TODAY, I made the huge move from Texas to Louisiana. The transition has been very smooth and I am very happy here. There are days that I just walk around this house saying outloud to myself, "I can't believe this house is mine!" I did nothing today to mark the occasion, but hang around home and enjoy it in my warm flannels. It's been 37 degrees all day. I went to Mom and Dad's yesterday so I could stay home today. 
The Pentagon finally grew a pair and denied Nancy Pelosi's extravagant request for a huge plane to carry her and her family around. That is a gross misuse of my measly little tax dollars. She knew when she ran for office that travel back and forth between SanFran and D.C. would be necessary. Just because she is now the Speaker, in my opinion, doesn't require a plane with 16 crew members as she was requesting!! PUUUULLLEEEZZE!!!! I DON'T LIKE HER!!!
OK..I'm not going to jail and losing my home. My taxes finally got paid on the correct property parcel. Even though they didn't actually get paid on time in 2006, they did get claimed on my income taxes! While I was dealing with my insurance issues yesterday, I asked to be sure my house insurance had been paid. It had....now I can relax for a while, I hope!!! At least until some other mortal screws up!
All those things I was going to do to my rose bed today didn't happen! However, my income tax got done....not by me...but it got done to my satisfaction. I always do my own, but for some reason, I just couldn't do it this year. It cost me $130 at H&R Block, but I am getting a $300 refund. She asked me if I wanted to do my state taxes as well. Uh! NO! I came here from Texas where there was NO income tax. My broker told me that he didn't think I had to pay state taxes because none of my income is from Louisiana. I asked the lady today about it and she thought that was right, but she was about to ask someone else to know for sure. I asked her to not ask! I like the "don't ask, don't tell" rule!
The word is jewel-ry! It is not jew-le-ry! Please get it right. Jew-ry has to do with Jews, so don't say that either!! It's Valentine's and the ad agencies seem to always hire goof balls who don't know how to say the word. If you can't say it right, just call it "BLING"!!!
While I'm at it, DO NOT DRIVE IN THE PASSING LANE (That would be the left lane for you pinheads) on the Interstate or any other four lane road!! That causes ROAD RAGE even in demure, shy, calm little me! SHUT UP!
And it is NOT Wal-Marts.....It is WAL MART! No "s"!!!
I feel better now! Thanks!
Yes, that's right! I lost every drawing in the St. Jude auction, but they raised 756,000 dollars. That is just a miracle for a town this small. One woman had her name pulled on four...count them....four of the prizes. Unbelievable! I hope she went to the boats and played the slots after the auction. Her luck was definitely on!!
to a sad day! This morning I attended a funeral making sure that Mom and Dad got there and back to their house. Early afternoon I was at a different cemetery at a little ceremony to put a DAR emblem on my cousin's headstone. At five o'clock we went to the local Mardi Gras parade. My cousin and her three grown children were here from Virginia to attend the funeral ( her mother-in-law and their grandmother). We decided we would check out the Mardi Gras parade to try to lift the spirits after this sad day. It worked. We had fun and they will be boarding a plane at 4:30 A.M. to go back to Virginia. It was their dad's mother who died. He was not quite as enthusiastic about a parade as we were. He took the opportunity to have some quiet time before going back to Virginia. If I had just buried my mother, I wouldn't be going to any parade either!!!
My little town is famous for its contributions to St. Jude. There have been lots of children here who have benefited from St. Jude. This weekend they are having an auction with lots of awesome stuff to buy a chance on. I have already bought my $100 ticket for the grand prize of a Denali worth 49,000. Today I bought more chances on more stuff.
For a total of $165 I have bought chances on all these things. I'm probably not finished yet. St. Jude is my favorite charity. Last year they raised nearly $700,000, but there was a very sick little boy last year. He didn't make it, but there are others who need help from here.
Here's the proof....as gross as it may be..it's a fact of my life! This one is definitely not a toddler! I'm tired of wasting my Jif on these detestable creatures.
Yet another toddler with his tail caught in my trap succumbed today. This is totally getting ridiculous. I guess it's fairly obvious that I am obsessed with these damn rodents. I am so afraid they will somehow get inside. I have no idea how, but I know they are resourceful!!
