Life in West Virginia

NEW DIRECTIONS CAN BE SCARY . . .

2012-01-28T11:27:00.002-05:00

with the predicament I have with my back problems (forthwith known as GENERAL ISSUE 1~~GE1), issues, disease, whatever. That in itself has become a cycle of paperwork and roadblocks that are forcing me to live ~~if you can call it that, I call it "sucking life"~~the way that I am now. There is hopelessness, helplessness, anger, rage, sadness, desperation and hiding that from small children is a HARD task.

Then it becomes a matter of well, the clothes are in the basement because you are unable to carry them upstairs. You can't make 128 trips up and down the stairs and carry "smaller" loads. I AM LOL. I find work arounds for some tasks and others I just gave up on. The dishes in the yard. Yes, hillbilly trash I am !! WINK WINK. My bathroom is very clean most of the time unless I have rummaged through all the wicker and cloth baskets; the smallish see-thru storage boxes looking for that tube of Clearasil. Or the last Band-Aid. Extra stash of Blistex, just in case. LOL I do find it though and so I wipe off the shelves of the 4 tier stand that fits neatly between the wall and the shower to hold all that goes in a bathroom~~besides the three tier stand that holds the everyday items~~hair do-dads, brushes, combs, detangler, toothpaste (seriously, it does not fit in the medicine cabinet nor is there room on the free standing sink basin), Clean and Clear + cotton pads because at 41 I still have extremely oily skin and will get pimples if I don't use daily.

And so the new ideas. You know I am allergic to NSAIDs which would reduce swelling in my back and make my life rich and pleasurable for stretches of time . . . . maybe start a regimine of Naproxin and Benydryl. I had a referral to WVU Spine Center and did manage to find the paperwork from 3 years ago with the phones numbers and such. I also clipped out an ad for one of the "decompression" and laser treatment centers that has opened in our area under Dr. Patel, from whom I received the steroidal epidurals in the past. Those did not help much but maybe this will. The relief I get now is from steriods doses, received at the ER as my doctor retired. Try and get a new Family Physician on Medicare. It is a joke. I feel like I am on Medicaid/with an HMO again trying to find a Doc. Laughably, once more, there is something called "straight medicaid" which I found if you let your other "lapse" by not showing up for your scheduled appointment and review and in turn, wait until the old coverage would lapse ONE day, go in and do the review and ~~~ANGELS ON HIGH SINGING~~~ YOU COULD SEE WHOEVER THE HELL YOU WANTED WITHOUT REFERRALS INCLUDING NEUROSURGEONS. Which is how I "worked" it to get one to take me. Come on, we all know I am smart and can accomplish REMARKABLE things. Remember the Child Support Modification AFTER Joey turned 19 and I didn't even have a current order in place??? Come on folks. Who can pull THAT shit off???? Now I am ROFLMAO. Mood Adjustment just occured. Up 3 notches.

That was two years after the first surgery and I showed up at a "Quick Fix" place with marked weakness in my right arm and pain in my neck and between my shoulder blades. They immediately sent me for an MRI which showed much deterioration from the MRI following my first surgery for the acute herniation L5/S1 and whose side effects from which I never really recovered, besides getting the feeling back in my left calf. Instead having bulging discs, its was decided it was really early onset spinal stenosis that I had and not arthritic changes or something I had done in an accident, being sedentary, slightly overwieght, etc etc etc etc etc etc.

I am 41 years old and my mom wonders when I am going to get it together. I only pray to God everyday I had the physical and mental facilities to overcome every damn obstacle the HE has put in my path. There must be a reason for it. To make me stronger?? Damn, I will tell you what, to be where I am now, considering I deal with all the obstacles of GE1 and the bi-polar/depression/add I am already strong. WHICH LEADS ME TO THE CONCLUSION. FRIGGIN SCARY.

Just really wondering what HE has in store for me that I am going to have to be so MUCH STRONGER ?????? Mood Adjustment Down -1

and just between me and you me and the tree, bet its the house. But I have been wrong before and if not, may HE forgive me for the anger and frustration and I will admit I was wrong about the house.

Gotta run, I think some fish are calling my name today in Jackson County~~and because its so friggin wet, man are the worms easy as a piece of pie to get to. Grubs too. Who were the fishermen in the bible to Jesus?

TRACEY HAS BEEN A VERY . . .

2011-08-09T19:30:00.003-04:00

busy girl since her last post. Lots of drama, but not much that would be worth reading about to many folks. Charleigh-Anne is growing by leaps and bounds and will be attending Kindergarten this year. At her pre-school graduation I almost fell out of the pew because I could not believe the performance that once shy little girl put on. "Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar" was Charleigh-Anne; her and two other girl with them singing it and her saying "NOT ME"! Even 4 months prior to that I don't know that she was courageous enough to do that in front of so many people. Growing up secluded as she was, although, by no means, not exposed to people, she was so shy and nervous; had her feeling hurt during her first year of pre-school by the tiniest things. Being so rural and having no virtually no playmate her age, she really got all she wanted because well, when you are 2 or 3 and your playmate is 6 or 12 or 17, you always get your way. Mt. Pleasant Pre-School prepared her well for Kindergarten with her education and also did wonders with helping her grow socially to "survive" the real world out there.

For you out there just getting to know me the 5 year old has a 21 year old brother, my son Joey. You older followers know him as my cranky, but loving helpful, messy, greatest big brother in the world, ROTC, Boy Scout, argumentative, brilliant teenager. He's 21 now. And he's getting married on September 5th to our (Mom's) adopted daughter Tasha. Well not legally, but Mom saw her through High School and lived with her and Charleigh-Anne tells everyone that her sister Tasha is in TX and is buying her a Rapunzal dress. (Natasha is in the Navy, she graduated from the Boot Camp at the Grayslake Naval Training Center on May 6th, which Joey and I attended on a marathon trip, literally. (that's another story for another day but it started out with us leaving at 8:30pm May 5th from my house and arriving in Great Lake at 5am and supposed to be at the Command Center for check-in at 7am; didn't even know if we could get in our room, but we could and did, ty Comfort Suites of Grayslake, IL

We had a fantastic time.

Gotta run for now, trading daylight for darkness as dad would say.

TIRED of JUDGEMENT, SICK OF DISAPPROVAL

2011-03-29T20:29:00.001-04:00

as we can well see, i had enough gas to make it back home in my own car and not steal kim's; nor get stuck there as i had posted around earlier. as you can tell from the time of my post, it was 10:00; the time Rockport store closes, ergo, couldn't put gas in the car, chancy making it HOME and certainly not to MINERAL WELLS! Stephanie's copy of her Dad's obituary that her Aunt had a copy of for her got tossed somehow. So when I told her I had copy of the Sunday paper while explaining my newpaper ordeal (WTF I will explain the Newguy WHUCKHEAD) in the Explorer, rec'd it with my Monday paper, on Monday but rec'd a paper box after receving the paper fora year. I got the box on Sunday morning, which laid in my yard in the mud, nothing in it. Annnnyyyhooo it was at Kim's house, along with Contact Paper, since I had recently lost all my shit in my wallet when Charleigh and myself somehow LOST said wallet between her having it in her hand and me unloading $74 worth of items, starting the car, putting the cart away, and making sure she was fastened in as she has just started being able to to this herself in my car . . . (DEEP EXASPARATING GASP for LAST BREATH of LIFE, BeCAUSE THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE END) and had been trying all day to laminate or contact paper all the paper shit that i carry in my wallet (mostly while punkin ate 3 nuggets and most of her fries at BK playground with really no one to play with but a 3 yo boy for about 30 and a 2 yo girl for about 3 minutes cuz her grandma said "TWO!" and that's ALL and then they was going SHOPPING and the other kid left with HIS grandma to go to KMART to get HIM a toy. YEAH lucky me. Eoungh money to buy oil, pay to get it changed (already had bought the filter) and put some gas in it tomorrow. And gas of course to get to the store in the AM. No money for toys. ANYHOOOOOOOOOOO i got sidetracked MAKING SURE THAT I DO ONE G*!DAM$Ed THING GOOD FOR SOMEONE. See something important thru. I missed her call. Didn't call back cuz i was wallowing in my own self-pity. I need to be a better person. the store closed, my mom saw my post and now i am well, a waste of life.

THIS IS THE MOST AWESOME WEBSITE EVER

2011-03-03T04:55:00.002-05:00

for those of us who can't keep track of anything. Including our phones.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/19RFwQ/www.icantfindmyphone.com/

If you lose your cell phone all the time and are constantly using another phone to find it, but always lost THAT phone, here is the answer! Provided you haven't forgotten the password to your computer

THE ONLY THING I MISS ABOUT THE SNOW

2011-03-03T02:59:00.002-05:00

at this point is the padding it provided on the road. Our roads are tire-eaters out there. Of course, at this point, I have almost all the potholes laid out in my head, so I am like a NASCAR driver on a road course, dodging the deep one and the really rough patches; slowing down when there is just no going around any of it.

Didn't know that Leap Frog (registered trademark) makers of the learning gadget Tag, had items other than books that went along with the Tag Reading System. Found a neato map of the US on Amazon. Punkin loves it.

I WAS UNDER A ROCK.

2011-02-25T08:41:00.005-05:00

Seems the Whites' are a few up on me. I only have one WELL to dump dead bodies into, rather than three mine shafts.

What an embarrassement. I have less than this idiot family in Boone County. Only in WV would people go in front of a camera and say this shit. Hang ALL their dirty laundry out for the world to see.

It is however a very sad note on the state of Southern West Virginia, state being defined as:

Definition of STATE
1a : mode or condition of being b (1) : condition of mind or temperament (2) : a condition of abnormal tension or excitement

For a few years, while at Kim's, I regularly watched the "local" news out of Charleston, WV, located some 70 miles from my home and was shocked at the high crime rates in that part of the state . . .

http://http//www.wvgazette.com/News/201102250557
Legislation considering bill to require prescription for psuedoephidrine products in effort to "curb" meth production. top story just nine minutes ago and also

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201102250537
The state also has the nation's highest rate of overdose deaths, with most involving prescription drugs. 16 minutes old. TODAY.

not to mention the family drug "gang" that held a black girl hostage and repeatedly beat and raped her a couple of years back.

The girl in question HAD done drugs with the family before, selling or doing them, whatever, doesn't matter IMHO . . . not saying she asked for it, but it you lie with dogs . . . .

Of course, this rant is sad to say, years late in coming . . . I had heard of the "WV Mating" call, through a friend but had dismissed it as "crazy drug addled" redneck talk.

WHO would make a film about a family in West Virginia to begin with. Certainly if it is not about our sweet little war hero, Jessica, who bore a child out of wedlock and is among the more well to do in the State now, thanks to her book deal, movie and speaking engagements.

I was so appalled at this film . . . every other sentence leaving these people's mouths, I am looking around the room for redemption:

"I was gonna kill the motherfucker. I hate him. I stabbed him and Grandma cleaned up the blood and hid the knife." Of course, only THEN did she think to herself, this is one big SOB, so although he deflected my first attempt at him with a gash to the hand, I had better stab him in the side!

The children is the worse part of the whole ordeal. Smoking pot, cigarettes, allowing them to use foul language and "flip the bird" with no repercussions.

I caught Joey "flipping" me off one time, he was hiding behind the fridge and I way-laid him. Think there was blood involved, seriously. OMG. Just thank you Jesus my last name is not White.

Just give us a "do-over" . . . come film me and my girlfriends for ONE MONTH instead of an entire year and I can show you way more drama in our lives that outweighs anything them sorry sacks of shit even THINK they have to deal with.

BTW, the full length video is available on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Wonderful-Whites-West-Virginia/dp/B003VWC4BW/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1298647088&sr=1-1

AND ITS UM, STILL WINTER

2011-02-24T00:50:00.002-05:00

Whoever it was that decided that the groundhog needed to whatever he does to make the winter longer needs to undo it. I want spring here now.

or at least some warm weather not accompanied by 50mph winds. like i don't have enough trash in the yard already. or haven't picked up my tiki torch fluid holder thingies out of the yard at least 15 times this winter. don't know why i put them back in the poles. they just blow out again.

thx again mr. opposum for scaring the immortal crap out of me when i got on the porch.

and thx mr owl for not actually hitting my car.

OH WE WENT TO ELKINS

2010-09-22T07:25:00.008-04:00

Charleigh Anne finally got to meet the old crew, Kim and Alan and the not so younger crew anymore, well, just half, Nicole, plus her daughter and hubby and Alan's mother "other grandma here", Kitty. We had a great time. Natasha traveled with us, Charleigh Anne is quite the traveler and I was impressed with her traveling patience.

Alan and Kim treated us all to a mexican dinner at Humberto's (sp)!?!? delicious. awesome food and atmosphere.

We stayed the night and although it rained, had a fire in their pit out behind the house and in the morning, despite the downpour, it was still burning due to the fine cherry wood we had. ;o) ty punkin. and alan.

left the following day, regrettably, though, not for the kiddoes, for Smoke Hole Caverns awaited us that day along with the senanic drive over three mountain to get to the Mouth of Seneca, were a major portion of Seneca Rocks outcropping lies, a mecca for hikers and climbers in the area. The Genderame, which is an area of rock that does not get sheared off by the passing glacier and remains intact between two pinnicles, standing alone and sheared, named the Sentinal at Seneca was damaged by floods in 1985 and later that year collapsed. The link above is a private link, with nice photos and info of the area, better than I can provide. Click on the photos for larger images, the first contains the no longer standing Sentinal.

We hiked back the trail as we had a 12 or so mile drive to Smoke Hole and 45 minutes so across the North Fork South Branch Potomac River we drive and back a little road I know now is Roy Gap Rd and we stopped off at a pull off and went for a walk.

Spending too much time, we hustled back and drove swiftly along the gentle curving road to Smoke Hole just in the nick of time to buy a magnet and a ring that Charleigh Anne promptly lost the day I gave it to her the Monday we returned.

She did great on the tour, wasn't bored. The guide called her his "little trooper" and she said beaming "i a trooper?" and it thrilled her tho, she had not a clue what he was talking about. Supposed to be 45 minutes, more like an hour. extremely frustrated at this moment tho that photos won't upload, i am out of water for the gazillionith time this past two months, can't clean bird feeders, dishes, laundry . . . . told K to go at 7:30 . . . . AM yesterday.

GOING TO THE BEACH

2010-08-15T01:01:00.003-04:00

i guess it sounds a little childish but i am super excited about leaving to go! i haven't been to the beach since i was 16 or 17 years old! i am so excited. we are all traveling together. Mom, Joey, Punkin, Tasha and me. Kim is staying behind, which i am disappointed about. i really wanted us to spend some time away from the house together. maybe we can take some time away when i return. . .

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Punkin's swingset finally arrived and was assembled by the contractor from Lowe's in about 3 hours. one guy, by himself. i was impressed. Punkin loves it! she asks me all the time, "can i play on my swingset?" i have tried explaining to her that she doesn't have to ask to play on her own swingset.

this is probably the best investment that i have made for her. it will be awhile before she outgrows this . . . plus, we can always change the swings out for something else if she wishes.

IS IT JULY ALREADY?

2010-07-14T00:22:00.002-04:00

Wow. Can't believe I have allowed myself to go so long with blogging. I have had a lot on my plate but still. It has been rather overwhelming the past few months, let alone the past few weeks, through which I will not put myself again.

What can I say, trying to remodel, consolidate two households, three people . . . two cats that previously did not all live together from a rambling farmhouse into a smaller, house with what was a two bedrooom house, built for two people, that is now . . . well, still two bedrooms, although Punkin's room is smaller, with an attached playroom/dressing room. But our square footage has decreased. Well, Kim's has. And Charleigh Anne's is going to. I have about all my shit organized. It's their shit I can't seem to bring under control. I don't know what to do.

On brighter notes, Charleigh Anne is thriving as we could never imagine. A little clingy but, as sheltered as we were with her, what can we expect. Trying to broaden her horizons beyond preschool and Bridgette's . . . she has offically been to Kaitlin's friend's home with her for about 1/2 hour and left me alone at there, while she left with the kid's to go down the road to play on the swingset. My littlest one is spreading her wings. While my other baby is well, he is turning 20 on Saturday and boy does that make me feel old.

I am just feeling overwhelmed I guess and wanted to whine to the outside world that is no longer listening about it. Things are a disaster really, don't know how to fix them. One Day At A Time? Eating An Elephant? What if your days are cursed and wretched and the elephant is fucking sitting on you?!?!

IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED . . .

2010-02-27T13:44:00.003-05:00

After all the years of waiting and being in pain, medical experts testified on behalf of the Social Security Administration and declared me physically unfit for work. I was not even called to testify was how damaging the evidence of my physical impairments were and how evident and obvious. Why did I have to get a lawyer, who is taking 25% of my back pay to present the medical evidence I signed my rights away to the SSA to gather on their own?!?!

Unless you have been through something like this, you cannot imagine what the last 5 years of my life have been like. I worked hard all the years I worked, from the time I was 12. Iz have had to rely on others for my well-being for years now. The frustration of not having money to buy your daughter or son something is horrible. Not being able to pay your bills and having your mother support you financially and having your boyfriend support you financially is not how I imagined my life would be just 5 short years ago before my injury.

Having people look at you like you are a lepar because you are unemployed. Not a productive citizen in our society. At least now, I will be able to hold my head a little higher, even if I am a little bent over . . .life is getting better in West Virginia. Now, if the snow would melt . . .

MY, MY HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE . . .

2009-12-08T18:16:00.002-05:00

Now that I FINALLY rec'd the money I was expecting for child support, back pay for November from Sam, Joey's Dad (so, we will say, arrearages from the year 1996, that is where he is in terms of paying me--Joey is in 1st grade and I am working TWO jobs AND going to college . . . Way to go Sam, not spending Christmas in jail this year and only around $12,500 to go!!! Good for YOU finally coming through and all!) and I rec'd Punkin's support and get this . . .

are you holding your breath cuz, it's a biggie . . .

SAM PAID THIS MONTH'S ARREARS THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH INSTEAD OF THE LAST; it might have something to do with the fact that:

A) the judge threatened to throw him in jail for missing payments, which he did for November, that is what I am receiving now and
B) it will make him look better in front of the judge whom
C) we see Thursday

anyhow Kim isn't all that mad at me today after calling the cops on him and all and isn't filing a restraining order against me after I informed him that I was getting all that money to Chrismtas shop on and didn't need him or his money this AM. Lunchtime finds him sweet as molasses.

We don't Gary/child support bash here; I don't want any attention drawn from hither that would mean him actively playing roles in our lives. Leave that at that. However, he pays WAY less than he should but I don't take him back for the fact aforementioned. The proof is right in our folder at circuit clerks office where they figured it wrong, but, let sleeping dogs lie. He didn't do it on purpose, he's not that smart.

I REMEMBER NOW WHY I THIS BLOG

2009-12-07T22:11:00.003-05:00

It was so that I could at times, laugh at things and other times, let things out when needed. Kinda like venting on the Scream on ivillage to my friends. God let me say my prayers now that I can survive the torment that Kim puts me through at times for what seems to me is no reason and to him is high treason. I can barely hold myself together at times between bi-polar and depression and I don't need people fucking with my head at all. I know I am a good person and God Almighty please deliver me from this hell to let me move back into my own home and let me raise my little girl on my own. I knew there must have been some reason I was going over those figures in my head and putting them onto paper (virtual) just to look at them as some sort of hope, while trying to cover up the utter unhappiness in my life.

While at one time I loved Kim very much, it has deterioted into an untolerance between us that we can barely contain most of the time and thankfully, he works and sleeps most of it. However, when he is awake, it is unbearable with the name calling from him which starts me spiraling into a manic mood, out of control, him then turning on me, saying I am crazy, need to take my meds, listen to him and everything would be okay; well, yeah, I listened and you called me a dumb cunt and stupid bitch. Stupidest bitch you have ever known. Lazy, ungrateful, bitchy, ruined his weekend (um, took my mom's truck from him while he was gambling and drinking . . . so sorry I "ruined your weekend")

I am ready to move out but can't stay at Mom's right now. I can't move out and take this all out on her. My emotions are too unstable for that right now and I can, I have broad shoulders. I am a big girl and will wait it out until I get my settlement and can stand on my own two feet. Then I will leave and leave with my head held high and without his sorry ass.

He informed me this evening that he will give me no money for Christmas. Use my own money. After I spent mine on part of his bills, things on the house, him saying we'd have plenty for Christmas, he had 4 more checks until Christmas and now, I am fucked. I have a few things, but not nearly enough. Sam didn't send any money in November, so I am short $165 there, don't know if I will get Gary's $145 because he took off for hunting, so I am SCREWED. My kids, well, I can't even talk about it. Or rather, write about it.

AND SO, this is not getting posted until 7:28 am, rather than at 10:30pm last night as my computer got beer poured all over it and I had to allow my laptop dry out and still don't know if the screen will ever be right again and I won't get into who hit who first and what was an accident and what wasn't because it doesn't even matter anymore . . . being shoved to the floor is the same as being hit and maybe he didn't mean to chunk me in the chin and leave my neck immobile. He left after I called the cops and that brought a beautiful ending to my lovely evening with the asshole with which I reside as I was able to call them back and tell them he was gone, go to bed and sleep until coming to Mom's this AM. . . .

ARE YOU THERE BLOG? ITS ME TRACEY

2009-12-07T18:02:00.003-05:00

ME: "Here we are, only 5 short days until my 39th birthday."

BLOG: "Wow. How can you be that old and still be such a case? My God when are you going to get your life together? I suppose that you have had some setbacks that were not your fault but stronger people would have put that past them and moved on. You have also made some terrible mistakes to fuck up some things in your life but at least no one died and you walked away."

Now that I can talk to myself straight, I am hoping for a better year around the corner. Things have not gone well this year at all. Things didn't end on a high note last year that is for sure. Mom would like to blame Kim but it isn't all his fault. His daughter had a lot to do with the issues that brought us here last year but Kim did drag me down his hole this year that is for damn sure. If he doesn't stop smoking pot, I am going to literally beat his ass in his sleep and that's a promise the police can find right here in this blog, my premeditation. Seems like my birthday sucked last year--it did--I spent it with Greg--it didn't really suck, just me and Kim were not getting along because of his daughter and Chris.

This year, it will be the weekend after he pulled the stunt of taking Mike to run errands and never came home with Mom's truck and I went and got it with Bridgette. He was gambling, of course. Spent all his money and God only knows how much his bank account is overdrawn. No money for Christmas again this year. I was going to get his daughter diamond earrings; buy things for Punkin and Joey and I have Mom pretty much covered. I also wanted to get him a few things but looks like that's not going to happen. Like I wanted to replace his knife. Those dogs had to have picked the son of a bitching thing up. How they did so without slicing their mouths open, I don't know.

My bi-polar is okay as long as Kim doesn't do anything to trigger it but I am getting to the point that I no longer care, so, I don't have as many triggers. I HAVE GOT to be getting closer to a hearing date for my disability . . . dear God how much longer could it be?!?! Of course, every month just adds another month they owe . . . right now, we are looking into February for a hearing date, if I get notified now and I am looking at a lump of more than $12,000--I am guessing closer to $15,000, that's after lawyer fees. That's all IF we win my case. With my stenosis like it is, coupled with my bi-polar and ongoing bouts of depression, I can't work. Particularly with my back. Minor housework and I am reaching for the pills. I can do without them if I don't do anything like, bending over and picking up after a toddler however, my life is not such. I don't have a maid or a nanny. I don't have Kim around 24/7 to lift Punkin when needed into a car or Bridgette to carry her for me (of course, Punkin can walk on her own now, but she CAN'T climb into either of the vehicles I drive, at least not without getting mud all over herself).

I am done with the drinking--maybe one or two here or there haven't had more than that since i can remember. Last summer? Maybe once in September I had 5 . . .

