Heather Shrinks in Houston!

[wcwendy]

I saw your new avatar and am so excited about how much weight that you have lost. I just wanted to comment on it to you! You're looking great!

[skeopple]

You're looking great~.................how ya feeling today?

Blessings and hugs.

Enjoy. Hoping you're feeling as great as you look!

[Snowman]

HAPPY SATURDAY, HEATHER!! Hope it's a WONDERFUL day for you!! {{{HUGS}}}

You look so good in your new pictures!!! Keep up the great job!!

Glad you posted your blog again so I can "see" that your ok! Hope you get your computer problems taken care of. Don't you hate when that happens??!! Good thing you got everything copied.

I just put some brownies in the oven and thought of you! We are going to friends to play cards tonight so I'm taking them with us. Yesterday, I thought of you when I bought Diet Dr. Pepper!!

[Snowman]

I see you checked in on your blog today (Sun.)! Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you and glad to hear from you!

[karenb]

A 32" waist? I don't know if I can ever dream of getting that small again! Tehn again I am big boned - really!- my doctor told me! I knew I had big shoulders but when you do that thing about measuring your wrist I came out normal. My massage therapist says I'm big boned too, something about my leg bones. I'm not using it for an excuse not to lose weight tho! Wow 32" waist!

[skeopple]

Blessings, Heather! I'm sure you're anxious to get your computer back. Have a good start to a new week!

Hugs.

[Snowman]

Sorry to read you had a migraine. I pray that you will be feeling better real soon!

[skeopple]

I can't get your blog to let me read your posts. I see by the title, you've had a migraine but can't click it up to read.
I'm wanting you to get your new computer quickly!

[karenb]

This site will be down on Wednesday! Didn't want you to get your computer fixed and then not be able to get on!

Of course, if you can't get on now I guess this warning won't help either!

[Houston Heather]

Well, I'm back. I saw the doc today and he doubled my Risperdal. I was taking .125, went up to .25 about a week ago, symptoms a little better but still bothersome, and then I am up to .5 now.

I thought it was very sweet, he specifically complimented me on the weight loss and then said he wanted to make sure whatever he gave me didn't screw that up!

You know me, I've been handing out lots of Bibles every day, working, etc.
Yesterday for my Day Out I went to the nice mall and then to the sporting goods store. I found a really cute/sexy black cat t-shirt, which I wore all day today, and a neutral gray fleece jacket.

The poor computer guy laughed when he saw the system specs on "sparky". He said, I'm going to talk to your husband. When that was all over and done with Ron had agreed to get me a new CPU. It took a week but WORTH IT! Obviously, I am posting pretty much right out of the box, thank God. He was able to move my files over - so I have my photos and music as well.

The computer guy had refurbished this a while back, but no one wanted it. He was happy to sell it to us for $240. I got all my files, ready to go, twice as fast as the old one. I have DVD now! I can watch Resident Evil! Tomorrow, as a treat, I plan to buy myself the trilogy and watch all 3 movies. Oh, boy! Zombies and a tough, kick-@ss heroine! Not only that, I have a RW-CD! I can burn a mix CD of Zydeco for Leroy at work!

Can you tell I'm excited? More later, this is just me checking in!

Last but not least, I MISSED YOU ALL TERRIBLY!

[Houston Heather]

I can tell I'm in my lithium happy place, my ears are ringing very slightly.

Ron has been enjoying the RC Sproul taped lectures I found at the thrift store. Hopefully God will tell him what he needs to know.

It was really warm yesterday. I put on my shorts and they kept falling down. Time to donate! Today I wore my capris and they worked. They're a Walmart 10. Tomorrow is supposed to be "colder".

I went to the sporting goods store yesterday and decided THIS YEAR I am going to buy myself the silk long underwear (legs). Generally, on a Day Out, if it's chilly, my legs get cold. I need something moisture wicking too, and the stuff they have is rated excellent for that. I AM getting them next week, after I get paid.

I also debated for quite a bit over getting some wool yarn in a brown heather (), but decided to "wait". While at the sporting goods store, I found a very basic brown fleece scarf and hat. I fell in love. I got the scarf, but didn't have enough for the hat - that day. I really like them and, for whatever reason, love wearing ready-made stuff right off the rack. I love to make things but by the time I'm done with it, I'm tired! I don't want to see it anymore! The only exception on that has been the scrap afghan I made, with Frosty's "help", this year. I sleep under that every night.

