My pirate name is:

Iron Anne Flint

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you are a tough person. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate
name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Poke Poke Poke

I spent the majority of my morning with Mr M in the Urgent Care section of the V.A. Clinic. Two days ago Mr M stepped (or so I thought) on a sewing needle and the part he brought to me was the one quarter of the needle with held the needle's eye and a bit of black thread. Now, I thought this was the part that stuck in his foot and he pulled it out and only this morning I find out that that was the part he dug out of the carpet, three quarters of the needle was embedded in the bottom of his foot. In the three hours we spent in the Urgent Care, I watched them numb up the bottom of his foot so much, you'd think he wouldn't feel it for a week, cut it open (and in the wrong spot as we learned later), probe around and do numerous x-rays to finally find it further back from the puncture site than they thought. They concluded that because he walked on his foot for 2 or 3 days before we went in, the darn thing moved. They finally located it by using triangulation of three needles in his foot. After much probing around again, the doctor got it out, thank the Lady for her Grace. If he hadn't, we were looking at Mr M getting stitches and probably a five hour ordeal at the local hospital. Mr M is at home, resting as comfortably as the Vicodin will allow with his foot propped up and instructions not to be on it at all for the next couple of days.

Yesterday, early afternoon, Mr M suffered a pretty painful angina attack. After I got him in his recliner and he took two nitros, he was fine, but the nitros make him sleepy so that's pretty much what he did yesterday and last night he didn't sleep well because of his foot. So, I anticipate that tonight we both will get some much needed sleep. I don't sleep well when he doesn't unless I am so exhausted that I have no other choice.

OTHER GROVE HAPPENINGS:

~ FB got his lawyer yesterday and the lawyer has filed the necessary paperwork to have Shel stay here until this custody thing is taken care of. Apparently, the lawyer is not too popular in the judicial system. Seems he has this reputation for being a PITA, he doesn't let up. This could be a two edged sword, but he also was a child advocacy lawyer and if there is anything Shel needs now, it's that. The lawyer said that FB had the ammunition but he just lacked the education to be able to handle this himself. FB is taking notes. The judge will probably not see the paperwork or not get around to signing it until Monday. Shel is suppose to be back with her mother tomorrow. Her mother is required to get Shel home as FB got Shel out here. Nothing from the mother yet *knock wood*. Needless to say, the kids are going to try and not be available this weekend in order to give the judge time to grant a temp custody to FB until this all has gone through again. More news on this as it comes up.

~My nephew, my mother's second son's son, is now in basic training for the Navy. He is going to be an underwater welder. He's quite happy about going into the Navy and I'm happy for him.

~Sprout is still working. Him and a buddy will be checking out the college courses here, PDQ. Sprout is still thinking about it, but he surely doesn't want to be a dishwasher for the rest of his life. He loves his video games, too bad I can't get him hooked into becoming a game designer. I think he'd be good at it. He's still young, just 22, so I'll cut him a bit of slack for not knowing how he wants his life to go. Hell, I didn't find my niche until I was in my mid to late 30's.

~ Troll is still assist. manager for Petco. There's a Pet Smart going in and he applied for the manager's job, but he won't make any serious decision until he sees what Pet Smart has to offer, should they consider him.

~Ladies Auxiliary: Some of the ladies have cooled their jets from last Sunday's upheaval. We're just puttering right along. Did I mention I will be voted in (in all likelihood since no one else wants the position) as Jr. Vice? Yeah. The very thing I didn't want to get into, but in all truthfulness, I believe I can help accomplish a lot more in the position than out of it. Besides, it will also make me more privy to a lot more information. Mr Butthead and I have a good measure of each other. I thought maybe he had a problem with me but apparently not, in fact, he seems to enjoy the fact that I can take his sarcastic, dry sense of humor much better than any of the other ladies. Oh, I'm sure we'll eventually get on each other's nerves and he'll bark at me, but I'll be barking right back, just not in the manner he's thinking I will. Most of the other Ladies are not married to a Vietnam Veteran and those men are a breed apart. I think that alone gives me an edge. I understand them much better, I think because I live with one and I deal fairly well with their mood swings and their anger. I don't take it personally. That's a hard thing to learn but I'm learning that lesson.

The Ladies have a meeting next Wednesday and I have a great deal of paperwork to complete by then. I have volunteered to write up two proposals for the general membership's vote. I also have volunteered to help with the newsletter and quite possibly end up doing the Ladies newsletter. As soon as they vote, and I'm sure it will go through, having done my homework, I'll also be the web designer and web mistress for their website.

