First I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those who have been victims of the horrible outbreak of tornadoes.This past week has seen a record number of them. My heart goes out to all of those whose lives have forever been changed because of the devastation.
Here in Iowa, the weather has finally taken a turn for the better. Today is actually the second day in a row now that we have seen sunshine. I hope we start on a drying trend. It's supposed to get into the mid 60s, low 70s today.
The light at the end of the tunnel is finally showing itself concerning my dental work. If all goes well, next Thursday will be my last appointment for the initial work. After I will just have to go in for checkups. I could kick myself in the butt for not calling and setting up an appointment before March. I would be done by now, but at least it's getting done, that's the important thing.
After a minor setback last week, I'm back on par as far as the weight loss goes. The important thing is that when I went over my points, I still recorded it, I didn't hide from it like I would have before. And even after the slight gain, a pound, I bought a pair of pants last week to go with a top I found that are a size smaller than I thought I wore. That always makes me feel good. I do need to see if they're too long for the cute ballet shoes I bought to wear with them. If so, I'll wear a pair of heels I have. I need to also pull out the summer clothes I bought the last time I weighed this much to see if they fit, so I have something to wear when we go back to Pittsburgh for my niece's wedding. I need to do some closet cleaning anyway.
Speaking of heels, I had a pair on my watch list on eBay last week and by the time I got back to them, it was too late, the listing had expired, but no one bought them either. Well two days ago, they were relisted, so I snatched those puppies up. I later looked the brand up on line and they normally go for $69.99 in department stores like Macys. I got them for $19.99. They are the kind I originally wanted too. I love bargains! I also found a cute short sweater that will go with both dresses I bought.
Since Kenneth and Elicia couldn't make it up last week because Kenneth didn't feel well, they're planning on coming up this weekend. I need to find out which day they're coming. I told him that I would make meatloaf since he likes my meatloaf. I haven't seen the kid since Thanksgiving, so I miss him. It'll be good to see him.
While we're in Pittsburgh, Dave and I are having dinner with an old classmate of mine from high school and his wife. I've met his wife before when she came out here on government business, she works FEMA, but I haven't seen him since high school. I've seen pictures, but that's it. But that's all he's seen of me too, so it should be fun. He also works for the government.
Not much more to ramble about for now, so I'll be off to do what I said I wanted to do. Talk at ya all later. Have a great day.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I'm Proud to Say, "I'm from Pittsburgh."
I just got finished reading an article from a man who went back home to Pittsburgh for his father's funeral and while there, visited his childhood home. He also talked of his brother and the people he met that were from there. It's funny how many people I, myself have met who were from there. One thing we all have in common, we're proud to say that we're from "the Burgh."
I'm lucky, I get to visit my childhood home as often as I want since my oldest sister and her husband live there. Their children also grew up there. Even with the addition they added, it still isn't a very big house, it makes me wonder how all of us managed to fit in it. Back then it had only two bedrooms and one bath. It's actually an old company house, houses built for the coal miners and their families to live in while they mined the coal in the area. I'm sure, aside from our family, that house has a lot of stories to tell, you know, if walls could talk? My mom and dad bought the house from my grandmother for $1.00.
My grandmother used to live in one of the biggest houses in our town south of Pittsburgh. She ran a boarding house out of it to make ends meet. My grandfather, before they divorced and he remarried and moved to Florida, was the Constable. I never met him. He was long gone before I came into the picture. However, my oldest sister did when she and my dad went to Florida one year. Unfortunately he passed away while they were there.
I took several pictures of my grandmother's house the last time I went back home. There's another family living in it now and it's still the grandest house on that street. I've thought of stopping by and knocking on the door and telling the people who I am, maybe they'll invite me in to look around like the owner of the author's childhood home did. That would be such a treat, to see how the house has changed since I was last in it as a child. I had fun at that house. I still remember my grandmother's parlor, the typical Victorian parlor. Maybe that's the reason I have a love for Victorians and other homes of that era.
My grandmother used to speak her native Polish at times and I now wish I would have asked her to teach it to me. I know a phrase or two, but that's it. I also wish I would have asked her about her life before she came to America. I'll never get that chance now and it saddens me.
Unfortunately I never knew my mother's side of the family, except her brother and his wife and family. I only saw them once, when my siblings and I went to stay with them. They seemed nice. The rest of my mom's family, she was estranged from, for what reason, I never found out and didn't ask. I did find the names of siblings she had that we never knew about when I was doing a genealogy search. My sister asked her about them. She had a tough life growing up. Her father moved back to Italy, I think to fight in WWI and her mother died when she was four and she was raised by an older sister and her husband. She also quit school in the 10th grade to go to work.
