I'm A Patsy - Gotta Problem With That?

Wednesday, June 29, 2011




Cindy and April visit


Last Sunday Cindy and April came to visit and spend the night. Cindy's Brownie Morrison store isn't open on Mondays. Cindy is my daughter and April is her bull mastiff just so you won't get confused which would be easy to do. April is not a little dog, and it takes a lot of preparation before she arrives. I take off my comforter from my bed as April sleeps with Cindy there. Last time they were here April left a tiny bit of left-over poop smear on the comforter and it's hard washing a comforter. I told Teri about that and she almost threw up! Then I put on a couple of thin blankets and a sheet over them. I also put a sheet over my couch where I sleep because I don't want her drooling on my bed. We have several towels out to wipe her drool which she does after she drinks water. I also do that from time to time. I was all ready for her when they arrived. Cindy came in all smiles, and April sort of slipped in behind her. I had to stand out of the way because April doesn't make up to tall people - I'm 5'3. When I sat down on the couch(my bed) she came right up to me and put her head on my knee while I scratched behind her ears and played with the hair on her head. She loves that and didn't want me to stop. All the time I was thinking how much I love having someone play with my hair. Why can't that happen?


Cindy went to the store and bought a beautiful steak and two of those potatoes filled with cooked potato and cheese, chives, etc. Cindy has a bad back - I mean a really bad back - and needs an operation ASAP. So I insisted on cooking the dinner. I decided to broil the steak. I rarely broil and I rarely have steak. So I did it but cooked the steak too long and it wasn't rare enough. We like our meat just barely warm. So that was a big bust. And the potatoes didn't taste that good. Cindy ate hardly anything and I didn't do much better. We went to bed early - all three of us. Cindy left early in the morning as Monday is the only day she has away from the store to get things done.


After they left, I felt like I had been a crappy mother. I couldn't make her feel better because she was in pain from her back, and my cooking left a lot to be desired. I want my kids to always be happy and feel good - never to have anything wrong in their lives. I used to hear people say they could hardly wait until their kids were out of the house and on their own. Well, those days haven't happened yet for me. They

are never out of my mind.

Saturday, June 25, 2011




Treadmills for Shrimp???


There has been an interesting ad on television lately from the AARP. I'm all for that organization but I didn't really start watching until I heard them mention "treadmills for shrimp!" Apparently that is one of the many, many earmarks that will be on - or already is on - one of the big bills that congress passed for one of the states. I don't think there is ever a bill passed that doesn't have many earmarks dangling off of it. That has to be done to appease the state for passing the bill. I mean the state won't pass the bill unless they get their little goodies in return. This could mean cuts in medicare and social security will be necessary to pay for these earmarks. But the states don't really care as long as they get what they want. It seems like a sort of extortion to me.


In past years, I have read the lists of earmarks and it's really hilarious or sad - it depends on how you look at it. They are pretty funny and seemingly useless, but also sad in that we have to conduct government business that way. What is happening to our country? We are fighting wars in the middle east where they don't really want us. This all started when we went to Iraq and from there it escalated to the present. This country is in sad shape right now and our young men are dying overseas . . . for what? But the government keeps on the same way and we'll keep seeing more of these funny earmarks even though they said they would stop. I didn't believe them then and certainly don't now. Why can't our government work efficiently and get things done in a timely manner. They seem to spend all of their time getting ready for the next elections, forgetting about what should be happening now.


As long as they're continuing with the earmarks, why couldn't they have an earmark for Pole Vaulting for Frogs. That sounds better than the one for shrimps. And I love frogs - shrimps are slimy, slippery little seafood things that should be left under water and never seen by humans.

Friday, June 17, 2011


Surprise Gift!!

This picture has nothing to do with this blog – I just like it. It’s of my mom, Cindy and Teri. Cindy had just been crowned that day as May Fete Princess of her high school, Teri had been crowned May Fete Princess the year before and my mother was a princess of everything!

The other day Teri called and said she and Mark were sending me a new computer! I was flossing my teeth at the time, and the phone startled me so much I almost pulled a tooth out! When I gained control, I said the usual things like, “You shouldn’t have,” “You shouldn’t do so much,” and on and on. Then I finally thanked them. I was so surprised I didn’t know what to do. Mark also arranged for someone to come out next week and set it up for me. My computer is getting old and does goofy things. Or maybe it is I that does the goofy things! I was cleaning out my file cabinet and found a booklet of instructions for my old computer that I had never even opened. Maybe that accounts for some of the trouble I had with it.

My new one arrived yesterday and is sitting here in my computer room in the box. I’ll let the guys who know what they’re doing open the box. I tried to get the delivery guy take it apart and set it up, but he got out of here pretty fast. I couldn’t get to sleep that night even with help from medication. It was probably after 3am when I finally fell asleep and was 5:30am when I woke up. My phone just now rang and it was Cindy calling from her Brownie Morrison store. She was all bent out of shape because she saw on my Facebook that I was now friends with Katy Perry! I got a notice about it but can’t find anything on my Facebook. I can never find anything on Facebook. I don’t know how that happened and I apologized to Cindy! She’s still pissed. I don’t know why I can’t find things that other people can on their Facebooks. Maybe I’m stupid – if that is the case, how will I ever learn how to use a new computer? This may be my last blog. I guess I won’t lose the old ones as they are just floating out there in space someplace . . . or at least that’s what I think. Wish me luck.

Tuesday, June 07, 2011


“Exam Dream never loses edge”

In “The Oregonian” the other day there was a good article written by Bill Graves. It’s about students who dream they’re going to a test and realize they’re late or maybe have never studied for the test. Also, they possibly had never registered for the class and knew nothing about it. Some find out they’re naked and panic! All sorts of dreams like that can happen and they are awful to live through them. You’re so happy when you finally wake up. I’ve had many of them and they’re usually about my music. I studied music for years and my dreams were not pleasant! I wanted to post a picture of me as I was studying for a test, but couldn’t find any. Maybe I never studied. I did find this one of Cindy, studying the National Geographic magazine. I hope it helped with her test on native dress and customs. I’ll have to ask her if she has had crazy dreams.

Sometimes I would dream I was on my way to my organ lesson – I was young and innocent then and wanted to learn all I could -- but realized I hadn’t practiced once on my instructor’s organ. I didn’t even know who my instructor was, not that it really mattered. I was terrified in those dreams and never remember how they ended. But I did learn a little about the organ as time went on. Other times I was walking down the path to my piano lesson and couldn’t remember where it was. I don’t know if I ever found it. I’m surprised I graduated from college with decent grades.

But my worst dream of all was losing my purse. In one dream I was in New York City at a flea market and looking over all the tables where I had been. I couldn’t find my purse anyplace and just kept shuffling all the stuff on the tables around to see if it was under something. I think in that dream I realized it was a dream, but I couldn’t get out of it. I was frantic! Finally I woke up. I was so relieved I grabbed my purse and put it into bed with me. But that dream has never stopped. I have one about every six months. Those dreams leave me with a horrible feeling. A woman carries her whole life in her purse almost, and the thought of losing it makes you feel like jumping in front of a bus. Probably a stationary bus would be the best idea because then you would still have more time to look for your purse.

This article ended by warning college seniors who think they will be seeing their last finals next week . . . dream on.