Yesterday

All day long yesterday I tried to not think about what day it was. 32 years ago my daddy died. My whole world came crashing around me on that day.

On Feb 26th, 1973 I woke up and felt sick. My Daddy had not left for work yet. I got up and went in the dining room where he was at and asked him to not goto work that day. I told him that something was wrong and I was afraid. He told me that whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I hugged and kissed him goodbye. That was the last time I ever saw him alive. That evening, on his way home from work, he had a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital and 12 hours later he was gone. I remember waking up and I knew that he was gone and I would never see him again. I got up and went in the livingroom and was told to go back to bed. The phone rang then with the news.

I went to school that day and found out just how cruel and kind kids can be. This one girl asked me what was wrong because she saw me crying. When I told her she went over to a group of girls and said something to them. They looked over at me and laughed. One of them came up to me and said I was a liar because if it was true then I would not be at school. I was at school because school was always a comfort to me, but not that day. My best friend heard about my Daddy and she called her mama and before lunch her mama was there checking us out of school. I stayed with them until the day of the funeral. She stayed with me the whole time, never leaving my side. No one, except for her, ever saw me cry for my daddy again. I never allowed anyone to see my pain again.

After that for many years I closed myself off. I started on my way to destroying myself and nearly succeeded several times.

I miss my daddy. Today I cry tears that I was unable to for so many years. I remember things like sitting in his lap while he read the paper to me, helping him sort invoices and adding things for him on adding machine. I remember all of his hugs and kisses, the times he would be late for work to take me to school because I missed the bus. I remember looking in the atlas at the route that his ship took and hearing him tell of his adventures. I remember the sadness in his voice when he shows me where he was when the bombs were dropped. I miss you Daddy. Mama is with you now and someday I will join you, just not yet.

RED LETTER DAY!!!
My mailbox is empty!

Thought for the day

Knead today's bread only.

Today's bread is the only bread I can possible eat.

I know the things I worry about usually never happen.

Help me focus on today.

Tomorrow will take care of itself.

~author unknown

I am always having to remind myself to not worry about the future. I tend to be very pessimistic internally. I may say out loud that there is nothing to worry about, everything will be just peachy. On the inside I am screaming, what will we do? How will we survive?

 Worrying consumes you, it becomes you. Eventually it will eat you up. On the other end of the pole are those who never worry about anything. they make no plans, everyday is party time. The future will take care of itself. Well guess what? Worriers worry about that they will have to take care of those people.

Somewhere in-between the 2 poles is where I want to be. I do not want to worry about how I will survive when I am old. The president of my country is trying to make sure that I have to worry about that. I am not rich, I have no pension plan, I pay my bills. I had hoped that I would have enough in SS that I would be able to continue to pay for necessities and buy some food. Fat chance now. So I just gave myself something else to worry about. Must go back and read verse again.

 

A test

You Are a Lace Bra!Dreamy, romantic, and ultra-feminine You're a womanly woman who makes guys feel like men Your perfect guy is strong, determined, and handsome With a softer side that only you can draw out

What Kind of Bra Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Okay, this is a silly test. I laughed when I saw my results. The weird thing is, it is partly true! I got it from Beautiful and forty something

So what are you?

10 things

10 things I've done that you probably haven't. Got this from By the Way. My friend Mosie has some great answers in her journal. Check it out.

10 Things I've done you probably haven't.

1. Give birth at home.

2. Hitchhiked across the country, twice.

3. Broke my back

4. Made butter.

5. Won second place in National Bread baking competion at age 15.

6. Read War And Peace in 4th grade.

7. Played as Eyore for Sears.

8. Taken a bath in a tub, outside in the yard.

9. Chopped firewood 2 days before giving birth.

10. Watch my car run over my daughter.

Brook

This morning I was so full of places to go. I picked the most important one. PT was put off until tomorrow, turning in Pat's paperwork was put off until later in the day. I made going to Brook's school for Grandparents Day my prioity. She was so happy that I showed up. Pat tried to go but he started having spasms after getting dressed. We had our picture taken, drank punch, ate cookies, and bought books.

Now for the big news. Brook made the Demo Impact Team. She was so happy! She was jumping all over the place. It is hard. She has over2 hours of classes on Tuesdays now.  She is the youngest member. I will take pictures when she gets her new uniform.

