A not so happy ending to the old year........

The last couple days have been rough ones for me...I caught that nasty bug that has bitten everyone else around me! The worst day was yesterday..I have coughed so much that my sides and stomach are sore! Yesterday was more like the flu and I'm pretty sure I had a fever going on.....I finally called old doc and asked if he could please order me an antibiotic. I started chucking them down as soon as I could and today I feel like I'm going to make it! I was so worried that I would be sick when my brother and his wife come to visit for the New Years weekend..they will be here tomorrow night!
The end of this year hasn't been very pleasant for me...Tuesday, before work I had to see the doctor about my trigger thumb.......He informed my that I would need an injection in my thumb...believe me, that is not what I was looking to hear! But, nonetheless, what was I going to do about it? Get up and run like a big chicken? Actually, I thought about it....So, I'm sitting there waiting for him to come back in with The Injection..thinking, "Man, I know this is really going to hurt!" And you know what..I was right...it hurt really bad! So after the deed was accomplished, doc said he wanted to see me in a week and to go make an appointment at the desk. I made it to the appointment desk and just after I told the receptionist that I needed to make an appointment..everything around me started swimming and I knew I was about to pass out! So I told the lady.."I think I'm going to pass out" and someone went running for a wheelchair and took me back to a room...made me lie down with a cold rag on my forehead and then I was supposed to drink some cold water...I laid there for a while and when I felt like I could navigate..I drank the water and told them I had to be on my way to work.
The one good thing about all this is that it all came about at the end of 06 and I am looking forward to all good things for the coming year! If the injection doesn't help my thumb I will have to have surgery on it...that can't be any worse than that shot was! My bout with the flu or whatever it was is about over and I'm beginning to feel much better.......so, all is well that ends well and I am thankful for everyone who has helped me through all this........my husband, for treating me like a big baby and waiting on me hand and foot...friends that have prayed for me and showed concern..There is a lady I don't even know who has been so kind to me on MySpace. She has sent me messages everyday and really been a blessing! Thanks Terri! Thanks, everyone for being there for me! God bless all of you!

Not this year......... Lady!

I stopped in on my friend Carolyn after work Friday night..it was only six-thirty and her apartment was dark..I knocked on the door a few times and was almost ready to give up, when her porch light came on and I could hear her stirring inside to open the door.
She stood there in the doorway..looking a little dazed.."Did I get you up?" I asked. She said..."That's okay, come on in!" She reminded me of an elf with her hats and her nicker-looking drawers and knee socks! Yes, I said hats..she was wearing two..every time I have stopped to see her she has always come to the door with a hat on..a brown knitted stocking hat that is high..like the "cat in the hat" stuffed toy that hangs from her door...I think she has a thing for hats, as she has several displayed in various spots in her humble abode....I stopped to give her a little something for Christmas and to see how she was doing...She had a cute little revolving tree with lit bells on it in the corner........a neighbor had loaned it to her. It played a Christmas tune as it twirled around and caused lights to dance on the wall behind..The lighting was bad in her living room..........she reached into the gift bag and pulled out the presents and was noticeably surprised..I think she liked the stuffed little gingerbread man the best..she has quite a collection of teddybears and stuffed animals perched on her couch...I told her there was a card too....I had to read it cause it was too dark for her to see what I wrote in it...I told her that she was a special friend and that she was always welcome at my house...and I would be her taxi if she ever needed one! She got a little wimpy on me and teared up a little..but, I told her she had better quit..cause I would be bawlin' too! She had a huge horn of plenty full of fruit on her kitchen counter and asked that I take some, since she couldn't possibly eat it all..so I stuck an apple and an orange in the gift bag, spent a few more minutes visiting and told her I was kind of
tired from work and had to be heading home.....wished her a Merry Christmas and as I was leaving to go to my car, I felt a heaviness in my heart..because I knew that she would be spending her Christmas alone most likely and I know that that's just not going to happen, because I intend to pay her a visit sometime on Christmas Day.........Because no-one should have to spend Christmas alone!
The reason I'm sharing this little holiday encounter with you all, is to remind everyone to think about all the lonely people out there who may be in the same shoes as Carolyn and not have anyone to share the holiday with. Think of how you would feel if it were you....alone at Christmas...I know that if it were me..I wouldn't like it one bit! Christmas is about sharing and that doesn't mean just sharing things, it means sharing yourself, your time, sometimes a hug or a smile make all the difference in the world to a heart that is lonely or hurting...some of the greatest gifts are those of no visible substance..........

Do you like YOU?

