Dealing With People

It is so hard to deal with people. I have been all day trying to get the utilities on in Sweetwater. Some you can do online but sometimes it is hard to understand what you are trying to do. I was trying with Dish tonight. They have an online application to fill out. They want you to fill out your way of paying and say if your credit don't pass they will get the money back to you in three to four days. Uhhh- I don't think I want to do that.


Then lo and behold I seen a chat line and I explained to the man I didn't want to give out information like that. So he told me all about it. When it came time to answer questions he showed me a place with a padlock on it where you can put in your information and no one can see it. Amazing. We put in everything and he said if I qualified I would get $35 off of the cost for a year. I didn't think we had a chance of that. They would surely find something wrong. Then he says, "With your excellent credit you qualify". Could have knocked me over with a feather. Anyway we got $35 off for a year. After that though it will go up. So satellite we will have next Wednesday.


I done the gas online . It wasn't too hard. Just a $90 deposit. Electric I have already so just getting the same one down there and they can send the bills together. Water I have to get when I get there.


ATT was a bit of a problem. Guy talked to them though so we will have internet. Most things will be on right after we get there. ATT says they don't come out. We have to hook that up ourselves. Either one of us is not that great hooking things up. We will manage though.


Now I got to just make sure we just have the minimum bills here since we won't be here much. Tomorrow I got to deal with Charter. Having the home phone taken out and just have basic cable and internet for when we come. Water and electric shouldn't be too much.


Now we got to decide what we want to leave here and what we want to take. That is hard too. Cleaning out closets tonight trying to figure what to take. Decisions, decisions.....

Saturday night at the Stockyards

Last night we went to eat at Cattlemen's Steak House which is right off of Main over by the stockyard's. It is so crowded in that area you have to park way down the street and walk. I am not a steak eater so usually I just get a baked potato but the rolls are to die for. I got a dozen to take home too. Guy gets calf fries and no way would I eat those. I had never heard of those before I met him.

As we were sitting there eating I was looking around and I thought to myself this looks so familiar. Then it dawned on me. I had seen the Ewing men from Dallas go to that place lots of times. JR used to sit in this very place.

I have lived in Fort Worth for 25 years and I had never been in that restaurant or walked those streets by the stockyards. I have been to Billy Bobs which isn't very far from that restaurant. Lots of times. I have seen Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Dwight Yoakum just to name a few.

They have lots of shops right down the street from the restaurant. We walked quite a ways. Enough for my ankle to be swollen this morning. It was a brick street and the bricks were so uneven. They had one store that just had barrels of candy. A lot of western stores. We stopped at one and got  sodas. Very pretty bottles. I got a sprite and it was an aluminum bottle in bright green. Guy got a  coke in a red aluminum bottle.

They had steers you could take your picture with. I wasn't getting close to it. Did you see those horns? I did take a picture in front of a 56 Chevrolet Belaire. Pretty turquoise color. We had a car almost like that when I was a child.

That was a long walk and it was so crowded on the streets. Old people, young people. All kinds dressed all different kind of ways. Interesting. Some wore short shorts. Some were dressed like Cowboy/Cowgirl. Some had on dresses and high heels. Some were drinking beer on the sidewalk. I had never seen that either.

After we got home I was so tired. I was asleep before 10 pm. Awake before 6 am. And a swollen ankle. It was fun though.

Do Men Help Clean?

I thought I was getting some help today because Guy is here and he said he wasn't lazy but that remains to be seen. This morning we did clean the movie room. He swept and mopped. I did all the dusting and then windexing everything and furniture polish. That was okay.


I went to the kitchen to clean it and done the stove top, the microwave and all the cabinets as well as the sink. Done the dining room. Moved all the pet dishes and everything on the floor where he could just come in and mop. Meanwhile I went to the utility room which is next to the movie room and seen that he missed it. I told him and he went back and done it. He did sweep in the front by the door and the back patio.


Meanwhile I started on the living room. I dusted and used furniture polish. I told Guy since we had worked hard I would treat him to lunch at Chubby's. We would finish the rest of the house when we got back.