Pat is still hurting. He thought he was doing better until he missed a dose of medicine. He now realizes that he is more hurt than he thought he was. Sitting with a heating pad now.

Now back to fixing dinner. I am making Garlic Porkchops, corn and baked beans. Oh yes and cornbread.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Please forgive my screaming. It seems I am supposed to be in 3 places at the same time. So busy busy me. Gotta go be back later to fill you in on things.

Anger

Anger is never without a reason but seldom with a good one.
- Benjamin Franklin -

Cat breed

You are a Persian! You are quiet, gentle, and
loving, though sometimes you need extra
attention and care. Some might call you high
maintenance, but you just need to be pampered.

What breed of cat are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I got this from Sandra's Scribbles.

So what are you?

Yesterday I recieved acknowledgement that there is gold here. I have always thought of our little farm as a golden place. A place that I wanted to spend the rest of my days at. Yesterday evening, after a day of torrential rain, the sun came out. I stepped out on my porch just in time to see a rainbow spread across the sky. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the end of the rainbow settle in our field. The trees on the creekside behind it simmered with its color. I rushed inside to get the camera hoping to capture its beauty. If you look closely you can see the rainbow in front of the trees not behind them.

Pat

Pat wanted me to tell everyone thanks for the well wishes. We are having a time getting an appointment with a doctor. He has to have a work release ( of course he cant work yet) So far the earliest he can get in to see one is March 17th. We cannot afford for him to be off work that long. I think that is how they get out of paying any claims. Another thing is we may have todrive over 50 miles one way to even see an doctor. This is crazy. IF it is just a muscle strain he will be healed by then and no trouble for the worse if he goes back to work before then. If it is something else, like a slipped disc then he will have trouble and will void his claim by then. Go to work and risk more injury, maybe far more serious or stay at home and not pay bills....... I am worried. I cannot say anything to him about it. He really is hurting and he will try to work if he knows that I am worried. I am scared. I am not ashamed to admit it. I keep thinking, should I contact a lawyer now? I feel like they are trying to screw him.

Pat hurt

Well last night, or rather this morning was a doozey. I woke up to a gunshot, at least I thought it was. Just dreaming, go back to sleep. No wait I hear my name, nope noone there. Wait there it is again. I get up and go in the livingroom and what do I find? Pat on the floor.

 Turns out he hurt himself at work last night after I went to bed. He tried calling me but I cannot hear the phone ring(gotta fix that part, need on in bedroom). He went to the hospital and the doctor said he had a strained back muscle . No xrays were done at that time. He gave him some prescriptions and that was it. Said call your doc in 5-7 days. It seems when he got him that he tried to stand straight up and he got hit with muscle spasms that put him to the floor. He says he now understands what I went thru with that when I broke my back. He told me that I am stronger than he realized.

So I am off now to get his prescriptions filled. Lucky for him I had some of the meds he needed.

What a day today has been. First I get up and everything hurt. My hip was having trouble holding me up, finally got that worked out. My neck and shoulders were hurting, never did get that worked out. My back stopped hurting after I stood up for awhile. THEN I went to physical therphy. They made me cry. Why does it have to hurt so much?I do not feel any benefit from it, maybe it is just to early. Pat was in a grumpy mood all morning, trying to pick a fight. I was not in the mood to do so. He had gone and bought a load of gravel in the truck while I was in PT. He shoveled it out after we got home. I moved the truck forward and backwards for him. He is still trying to pick a fight. We finished doing that and go inside. It has warmed up to 33 by then. I fixed us ad rink and he plays on the computer for a bit. He then goes and lays back down and takes a nap. I go sweep out the back of the truck. That gravel can really eat a hole in the bed of a truck if you leave it in there. I fix his lunch and wake him up for work. As he was leaving he tells me he is sorry. He admitted that he was in an ill mood and was trying to fight. He thanked me for not taking the bait. That made me feel good.

Now on to some goodstuff.