My father passed away when I was 20 at the age of 55. I'll be that on my next birthday in another week. It's kind of scary thinking about it, but his mom lived to be 95 and my mom is still alive at almost 84, so I'm not too worried. Plus both of my sisters made it past that age, so the odds are in my favor. One thing he did teach me before he died though was to be proud of where I came from and I'm proud to be from Pittsburgh.
I'm lucky, I get to visit my childhood home as often as I want since my oldest sister and her husband live there. Their children also grew up there. Even with the addition they added, it still isn't a very big house, it makes me wonder how all of us managed to fit in it. Back then it had only two bedrooms and one bath. It's actually an old company house, houses built for the coal miners and their families to live in while they mined the coal in the area. I'm sure, aside from our family, that house has a lot of stories to tell, you know, if walls could talk? My mom and dad bought the house from my grandmother for $1.00.
My grandmother used to live in one of the biggest houses in our town south of Pittsburgh. She ran a boarding house out of it to make ends meet. My grandfather, before they divorced and he remarried and moved to Florida, was the Constable. I never met him. He was long gone before I came into the picture. However, my oldest sister did when she and my dad went to Florida one year. Unfortunately he passed away while they were there.
I took several pictures of my grandmother's house the last time I went back home. There's another family living in it now and it's still the grandest house on that street. I've thought of stopping by and knocking on the door and telling the people who I am, maybe they'll invite me in to look around like the owner of the author's childhood home did. That would be such a treat, to see how the house has changed since I was last in it as a child. I had fun at that house. I still remember my grandmother's parlor, the typical Victorian parlor. Maybe that's the reason I have a love for Victorians and other homes of that era.
My grandmother used to speak her native Polish at times and I now wish I would have asked her to teach it to me. I know a phrase or two, but that's it. I also wish I would have asked her about her life before she came to America. I'll never get that chance now and it saddens me.
Unfortunately I never knew my mother's side of the family, except her brother and his wife and family. I only saw them once, when my siblings and I went to stay with them. They seemed nice. The rest of my mom's family, she was estranged from, for what reason, I never found out and didn't ask. I did find the names of siblings she had that we never knew about when I was doing a genealogy search. My sister asked her about them. She had a tough life growing up. Her father moved back to Italy, I think to fight in WWI and her mother died when she was four and she was raised by an older sister and her husband. She also quit school in the 10th grade to go to work.
My father passed away when I was 20 at the age of 55. I'll be that on my next birthday in another week. It's kind of scary thinking about it, but his mom lived to be 95 and my mom is still alive at almost 84, so I'm not too worried. Plus both of my sisters made it past that age, so the odds are in my favor. One thing he did teach me before he died though was to be proud of where I came from and I'm proud to be from Pittsburgh.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Don't Mind Me, It's One of Those Days and I'm Grumpy
Two things have made me that way; one of course is the weather, yep, we're still getting rain, eight days in a row now. The second, stupid drivers.
Yep, they're back, or rather they probably never left or have been replaced by others, I don't know. I had to go up to Des Moines today to exchange something, plus for a dentist appointment. Those at least will be coming to an end for awhile soon. Going up wasn't bad, in fact there was hardly any traffic, but on the way back home was a whole different story.
Anyway, the drivers, man were they getting on my nerves. Every time I tried to pass someone without going over the speed limit, they would speed up. Then when I got back behind them, they would slow down again. I was finally able to get away from them for one reason or another.
Then there was the one at the construction going on after I slowed down to the posted 55. Some jerk from out of state didn't like that he had to slow down, I won't tell you which state, but it's one east of here. Anyway, it was one lane, traffic had slowed down because of the construction and this jerk comes barreling up behind me, like I should get out of his way because he was important and in a hurry. So what! I just looked at him in my rear view mirror, shook my head and said, "I don't know why you're going like a bat out of hell, you're not going anywhere." Of course he couldn't hear me, but it made me feel better when I said it, just like when I screamed at the others who would speed up and slow down and call them "stupid." They were being just that, so they deserved being yelled at.
Even Dave said that they were being stupid on his way home, doing the same thing. I mean, the price of gas is almost at $4.00 a gallon and theses people are driving like it's still a buck. Shucks, even the truckers are slowing down, take the hint people! Not you guys, the stupid drivers out there.
Yep, they're back, or rather they probably never left or have been replaced by others, I don't know. I had to go up to Des Moines today to exchange something, plus for a dentist appointment. Those at least will be coming to an end for awhile soon. Going up wasn't bad, in fact there was hardly any traffic, but on the way back home was a whole different story.
