight for your rights as a customer and service is usually mediocre at best.
So, after returning the broken sander to Lowe's, we went to a privately owned tool rental place where we got really great customer service. And the rental was not only cheaper, but we get to keep it thru Monday even though we are technically renting it for one day because this location is closed on Sundays. We will definitely be renting from there again in the future and I will make it my mission to get Dave to shop at smaller, privately owned hardware stores and not at corporate chains. If we can find any near our house, that is. They seem to be a dying breed and that makes me really sad for the future of this country.
Bummed
Today has not been a good day. Between putting out fires at work and dealing with a not-so-pleasant trek to the DMV to take - oh, no sorry, make that fail - the motorcycle driving test, this day is kicking my butt.
Actually, this whole week could use a do-over. All I can say is, thank God it's Friday. And that it's 4:36, which means I get to leave work in 9 minutes. I plan to head straight home and indulge in a good sulk and a big bowl of Oreo cookies n cream ice cream.
When the choice is unclear
I arrived at work today and was taking my time "warming up my computer" as L and I like to call it - translation: catching up on personal emails, blogs, etc. - when I came across an email from a friend that I used to be very close with. Until one day I wasn't. You see, we had planned a trip together with a couple of our mutual girlfriends and this trip was supposed to be a girls weekend away from it all. This particular friend tried to ruin the weekend by turning it into an event that focused all on her. What she wanted to so. Who she wanted to be with. Where she wanted to go, without any consideration for the rest of us. When the three of us refused to play by her rules, she turned on us, accusing us of ganging up on her. And she said hurtful things directed toward me, as her closest friend, that really hurt me and caused a very large breach in our friendship.
I actually went through a period where I grieved for her. I felt so betrayed and "left behind" almost as if she had died. And then I forgave her and the hurt she caused and I've moved on. I've heard from her on and off since then, but just superficial emails under the guise of just catching up. Until today's email. Seems she wants to come and visit. And I'm not really sure how I feel about that. Ever since that incident a year ago, I feel as if I don't really know this particular person anymore. She displayed a side of herself that, up until then, I had been unaware of. She turned into a Mr. Hyde character right in front of my eyes and it really surprised me. And I hate surprises.
Now I am faced with a decision. Do I want this person back in my life? Usually the answer would be so easy for me, and it would be NO. I have always prided myself on my ability to walk away from hurtful people; I have a great deal of practice protecting myself from being hurt. And it would be so easy to walk away this time, too. But a part of me still misses her - the her I knew before I met Mr. Hyde - and all of the fun we used to have.
So I'm going to give it another go. And hope her Mr. Hyde routine was just a momentary lapse in judgment and that we can go right back to where we left off. She wants to come and visit this weekend. We'll see how it goes.
Isn't it ironic.
We had a busy holiday weekend and alls I can say is, I'm glad we had Monday off or I may not have made it.
Friday I had to work, but Dave had the day off. Since my friend Jill and her family were driving up from Jacksonville, I asked Dave if he wouldn't mind cleaning up the house a bit before their arrival around the time I was to get home from work. He mentioned plans to work on a throwing implement for his Scottish Games Competition on Saturday, but said he'd straighten later. Guess what that translated to? When I walked in at 5, the only room that had been straightened was the garage...which, I guess according to any man, is the most important room in the house. I could have throttled Dave, but I didn't have time, since I got to speed clean after calling Jill and finding out they were 15 minutes from our house. I have never cleaned that fast in my life and I hope I never have to again. And you better believe Dave helped.
We went to dinner with Jill and her husband and 2 year-old daughter and they left to continue their trip to the north end of Atlanta to visit family. I couldn't offer them the spare room unfortunately since Dave and I were using it while finishing the floor in the master bedroom. But I did offer to keep their dog for them and Hershey is so well behaved, we barely knew she was there. Except for the times when my dog Prue kept trying to instigate a fight with Hershey.
On Saturday, Dave and I headed up to the north Georgia mountains for the Appalachian Celtic Festival and Highland Games. He competed with the more advanced group this time while I kept score for the group he used to compete with. I didn't really get to watch him, but I know he got 5th place out of 7. Not bad, considering he was competing against two of the top ranked guys in the nation. I had fun keeping score for a judge who was from Scotland. Man, those accents are sexy!
We didn't get home until late on Saturday and luckily, I did not have to call Jill and tell her my dog had killed her dog. Prue and Hershey seemed to have worked out their differences and become best friends in our absence. Weirdos. We made plans to get together with Jill and her family the next day, along with a friend of mine who is a single mother to a 2 year-old daughter. We ended up going to an art festival at Grant Park in downtown Atlanta and had a great time watching the kids wear themselves out.
On Monday I did nothing in my attempt to recover from all of the activity of the previous couple of days. I love days like that where you have no where to go and can just relax. Dave was bored and kept complaining about it, so I finally hinted to him that the lawn needed mowed so that kept him occupied for a while.
I really do not understand people who complain about being bored. I can always find something to keep me occupied, whether I am reading a book, watching tv, playing on the computer or even daydreaming. Dave drives me crazy with his constant need to be entertained and his inability to sit still for longer than a few minutes at a time.
Late Monday afternoon, Jill and her family came to pick up Hershey and they headed back to Jacksonville. I still think it's ironic that she has kept planning to visit and them putting it off for the three years we've been here, but the few weeks we decide to do major renovations to our bedroom, she finalizes her plans. Guess that's just the way things work sometimes.
Oh, and another funny irony...a car cut us off on the interstate as we were heading to dinner the other night. The vanity plate read: Godlike. The Universe sure has a warped sense of humor!
I did have to call my mom on Monday morning as hurricane Gustav was hitting the gulf coast of Louisianna. A tornado touched down 6 miles from where she lives, but she was still asleep and didn't even know about it! I woke her up and insisted she stay informed about what was going on. Geez, you'd think that a hurricane hitting near you would cause a little bit of concern, but I guess she is used to them. It's so much harder for me to watch all the action on tv now instead of riding it out with those that I love. I hate living so far away from my hometown, especially during hurricane season.