Brook had TaeKwonDo tonight. She is getting so good with it. Her kicks are getting better all the time. Tonight was as pecial night, She tried out for the DEmo Team. the Demo Team goes around to churches and schools and other places and gives demostration shows. It is really neat to watch them. There were a lot of people trying out for this. She was the youngest one there trying out. She was so serious doing it. It is hard to make the team. She broke 4 boards and did numberous kicks. I am so proud of her. Even if she does not make it, she tried. And not because I pushed her. She begged me to let her try out. I had to say yes. I know how tough it is. Very few green belts make the team. Most of the kids do not make it the first time they go for it. We will find out Tuesday if she made the team or not.

 

I miss you Mama.

2 years ago today my Mama passed on. It does not seem to get any easier. If anything, I miss her more now than ever before.

She was 86 and died at home, alone, with her cat in her lap. She had her hand on his back like she was petting him. That was how she was found. Her cat was not one for staying still for very long. He stayed with her and did not even move after my sister found her.

She died 10 days short of the 30th anniversary of my Daddy's death. They are together now forever.

Some animals need your help

TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME, INDIANA AND TENNESSEE RESIDENTS!
Attention, Hoosier and Volunteer State residents! Your help is needed to pass the following legislation:
* At “hog-dog rodeos,” which have recently become very popular across the southern states, dogs, usually pit bulls, are turned loose in pens to attack wild pigs as onlookers cheer. The dogs are judged by how quickly they take down their prey. To prevent injury to the dogs, the hogs’ tusks are often snapped off, rendering the animals defenseless. The hogs can sustain serious injuries during these events, including ripped ears, mangled noses and other gaping wounds.

Proposed legislation in Tennessee, SB 1522, would make it a Class E felony to own or train hogs for the purpose of fighting, baiting or injuring another animal, for amusement, sport or gain. Tennessee humanitarians, please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center today, where you can send letters asking your legislators to support SB 1522.

* Indiana’s current animal cruelty law only prevents someone from knowingly or intentionally beating a vertebrate animal or from torturing or mutilating an animal. There is nothing to prohibit someone from killing your pet! But if passed, SB 252 would make knowingly or intentionally killing a domestic animal a Class D felony—unless the killing was necessary to prevent injury to a person, protect property or prevent a seriously injured domestic animal from prolonged suffering. To ask your legislators to amend the cruelty statute, Indiana residents, please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center today.

Not a resident of Indiana or Tennessee? Find out how you can help pass humane legislation in your state at the ASPCA Advocacy Center. 

An observation

Hay itches when it gets in your bra.

Eye doctor

Brook had a fun day. She went to the eye doctor. Poor baby. I had to dilate her eyes before getting there. Anybody that has had that done knows that those drops burn! i put the drops in and 5 minutes later I had to repeat it.m As much as it burned the first time, she allowed me to do it again.  Her pretty blue eyes disappeared and became big black holes! Shew could not see anything. So the doctor checked her eyes and she is slightly far sighted. He does not want to put her in glasses just yet. He wants to recheck her in 4 months just to make sure of how they are progressing. Afterwards they put drops in to make them go down faster but it is still a slow process. She still insisted on going to TaeKwonDo. That child is a doer. I am proud of her.

Valentine

Well an update on what happened yesterday. We did go out to eat and I ate way too much.  Pat did get me a Valentine's gift. It was the most romantic gift! LOL A candy heart and a watch pen  lol! His reasoning, I never wear watches and I always need a pen.  I am just happy to actually get something!

Now the big news is Brook has a sweetheart! She racked up this year!  A necklace, 2 stuffed toys and a real card! All from the same little boy. The card was so sweet. He wrote in it " Dear Brook I know you love me but I love you too." Isn't that sweet? That really made Valentine special for her!

 

Brook and I are by ourselves right now. Pat took my daughter to the store so she could buy her boyfriend something. I was going to take her but I do have an ulterior motive for sending him. Maybe, just maybe he will get me something. Heck even a card would be nice. I have been buying my own candy heart for so long I would not know how to act if he got me one!

Brook was a busy beaver yesterday. She baked her very first cake!  from cracking the eggs..  measuring the water...  mixing it up..  and pouring it in the heart-shaped pan. I did the greasing and putting in the oven. Afterwards she iced it and decorsted it. She made it for her mama. I am so proud of my little baker. She watched the clock like a hawk to keep it from over cooking.

Pat and I are supposed to go out for dinner. We will see. Brook is staying at her mama's tonight so we can have our Valentine day today.