There's going to be a lot of things happening in the next few months that I'll be in the thick of, BUT I should be able to balance it all with my rping and writing. This heat is just zapping me. By the time I can comfortably get to the computer, everyone has gone off, damn the time zone thing and people having to work and their time not being their own. *grin*

OTHER COMMENTS:

~My partner: Awww, come on, dad, it's just a puppy. *chuckle* Then again, the hamster is smaller. That would be a better compromise to the car and puppy. That is, if lady doesn't mind rodents *grin* Congrats on the lower blood pressure and hang in there, my brain clogs are turning and the Muse is sleepy but muttering.

~S.M: Woman, I can't tell you how much respect, admiration and love I have for you. I think your feet are on the right path for you and it took a great deal of courage to do what you have, the world will be yours, you just wait and see. It's just too bad we have to earn it first, eh?

~GQS: I sincerely hope you get to go to doctor's soon. I worry about you and you are always in my thoughts. Mega Hugs. Maybe I can squeeze it outta ya. *snicker*

~WESM: Hang in there. Having sanity while raising kids is NOT a necessity.

~ E: Bravo. Haunting and intriguing. Whatever Muse you've tapped, keep sucking.

~D: Where are you??? Use yer tongue to type if you have too. LOL.

~Cowboy: That little girl is precious. I can't believe she is one already.

~Lunacy: *grin* Maybe someone's trying to tell you something with their jeans.

~PoD: Computer or no... blog, dammit. Find a way.

~Em: It's been since March. There's cobwebs on yer blog, Woman and I bet of we poke around, we'd find a few spiders too!

As for me personally, things are well. I am content with the majority of things in my life. I just wish my get and go would hang around for a bit longer so I can get more done. I know it will once the cooler temps settle back in. I did manage to spend some time online tonight. I spent my time chasing spiders and wiping away cobwebs *grin*

Good Night and Sweet Dreams

Riddle Answer

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

A last name.

Speaking Of Wheels Turning

Lady Bless, I just don't know where to start. It's hot!!!! Yeah, I know, no chit, Sherlock. It is hot all over the country. We darn near had a rolling blackout the other day, but just barely hung on. Today is also going to be a scorcher. We have to be in town this afternoon, yikes!

The Grove has been hopping. FB's daughter, Shel, wants to live with her father and as I've mentioned before, I think, if you could read the the two page summation as to why, you'd shake your head. This young lady deserves to have a wonderful childhood and she's not likely to get it living with her mother. She also spoke with her mother the other day and told her that she wanted to live with FB. Oh boy, can we say, livid? Of course it is all FB's fault, don't ya know? He's turned her against her mother. It's pretty damn bad when the mother asks, " Do you want me to move back to Calif, get a house so we can live there?" And Shel says, " No Mom, you can stay there." After Shel dealt with her mother, my Daughter and FB asked her again if this is where she really wants to live and she said yes, that she was better off here. To top it all off, the mother's own father (who FB has had to fight in the past when it came to getting Shel, the same man with all the money) has offered to borrow the money to get FB a lawyer because there is simply no way FB can afford one and it's time he gets one so this thing can be put to bed once and for all.

The Ladies Aux. seems to have gotten embroiled in politics and not intentionally. There seems to be one certain member who thinks his word is law down there and if there is anything that needs doing or something can be done to make the facility look nicer, be nicer for the guys, and he doesn't like it? Oh man, does he let it be known. He has gone so far as to getting in the face of one of the Ladies and saying, "Don't tell me what to do. You women are trying to take over the Post." *snort* it's more like Mr. Butthead doesn't like the idea that the women are well received down there, doing things for the Post and SOMEONE has an ego problem. Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat. I hate politics. I've had to live in them every day for four years and I hate it. That doesn't mean I don't know how to deal, I just hate it. I got out of that fray and I rather not end up back in it, but I've learned a thing or two. Mr Butthead is not running roughshod over the Ladies or the Post. I just have to get some of the Ladies to figure it out so that we can do an end run around him, won't be easy, but it can be done. The man is an assesst to the the Post, without a doubt, but it seems like he has chosen that place as his own personal utopia and he's the sultan. *snort* This all means that I am going to end up breaking my own promise to myself and volunteer for the Jr. Vice slot. Geese. I hate how these things work. I swear, I can hear that Universal snicker.