Now with Punkin in school, (I know, you have heard it ALL BEFORE BLOG) maybe I can really make a concentrated effort to pick back up on my blog and satirize Life In WV and talk about my own Life along the way (and some of Kim's, although he waffles . . . "I don't want anything about ME on the internet" but last winter it was "we oughta post this picture on the internet"--click, "done honey, you are on the internet". LMAO anyway, he is on the internet in various forms whether he likes it or not, via public records thru the county clerks office, sex offender registry (NO NO JUST KIDDING FOLKS!!!!!) FBI'S MOST WANTED, etc. Just Kidding People . . . except the via public records thing . . . wood county is one of the few in the State of WV that you can view public records online and well, we all have a few . . . they range from birth announcements to tax liens, to judgements for fines against your license, real estate transactions, bankruptcy, divorce, etc, general judgements in court against you for money, to death certificates issued. No way out anymore.

Punkin is enjoying preschool, she is doing well, the school Christmas thing is next week, she will be performing. Wish we had a camcorder. Joey is working at Radio Shack. Doing really well.

I am trying hard to send out cards this year. I have 6 of them done. I need stamps. I will pick them up tomorrow when taking Punkin to preschool in the AM.

BLOG: "Have a happy birthday Tracey in case I don't see you beforehand."

ME: "Thanks blog."

LIFE WAS SOGGY AND MISERABLE . . . .

2009-09-28T10:13:00.004-04:00

and now it is windy and a fall chill is in the air. I bought Punkin a Dora kite, she has been unpatiently waiting for fall to fly the kite; now it is TOO windy for her to fly it.

Saturday was a miserable, rainy, damp day that Kim slept through. I wanted to clean, but everything seemed to be in my way and I just couldn't get done what I wanted to. I got one side of the thingies to hang my blinds up installed, but Kim was in the way on the other side (still awake and grouchy, wouldn't reach behind the couch and get the screw I COULDN'T reach) so I have 1/2 of it up. Probably lose the other pieces before I get them up. I was trying to clean and the blinds (cloth, insulated) were something I needed out of the way and like I said . . . I just couldn't get anything DONE or rather accomplished.

Sunday could have been a better day had K and I not got off on the wrong foot when I lost my purse. I was in quite the good mood but he was not; guess he ran out of pain meds and was hurting; he screamed nasty things at me--I screamed nasty things back at him--I ended up not going with him to pick up my meds too and had him take me home immediately; he picked me up around 6:30; I was sleeping, exhausted from the fight--went to his house and ate cake, took my meds and went to sleep.

However, I did spend time with Punkin, took her for a walk, watched cartoons with her for awhile; she watered plants at my house. She kept thinking we were lost on our walk; I had to reassure her we were still on our own land and she was going to have to learn this someday. Then she would forget she was "lost" and run off way ahead of me and yell, "hurry up mommy" --mommy is hurrying as fast as her old body will go honey . . .

OUR HIATUS . . .

2009-09-21T13:02:00.003-04:00

I have decided to take a much needed rest from Kim. Although you will see his name interspersed throughout my writings and references to him as my boyfriend, the status for now is that I have decided our relationship is becoming a burden to us both, taking a mental and physical toll beyond what either of us had come to realize and we will probably remain close, as we are each other's crutch, in some co-dependant, sick fashion but we are all the other has and for the sake of each of one another, we cling to each other too desperately to completely sever all ties, although it would be us both a world of good . . .

Anyway, some of my thing are there, most are at my home and I am now living in my home all nights of the week, if my willpower holds out for the sake of my mind and for his own peace. Maybe he will realize that it is himself? that he is angry with and not me . . .

THE LONG WALK (of COURSE it INVOLVES ANIMALS!!)

2009-09-11T15:13:00.004-04:00

This morning, something possesed me to walk from Kim's to Mom's. It's three miles. Mom lives on top of a hill as does Kim and thankfully, it was pretty flat and no traffic on Rt 21 this AM. As always though, I have my adventures with the freakin' wildlife.

As soon as I left Kim's driveway and started meandering along the roadway, checking the sides of the road, I saw something lying against the trees lining the creek bank and realized it was a COON the size of Cleo, Kim's dog! THEN I REALIZED IT WAS STILL BREATHING AND I RUSHED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD QUICKLY! It was a good 50 pounder.

Then, as I was walking up the hill towards Mom's a HAWK nearly landed on me and didn't realize I was there for several seconds while I looked at it awe as it spanned it's wings out round this tree trunk like it was protecting or coveting something then suddenly took off. I went over and looked but did not see anything.

Later this evening, as I am watering all the plants in my yard, trying as best as I can to save them in what can only be described as the most dry summer/fall that I can remember . . . huge cracks running thru my yard, my flower beds and fields, the water sometimes just drains into the crevices and I can only hope that my roots are somewhere in the deep rececesses of those, I am startled by what could only be some BOBWHITES that were raised by someone and released into the wild. I followed them around my flower beds for 1/2 an hour, sometimes just sitting on a rock while they pecked the ground around me. I had the most amazing experience and could only capture it on my cell phone, my crappy samsung, which cannot export photos.

THE BOLT, CONTINUED

2009-09-10T15:25:00.005-04:00

For some reason, Blogger would not allow me to add more photos so I could fix one before adding it but here is the finished project:

Kim picked this bouquet of roses for me from a HUGE bush that grows from where my grandparents burned their trash. We don't know where it came from, Grandma certainly didn't have it there . . . he had a ton of thorns in his hands but he never complained, only bragged about it every chance he got. HEHE

KIM SETTING THE BOLT . . .

2009-09-10T15:02:00.004-04:00

Kim has been working on a lightening bolt for me for some time to get my plants out of the way and after many manhours and much precision work and other things that I am sure took much talent to make this thing balance the way it does, he finally finished it. Of course, we don't have any hooks on it yet, but it makes a nice conversation piece for now . . . . I love the color too . . . .

HE'S COMING HOME--FINALLY

2009-05-28T01:00:00.005-04:00

My friend has been gone way too long and he is home now, sleeping peacefully in his own bed, I hope. I have loved and missed him and needed him so many times in the past year that I feel guilty for that as he was the one that was suffering way more than me. We have much catching up to do and I can not wait to get in touch with him. I will give him some time to get his land legs back unless he gets a hold of me first.

He is one of the smartest, ingenious, hardworking, loyal and trustworthy friends that I have and I have felt so lost without him. I just hope nothing has changed him; I have his short stories ready to work on and get off to the publisher. The link to the post with pictures of his pay-to -fish lake, which he dreamed of for years (a way to just fish every day and make money! LOL) is there along a photo of him. Punkin was always there too but it took a bunch of us to watch her because of the water. He always took care of us when Kim ws gone out of town. He is has always been there when I needed someone.

RAIN AND WV UMBRELLAS . . .

2009-05-25T18:22:00.004-04:00

Okay, so we get a little bored when it rains on the farm. We are used to working and not being cooped up in the house like chickens in a chicken coop. Being on a farm, you frequently have things break down, you can't find a part or the right ingredient; it might be that I need ant repellent in my flower bed and I find that cornmeal works; run out of Miracle Grow?? Seep some manure in cheesecloth in a 5-gallon bucket of water for a tea to use as a fertilizer (just make sure its not too strong or it will burn the roots!) Well, that means that you have to be inventive to find a quick fix or solution and that is what my darling Kim is, is inventive. This obviously is just playing around, in the rain like the kid at heart that he is.

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rewind to yesterday . . . . Tracey pulled a stupid and to make a long story really short I fell w/ladder about 7 foot and managed to walk away with a really bad sprained ankle. I actually walked on it fairly well for about 2 hours but knew that since it was hurting so bad and I am still on pain meds for my back that I had done something to it. When I couldn't put any weight on it I knew I would have to get a x-ray. I called about midnight and they had 1 person waiting so I went and THANK THE LORD JESUS CHRIST it was not broken. Mom has to have surgery on her shoulder and well, a dumbass accident from me like this would certainly have added a lot of pressure since I am supposed to help with some things at her house and help her and a broken ankle would throw a wrench in me helping her after her surgery! I am such a dumb ass. Anyway, its just sprained, I wasn't drinking so, at least I don't have that to beat myself up over and God was watching over me.

Little Girls Growing Up+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

After the ladder incident, I went to Mom's and had to load up some things I had left and Punkin had her umbrella outside using it. She wanted to help me and hold it over my head but that would be kinda tricky. Especially with me carrying a little plastic container of peat pots w/starts and a 5-gallon bucket with starter mix and my tools and plastic containers. I could hardly bend over with my back like it is; poor Punkin is just around a bunch of old people who can't do much with her. She will start pre-school in the Fall though and I hope that she will get along okay. I am going to start talking to her about it now. We have nurtured her along and now its time to share her with the Big World. I don't want to yet, but its only for 6 hours a week, so, I think I can handle it.

Physical Therapy++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

P/T was going well up until this happened. I had just started on 3 new exercises that called for me to use my legs in some way standing on them, leg presses and then a stairclimber that is horizontal that you sit down at. So, Ron, is probably going to be less than happy with me on Wednesday.

Well, everybody take care, don't forget to leave comments at the end of this blog posting where it says "what ya'll said"!!!!

WhaT IS life in WV without some dEaD anIMaLS??

2009-04-29T23:12:00.006-04:00

Yes, we still have some dead animals in WV and what would LIFE be without a few "tails" about the animals around us, domestic and wild, that provide for some well, entertainment.

Several weeks ago, Kim had replaced the chain for the dogs. We don't allow the two older dogs to run loose, they tend to cause trouble with at least one neighbor's cattle, chasing them; he was kind to call and let us know. You never know how a person will react when their property is threatened and well, we have guns in West Virginia that people will use on dogs.

He purchased a bigger gauge chain, stronger fasteners, etc. as Zeke, the Aussie, twice just broke the whole damn thing, the chain and the fastner which attached at the swivel snap.

Enter into the yard, Mr. Groundhog. Son of a bitch decided to sleep an extra 6 weeks. Give us extra grief and cold and snow and shit. 40lb Zana decides she's pissed enough for ALL OF US that SHE broke the bigger chain and killed him dead. Then as a present, left the skin and fur from the front paw of said G-hog on the front porch. You cannot make these things up people!!! We think now though there may have been a family and there is perhaps another victim under the house . . .

While I bide my time healing, recovering so I can fully take care of myself and Charleigh-Anne, I will try to entertain ya'll and myself with some "tails" to regale on. I love going back and reading my old posts too . . . . just reminds me how far we have come, where we were and how much that can be endured.

2009-04-28T06:02:00.004-04:00

Well, Life in West Virginia isn’t all that bad here in the past couple of weeks. Sorry about the long delay in posting as of recent. Grandpa died unexpectedly on March 30, sounds silly for a 95 year old man who was in the hospital to die unexpectedly. But we were supposed to have brought him home on Wednesday however, they wanted to get him using his walker a little more properly. Then he started having a dry cough on Friday or Saturday (mom said a sign of congestive heart failure). I happened to be up on Tuesday morning when the hospital called around 8am for some reason and so it was the hospital’s trunk line and answered it for Kim. They thought I was Kim and I quickly straightened that out and gave him the phone. We got in there and I touched his hand and rubbed it, Kim said howdy Granddad and he was breathing very hard, difficult for him, you could tell, the Dr. walked right in, took Kim, me and Sue (his mother) and into the hallway and then to a family area. When they were discussing intubation we were all saying no, no and the nurse walked in and asked us if we had just said no to the intubation and she said he wasn’t breathing. He died 2 or 3 minutes after Kim got there and the doctor and nurses all said that he was waiting on Kim. Kim said the doctors said he was waiting on us, but it was him. Kenneth told me never to tell anyone, so I haven’t and I am not, but Kim was his favorite. But then, Chris was Gordon’s favorite, I have seen photos and it’s right there. When Gordon was getting bad, he told me to take it easy on Chris because he was born early and I always did until he lost control on the drugs and now I can’t take it easy on him because he will wind up dead if it doesn’t stop. Enough of “Kim will probably never marry me so, not it’s my family’s business”; I am just involved in all of it.

Dan, I know you left me a comment and I haven’t had a chance to even open the email so the I could read and obviously approve the comment, as we know I believe in free speech. So long as you are not a Kool-Aid® drinker and leave STUPID comments that make no sense or make totally inappropriate comments as to the discussion or post.

On much lighter notes, after a denial for an MRI, waiting a month, I am now starting physical therapy and will have an eval on Thursday. So, the MRI bullshit he was wanting me to do just gave me another month of being on addictive painkillers, which I certainly do not need. I do need them to get through the first couple of months of it because of know what its like. I am getting around better although I overdo it sometimes when Punkin is around.

My she is growing . . . .

does anyone remember when all i could get was shot of the back or top of her head because she absolutely REFUSED from the time she was a small infant to get her photo taken????? is THIS the SAME CHILD?????

Kim had returned from North Dakota from building a Victoria’s Secret in Grand Forks and was here for a week when his Grandpa passed away. He is back out there working and while I running around in a tank top bra, slathering sunblock on me and Punkin, trying to start a few flowers, it’s 89 here . . . there was snow on his car this morning. He was a little ticked off when I told him that. But, he hopefully will be home before the weekend and it is supposed to be nice weather when he gets home so, he will have it to enjoy. I haven’t had the opportunity to look at all the photos and didn’t have my USB cable to see really well. Kim had of the best photos I have seen of taken of him in almost 2 years. He looks so happy to be back to work and healthy; he just looks like the Kim I started going out with. I am hoping they will be home Wednesday but you just never know.

Now that I have some room on my camera, I can take more photos of Life in WV. Zana, Kim’s dog, broke the CHAIN from her snap on her collar to go after a ground hog and she got it. We just got a larger gauge chain 2 weeks ago because Zeke, the Australian Shepard, broke the last one. She was licking it when we me, Punk, and Lyndsey (Kim’s nephew, Glenn’s SO) returned from Mineral Wells this PM. The thing is though; Zeke has to outweigh her by 35 pounds, easy. I was just glad they were all in Kim’s yard. That sucker ground hog was a big monster one too probably 20lb in his own right, ugh.

An old biker bar in Parkersburg burnt down last weekend, it was a “historical” site I guess . . . I had been in there maybe a handful of times and had admired the huge antique ceiling tiles. The owner had died just about a month ago and it was suspicious. The fire department ordered the rest destroyed as the walls were not sound and the area is in downtown, in a major intersection with utility lines, apartments behind it, a major downtown street with the building’s front only a few feet away from any traffic. They were barely able to investigate due to the structural integrity and the concern for the safety of the firefighters. All of Parkersburg, Vienna and Lubeck, a volunteer firefighter company from toward RT 68 fought for 2 hours to bring it under control. To me, that is unreal. We don’t have stuff like that happen here.

So is Life in West Virginia. They are building more and more here in our area so, Life in West Virginia is not as bad for some as it is for others; Mom has her Job still, just 10 months to go; Kim looks to be doing more stores (hopefully closer to HOME); I have my garden, so I am happy. Kids are taken care of for now and well, Obama scares that FUCK outta me. He’s a freakin PUPPET but we don’t know who at MOVE ON. ORG is pulling his strings. So goes my redneck opinion.

Swine flu being brought over by illegal Mexicans; they HID or were so stupid the pandemic went on for weeks; then the World Bank gives them an emergency loan?? To feed the freaking drug cartels still running the place? Why they hell do these people not get why Mexico can’t get a little ahead; they still have just a few rich and the rest in squalid poverty, running to USA for American dream and even with that load off of their shoulders, they still can’t make such a fine place a decent place their citizens would love to live and cherish like we do America and they long to live in.

Okay, running off at the mouth, ya’ll have a wonderful few days and if I ever catch a breath, I will sit down and blog again regularly, if my life is ever somewhat normal again.

Love to all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM--ONE YEAR TWO DAYS UNTIL YOU RETIRE!

2009-02-24T07:10:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

MY SURGERY IS OVER BUT I AM STILL

2009-02-23T19:31:00.003-05:00

in the hospital at CCMH. I had a severe headache that started on Saturday evening and they suspected a tear from the surgery and spinal fluid leakage and I have been on bed rest for over 24 hours now. I am in severe pain now, whereas I had been doing really well on Saturday following the surgery on Friday, walking really well, not much pain.

But after lying in bed for just 3 hours last night, the pain started setting in; my left leg hurts worse than when I ruptured my disc back in 05 and my back is seizing up and I am miserable. He said that I can't get out of bed to start walking until 12noon tomorrow and after I get walking, maybe go home tomorrow evening. I have had only 3 hours sleep Friday night, (because I was knocked out all day in surgery) 3 or 4 hours Saturday night because of my headache and then last night I finally got 4 hours from 4 am to 8 am after they gave me pain meds and a muscle relaxer and valium, but I think at that point, I slept from just total exhaustion.

Kim is going to go to work in North Dakota and is probably leaving Saturday. This is going to be strange for us again. I never really got used to him leaving town to work last year but he has got to go back to work. He loves his Grandpa but K is broke and even though it's not much money to live out there on the farm and his Grandpa pays the HH bills and for K's car and stuff, K needs his own money and needs to get money going back into his pension and health insurance, etc. No one helps with the wood and no one has a clue how difficult it is to keep an old farmhouse warm, chainsaws sharp, wood stacked and dry, haul logs in from somewhere else when you have a car (although Shannon has helped alot, along with Steve and Mike* hauling and other friends have helped split and stack and carry wood . . . . without them we don't know what we would have done if not for all that help; however, it was just not enough) not when you:

still have to start the furnance, put more wood in at 10am; then again at 2pm; check it at 5 or 6; then again at 9; again at 12mid; 4am; then again at 6 or 7am; make sure Grandpa has eaten and taken his meds; wash all his clothes, do dishes, run sweeper, clean up mess from wood where everyone carried it in; fix helpers food since they helped, clean up house where they track back and forth up and downstairs; reassure Grandpa that there is plenty of wood or that they will be back in a little bit with a load or they went to get the last load or they are splitting it now; make sure Grandpa ate again.

Tell Grandpa K is checking furnance now; tell Grandpa K is in building welding; that K is coming up from furnance; that K is coming back up from taking Shannon to his car down at the bottom of the hill that K is just right outside and it goes on and on and on and on; at some point, I have to spend time with Punkin, go to Dr appts, go grocery shopping for Mom's and K's; WIC appt's, DHHR; Family Law Master court hearings that I prepare for during a period of MONTHS and cram all my paperwork together and get in order over two nights; the hearing which gets cancelled and the notices are mailed out the morning of the hearing but the guard acts like I am some dumbass saying "There are no hearings scheduled this morning" like I am there on the wrong day or something;

We love Grandpa so much but it's been a long winter and K needs to go back to work and make some money; he is tired of being broke and having no help except me and I can't do much physically to help him; no one is helping with the wood at all and no one ever did help keep the furnance going and he is just exhausted physically and mentally.

Hopefully, I will be out of here tomorrow evening . . . . if you wish to see some photos of the Life at K's in WV, wood and all, check out the link to my photo blog shortly . . . .

FROZEN FINGERS HAVE PREVENTED ME FROM

2009-02-01T09:54:00.005-05:00

posting in the past several weeks. If any of you have paid much attention, the area in which West Virginia is located has been hit with winter storms. They consist of ice, followed by snow or vice versa and then cold temperatures. They also seem to hit on Sunday or Monday, each week for the past three weeks. My mother has only made it out of her driveway two times in the past three weeks, although don't quote me on that, but she does drive a Cadillac and well, the road that she lives on is left completely untreated.

It makes for beautiful scenery but it has damaged trees and power lines in the area. Our immediate area was lucky, power outages were relatively short compared to other areas of the state and Mom nor Kim lost power other than for just a few for minutes.

The kids here in Wood County didn't got to school all week long this past week and have missed several days, although, since I don't have one in school any longer, I don't really keep track. We are now only making it up his driveway after he and Ben went on Thursday (4 miles on a 4 wheeler because they hadn't treated Lee Creek or the road up to Mom's still . . . the storm started on Sunday) and got Dad's Dodge and brought it back here. Kim has a Taurus and we had been parking half-way down his driveway, where his trailer sits and riding Ben's 4-wheeler back and forth down to Rt. 21 where his driveway comes out. This was after he could only make it this far up the the driveway, which is the slope with only about a 20% grade, it hits 40% at the top and turns.

We get the truck here and well, the 4-wheel drive won't work. So, Kim being the handy guy he is does the basics,ve shaft is turning, so unfreeze hubs with torpedo heater. We drove it to my appt on Friday, still wouldn't go into 4 wheel drive. So, he parked it down at his trailer (where he lived until he had to move in here to take care of his Dad and Granddad).
Kim is working on it, Mom needs groceries, doesn't want to risk driving the Blazer off the hill with it being so icy, leaving Punkin behind. I had crying everyday, I haven't seen Punkin since Sunday, when I dropped her off to go to Walmart and ended up not going because the snow started pouring and Rt 21 was covered by the time I had dropped her off to go. (the storm wasn't supposed to hit until Tuesday afternoon, which the ice storm didn't, but no one said anything about 3 inches of snow Sunday night into Monday morning). Mom keeps calling, we are making plans about groceries and Rockport store can't cash her check at 2pm because they only have one $20 bill and she keeps adding to the list. IGA will take Mom's check from me, Walmart probably won't. Rockport will cash a check for me if the have it, but the don't. If we can't get it into 4-wheel drive, I have to get to IGA and just pay an outrageous amount and get back before 4:30 so Mom can bring Punkin in the Blazer and we take her back with us and I keep her over her for a while.

About the time Mom and I are getting nervous, I hear the truck, know its up top of the driveway, look out the windows, running in my bra and jeans and I looked out one door and see Kim but he can't see me because he's at the other end of the laundry room/mud room/wood room/coat room/tool room and I ran and opened the door and he said "Baby, we gots us four wheel drive" and I called Mom right back and said we have four wheel drive.

After that, things weren't as rushed; the store had money to cash a check for $100, which was good because it was $89.60; although, I bought myself Ben & Jerry's Choclate Chip Dough Ice Cream, Punkin some paint brushes , little wooden painted flowers and dragon flies to add to the ones already around her toy storage area at Kim's and a small can of walnut wood stain for me. We got Mom's stuff, Kim's stuff and then had to come to Kim's because a breaker tripped and his Granddad only had two lights on and the wood furnace was off. There is however, another wood stove in the back room where he sits during the day, so he wasn't going to get cold anytime soon, he just couldn't see.

We got to Mom's, Punkin was crying to go see the puppies and I was trying to grab some stuff, print some things off, get it all packed up, get her car seat in, the boys put it in wrong, had to move it, shes is crying, had to go back into garage, grab quilt and something else I don't recall and then take the horse feed we picked up for Mom over to the barn at my house.