Patrick's Saturday Six #44

PLay along with me at Patrick's Saturday Six.

1. What one song or melody can make you smile even when you're having a rotten day?
 Hush Little Baby, I started singing this for my grandbaby when she was born and now she sings it to her baby dolls.
2. What are your plans for the day?  How much of it do you think you'll actually accomplish?
 I plan on baking a cake and cookies. The cake is done and the ingredients for the cookies are set out waiting for the dishwasher to finish. So yep All of it will be done.
3. What television show do you most enjoy watching when you're all alone and can devote your complete attention to it?
 Young and the Restless. Ok it is a soap opera.  I like it!
4. What was the last thing you remember arguing with someone about?
 Brook
5. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #45 from Bud:  Inspired by this article on cell phone technology, he asks, "What is your most aggravating public experience with a cell-phone user?"
It was not only aggravating it was dangerous. It happened the other day. I was driving in downtown and a car in front of me was weaving back and forth between 2 lanes. I could see the man was using a phone, he was holding it oin his left hand and would keep letting go of the wheel waving his other hand in the air.
6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #46 from Stacy:  Did you watch the Super Bowl and if you did, do you like the commercials, the half-time show OR the ceremony following the game the best?

I did not watch the Super Bowl as it came on a channel I do not get also I did not care for the teams playing.

Jump rope

My Brook is doing a good deed. She is participating in a drive to raise money. She is Jump Roping for the American Heart Association. This is the very first time she has ever done anything like this. She is jumping in memory of her Granny. Her Granny, my mother, died on Feb 17, 2003 of heart failure.

She has her very own website to help raise money. Follow this link to view her personal webpage and maybe while you are there you might decide to help her in her effort to help the American Heart Association. If anyone wants to donate a smaller amount you can contact me on how to do so.

:-)Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving; make every day a holiday and celebrate just living. :-)
--Amanda Bradley

Love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons from coming and going. You cannot bribe it or coerce it or reason it into staying. You can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to you.
--Kent Nerburn

Happy New Year

 This is the Chinese greeting for the New Year celebrated in the beginning of the year.
People born in the Year of the Rooster are deep thinkers, capable, and talented. They like to be busy and are devoted beyond their capabilities and are deeply disappointed if they fail. People born in the Rooster Year are often a bit eccentric, and often have rather difficult relationship with others. They always think they are right and usually are! They frequently are loners and though they give the outward impression of being adventurous, they are timid. Rooster people’s emotions like their fortunes, swing very high to very low. They can be selfish and too outspoken, but are always interesting and can be extremely brave. They are most compatible with Ox, Snake, and Dragon.
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, starts at the beginning of spring. It occurs somewhere between January 30 and February 20. Each Chinese year is represented by a repeated cycle of 12 animals, the rat, ox, tiger, hare or rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
Chinese New Year is China's biggest holiday. Its origin is ancient, but many believe the word Nian, which means "year", was the name of a beast that preyed on people on the eve of a new year.
The legend says, long ago, there was a monster called Nian. It was born to be very ugly and ferocious, which looked like either dragons or unicorns. On the first and the 15th of each lunar month, the monster would come down from the mountains to hunt people. So people were very much afraid of it and locked their doors early before sunset on the days of its coming. There lived an old wise man in a village. He thought it was the panic in people that made the monster so bold and furious. Thus the old man asked people to organize together and to conquer the monster by means of beating drums and gongs, burning bamboo, and lighting fireworks in purpose of making large noises to threaten the hateful monster. When he told people about the idea, everybody agreed on it. At a moonless and freezing cold night,the monster, Nian, appeared again. The moment it opened its mouth at people, burst out the frightening noises and fire made by people, and wherever the monster went, it was forced to back off by the terrible noises. The monster couldn't stop running until he fell down with exhaustion. Then people jumped up and killed the evil monster. Savage as the monster was, he lost in the end under the efforts from the cooperation of people. Since then, people have kept the tradition by beating drums and gongs, and lighting fireworks at the coldest day in winter to drive the imagined monsters away and to celebrate the victory over it. Today, Nian refers to the New Year's day or the Spring Festival. People often say Guo Nian, which means 'live the festival.' Furthermore, Nian also means the year. For an example, the Chinese often greet each other by saying Xin Nian Hao, which means Happy New Year! Xin means new and Hao means good. 
    My name in Chinese characters. If you would like to learn more about the Chinese New Year and how to write your name in Chinese characters click here

that diet

Ok sweet people. I had a few emails from some very concerned people. It really is not a diet. I caught the really horrible stomach virus that has been closing whole school districts down around here.

