flash flood watch

My house sits high on top of a hill which is great during floods except there's only one way out and it normally gets covered with heavy rains.  It all drains downhill and ends up standing at the end of the lane.  If we get the amount of rain predicted I'll probably have to drive through standing water to get to work and may not be able to get home.  But hey...I'm not a gonna whine.  I'm not perched on some rooftop waiting for rescue or sitting in a flooded shelter.  The Camry rides low to the ground if you know what I mean.  My lug nuts are rusty from all the going to and fro through said flood water.  Thanks Harvey.  You have gotten our attention.

Which brings me around to Joel O'Steen.  Nobody from the city of Houston "asked him" to use the 16K seat church as a haven so it didn't dawn on him to offer it up like Jesus would do.  Now today, he throws out the theory that social media whipped everybody up into a frenzy about that oversight by the flock.   Nobody to staff it, he said.  No supplies, he said.  There's probably enough coffee and doughnuts in that place to feed the entire state of Texas.  I am disappointed, but not at all surprised.  It's how the Elmer Gantry types roll. As for Cruz, he's an outright liar and as much as I despise Christie, I'm proud that he called him out.  

If you have a truck and get a call from Samaria Bend Road tomorrow, that means I need a ride through the water.  Holla.

^j^

make mine a double

I started the day at the chicken store for a biscuit and ran into Bone who was chattering up a storm about Sam being sick.  He asked if I ever hear from Claudia which I do on occasion.  Everybody's just so damn busy!  He used to play golf with Lynn and they went to UT games.  Love all of 'em.  He was also a regular at the kudzu bar back when I hung there.  

I keep imagining what it would be like to be in South Texas right now.  It will be a month before the waters recede and I know this because I'm a river dweller.  The roadways are being damaged as they sit in the flood and won't be safe.  There is a very low body count so far but that's because the water's too high to find what happened first.  I noticed a piece on Huffpost today about the TX legislators who voted overwhelmingly against a funding package following Sandy.  I could be snarky but my opinion is to give Texans what they need and remember how those Republicans treated the people of New York and New Jersey.  Ted Cruz my ass.  Jesus doesn't like that kind of stuff and if you think about it all these natural disasters may be Big Ernie's way of letting us know that he ain't a bit happy.  "Play nice" he says.  "Meet your friend in the middle." "Do the next right thing."

My friend Cathy brought me a walker and a quilt that Mamye made for her grandson 13 years ago.  I think that's a pretty cool thing for it to be passed onto Reaves.  We are at T minus one month give or take a week with daily doctor visits.  Lauren is focused on her well being and prepared to be a good mother.  I'm so sure I'll cry like that baby when I experience the three of us together.  Family.

I donated my birthday to the humane society on FB so y'all run on over and donate because furbabies don't deserve to be euthanized if at all possible.  The volunteers who keep that shelter alive along with a very competent staff do a great honor to the names Betty Parker and Tommy Lipford.  Hey....they got Larry a home!!

I hug more these days.  I bet I've had five today.  They are people that I genuinely love and treasure as friends and co-workers.  

Love the one you're with.

pain + gain

When I first started therapy on my shoulder Fred told me specifically that the goal was to do the exercise just to the point where the pain began.  If it hurts, don't do it.  He gave me a test today which I failed miserably because I couldn't remember what all of them are.  I do what I remember but the old mind doesn't retain everything anymore.  There was a new one today involving a swooping upward movement that is a good stretch but a bitch on the way down.  That one I will remember.  I chilled with the therapy department listening to the chatter between the OT and another lady share stories about a social worker named Boss.  

My phone was blowing up and one of the messages was from my friend Chucky.  I knew he was in LA with Monica's family and checked to see if they were leaving.  They're headed to FL while Daddy stays behind to help friends and family for a day or two.  Then he will join them.  Harvey does.not.play.

Everybody's all being armchair quarterback on how that many people got stuck in the water.  The number one reason is that it would have been mayhem evacuating 4 million people in a day.  After all that eclipse traffic we sure don't needs millions hitting the highway in Texas.  IN the rain.

Water and food are priorities during a search and rescue mission.  So are volunteers.  What I see happening is a coming together of kindred souls trying to help each other out with no regard to race, creed, sexual orientation or political party.  And no Trump....you can't take credit for that.  It's what we survivors do in spite of your hideous so called leadership.

The sawmill was decent for a Monday and now I'm not listening to the white noise of constantly running centrifuges.  I met the family of a co-worker which was delightful.  They never knew what she really does until today!!

Y'all be kind and gentle.  In the end, that's what matters.

hear them roar

The cicadas are so loud I can hear them inside the house.  Such is the death call of summer.  I saw my first wooly worm this morning and it was brown on both sides with a black streak down the middle.  I'm not up on forecasting by worm so I'm not sure what that means.  Yesterday I found a FROG in the toilet.  All kinds of strange signs.  

Another death....a brother and husband to my friends.  His wife and I met up a couple of weeks ago at the dog show downtown.  Then the next day I saw both of them at Kroger.  In the blink of an eye, y'all.  