We were at Chubby's and while there we got in a disagreement about the flu shot. Guy had took a survey the other day about who takes the flu shot and who don't. He said if more did he would take it. More did by a long shot. But today he decided he was not going to take it. He gave me the flu in march after I had my shot. I guess it wasn't as bad but I did get it from him and with my heart problems that is not good to take a chance on it. So I did get a little upset about this.


We came home and I started to finish the living room. I thought he would come help me. I thought wrong. I used windex and swept and mopped the entryway. I then vacuumed . Still no Guy.


I started dusting the bedroom by now. Windexed and done furniture polish. Still no Guy. I went in the movie room to see where he was. He is sitting on the sofa with his phone of course. I went back and cleaned some more. Vacuumed. Then I cooked dinner. Oh, well. Surely he will do the dishes. Nope....

To The Mall With jana

Guy and I went to the mall with Jana today. He said he wants to see how a real shopper operates. He seen that when we went with her. Usually my feet are aching and my back is hurting. And I am a shopper too but not as good as her. She usually has some kind of coupons she has gotten from online plus a J.C.Penney credit card. Then it is on!

I went over and got her to do my hair this morning then she was going shopping so I went along for the ride. Hey it beats cleaning house which is what I had plans to do. I ask Guy if he wanted to go. He said yes not knowing what he was getting into.

In Penney's he was looking kind of bored as we were going thru the kids clothes. She was looking for Connor  some shoes or pants for church. He kept sitting down every time he found a bench. She said, "You wanted to come". Ha.

We left Penney's and went to Old Navy. She found a few things there too. I seen a lot of styles I didn't know they had now. We left there and were walking by other stores when I seen "Hollywood Classics". I love that store. Pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe and lots of others. We went in there and I seen this shower curtain of Marilyn Monroe. Yes, that is what I want for my house in Sweetwater. I had been trying to figure out what to get. And this was perfect!

Guy found a big picture of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe and he got that. I found another picture of Marilyn that says "If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure don't deserve me at my best'. I have seen that saying on facebook before. That was perfect for my bathroom. Get me some black and white rugs and towels , soap dispenser and toothbrush holder and I got my bathroom ready.

Isn't it strange how you don't know how you are going to decorate a room and you see something and it all falls into place. Same thing happened to my kitchen. I had no idea what I wanted. I found a big picture of a 50's diner on sale at Hobby Lobby and it struck me. 50's stuff. So my kitchen will be those colors. It was red with some blue and white thrown in. Ad my living room will be in those colors too with the main thing the picture Lora Williams took of the beautiful Sweetwater sky. It is all falling into place. We  will be taking some stuff down October 4th. I can't wait....

Am I Getting Alzhemiers?

I was looking on Amazon tonight for some books I heard of. I am a reader and got to get my new books. I had heard Joan Rivers had a new book out about a Diva like she was and I found it. Then I knew our last president before Obama had written a book about his Dad who has the same name almost and for the life of me I could not think of the name of either of them . I could see them in my mind. They look alike except one is older than the other. They are both my favorite presidents.

I was thinking and thinking and that is a terrible feeling to not be able to think of something that you know. I could see both of them in my mind. I can just imagine how  people that have that disease feel. And I hope I am not getting it.

About that time my son Charles walked in the  door and I ask him who the last president before the latest one was. He said Bush. I said what was his first name. And I couldn't even remember that. He said George. I thought to myself "I knew that. That was so simple".   I had been thinking about all the other presidents and I could say any of them. Clinton, Carter, Kennedy .Even George Eisenhower. Why couldn't I think of the Bush's. My very favorite presidents.

This is not the first time I have noticed me forgetting something. But it is the worst time. Usually if I think about it long enough it will finally come to mind but not this time. If Charles had not come in I would still be trying to think of them.  And if I was a multi tasker on this laptop I could have looked it up. I can't do that yet on here. Maybe someday .....

I Love HGTV

I have been watching the HGTV shows  a lot in the past few months. I especially like "Fixer Upper" that Joanna and Chip are in. They live in Waco, Texas. She does the designing and decorating. He does the hard work. They are so good together though. You can see the love there.