I'm clueless as to what my topic is going to be this morning...but then, cluelessness is what I thrive on, so I will bumble through this as best I can! I'm into my second hour and second cup of java from hitting the floor and starting my Wednesday morning...I try not to disturb other members in the house, but try as I might, I've already got Jose up and both dogs. Ronnie could sleep through an atomic explosion..I dropped a big pan lid into the sink a while ago and if that didn't wake him up..I give up! I guess some people just enjoy slumber more than others! I don't sleep anymore than is necessary!
Joyce Meyers was preaching on one of the channels this morning and although I didn't watch the whole message..I picked up enough to know what she was getting at. She was referring to how people are so judgmental of themselves and that many people just plain don't like themselves! I can see how that would happen...she says that we can't like other people if we go around hating ourselves....that makes sense to me! There have been times in my life when I wasn't all that fond of me! Her main thought was that we shouldn't go around speaking condemnation over ourselves all the time...God is not a God of condemnation, He is a God of forgiveness and grants us grace and mercy! The devil specializes in condemnation and he delights in having us all down on ourselves! Phooey on you, Satan...we know that you are a big fat liar and for sure nobody that has a brain likes you! You may fool us once in a while, but we know Somebody that can stomp the living daylights out of your schemes..so get on out of here! Because God loves you and wants you to feel good about yourself and to also do good things, love yourself! We were created in His image, am I right? He didn't create a bunch of losers who are always putting themselves down! Be proud that you are a child of His and start acting like it! That's it for today....next time!

Saturday night and we ain't got nobody.............

Yep, just me, Jose and the mutts, and I like it...nice and quiet, had plans to go out to eat..but, I decided...It's not worth facing the Saturday night crowded restaurants...the only ones that aren't crowded are the ones that aren't that great to eat at! Some of the ones that are crowded aren't that great either...but you didn't hear that from me! I don't want to get started on a discussion of the eating establishments in our fair city...so, let's just move on now.........
Josie is next to me licking her feet..this dog has a foot fettish..........she spends way to much time licking her feet! And when she's not licking her feet, she's sucking her blanket...She has a few issues, but she is a real sweetheart and I wouldn't trade her for anything....Kramer is curled up in a ball at his end of the couch...minding his own business...sleeping..that is his business when he's not playing with Josie or begging for whatever we are eating! These two hounds have got it made...they could care less about all the hoopla concerning the pending holiday!
There's a whole bunch of stuff I could be doing besides this...but, you know...it'll still be there when I get done... and probably a lot longer after! I got the stuff to make my famous peanut brittle tonight before I came home..but somehow, I'm just not in the mood to mess with candy making.....I have some presents that need wrapped too........that too can wait.
I saw my buddy Carolyn at the store today....she was toting the big bag on wheels I gave her..she had it stuffed too. She is kind of a mystery woman...very independent, yet needy...it's hard to describe her accurately..you would just have to get to know her and I don't think very many people do.
Tomorrow is Sunday and it has been a speedy week for me! Why does time seem to go by so fast? It's funny how sometimes we complain when time drags..like say, when we are at work and when we are bored........but when we are busy and have so much to do to keep us going and going........time slips away and we wonder where it went! The good times, we want to last longer and the not-so-good times we wish would speed up! Work went fast today and that's a good thing........I stayed busy the whole time and when I ran out of stuff to do...I booked...a whole hour early.......that will make the big bosses happy..anything that cuts back on labor makes them happy!
I'm winding down and starting to think about what's for supper, since we are eating in tonight...I'll bet I could sweet talk that husband of mine into fixing something yummy! Ya reckon? Enjoy the rest of the weekend.........see some of you at church!

Watch your back (and your bottom)!!

I cannot believe what I am seeing on tv...some idiot is using his cell phone to take pictures up womens' skirts! What a moron.........what kind of a debased society are we living in that someone is so hard up for a cheap thrill as to photograph some ladies' undergarments! sick-sick-sick..I tell you! Now it's not safe to wear skirts or dresses to the mall? I don't wear dresses that often and if I ever caught someone trying to photograph up my skirt...Lord pity him, because I think I would literally beat him half senseless and force feed him his cell-phone! The joke was on him though, cause someone was video-taping him as he was playing photographer with his cell-phone and he got arrested! I wonder how many creeps are out there doing the same thing! We would probably be surprised! Not only do you have to worry about getting mugged in the parking lot....now you have to worry about some perv wanting to get a snapshot of your undies while you are shopping!

Hadn't checked in here for a while so felt as though it was time to have a chat with you all. The usual Saturday work day....kind of busy, but not overwhelming! A small crisis around noon when my relief didn't show! I gave her a call and she was confused as to when she was supposed to work today...didn't think she had to be there til four..so I told her to get there asap and she did...was there in about twenty minutes!! The rest of the shift went along like clockwork...I fried up a whole case of the tortilla chips as the supply was drastically low! A case equals about thirty one pound bags. I cook them in the Chinese department's fryer, so had to take a break to let their cook do some cooking...the Chinese food goes fast......everybody seems to like it! I think it is because the main ingredient in the stuff is sugar! You would not believe the amount of sugar that goes in the sauce they use to cook most of the dishes!! Sesame chicken is a favorite...I call it candy coated chicken! After it sets awhile it's more like carmel coated chicken! My pick would be General's Chicken..I don't know why it's call that...........but it is sweet and spicy both and has hot peppers mixed in with it! Now the soup, you got to beware of..........the egg drop soup isn't too bad, but the hot and sour tastes like he dumped about a pound of pepper in it!! He should call it pepper soup! There's another dish he makes that's loaded with pepper too...just look for the little black specks...if you really love pepper...you'll like that one!! I'm not trying to discourage you all from eating Chinese at the store..cause most of it is really good and if you like pepper you'll love that hot and sour soup!
Wow, don't know how I got off onto that Chinese food gig! Maybe I just wanted to deviate from talking about pizza! I have nothing left to say about pizza...believe me, I've said it all!!
I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow and will be contemplating whether I should try to do a little Christmas shopping. It would probably be a good idea as time is flying and I don't want to be one of those left to try and do it all up on the last few days before THE DAY! That is a frightening thought!
Well, folks, I'm not much into creativity tonight so I think I will just give up on this blogging and save it for another day....Have a good weekend and don't forget tomorrow is Sunday! Time to go to church!

