Month: March 2013

Another Easter Sunday

I remember that as I was getting older, I would be upset with my folks when they would say about certain occasions,” It’s just another day.”

Once again, Easter hits me hard in that my parents are not here with me. My nephew Greg bought me a white hyacinth-something I traditionally would have gotten my mother, and at least a little piece of my history is repeated. Of course, it would stand to follow that I am married to a man who is allergic to flowers every time someone give me some. Not a good call for a flower lover such as myself, but, ah, the price of love….

Kielbasa was a staple of my Easter, but I would be the only one who ate it. My husband would make a few stabs at it, but that is how it goes, If you haven’t been brought up with it, I guess, you have no ties to it.

So instead, I will hold a fire in my heart for Easters past. My heart aches for my parents, but hey,

“It’s just another day.”……

Right?

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Holy Saturday

My nephew Greg just left. He came to pick up ham I made for them. I remarked how old I am: sitting here alone with the fur girls, watching Pope Francis I have the Easter Vigil Mass at the Vatican.

Jim is out painting our front fence, as we get the house ready to sell. Melancholia is quite overwhelming. This house had me busy on this day for the first six years, as I would be preparing for Easter. Then Mom got sick.

It is good to have good memories; it doesn’t make them hurt any less, but they are good.

A blessed Easter to you and yours.

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Lousy is as lousy does..

It has not been a good week.

Found out a friend of mine who was 2 years older passed away suddenly last week. I saw her at the beginning of the month and she was in a helluva better shape than I am in.

The coughing got a little quiet but not much, as both Jim and I are fighting it and it makes for the wrong kind of melodies going on in our house.

A good friend of mine is scheduled for pancreatic cancer surgery on Monday and I know the odds…

and to top it all I am missing my Mom a lot..

It goes without saying it is Holy Week and the Easter Tridium, and my prayers are going overtime on so many levels.

The hard part is I remember the line from the movie “Rudy”…” Man asks for God to answer prayers, and God does, in God’s time.”

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Quality Time

Things have really been sucky during the day.

When I hang out with one of my BFF’s,Denise, at lunchtime, we seldom do anything but stay back at our desks.

Today we didn’t.

We decided to do the poor man’s shuffle to 9th and Market Streets to the Walgreens. We got Easter Candy.
Yeah I know. I don’t NEED Easter candy, but sometimes, it just gives you that little comfort that you need.
We had a good time chatting while we were going over and, if anything, it makes me miss the old days.

Another of my BFF’S, Kathy,made a beautiful egg arrangement for me….what a sweetie!

Enjoy your holiday!

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Rocking my world not…

I always try to be nice.

Nice guys finish last.

Gotta remember that.

I also try to remember that, as Helen Gurley Brown used to say, ” Only God and the working girl take care of the working girl.”

Days like today make me want to run home with Jim and get it ready to sell so I can get outta Dodge.
It’s just not the same as it used to be.
Or maybe I wised up and got tired of being the nice one.

Any way you slice it….it’s time!

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Hootenanny

Mike our neighbor is over.

We are listening to You Tube, Jim is playing his guitar and we are singing songs of our youth.

**the two shots of whiskey I have taken are the best cough medicine to listen and sing along with.**

It’s good to kick back, and the fur children always enjoy Daddy playing music.

Life is good!

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Friday 5

I have never been so thankful for Friday!

I had to keep reminding myself it’s spring-we had snow flurries this morning . Facts are facts, though – Amen for the thought of spring.

Easter is almost here, thank God. I was never such a big fan of fish.

We have been getting into “Tanked” on the Animal Planet station. The guys make world class aquariums.

It’s a nice night tonight. Glad there is no snow that has to get shoveled .

We are all together and nice and cozy. Always good when the family is together.

Have a wonderful weekend .

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Push me- go on, I dare ya!

The morning is off to a bang.

Work I had completed came back with someone crying that I told them something completely different.

Uh, let’s go to tape, er the document.