Yesterday evening, I was hiding from the heat and the next thing I knew, I woke up and it was 9:45pm. I had slept for four hours. of course, that would explain why I was up until 5:00am this morning. When I finally went back to bed, the heat drove me out of it by 9:00am, which is a good thing as I have to go taxi around Daughter and babysit this afternoon. We'll not go into my list of stuff to do today which includes, drawing up proposals for the next Post meeting to present to the general membership (aka the guys).

Tomorrow Mr M and I are taking a well deserved break away from the Grove and having dinner out with some friends we haven't seen in a long time. We sure do miss them and they miss us. I am looking forward to the evening. Dinner is going to be a bit earlier than we all usually eat but there will be air conditioning. LOL. That will be enough to entice me out into a brief foray into the heat. Speaking of heat, wanna bet that my electric bill next month will topple the $500.00 mark, even with the careful conservation? We got people here with chronic illnesses and this heat is life threatening. It's pretty damn bad when you live on a fixed income and you end up having to put a big portion of it on your electric bill just to survive. What the hell is wrong with this picture, Mr Governor?

So, I'm still here. I read blogs when I get the chance. Oh yes, and I miss the rp, that's my fault for not being around but when it comes to staying cool and comfortable to sweating it out by being on the computer? Well, you know which one wins out. Oh, and someone throw me an ice cube for my Muse, will ya? I really do need him to wake the hell up, a frustrated, melting shroom is not a pretty picture, no, not at all.

True Or False

1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button.

3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years.

4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot.

5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart!

6. Only 7 per cent of the population are lefties.

7. Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.

8. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until they are 2-6 years old.

9. The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.

10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498.

11. The average housefly lives for one month.

12. 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.

13. A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.

14. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.

15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day

16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep.

17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water.

18. The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.

19. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and A Gentleman" and "Tootsie."

20. Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State anthem.

21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.

22. Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane, just in case there is a crash.

23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor.

24. Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery.

25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins.

26. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.


They're all true. Now, go back and think about #16.

(I just post 'em as I get 'em)

A Riddle For The Day

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a big one.
Michael J. Fox has a small one.
Madonna doesn't have one.
The Pope has one but doesn't use it.
Clinton uses his all the time.
Bush is one
Mickey Mouse has an unusual one.
Liberace never used his on women.
Jerry Seinfeld is very, very proud of his.
Cher claims that she took on 3.
We never saw Lucy use Desi's.
What is it?

(I'll post the answer tomorrow)

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her father's word processor. She told him she was writing a story.
"What's it about?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

*************

I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me, and always she was correct. But it was fun for me, so I continued.
At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself!"

**************

When my grandson, Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in.
Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

**************

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure."
"Look in your underwear, Grandma," he advised. "Mine says I'm four to six."

**************

"Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher.
The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant."
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him.
"Don't you know what 'pregnant' means?" she asked.
"Sure," said the boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."

**************

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster.
"No, said another, "he's just for good luck."
A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs", she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."

**************

Stuck On That Hill

*whew* what a day. I think the only quiet part was between 7:00am-8:00am, after that, it was a busy day. Daughter and the kids came over for the afternoon until FB pickied them up at 6:30 this evening.

From the looks of my calendar, the rest of the week is going to be booked up too and the weekend looks pretty busy as well. We have a young man, Sgt.Thomas B Turner, returning home from Iraq tomorrow night, sadly, he's coming home in a casket. We'll be going to airport to offer our support for the family. He's married and has a family. You can read more about him here.

Mr M is part of the Patriot Riders. They'll escort the casket to the funeral home and the young man's family requested he be buried in Cottonwood instead of the Veterans Cemetary and we'll be there for that on Sunday. He's being buried with full military honors, which means the active duty Honor Guard will do the honor of placing him to rest.

For my writing partner:

I'll try to be around sometime this week/weekend and I'm hoping to have another part to put up. Hang in there. I haven't deserted you, I promise. *smile*

Well What Do You Know

Our small community got mentioned in the big news *grin*

The Color Was Green

I was a bit green around the gills yesterday, hence my absence from role play and from blogging. I'm not sure if it was something I ate that disagreed with me or what, but I crawled into bed and stayed there, the diet 7-UP helped.

This morning the Grove was up early. Troll and Sprout went to pick up Topper and Pookie to take them fishing. I bet there's going to be a story there when they get back! Mr M had an early morning funeral up at the Veteran's Cemetary. Boy, am I glad it was an early one. The temps are suppose to register 108 by 5pm today. This morning at 7:45, it was already at 80 degrees. Our air quality isn't all that great today either.