Anyway, the drivers, man were they getting on my nerves. Every time I tried to pass someone without going over the speed limit, they would speed up. Then when I got back behind them, they would slow down again. I was finally able to get away from them for one reason or another.
Then there was the one at the construction going on after I slowed down to the posted 55. Some jerk from out of state didn't like that he had to slow down, I won't tell you which state, but it's one east of here. Anyway, it was one lane, traffic had slowed down because of the construction and this jerk comes barreling up behind me, like I should get out of his way because he was important and in a hurry. So what! I just looked at him in my rear view mirror, shook my head and said, "I don't know why you're going like a bat out of hell, you're not going anywhere." Of course he couldn't hear me, but it made me feel better when I said it, just like when I screamed at the others who would speed up and slow down and call them "stupid." They were being just that, so they deserved being yelled at.
Even Dave said that they were being stupid on his way home, doing the same thing. I mean, the price of gas is almost at $4.00 a gallon and theses people are driving like it's still a buck. Shucks, even the truckers are slowing down, take the hint people! Not you guys, the stupid drivers out there.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Rain, Rain, Go Away
I am so tired of cold, rainy weather. Rain is forecast for every day this week and it was for every other day last week. Just when we think we're going to get a break and start getting nice warm, dry weather, it rains again. It was really pouring when I woke up this morning. Even the dogs don't like it. Whenever Max sees that it's raining out, he'll turn around and come right back in again. The others will tolerate it for a little bit, but not long.
We had a spring like this a few years ago, back then levies broke and we had flooding. Dave and I made a trip back east then too. We've already made reservations for our trip this time. Then we had to take a detour home because a levy broke on the Illinois side of the Mississippi flooding the 34. I'm praying that we don't get that again this year. I'm also itching to get out there and start planting, but I can't as long as the weather is like this. I also need to clean my van out. I don't want my sister complaining that I never clean it out, which I do, just not as much as she does her Jeep. Oh well, it will get cleaned. At least I washed it, even though it's dirty again. That's what happens when you live on gravel roads, you really can't expect it to stay clean for very long.
So far this month, we've had tornadoes that did damage, snow, and lots of rain. I'm ready for it to end. I know we need the rain, but not this much. I'm hoping that the rest of spring and summer bring nice, dry weather with just enough rain for the crops thrown in.
We had a spring like this a few years ago, back then levies broke and we had flooding. Dave and I made a trip back east then too. We've already made reservations for our trip this time. Then we had to take a detour home because a levy broke on the Illinois side of the Mississippi flooding the 34. I'm praying that we don't get that again this year. I'm also itching to get out there and start planting, but I can't as long as the weather is like this. I also need to clean my van out. I don't want my sister complaining that I never clean it out, which I do, just not as much as she does her Jeep. Oh well, it will get cleaned. At least I washed it, even though it's dirty again. That's what happens when you live on gravel roads, you really can't expect it to stay clean for very long.
So far this month, we've had tornadoes that did damage, snow, and lots of rain. I'm ready for it to end. I know we need the rain, but not this much. I'm hoping that the rest of spring and summer bring nice, dry weather with just enough rain for the crops thrown in.
Monday, April 11, 2011
It's That Time Of Year Again, Oh Yippee
Tick season, yep that time of year again. I found one on myself last night when I was in bed, probably from Angel, so I pulled out the Frontline Plus this morning to treat the pups. I always try to make sure that I have a least one dose for each each spring so that I can hit them up with it at the first sign of the little blood sucking parasites.
Of what benefit are ticks and fleas too for that matter anyway? I mean, even spiders and snakes have a positive impact in the world even though a lot of people don't like them, including me. What positive thing do ticks and fleas do, nothing that I can think of.
Since the cats stay out of the dogs' way and don't go outside, they aren't bothered by ticks and fleas. Thank goodness because Frontline Plus isn't cheap, especially the six pack which is what I usually buy for Jake, Rolli, and Max since they'll all within the same weight limit.
I have a supply of plastic gloves I use just for this purpose. They're those latex kind that doctors wear. Thank goodness I'm not allergic to latex since the responsibility to do this falls on me. It's like that with any medication they have to take and when we had Velcro, his insulin shots were my responsibility. I hated having to give those to him. I hope none of these guys ever become diabetic.
Dave's responsibility are the ponies and any medication they need and any hoof care they require. I can clean their hooves, but not trim them, so that falls on Dave. That's fine by me. they're a lot bigger than the dogs and can be just as stubborn, especially Spots.
Well, this isn't going to get done without me, so I best quit procrastinating, I'm good at that, and get it done. In a few weeks I'll give them a bath. That should be a real fun time. I look so forward to getting soaked from head to toe and smelling like a wet dog, yeah right!