If the document were observed, it could be seen that NOWHERE on it does it give the person a negative
answer. You’d think that someone was feeding them bad information to make it as if she really,
really was given a negative answer.

Thanks, middle level person who claims they work for the “people”.
Those of us who “do”, well, we don’t need people like you “helping”
us out.

Go play in the traffic.

‘Nuff said……..

Hurry Up and Wait…

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Once again, my train line treats the folks like me like dirt.

So what if my train line eventually ends up in the suburbs. If you live in the city,
well, it’s like you are a non-entity,that is, until they start counting their money from
you for train fare.

Yesterday, they allegedly had electrical problems on my line-the line that runs cars as old
as I am( 53) so we had to wait another 30 minutes for the train to eventually arrive.

I am sure if I was on one of the suburban lines, I would be home lickety-split.

**climbing down off the soap box**

Hey, it’s Tuesday!

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As my nephew Greg would say, it’s as far away from Monday as you can get…amen, I say to that!
It’s has been extremely busy in the office, and it’s one time in my life I wish it wasn’t such a popular spot.

The rain has finally let up and they are calling for some March winds. Hopefully, the girls and I will be able to
get out and visit our friend Sue, and her dog Eby to say hello.To take advantage of the decent weather, we’ll be strolling around
so we all can get some exercise.

It has been a bizarre winter, to say the least. I, for one, will be ready to give spring the thumbs up tomorrow.

Happy spring to you all!

It’s back-k-k-kk….

A local general practitioner is quoted as saying it was the worst respiratory winter he ever had,
with a ton of patients hacking their coughs away.

You know all the coughing I have been through? All the cough medicine I have taken?

Guess what feels like it’s back? Yup….my hacking from hell.

I knew when I last went to the GP 10 days ago and said “Oh, no, it’s strictly in my throat.”
The doctor looked in my throat and said “Uh, no, you have a **surprise**sinus drip!
Hmm.
53 years old
-17 age of first sinusitis attack
__________________________
=Tell me something I don’t know.

I think I might bypass the doctor this time. I think a little brandy and honey should
do the trick nicely.

Somewhere, up in heaven, my Dad is nodding along in agreement.

Dad was always right!

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Extreme Couponing

TLC is running a marathon showing of the show “Extreme Couponing.”

Highly ironic is that Jim knocked apart my kitchen pantry in order to start sprucing up the house so we can sell it.

I liked my pantry. It saved me from going down the cellar to get things ready for dinner. Now Jim has bought a little closet for the kitchen and although now the kitchen has a little more space, it just doesn’t look the same.

Oh well. Guess this is the first step toward the future.

Here’s hoping!

Friday Five

I’m thankful that the guy Shingleman hired to cut down trees at Undisclosed worked while we all
were not down there. I’d probably have nightmares of limbs cracking drywall…

I’m thankful for low-fat vegetable cream cheese, as it does a bagel good!

I’m thankful that even though I have to work today, Undisclosed Location will always be there.

I am thankful I got a few hours of sleep last night, albeit not enough, since whatever I have been
typing ends up having to be corrected…my eyes are tired…**sigh**

I’m thankful for one of my BFF’s Denise…maid of honor, baby sister, fellow pet mom, Jack of all
trades…Happy Birthday( a little early!)kiddo!

Have a wonderful weekend

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Tiring Thursday( and the day just began)

It’s incredible how the thought of being home has weighed me down,mentally, this week.
Normally today I’d be thinking at least I am off tomorrow, but alas, this week I am not.

I could fall asleep right now. Never mind the huge amount of work I have, but I just would love to curl up,
like George Costanza in Seinfeld, under my desk and nap.

There’s going to have to be a dedicated amount of time to clearing piles of work, then, unfortunately,
there will be a ton of folks appearing who need hands on help with whatever issue they have. Hopefully,
we will busy up so the end of the day will be here like that.

Although when I came in this morning it was dark out, I caught a glimpse of dawn breaking at the train station.
Here’s hoping you have a sunny day.