The Christmas tree that Dad bought for Joey and me for our first Christmas in our new house, the last one we spent with him and that he planted for us, (its supposed to bring you good luck to have a live tree and then plant it) suffered damage from the ice.

~~~~~~~~~~
btw, Anita, if you are reading this, I got that from a website you gave me about superstitions and folklore and other stuff, it might have been snopes, but i am not sure. i also got leaving mistletoe up year round from that sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Since I wasn't able to make it to my house for 5 days when I got there the first thing I did was check it and a large branch had broken off about 1/2 way up and the top is in danger of breaking. We are expecting a high of near 48 today, so I am going to get up there to shake as much off as I can to try to avoid as much damage as possible and save it.

€€€€€€€ Reminicing . . . .

We had an ice storm the year that Michael Waltrip won the rain-shortened Daytona 500, I think it was 2003 and the tree was smaller then, but it was almost doubled over. Joey and I were shaking it off and my super awesome neighbor, Randy Curfman, was driving by and stopped and helped us finished getting the ice off the tree. You gotta love West Virginia, even if its just for that fact that some of the best people on that walk the earth live right in my three back yards. I do have three houses I live in at various times of the year, you know. Or, if you didn't you know now.

Look for a blog later tonight or tomorrow that will piss of the carbon footprint people and the TREE HUGGERS . . . it will also include photos . . .

I REALLY AM TRYING TO BLOG REGULARLY . . .

2009-01-04T06:35:00.005-05:00

It will be interesting to find out in the coming weeks whether or not John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son Jeff was receiving medication for his Kawasaki disease which may have caused the seizure which lead to him falling in a bathtub and causing a head injury resulting in his death. If you are unaware of it, the Travolta-Prestons are Scientologists., who believe in detoxification as the correct treatment for illnesses, including diabetes, epilepsy, cancer among other treatable diseases; you might remeber the Tom Cruise/Brooke Shields debacle when he slammed her for taking anti-depressants for post-partum depression.

In a lot of other highly publicized cases, lesser known, unfamous people with no stardom to allow them free passes regarding their child's health care have been prosected for not treating their children illnesses. We'll see what happens . . .

Here is the link:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475324,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It sure is true that the elderly sure do get a tad more confused in the winter. Kim's grandad, I would never take away that he really is sharp as a tack; he knows all thats going on; he still puts wood in the little stove if no one is inside and he thinks it needs it (which is if the temperature in the room he sits in drops below 88 degrees, LOL), he'll put the dog out, he can fix his own drinks and get snacks out of the snack drawer, THAT's an easy one for him. But he worries and worries and worries. If it's not Kim, it's Shannon, if its not Shannon, it's me and if it's not me, it's Punkin. If it's not Punk, it's Shannon's friend Kyle.

Kim was right outside the door last night, using a little garden tractor on the back of his little lawn mower to put gravel in the drive and up to the walk and Kenneth was worried about him being outside. Of course, I think that when he quits worrying, he'll probably go. So, as we have all said, he will probably outlive us all and he is 95.

If we could just get him to hear and see better, it would be much easier to communicate with him. We are taking him to the doctor Thursday, for the first time, so hopefully, the communication with his health care will be a little smoother. Kim' sister-in-law took him last fall and we never really did get the full story; I had to dig for info from Kim and Stephanie to find out what was going on. I have a hard enough time understand my own health care hearing it first hand, let alone hearing it second hand and third hand. The nurse hasn't been out all week either now that I think about it to check his vitals . . . .

Kim's nephew has moved in his old bedroom upstairs and we moved the bed into the living room becasue he would come upstairs in the middle of the night worrying about the wood furnance when it was 50 degrees outside. He had two falls and well, we just had to move Kim's bed downstairs where Kenneth's bed is located on the groudn floor. Shannon's girlfriend stays out here too sometimes and she has been helping and well, it is starting to ease some of the stress on me and Kim. Especially Kim because I can get away from the responsiblity of caring for him sometimes. Of course, then I am usually taking care of Punkin but, she doesn't worry me nearly as much.

He is the most kind and loving person that I know. That's why I am here. He seems to not do as well when I am not here to reassure him. Well, off to get the Sunday paper, read it and go to pick up Punkin to spend the afternoon.

SO, NOW YA'LL HAVE SEEN THE BI-POLAR IN ME . . .

2008-12-31T03:58:00.006-05:00

Yes, there is a dark, different side to me. I can go off and vent in all different directions sometimes and although I could delete the whole thing, it is part of me, so I will leave it.

Back to our life in WV,as most of you know, Doctor appointments dominant our lives here in WV. Joey and I both had one on December 23rd. Only in West Virginia can you walk out of your Doctor's office and see cows grazing 10ft from the end of the parking lot . . . and pasture land, the entire length of the parking lot, which is a sizable lot. This is a clinic, mind you, not just one doctor. I would say 50 spaces. Then on the drive home, coming through Slate on Rt. 14, I had to warn him to not hit the chicken that was pecking alongside the road. It really was small and was blending in with the gravel, weeds and the slip and the thing WAS practically on the road.

This picture was taken on December 22nd. This in our glass storm door which frosted into this pretty pattern after two days of single digit temperatures. The leafs are crafts that Punkin and I made from pressed leafs with crayon shavings between two pieces of wax paper warmed with an iron. Its supposed to "look" like stained glass.

Then I had a Doctor's appointment the day after Christmas and then one on Monday, the 29th. On the 29th, my neurologist was sick and they said that I could see the nurse practioner, which wouldn't be so bad but for the fact that I have yet to see him at all, since he didnkt made my other appointment either. So it's rescheduled for the 5th of January and Punkin has one on the 6th.

~~~~~~~****WVU Spine Center has received my films (right before Christmas) and reviewed them and they have reached some kind of decision. However, it was too late by the time I received the message and I called back today as they closed early for New Year's Eve. I should hear something from them on Friday. Prayers and good thoughts please, I need all that I can get right now.***

WV being the bureacratic nightmare of the state that it is and me having a social worker that must have had remedial help in graduating from college in order to obtain a degree in social work, I lost my medical card on January 1st.

I went this morning to get a slip showing coverage, since I was supposed to have coverage, and she printed out a slip that said that I had coverage from 01/01/08-01/31/08 effective January 02, 1980. Hmm. I have complained to everyone that my worker didn't know her ass from a hole in the ground but now, I have proof. She asked for the copy that she gave me back when I stop on Monday to pick up my new slip before going to my neurologist. appointment (they have to have proof of insurance before seeing me, obviously) but you better believe that I WILL make a copy of this shit before I drop it off.

This may work out for the best however.

I had a change in my medical coverage, it was cancelled for one day and then reinstated and because of that, my HMO is not attached to my Medical Card for the month of January; my HMO won't go back on my card until February. My neurologist in Parkersburg, WILL do surgery on me if I DO NOT have an HMO and only have the Medical Card. I happened to cancel my appt on the 29th because he was sick and rescheduled for January 5th. He was going to give me a referral to someone who would do my surgery. I was already working with WVU, sent my films and they had called today to let me know they wanted to do a CT and get me up there to see their doctor at his clinic. Anyway, to make an even longer story short, I may be able to have my surgery here in Parkersburg rather than in Morgantown. HK, (my neuro) trained at WVU and is one of the best neuros around. I would much rather have it done here at home than to be so far away from my family. I wouldn't want Mom and Punkin and Joey to have to drive so far to see me or for me to be alone up there. I will know more on Monday, but it looks pretty positive. I talked to his nurse and billing people today and they said to tell him what I had told them and he would get me on the schedule.

I will still keep my contacts and appts with Morgantown though, because I will still need something done with the problems in the lumbar area of my spine and they also do pain management on a monthly basis.

I AM BACK, SCARY? YOU DECIDE

2008-12-03T00:20:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, I have been chilly today but geezy begeezy it's freakin' colder than a dead witch's tit here. It's 25 but feels like 21 according to weather channel. I said this afternoon when is was 41 I thought it felt like it was 10. I have long johns on under my jeans, two shirts and knit gloves with the little flappy things that flip up so I can type. Seriously. I am not trying to be funny. Well, I am trying to be funny, but I do have them on.

THEN, freaking coyotes started off yipping and howling about 1 1/2 hrs ago and that sent chills that haven't gone away. Mother Nature has to be funny and it's supposed to be 52 tomorrow, Sunny and then Thursday a high of 38, 70% rain and a low of 28 that following night. WTF.

I am staying at Mom's again. It's a lot of a drama to delve into and I am tired of drama and that's way I am here. I am sick of other peoples' toxicity rubbing off on my life, making me miserable, just because they all are and I ended it. The funny thing was it wasn't just one or two people either. I had surrounded myself with people that are miserably unhappy and wanted me to be too so they could feel better about their dysfunctional lives. My pellet stove needs repaired, along with my neck and back, I had my walls almost washed all the way off, carpets shampooed and got my MRI.

I had been removing myself from these situations and people for several weeks. Then the strangest things happened . . . when it was mostly over, out of the blue, I had 4 different friends, that are all pretty happy, in good places in their lives, that I hadn't really talked to in awhile, contact me over 3 or 4 days. Then today, I received a very touching letter from Louise Johnson, who babysat me until I went to preschool and lived across the street when I was growing up but her family was much more than that to us. She just said she had to hear from the "sweet little girl from Meadow Drive that my Dad and Danny and Paul and I thought so much of you." I mean, it touched me so much. They live in FL. I have seen Paul or Louise since I was a teenager and Danny since I was in my late 20's or early 30's when he came to visit his sister.

I was at her house the day Ronald Reagan was shot. (latch key kid) When her Dad stayed with her, I would go and hang out with this 90 year old man (Grandpa Graham) after school on the front stoop. Her husband took me roller skating every weekend because he worked in the skate room, doing the repairs as his retirement job. Their son was disabled from polio and suffered from grand mal seizures, a grown man though, lifted weights with his good arm, arm wrestled but when I badly cut my foot on a broken mason jar, I can still see him running through 3 backyards faster than any of those 13 year old boys could have, to get my mother.

It's the second time in 4 days that I have received a letter from someone telling me how much I mean to them. I didn't want to live a week ago. I mean, not kill myself, but didn't want to go on anymore.

So, I have decided that God has sent me signs that he will forgive me for not keeping my promise to Gordon to help Kim take care of his Grandfather, should something happen to Gordon. I don't want to leave Kenneth. I love him as if he was my Grandfather. He asked me tonight if I was staying there or going to my Mom's and I couldn't tell him I wasn't coming back. But I don't think that God would expect for me to live with someone so mentally and emotionally abusive. So controlling over my life.

He cut all of my friends and family from my life. Even my own daughter. He made it clear that he didn't approve that I didn't beat her ass one time because she didn't put the post it notes down the first time I said so and started drawing on them. I told him, it's just fucking paper. I have five more pads. Why get mad over post-it notes? I bought them, they are mine! He didn't want her to be happy there, get satellite so she would have something to do while I tried to do dishes, feed his Grandfather, fix lunch, dinner, clean shit of the toliet, throw clothes in the laundry, assure Ken that Kim was just outside or in the living room or he'd be right back, he went to Rockport Store or getting Ken milk just whatever, I am not bitchin about the little things I did, just that Kim figured I'd leave her at Mom's if it was harder for me with her there. . . he didn't want her there. That's why he wouldn't get satellite; didn't want the swing set, the playhouse, etc.

I tried to explain to him that I didn't want her growing up thinking it was okay for someone to beat on you. I don't want her getting beat up by her old man. I don't think he got it. But I don't know if he realizes him beating Kristen's ass is a connection to her abuse from her boyfriend or ex or whatever. I don't know if he knows the dude did it.

Well, my writing therapy for tonight is over. I had talk therapy with Greg today and another session with him tomorrow. Don't know what I will do when he goes back out of town to work. May start writing 24/7.

We are taking copper and getting cash to buy radiator fluid for blazer, hauling some scrap with mom's truck so he can pay to get his truck out of the shop, put gas in blazer, he's gonna flush radiator for me, I am supplying some scrap, he's got the boom truck to load some of the shit, so, we'll make some $$$ between us two. Plus, the nasty ass fridge that quit back last summer, it going too. We are stripping copper from it too. Almost have pellet stove fixed we think. I am gonna buy Kero and start running torpedo in house some, just so it doesn't deteriorate over the winter. Pipes already drained and pretty much cleaned, so . . . . need the cash tomorrow . . . I spent $26 on winter boots, first pair in 14 years and now I am broke. It would be sooooo nice to be able to afford a load of propane . . . .

I bought Punk a pair for $15 too, so, don't be sending nasty letters. My boots will last for many years. Her boots may last for 4 months.

NO, WEST VIRGINIA DID NOT FALL OFF INTO THE OHIO RIVER . . .

2008-09-06T01:41:00.007-04:00

Has it been so long that I have blogged that they actually added new colors to the fonts? Does anyone wonder where I have been? Well, its a too long and too sad right now to talk about but right now Joey is in college at Fairmont, studying Aviation Engineering, Mom just had a week's vacation (if you could call it that . . . wasn't really a vacation for her), I have an MRI on Monday, Punkin can pretty much count to 10 on her own. Well, she leaves out 1 most of the time, but that's still pretty good for not quite being 3 yet. Mom nor I can find either of our chargers and haven't been really good at taking her pictures lately but here are a few from earlier this spring: one was taken at my friend Lonnie's lake when I took her there fishing (although, she didn't fish, just played and I helped landscape his lake . . . it is a pay lake he just opened this spring) and the other is beside his tractor he had just purchased to mow around the lake and fields there.

At present, I am working on trying to be my own paralegal again. I finally am tired of being nice since it has cost me my mother her left arm (BTW, she IS left-handed) to send Joey to school, even with the money Daddy left him, so I am going after Sam with everything I can. If it ends up that I have to file a civil suit, I may even do that. I am hoping to have him thrown in jail and have them let him out to go to work and he can return to lock up for the night and give them his tip money to send in for his back support. Maybe 45 days of that will get the point across. I am really not sure at this point if they can do it since they issued a judgement and there is not an order in place since Joey is 18. HOWEVER, I filed for an expediated modification for child support to be reinstated since he is in school full-time, so, a hearing should be held within 20 days. They are saying they can't take all of his paycheck cause "Gosh, they have to leave him SOMETHING to live on! I mean, they can only give me half of his check"

So that is why last week, I received $10.28, for TWO weeks! So he is able to live on the other $10.28 I suppose?!?!? HE FUCKING WAITS TABLES!!! HE's TAKING HOME $60.00 a night. Don't tell me he couldn't take $10 out of his pocket and send a money order into the BCSE 5 nights a week and make his fucking $200 child support payment a month. Then he wouldn't owe (as of June 30, 2008) $31,231.43. Yeah and that was after the State kept his $420.50 Federal Tax Return although he has owed me arrearages since fucking 1993 and has only owed them arrearages since I injured my back in 2005 and I had to collect a few welfare checks. He owes me $25,000 and them $6,000. WTF???? And people wonder why I am crazy and angry. I guess I let it build up for 15 fucking years too long.

Well, this chickie girl is going to go start drawing up her some motions; well, start researching to get her some satisfaction. I am starting with the tapes that are supposed to used to record all the proceedings when my objections in court in October were blatantly dismissed by the family court judge who was recently run out of office. Then I am a looking up the BCSE attorney's job, when he dismissed the same question I had about a bond be posted for those who owed arrearages (SAM) to insure payments were made as being "Something they just had to 'put in the motions now'". HMMM. So, I know I can get the tapes and well, with all the other state codes I have printed off, I may get lucky and actually get my $$. Oh, and here is my sexy pix I took the other night just cuz I felt like it . . . .

You all peeps send me notes back saying hey to me. You don't have to tell me have beeeeeutiful I look tho . . . it's photoshopped . . . . LOL

SO, I AM STILL ALIVE . . .

2008-02-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

for those of you who have missed me. I wish I could say more other than that I haven't been sick for weeks and weeks and that school is FABULOUS but until I get caught up from being ill the first 3 weeks of school and hanging in by the skin of my teeth . . . whew . . . never mix toddlers and college. I love my baby, she demands all of my time during the day and is sharp as a tack; however, this makes for little time to complete homework.

Going back to Kim's house now. It's Friday night and the cats are fed and my car is in the shop, so I am inbetween vehicles and must head back to his place. Not that I am complaining . . . . hehehe

TO ALL WHO ARE SUPERSTITIOUS

2007-12-12T04:33:00.000-05:00

this is the monster of all bad luck days. Yup, just in time to ruin your happy times, I am now 37 years old. On my 16th birthday, my best friend Brenda (from Brandon's Grill) was in a horrific car accident and had over 100 stitches in her face which was pretty much shredded by the flying glass.
Thankful to say she is still a live-wire and I spent last evening with them in the relocated restaurant, laying tile. (can't seem to get away from all this construction going on . . .) celebrating a little early with Brenda, Greg, Steve and some other blond dude . . . ryan or todd or eric or something . . .

My dad also died on my birthday . . . my 30th.

A good friend of mine, Scott McCrady, was struck by a car when leaving a bar in South Parkersburg the following year. The kid was drunk that was driving. Scott will never be the same. He is still having difficulties with his temperment and anger caused my the major head trauma.

And guess what?!?! . . . I am going to my ex-Mother-in-Law's funeral this morning; I am only going for Joey. The only person he has really kept in touch with is Zane, who is stationed in Japan.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gary agreed today to terminate his parental rights. This will mean an end to child support but that money means nothing to me compared to the relief that knowing if God forbid, something did happen to me, she would stay with Mom, providing she is also here. I have also been scoping out my friends . . . so ya'll be on your best behavior if you want a shot at being next in line for custody of Punkin in the event of our untimely demise . . .

I am having trouble finding state codes or case laws that would allow for this to take place and was told by two different law clerks that DHHR won't approve it although I found a law that says that he can do it voluntarily but it is under the subsection of neglect/abuse and since he is paying support . . . . I have only be browsing and just looking for something to jump out at me. This really may be difficult to accomplish but a last resort is that I also voluntarily terminate my rights and Mom can adopt her. I need to get married fast! In that event, my husband could adopt her. I don't see why Mom and me couldn't share custody if dick-head's out of the picture. She could be the "DAD". I find it very difficult to believe that someone could deny that child the opportunity to develop a relationship after all the BS he put me thru last winter. He doesn't know her enough to love her and honestly, I don't understand the kind of upbringing that he had that he could be so emotionless about the whole thing.

On a much lighter note:

Wish me luck on my research . . . I can't afford a high price attorney . . .

PUNKIN IS A TRUE WV REDNECK . . .

2007-12-11T05:46:00.000-05:00

I swear, she is barefoot ALL the time! Of course, us West Virginians are known for being barefooted hillbillies but she takes it to another level. After a scolding from Gordon (Kim's Dad), their dog Zana (zan-a, and no its not after Xanax, it's a shortened American Indian name) she also felt the need to scold the dog. She went into the laundry/mud room when Gordon sent her out of the sitting room and pointed her finger and said "top puppy, NO!"

She's definitely a rough and tumble baby. If she bumps her head, falls down, gets scratched or any of the nameless other accidents that befall toddlers and she gets up, dust herself off and goes on as if nothing happened. Now, let her drop a crayon from the table and its "OH NO". Drama, all the time with this terrible two year old. Climbs on everything. She is talking up a storm now but only me, Mom and Shelly can tell what she is saying.

Deedle-leedle-leedle-leedle-lee . . . that is how she calls cats. That WHAT she calls them all. I think it was because the first cat that she could really wall'er around was Lily. I call Lily "kitty girl" or "Lily kitty". With the other cats, we would say "Is that a kitty? Mr. NUUUUU-NOOOO. Is that the kitty?" Same for the that Link and Callie. We were at Kim's this evening and she just heard one of their cats meow and she said, "Whas at? Deedle-leedle-leedle-leedle-lee".

We had a party last Saturday night and Slayer asked some of her friends that I had never met to come up and we played dice. Slayer got a little trashed. We had to have a professional check to see if her heart was beating . . . .

Sunday was spent digging out Christmas decorations and hanging lights. Slayer helped some but didn't feel well so I was out in the drizzle . . . then it started the downpour and I had to wait a while before it quit . . . my gutter was overflowing and running thru the red lights I had hung. It was like a waterfall but no electrical shorts thank God. Then I did the white lights outside along with the red ones (imagine candy canes) and garland around the stairs inside; I did new stockings for Punkin, Joe, Me and Mom and some other little things. This is the first time I have decorated since Dad died 7 years ago.

In this first photo, you can see Punkin's swing and the various other items that hang on my front porch. This is the right side of the porch if you are looking out.

In this second photo, on the left you can see part of the railing that was installed this fall . . . I also now have good steps and a banister. The gap in the lights are the stairs that are not missing a board now. Obviously, this is the left side and where I ran out of lights.

Interestingly enough, the white lights came out of a box that was put away Christmas of 1999 and most of them still worked! How could I get so lucky!

Forecast for today is 64 and no rain. We have had our fill and I am really surprised that there are no flood watches for the Little Kanawha River because even up here on the hill where it all drains away down, the ground is still saturated. Tomorrow, 90% chance, Thursday 70% and Friday wintery mix. UGH!

In some sad, unfortunate news, Joey's Dad, Sam, his mother died. I didn't know she was ill but when I was reading the obituaries the other day, I thought of her and wondered if I would read her obit in the paper when she died (although, I had no clue she was deathly ill . . . she had suffered from RA for over 33 years . . . the new meds for it certainly came to late). So, Sam called Joey and asked him and me to come to the funeral. It is on my birthday, which is also the anniversary of my Dad's death. Joey hasn't spoken with him (Sam) for a couple of years but seemed happy that his Dad called and told him and that they wanted him to go to his Aunt Shari's afterwards and spend time with that side of the family, something he hasn't done in over 5 years. He knows that the lack of contact from Sam's father and step-mother and also Sam's mother was in no part my fault. Sandy couldn't drive, so her not visiting is one thing. Sadly, for many years I lived only 4 miles away from them and still live less than 12 miles away. I saw Sam's dad one time at KMart and had Joey with me and he patted him on the head and said "How are you son?" and Joey just replied fine and we talked for a few more minutes and went to go to the car. Joey then asked me who that guy was. He was about 9 years old at the time and hadn't seen him in 5 years . . . It will be interesting to watch how this thing all unfolds . . . Joey is such a mature, well-spoken and kind young man and they don't really deserve his love or respect but I am glad that they chose to include him. He is looking forward to his cousin Zane coming home from Japan as he was in ROTC with Joey and he looks up to him. Zane gave the most moving, impromptu speech at the Veteran's Day ceremony held after the parade. He really showed his respect for the Veterans and talked about how most kids take their freedom for granted . . .

Keep coming back for more exciting excerpts from our "Life in West Virginia" . . .

SHEESH, DIDN'T KNOW YA'LL STILL STOPPED BY . . .

2007-12-08T04:29:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well . . . . maybe I am a little popular! Gosh, its great ya'll are hanging in there with me!

If time had permitted, I really have no excuse to NOT post right at this point in the calendar year. However . . . there was deer season. It has yet to end and they may open a few more days for doe season since the harvest was down 13%. They really are all over the place. Gun season starts on the Monday before Thanksgiving but we had our run of deer thru last Thursday. On that weekend we ended up with 3 deer between 4 hunters. Eh, um. Well, anyhow, my roomie Michelle, is now up there with Jeff C.'s Debbie . . . but on a much larger scale. She shot a doe on the same day the guys got a couple 6 points. She went with them to gut it and we all pulled together and skinned, quartered and coldpacked (pressure canned) the meat that isn't quite right for roasts, tenderloin or small steaks. We left them hang overnight and started in on Sunday afternoon and I finished canning on Wednesday. We got 10-14 quarts . . . all of the first batch didn't seal but I just went ahead and used some of it for a big stew (stew for which MOM complemented me! and she doesn't really like deer meat!!) and some for BBQ sandwiches. Anyhow, I am nicknaming Michelle. Her blog name is now Slayer. LOL

I have had a screwed up few weeks but this past week about wiped me out. Slayer's sister is opening a store and have been there a lot and with Kim a lot and I left Tuesday afternoon with intentions of returning home that evening . . . finally made it home on Thursday evening and it was still kinda dicey from the snow/ice/cold. It was supposed to be 18 on the first night it snowed but it got down to 6. School was cancelled on Thursday and Friday and should have been cancelled on Wednesday . . . I mean between the forecast and snowfall from Tuesday night the bus out this way had to wait on chains to take the kiddos home and had to take ALL the kids from K-12 instead on the usual 2 loads . . . K-6 come straight from school 12 miles away, then he comes back through with the teenagers who are bussed from in town to the church parking lot and they switch to our bus while others go on other buses out other long, back roadways . . . I guess I digress. Anyway, since the buses didn't run, the State Road didn't manage to get to my road until sometime overnight on Thursday. We are the third secondary road, so . . . they finally did get the big hill late Friday night before Kim came up 'round 10. I made it out in the Blazer Friday morning and back up the hill with 4-wheel drive . . .

OH, but I forgot to mention when they did MY road, the State Road graded and salt/sand mixed to just past Mom's house. So, to hell with Adams', me and Curfman's I guess. At least it's gravel and not untreated tar and chip like the big hill . . . . but damn, its only another 1/2 mile . . .

So, on top of the not being home for 2 days (and can I mention here that on Wednesday night, in a 4 mile stretch on I-77, where Kim, neighbor and I were traveling from Parkersburg to home we saw 4 separate accidents, two bang-up wrecks and two minor slide around backwards, flip the box trailer you're hauling behind ya) I also lost my tailpipe and pretty much need a new muffler. Merry Freakin' Christmas. I also need a heater core. Yeee-hah and Happy Freakin' New Year. I also had a minor trial to attend on December 4th, supposed to be all taken care of and well, its postponed and I stressed all day Monday over THAT. Did I mention my birthday Wednesday next week I have another DR appt?!?! Did I tell you about not having all the shit for my bedroom and its still a mess . . .???? My desk needs cleaned off, dishes done, Christmas cards sent . . . OH! Probably had better decorate and put up a tree before the cards . . . I know Dan probably has his tree all up and already done. I probably would see a photo if I would stop by Bumble's blog . . . then there was er, um, the HUGE upset of WVU in the Backyard Brawl with Pitt . .