They start with a house that needs lots of work and ends up looking beautiful. I have watched so many of these shows lately. One reason because we are getting a fixer upper in Sweetwater come October 1st. And that is something I love doing. I am good at it too.


When we lived in Sweetwater long ago the house that burned we had done that house completely. It was a very old 4 bedroom house. We put in new windows and vinyl siding and just done a lot to it. Then it burned to the ground. We bought another house after that and we redone it too. I am really into French doors. That last house had three sets. Then we got this new house 12 years ago. I redone everything in a new house. We painted cabinets white. We wallpapered most rooms .It has four  sets of French doors.


This house we are getting I got lots of plans for it. Just need money to go along with it. It might take a while but it will be gorgeous when I get thru. I got so many good ideas right now. I also want to make a porch. I haven't seen a porch on a stucco house for some reason but we will have one. And a deck.


I want to make the yard nice too but I am not a good gardener. I got to learn. I want a pond. And this one house I lived had wildflowers all in the back and a pond and it was so nice. This house has a lot of stickers so I got my work cut out for me .


One day this house will be very nice. And anyone that knows me knows that will be true.

All Alone Am I

There is a song about that by Brenda Lee I believe? My situation is not quite the same as the meaning in that song. Usually I can communicate with Guy when he is gone but this time he has no phone service hardly at all. The bad part is he is only 32 miles outside of Midland.


Before this we could usually talk on phone or  text or even one time we sent messages on facebook. This time occasionally his phone will work for a  text. Never for calling. One time a guy that worked with him had a power booster and he used it to call me. He needs to get one of those. They also have air cards but only 5 GB for fifty dollars is not cheap.


Guy had been going into town when he is not working just so he could call me  but they put a stop to that too. They can't  go into town but every three or four days now. Today was one of those days. We spent two hours talking. The time goes so fast when we are having fun.


I am very grateful that we find lots of different ways to communicate or at least try too.  Used too it had to be very hard . If you couldn't get someone on the home phone you just had to wait. Of course we didn't know any better so it didn't really bother us either. Now you hardly ever see anyone without a cell phone. And land line phones are getting scarce. I still like to have one because I don't like to talk on my cell all the time. Most of the time it works out like that though.


It seems like to me on that job they treat the employees almost like prisoners. Guy works at night from 5:30 until 5:30 next morning. You would think the next twelve hours they could do what they wanted since they are not getting paid. But they can't. They have to stay there. Just go to town to get food and supplies every three to four days.


Guy says a lot of the guys have Sprint and there phone service is okay. I have never liked Sprint too much. I know in Sweetwater ATT works good. Most have power booster's too . He just has to get one and then we can talk.  This job will soon be over though and the next place might be okay. One never knows.


All I know is I don't like all this aloneness and no communication from him either. He has been able to text some tonight. Then thirty minutes later it might not work.   It has to get better though. Most  things do. That job will end soon....

Another Birthday

We have surely had a lot of  birthdays lately. Today it was my son Dustin's and he was 34. It was on that bad day too but that can't be helped. It seems like it was not long ago that he was just a little tike running around causing all kinds of problems.


With seven kids and 21 grand kids it seems like someone is always having a birthday. There is not many months we skip. Next ones coming up is in October. Some of the grand kids don't live close so I don't really get to see them. But if there is a party going on I usually go.


Today on Dustin's birthday I took them out to Spring Creek BBQ to eat. His wife Lana, his daughter Ella and myself. It was nice eating there. They keep bringing hot rolls to the table. So good with lots of butter. I don't really have to watch my weight as of yet.


I had enough left of my plate for tomorrow too so don't have to worry about lunch tomorrow. I think I had enough for two or three people. Some people say I eat like a mouse but I eat enough to get my tummy full and enough to where I am gaining weight. I remember a couple of years ago I could not eat enough to even gain a pound. Those days are over though.


My next child's birthday will be my son John. His birthday is in December. He should have been a Christmas baby. He was supposed to be born on December 24th just like his Dad. The doctor I went too in Abilene insisted on inducing my labor on the 14th though. He said we didn't want to be there at Christmas. That is ten days early and I don't think that is too good for the baby's health. He was okay though but weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. Anyway come December 14th we will have another birthday for one of my kids. He will be 42. My goodness. It seems like a few years ago I was that age.