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Not feeling it today..

It’s a beautiful day today.

We are still busy, but dealing with a possible 590,000 people will make you busy.

I’m still hacking and at work.

A BFF is having newly hatched-possible caregiving issues with her Dad.

Another buddy is on the verge of having to put a fur child down….

I don’t know if it’s the medicine or what but my nerves are shot and I feel as though if here was the edge,I’m THISCLOSE to it.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that I am here in the city this weekend and I HATE IT.

**Climbing down from soapbox**

Thank you for your support…lol

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Tired…so tired

I am fed up.

I have been off anti-depressants for 3 months. It hasn’t been easy. Trying to be a cheering section for myself and my husband, well…there may be a lot of me, but trying to a cheerful rah-rah girl when it’s the last thing you feel like doing….**sigh**

I wanted to go back on anti-depressants, yet what I have been on, well, the insurance doesn’t want to pay for me to try something new. They want me to go back on something that didn’t work before. Yeah that’s good….spend a chunk of change on something that I know doesn’t work.

I’m tired of this system. I’m tired of fighting.

All of a sudden, alcohol looks really good.

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Lousy day

…even though any day you have two feet on the ground is a good day.

I was just informed that a local journalist will be sitting in the cubicle behind me this morning.
Gee,**wondering to myself**, what did I DO to deserve such an honor? lol….It’s a rainy day so I guess I’ll just
use their visit and an opportunity to be entertained.

I also have decided to do a countdown to the 2nd birthday to my knees, as they’ll be 2 on Monday. Seems like only
yesterday I was hobbling around..lol

Make today count, one way or another, as you only get one stab at it! Zush is going to make in count the best way possible-cozy and sleepy!

Zushbed

Long day hacking

It was a long day in the office today: probably due to the arrival of daylight savings time.Once again, it was dark in the morning, but working later, I had the added perk of having sunlight, or should I say twilight? Either way you slice it, it was swell coming home with the light!

The hack,a.k.a. I”ll walk a mile for a Camel cough, is doing somewhat better…instead of hacking every five minutes, I can actually go 1/2 hour without coughing~ a major feat!

Now,with no offense to my fur girls, if only the cough would no longer sound like it belonged to a cocker spaniel….lol

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And they’re off…

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Or, at least, my friend Kathy is, physically.

Kathy developed a cough a little later than mine and I came in this morning to find out she developed pneumonia.
Wow!When I went to the doctor on Thursday, he gave me a referral for a chest x-ray. After hearing Kat’s diagnosis, you
can bet your bottom dollar I will be going to get it done!

Tempers are flaring off here regarding property taxes.Things are in such a spin here, and as we are property owners as well,
I would say if I worked somewhere else, I’d be right there with them. I guess if people open their mouths and protest,
then someone,hopefully, will listen to their concerns.

Personally, I am just sitting back watching the race for the last person leaving the city who is going
to be left to turn out the light?

Sunday morning update

It’s Sunday morning and my hacking has gone down a bit. Thanks to Kate’s contribution of cough syrup, with a Sudafed chaser and an anti-biotic to boot. What amazes me is this was a mid-throat cough for three weeks and NOW decided to manifest itself as a sinusitis attack.

Now I am drinking some green tea and crossing over to the Pioneer Woman on Food network. I have kind of forgiven her for throwing oil over a sunny side up egg.I think I have come to appreciate her style of cooking, and wouldn’t mind if I could cook half as well.

**No coughing during the typing of the blog! Pretty nice!**

Anyway, Pioneer Woman is busy making Cajun chicken pasta…gotta go.

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Hacking

For once it wasn’t my sinuses. Imagine that.

I went to the Doctor today and ended up with two inhalers, cough suppressants, and a referral for a chest x-ray. Can you say viral?

Gee, knew I was sick.

Jim mimics my cough, but as lousy as mine sounds, you can multiply his by 10. I just hope his doesn’t turn into a hospital trip, since he wouldn’t go to the doctor.