Enrolled for 4 classes next semester . . . 3 of them online. I can't do the campus thing for that many hours a day, its too much on my back and the stress is too much. At least I attempted to "mainstream" back into the real world . . .

See, I haven't really been MIA . . . I have just been under a big pile of shit that needs done and chasing a two-year old . . .

HERE IN WEST VIRGINIA . . . BRRRRR!

2007-11-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know its been forever since my last post. I have not fallen off my deck and rolled clear to the creek. We have been busy getting ready for the cold weather and it is a good thing we did as it has turned cold. For the first time in YEARS, we have had no lady bug invasion. It was actually a pretty nice fall . . .

There are a few pictures on my photo blog of the sunny, temperate days.

For those of you who don't see me regularly, I have a boyfriend now. I would like to use that as my excuse for not posting more regularly but it's not his fault, it's mostly Punkin's fault. She has been keeping me busy and when she is not keeping me busy, she is keeping Mom busy. Thank God for good Moms. She gives me a breaks quite a bit.

Joey was awarded Cadet of the month in September and a picture of his squad was on the front page of the paper during Parkersburg South's homecoming and he was in it. We almost missed seeing him until we looked closer. LOL

Anyway, I am seeing a hometown guy, Kim, who lives about 4 miles away. He lives with his Dad, Gorden and his Grandfather, Kenneth who is 92. He's a union carpenter but got laid off in September. They heat with a wood furnace, so a lot of his time off has been spent getting logs off the hill and splitting firewood. Our mutual friends, Steve and Shelly, moved into town and are heating with wood too, therefore, he has also put in 3 stoves for the houses and one in his hunting cabin. He also finished my deck and put up a petition in Joey's old room, making it into two room for Michelle and Cody to share. If you know anything about my home, my bedrooms are HUGE, so there is still plenty of space for them both. Actually, it was Steve who suggested that Kim do my work for the deck and petition, since he was laid off and over the course of a few weeks, things changed for us. I have known him for 12 years or so, through Shelly and Steve but never really considered dating him; usually, neither one of us was single and we never really had been alone together until he started work on the house. He is a really great guy and I already knew his Dad and Grandpa, as I had their insurance.

Everyone here is gearing up for hunting season . . . gun season starts Monday and the guys are starting to get all wound up about it.

I am happy to say that my cousin Erin's hubby, Ryan is back from his deployment to Iraq. Well, he will be back around 8am PST. She is anxiously awaiting his arrival according to her email which I just received. Hopefully, we will be able to see them at Christmas when they head back east for the holidays. She had a time of it during the fires in San Diego last month but thankfully, our other cousin Katie and her hubby are also stationed there and along with the other military wives, they took care of one another. They were spared from the fires but I am sure it was scary.

We had our first snow yesterday evening. It didn't stick but it was snowing. This will be the first year that Punkin will get a chance to play in it. She loves being outside and the snow I am sure will fascinate her.

I hope to post more often, as I always say but if not, fear not that I have fallen off the back deck now, since I have a railing . . . .

I HOPE YA'LL WERE NOT . . .

2007-10-13T02:32:00.001-04:00

holding your breath for my next rambling blog entry!

Sheesh. I don't know where to start.

I have a roomie now . . . Michelle pictured here

A back railing has finally been added for the back deck and my home is now a three bedroom. Thanks to buddies K and B for their hard work. My bedroom is a semi-bedroom/living room. Since the bedrooms are/were originally 32' x 16' there is plenty of room for my couch and 'chelle and Codester have separate living areas in the other bedroom with the addition of the petition and door. When they are gone, Cody's area can be either a walk-in closet, storage area or playroom, whatever I decide to do with it and the Punkin's bedroom on Micheller's side.

Speaking of my two-year old . . .

School is okay and that is it for now . . . I barely have time to breath, let alone blog . . .

AAAAHHHH, KARMA

2007-09-03T16:27:00.000-04:00

Those who mock and poke fun at others, will in turn have their day in front of thy master, God. Also the rest of the world thanks to camara phones . . . . --old saying from Tracey

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/your_moment_of_schadenfreude_for_today_bush_mocking_journalist_piers_morgan/

This is a nice little blog (well, okay, a well-organized medium blog) from North Dakota that I enjoy reading from time to time). Bookmark it if you like, it is not only ND politics . . . .

I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE MAJORITY

2007-08-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

that dog fighting is a sport belonging to the depraved of our generation. I have long heard tales of cock fights held in secrecy and the consistent moving of "arenas" to avoid authorities in addition to bets placed (a big reason for the sport; another reason being the gain of notoriety for the individual who's "cock" takes successive wins and whose breeding knowledge becomes legend) on the best cock fighter . . . . but I live in WV. However, the closest that I have come to roosters and gambling is when Dave Allen had the annual squirrel fry and there was a "chicken shit" contest. Harmless fun for the poultry . . . the deer and squirrel were mighty tasty and the huge event was the talk of our formally small community for weeks before and weeks afterwards. I digress from my intended topic . . .

The actions which Michael Vick has been accused of doing and I do believe he DID participate more than "his" story lends to is in brevity, the stuff child predators, no, I am not going to be PC here, it is the same stuff from which child molesters and rapists are made. Harming any creature for "fun", including animals and humans, who are helplessly and are at your whimsy and whose suffering belong to your actions or inaction is the most vile type of anti-social personality disorder or sociopathic behavior (I suppose, in 70's lingo . . . lets add a dab of narcissism too . . . no, a whole jar of narcissism)

Regarding no one but self, those with no apathy (ASPD) also tend to have episodes relating to hostility and violence,; they believe others have no rights or feelings and rationalizing their deviant acts, show no remorse for acts committed.

I am in NO WAY defending Vick but want to point out that torturing animals is a trait that is exhibited by serial rapists and killers. Why would any so-called man torture an animal, because it was "inferior" compared to animals of the same species thus presenting some gross need to be "destroyed"?

I have lived in rural areas my entire life. If inferiority is SUCH a problem, why not overdose the animal with drugs or shoot it in the head? We know that in earlier times, humans considered inferior have met with devious and inhumane treatment but that was before understanding that humans considered "inferior" in some way during that time period, be it physically or mentally have something to offer society and do not deserve such torture to be imposed on them.

Sometimes, animals MUST be put down and if time is of the essence to prevent suffering, this method is used in the absence of a professional veterinarian. However, the methods described in his case are hideous and if they are confounded, then we may count ourselves lucky it was helpless dogs rather than a helpless humans being tortured rather than the animal AND human torture seen in the notable case of Jeffrey Dahmer and thousands more that have walked this Earth.

A fitting tribute to Mr Vick:

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=64362

LOUD APPLAUSE FOR GETTING RID OF A USELESS SHIRTS AND JERSEYS!!!!
ALSO . . . .notice my font color is the one associated with cowards . . . yellow.

I SWEAR!!!! I AM WORKING ON . . . .

2007-08-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

posting more frequently!! However, my spoiled baby demands 99% of my attention when we are alone. The other 1% of the time I attempt to do something that resembles keeping house, doing laundry, popping stuff in microwave or possibly doing "real" cooking while there is someone else around.

This means that I spend a lot of time at Mom's since the washer and dryer are over there and most of my clothing since, we haven't moved dressers to my home. I have managed to clean and organize them all . . . except one drawer that has bedsheets and pillowcases . . .

+++++++++++++++++

I start school on Tuesday. I have 4 three hours classes: Accounting, Speech, Business Communications and College Algebra. My Speech 111 starts at 8am and ends with College Algebra finishing up at 6:40pm. I will have approximately 1.75 hours between each class and during this time I will attempt to do as much work as possible while also eating something nutrious, possibly exercising and drinking Diet Coke. I will have to see how things go after a few weeks and I get into a groove . . . . I worry about my anxiety and the Speech class but am going to attempt to do it without assistance from disability services. At this point, they are helping me with my seating arrangements, seeing that I can sit comfortably and briefly leave the classroom if necessary to relieve some pain. Mom is going to work from home on Tuesday and Thursday and babysit. Punkin cannot go with me until she is 2 AND potty-trained. Hopefully this will occur before next semester but with this stubborn streak she has put the odds against it. I have NO IDEA where she got that! LMAO

I am still waiting on two books . . . my Algebra and my Speech books; I bought both online for 73 bucks and considering the Speech book was 60 used, 90 new and the Algebra book which is ONLY available new and will only be used for this year's Fall and Spring semesters and costs 140 bucks at the college. I may have to purchase some type of software or access to something for the math class but I am not anticipating this. I also bought it from somewhere that I can send it back within 30 days . . . its a teacher's edition which is why I got it for 63 bucks and the speech book is an older edition purchased for 8 bucks, both included expediated shipping. I have a nice new wheeled backpack, with special accomodations for a laptop if theoccasion arises. Notice the Blue and Gold colors???? . . . Go 'eeers

++++++++++++++++++

I have gobs of tomatos and picked all the squash, which was way past picking stage . . . going to try and use it for Halloween decorations. I am going to attempt to dry it . . . . my corn mostly dried up. It was too hot, I used old seeds and probably didn't water it consistently enough. Other than those minor set-back, most everything flower-wise has escaped the heat wave. I will have some awesome morning glory pix and pix of other things later in September . . .

++++++++++++++++++++++

She is growing like a weed but is still short legged and usually wears 18 month clothing and sometimes even 12 months. She is petite but is coming out of it some . . . thank goodness cousin Katie brought tons of clothes and Aunt Shirley shipped two boxes off to us of clothing Katie left with her, which has a lot of clothing she will make use of this fall, winter, spring and at least next summer and somethings even further.

+++++++++++++++++

Thanks going out to Shelly, Sierra and Michelle who helped last night straightening up the house, inside and out. Shelly & Sierra pulled weeds, helped get some tomatoes and all the squash left while I watered many flowers, which were dying from extreme dryness and high winds which occurred during two different nights this previous week. It blew so hard, it knocked a small washtub filled with soil and plants off the porch. It is quite frightening at times, how hard the wind blows here on the hill. Michelle did her excellent straightening/throwing away/sweeper running and Shelly ran the sweeper also and dusted; they both moved the table and we managed to get all the dishes finished. Sierra helped me put away clothes in the small dresser I have downstairs; clothes that I brought over from Mom's to get me by until the arrival of the other dressers from her home.

TO MY BFF IN FLORIDA . . .

2007-07-20T16:32:00.001-04:00

Love you J. Send me an email or call. You can leave an anonymous comment, where it says after this post "what ya'll said" and put your email addy in the comments and I will get it . . .

I saw your Dad yesterday driving truck and he stopped in the middle of Camden and talked to me. He said you had called him Sunday . . . .

THE INNOCENT BABIES LOST TO

2007-06-30T14:57:00.000-04:00

dumb parents or dumb luck. I am referring to the animals this time, not the stupid pregnant motorcyle-riding girl. The carnage of it all . . . we had a severe dry spell and that coupled with fawning, the does are on the move thus increasing the number of road kill. You have never smelled anything more disgusting than a dead deer located just the other side of the guardrails, that has gone unnoticed by the "road kill crew" in 90 degree weather. If I had anything in my stomach, I would have spewed. You would think that I would get used to it, as often as it happens during the summer months.

So returning to the dumb parents, dumb luck animals, I am referencing my oft posted series in "ROAD KILL". In a stretch of road less than 1/4 mile long, beginning at Buck Run Road, lay a(n) oppossum, obviously dead and several babies scattered in spots around her. Less than 1/4 further, a doe, whose mangled remains revealed an unborn fawn. It was still in curled position, like in utero, which is my reasoning that it was unborn.

Today is movie day. We have had several Netflix videos that we have had for almost a week and today I am watching them all. Mom had already watched "Lost in Translation", didn't like it but watched part of it with me. I enjoyed the movie but hated the ending. I am currently watching "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I have vague memories of watching either a cartoon or short movie of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, because I also remember looking in my Grandma and Grandpa Shepard's wardrobes'. Climbing in and shutting myself in to be transported off . . . LOL That was all I remembered about the show, so I must have been a pre-schooler, probably 4 or 5. Old enough to know what a wardrobe was but not old enough to watch the whole movie. I can even remember where I saw the show, in the basement (family room, at the time) at Mom and Dad's in the Mineral Wells house. Anyway, I am watching the recently made film. Oh, I remember the half-man and half-animal thingie, now that I have seen it again. The third movie is "RV", previously watched but not whole-heartedly as we began in the middle.

++++++++++++++

Now about Pun'kin and the whole custody thingie. Gary never showed up for his three scheduled visits at BK. Thought we were home free, they had told me at court that as long as I had documentation that I had went, after three times, I didn't have to go anymore. Well, the third Sunday came and we went and he didn't show thought, glad that is over with. . .

then on Monday he called. Well, after some discussion, I told him he could come out here and visit her. He was still wanting to do an hour here, an hour there, when HE had time, during the week. I said no, we'll keep it on Sundays, you can come and play with her (watch her) while I do some stuff outside and it will be at 2pm rather than noon, since she usually naps around then. They would have better one on one time rather than be around a bunch of other commotion at BK. He agreed, spoke with him on Sunday morning, he was supposed to be here at 2 and come 2:30 . . . nothing. I called, no answer. He called back and was all like "What are you doing? Wondering where I am??" happily, like it was no big deal. (what?!?! like i WANT to do this?!?!?) Anyhow, he said his car was broke down and he was waiting on his brother, since he was supposed to go to Chester's (my neighbor) and was going to see if he would bring him. Well, brother didn't show or he couldn't get a hold of him. He tried to reschedule for sometime during the week. Nope. Why doesn't your GF bring you? Don't know where she is. Why don't you ask Patty or Angie (Chester's wife or daughter, as he already said Chester couldn't, he was already drinking). I wouldn't fee comfortable. (BS) Well, how about I come and get you and you can have Angie come and pick you up or Chester or I can take you to Chester's when you are done with the visit. (That wouldn't look right) {although, it's okay for us to be alone in my home for two hours, a 15 minute car ride "wouldn't look right")} What it was is this: he was drinking. I could tell. He didn't want to drive, since he just got his license back for a DUI and thought he would BS his way out of it. He said he would get a hold of me later and we would work something out.

It so happened that I had a DR appt on Monday. The very next day. My way to the DR takes me past his work. His car was there, suddenly fixed! As long as you don't fuck with me or my kids or family, I can be nice. However, since he had fucked and fucked and fucked with me, starting with asking for her for 10 days a month to not showing, acting like he wanted to see her (he REALLY was only concerned that he would "get in trouble" for not showing the first three times; I had told him that if I was going to file contempt charges, I would have filed them after the first missed visit)

So, me being me, parked around back and walked thru the backdoor of the warehouse, which was open, thru there and into the showroom, where he, Ric and his dad were literally, standing around and BS'ing about NASCAR.

They didn't see me coming. See, I had learned that if I went in the front, no one would know where Gary was, although, his car would be there. So, ambushing them once again (the first time was to serve him with responding motion for visitation paper, in which he didn't have any visitation until after the period of requested supervised visitation) I said, "Gary! Get your car fixed?!?! Jesus, you ARE a piece of work." I was out the door before their jaws hit the floor and I haven't heard from him since. YAY!!!!

I have also been getting my child support fairly regularly, until this week when I didn't get anything. I suppose that she had her baby and he took time off and they didn't think they had to withhold it. Well, I will call the peeps again on Monday and make sure I get it. Did I mention my other call worked wonders???? Like clockwork I was getting it; even with the holiday, it was on time two weeks ago. So, I am okay with the way it is now; he has to jump thru the court ordered hoops for 20-some weeks before overnights will start and each hoop must be completed before moving on, so, even though it says that in September overnights will start, one night for 4 weeks then every other weekend after that, it won't as he hasn't completed hoop #1. LOL I am expecting him to call up in September with aspirations of keeping her but I guess we will wait and see.

Two weeks and two exams to go . . . .

BTW, this post was started on June 30 or something and finished on July 20?? LOL

2007-06-05T14:30:00.000-04:00

Is this my happy type??? Well usually . . . I forgot to tell you all that calling the governor's office got me some money within a few days and I got a call from the BCSE worker, handed my case who called me and has straightened this out, hopefully. Although, she seems to think that as long as I am getting SOME money, that is all they can do, however, there are several state laws that say otherwise. They can supeona the payroll records for the past 60 days and if they didn't withhold the money, the are liable. So, its been almost two weeks and I still haven't heard anything . . . .time for a phone call.

SINCE MY MAJOR IS BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

2007-06-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

I could not go without a note about one of the most innovative businessmen in the United States. I am not talking about the guys who build pulishing industries or computer corporations and then with "teams" create new products or turn the organizations into comglomerates. No, I am talking about Bill France Jr. who took NASCAR from a southern redneck, dirt-track racing (or I suppose you can't dismiss the original "Daytona Race"-- which those of you who may be unfamiliar with the sport, actually took place on the beach!) to the nationwide sport that it is, boasting racetracks from East Coast to West Coast and from Michigan to Daytona International Speedway, which he literally helped to build from the ground up to the colossal monument to racing that it is today.

Here is a link to the story from Fox News with links there to video:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/6885574

I found out about his death during the finish of the race at Dover, which had been rained out on Sunday. . . . may I add that they also lowered the flag to half-staff, during the last 1/3 of the race, after the news was released.

Farewell Bill and Mike Helton is certainly no Bill France Jr.

HOW TO TELL AN UNBORN CHILD WILL END UP

2007-05-23T05:38:00.000-04:00

in child protective services. Some dumbass 21-year-old girl was riding on a motorcycle with her husband when he suddenly hit the brakes, throwing them both from the cycle. He was treated and released, while she was still hospitalized, under observation. The officer said that they were really lucky they were wearing their helmets! DUH. It's a state law here, go ahead idiot law enforcement officer . . . praise the couple because they were following state law. Give them a couple more pats on the back while you are at it!

SHE IS FUCKING SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT ON A FUCKING MOTORCYCLE.

Not to mention that her husband obviously does not have adequate skills to operate the fucking thing, which, you are required to get a special license to drive M/C's here in our lovely state but then, the thing that gets me the most about motorcycles is THE OTHER GUY. Hell, I was watching our local news yesterday morning and this police officer is just returning to work after getting run over by a women in an SUV, WHO DIDN'T SEE HIM . . . after TEN MONTHS OF REHAB and SURGERIES.

AND THIS FUCKING BRAINLESS DIM-WIT IS GOING TO BE CAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF HER CHILD?????

Personally, I think CPS ought to be there when the baby is born and take the child until the mother has taken several parenting classes, along with infant CPR, nutrition classes, etc and demonstrates that she can care for the child; the "father" who must have about the same range of IQ as the woman with whom he is procreating, should also do all this and then CPS can have suprise inspections for the first two years of the child's life.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Speaking of people with no parenting skills or instincts . . . Gary called last Monday, saying he never got the papers and that is why he missed the three visitations at Burger King. So, being the nice person I am, I told him he could come out on Sunday from 2-4, since she usually naps around noon, which is what the freaking court had scheduled; they could play outside (which consists of chasing after her, keeping her from danger) while I did some work in my flower beds, cleaned up around the yard; then the next weekend, we could meet at Southwood Park if it wasn't raining and then we would go from there. He has to have supervised visitation for three consecutive weekends, before moving to phase two, which is when he has visitation by himself, no other people, including me, for two hours, for four consecutive weekends.

Well, I get all my running done on Sunday, going to the grocery store, get them unloaded, put away, go to Mom's and pick her up and get her back at the house by 1:45.

2:30 . . . nothing. I call . . . no answer on his cell or his home phone. He calls about 2:50 and asks, "What are you doing? Waiting on my?" um, YES. Well, his car is broke down. I said, "Angie at work? Won't she be home soon?" He didn't know where his 8 month pregnant live-in whore was at the time. Can't get ahold of his police officer brother, nor could he call his buddy Chester, since he was probably already drinking. I asked could he not get Chester's wife, Patty or their daughter, Angie, pay them gas money and drop him off and when the girlfriend reappeared, she could pick him up at Chester's. (Chester lives less than 1/4 mile the way the crow flies from me)
No. That wouldn't work either. I asked if he wanted me to drive in there and pick him up but he said "That wouldn't look right." {like we are going to fuck in front of the baby, while I am driving down I-77} I did all I could to get his visitation with his daughter on Sunday but alas, he really was busy anyway. He had a lot of "stuff" to do and really didn't have the time anyway.

1. You don't "get around to parenting" when you have the time. You do it when your child needs you or when the court says you may see her, since you SAID that you wanted her 10 days a month back in January. Jeez, what would have happened THEN??? As busy as you are, doesn't seem like you would even see her while she was at your house if you can't find the time to spend two hours with her.

2. I had a Dr. appt on Monday afternoon, it takes me past his place of employment. Well, lo and behold, his car was fixed! He drove it to work, the four blocks from his house to the outlet. Well, me, being the sneaky chickie that I am (if I pull up front and they see me, they can't seem to find him, although, his car is parked out back) walk through the open garage door, into the warehouse, past the desk and forklift, past the rolls of carpet, up the ramp to the show room and WELL, he is literally BS with his dad and the other sales guy, Rick. The way the show room is set up, I could see his hat and positioned myself so that the other guys couldn't really see me but said, well, loudly asked, "GET YOUR CAR FIXED GARY?!?!? JESUS, YOU ARE A FUCKING PIECE OF WORK". I was out the warehouse door before their jaws hit the floor.

That is not like me but when I saw his fucking car there, although, I already KNEW he was lying on Sunday { that is why I pushed and pushed him rather than just say "oh, well, guess you can't come see her this sunday but we'll make nice and work around YOUR [drinking] schedule," which is what he expected. It, the rage that is, just went through me like a lightening bolt.

I refuse to be jerked around nor allow my child to be fucked with emotionally, when she gets older and he pulls that shit. Sam did the same fucking thing. He would get drunk and not come for visitation, that I stop my life and routine for, when they decide they want to play "daddy" for a day and hurts my kids, which hurts me and STRESSES ME OUT, JUST FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES.

His girlfriend seems to think that when C-A's "little brother" is born, that I will be required to take her, since well, the baby is related. Um, nope. Law master's office said that he will have to bring the child alone, for his visitation until he completes all the stages. I honestly do not think he will. He was worried last week when he called that I would file charges to get him in trouble. Well, all I could file would be contempt charges and then they would COMPEL him to see her, which, I do not wish. I was going to let it ride, figure that my life would get back to normal then he called with the SOB story, when I know he was at BEERSTOCK the first visitation date, told his whore that it STARTED on the 29th, they said we had to start the visitation, as it was filed in court, doesn't matter if we have a copy or not. Of course, she was busy calling me a "fat hog" but admitted that that she knew I said that and admitted that she was wrong for calling me names and that she shouldn't have been talking to other people, about sealed court records, regarding visitation. If she was so pissed about the supervised visitation, she needs to go to Judge Annette Fantasia that she has a burr up her ass, since she agreed with me.

His employer is also fucking with my child support. I got a check, for $58 in support and $170 in arrearages on April 2nd (not all of the arrearages, as he is now $1200 behind in support for Charleigh-Anne just since January 1st. Then on April 27th, I got a check for $145.84, which is the amount he would pay if HE WASNT BEHIND IN SUPPORT ALREADY. So, that is almost $200 for April. Now, it is May 23rd and I haven't rec'd a check since. I have sent 4 emails to Child Support Enforcement, with the state statutes, which require the employer to withhold the amounts or face penalties. The employer is also required to mail it to the CSED NO LATER THAN THE SAME DAY he receives his check. They in turn are required to send it to me no more than two business days later. He gets paid every other week, I should receive a check for $145.84 + arrearages every other week. Not 20 days here, 30 day there, not the correct amounts for an entire month . . . . hell, I am getting regular checks from Sam's employer, it is not that hard to do. I get anywhere from $10-$30 every other Thursday like clockwork from Sam's employer. The law requires that the oligee, me, have a reasonable expectation as to when I will receive support payments and there are three different state codes, stating such, including the notice sent to the employer when all this shit starts.