We have a cold front coming in, supposed to be chilly for us tomorrow, BIG chance of rain. I'll be staying home! I might do something Saturday, it's supposed to be nice.

I'm pretty tired, medication increase and a lot of running around, so I'll probably go to bed early.

Boy, I really MISSED you all!

[skeopple]

I really missed you too, Heather! I kept checking in at your blog but couldn't read anything except the heading sentences. Couldn't bring up the actual posts.

I'm glad you have a great computer; our lifelines to the real world. j/k Also hoping your new meds doseage will keep you 'happy' and well. I certainly miss hearing about your days and your adventures!

This granny is tuckered out and hitting the hay soon.

Once again, I'm so glad you're here.

Oh Heather! We're supposed to get some snow early Saturday morning. I'm actually excited to see it cuz we still have some beautiful colors in our leaves!

[Houston Heather]

I thought of you yesterday morning, Sharon.

On my way to see doc, about 30 miles from home - on a freeway I saw a car with Wisconsin plates. Everyone is moving to Houston to work! He was cute, too.

<--- married, not dead!

I was actually making posts from my cell phone to Blogger - so I don't know what it was doing. I was just glad my dumb phone and I could put something out there.

I'm also glad I'm over that horrible migraine! Ugh.

I was so afraid I'd be a zombie, upping my dose. I slept ONLY 8 hours and woke up perky and ready to go. Just on the edge of "too good - time to take another lithium". I will be eating soon and doing just that.

I am SO happy all I have to do is work, go to Walmart, and get my pills! I've been trying to eat up leftover cooked meat out of my freezer. Boy, I have a lot.

[skeopple]

Are you up so early because of work? Do you have a delivery or just an early start? Don't know why I'm up this time of day. 2nd day in a row. Mom needs a ride to a few places this morning so that will take care of about 3 - 4 hours. I've got a few tomatoes that want to be made into salsa. I should do that now, but need coffee first.

Mom and Dad drove to Houston/Galveston area when he was alive; they both loved it there!!

I'm happy hearing your meds are doing their job for you. Whatcha getting at WalMart? We have two flat rate boxes to fill for Christmas delivery to deployed troops from our church. Trying to think of things to make their holiday happy. Any ideas?

Gonna drink some fresh coffee now. You have a fantastic Friday! I'll 'see' ya later.

[Houston Heather]

Maybe some flavored coffees for the troops? Even some pumpkin pie spice to put in coffee, or some spiced cider. I'd throw in a bag of snickers or milky way minis (the latter were a big hit with Mom last year, when Dad was in ICU with gangrenous gallbladder). Don't put soaps in with foods, the foods always pick up the flavor.

At Walmart, I'll be getting the bigger dose of my risperdal (I just took two tablets last night), a 270 count lithium carbonate (3-5 month's worth depending), and some diet soda. I am going around about getting myself a cute fleece blanket, the ones that are $4. Navy. I love blankets someone else made, or a machine made. It's like jackets and coats, I could have a whole closet full. I'm going to think on that today.

I was really tired last night, so I went to bed at 5. I don't get picked up for work until 6:30. We have a cold (50's!) front coming in so I'll bring a warm jacket. I really like the $5 rainjacket I got at - heck with it - Academy sporting goods. The medium is very roomy. I tried it on and laughed at myself. I didn't think it would fit, and I had enough slack to fit my tote bag underneath! It folds up nicely into my backpack, along with a dozen or so Bibles, extra medication, etc.

The other day, I handed out a couple of umbrellas - so I need to go back to Favorite Dollar and get some more. Oh, here comes the rain! I can hear the drops hitting the window.

It bugs me to no end that Ron refuses to wear a raincoat, or poncho. The driver always looks at me like some kind of abuser when they see him soaking wet. On really bad days, I put a garbage bag over him as a poncho. He doesn't need to SEE, does he? Boy, we REALLY get some looks then!

The cat just came in soaking wet, and I dried him off with a hand towel. Rotten, rotten kitty. Spoiled rotten.

I am in the perfect city, Sharon. When I'm cold everyone else is screaming about the cold, too.