I have anorexia. I will not, I repeat will not go on any diet that will rapidly remove weight from my body. I have a very hard time going on any diet for fear that I will lose control and go back to not eatting.

I am almost 5'7" tall. At one time I weighed 87 pounds. I looked like a holocaust survivor. When I gave birth to my daughter I weighed 155 pounds. 2 weeks later I was down to 100 pounds.

I am terrified of that happening to be again.

Better

Feeling better today. Did a little reading and catching up. I am so weak. My new diet enabled me to fit in a pair of pants that on Saturady I could not get closed. As a matter of fact I had about a 4 inch gap. Today they fit good. I DO NOT, I repeat I DO NOT recommend this diet!

Sorry Flylady I can only stand for 5 minutes at a time to do anything. Tomorrow will be better.

New diet

Started a new diet last night. I think I have lost 5 pounds already. I do not think I like my new diet.

Brook is doing fine. She gave her virus to me. I'm going back to bed now.

update on stinker

He is mad at himself not the dog!!!!!

Stinker

It is going to be a bad day when Pat gets up. The dog destroyed 2 pairs of boots. My boots were cheap, only about $75 but Pat's were $200.Our boots have been left outside the door many times without him touching them and now he does this. He is going to be very upset. The dog has started chewing on things again like a puppy does only now he has big teeth that will totally destroy what he chews on. Yes he has toys to chew on. O dear. This may be the last straw with him.

Horses

Today was worming day. That was fun. Crystal takes her medicine okay but is mad at you afterwards and will not take a treat. Precious takes her medicine and looks at you for more. Now Belle, well Belle was fun. Pat had ahold of her halter and raised her head up and shot the meds in her mouth and up she went! She popped her front legs up off the ground and started slinging her head. Then she came down and looked for a treat! She is like a puppy dog!

Saturday Six

Here we go with another edition of Patrick's Saturday Six

1. What is your favorite restaurant to visit for breakfast and what do you order?
 Susie's Restrauant, a small hometown place, real slow but the food is good. I usually order a western omelet.
2. Do you have any unique ability like those who appear on David Letterman's "Stupid Human Tricks?"  If so, how did you learn you had this talent?

nope, not that I know of.
 
3. There are plenty of sites on the internet for pen pals; some of them are specifically designed for communicating with people in prison.  Have you ever or would you begin corresponding with a stranger who was in prison?

No I do not think I would.
 
4. Name two questions you have always wanted to ask a pair of identical twins.
 1. Do you really like your twin? 2. Is it true about the ESP thingy?
5. If you looked back at your high school yearbook photos, what is more embarrassing?  Your hair, your clothes, your glasses, or your complexion?

All of the above.

6. If you had to change the color of one of the following, which would you change and why:  the walls in your living room, your car, or your eyes.

My living room. The walls are off white and I am sick of it.

Today will be a busy day. Pat has left to go get a load of gravel. Candi's boyfriend is taking his truck and getting a load too. He will be bringing 2 teenaged boys with him to help shovel  off the gravel. Why are we getting gravel? Well, everyone has decided that our driveway lake needs to be fixed. I do not understand what the trouble is? I thought it was just lovely seeing ducks swim in our driveway! LOL. Being funny here. Seriously, it really needed work on BAD!!! They are putting a pipe in and covering it with gravel. Yesterday evening while I was at TaeKwonDo with Brook, Steve dug a small ditch leading from the driveway to the field. this really is a major job. I know that the amount of gravel they are going to get will not fill up the hole. We need a BIG dump truck load! If the weather holds out we will hopefully get a truck to come out here in the next week and lay some gravel down for us. I wish we could concret it but there is no way! Our driveway is about 800 feet long. Can you imagine how much that would cost?!?!