Love or Hate the Holiday

I hesitated to title this post the way I did...I just don't know any other way to state the emotions that arise with the holiday season! One minute I love the idea of getting out all my decorations and putting up the tree and hearing Christmas music nonstop on the radio in my car and at work..then the next........I'm thinking.......this music is driving me crazy........how many times a day can you take listening to Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer!! And if I hear Willie Nelson sing a carol one more time I'm gonna scream!!! Willie, you need to stick to country! Let me just list a few things I hate and then I'll bring on the love list...this may help me sort things out and learn to deal with my emotional highs and lows of the season!
I hate the pressure that the holiday puts on me....I don't function well under pressure...deadlines..get things done! Procrastination is my biggest enemy this time of year and I seem to wallow in it......
I hate the fact that everyone has high expectations only of what they will receive and not what they can give!
I hate the price of postage stamps...you need to take out a loan to mail your Christmas cards!
I hate knowing that there are children who will wake up to no presents and possibly no dinner, not only in other parts of the world...but right here in our fair country!
Now for the love list:
I love Christmas because we can celebrate the birthday of Jesus!
I love to drive around town and see all the pretty lights.
I love knowing that it's a guaranteed day off cause the store is closed all day Dec. 25!
I get mail!
I love it when everyone exercises their sense of humor at work, even when the pressure is on to stay on task and not fool around!
I love making homemade peanut brittle!
That's enough...........you make your own list and lets be honest, Christmas is meant to be about love and..........God gave us the gift of Christ out of His love for us.........to celebrate the season means to show our love for Him by loving each other! Giving gifts is a tradition that will always be associated with Christmas and it's a great tradition. We all love to receive gifts, but don't let the gift giving and getting overshadow the real reason for the season.......to celebrate a Gift given over two thousand years ago!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

And I ain't kidding! Nothing like about a foot of snow to turn your world into one big old deepfreeze! I don't think many of us were ready for this winter wonderland...at least this
heat seeker wasn't! I like warm and cozy and have an aversion to freezin' my fanny in this insane weather! However, you would think after all the years I've spent in Illinois, I would be used to the abuse of winter! I may be used to it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! I suppose that's enough harping about weather.....let's see if I can pick a more interesting topic to mull over!
Today, I got to enjoy a marvelous day off from work...even the cold couldn't put a damper on that!
Started off with church...more people showed up than was expected...pastor said so! That's a good thing! I always enjoy church whether the congregation is big or small...but it's always nice to see new people! I even saw an old buddy of mine who used to be one of my favorite pizza customers at the store! I knew when I saw her coming it was time to make her a pizzaboat! I was pleasantly surprised to see her at church this morning!
After church we went and got my son and checked out the new McDonalds on Main....nice store...food still the same...what really got my attention was the big LCD tv on the wall above where we sat.....it was neat to look at but not much audio effect as you couldn't hear anything for all the people...and of course Ronald was there today from 11 to 1..the puniest Ronald McDonald I've ever seen! Bet he's never had a Big Mac with supersized fries! But he was makin' all the kids happy and asking them all if they ever drank coffee! Don't know what that was about, but oh well! Oh, and a new feature of the new store is a fireplace...looked pretty authentic too..I think it was an actual fire burning in it!! Let's hope it doesn't attract a pyromaniac...then we are looking at an even newer and better McD's! Oh, and look forward to a new one on Henderson, it's the next project! I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait!!! They really need to find a more portly Ronald tho....This guy was just not for real.....I guess they are trying to give the fast food industry a new slimline, healthy image! We all know that's a crock!!! That stuff is going to make you fat if you eat it all the time!
On to the next highlight of the day....thriftin'! There is only one thrift store in this town open on Sunday and that's Goodwill...if you recall that's were I happened on that twenty-dollar bill in the pocket of that jacket I found in there! Well, it's me and Ronnie and Jose and I have yet to get my dear husband into a thrift store and he will probably pop his cork when he finds out I told...but today he entered a thrift store for the first time since I've known him and even found a couple items to his liking to buy!!! He handed me some cash and the items and then split for Big Lots...but I'm proud of him for making that first step!!! Now my next goal will be to get him into Cottage Corner...wish me luck on that one cause he really is thumbs down on that place!!
Did a quick walk through at Big Lots..the place was too crowded and I was not in the mood for people elbow to elbow, so I was out of there with no purchases and ready to head for home!
Well, folks, that raps it up for a day in the life of............hope I didn't put anyone to sleep and I'll be back again soon! Fair warning!