Tornado or just a storm?

When Jana and I came out of Target the sky looked weird tonight . Going west clouds were so low and very dark. It looked like a bunch of buildings all grouped together.  That was kind of spooky. The more west you drove the further away they looked so they were not so close after all. The wind was blowing hard  too. I just wanted to get home where I would be safe. Once you been in a tornado in your car it ruins you for life.

That reminded me of another time when it was Jana and I in the car. Jana was about 13 at the time. We had went to the Sonic and heard sirens while we were there. Found out it was tornado warnings. We went down to 6th Avenue and we were right in the middle of a tornado. Talk about scared. I seen dumpsters flying thru the air and signs and all kinds of debris. I pulled as close as I could to a building. We left our seatbelts on. My window blew out. Shattered glass went all over us. Nothing to protect us now. Winds 120 miles an hour(I found out later) blowing against your face where you can't even get  a deep breath is very scary. After awhile it got quiet. We were alive!

We drove home. Shakily we got out and went inside. Heard later that tornado went down 6th Avenue to downtown Fort Worth where three people were killed. We were very lucky that night. The next morning we looked in the back where all the glass was shattered. A huge sign with a sharp edge was in the back. I shudder to think what would have happened if that had went thru one of us.  I  was glad we had a big green Dodge Ram because if it hadn't of been big we would have been going thru the air like those dumpsters.

After that every time the wind blew hard and I was out in it I made a beeline for home. I never want to be out in a storm again and go thru what we did. Tonight it reminded me so much of that long ago night. Jana told me on the way home she loved storms. But she didn't like being out in them in the car. No that is not fun.

Sick Kids- Hope I am not one of Them

I done something I said I would not do today. I had watched kids for the last two years while my daughter Jana went to college. Several times I had to watch more than just Kaylee because one of her three boys would be sick and she couldn't miss college. So I would keep them knowing I would probably get sick. This school year I told her I could not watch the kids because in November Guy and I are going to Sweetwater to stay part of the time. I already have a house there. The house was leased until the end of October so I relented a little and said I would pick up Kaylee those two days a week because she got out before Jana did. Until I leave in November.

Today though two of the boys was sick and I kept them. I didn't want too because I can't afford to get sick. I have mitral valve prolapse and when I am sick I have lots of skips that are not fun. After they left I went and got Lysol spray. I sprayed down the  sofa and the air and everywhere else. They had bad headaches and throwing up and I don't need that in my life right now. So playing the waiting game now to see.

Meanwhile Jana text me and ask if I wanted to go to Wal Mart tonight. I told her I am ready to go anywhere. So I went. Guy is in Midland working so I am kind of lonely so I am just ready to go almost anywhere. I thought he couldn't call because he said there is no phone service out where he is working. He called while we were at Wal Mart and he was on his way back. Lo and behold he was able to talk to me the whole way. I was so relieved. To think of being alone at home and not being able to even talk to him was beyond what I could even imagine.

Usually we can text or call so life isn't too bad like that. Long as there is communication I can handle it. Sometimes he works 30 days straight without even a day off. I don't deal with this alonenesss too well. But somehow so far I have survived it. And I am  a better person for it. It makes me know when we are together it is a great time for us to be together. We also know it won't last long and then we will be playing that waiting game again. While we are together we appreciate the time we have.

Anyway tonight I am sitting here watching "Rizzoli and Isles". I got lots of magazines to read and books to read and shows on TV to watch. And a house to clean. So there is plenty to do.

My Guy is Gone

By 7:30 this morning Guy was gone. I knew it would happen . He had to go back to work. He was here for a week and a half. We went to a lot of places to eat. That was nice because I don't eat out much when I am here alone. I went to places I had never been. And we watched TV together too.


It seems like I am just  getting used to being alone when he gets off work  again. Sometimes he gets off all of a sudden, sometimes he knows. Most of the time he doesn't even know until an hour before. You can never really plan anything.


We had made an appointment for him to go to the dentist today. That had to be canceled. We were at Kaiden's birthday party yesterday when his boss calls him and tells him to be there today. So last night was spent getting ready to leave early this morning. We did make an appointment to see a doctor he needs to see though later on this month and he will have to take off a few days for that.