When we dropped off the prescriptions yesterday (I WILL be getting a bag of candy for the pharmacy techs), we got some cat food, cat treats, and Ron got some beer. He likes the low-carb stuff and seems to handle it OK.

Anyway, I need to nuke a sausage patty and take a shower. I don't want my pickup to bite me. Oooh, power surge. I better turn "Speedy" here off.

[skeopple]

Thanks for the great ideas!!!

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY BLANKETS! I'm not sure why, but I also LOVE blankets. Can't use them all at once, but I still love collecting them for some reason.

Our cold front this morning = hard frost for the first time this fall. DH put all the toys in the garage. Back yard looks pretty desolate now.

Have a great day, Heather! I'm going to start my salsa. What's wrong with me that I'm so inclined this time of day? I'll be sorry later, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do

[skeopple]

Look what I just found:Before and After Carb Rotations pictures

Had to send it to you cuz we're married but not dead!

[Houston Heather]

No, we're not!

I decided that, yes, it was absolutely necessary to get the navy fleece blanket. Vital, even.

First, let me tell you about my poor jeans. I deliberated between cute new jeans and day off in the garden/grubby work day jeans. I wore the old black jeans. I went to work, talked to Hot Legs, who missed me with the migraine. Told him I had to get a tune up. "Seeing flying saucers again, Heather?" No, not that bad, but that damn phone ringing all the time!

He got it, and wished me well on the meds. Ron called and told me the sandwiches were coming. The owner's sister will be making the deliveries now. She loved my brown fleece vest and was thrilled to hear it cost me $10 at Penny's. She's a nice kid - we have a lot in common, helping family members run their small businesses.

I brought them in. I asked Leroy, our custodian, if he'd seen "Hot Wheels". He laughed so hard he almost fell down as he told me no.

I did sandwiches. I took out the bad codes. We have 4 rows in each machine. I moved the older codes to the top rows, where people are more inclined to look/purchase, and then stocked the newer stuff further down. I also put a wrapped spork on top of each watermelon tray (they come in a tightly sealed clamshell container). Honestly, I detest watermelon so I don't mind doing it.

Then I put in new wedges and subs. Threw away bad stuff, saw Ron. Told him "We have no drinks in the food machines". What kind, Heather? What do I need to stock? "Anything that comes in a bottle!" That kept him busy.

Now, snacks are pretty slow, I can get away with stocking them 2 x a week. So, I told Ron, I'll do sodas if you don't object. He is the owner of the business and I don't want to be one of those neutering wives I detest. He said "Would you?" with huge, puppy dog eyes.

I chase down a pen and make a list on a paper towel - 12 cases of 24 cans each. As I am stocking the sodas into "Soda 3", I accidentally bang the can on a sharp corner. Then the geysering begins. Muttered cursing as I fumble the can, drop it, watch it roll, spraying merrily across the floor. Finally catch it, spray myself in the face, hold it lower, and realize I'm misting my jeans.

Good thing I wore the old ones! I told myself, that's going into the blog. The rest of the stocking was UNEVENTFUL. I got a small advance ($40) from the machines and told Ron.

I next saw him battling with a bag of creamer at the coffee machine. I offered to help and he was thrilled. I saw the coffee ground trash can was full. It's about 20 gallons of used coffee grounds. Ick. I got them and I could feel them drip on my jeans. Agh. Definitely need to do laundry!

The machine has a drain, if you've ever noticed. You can pour extra coffee down it if it's overflowing, or just pour the whole works out if it comes out "wrong". Well, that drain leads to what Ron has termed the "Yuck bucket".

Yuck indeed. It was full. The sensor was about ready to trip, so I figured we'd better pour that off, but Ron was busy extracting a couple bags of ground coffee from the stockroom. Ick, ick, ick. I pick it up.

Ron says "Don't spill it!". I did. EWWWWWW. Horrible nasty yuck bucket. The drain wouldn't drain and I was freaking out, thinking if a postal worker sees the YUCK in the sink they'll never buy a cup of our coffee again. In desperation, I flip the garbage disposal. Wierd grindy noises, but it drains.

I have to stick my hand INTO THE DRAIN which still has some YUCK water, to discover a shredded paper towel, and a RUBBER BAND? Why would anyone? I try not to ask.

I get the bucket rinsed and placed properly. The hose has to line up or, OMG a huge mess.