I'm not into fights so I don't care who won.  I do, however care that Texas is about to float off into the gulf while Trump tweets that all is well.  Tell that to the folks in Houston in person dude. Global warming is real.  

It's kind of funny that I got more comments on the Wallyworld road rage post than any I've ever put out there.  Some topics are just universal!  I won't be back there for another five years but I got my quilt by golly.  If it weren't for Kroger, I'd never go down 78 at all.  Meanwhile there is still no grocery store in South Dyersburg. I seriouosly don't get it.  Somebody could make a million out here with an alternative to the gentral.   

I got a thank you letter in the mail from the judge for serving o jury duty but still haven't got my 20 bucks yet.  As far as I know the Camry thief is still incarcerated.  It's still a joke that my old rat trap of a car was chosen to be stolen from a sea of luxury vehicles owned by doctors.  If I were going to jail for car theft I'd dream big.

Over and out from the lane ^j^ 

road rage

I absolutely despise WalMart and haven't been there in years.  However, the gentral' doesn't have quilts and I needed one so here I go to wallyhell.  It's bad enough under normal circumstances but damn near impossible with Mall Blvd under construction.  The only entrance from there is behind the auto center which I didn't realize until I passed it and found the others blocked.  Plan B:  Proceed to Lake Rd and take a left to the front entrance.  All went well until I was trying to pull out and turn left to go to McDonald's .  I waited and waited and there was some asshat in a pickup pulling an RV waiting to turn left into WalMart.  There was also a car behind me waiting to turn left.  Already frustrated, I hear dude in the truck yelling "what the f**k are you people doing.....turn right!  Which I did and as I passed him said "have a nice day buddy" as loud as I could.  Back down Mall Blvd and no McDonalds.  This is why I don't go there unless I have to.  People of Dyersburg certainly understand what a cluster it is out that way right now.  Do I hear an amen?

Prior to getting cussed out, I stopped by the pharmacy to pick up something at the window and spotted customer appreciation day going on.  I missed out on the shirts but did manage to get a big hug from Ms Barbara who was holding court at the hot dog grilling.  She was the 5th grade teacher who actually cried when I told her me and Lauren's dad were getting a divorce.  She's a very special lady to me and my co-workers.

Back in my little haven I have no plans to leave again.  Just me and the critters which include tomato worms munching on the plants.  At this point, I don't even care.  I've yet to have one ripen because I pick them green and fry 'em up.  

Ya'll have a blessed weekend.  Remember to turn around and don't drown.  

^j^

modern day problems

As I've mentioned before, I'm not tech savvy....especially with a phone.  Some time ago I created another page by mistake and it's gotten all wonky with me trying to log into the real one.  I fought with it yesterday until I got the laptop back where it needed to be but the phone is a whole 'nother story.  Looks like I'll have to visit the ATT store tomorrow.  

Somehow I just managed to hit a key while typing that turned on cursive.  And then POOF it went away.  I definitely need to hone my skills before I launch that website full force.  Today was PT day again with Fred and we watched Harvey barreling toward Texas while I did isometrics and he did strength training.  By the time I laid down for mobility I could barely lift my arm!  He told me all kinds of hurricane and Florida stories while we did our respective things.  Kind of like being in a gym only I was the gimp pushing the wall.  My favorite part is the ultrasound and soft tissue work.  

We got to visit with baby TJ today and passed him around like the treasure that he is.  He is a beautiful child just like his mother and his mimi.  Reaves will be up next followed quickly by Lisa's and Kendra's then Natalie and Janie.  Lerd!  Lab puppies everywhere.  

The weekend is mine and the weather looks good here.  I visited Texas once and actually went to South Padre when Lauren was about two.  We drove 18 hours nonstop with Aunt Nez and Lauren in the back seat.  Oh, and by the was Aunt Nez had no legs and was on diuretics.  All I can say is that we were younger then.  I pray that the folks in the warning area were not stupid enough to make things worse.  Either be prepared or haul ass.  You've had the time to do both.  I totally respect the decision to make evacuation non-mandatory thus keeping rescue workers from as much danger.  At that point all you can do is hunker down.  

My prayers are with these people and with the rest of our country where we struggle with no real leadership to survive a somewhat crazy world.  Riders in the storm.

Be safe and give somebody a hug just because ^j^ 

wow

I don't know about ya'll but that eclipse kicked my ass....well that and the heat.  I am totally loving this breeze and cool mornings.  I didn't even mind stopping at the drug store after work for naproxen and size 1 diapers.  I think she's got plenty of newborn.  I also bought a thank you card for someone who pulled me out of the ditch the other day when I was hysterical.  You know who you are.

Last I heard Ryan and McConnell are on the shit list that gets longer by the day.  Some lady up north won the biggest powerbll evah' and she's young enough to enjoy it.  Won't be reporting for work again much like that bitch on the plane with all the designer hashtags.  Puleeeez.

My birthday is coming up and I'll be 62 which is the time to retire if you can live on 1500 a month.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  I did manage to recover my FB account today which is a miracle in and of itself.  Can you imagine if my mother had been able to *like* there???

Keep it between the ditches.  All is well ~