The last email I sent to BCSE stated that I would either A.) file suit against BCSE for not contacting the employer after my repeated requests OR B.) call the prosecutor's office here in Wood County, to have the laws of WV enforced.

The employer is also liable for what was supposed to be withheld in the event the don't do it and BCSE has the power to request the previous 60 days of payroll to check and see, per another state code.

Gary's people have no right to fuck with my money. I offered Gary three times that if he terminated his rights, I would drop the child support. No, he doesn't want that. Yet, he can't take 2 hours to see her. I didn't want to be with him because I knew he would lie to me and fuck me over and lie some more, yet, here I am, stuck with an idiot with a controlling whore, who wants to keep me under her thumb too. Nope. Not gonna happen.

I feel sorry for his dad . . . sorta. He walked away that one day when I stopped by so Gary could see her, back in the good ol days when Tracey was the one hauling CA to see him "when he had time". He is dying. I guess he had a spot on his lung and four tumors in his brain. Hell, he will probably die without ever getting to know her and see what a firecracker of a red head she is. His only granddaughter.

So, I have filed a complaint with the Governor's office, the will let the attorney general know and hopefully, I will have some money in a few days. They are supposed to have someone from BCSE call me today. (the Attorney General defends the BCSE, in the event of a lawsuit and even without this, I still have 3 other violations on them)

After all the crap I went through with Sam, I had little in the way of new laws to learn and it was a hell of a lot easier than trying to find the laws in that damn code book. LOL

Well, sorry for all the cussing but I had to get it off my chest. Mom won't listen to me, doesn't want to hear it, Shelly is working and Bridgette is never around anymore.

I am single so that some guy isn't controlling my life and SOB if I don't have one anyway!

Gotta get ready to go to circuit court . . . find out some stuff for mom and dig out some info from my file because guess what???? THEY DIDN'T FIGURE HIS CHILD SUPPORT CORRECTLY! HIS INCOME DID NOT DECREASE OVER $400 A MONTH FROM 2005 TO 2006. I wasn't going to mess with it but when people mess with me, I turn into super bitch. It's only like $45 bucks more a month but that's a week's worth of gas.

I am going to try to blog more until school starts. Well, after my prof gets back with me about my book because well, i don't have $116 for a freakin' math book. algebra problems only change with their variables, functions or real numbers and not the way that you do it. It's a freakin elementary and intermediate algebra book combined, which i am not taking the elementary algebra . . . i found the intermediate only book, same author, same cover, 6 ed. for $5. then i am going to have to start getting my books for next semester . . . i know the acct book is a whopper but it's combined too, econ 1 and 2, which i have to take. another math class, speech and business communications. 12 hours, Tues/Thurs and mom is working from home on those days. I will be there from 9:30 until 7 but will have about 2.5 hours inbetween classes to do work.

Gonna be 88 here today, gotta go get my 'maters outta the hot sun and water my corn and beans . . . pictures really soon, I promise . . . .

WHO'S THE BEST STUDENT OVER THE AGE OF 35?!?!

2007-05-09T17:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, that would be moi. It is official, I made the Dean's List again. Although it is only 6 hours, with all that went on this semester between our illnesses and court appearances, I am pleased. Now I will have Intermediate Algebra this summer and Accounting, Speech and College Algebra this fall. Mom is all for me taking the classes in the morning for Accounting and Speech, therefore I will not have a virtual speech class but rather a "real" speech class. I will be able to take the Accounting class with the Professor that I wanted to have . . . I will have him for at least 3 of the advanced Accounting classes so I would prefer to have him for the 4 Accounting classes required of all business students.

Pun'kin got her shots today even though she was still running a fever. She came home and slept for 2 hours too . . . this is the first time we have gone without Mom. I have an ENG (?) to test the nerve responses in my legs tomorrow. That will be fun . . . they stick needles in my leg. Yay. (sarcasm, in the event you didn't know)

PUN'KIN PIE IS FEVERISH . . .

2007-05-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

Although she has no other symptoms of illness, she has a stubborn fever requiring alternating doses of tylenol and motrin. She may have strep throat or some other throat ailment. What a bummer for the little tyke who loves the outdoors. Although she would probably be okay if I took her outside, I don't want to aggrevate anything. She has an appointment tomorrow to get immunizations, however with her fever, she won't get them; she will get to see the doctor who can determine what it is that is causing her fever. The recepitionist at his office indicated there are a lot of viral infections circulating and that as long as she is playing normally (which she is when she gets the medicine in her, which I told her) and taking fluids, she will be okay until tomorrow. OMG. She just walked out with a huge ball of lint that she is patting like some sort of stuffed animal. She won't let me have it either.

What a bungling of a murder suspect's containment I have ever seen. How could the Fresno police go from saying they have the murder supect in negotionations, alluding that he was contained to the suspect being "at large"?

Speaking of Pun'kin, her "dad" did not show up for the second week in a row! One more week and I will not have to spend $7 in gas in order to drive into town for a visitation that does not occur. I can assure you that if he eventually does call and want to go through with his, it will be in a more central location, rather than 4 blocks from his home with him not showing up anyway. Hopefully, the court will see that (t)he(y) are harassing me, rather than trying to exercise visitation and that I have her best interests at heart and they/he do not. If him not showing for the visitation does not prove it, I don't know what does. I suppose that I will have to hire a lawyer in order to get this through to the judge. If he doesn't want to go through the motions in order to get her alone, it should be obvious to anyone that he really doesn't want her at all, other than to appease the girlfriend, who is grasping at straws to hold onto him . . .

So what do you think of the Queen's visiting the US for the first time since HW was president? I think it is pretty cool. Although I am not a "royal watcher", the movie Mrs. Brown got me facinated as to the rituals and customs that go into coming into contact with royalty. That she would come to visit to celebrate the 400th anniversary of a settlement financed by the English, that would turn out to be the embryo of our illustrious nation is pretty cool. If you have never had the opportunity to see Mrs. Brown (ehhm, Dan) then you might check it out, if only for the historical aspect.

NAME CALLING IS NOT ALLOWED

2007-05-04T07:36:00.000-04:00

I have been busy working on finals, finished on Wednesday and should once again make the Dean's list with "A's" in both classes. My posts should come more frequently until June when I start my refresher Intermediate Algebra class. It will be M-F 9am-10:45am and Joey will be my babysitter. In return, if he makes above a 3.0 we are going to allow him to travel to Seattle to meet his girlfriend in person. They have been chatting online since he was around 13 on the Nintendo website. They just go serious 2 years ago and she is graduating in June and he is going out there to stay for a week. He is afraid of flying, so I figure if he can summon up the courage to fly, baby-sit his sister this summer and make good grades he is adult enough to go on his own.

Last week, Gary's girlfriend called me with an attitude saying that I needed to deal with them having visitation and was upset that I got supervised visitation, without her present. Things escalated when I told her it wasn't her business and she said that it was because Charleigh-Anne "was going to have a little sister or brother" (newsflash! my mother and I knew she was going to get pregnant before she actually got pregnant . . . it's like she is jealous of me and Pun'kin and although Gary didn't want anymore kids, she is having one) I still told her that it didn't matter and she still didn't have anything in it, they aren't married . . . she called me a "fat hog" although, she was about the same size as me, except shorter before she got pregnant and now she is even bigger. I guess she is insecure about her body changes and is afraid Gary would jump my bones in Burger King during visitation. However, Gary didn't show up for his visitation. I called the family law master's office and I am going to show up two more times and if he doesn't show, I will just stop going into Burger King. They told me at the Family Court just to have a witness or as in the case last week, I had a receipt to show I had been there. I also saw Amber, who works with my Mom, so last week is covered. Mom is going to take me this week. I am not going to push the issue, I will just let things go like there are now; we are quite happy in our family unit of me and Mom, Joey and Pun'kin. She has all she needs from us and my friends. Anyhow, the girl obviously has some anger issues, flying into a rage like that and I am not sure I want Pun'kin around her anyway. I had kinda thought that she was controlling and insecure because of little things that I noticed. Like when I had to wait for her to get off work for me to take Pun'kin in to see Gary when things were more amicable (like she didn't want me to be alone with Gary) although, I would try to go to their back room to give them all some time alone then Gary would follow me back there instead of visiting with Charleigh-Anne; yup, he would leave Angie and Charleigh-Anne in the living room and follow me. I am not sure that SHE gets it; if I had wanted to be with Gary, I would have been. There were reasons why I didn't tell him, the fact that he is an alcholoic being one of the biggest and not the type of person that is loyal to one girl being another; I didn't WANT him. She needs to "get over it". . . . she is so childish, name-calling and acting like a fucking teenage, jealous of the "old" girlfriend . . .

Speaking of the Pun'kin piedhead, she is growing like a weed; the other night, Joey had said that when I left that she said "love you" . . . we weren't sure until he was going up to his loft and she said "byeeeee love you" to Joey and Mom and I were there and heard it and agree that is what she said. She also says "daggie" for the dogs and cats, which is strange because she used to say "keeee" for kitty. "up" is another word, along with "by-eeee by-eee" which means, take me out of the house. Either outside or in the car, it covers both. She also says "tan ou" for thank you "eer u ga" (t)here you go, which I say a lot when I am giving her something and of course, the one that is usually one of the first in every toddler's vocabulary "up". She also has taken to pulling your hand open and putting objects such as binkies or sippie cups/bottle in your hand; another cute gesture is when she takes your finger and pulls you to where she wants you to go. Usually this is to the door to go outside or to the fridge.

I was working on my flower beds and other plants in my landscape, actually, I was pulling grass up from around my mimosa trees that are beside the hosta, the hosta that was grandma's and located at the corner of her porch but is about 7ft from mine (although I dug some up and have some on my porch corner) when I got buzzed by a hummingbird. I have a shepard's hook in this location and last year, it had a hummingbird feeder there so it must be one that used to feed last year in our locale. He found the one I hung on the porch. (the 16th was the date on the DNR calender to hang feeders)

I wish I had known of the GOP debate last night; although I am already behind Rudy, I would like to hear the others and listen to what they have to say too. And as a note, damn that Mitt Romney is a good looking guy. He actually "looked" presidental too, in the clips I have seen and Rudy seemed more accessable instead of his persona usually seen, the 9/11 Rudy who is stern.

It is hard to post pictures of Pun'kin now as she gets mad at me when I even get the camera out and takes off . . . maybe I went a little overkill with the picture-taking of her . . . .

We are on pins and needles here at Life, waiting to hear if Paris goes to jail for violating her probation. Any other person would go to jail and we are hoping that there is no leniancy for her, due to her diminished mental capacity.

ANOTHER I WAS RIGHT MOMENT . . .

2007-04-25T10:09:00.000-04:00

So, the hearing went okay last Tuesday. Gary won't get to keep her overnight until he gets to know her better. According to the schedule presented by the judge, that will be sometime around the middle of October! I think I had a schedule a that went a little faster than that and well, if he'd had listened to me, rather than his girlfriend, he would probably have her spending the night with him now instead of waiting for 6 more months. Some people just don't get that I am always right (LOL!) and well, when it comes to my daughter's best interest, I really am right all the time, since I love her and have her best interests at heart, which don't include getting my money's worth regarding visiting a child. "They" wanted 10 days a month, they are getting 2 overnights and 4-weekly 2-hour visits per month. Yes, I am quite satisfied with this. the increasing increments of time begin weekly this Sunday . . . She also would not accept my motions and he does not have to attend parenting classes. However, he is required to visit Charliegh-Anne alone for the first 8 or 12 weeks and the visitation will only be for 2 hours a week.

Japan is implementing stricter gun control laws due to an increase in shootings in the country. I am not quite sure how this will lower shootings since they estimate that 2/3 of the shootings were related to organized crime. Do they think that the criminals in crime organizations obtain their guns legally anyway?? In all likelyhood they do not and this is an instance where only the criminals will have the guns and my prediction is that organized crime will continue to grow in Japan . . . .

One week of school remaining . . . . finals are next week.

TRAGEDY IN VIRGINIA

2007-04-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

It appears that a psychotic Asian person has killed over 20 students and/or professors at the University of Virginia. VA-Tech is located near Blackburg VA, located close to the WV border. I know people who have attended VA-Tech and being a college student myself, it is extremely scary.

Can you imagine the fear of thousands of parents across the nation?? There are conflicting stories about it the gunman is dead or not or if there may have been multiple shootings. One shooting occurred early about 7am in a dorm, that killed at least 1, then another shooting in an engineering building while classes where in session occured a few hours later, that killed at least 19.

It is also being reported that they were lined up and shot execution-style . . .OMG, those poor people. It appears that we may have broken a record on the number of people killed in a single shooting incident in the US . . .

Once again I ask the question . . . what is the world coming to???

WHERE IS SPRING?? IT HASN'T SPRUNG HERE!

2007-04-14T00:45:00.000-04:00

So I am ordering seeds from Burpee's tomorrow. I am buying about 25 dollars worth of seeds but some of them I may never have to buy again. Like my morning glories that I have now. I have given friends hundreds of seeds and I still have them scattered around the porch and counter in the kitchen. So, hopefully I won't have to buy the verbascum again, since it's a perennial, the impatiens I can bring in and winter inside and restart them outside again. I am so sick of the cold weather that I could scream. Here is the verbascum that I want to get. I have waited for 3 years to get it and I am not going without it again.

I do however now have 5 hyacinths, 16 tulips and 6 pansies (3 yellow and 3 orange, they look pretty with the purple hyacinth!) The were all purchased relatively cheaply. Well, Mom bought all except for 3 hyacinths and the pansies, which were only $1.67 for six. I am starting assylum, tomatos plants, impatiens (blueberry and strawberry), nasturtium (night and day, they are maroon and cream . . . gorgeous!) I have alot planted and some stuff I just put out to see if they would come up. Of course, with the cold weather, the seeds have probably gone off but I have more.

The scabosia is going to be gorgeous too. Just imagine this in a vase; several vases. A few vases on my cleaned up porch. A few more inside the house . . . I can't wait to actually have a cut-flower garden and when Charleigh-Anne is big enough, she can help cut flowers. I used to love to get my Grandma to go with me and tell me which flowers I could cut off and put in a mason jar to go with the daisies I picked . . . .

Anyhow, I am heading down the home stretch in school . . . I have A's in both classes so far and hopefully that will remain until the exams are over. I already have another project in Art and I also have to go to court on Tuesday with Gary. That is going to suck. I hope I don't get too nervous and do something wrong. I am going to make an outline and have it in front of me when I present my motions to the judge. I just hope she takes them since I don't really know what I am doing but "Certain People" have told me that my motions looked really good for me not being a lawyer. Something like that anyhow. KK can tell you . . . HEHE

I am going to have a class this summer . . . 8 weeks, 10 hours a week. Intermediate Algebra in order to get re-aquainted with the graphing calculator. The algebra I think I will do okay on, it's just the calculator that I forget so I am going to refresh on it and THEN take the College Algebra class which will finish my math requirements since I have already had Statistics. Stupid. You need 5 hours but are required to have Statistics and College Algebra. Why not just say, you need 6 hours and these classes at minimum . . . .

Anyhow, with the nice weather approaching, you will see me maybe a little more frequently. I feel more like communicating when the weather is nice . . . .

OF MICE, MOWING AND ME

2007-03-27T14:08:00.000-04:00

So, the other night, our fearful cat, Lilly (she is the white cat in the photos) come from the basement, where the litterbox is located and while I am soundly sleeping, she starts tearing around my room, arousing me from my blissful slumber. Yes, this is the mouse part . . . she caught a mouse in the basement and brought it up to play in my room. I managed to get them both in the closet and an hour or so later, the mouse was deceased from excessive play. No, Lillyput does not eat red meat. Son Joey disposed of said mouse and it is now laying in the yard.

Neighbor Bob is mowing, well actually brush-hogging Mom's front yard. Thank you Neighbor Bob. I was going to be worrying about snakes in the blackberries and Punkin playing and now at least, some worry about that will no longer be. I had a snake encounter at my house last week when I decided to start cleaning out the flower beds while Punkin was sleeping. It ended about 15 minutes later with the snake encounter. I thought it was a copperhead. Neighbor Bob said it was a "house" snake; Neighbor Bob still decapitated said snake as it didn't slither away, but slithered on top of a pile of the leaves that I had been cleaning out and was still there an hour later. You know neighbors Bob, Bertha, Randy and Mike are some of my favorite people. Neighbor Randy had previously saved me from a black snake that was in my bedroom closet (2nd floor, yup, YIKES!!!!) at 11PM one night. Actually, it was Randy AND Mike and actually, I think it was Mike that decapitated that one, whose blood still remains in my closet! LOL Joey found it on that spring day in 2000 . . .

I go to the OB/GYN again tomorrow. This is my second sonogram of my ovary . . . they don't like to worry people but I am guessing they are checking for growth. It is my only ovary since they took the other one during the tubal ligation and well, hopefully it is not the big C. They biopsied the last one and it was negative so hopeful this is just scarring . . .

Now we are just waiting on the rain to begin . . . maybe some cooler temperatures. I know, it is nice but damn its humid and its way too early to be running the A/C but jeezy pete, 82F is a little warm for March. The freaking lady bugs are out and about along with the flies and ants. UGH. I had a colony of ants pop out of a crack in the sidewalk at my house which cut short Punk's afternoon outside. Well that and her falling over everything. My limestone rocks, the well rock, the sidewalk . . .

She has is awake from her nap now and demanding my attention, so I must go.

OKAY, CALL ME NEGLIGENT

2007-03-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

I should be charged with blog endangerment. I know, I know but wait until you hear what has happened. Well, those of you who don't already know. . . . my laptop crashed.

So I have spent several weeks working on rebuilding school work and enjoying the weather. I am still stressed about the Gary thing and going to court but hopefully that will be over in a few weeks.

I have most of it all caught up except for the art project and studying for a test in art.

Has anyone watched that new FX show "The Riches"? OMG it is weirdly funny. If you like Rescue Me, you will like this. It is dark and crazy.

Pun'kin is growing like a weed, loves the outdoors and throws a fit if we come back inside before she is "ready". Hopefully she will be Mommy's little helper with the gardening.

THEM FREAKING CELL PHONE TALKERS (part 2)

2007-03-08T07:12:00.000-05:00

Had to go to Marietta earlier in the week to pick up my $25 Gift Certificate I won from WTAP for a correct trivia question answer. I may not look it but I am a pretty swift chickie. Anyhow, its not really easy to drive a Cadi around Marietta anyway . . . narrow lanes, Buckeye drivers, etc. Well, here comes some woman TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE over into my lane. ON THE SIDE PUN'KIN WAS ON TOO! Thank God there was a turn only lane that no one was in, otherwise, well . . . I might have had to kill her, THEN go to jail.

Some people are just clumsy. So I spend all day with un-named person in my accompaniment to Marietta. (you know, going to Marietta is sort of like taking a road trip) We had paid her water bill, stopped at IGA to get food for Punkin and then hit the gas station before jumping onto the I-77. So, we spend several hours together, you know girls, chit chatting back and forth and we get back to her house and her husband, Steve, said "Did Shelly tell you what she did last night?" HEHEHE (un-named) I said "NOOO. Shelly, what did you do?" Well, seems the ashtray (one of those big heavy square glass ones from back in the day) in their bedroom was on the head board and from what I understand, she was flipping a blanket around and somehow managed to knock it off the headboard and onto her head. She saw stars she said and it took forever to get the ashes washed out of her hair. LMAO
Thanks to Steve for bringing it to my attention so the incident could be published on the 'Net. WE STILL LOVE YOU SHELLY!! Just a pickin' on you

You have to have the funny to balance out the serious. I had my x-ray and Dr. Figeroa's office called and I have an MRI scheduled for next Tuesday. Mom has her appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday and hopefully can get her surgery scheduled during my Spring Break. I won't know anything until probably after her appointment but will keep the updates coming.

I am going out to the college today to "note compare" with a guy from class that seems to be really good as he has had my professor before. Hopefully Pun'kin will behave. It shouldn't take too long so she won't have much time to do too much. Our take-home mid-term is due next week (WED) and the Art project the week after that hopefully. If I can get some time put in over the weekend on the Economics and get an outline for the Art project, I will be good to go. At least in Art, he has already given us our study guide for the next test, which he says will be a little while. It's hard to believe the semester is 1/2 over. I was planning on taking summer classes, registration starts on April 2 and I suppose I can register and if I happen to end up needing surgery and P/T again, then I will drop it before classes begin. It depends on which 4-week session it is. I have most of the prep work done already so it won't be too bad.

I saw a red fox on the way home from Art class Tuesday. I keep forgetting to tell anyone so, I am telling ya'll out there. I haven't seen one since a couple of years ago when I spotlighted one below Mom's house to see why the dogs were barking. This one looked like he/she had faired the winter pretty good, not scraggly looking at all and strangely, it stayed on the road in front of me for a good 1/4 mile before running into the woods.

I wish the weather would turn around. I am tired of this 20 weather at night and 30 in the afternoon. It's March for heavens' sake and why not some 40 or 50 degree weather so you can go outside for brief periods of time. I have started a few plants inside, just assylum.

FINALLY, THE END OF THE WEEK . . .

2007-03-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

Of course, I found out this AM that I have a project in my ART class! AAAAHHHH It's not too bad, he is allowing us 3 different ways to do it; written (800 words), 3 minute speech with visuals and PowerPoint Presentation, 16-32 slides. I am not real proficient with PP but I know it won't be speech. Dropped it twice in the past 16 years in college. LMAO . . . . but so goes the TGIF . . . now it is I have to work my butt off all weekend but that's okay too, hopefully I will not be sick on Tuesday after the epidural on Monday and can make it to class to find these things out . . .

Had an awful day yesterday but one good thing is that I am getting an x-ray tomorrow and then probably and MRI. My guess, I am going to have to have metal supports surgically implanted in my back. Guess they can open me up in the same scar so, that's a plus, not a good plus but at least I won't look like Frankenstein. Of course, no one ever sees my back since I don't do mid-riffs, low-cuts or bathing suits really. Haven't for a long time. But that'd be cool to have swimming as P/T. I always loved it and haven't been in years. I think I took Joey to Southwood in '01. Well, there was the time GREG pushed me into the pool with my jeans and all on but I didn't swim . . . I just got pissed.

Still trying to get the house in order. When you don't have all your furniture, it is not a realistic thing to attempt. No dressers=Storage boxes . . . but the furniture will come when there is not 5 inches of mud to get to my porch. OR 5 inches of ice. LOL The snow is okay as long as the ground is still frozen good but that never happened
since there was ice under it.

Got my desk cleaned off today, sorta. My printer is back over here (the good one that is really mom's . . . . XOXOXO to Mom. I couldn't get by without it. Top of the line laser. We had to get a new toner cartridge, ordered it and it never came and the charge never appeared so we went to Circuit City and Mom flipped over the price. The one online was much cheaper but, we didn't get it and it certainly delayed some things I needed to print to analyze for:

the MKTG class I am dropping but all the blame does not lie on the toner cartridge as far as dropping the class goes. We will give that to Gary and Angie. THANKS GUYS!!! YOU WON'T GET ALL THAT VISITATION TIME AND I ASSURE YOU, I WILL DO AND AM DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HAVE PSYCH EVALUATIONS ON YOU BOTH AND ASSURING THAT CHILD IS NOT SUBJECTED TO YOUR FUCKED UP THINKING AND FUCKED UP LIVES, WHICH I KNOW YOU LIVE.