By that time, it's time to go, thank you Jesus. As I leave, it's very windy and the clouds are ominous, but I get to the bus stop in time. I fish out my nifty yellow raincoat, which my driver loved, and got visible. Boy, was I visible.

We like the driver, he rides us around for an hour before dropping us at Walmart. Ron was worried our other ride would be on time, but I told him, "When it rains the schedule goes all to hell" and I was right. We ended up having over an hour.

I went solo, got the copay , and went to the pharmacy. They were happy to see me. I was happy to see the giant bottle of lithium! $10 - you gotta love it.

I shopped hungry. I bought Ron some shrimp from the deli (I have seen they are extremely careful with food safety so I don't worry), myself a sausage on a stick, sausage on a stick for the driver (big hit!), a couple of bunless burgers, and a grilled chicken breast fillet. I ate the burgers and chicken. Ron wanted a bite of my sausage. He got it. He ate the shrimp. I ate my food. Plenty of time.

Ron wanted to play his music. The driver asked what I liked and I told him. He couldn't believe sweet little me and Gospel Rap. So I played some. Ron started twitching like a bug that's been sprayed. Then we went back to his music. The driver was very impressed. We had a good ride and then came home.

I took a nap, since I'd been up for 12 hours. At some point, Ron's going to wake up and we'll submit our online monthly report.

[Houston Heather]

Oh, a couple of little notes:

Today, the greeter at Walmart warned me to "be careful, it's gonna be cold tonight!" (mid 50's).

Right at the height of my delusional madness, the homeowner's association puts up big signs coming and going "This property under video surveilance".

You want to guess what happens to the poor delusional, paranoid, woman when she sees a giant sign "WE'RE WATCHING YOU"????? Ugh. They owe me some PILLS!

[Houston Heather]

Some warning labels on my lithium:
Take with food or milk.
Do not operate a motor vehicle or machinery.
Do not take if pregnant, or you suspect you are pregnant; or while breastfeeding.
May cause dizziness.
Drink plenty of water while taking this medication.
Some medications can change the effect of this medication. Check with your doctor before taking ANY medication.


No wonder they had 270 capsules available for sale! You couldn't PAY me to stop it! NO amount of money!

[skeopple]

It's a good thing that you decided on the old jeans! You make me laugh though, the way you describe today's happenings

50 degrees won't even be our high temperature for months from now on. We usually see a few more the end of October but it looks like this year it's going to be cold for quite awhile. Down to th 20's tonight.

Enjoy your nap. Do your laundry

Hugs.

[karenb]

Did you know that coffee grinds are good for your garden? I've hears that Starbucks will hold the grounds for you in neat little packages. I haven't asked myself. I drink coffeed but only use1 scoop a day and haven't figured out how to easily seperate the coffee from the filter.

[Houston Heather]

What I end up with, Karen, every 2 weeks is a huge, sloppy kitchen trashcan full of grounds. I occasionally take some home - a few times a year, but frankly, my Metro drivers would have FITS if they knew they were transporting them. I don't blame them. They reek. They leak. They're heavy. Where am I going to put them, sitting in a minivan with the driver, 3 other seated passengers, and a wheelchair in the back? It only has seating for 5 + chair. Ew.

HOWEVER, I do love tea. I love loose leaf tea, and especially organic tea. Soooooo, I have an empty jar on my counter. I put all my used tea bags and used tea leaves into it, and compost THEM. Much easier. I want to be environmentally awesome but "organic" is not a word that comes to mind at work! I doubt 20 people out of the thousand employees could even define the term properly.

I love them. They are very high-spirited, but not enviromental. You can tell I do have some guilt on the issue.

I made an incredibly happy discovery today. Doc wrote my prescriptions for 3 month portions, x 3 refills. You can tell he isn't worried about suicide! I view it as a gesture of respect and will always treat it as such. Even if I weren't a Christian, I am a terrible coward. I would never attempt suicide because the methods available have a pretty high risk of living. If I thought life was bad with all my senses and able to move all my limbs, feed myself, and eat pretty much whatever I want, well, after a suicide attempt that wouldn't be true! So, I'll be good.

Anyway, I got all 3 months worth. AWESOME. You know what that means? The $50 we spent today means my pills run about $18 a month! DUDE! I spend more than that on SODA.