The fur girls know we are sick~ pretty compassionate!

We’ll keep you posted!

Yikes.

Jim is still hacking, I guess, to keep my tubercular lungs company: after all, that’s what marriage is for, no?
I am counting my mercies that the girls are well.

The city of Washington D.C., has shut down due to a storm that is hitting there. Wussies! It’s a little snow.
I shudder to think what they would do if they were in the northeast!

Work is busy…too busy…I never knew I was so popular…lol

Time to run for undisclosed: this week it will be deeply appreciated, despite the amount of cough medicine ingested!

Anything to escape the city….Even Queen Elizabeth II was at the train station, looking happy to be leaving..**see disclaimer below picture**

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disclaimer ***this is a cut-out that the local transit system has in honor of the British themed flower show running currently in town.

Tired

I am literally exhausted beyond comprehension.

It is good to be able to sink your teeth into something and feel like you are accomplishing things.
It isn’t always easy when people walk up to you and you can just visualize that they are walking
Brillo pads, just trying to rub you the wrong way. You still muddle through as best as you can.

The satisfaction?

You are still on your feet at the end of the day. You have fought the good fight.

And the Brillo pads?

They eventually lose their soap and their toughness.

**smile**

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And I asked you, uh, what?

I have to laugh.

An acquaintance left me a voice mail regarding what they felt was “wrong” with the blog.

Oh yes, I missed the fact that I said, come, all you people from my past and feel free to dump on me. I must have been sleepwalking up and down the street with a sandwich-board type sign inviting verbal critiques.

If you’d like to leave a critique in the comments, that’s fine.

If you can’t stop and take 5 minutes to call me and see how I am once in a while, well, I’ll tend to view YOUR critique with the same amount of time.

OOPS.

I answered this in print, giving it more credibility than it is worth….

Must be feeling benevolent…roflmao.

YOU know who you are…lol

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Bah!

The 90’s hit “You’ve had a bad day” came home with me tonight.

Jim is sick with a hacking cough. Hot soup for dinner~ he doesn’t want to eat. I went up with the girls to see my friend who is very sick.She fell off the toilet because her legs are getting worse. Now I have to go down to my friend whose husband is in rehab. She is scared about caregiving: she has been married 55 years and is afraid to see what happens down the road.

I try to help, but after a while, it’s a rough gig!

A P.S.- to cap dinner off, my husband just dropped a roast beef, albeit a small one, on the floor ….

Did I mention Zush is happy? 😀

Sunday blues

It was a good and active weekend: the kind of weekend that makes you dread Monday.

My friend and her husband came down and it was as though everything was go- go-go, not that it was a bad thing. The fact that Jim and I are both hacking like we are cigarette smokes doesn’t help. You are active but your speech comes to a halt when you start hacking.

Good sign when you need to rest all week after the weekend!

Have a good week.

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It’s all gravy

As usual for a Saturday morning at Undisclosed , I have my coffee by my side and am watching Guy Fieri cooking on the Food network. He is making chicken fried steak complete with gravy. …yummo!

We have guests this weekend, so it’s kind of early and they are still sleeping as is Jim. I have to admit….quiet is such a rarity in my life anymore- I adore it.

My fur kids have their two fur cousins visit, too, so dog play has them exhausted. I laugh because as soon as I typed that, Zusher raised up her head as to say,”Sleeping? I’m not sleeping.. I’m keeping you company!”

Always good having friends visit.The cherry on the top? Having a little time to kick back and enjoy the weekend.

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A very special Friday thanks…

It’s 20 years ago today that I finished my first total completion of cancer treatment.

I had cervical cancer at age 33. I lucked into Jefferson Hospital and Dr. Charles Dunton. I had radiation, chemotherapy and a radiation implant. The treatment was so successful, the tumor was gone, and I had to have a hysterectomy to make sure it hadn’t spread further.

Without all of this, I wouldn’t be here. I am truly thankful this Friday.

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