So, for now, I am basking in the peace and quiet that currently is, but who knows how long that will last. Of course, I have multiple kittens scurrying about getting into things. My house is a disaster so it's the first thing on my agenda today and hopefully, some writing later and maybe some web design for the Ladies Auxiliary later. I also have some business cards to design as well. So all in all, I have enough things to keep me busy inside the house where it is a bit cooler and maybe, if I can fit it in later this evening, it's cookie baking time again. Maybe. The request is chocolate chip cookies, but we'll see how warm it gets.

I think I'll go enjoy another cup of coffe, get my outside watering done and then start in on my household chores for the day.

Have a good one and stay cool out there....

Locus of Control Test Results

Internal Locus (66%) Individual believes that their life is defined more by their decisions and internal drive. External Locus (34%) Individual believes that their life is defined more by genetics, environment, fate, or other external factors.

Take Free Locus of Control Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

In the 60s Psychologist Julian Rotter developed a theory called Locus of Control of Reinforcement. His theory centered around whether someone thinks their life is more influenced by external factors like fate, genetics, luck, environment (external locus of control) OR by internal factors like effort, tenacity, and free will (internal locus of control).

Your results suggest you tend to believe that internal factors like drive and free will define you more than external factors like genetics, fate, luck, and environment. Thus, you have an Internal Locus of Control

Catch Up

Wow! I've fallen behind. Let me blame it on my hectic life of late. For the Universe: This is not a complaint. Mr M has been kept busy by funerals and I've been down at the Post a lot taking care of business(TCB). I've dubbed some of us from the Ladies Auxiliary as the Movers and Shakers and believe me, honey, we've been movin' and shakin'. One of these days, mark my words, the Ladies are going to have a Tequila Night and then there really is going to be some dancing on the bar. LOL. No pictures allowed, it won't be pretty... fun but hardly pretty.

I have spent the day shamelessly napping and dreaming. I also made some M&M cookies for sale at the Post tomorrow. There's a lot of those guys who like baked goods and the proceeds will help the Ladies' coffer. One of the Ladies and myself have been dubbed "Double Trouble". Gee, I can't, for the life of me, figure out why. Hehehe. She and I are a lot alike so much so, it's eery.

Sprout is adjusting to his job. Bless his heart. He refuses to take some money from me for eating (he works a 7 hr shift). He says he'll tough it out until he gets his first pay check. He did take $20.00 from me for gas, but I know I'm getting that back when he gets his pay check.

Troll goes on another week of vacation starting Saturday. Lady grant me patience. Seriously, he's like my second best friend as well as my brother. That's kinda special and I thank the Lady for the blessing of having him in my life.

FB and Daughter continue to do okay. Their financial woes seem to be not as desperate as they once were now that FB got off his backside and got himself a job and the job actually agrees with him so maybe he'll keep it and still be able to go to school. That remains to be seen.

Shel has told her father she wants to live with them, so FB has to go see the Law Facilitator tomorrow on a walk in basis to see what he needs to do to get the ball rolling. He has to do all this himself since they can't afford an attorney. Any way you slice it, it isn't going to be pretty. Shel is a pawn her mother uses quite effectively. I could tell you stories about the woman that would make you want to slap her silly, but it's not worth my time to do so.

As for me, I am well. I think I'm better than I have been for a long time, in practically every aspect of my life. My blood pressure seems to have stabilized for the better since that last adjustment. My weight seems to want to continue to cling to me, but I just keep at it and don't quit. It's all about adjustments and it took a life time of habits to get me to the way I was and it'll take a lifetime to change it. Some days are more slow going than others but my diabetes has a way of slapping me and reminding me of something I need to stop doing. I don't like feeling icky. it beats wearing a shock collar. *grin*

I am working on a third part to my new storyline, "Homecoming" and I see my writing partner has just put up a new part. As per his usual fashion, he has me going, "what the heck is he up to now". You'd think I'd be use to it by now, but I never am. It surely keeps me on my toes, my mind reeling and my creativity flowing. The best thing I ever did was to have him for a writing partner all those years ago. We've stuck together through thick and thin and well worth it. We're slowly getting our feet planted back into the rp world. Slow and steady wins the race, although, in this case, that's just a saying. There is no race nor anything to prove, just two people who have come together with a mutual outlook and if others find their way into our fun, they are welcome, within reasonable guidelines of course.