Then when he leaves again I have to get used too it all over again being alone. It is hard the first day. Every day after that gets a little easier though. Until he comes back and it starts all over again. At least where he works he can text me or call me. Thank goodness for modern technology. There are lots of ways to communicate. Back in the day I don't know how anyone ever kept in touch. Especially when guys had to be out in the middle of no where like he is.


My ex used to work in the oil field and back then we didn't think about it like we do now. There were no cell phones or any way to communicate so we were just out of touch until work was over for the day. Kids that were teenagers had no way to keep in touch either. No cell phones or computers. My goodness how did we ever make it?


Today  we just get online and we can find out anything and it keeps getting better and better. I have a lot to be grateful for. I am glad we found each other. I am glad we got ways to communicate. Glad I got someone to share things with. Glad I got something to look forward too when he does come home. So very grateful......

Another Star Gone

It seems like lately so many stars are leaving us. And the older ones seem lots better than the young ones for some reason. Just like 50's or 60's music seems like it sounded a lot better than the music now. Rock as well as Country.

It made me sad to read about Joan Rivers being taken to the hospital from a minor surgery place having routine surgery. I hear all kind of different  things about it. I know she was on life support and finally her daughter decided to take her off of it. I know that had to be a hard decision. She was the only daughter and only one grandson.

I had heard she was put in a private room so I thought she was getting better. Evidently that was just to make her more  comfortable. I read that she had flowers and ribbons in her room with music and a white faux blanket and got her hair and face done as well as manicure and pedicure. I know Joan would have loved all that.

Then at 1:17 we heard she passed away. I heard it might have been the same medicine that Michael Jackson died of. I also heard she had arrithmia's of the heart. No one knows for sure what caused her death  until later I guess.

I do know a great comedian we lost. I loved to hear her. I watched the reality show her and her daughter had on TV. She stayed with Melissa a lot to make that show. I know Melissa has to miss her so much. I also have a book she wrote that I have not read yet.

I have always heard Joan spared no one. If it was a joke someone could laugh at it didn't matter who didn't like it. She was a person that could make you laugh. And we all need to do that more.

I am sad to see her leave this world but we all have to go sometimes. Most of us won't have a nice send off like she did. At her funeral she will be on the red carpet and she will take some of it with her. And no one will ever forget her. Goodbye Joan and we will see you again someday.

Betty White is the only Golden Girl Left

I have always loved the Golden Girls. I used to watch them every night before I went to bed. I always said I wanted to be like them and have some ladies live with me like that. Of course nothing is ever like that in real life. You would probably get some ladies you couldn't get along with or left everything messy or something would be wrong. I know you could never find anyone as funny as Rose or as flirty as Blanche.

I guess I was used to a big family and don't like being alone. That is no fun at all. I have seven kids and still getting used to that empty nest. I have always liked shows that have lots of people living together. I always watched Full House or Threes Company or Golden Girls. I know a few ladies my age that like being alone but I am not one of them. I don't have to be alone now that I have Guy in my life. I am very glad of that. I did live alone for two years before I met him.

Today on Facebook it said Betty White had dyed in her home in her sleep. That is what got me to thinking today about The Golden Girls. She is the only one left now. And I love her to death. Tears started pouring down my cheeks.  Then I realized it said dye instead of die and it was talking about dying her hair at home. It was a hoax. I think it is cruel to write something like that but I guess they got nothing better to do.

Hot in Cleveland that Betty is in with Valerie Bertinelli is a pretty good show. I usually watch it. There was one flop she had after Golden Girls went off. I don't even remember the name of it but at the end of Golden Girls when Dorothy got married and left town the show ended. I guess Blanche, Sophia and Rose still wanted to be in a show so they got a spin off from Golden Girls. They were running a restaurant together and living there too if I remember correctly but it didn't last long.

I know someday it will happen to Betty  but please God not today. Betty is 92 and she has lived a good life but I hope to get to see her a few more years. It was a sad day when Sophia and Blanche and Dorothy were no longer with us. But at least we can still see them on reruns. And that will have to do.