Tell me folks, I have a comment section there, am I out of line for being enraged over:
1. Being blindsided by him filing an individual parenting plan, which is because the parents can't agree(but she filled it out) after we (GARY AND I ON THE PHONE) agreed to meet the week following his demanding phone call that I come in that night, on the icy roads, with a baby running a fever of 102. I told him fill it out the way you think it should be, I will fill mine out the way I think it should be and we'll get together and see what we can do. He said okay and then signed them the following day and Angie wrote on the motion that they contacted me and I never contacted them back. Um, I did contact them the following week, but no, since the agreement was to meet the following week, I hadn't contacted them 24hrs later.
2. Two adults who have spent less than 8 hours with MY baby, wanted to take her February 2, 3 and 4 AND Angie hadn't seen her since Oct and the last time Gary had seen her was when I stopped by his work during lunch, with Bridgette with me on November 9th, 2006 and he spent about 12-15 minutes seeing her but kept trying to get me to hold her (when i couldn't because of my back, that is why Bridgette was with me) and they passed her back and forth while they chit-chatted about Gary knowing Bridgette's mom from WAAAAAY back. I told Gary that I would be home all day on Sunday, if he wanted to come and see her, I would be watching football and he said that he was supposed to go to Chester's home and help him do some things, which is about 1 or 2 miles from my home and that he would probably stop by. He has not seen her since. He never called nor did he stop by and he has not contacted me to see her since.

THEY ARE STRANGERS TO HER. WTF?!?!? Is this not a little out of line to take a 14.5 month old child to your home when she doesn't know you? Did they think she'd be O-K? OMG That would be like me selling her to someone.

One day, this little baby is surrounded by the people who have cared and loved her since before she was born and then her world is turned upside down by two people who don't even know how to spell her middle name . . .let alone they don't know what are her favorite toys, bath-time games, bedtime rituals, her fav Sprout shows and most importantly, her sleeping blankie??? My god. Please, if someone out there knows a specialist who would disagree with me that this would tramatize her, please let me know. Maybe I am wrong and she'd be fine but I really think I am right. If anyone knows an early childhood psychologist, below age 3, please let me know. I have a few questions and there are none at the center that I took her to and there are none at the center where the visitation will probably occur. She is coming around some with strangers, but that is with me or Mom there. THREE DAYS?????????

I cannot comprehend what was going through their minds. They are NOT thinking about the child, whose interests are first and foremost. OR, they both are complete idiots. I mean, like have low IQ's. SHE's an LPN! She knows ALL ABOUT KIDS cause she watches her sister's kids and they come and stay there sometimes too. Um, she's been with them since day one, in all likely hood since she is the AUNT!

It is like since he was ordered to pay support in January, they think he is a daddy (**wave the wand, you are now daddy) now and has rights. Rights, to a piece of property. Did I mention that they wanted CA 10 days a month according to Angie's schedule because "the mother is unemployed". That was addressed in court during the child support hearing. Evidently Gary didn't tell her that it didn't matter anyway. Evidently, Gary had no part in drawing it up, which I hope is what is going on and I honestly believe she is pushing him to do this.

WHEW. That took a lot outta me. But just the way they (she) filled out the papers, trying to put me in a bad light, went through me like a knife and still does. Sure, I didn't contact them back. She left out it had only been 24 hrs and we agreed to next week. And "the mother is unemployed" thing raises my blood pressure a month and a half later. SHE KNEW I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL. We talked about it. So since I am unemployed, I have no schedule and I mean nothing since "the mother is unemployed". FUCK HER. I was working TWO jobs when I fucked my back up and she knows all about my back problems and surgeries and the physical therapy that just ended in OCT and I was in school in AUG. WTF. She is a manipulative, controlling, freaked out bitch. She even told me she had to "remind him to call". That was when I didn't even have to let him see her. She even said one time, I've been on him to call but, you know . . . .

Yeah, I know. He doesn't care and you think a baby around or having one together will fix your failing relationship. Well, when you have your baby shortly and it doesn't change him and then the child starts suffering as it grows older, you'll figure out what I know. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL HIM. I DIDN'T WANT HIM IN OUR LIVES. HE IS A DRUNK, MEAN WHEN HE IS DRUNK, WORKS HARD BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A REAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE.

I know this from observance, not a broken heart. My heart doesn't break over one night stands. My heart doesn't break over a few month relationship. It was a one night stand and he told me he didn't have GF and then well the next weekend the GF asked me why I wouldn't talk to them. AND I TOLD HER. I ALSO TOLD HER I ASKED HIM THREE TIMES AND HE SAID HE HAD NO GF. Went out with him twice, slept with him once, then his girlfriend came in for the weekend and guess what. Um, she knew me and couldn't figure out why I wasn't smiling and waving at her. I told her I didn't feel comfy around Gary and she asked why and I told her I went out with him. She said a long time ago and I said no and she said when and I said Sunday and Wednesday night. She dropped him that night. I found out later that there were other girls too but didn't find out til after I did, otherwise, I wouldn't have slept with him. Missy T. is a drunken whore and thank god i don't have aids. I wasn't in love with him. I have known him for years but he always had a GF. Thought he was nice, we have common friends and interests and all that. Not in love tho and well, after a week, I considered him scum.

WHEW (squared). I am done now. Here is a picture of my baby and whether or not she knows her dad is up to him now, not me. I was forced to tell who it was in order to keep my medical insurance and well, we knew I had to have back surgery. Its not like there was anyone else. I don't sleep around much, it had been four months since I had been with someone and well, we all have urges. My urge turned into a beauty of a child and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world and would LOVE to talk to Becky Farnsworth Gorsky sometime. Apologize to her again and then accept her thanks and just try to figure out WTF he was thinking . . .

The posts should be more regular now and less, um, venting. I just about have it all out. No I don't. Cuz I still can't figure out WTF they/she was thinking while filling out the papers . . . .

Ok, Ok . . . I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE

2007-03-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

So, I will admit that NoRmAlCy is never attainable. Life always changes and although there may at times be a semblance of normalcy, it doesn't last long.

I am home. I have pellets, my recliner, my storm doors and well, still no bed since the "tenants" evidently mixed up my box springs with theirs, although, they didn't leave their box springs. Mom is giving my the set over in her spare room and we are going to move my old bedroom suite, that Mom and Dad bought me when I was 2 or 3 into the spare room over there and Pun'kin's room will be there when she stays with Mom.

Still pisses me off. They left all kinds of shit in Joey's bedroom closets where the dormers are . . . stuffed them full with clothes, toys, a jambox, and Joey's old toybox. She tried to pass it off as Joey's shit but Joey doesn't wear clunky heels that are girls size 11. He's not even close even if he is a cross dresser. LMAO Anyhow, going to work on that today maybe. There are a few toys that do belong to Joe and I know which ones they are. There is shit in there though that is not even close to anything he had as far as toys go. In addition, the boys clothes there, they are not his either. His old clothes that are too small are either in his dresser downstairs or on someone else's back or in someone else's house. Most of his old clothes went to Cody, so . . . these are like boys size 5. Joey grew out of size 5 when he was 4. He's been in Men's clothes since he was 8. Gimme a break. The junk push mower is outside the barn and the washer downstairs; boxes of shit that is not mine and a wrestling mat . . . that was along with the satellite dish and receivers they left and the broken can opener.

So, I am going to proceed to get my box springs back . . . if I can find her number again. I suppose if all else fails, I can call her work or go to her Mom's or call Don Parker and ask for his son's number. But, I am going to get the copper and take it to Ashley's . . . Lonnie said he thought is was worth 90-100 bucks. It's been over 7 months and well, they obviously don't want it. However, I am NOT hauling their JUNK out of here or paying to have it picked up. I suppose I can call Butch down over the hill, but I want my box springs back. OH! The pillow top is still there; its on Joey's lower bunk and their junk mattresses are in the basement.

That's my rant for now . . . check later for biological father and bio father's GF rants. Photos later also . . . gotta go over to Mom's as Pun'kin stayed there last night since she was asleep when I got out of class. That gave me a chance to put some stuff away without her wanting in the dining room, which she is locked out of due to the pellet stove running . . . . well, here is a photo of it anyway of it and the front storm door. It is cool . . . the shade rolls up in the door and there is no exchanging or anything like that. It rolls up like the old fashion roller shade Grandma had . . . except it is hidden in the little round thingie at the top. Dogs can't come through and both doors are like that. Front has better weather-proofing and is heavier, more durable than the back, but basically function the same. Here is the link if you would like a better look . . .

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=188895-53-34660032&lpage=none

$284 bucks but worth it. Pun'kin can see outside, Callie doesn't jump on my window screen, she sit patiently in front of the door to be let inside, rather than jumping on the screen behind where ever I happen to be laying or sitting and scares the bejesus out of me. Also, with the pellet stove (on low) on I don't have to set my thermostat above 65 and it stays 70F in here during the day and since I am nosy, I want to know whose driving by, I don't have to open the steel door and looking like I am being nosy. HEHE

More later on . . . .

NoRmAlCy

2007-01-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

Finally, we are seeing an end to the "moving" we have been doing. Since I do not have a box spring to the mattress set that Mom bought as a house warming present when I first moved into my new home. Presumably, it was accidentally removed from the premises when the "tenants" moved from the place. . . . who knows though as they have not returned my calls . . .
Anyhoo, I am pretty much settled and can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, as to just making the place energy efficient & finished, construction-wise, most of the way . . . . at least to live comfortably & cheaply. You have to spend money to get that cost-savings, in my shades (thermal), storm doors, pellets and hanging a piece of plywood over the opening to the attic, which is in MY room, and could be finished someday and turned into stairs and finish the attic. Right now tho, it just sucks heat up through the opening and out my vents in the top of the house and it needs closed off . . .

ohhhhhhhh, I forgot to talk about the first "significant" snowfall of the season. They FREAKIN' CALLED OFF SCHOOL . . . . !!!!!!

Anyhow, we had spent the night over at Mom's yesterday so we could watch Desperate Housewives together and Joey had two friends spend the night. SO, they were GOING to have Mom take them in town to school since she was off today but well, there ended up being 3 BIG TEEN BOYS over at Mom's. So I ended up going to my appt alone and picking up frozen pizzas for them on the way home and THEN:

I BOUGHT MY NEW RECLINER!!!

It's Dark Mocha and LEATHER! Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm

Won't be in until February 15th . . . . if I had the $$$, I would buy the Love Seat and Couch that has recliners built into it too . . . . OMG . . . that is why I hate to go to furnitures stores but had to in this in this case to make sure that the recliner was right.

My old recliner was so big, my feet couldn't reach the floor to rock it. It hurt my back to sit in it and tipped over easily! &%$## LMAO I gave it to my GF Kelly and her hubby Gary . . . the were desperate for another chair and they were gushing with thanks for getting it.

So, I have something that I can sit in comfortably and rock Pun'kin comfortably at night. Well, I will have a rocker/recliner thanks to Mom. THANK YOU MOM!!!!!

I also picked up some of those things on the list . . . the bras, undies, curtain rods, clothes for the baby, shower curtain rod, air freshener, candles and socks. HEHE

Got some suet for the birds . . . Mom has an obsession with feeding the birds now. She loves to see them and well, since I was over a lot recently, I am also addicted to bird-watching. We are going to buy an identification book for them. Unless someone can send info about identifying them here in N East, USA, in the presently snowy West Virginia . . .

I THINK WE MAY BE BETTER . . .

2007-01-19T19:57:00.000-05:00

After being ill in some form or another since Christmas Day, I have finally turned the corner! The flu hung on for +2 weeks, I was much better for two days and then came down with a terrible cold! My first week of class was AWFUL! I was hacking and gagging and sneezing while the temperatures flip-flopped between 60F and 20F. In class, I had to leave the room several times to blow my nose or continue the gagging/coughing in the hall so as not to disturb others. I couldn't talk either, which is almost like being in prison to me! LOL
So I have finished two weeks of classes, picked up my $$$ and put my car in the shop! Hopefully it won't be more than a week on it . . . Karl said he couldn't even get to it til next week but what difference does a week make when its had one problem or another for a year. I am planning on also purchasing a couple of storm doors for the house but that's about it other than things that we need daily like diapers, wipes, gas, food and maybe a couple of new bras and socks for myself. Don't get excited guys, they're just sports bras . . . .

Went to court with Gary and they are going to set child support and they gave me a packet of papers that WE are supposed to fill out regarding decision-making and visitation. There is no set time limit, so until he says something, I am just going to keep things like they are now. I haven't heard from him since the first of November and if I don't hear from him, that's okay. I don't know what made him just up and suddenly not care about seeing her when he seemed so anxious when he first got the tests back and realized that I had not been lying to him all along! I mean, they bought a car seat, crib, re-did a room for her, bought toys and a dresser and clothes . . . then, nothing. Oh well, no skin off my back . . . . we are more comfortable with her staying with us all the time anyhow!

Now I have some catching up to do in correspondence, blogging, reading email, etc so be patient if I haven't stopped by your blog or sent you an email!!!

VOMITUS KIDIUS (plural)

2006-12-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

yup. after me being sick for over a week and still under the weather, C-A and Joe are both vomiting. Needless to say, we are at Mom's who went through her vomiting stage the day before yesterday. I just hope that Charleigh-Anne does not get so sick that we have to take her to the hospital . . . while I hope that Joey doesn't either, it will take awhile for him to reach the point of a trip to the ER (250lbs) vs. a Pun'kin (21lbs) for dehydration.

Wish us luck over the next 24 hours . . .

THE DEATH WATCH HAS STARTED . . .

2006-12-29T19:22:00.000-05:00

and when it is finally over, I for one will breathe a sigh of relief. Relief for the thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people whom he killed under his regime, who were tortured, terrorized, threatened, lost loved ones, starved and/or lived in squalid conditions. All the while, he and his family enjoyed a life of luxury and privilege, although the females were kept under his thumb, by siphoning monies from the sale of oil to the UN in "exchange" for "food". We all know now that was a farce. Kofi Annan's son made money from it. As did the French. It is no wonder they didn't join up with the coalition forces to remove him from power.

I am not holding my breath though . . . I want to see him as we saw Al-Zachari . . .

WHAT A JOKE!

2006-12-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

Can you believe the publicity stunt that was pulled this morning by Donald Trump and the "Miss USA" with her fake tears and fake boo-hoo-ing. I am so sorry that I was such a bad role model. What a freaking staged show. Miss Backwoods gets a second chance because she wasn't "citified" enough to handle moving from KY to NY. Give me a break. She probably gave the Don a BJ during their "meeting" . . .

I am not one for beauty pageants for anyone. I think they are outdated sideshows. They have said that she started doing pageants at age 4 or something. Um, have you ever seen pictures of those children that do beauty pageants in make up, wigs and fake teeth at age 4. DISGUSTING and WARPED.

And if this isn't scary . . . Danny Bonaduce agrees with me on John Gibson's "Big Story" . . .

And to think that this tops the news of Laura Bush's brush with skin cancer . . .

ONLY IN SAN FRAN DO THESE PEOPLE EXIST . . .

2006-12-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO - In the living room, the group gathers to share inspirational stories about the joy of finding just the right previously owned shower curtain. To the uninitiated, these people appear almost normal, at least in a San Francisco kind of way. But upon closer inspection, you see it: Nothing in this house, nothing on their bodies, none of their products -- nothing is new. Everything is used.

For these people, recycling wasn't enough. Composting wasn't a challenge anymore. No, they wanted much more of much less.

Attention holiday shoppers! These people haven't bought anything new in 352 days -- and counting. These 10 friends vowed last year not to purchase a single new thing in 2006 -- except food, the bare necessities for health and safety (toilet paper, brake fluid) and, thankfully, underwear, and maybe socks (they're still debating whether new socks are okay).

ONLY IN SAN FRANCISCO . . .

Are these people idiots? Only used things?? Debating on the socks?? If they were really trying to prove a point, they would have GROWN their own food too . . . . but that's probably too much of a bother for these middle-class people who have decided to strike against capitalism . . . and are probably driving their $30,000 hybrids to work at the tech company that pays them every week . . . .

I still think that California needs to be on its own planet . . . .they could call it Pelosi's World.

AND SO ANOTHER BIRTHDAY HAS COME AND GONE . . .

2006-12-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

yup, I am 36 now. On the backside of 30 as John Conlee sang . . . so now I have the big 4 - 0 to look forward to in a few years. YAAAA!!!!! (sarcasm, for those who don't know me)

Had KFC and received a carrying case for my laptop and Mom is going to get me a cut and perm again. I still have to schedule that and my hairstylist is usually pretty busy this time of year so it may be several weeks before I actually get it, which will buy Mom some time since it is Christmas too.

I am doing Christmas cards this year . . . its the first time I have since my Dad died on my 30th birthday 6 years ago. I may even get around to hanging some lights around the porch but I am NOT doing a tree. Between Mr. Nu-No and Pun'kin, there is not much sense in even trying to put one up. I don't really have the room either since the cottage is in the living room. OH! I have renamed the cottage to "Little House on the Hill" . . . "Little House" for short. Yes, I am hoping that when C-A grows up that she will be into the Little House books as much as I was.

I missed yet another meteor shower unless for some reason the clouds dissipate and reveal some stars before the moon rises at 2am. It peaked last night but I should still be able to catch some tonight if the cloud cover clears.

I took the flyers advertising my books from last semester out to the college today and have already sold the computer books. She is supposed to bring the money to work on Saturday and pick up the books! That's going to more than pay for all four of the books for my three classes next semester. I sure do need the cash too because I am going to have a bill due for my propane before too long . . . unless the warm weather holds out just a little longer. I also had the added expense of switching satellite companies and Mom had already paid my bill for the other, so I am waiting on a refund from the other company. I will get my loan and grant money the second or third week of January so if I can hold out until then . . .wish me luck!!

MONDAY, MONDAY . . . .

2006-12-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

My saga with DishTV is now over . . . on Saturday, DirectTV sent the installation guy and I have satellite that I actually enjoy paying the price to watch. We now have SPROUT, which DishTV did not carry and I have all my networks except NBC, which I can pick up with an antenna. I also have East and West Coast feeds on them (except PBS) so that I can watch the West coast if I am working late or out running around and miss my favorite shows.

The installation guy was supposed to be here on Wednesday, DirectTV called to confirm and I gave them MY phone number rather than Mom's and went to my house at 8am, Bridgette came up too and we set to work cleaning the kitchen up and cleaning out the fridge, which had also quit working the same day of the previous satellite ordeal. I went to get ice out of the freezer and it was melted and I was hoping that unplugging it and letting it defrost (although it is frost-free) would do the trick . . . it seemed like this happened 5 or 6 years ago and that did the trick. So we did the cleaning and worked and this guy was supposed to be here between 8am and Noon. Well, about Noon, I had heard nothing and we needed ice for our pop and I went over there to get ice and some milk for Pun'kin. Well, they had called at MOM'S house 3 times between 8 and 9. So much for that. So I rescheduled for Saturday and regardless of who they called, they would get an answer since I would be at my house and Mom at hers. The installation came off pretty much with out and hitch and other than trying to figure out how to easily switch between my antenna and the satellite receiver, I am really happy. The TV is now where it belongs, rather than the other side of the room and it is even installed upstairs and ready to go. Now, if I could just get that damn bed upstairs . . . . .

I have pretty much finished the larger part of my Christmas shopping. I have a few things left to buy for Pun'kin and the thing I am getting for Joey but I already know what I am going to get Joey and Pun'kin doesn't need much other than stocking stuffers . . . . if I get the stockings done. I bought 4 new ones for all of us this year . . . LOL

I have also ordered all my textbooks and I am just waiting on the arrival of one of them. It should be here by the 15th, if not I have to contact the seller that I bought it from at half.com and have them check into it. I know I am selling my Business book but am looking into keeping my computer books. What stinks is that I am really only wanting to keep the Excel book so that I can use it later in helping my with Accounting and my Science classes that I need to take later. It will come in really handy to sort data and make graphs for science and the accounting, well, you can see why it would be nice for it too. I may look and see if I can find the individual book online and sell the set. I guess they run out of them at the college, so I am expecting to get about 75% of my money back by selling it myself by advertising on a flyer.

I am looking forward to going back to school in January . . . . if we can get Christmas and New Year's done, I will be going back right after that. I still haven't decided about work yet but have great reservations about continuing to work. It just wears me out over the weekend and takes me too long to recover and get anything else accomplished.

Pun'kin had her first dentist appointment today and well, there wasn't much to it since she only has 6 teeth. LOL She wouldn't open her mouth and so we had to let him get a real quick look and then he gave me the recommendations about bottles and binkies and all that happy stuff.

Joey is getting is wisdom teeth cut out on the 28th of December, Pun'kin gets a booster for her flu shot on the 20th and I have to get an appointment with my OB/GYN sometime before school starts back up. That should wrap us up for this month and then school will be back in and I once again won't have a minute to myself, much like this month has been! I thought when I finished up with school that it would give me a break but it hasn't!

SO HOW PISSED OFF DO YOU THINK I AM?

2006-12-03T23:43:00.000-05:00

In addition to some physical and hormonal issues, I come home this evening to settle in and watch my Sunday night shows . . . I pay like $1.50 each to have ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS out of NYC or in the case of PBS, I believe it is Boston and I only have PBS. I am not ALLOWED to have NBC since there is a station in Parkersburg, which I do pick up well but is a PITA to watch since I have to manipulate the remote four times to get it. This is what I get:

Well GUESS WHAT?!?!?! I am that 7%. The fucking reason I HAVE satellite is that I don't have CABLE ACCESS . . . I live in BFE and well, we have no major markets to subscribe to. . . know what else, I don't qualify for the All-American Direct or whatthefuckever it is called that caters to people who live out of freakin' RV's all year.

And what is even MORE suspicious is that fact that this only affect DISHTV customers . . .not DIRECT TV . . . so what the hell did this company do to have an injunction issued?!?!? Why the hell can't I watch Desperate Housewives?!?! Simpsons?!?!?! AFV?!?!?!

I am so ticked off that I can't even type.

So, I called and downgraded my package to the $19.99/month package with the Baby First programming for an additional 9.99/month.

I had the 39.99/package so that I could get Fox News. I started looking over the website and lo and behold, Fox News is INCLUDED in the 19.99 package.

Here is where is gets good . . . with the 19.99 package you get like 30 channels, including Fox News, Hallmark Channel, Biography, Nick and not much else.

If you go up to the 29.99 package, you get all kinds of shit, 60 channels like Discovery Channel, History Channel, Music channels, Food Network but no Hallmark or Fox News.

If you want all the shit in the 29.99 package PLUS the shit that comes in the 19.99 package, you have to pay 39.99/month. Shouldn't it just be included?!?!? Every other cable or satellite company that I have dealt with doesn't take away channels when you pay more. What the shit is that all about??!?!?!

I am just irate and ranting but had to get it off my chest. In addition to all this shit, I tried to hook the antenna up to the DISH receiver and it didn't work . . . then the SOB wouldn't COME OFF for me to put on the OLD TV, where I knew it would pick up all of the networks. Not clear, but watchable. Mom brought a new antenna that I would use over at her house cuz I thought it sucked. I can pick up PBS and NBC but not much else. I investigated the antenna while adjusting to try to pick up more and lo and behold again . . . it needs a POWER SOURCE. (don't know where that is either) Huh. Will someone please just find the freaking rabbit ears that came with my old RCA TV that picked up TWO of each of the networks . . . . so I can relax. Then I might settle down enough to try to get DIRECT TV . . . even though I will have to pay an arm and a leg to get it back since I am a previous customer, my old satellite needs replaced and I will get no deal on receivers either.

On a lighter note, the Mountaineers kicked ass Saturday night against Rutgers. If you missed it, it went into TRIPLE OVERTIME and was an exhilarating ride to the finish of WVU 41-Rutgers 39.

ARE YOU SICK OF MY RANTINGS YET??

2006-11-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hopefully not, otherwise you are not reading this . . . . LMAO

Anyhow, you know how political I am and although I have not ranted recently it is only because I don't have the time to write about all that pisses me off.

You know that I have issues with the ACLU . . . I mean, I am not exactly your most religious person and not your least religious but probably closer to least than most, if you get my drift.

I am all for Civil Liberties and all that shit but sometimes, the organization is just not up to par with my standards for American Liberties . . . . an example is this here. KT Cat has linked a video in her blog about a cross, in the middle of nowhere in the Mojave Desert (i think) that was erected by WWI VETERANS that was covered up on order from a judge from a suit brought by the ACLU. The link to the post in her blog is here.

This is a must see post and video . . .

So once again, the ACLU has managed to step all over what it is that makes America, America. They have stepped on Freedom of Religion by demanding Freedom FROM religion and at the same time, desecrated a monument left by those who fought for the fucking freedom for the ACLU to exist . . . .