Yeee-haw! I just tripped over something so I'm in my antipsychotic happy place. No voices, no weird sensations, no noises, just things I should be experiencing.

For $18 a month. You know, I am so scared that all this health care reform crap is going to blow all that to hell. Yike.

I will focus instead, on how happy I am at my "insanely" affordable medication.

Edit, I'm getting very sleepy.... time for bed. My dreams were positively normal last night - just a dream about my brother, a ladder, a squash plant, and a garden.

[Houston Heather]

Again, I slept a little under 8 hours and rarin' to go. Very unusual for me, unless I am manic. I'm a little up but not bad. On a 1-10, maybe a 1.5. A 2-3 is SHUT UP HEATHER. 4 is "Damn, I spent it already?" etc.

I weighed. 171.5. I'm OK with that. For one, I have massive PMS. I retain a lot of water thanks to the Risperdal - it feels like a lot, but generally translates to about 2 pounds lost the day I "start". If I need an underwire bra to be "comfy" then I know I'm retaining.

I just had a thought, I have only ever had one male comment on my blog - actually sent me a PM regarding a post. I still try to write as though my uncle might be reading - on the conservative side.

I needed to know my hips size and it was about 40.5. That means, in Academy's long underwear size, I am an XL. Before, that would have been very distressing. Last year, in fact, I found it so distressing I refused to buy them and went cold instead.

This year, I'm healthy. I'm still losing, albeit at a slower rate - as I should be since I'm pretty close to goal. Who cares if they call it XL? I'd still buy them even if they called it "hippo". They're such a cute, girly, pink.

I felt OK when I got up but got very QUEASY while making my tea. Then Ron, who was already up, decides he wants some eggrolls and gets up.

Yum, yum, microwaved cabbage and pork. I made myself a cup of the Bonay tea (also known as Pu-erh) - it's a special type of tea leaf, specially fermented (all teas except white are fermented to some degree), and very easy on the digestion. It has a rich, strong taste but it ALWAYS gets my tummy happy - faster than Pepto! Aren't I glad I got 100 teabags at Thang Hung?

It's a very small price to pay - nausea - for sanity. I had such NORMAL dreams last night. I slept solid and long. I didn't even wake up to drink some water.

Now, I'm going to do some research on the stores, when they open up. I want to go to Academy, Favorite Dollar (not the real name ), and maybe a craft store for yarn. Do I need a skein of Fisherman's wool? No. Do I want it? Desperately.

I do have actual plans for a nice toasty shawl. I have a new policy, as I sit in the room with about 4 duffel bags full of yarn, to only buy yarn if I have a specific project in mind.

For now, I am working on a surprise for someone who reads this , the doggie blanket for the Metrolift Dispatcher's dog - good news, chihuhuas are small , and then plans, not actual action yet, on the nice heathery brown and oatmeal shawl. Something that says Romantic Prairie. Like the shawl I made last year, I will probably only have 2 months where I can actually use it. I will not be able to wear it at work. But if I want to make it for myself, why not?

Pretty lousy movies on, except for Atomic Twister - a twister damages a nuclear power plant. It's a very good drama. I enjoy it, the blonde actress in it is an excellent one. She is very plausible.

I'd tell my Dad about it, but he has a bad habit of picking at the technical details.

Well, that's it for now. I do have plans for Halloween.

What do you think? Instead of handing out Bibles to adults when I'm out, handing them out to parents, with some candy, on Halloween?

I'm liking it, but it would necessitate buying a case (100 count) at the bookstore. Ron would be happy to get me a Metrolift trip to pick 'em up. No way would I try bringing them on the bus.

I mean, the kids are going to see Henry the bear here, he's a huge hit every year.

Honestly, I think I could hand out plastic forks and they wouldn't care, as long as they got to pet Henry. I put him on a stand by the door, head pointing out. People already know I'm "different". So what if I hand out a Bible?

[skeopple]

B]For now, I am working on a surprise for someone who reads this ,[/B]

Who? What?

[Snowman]

YIPPEE, HEATHER'S BACK!!!

Glad your back and your doing ok!

Don't worry about what size the tag size is....as long as they fit, BUY THEM!! You look GREAT, doesn't matter if they are an XL!!

OK, I give up! What kind of animal is that, that you use for Halloween?