Anyway I won't be much help today. Brook is sick. She spent most of the night throwing up. There is some kind of stomach virus going around and she caught it. She is just miserable. She has a low grade fever so I am not treating that. Just trying to keep her hydrated.
After they all get here I am going to store and getting my meds and picking up something for lunch to feed this crowd. I might just pick up a bucket of chicken!

Well gotta go and finish my kitchen. See yall later!

goals

The more faith you have, the more you believe,

The more goals you set, the more you’ll achieve.

Remember no matter how futile things seem,

With faith, there is no Impossible Dream!

- Alice Joyce Davidson

 

I have been learning that I need to set small goals. These small goals are stepping stones on my pathway to a bigger goal. Each time I reach my goal, my faith that I will reach the end goal increases.

Some people only set one goal in their life, then sit around complaining that they never get it. Why is that? Is it possible that the reason is they deliberately set a goal so high as to create an obstacle in order to not reach their goal. These people are the ones that have no faith.

IRS

The INternal Revenue Service has announced that all tax payers can e-file this year for free. All you have to do is go thru their site. Check it out

IRS

The rest of the story

I talked to my doctor today. She has my test results. Drum roll please....LOL Well, it was a mixture of news, good news and not real bad. For the real good news, my cholesterol is down to 187 from 233 just 2 months ago. Now this is from not taking drugs to lower it. My bad kind is still too high. It is 129. That is a 70 point drop in 1 year! One year ago it was 199. Now to get my weight down. More good news, my thyriod has leveled off! No change in my medicine this time. Now for the mixed news. My blood sugar was still elevated but it was lower than the last time. No medicine yet. I am to go on an 1800 calorie diabetic diet to bring it under control. If it is still elevated in 3 months then I will go on daily monitoring of my blood sugar.

O yes, the new medicine is not a new drug, just new for me. It is actually an old drug, Relafen.

Doctor

I went to the doctor today about my neck. He is putting me on some new drugs for arthritis and is sending me to physical therapy. I go back in one month for a followup. He said that he sees no reason to do any surgery but he does see a need to get my neck to moving free again. I have a feeling that I am in for a few weeks of pain....

My other doctor called today with my test results but did not leave q message. That worries me. She has always left the results on machine before. I am waiting for her to call back. I may call her back in a few minutes. Actually I think I will call now. Be back later.

I was doing a bit of looking around tonight and I found a webpage in AOL Hometown that was so good. Nothing fancy about it but it was very well written. It is about relationships and his thoughts on them. Yes, that is right I said his thoughts. This page was written by a man. All you single ladies in Flordia, you really need to look this man up. He goes by the name of SCOTPOLICE . He has a journal too although he only wrote in it once. Read this page and tell me what you think, or better yet, tell him.

My Thoughts on Relationships 

weekend assignment #46

Weekend Assignment #46: Make one new rule to apply to the Super Bowl. This new rule can apply to any aspect of the Super Bowl, from the game to the spectators, to the halftime show, to the commercials. If it's got something to do with the Super Bowl, you can make up a rule about it.

My rule is that the rulebook that is played is the one that was in effect in 1980.

Extra Credit: Your pick for winner of the Super Bowl. Naturally, don't bother doing the extra credit if it's Sunday evening.

Well I will place my bet on the Patriots.

Today is Groundhog's Day.   Traditionally it is the day that the groundhog emerges from his burrow and predicts the weather. If the sun is shining and he sees his shadow then he will go back to his burrow and sleep for 6 more weeks. If he does not see his shadow the we will have an early spring. Spring is coming! There is no way for a groundhog to see his shadow here! It is raining!

 








 

11 rules

Rule 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make a lot right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work at jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

I went to the doctor this morning. I had an appointment to get bloodwork done. FUN. I am beginning to feel like a vampire's victim!  Blood was drawn for a fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and thyriod. Everything was high 2 months ago when I was tested and so we are retesting. The sugar is the only new thing going on. My thyriod is leveling off finally ( I hope), my cholesterol has been coming down slowly but surely ( with no drugs), but my sugar has been climbing. The bad news is I gained a pound from last month, but we are pretty sure it is water weight from the female thing. No monthlys anymore but I still go thru everything involved with having one! Friday I go to the orthropedic doctor about my neck. We will see what he has to say. I think it will be a waste of time but I will go anyway. That is all for now!