Next week the temps in these neck of the woods are suppose to go back up into the triple digits. ugh. There was a fire nearby, but they managed to contain it before it even came close to becoming a threat to The Grove. I'm sure as the temps rise, so will the threats. I can't believe there are still so many stupid people out there who flick their cigarette ash out of an open car window or do their mowing during the hottest part of the day, when their lawnmowers can hit a rock and spark a fire. Stupidity pure and simple.

Stay Cool Out There....

Whew

I don't really have a lot of time this evening to catch up on the Grove happenings since my last post. I do have time to post a little something though.

Things are good. Mr M went to the doctor today and the cancer is still in remission (yea)His liver enzymes spiked just a little. There's nothing to worry about but doc wants to rule out his cholesterol medication. So Mr M has to eliminate certain things from his diet for a month.

I've been busy the last couple of days so my online time has been just not there. I'm hoping to rectify that starting tomorrow. I did get the new story up and running and I see my writing partner also started his new story as well. I think we're both finally wanting to get back into the groove. We've both been just so busy with our personal lives of late that our creativity has had to take a back seat.

Sprout starts his new job tomorrow so I guess he made a good impression on the owner. He's working all week except Saturday. He's so stoked about it too. This is actually the first job he got on his own. All his other jobs a friend reccomended him or helped him get it. He's also looking into college classes in the fall.

More later!

The Life and Times of a Busy Shroom

Oh my aching bod. I woke up this morning wondering if I'd even be able to roll out of bed. Let's just say I've used muscles this weekend that I haven't used in a long time.

The Ladies Aux. Yard and Bake sale went over pretty darn good. It seems my cohort in crime and I did the most baking. I think one other lady baked a cake. Guess we're gonna have to get in there and fire up the ladies and get 'em involved, in one way or another. My CIC (cohort in crime) and I need to do some evals and see where everyone's talents lie. Having worked in management, I'm pretty sure I can still function that way. *grin* It's been a long time though. Last night after we went home she called me and we talked about forthcoming projects for the Post. Mr M wasn't kidding when he told one of the guys we needed to look out now that the Ladies have added me to their ranks. Oh yeah, we're going to be 'puttering' around that Post and whip it into some sort of shape. My CIC isn't the most subtle person around or stealthy either (she lost her husband about 10 months ago) but Lady Bless, I love her. She is so much like me, only an older version. Her cancer has also raised its ugly head again, but it's not slowing her down. I may just have to invest in duct tape.

Today, which should have been my day of relaxing, is not going to be that. Daughter and I are leaving to get our nails done, back here to get Mr M in gear and then it's down to the Post to help pack up all that stuff from the garage sale so we can get it donated.

Tomorrow is ear-marked for getting my house in order for Tuesday gathering. Wednesday is Sacramento and Ladies meetings. MAYBE by Thursday I can sit down at this old computer and knock out my new story for Camelot, Talisman and Stephan or begin it at least so my partner can have something to kick start his imagination.

Well, time for me to get busy....again

Saturday Maddness

I was up late baking for the continued saga of the VFW's Ladies Auxiliary's bake sale. We had a great turnout yesterday and I believe we made something like $300.00 plus. The early birds were there but we managed to muddle through. I am one body packed with achiness, but it's a good kind, you know? All the Ladies worked hard but we also had a great time doing it. I'm leaving Mr M at home today. Yesterday he had funerals and there's really nothing he can do down there for me/us. He needs the reprieve at any rate. Today is another long day, 8:30am-4:00pm and hopefully, someone here will take pity on me and start dinner before I get home.

This coming week is going to start off with a bang but it should mellow out sometime around mid-week. I am hoping by then to catch up with not only my housework and office work, but get some much needed rest from the holiday and everything else. Tomorrow is my usual e very-two-week ritual with Daughter (getting our nails done), a brief stop at the Post to see how the Ladies are doing, check to see what day they are going to pack up everything so I can be there for that and then home! So much for my relaxing, leisurely day.

Monday it's funerals and quite possibly packing up everything leftover from the yard sale. Tuesday is the family gathering for the 4th of July. Wednesday is a quick trip to Sacramento for Mr M and if I'm back in time, my meeting with the Ladies Auxiliary to formally get me into the group.

So as you can see, busy, busy, busy. It will slow down......right?

Normal? Moi? Define, Normal.

You Are 55% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?