[Houston Heather]

Oh, Henry was a brown bear. He was shot in Idaho about 15 years ago. He's always near the front door, the first thing you see when you walk in. I just move him a bit forward on Halloween.

He was living in Corey's basement. One day we were in chat on a Christian board. He says "you're a real woman of God, Heather."
I said "My husband is in awe of your hunting skill" (he had just talked about hunting wild boar - got rid of an area menace and roast pork for dinner!).

He said he "had something for us", if I didn't mind him sending a hunting trophy. His wife hated his. I said OK. He said he was "fixing it up" (apparently Henry was a little gamey at the time). About 6 months later, huge box on the doorstep from UPS. I open it up to a giant claw sticking out of foam peanuts.

RON, COME HERE, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS!

He feels the bear all over - Frosty the cat was deeply traumatized and growled at the bear for years. Ron goes "I thought they had long tails, like a dog or cat!".

Anyway, he's a featured part of our home. He does scare a few small children every year, but the general consensus is "Wow!". Even the tough-acting teens want to pet him. I use those pet wipes on him to keep him soft and pleasant-smelling. If it gets really humid he smells like a bear. He's on an elevated stand now, too. I took the bottom 2 shelves off the bookcase you see behind him, Ron mounted wheels on casters, and Henry has his own rolling stand now.

Sharon, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told! I will say this, it is knitted and I am making various items for various people.

I would just rather buy myself a ready-wear knitted item. I admit it now. I only knit myself afghans (done), and other people warm things.

Day Out: Horribly pukey in the shower. Oh, God, it was awful. I was hanging over the drain begging God please no. It passed a little so I got out, threw on my really old bathrobe (I got it at a thrift store in 2003 - I had lost so much weight my nice bathrobe was too large - this is a rose pink and very ratty but I love it), and swallowed a couple of ginger root capsules with some pepto.

By the time I got out of the shower I was belching and thinking, I'm going to live.

Get this, I left the house with TWENTY FOUR Bibles. I could barely zip my backpack.

I went to Academy. Since I would classify the long underwear in the underwear category, I didn't try it on. Just now, I did, and it's kind of BAGGY! I can make it work, and I will, but I think it's awesome. It would be really awesome to wear under a nightgown when camping or something - something I haven't done in "like" 20 years.

Anyway, I told the door guy, I got a bad hat, I want to exchange it. By this point I'd already passed out about 10 Bibles, just getting there. One old guy fell asleep on the bus, cradling his Bible and snoring happily. He passed my bus stop later while I was waiting on the connector and waved merrily.

He said OK and took it away to customer service. I darted straight back and got the XL underwear, a brown fleece hat ($4), and a new hat to replace my old one. I went back up. She said my total was $9.

"That's too cheap" - she figured it out and I paid up. Then I gave her a Bible.
Next, I went to Favorite Dollar. No umbrellas - no surprise! I did get a Bible on CD - good for if I meet a blind person or maybe someone who can't read?

I debated between Christian bookstore and craft store for a while, and decided that even Jesus got time off. I went to the craft store. I found some AWESOME yarn for presents , and some amazing plastic circular needles for $2.50 each. One circular, $2.50. That is astounding.

I got 2 needles, some various project flyers for Mom (she likes detailed instructions), and 2 skeins of really interesting yarn. I Love This Yarn is actually the brand name. It's gotten rave reviews. I got in line. Some prima donna was having a fit at the head of the line. I'm standing in line. I have a fantastic, interesting, skein of yarn. I have a circular knitting needle I am dying to try out. I find the end of the yarn, take the needle out of the package, and start casting on. When I rolled up, the cashier had a good giggle! "You already STARTED!" Only $12!

I had JUST enough left for lunch. I had had a healthy and nutritious breakfast of sour cream pringles, with a diet Dr pepper and lithium 150. I got pretty sick afterwards, but I didn't "toss". I had a small appetite after the craft store.

I needed more lithium, but 300 would probably make me sick. Well, 150, same result. About 3 hours of discomfort, in fact. Ugh.

I figure, the devil was mad. Why? Because by this point I had handed out EVERY BIBLE BUT ONE. Yup. I think that was my personal record today, at least 20 Bibles. At one point, I had 4 people all around me on the bus, reading Bibles, and I had just given one to the driver, too. Awesome. I'm glad God CAN use me.