Thanks to KT Cat for bringing this to my attention, along with all those who read the blog . . .

An organization to which I frequent is STOP the ACLU . . . please support them.

I AM DONE! I AM DONE! I AM DONE!!!!

2006-11-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

With my classes for this semester . . . I think I made A's in both of them which is good. They weren't excessively complicated classes, however, neither one was a cake class either. Both required some amount of time and the Business class required much effort too.

That being said, I am glad to have it over with two weeks before finals are even set to be taken. That is the great thing about e-Courses . . . . if I had wished, I could have finished even earlier but the procrastinator in me would never allow that . . .

AND all that being said, be prepared for more frequent blogging and photos of my beautiful baby girl and maybe even a blog update with new photos, updated links and other such things.

Take care all you bloggy friends, those who do and those who just read and holler atcha soon . . . .

IT MAY BE SOMEWHAT PREMATURE BUT . . .

2006-11-27T18:47:00.000-05:00

(TRUMPETS PLEASE!!)

I think I have managed an A in my Business Class. As long as I don't make less than a C on my last portfolio (which I didn't turn in at the last minute, after pulling an all-nighters on the others and still didn't make less than a middle A on any of them, in other words, highly unlikely that I will make less than a A, let alone a C) I will end up with a 95%.

My CS class should also produce an A . . . I have made A's on the mid-term, quizzes and all the tutorials and have only one tutorial section to complete in Access and my final exam, which hopefully I wil make an A on it too, although with the tutorials, I should still manage an A with a lesser grade on the final exam, which is open book. LOL

So, expect to hear from me more frequently, at least in the next month until school starts back up. Except for all the dentist, doctor and oral surgeon appointments form myself, Joey and Punk.

I have been having alot of issues with my spine in the area between my shoulder blades, causing a lot of pain in my right arm and clear up to my neck and radiating out generally, in a 360 degree circle from where my spine is out. I have Degenerative Disc Disease but I haven't managed to get my DR to order an X-ray, let alone an MRI, which I am sure that I need. Of course, why should they listen to me, they didn't before and I finally ended up with nerve damage in my leg from a ruptured disc that required surgery and 4 months of P/T. What should I know about my own body anyhow?????? Fucking assholes. I get sick of not being listened to and having to rely on my family when I become so incapacitated that I can't even lift CA, let alone my freaking head. My big head pushes on my spine and the only way to relieve the pain is to lay on my side. Hey, we have to have some humor in this shit otherwise, I would literally go NUTS from the pain. Right now, my right arm is killing me but only if I lift it enough to hit the shift key or higher than my belly. LOL

Anyhow, I went to the pain clinic twice in the past two weeks and have had about 20 shots and two epidurals in my back and feel somewhat better than I did two weeks ago.

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day . . . we had a nice dinner with all of us + Brandon, Joey's friend and my GF Brenda's son and they later met up with others at EB games and camped out all night and managed to buy 3 of the 5 Wii's delivered on Black Friday. LOL They had fun but at Noon, we were all asleep taking naps. Of course, its nothing for Pun'kin, Mom and Me to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon but when I woke at 1PM we had two parents who had called with no answer here because we all didn't hear any of the phones. LMAO They all understood when they realized we were all napping . . . HEHE Joey gives it good reviews anyhow.

NOW HIRING HIGHWAY ENGINEERS IN WEST VIRGINIA!!!

2006-11-27T18:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, that's my thoughts on the whole ordeal. After 2 years of construction and about 2 years of use, the 4-lane that links I-77 (in Mineral Wells) to the two lane leading to Coldwater Creek's customer service and distribution center AND the Patriot Center shopping center in Pettyville, which includes a plethora of retailers including Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Bob Evans, Kohl's and Ryan's just to name a few, has been closed. Yup, half of the 4-lane slipped over the hill . . . . Two lanes of highway just slid over the embankment that was built to carry traffic over the hill rather the winding narrow two lane that had been used to carry semis, dump trucks and just us plain old folks that go shopping into Parkersburg (Pettyville has acutally been annexed by P-burg) is now gone. Actually, the slip has been gradual, occuring over a 6 week period and with each passing rain Bridgette and I would be like, "They had better do something . . . ." "OMG, look how much WORSE it is today than two days ago" and "Geez, when are they gonna do something??"

So even though the businesses in the area that the highway's creation was supposed to expediate traffic through the area to and from has more than doubled, the highway leading there now has been cut in half again. We are driving the "old" RT 14 now just to get to Wal-Mart and it is a PITA. I can only imagine what it will be like when holiday traffic kicks in even more in the next few weeks . . .

They even have some major traffic issues in terms of heavy, slow traffic from South Parkersburg to the Patriot Center that was supposed to be dealt with next . . . who really knows how long it will take them to fix this issue though which will have to be dealt with before the S.Parkersburg to Pettyville reengineering.

The WHOLE thing was shut down, not just the two lanes that it affected so I am assuming the severity of the slip is a huge safety concern. Anyhow, I am personally taking it upon myself to start looking for engineers that have some sense about them . . . this is not the first slip to occur on RT14 . . . the old RT14 2-lane had a slip too when it was rerouted during the construction of a hotel in the area. Write to Joe Manchin with your requirements for salary:

Gov. Joe Manchin III
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.,
Charleston, WV 25305

Toll-Free: 1-888-438-2731
E-mail: Governor@WVGov.org

Anyone would be better than the ones that we must have on staff now . . . . I may apply myself as I could see the how the mass removal of the trees along the 4 lane could lead to the slip occuring as happened with the previous slippage . . . .

DID YOU SEE THAT BTOWNS GAME?? . . . LMAO

2006-11-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah. Pittsburgh finally looked like the Steelers that I know. Although Cleveland made a hell of an effort to win in the final seconds, probably one of the most awesome endings with so much effort from both sides to win, the outcome was in our favor and well, we liked it her at Life in West Virginia.

Of course, you Buckeyes had your glory yesterday in the win against Michigan . . . maybe we will see a rematch in January????

DON'T SEND THE RANSOM! I ESCAPED!!!

2006-11-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

I know that you were concerned that I had been missing but I am back. Between school work and trying to get permanently settled in my house, life has been hectic for us all. I will tell you what, it is a PITA having residences in two different places. Sure as shit when iI think that I have everything that I need at my house, I discover that I have once again left something over at Mom's. It ranges from socks, to diapers to milk for CA. This however gives Mom an excuse to come over to get a Pun'kin fix. She is addicted to the baby but we are slowly weaning her off her habit. She actually went the entire day Wednesday with only a phone call so we are making progress.

After getting my portfolio turned in on Wednesday, Thursday was spent running a few errands and picking up some food at Wal-Mart, coming home aand taking Pun'kin's cottage apart to get it cleaned and taken into the house for reassembly. That goodness I had a some mother's helpers or it would never have happened. Bridgette's step-daughter Angela (12) and her oldest daughter Hannah (11) pitched in and the task was accomplished in a little under three hours. We also had Bridgette's twins, Zach and Kaitlin (6) but it was such a nice day that I told them to come up too. It doesn't take much to watch them play up here with all the space outside. Angela is like a little mother and does a really good job watching CA and Hannah did 3/4 of the washing of the cottage after my back finally gave out. We all came in and they ate, along with Ang feeding CA and when Bridgette and Daniel came to get the kids, they carried all the pieces inside and reassembled it in under 10 mintues. Since it has been so cold and it had been sitting on the porch, she didn't understand what it was because, I just didn't take her out there to play in it. Her reaction to it was just as I expected . . . overwhelming joy (check out the photo at my photo sight linked under my profile). She played in it the whole night, opening and closing the shutters and door and carrying her toys into it while Mr. Nu-No settled right in and made himself at home by climbing on the sink I and in and out of the windows. She was so happy that she couldn't even go to sleep last night and it was the first thing she went to when I took her out of her crib this morning. It is going to be worth every penny of the 60-odd dollars that I spend purchasing it from eBay and big THANKS again going out my cues Sue and her hubby Ron for picking it up in Akron and bringing it down to us here in West Virginia. I had to wait for the ladybug infestation to pass, all 4 times we were infested and then it was so cold and nasty that it was impossible to get out there to clean it up. What the hell am I talking about. . . Everything is impossible to get done with her highness here. . . I had the girls up here the day before that to help watch her while I swept up ladybugs, picked up stuff, did dishes and finally got the kitchen swept and M. Nu-No's litter box cleaned out again. Anyhow, I am still sweeping up stray ladybugs a couple of times a day and am still scared to go in the basement after seeing the 10,000 dead ones down there on the first day of the infestation. It is a PITA to carry both of the sweepers that I use for this purpose through her gate. The only reason that I am sitting here at my house now typing this is that I told Joey that I was going to mow, found the mower empty and decided to alieve the fears that I know you all were having in regards to my whereabouts. So if you can picture everyday of my life being just about like the previous two, you kind of have an idea about why I haven't had time to blog. I have also quit carrying the laptop back and forth and so when we are at Mom's and have time, I don't have a computer readily handy. I do get a break when I go to work on Friday and Saturday night and Mom keeps CA with her pretty much from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon when I get up. Did I mention it is also a PITA to tote CA back and forth???

I have so many things to tell you all about my recent adventures but it will have to come in installments since I have to get ready to go to work shortly. I am still investigating the recent spike in skunk kills on RT 21 the past two days (5 of them stinking up most of RT 21) and have wonderful stories about all the deer that I count daily (the are usually new ones too, the State has been diligent about cleaning up "their" roadkill on a daily basis, since the deer are really property of the State) but while I was doing my portfolio, I came across some puzzling information.

I don't mean to bore you with all the details of my school work, but you have to understand how I stumbled across the information that caused such an uproar inside me. I have many different things that I have to do for each chapter but specifically it entails answering the ten review questions in great detail (it usually ends up being 10 pages typed and spaced at 1.5), do some exercises called "Nothing But Net" where we go to specific websites and answer the questions that are posed in the book and the professor asks that we type a one page summary of what we found useful or interesting on the site and finally, we have to find a Fortune Magazine article that contains one of the key terms in the chapter and write a page summary containing the 6 main points, something that we found useful and interesting and finally how it may impact me and my fellow students in the future. This is required for each chapter, each week. It is not the hard, just time-consuming but when I was doing my net exercises for the chapter on Human Resource Management, Motivation, and Labor-Management Relations (which included union and non-union mgmt relations). Well, one exercise asked us to research jobs online for specific companies and the other asked to go to the AFL-CIO website and follow the link to "How and Why People Join Unions".

I am not a union supporter by any means although I do have friends' with hubbies who are in unions and don't look look at them any differently because they don't spout the "union line" as some union members do. I was having an extremely hard time finding "something useful or interesting on the sight as it just seemed each link was filled with venomous union rhetoric in the text that WAS the link. I didn't click on the links, I was just reading the link names. So here I am grasping at straws to find something interesting and that was when I looked up in the upper right hand corner of the sight and under their website search engine, I saw it . . . I saw it in 48pt font above their section labeled ISSUES . . . EN ESPANOL . . .

All I could think of was that these people really ARE off their rockers. I mean, didn't the AFL-CIO fight the passage of NAFTA tooth and nail for years?? And after its passage, didn't they say they would all lose their jobs to people in MEXICO?!?!? Yet, here they are embracing the very evil of the third world South of us that 10 years ago were going to cause them loose their homes, their health insurance, hurt their families and plunge them into poverty???

I guess that they could explain it away by saying that it was to avoid discrimination charges but then again, maybe they are looking to line their pockets with those people who have made their way into our country with donations and union dues that the workers will probably never see. Since I don't read or speak Spanish, I don't know what it said but I can tell you this . . . 10 years ago these people would have spit on a Mexican immigrant if one happened to step in front of them and my philosoply is that hatred like the kind that was spread through the unions by placing the union workers in fear for their entire livelihood doesn't just go away . . . and they would still spit on them today.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It wasn't the only thing I have found while doing my work that made me sit up and say "WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?" but this time I was truly shocked and stunned for well over 20 minutes and that is what I spent most of my article summarizing that I found interesting. It is probably the only time that I have ever felt the desire to protest a group . . . I mean I could have gone to their headquarters and actually PROTESTED while calling them on it in front of Shepard Smith.

At least I was finally inspired to write something about the site . . . LMAO Anyhow, here is the link the AFL-CIO site and go and see for yourself. . .

I CAN'T BELIEVE ITS BEEN OVER A WEEK . . .

2006-11-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

since I last posted. Lazy is all I can say. Well, maybe busy too . . . . some random thoughts for your entertainment . . .

We have had another lady bug invasion that has driven me over the edge. I had finally managed to get all of the ladybugs cleaned from the cracks of everything and then, we have ONE nice day and they invade again.

I had to go to the DR last week . . . I got a pinched nerve in my upper back that screwed with my neck and right arm. They gave me some muscle relaxers that work okay but then I hear things wrong. I think someone says one thing and they are really saying something else . . . anyhow, it is not any better . . . I still have to take the Baclofen or whatever it is called to not be in pain. My back hadn't been bothering me but it is now.

On a lighter note, Mr. Nu-No is doing really well adjusting at my house. Callie hasn't killed him yet anyway. As I was leaving Mom's last night, I found a dead racer on the breezeway. Thank goodness I had turned on the light . . . UGH and BLECH. The dogs must have killed it.

We are having our Halloween party on Saturday at work which should be fun. Everyone else had their last weekend some I am hoping that we will be busy.

DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICS AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE??

2006-10-24T20:57:00.000-04:00

Any of my esteemed, educated friends out there care to enlighten me??? Is Physics harder than Physical Science?? Yeah, I have read the course descriptions but need it explained . . . I suck at Science.

HOW HARD COULD IT BE TO INSTALL A SHADE?

2006-10-24T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well, since I didn't get instructions and am pretty well a novice at home interior stuff, I am having a difficult time. I broke one spring rod but have managed to install ONE of my thermal shades for my window. I am now out of spring rods. LMAO Mom gave me two to see how they worked and so, I will have to get some more.

You would think that JCPenney's would have sent SOME kind of instructions but all I could find in the box were fliers for free shipping on my next order of $75 or more . . . I had to go back to the website and look at the freaking pictures to figure them out. They are button up shades so if anyone knows any tricks to help me, please let me know.

COLD WEATHER is here. It only got up to 43 today the wind hasn't quit blowing for days. The ladybugs are gone though, so that is a good thing. Now, if I can find the floor in my basement under the dead ladybugs, all will be good.

SO, I HAVE HAD MY HANDS FULL . . .(and MR NU-NO'S SAGA CONTINUES)

2006-10-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

So we are finally home. Really this time. I have heat, two cats, 2-3 dogs (it varies) and ladybugs. I worked earlier, had no customers at all and then came home. Charleigh-Anne and I got settled inside, in the warmth and had a pretty nice start to the evening.

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Unfortunately, Mom decided M. Nu-No needed to come to my house as her cat Link is pissed and won't sleep with her. Joey can't keep him upstairs, as previously noted in a post about him escaping from the clutches of his kidnapper!

M. Nu-No does sleep with Mom and evidently, he purrs loudly. So Mr. Nu-No arrives, along with C-A's highchair and other items being moved from Mom's to here. Then, Callie begins stalking M. Nu-No. Just as I see C-A go to the door and fall inbetween the two cats, one of them jumped on her but fortunately, only minor scratches on which we put A&D medicated.

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Charleigh-Anne is so freaking hilarious that it could split your side. OMG. She has her white kitty, which my Grandma and Grandpa Wince gave to her that she tries to "marry" to Elmo, either of the three she has works. . . . I don't know if she is trying to make them play together or what is going through her little head but this has been going on for a while. She doesn't get upset when they don't stick together and just squeals with some sort of glee. I don't know. I don't know what's going through her Pun'kin head.

Later, she has the kitty(toy) stuffed in her little cubby hole inside in the seat of her CornPopper Ride-On toy, as previously posted, while the Ride-On is on its side. Follow so far? K. . .

Well, then she takes Elmo and her plastic teether keys and she does, somehow, make Elmo stick inbetween the seat cover (which can't close all the way since the toy kitty is in there) and handlebars then she gets the CornPopper upright and then motors them around the livingroom.

Too much laughter going on here and inattention to things newsworthy make a single mom a kind of dull blogger, but hey, sometimes other things have to come before blogging.

I don't know the status of any major event in the world for the first time in years. It's a kind of nice break in all the turmoil . . . .

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On a lighter note, Callie is freakin' pissed. Well, okay, its not lighter but the poor thing is royally ticked. She has never really lived in this house with another cat.

She has shared the house with Badger, who already was a year old when she was born here, Bonnie, who after puppyhood had 2 litters of puppies and we kept two of them that she grew to groom, Emmy and Queenie. She tolerates them and cleans their ears when she wants to show her power over them. She literally grabs them and bites them to hold still then licks there ears. She's a freaky cat! What can I say except . . .

Well, she doesn't want to share me at all with M. Nu-No. She has been upstairs most of the evening and M. is sticking close to me so C. doesn't attack him. Poor guy.

SUNDAY IS FOR FAMILY . . .

2006-10-16T13:27:00.000-04:00

My cousin Sue and her husband picked up the cottage that I won on Ebay and brought it to us yesterday. They were accompanied by a couple friend of theirs and we all had a wonderful afternoon. I took the guys out to show them all the places to hunt and the property boundries. Later I took the girls over so Sue could see the "old homeplace". Although the house is not there, the cellar is still intact, the well and surrounding well rock, the porch step, the swing rock and the outhouse are all still in place.

Later in the day, while Mom and all of them went to eat, I took Charleigh-Anne to see her Dad. This is only the second time she has seen him since she was a baby (4 months old or so . . . and that was only once) but she seemed to be comfortable with him. His GF has decorated a room for her complete with a bed and dresser. They are buying all these things for her like she is going to be spending the night next week. We haven't even gone to court yet. He just got the DNA tests a few weeks ago and now, expect to have instant Daddy-rights after not having anything to do with her for 1 year. I had told him there wasn't anyone else and well, I was proven right. I have issues with people not believing me, especially over matters of such importance.

Anyhow, he took her for a few minutes to his neighbor's home to show her off and she was friendly to them too. Gary learned how quick that she can get into things, like his cabinets. LOL

Afterwards, I met Mom back at Ryan's to drop Charleigh-Anne off to her so I could head home to take my test. Mom and Charleigh-Anne took Sue and Co. to Little Hocking to my other cousin Kathy's so they could see her new home.

So, Charleigh-Anne spent most of the day with relatives other than us, for once. I am glad that she gets this chance to get to know other relatives since all she has had up to this point is Joey, me and Mom. Yes, the smile on my face is a little forced only because I wish things could have been different for her, with a Mom and Dad who love and care for one another rather than what is.

Anyhow, I will try to be a little lighter next time.

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Steelers kicked ASS! Of course, it was KC (haha Kelly) but at least they looked decent.

Did you catch that Monday Night game too?!?!? OMG!

MR NU-NO HAS ESCAPED FROM HIS CAPTOR!

2006-10-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

Joey had been been holding him hostage since Sunday and was trying to convince Mr. Nu-No that we had brainwashed him and his real name was Gordon Freeman and that instead of being a cat, he was really an "innocent scientist" that had gotten caught up in a government experiment gone drastically wrong.

Although he has not been harmed physically, he is having some trouble adjusting to his life as a cat instead of a human. He seems to bthink he is human and must sleep in a human's bed now!

Seriously, Mr. Nu-No did escape from being held captive in the "attic" with Joey and Mom found him in the crib with Charleigh-Anne last night, which is the first picture. This morning, I was checking on her and discovered him in her crib again and they were both sleeping. The kitten woke-up but the shots I got weren't very good so I reframed the shot and said, "Kitty, Kitty" so that he would look up for a nice photo and when I was taking the camera away to look at the photo, before it went off the screen, I glanced down and thought it looked like she was smiling but when I looked at her, she wasn't smiling. But when I browsed the image again on the camera, sure enough she was smiling!!

I AM REALLY SERIOUS THIS TIME

2006-10-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

I am NOT gonna wait until the last minute to turn in my next portfolio. Of course I said that before and didn't do it , but this time I am serious!

Anyhow, I am pooped and can't think of anything interesting about which to blog . . .

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THEE?

2006-10-10T12:48:00.000-04:00

Let me count all the dead freaking animals.

Damn. You know cold weather is just around the corner when you start seeing dead deer all over the Interstate AND Route 21 . . . at least it isn't extremely hot so the dead deer bloat up all huge and smell so bad that you have to pull over and puke!

Fresh kills are kinda nasty still . . . especially when you can still smell the blood and shit (literally) along with guts and various body parts that are scattered down a 30 ft stretch of the Interstate. UGH. Thank god I can quickly dispel these images from my head. Well, okay, I guess I can't dispel them if I can still describe them in such detail.
Anyhow, the deer are on the move for some reason, surely not rut aleady . . . we haven't even had a frost . . . but that is when the road kills get REALLY bad!

If that is not bad enough, this poor ass squirrel in town got his ass busted in the middle of a residental neighborhood while carrying a walnut back to his secret spot. There he lay in the middle of the road with the walnut just inches away from his mouth. Dumb ass city squirrels. I mean, the ones out here have to dodge cars traveling on the two-lane at rates exceeding 55mph and somehow, I have only seen 5 of those dummies that froze and ended up on someone's supper table.

Anyhow, the last poor squirrel that I have to talk about is the unfortunate huge ass red squirrel that chose to darken our property with his presence. He must not have been real bright because the dogs got him pretty quickly. Probably 5 minutes or so. I have seen Bonnie wait for 12 HOURS on squirrel to catch them. Anyhow, it was nice of Bonnie and Emmy to take it to Mom's instead of just crossing the road to my house. Poor old Badger was waiting for the girls to serve him his first kill of the season. He was crunching and tearing the critters front leg off the last time I saw. At least it's not on my end of the farm where it would end up on my porch or yard or possibly my CAR if I left the window rolled down accidently . . .

AND THE WINNER IS . . . .

2006-10-09T20:30:00.000-04:00

MR NOODLE (formal name Mr. Gordon Freeman Noodle with Noodle pronounced Mr. Nu-No)

The reason for the pronounciation follows . . . . this chickie at Life in West Virginia (em, ME) thought that Mr. Noodle's name was Mr. Nu-No and called him that for a few months. There was a discussion about the man who played Mr. Nu-No, Mom said she thought that the guy who played him had died of AIDS (and we thought there was only ONE Mr. Nu-No and found out later there are two of them . . . Mr. Nu-No and Mr. Nu-no's brother, Mr. Nu-No) and it was THEN that we discovered that there was no Mr. Nu-No at Sesame Street. His name is Mr. Noodle and Elmo being a pre-schooler cannot pronounce his name quite right. At the time, we always watched Sesame Street on Sprout and they tend to show the same episode over and over and they only had Mr. Noodle's brother Mr. Noodle, therefore, we had no clue there even was another Mr. Noodle and that the guy that we knew as Mr. Nu-No was actually Mr. Noodle's brother Mr. Noodle . . . . anyhow, since moving home, we have been watching Sesame Street on PBS and have seen the "other" Mr. Nu-No . . . DISHTV has no Sprout . . . .

There are a few more submissions that I posted, one from Old Man Crowder that is quite hilarious and his relative, the guy from Summit-Fever. They are cohorts of our friend Dan . . . if not for him, we wouldn't know these characters in Canada . . . . you can see all of their submissions for names in the previous post along with more friends like the winner of the contest, Melissa . . . .

After having the contest to name this new kitten, my son kidnapped him. This was his baby sister's belated birthday present and he has STOLEN the kitten. That is why his formal name is a hybrid . . . Joey wanted to name him Gordon Freeman but me and Mom really, really like Mr. Nu-No . . . . anyhow, the kitten is locked with my Flower in the Attic, Joey, in his "attic" where we put him when he gets home from school. LOL

Check back tomorrow for some dead animal stories . . . . .

WOW! WHAT WONDERFUL SUGGESTIONS . . .

2006-10-08T17:55:00.000-04:00

As you can see in the comments section of the last post, I have had several awesome entries so far and there is still over 6 hours left to submit your entries! Maddie also suggested Jack Sparrow, which we think is really cute.