Of what benefit are ticks and fleas too for that matter anyway? I mean, even spiders and snakes have a positive impact in the world even though a lot of people don't like them, including me. What positive thing do ticks and fleas do, nothing that I can think of.
Since the cats stay out of the dogs' way and don't go outside, they aren't bothered by ticks and fleas. Thank goodness because Frontline Plus isn't cheap, especially the six pack which is what I usually buy for Jake, Rolli, and Max since they'll all within the same weight limit.
I have a supply of plastic gloves I use just for this purpose. They're those latex kind that doctors wear. Thank goodness I'm not allergic to latex since the responsibility to do this falls on me. It's like that with any medication they have to take and when we had Velcro, his insulin shots were my responsibility. I hated having to give those to him. I hope none of these guys ever become diabetic.
Dave's responsibility are the ponies and any medication they need and any hoof care they require. I can clean their hooves, but not trim them, so that falls on Dave. That's fine by me. they're a lot bigger than the dogs and can be just as stubborn, especially Spots.
Well, this isn't going to get done without me, so I best quit procrastinating, I'm good at that, and get it done. In a few weeks I'll give them a bath. That should be a real fun time. I look so forward to getting soaked from head to toe and smelling like a wet dog, yeah right!
Friday, April 8, 2011
I've Gone Android
I feel like I've finally caught up with everybody else, but now I can't sit there and tell Kenneth that he didn't need the things he got either. I've become as bad as him. But lets face it, I was jealous of all the things everyone else was able to do with their phones that I wasn't, I wanted in on it too.
So...I got a new cell phone, again. I know, I just got one in January and I wish now that I would have done then what I did a week ago. I upgraded my plan to a nationwide plan rather than a prepaid one. I also upgraded my phone to an android because it came free (with an $80 mail in rebate) with the plan I chose. This way, I won't have to put extra money in my prepaid plan to make sure that I'm covered on roaming when Dave and I go back east at the end of May for our niece's wedding, plus I get all the bells and whistles of having an android phone. I'm already hooked on it. I gotta keep telling myself to leave it in my purse, that I already have everything on it that I need, including apps for Weight Watchers.
One negative comment about it though, the battery life, it stinks. I don't know if that's true for all android phones, but I've had to recharge the one I have three times already and I've only had it for a week. Okay, I have to admit, I was goofing around with it quite a lot when I first got it, checking out what apps were available and seeing if I could post pictures to Facebook, I found out that Facebook has a free app for androids that lets you do just that. Actually it's a link, but it puts a Facebook app on your phone. It's pretty cool. There are other really cool apps too. A lot of them are free. I even found one for free ringtones and wallpaper for the phone. I wish I had seen that one before I bought a couple ringtones for it at 2.99 each. I'm not doing that anymore.
The real test will come when we go back east, to see if it drops any calls or stuff like that. I'm thinking that the dropped calls people have complained about were because they went into an area not covered by the company. It doesn't look like we should have that problem by looking at their coverage map, at least I hope not. All I know is that I'm having the charger close by in the car so that I can recharge it when needed. I'm taking the plug in one too.
So...I got a new cell phone, again. I know, I just got one in January and I wish now that I would have done then what I did a week ago. I upgraded my plan to a nationwide plan rather than a prepaid one. I also upgraded my phone to an android because it came free (with an $80 mail in rebate) with the plan I chose. This way, I won't have to put extra money in my prepaid plan to make sure that I'm covered on roaming when Dave and I go back east at the end of May for our niece's wedding, plus I get all the bells and whistles of having an android phone. I'm already hooked on it. I gotta keep telling myself to leave it in my purse, that I already have everything on it that I need, including apps for Weight Watchers.
One negative comment about it though, the battery life, it stinks. I don't know if that's true for all android phones, but I've had to recharge the one I have three times already and I've only had it for a week. Okay, I have to admit, I was goofing around with it quite a lot when I first got it, checking out what apps were available and seeing if I could post pictures to Facebook, I found out that Facebook has a free app for androids that lets you do just that. Actually it's a link, but it puts a Facebook app on your phone. It's pretty cool. There are other really cool apps too. A lot of them are free. I even found one for free ringtones and wallpaper for the phone. I wish I had seen that one before I bought a couple ringtones for it at 2.99 each. I'm not doing that anymore.
The real test will come when we go back east, to see if it drops any calls or stuff like that. I'm thinking that the dropped calls people have complained about were because they went into an area not covered by the company. It doesn't look like we should have that problem by looking at their coverage map, at least I hope not. All I know is that I'm having the charger close by in the car so that I can recharge it when needed. I'm taking the plug in one too.
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