After lunch, I came home. Unfortunately I had to deal with a drunk. [sigh] I have some work to do with the alcoholics. I tend to get very angry at them. My early memories of my birth mother are not happy when it comes to alcohol. Even the smell gets my blood pressure up.

I need to work on that, and instead of getting angry, pray for them. I never think I am "all that" as a Christian. Plenty of room for improvement!

I came home and Ron had his TV blaring (actually he hooks the satellite receiver into his speakers direct, with no TV involved), as he snored happily in bed. He LOVES to sleep with the TV on, just like his Dad. Like his parents, we have separate bedrooms! We need them!

So, I just shut his door. I have a little routine when Bubba-cat comes home. I screech "Ron, BUBBA'S HOME!" and make a huge production out of greeting him. The cat loves it; so does Ron. I teased the cat a little, when I walked in. He was sleeping in the computer room.

"Bubba! MOMMY's Home!" He butted up against my leg and allowed me to stroke his back. He saw Ron's door was closed so he got into bed with me when I laid down for my nap. I gave him a few treats and he strutted off.

Then I got up and came here. I need to call Mom & Dad tonight, that's it. Yay.

[skeopple]

Zer was right; you've made refreshing lemonade from lemons pitched your way. One example was waiting in line and starting to knit!

You're just so totally awesome, Heather.

[Houston Heather]

Thanks! I really do TRY to make lemonade, and I figured the diva would be furious when she saw me enjoying myself. People like that want to infect you with their attitudes.

About the only complaint my grandma ever had about me - "You can't take a compliment Heather! Say THANK YOU! Don't dispute it!" She would be proud of me.

I made some chicken and veggie soup. Pretty good but the seasonings are a little off. It's still good.

I watched my disaster flick, did some knitting. Called Mom in Detroit - visting grandbaby. Called Dad - living solo in CA. Mom said they had a small quake at home, and everyone was really glad they had their kits. It was a 2 pointer - nothing really, but it's been 20 years since the last one.

Good. In the course of our conversation, I mentioned a knitting book. Mom said that sounded interesting. After I hung up, that resulted in a stuffed, medium flat rate box. USPS will love me. Go Postal! Hey, I give them the money, and I get it back in the vending machines. The circle of life. Mom ought to enjoy the stack of books and the flyers I got. I'll ship it probably Wednesday (I get paid Tuesday). I'll have Ron drop me at Taco Bell - it's near the PO and I won't have to lug the heavy box half a mile and then 3 buses to the post office. He likes to help. He likes Taco Bell. We both win.

Getting tired, thank God. Typing sucks too. Good. Time for bed. I had a pretty decent nap this afternoon but if I stay up late I'll blow my sleep cycle all to hell.

I need to get up at 4-something on Monday so we can get donuts.

[karenb]

I have an antelope head over my fireplace mantle! DH has gone hunting in the past but aside from some birds, prairie dogs and a wild hog (that tasted gamey) have never brought anything home. Oh wait, he and a friend did shoot and elk and we had the meat, well half the meat but it's been over 20 years ago. One December gun show day he came home with a mounted antelope head for me! I display it proudly over my mantls. I've named him Buck! At Xmast he gets a red bow and ornaments hung from his antlers. DH bought him from a guy at the gunshow who had gotten married and his young step daughters were afraid of it. They said it's eyes watched them! I can remember having the same feelings when I was a kid so I understood and I thought he was a stand up guy for getting rid of it cause of his little stepdaughters! I have no guilt over having Buck hanging in my living room because not only did I not kill but neither did DH! Once a year we take him outside and spray him lightly with a bug killer like Raid. DH didn't they'd done a good job on stuffing Henry but did suggest you might want to take him to the garage regulary and spray him!


The guy that shot the elk with DH decided to take the legs and have them made into a gun rack he could hang over his fireplace to hold and antique rifle he had. DH and I both told him he was crazy, as did others and he began to agree with us. After several months of not hearing from the taxidermist he called the guy only to find out his shop had burned to the ground! He was really glad! The taxidermist offered to mount something else for free since he already had paid. Our friend got a stuffed pheasant out of the deal. The taxiderment even added some extra feathers the pheasant had lost when he'd been shot!

Peace