In the front running is Mr. Noodle, followed by Tiki. We love Elmo and Tiki Barber and those names had been tossed around already. Keep them coming . . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUN'KIN AND NAME THE CAT!!

2006-10-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday to our Darling Charleigh-Anne
She had a wonderful time with her Elmo cake, the icing is the blue stuff all around her face. She is such a sweet baby and had a great time with her family and friends.

Here is the kitten that requires a name. This is the kitten that I got for Charleigh-Anne for her birthday. She loves little white kitties and this one is perfect but is lacking a name. It is a boy kitty and it has grey markings . . . . please submit suggestions in the comments . . . . . we are desperate to come up with a name besides "Gordie".

TRAGEDY IN PA . . .

2006-10-02T13:35:00.001-04:00

It just sends chills down my spine. In a part of the country that normally is closed off to outsiders and exudes kindness to others, 6 people are dead at a one-room school house. I can't imagine what would provoke such behavior from within or from the outside of the coummunity, terrorizing these people. Many questions yet unanswered in this developing story . . . .

WE ARE TURNING THE PAGE, STARTING A

2006-09-28T23:12:00.000-04:00

new chapter in our lives. I picked up my loan money and it was double what I had expected, so rather than just squeaking by this semester, we will do just fine. Propane prices have dropped dramatically, just in time for me to purchase some for my heating this winter. Pun'kin and I should be plenty warm this winter and I will have the internet at home instead of having to go to Mom's to use the internet for schoolwork. I am only going to work Friday and Saturday nights or only on Mondays . . . . whichever. I can make as much money on a Monday night as I can on a Friday or Saturday night sometimes.

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We went SHOPPIN' today! I have NEVER been to an Old Navy store and well, lets just say I loved it. We spent $55 on Pun'kin and Joey (well, Mom did but I bought lunch at Applebee's, which was $53 bucks) These two sleepers that we bought are perfect for her. She looks like a little sausage! LOL

At Applebee's we got the Appetizer Sampler, which included the Quesidilla, which Charleigh-Anne LOVED. She ate a whole slice by herself. One bite at a time of course, since she still only has three teeth. Yup, you heard that right, she now has a third tooth!!!!! She also loves 2% milk but has a few cans of formula left before we start her on whole milk. She is also walking a bunch now.

SAGO FALLOUT . . .

2006-09-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

Survivor's guilt is what some may call it but whatever you choose to call it, it still remains tragic that these men felt compelled to take their own lives after working closely with the men who disasterously died at the Sago Mine here in WV. We, here at Life, were watching when they announced at 1:30 am or so that they were all alive and then watched dumbfounded as they began reporting that it was a mistake and all were dead except for one miner . . . . one of the men who took his life was a dispatcher while the other had discovered a build-up of methane several days before the explosion that took the lives of 12 others . . . .

Our friend Dan will be glad to hear that 2,100 7-11 franchises will stop carrying Citgo gas . . .

WHAT IF ILLEGALS PLANTED

2006-09-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

the E.coli that crippled the spinich industry? Just a random thought from me to you. It would be a hell of a conspiracy theory though, huh???

And if illegals provide us with fresh produce for cheap prices, then why the hell did tomatoes go from $14/case to $38/case in less than a week???? The growing season is not yet over . . .

**For Dan who was considering sending out a search party for moi, thanks for missing me.**

Finally for today, for our friend Jeff over at Summit Fever . . . .the first is a contestant for the ugliest dog contest. Last year's winner died, so there will be a new champion crowned this year. The rest was from an email to me from my cousin Sue about why dogs bite people. There is your explanation Jeff, although, you may have not been looking for one . . . . or it could be that you just invite trouble from the "biters" as us dog-lovers refer to them . . . .

Ugly Dog Contestant

Biter

T. O. UPDATE

2006-09-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

T. O. Update** He held a press conference (what's new about that?) and told everyone that the police lied. His "publicist" stated that she was there and anything that was said about him saying he was "depressed" were untrue. She also said that it scared her when a man of T. O.'s statue was unresponsive as he was when she found him and that's why she called 911. (unresponsive from a mix of supplements and a couple "extra" pills)

Yes, she said "statue". I am assuming she meant "stature" since I don't think any statues of T. O. have been dedicated recently of which I am unaware. Can I have her job???

THE RESULTS ARE IN . . .

2006-09-27T15:52:00.000-04:00

So after the humiliation of being forced to do DNA testing to prove to CA's biological father that he is her father, we have the test results backing up my original stance that there was no other possible "candidate" that could be her father and my word was once again proven true. I guess he now knows for the second time that when I talk, I don't lie. He lost a girlfriend over this once, taking the chance that I would lie to her about my awkwardness toward her upon finding out he had another girlfriend. . . . one thing that any of my friends could have told him is that I am not a slut, another is that shit sometimes happens and the third is that I don't lie. Lying leads to confusion later in sorting out the facts and its easier to keep up with the truth than it is to keep up with a story filled with lies . . .

Now, I have to work out my feelings regarding sharing Pun'kin with someone else. (he doesn't even know her nickname is Pun'kin!) I have not decided yet whether or not to ask him to sign over his rights in exchange for no child support or to tough it out and suck it up and accept that he is the father and has a right, although he has not chose to exercise his right up until this point and that from what I have HEARD is that his GF would like him to have a relationship with CA. Well, she can butt her ass out of what she wants is my first thought, since she said it couldn't possibly be his because they were "together" when I got preggers. Well, um, sorry, but that would make you GF #3. LMAO She can also butt her ass out of it because even if she supports this relationship now, who is to say his next girlfriend will? And lastly, I don't want to share her with anyone. That's just me and my insane jealousy over her love and who she shares it with. I don't think I can tolerate him in my life after thinking the worse of me even since I was proved right.

So anyhow, any thoughts and opinions as to what you think that I should do will be taken into consideration and are much appreciated. I know that I have a broad audience out there and your varied opinions, although much different I am sure, will at least assail my trepridation in the anxious weeks ahead . . . .

PUN'KIN PHOTOS

2006-09-27T15:40:00.000-04:00

Here is her stash for her 1st Birthday on the October 4th . . . notice the jacket on the right, which includes a zip-out liner . . .

and notice her little hands ready to grab all the stuff off the couch . . . .

and her smug look getting her Elmo . . . .

and finally, trying to get Elmo to laugh by pushing on his belly . . . .

UPDATES ALL AROUND . . . .

2006-09-23T13:03:00.000-04:00

As promised, fresh from work, are the stories of hillbillies all gussied up and the proof that you still can't take them out.

We had some strange dude come into the restaurant. No vehicle. That in itself is strange because its not like we are in a city and you can just walk to our establishment. There are no sidewalks, lights, etc. and we are kind of out of the way. Well, dude says his car broke down and wanted to know where the closest hotel was. Um, okay. So Leo tells him that Pifer's (the local peeps who have towing business and large gas station) would pick up his car and take him to the hotel, which is 2 miles back in town. He doesn't seem to like any of Leo's suggestions except the directions to the hotel.

Come to find out later, dude had WRECKED his car on the interstate, was on work-release from a DUI charge, HAD BEEN DRINKING (we assume, otherwise, why run?) and left the scene of the accident. He had walked from the accident site on the Interstate (?) and made his way across the creek and over to Rt. 21 . . . . somehow.

Drama, drama, drama. . . . . .
Two guys got into a fight over one their's slut of an ex-GF who slept with the other guy, 3 months after the break-up. The guy with the slut ex-GF's ex-wife also got out of jail the same night and got into a fight down at the local watering hole. We think that they should have just gotten together and beat the shit out of each other rather that take out their frustrations on innocent bystanders. . . .

You can dress us up but can't take us out . . . . Tina came out of the game room barefooted. She was just in a hurry and forgot to put her shoes back on . . . later in the week, she hit the big one and once again came running out without her shoes on. I think this is a habit of going barefoot rather than plain forgetfulness. Of course, our own C-A doesn't wear shoes on a regular basis so why should a teacher wear them?

Elmo was sold out by the time we arrived at Wal-Mart and the guy in Toys said that one lady purchased 4 SHOPPING CARTS full of Elmos and they don't know when they will be able to get more. Probably one of the many that I saw for sale on Ebay for more than ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS AND AS HIGH AS TWO HUNDRED!!!!!! Give me a break. I don't really know whether to be pissed or relieved. Once I saw everything that this Elmo does, I am glad that I didn't spend the money on something that C-A wouldn't have fun with but I am pissed that this "toy" for kids has to be held ransom by money-seeking thugs on the black market of Ebay. Yes, I have said it. Ebay has a black market in Elmos . . . . with that said, I ordered her the original Tickle Me Elmo from a seller on Ebay and got it for $16 that included shipping. She loves it. The other one isn't nearly as cuddly as the Original Tickle Me Elmo . . . .

****Hot off the press . . . . It is being reported this AM that our overpaid superstar T.O. may have attempted suicide. Either that or he was looking for an awesome buzz after taking 30-some painkillers . . . .

I could have used painkillers last week after dropping a mug and having it flip back up and gouge my leg with the broken handle. Don't ask me how I did it because I still haven't figured out how the laws of physics could have been broken to allow it happen and replaying it in my head, I can't figure out how it happened UNLESS the mug in question already had a broken handle . . . .

So it is a beautiful day and Pun'kin and I are headed out to play . . . cold weather and rain headed our way over the next week and she loves being outside . . . .BTW, she is REALLY walking now.

I JUST WANT TODAY AND TOMORROW

2006-09-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

to be over with as soon as possible. I am tired and would rather stay home but committed myself to work tonight and tomorrow night. I need to shave my legs and Pun'kin is hungry. What to do, what to do???

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Are you ready for the big day tomorrow?!?!? We have been anxiously awaiting this fateful day since last summer and we can't wait until tomorrow.

Will we stand anxiously in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart at midnight to see what he's going to do?!?!

Will we push down little old grandmas who are only buying him to resell on Ebay for highly inflated prices?!?!?

Will we grab him from the hands of those bigger and faster than Charleigh-Anne (the 2yo's)?!?! You bet we will. . . . anything for C-A's first birthday . . . .

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Charleigh-Anne has figured out how to use her F-P Corn Popper Push/Ride apparatus quite deftly. She can turn it around, get it lined up and cruise on her two little legs quite quickly across the room. She can ever carry her kitty meow or her dying duck, (his batteries are dying and when he quacks to the tune of "Skip to My Lou", it truly sounds like he is dying, not to mention the gunshot at the end of his singing) either of them slung across her right shoulder while pushing her apparatus with her left hand.

I would post pictures but it may be awhile before I am able to catch a shot of her in action. She is also getting better at toddling while holding her bottle to her mouth with one hand, head cocked back and the other arm used for balance. . . . only fallback is she can't see where she is going. LMAO

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Sorry for the lack of football coverage. I worked on my CS assignments all day yesterday and most of today. Anyhow, our local HS team got tromped by a Lancaster, OH team worse than the tromping we took from that team from Cambridge, OH. Maybe we need to stick to playing teams in our own state rather than making asses of ourselves playing teams whose players are RECRUITED from the time they are in middle school . . . .

Anyhow, maybe something entertaining will happen at work for me to blog about tomorrow. . . you never know what will happen when you wait on hillbillies who are out of their natural habitat . . .

HAVING MY NOSE TO THE

2006-09-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

grindstone worked for me. I decided to take my test yesterday (Business) before I left for work and made an "A"! It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders since I now know that I can do this! I was so stressed last week because a lot of the work I did for my portfolio seemed so complicated that I wasn't sure I was actually learning anything. So now, I can ease up on myself a little since I must be doing it right.

I have to work on Monday and Tuesday evening but at least most of the shit that needed to be done has been and I shouldn't have a bunch of shit to break down, which stresses me out when I am waiting on tables too.

Football update later in the day . . .

ITS NOT ONLY THE SHADY SCAM ARTIST . . .

2006-09-15T08:15:00.000-04:00

that they elderly should guard against. Evidently they need to watch out for the company that provides most seniors with their primary source of communication with the world outside their home. No, not the internet. Great-grandma doesn't know how to use a computer. Grandma might but not Great-grandma. It's the phone company. This poor widow was leasing a phone from the phone company for TWENTY-NINE DOLLARS EVERY THREE MONTHS!!!

Of course, I remember when all of this came about back in the 80's. I can remember as a teenager (who knows it ALL, of course) telling my Mom that she should just buy a phone and she said that it was too expensive to buy one, she would rather lease. At the time, it was about $7/month to lease and prices for Trim phones (remember them??) ran about 40 bucks. Now you can pick up a phone for around $10. The big button Trim phones still run about 40 bucks at Radio Shack!

Those old rotary phones should have been removed from the market years ago anyway due to the risk of injury from them. A small child could pull one of those phones off onto themselves and cause a head injury! LMAO I can remember as a kid (8 or 9 years old) pulling the damn thing off the desk and bashing my foot!

Seriously though, these women who are outraged about the charges on Grandma's phone should have realized years ago this was happening. I thought that it was general knowledge that the phone companies were still doing this. They were "looking out" for Granny, going over her phone bill and discovered the charges. I guess they were starting to worry about their inheritance and when they looked into Granny's finances well, you know the rest. Why did it take them this long to realize that Grandma had one of those old, leased phones in her house. Did they never go to Granny's house? Did Granny have it hidden?? I am outraged that they haven't been "looking out" for a widowed Granny until just now. Hell, my I look over some of my Mom's bills now! I showed her where she could cut 3-4 bucks a month on her satellite bill just a couple of years ago.

BTW . . . . Granny wants her old phone back . . .

I KNOW THAT PICTURES HAVE BEEN

2006-09-14T07:42:00.000-04:00

far and few between but it is nearly impossible to catch a shot of her without her turning her head or taking off as fast as she possibly can if a door is open in order to get into the toliet. YUP. I have a water baby. She loves the toliet, just like the cat.

So, if I DO manage to get a nice photo, its nearly impossible to get it uploaded due to the constant flurry of activity going on here, namely, chasing after Pun'kin. She is ALWAYS into something . . . but I guess that's what babies do. At this moment, she is trying to remove the little plastic safety thingies on the electrical outlet WITH HER TWO BOTTOM TEETH!! (unless she is trying to kiss it) She still only has those two teeth and she makes good use of them, so much use that we are concerned that she might wear them down before she gets any more teeth . . .

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On the first free day that I have had in over a week, my day is already filled with shit to do. I haven't picked up my grant money yet and today is the VERY LAST DAY TO DO IT!

Now, when you dilly-dally around picking up free $$$ your PROCRASTINATION HAS BECOME AN ISSUE . . . LMAO

ADVENTURES IN COLLEGE . . . .

2006-09-13T21:53:00.000-04:00

O.

M.

G.!!!

I didn't think I would ever complete my first portfolio assignment for my business class. I pulled an all nighter and my fingers are sore from typing for 20 hours straight. I don't know what on earth made me think that my brain would function properly enough to grasp simple business concepts that I breezed through when I was 20. I know that I need glasses and to top it off, the book that I have is the most disorganized piece of rag that I have ever tried to wade through. Shit that should be together because of their influences on each other are separated by comparative advantage vs. absolute advantage. Maybe its just me and I don't have the sharpness that I possessed even a few years ago. I guess taking two years off from work and watching TV all day, even if 75% of the time its the news really does turn your brain to mush. I thought that when I evaluated myself on Brainage and kicked the pants off Joey and Mom it was dumb luck rather than me being the smart, sharp one.

Well, if I survive this semster teaching myself General Business and Office XP Pro, then maybe it really is the book after all.

AND, I got the portfolio turned in at 7:45 PM a whole two hours shy of the deadline!!!! I have to admit though, it was a pretty thorough job and she will be pleased that my answers where not short 4-5 word phrases. She told us that it wasn't "write as few words as possible" when answering the review questions and she wanted complete sentences. I wrote short stories . . . LMAO

I had a minor catastrophe last night while cramming. Here I am, feverishly working on my assignment when suddenly . . . .
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yup, you got it right! IF ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG, IT WILL . . .

THE FREAKING ELECTRIC WENT OUT DURING A DRIZZLING RAIN SHOWER . . . that's what I get for procrastinating and I have learned my lesson now and won't repeat this fiasco.

"WHERE WERE YOU WHEN . . . "

2006-09-11T20:13:00.000-04:00

"the world stopped turning . . . on that September day?" --Alan Jackson

That is one of only a few songs that can still bring goosebumps to my skin and tears in my eyes, every single time I hear it.

I was asleep. The phone kept ringing while I was trying to get my sleep out after working late the night before waiting tables. It was at my head and I figured it was a telemarketer and I kept picking up the receiver and hanging up on them. I heard Tom Brokaw talking though and saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center but I thought I had been dreaming. Finally I picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID, while the TV was still on NBC and realized that my Mom and my GF Belinda had both been calling. As I called Belinda back first, I woke-up enough to see that it was not a dream and that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I also called Mom and let her know that I knew what was going on and apologized for hanging up on her, repeatedly. (I didn't apologize to Belinda, she knows me well enough to know that I was just frustrated and figured it was telemarketers). By this time, the second tower had been hit.

In the time it took me to wake-up and drive the 2 miles to Daniel and Belinda's, the Pentegon attack was the third time the United States had been dealt a most unimaginable and terrifying blow by the insane actions of Fundamentalist Islamics set on destroying the United States. The air traffic controllers were still trying to establish communications with one missing plane, Flight 93, which flew over our area here in West Virginia before turning back to the East Coast presumably headed for the White House. In one of the most heroic moments in America's history, the passengers of the doomed flight fought back against the crazed terrorists who had wrestled control of the plane away from the plane's pilots and crushed the hopes of those terrorists who had planned on striking a fourth devastating blow to our Nation. The heroes on that flight lost their lives along with the vile, horrid men who probably had never known compassion, love and kindness, only living their lives filled with a hate that consumed them so much that they were blind to the fact that their enemy, the United States of America, would never, ever be broken.

So much has happened since that day. I questioned what sort of world I had brought my son into that day. Yet, with the resiliance that shows just how tough we Americans are, brought a beautiful girl into this world and added joy to our family, after we had come to think that we could never be happy without my Dad, Mom's husband, Joey's beloved BaBa . On the day that I feared what may come in the approaching years for my son, I now say with pride that he is a member of the AFJROTC and that my fear of what may come for him has dissappated. Today, we are a strong nation and those who think otherwise hopefully will come to the realization that the dreadful men on Flight 93 did . . . . you can never, nor will ever, defeat our United States of America.

God Bless America and God Bless all of my family, friends and friends to be . . . .

END TO LONG WEEKEND . . .

2006-09-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

The best part of the weekend was the football season gearing up. Although Pittsburgh already played (and WON) on Thursday night, the rest of the NFL minus the Monday night game teams is playing today. T.O. didn't help Dallas so much with his one TD and 80-some yards recieving and Reggie Bush had a pretty good first game for a rookie in the Saints' win over the Cleveland Browns, who those of us living the Life in West Virginia hate.

In college ball, WVU won its second game of the season, something of which we hillbillies are proud.

In local sports, South got mauled by Cambridge and I quit listening to it on the radio at the start of the 4th quarter. 44-12 was the final score, with South scoring after Cambridge put the cheerleaders in the game in place of their players.

Tony Stewart missed the "race for the chase". ROFLMAOPMP No other words except for those. . . . we here at Life love Dale Jarrett and HATE Tony Stewart just because we think he is an asshole.

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I started back to work again on Friday night. They got a little desperate and had an employee bail on them, so I worked a little on Friday and Saturday night. They had Karoke last night and I once again had a blast! Saw all kinds of people that I knew and it was nice to be out and about for a little while. Actually, it was easier to study this afternoon. I still have a lot of work to do to turn in on Wednesday but I am hopeful that I will get it completed. LOL This will help with my move home if I can manage to work only on Friday and Saturday nights, not be expected to work during the week and they work with me on my back issues, which seems to be holding up better than last time I worked. Of course, there was much more business than they had this past weekend, since the Sternwheeler Festival was going on in Marietta.

BLOGGER ISSUES

2006-09-09T16:16:00.000-04:00

I am not quite sure what is going on but when I go to my blog here, there is only one post and it is my last one. I don't know if posting another blurb will resolve the issue but here is an attempt!

YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF

2006-09-07T15:57:00.000-04:00

blaming someone or something else. Paris Hilton is already doling out her excuses. She needs to learn to "cowboy" up and take some responsibility for her actions. Mel has earned back a little of my respect. At least he admits that he fucked up.

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My other topic about blaming others may upset some people but this one has been brewing for a few days now. You heard about the six children killed in an apartment fire recently?? Well, Mayor Daly is blaming the landlord. Daly is saying the landlord is "morally responsible" for making sure those people had electricity. Most apartment complexes like this are owned by one person and run by another, IN MY OWN EXPERIENCES. I know that any time that I have rented an apartment, it said explicitly in the contract that if my utilities were shut off, then I would be evicted. Maybe he was trying to keep 10 children and their "two parents" off the streets by turning his head to the electricity being shut-off. Who knows? And as for the non-existant smoke detectors, well, one wonders how they come up missing ALL THE TIME. Theft? Probably. Did they give them to someone else?? Maybe. Should they have gotten some free ones the last time the fire department gave them out for free??? Definately. Especially if you don't have electric and are burning open flame candles for light. If they didn't know, then they are not the kind of "immigrants" that we want coming to our country.

They are not the kind we want immigrating to the USA. Yep, that's what I said. Go ahead, beat me with the stick . . . . .

are you quite finished now??? Good. Now hear me out.

quoted from the article linked above:

Neighbors were apparently well-aware that electricity to the apartment had
been cut off because the Ramirez family had tried without success to make a
connection in the hallway or an adjoining apartment.

So, what about the neighbors' moral obligation???

I just want to know if the Ramirezs' thought that stealing electricity is okay.

Or that having 10 kids aged from 18 years old to infancy is a good idea when your kids have to work to make YOUR ends meet and even then you can't afford electric.(don't even give me the Catholic BS . . . my aunt and uncle were Catholic and only had 3 kids)

Or how about this brilliant item . . . their KIDS worked at a community center that helped people with their utilities.

Does anyone else think that maybe they were here illegally for 16 years?? Does anyone else want people this ignorant (or well versed in utility theft, whichever way you want to look at it) coming to the US to "contribute" to our society???

Besides, it doesn't sound like the "American Dream" to me . . . no electricity, children working, parents working long shifts thus spending little time actually RAISING their children, who they created proliferately . . . just my own opinion though.

I HATE that 6 children died. I really do. And someone has to be responsible but I am thinking that maybe the responsibility rests upon the parents' shoulders . . . the parents who decided that it was safe to burn candles without a smoke detector, who decided to not try to get help or who decided it was a good idea to come here to live the "good" life 16 years ago.

THE PUN'KIN WITHOUT HER BUBBY . . .

2006-09-07T15:22:00.000-04:00

yeah, she is having withdrawls too. I don't deny that I haven't had them also, my back pain is the key to my missing him though. I don't miss him yelling from "the attic" that I am "using up all his bandwidth!" She truly delights when we pick him up from the bus stop. . . which was daily for the first week since the road was a giant mudhole that entire week. No, it wasn't from Ernesto! At least it hasn't been imperative that I be home all this week when he finally arrives home. I have managed to supply "BUB-BUB" with ravioli, although, by the time I finally made it to Wal-Mart, there were only two cans left. Yeah, they have some major stocking problems that I have talked about before.

With that being said, his attitude has gone on a quick decline since returning to school even though I haven't been eating up all his bandwidth. Even while eating up his bandwidth, he was nice about it. Now, he's not nice. I didn't really like my last couple of years of school, so I will give him a little space. But he must know that there will be no tolerating declining grades. 16 year olds . . . what to do with them besides what I really want to do . . . .

Anyway, it's too bad that he does not realize how much he is adored and loved by his little sister and thinks only of being on the computer all the time.

COLLAGE

2006-09-07T14:33:00.000-04:00

COLLAGE PHOTO OF OUR PUN'KIN HEAD

If you would like to see more photos of Life in WV click on the link;

I set up a new blogspot for photos last month.