This one was right by my front door. I have not seen any there! It was a toddler mouse that was in a corner dead. I've been back to the store for more bait. Now I am finding trails in my tall rye grass where they have apparently been running for a while. This is getting on my freakin' nerves.
All that worrying I was doing about blood work was all for nothing. I got the results of the second round of tests today and all was in the normal range. We don't know what was the deal with the previous tests. They still didn't do my HbA1C test, which is the 3 month average for blood sugar. I know the girl marked it on the form, but the lab results said no vial with a purple top was received, so the test wasn't done. The girl in the office said it wasn't supposed to be the purple topped vial, but the tiger top!! Who knew all those vials had different meanings!! Not me!!
Making movies is a topic covered incessantly by the media here. The reason is that this area really is being used a lot for filming. Shreveport has built a big soundstage with all the amenities to entice filmmakers. Before the storm, New Orleans was a frequent destination for the industry. Since I have been here (almost one year), three times Main Street has been blocked off for filming. We do have a very neat, old-fashioned Main Street and, yes, Main Street is the name of the street. Yesterday they were filming in front (or inside) of the oldest Western Auto in Louisiana. It's a hardware type store. The day before they were filming at the library. Tom Sizemore is starring in this film. A couple of weeks ago Jessica Simpson was filming here, along with Willie Nelson. One of these days, I am going to go down and watch the procedure. Lots of people were standing around watching yesterday. I think it would be interesting and then to go see the movie when it comes out.
Not for me! I heard all those reports about this being the gloomiest day of the year for many reasons including bills coming due from Christmas, broken resolutions, income taxes due. I tried to ward that off by going for a brisk walk this morning....and by brisk, I mean the weather, not the pace!!! I went into unchartered territory which took me right by the assisted living facility that is home to my aunt, so I had to stop in and visit her.
Later in the day I picked up meds for Mom at Wal Mart and took them to her. She was sleeping, so I cleaned her kitchen for her. I never saw Dad. He was in his room trying to sleep. Mom said he just can't breathe and I noticed yesterday that just walking around Wal Mart, he was wheezing very badly. He told Mom he just wished he could have a heart attack and go on home......eternity. I wish that he could do that as well because he is just so miserable and I just hate to see him that way.
I am having trouble logging on to blogger. I have tried for hours and read all the blogger help posts to no avail. I finally managed to do it, but it was a very round about way that I may not remember next time. If I go missing.....that's why!!!
I guess one never gets too old to learn. Today was going to be my departure from my self-imposed exile, so I got all decked out and ready to conquer the world of shopping for necessities. Car would NOT start. The battery is only two years old and a very good Interstate brand battery. This was not making sense. It's a 75 month battery! My brother and dad came to see what the problem was. Turns out that because I had not been in the car since Tuesday....PLUS....I keep a charging type flashlight plugged in the extra plug all the time, my battery got drained. Brother cleaned the posts, started it with his charger, and it has been starting ever since. He says I do not need a new battery. I am good to go now!
I guess I waited until the last minute, but I switched to the new blogger today. I hope it works. I usually manage to screw something up. Other than doing that, I have been a waste of skin today and yesterday. Never left the house. I am becoming so lazy. I did make potato soup today and it is very good!! I am anxious to get back in the yard and make it all pretty, but I'm not anxious for the 100 degree weather. I like it like it is now. 41 degrees!
2,000 years ago, Moses said, "Pick up your shovel, pack your ass, mount your camel and I shall lead you to the Promised Land."
200-plus years ago, George Washington said, "Get off your ass, use your shovel, clear the land, grow plants for camels and it will be the Promised Land."
Last year, the Congress of the United States said "Si, Amigos, throw away your shovel, sit on your ass, light your Camels, we're giving you the Promised Land."
(copied from email)
According to this, it should be sleeting mixed with freezing rain.......it's just not happening!! These people are panicked. All the schools started closing at 9:30 this morning. If I were still teaching, I would love this! There was some sleet earlier today, which was way cool.....OK way cold! No snow, but I wish it would. I love snow!
and this is WHY!!!! These huge windows! The temp never rose above freezing today and I have had the heat on all day and the fireplace has been burning for 48 hours straight. The master bedroom suite is really big and includes a corner that houses my computer. The master bathroom is cold too, but I put an electric heater in there. There is one in the ceiling, but it just doesn't hack it. In the summer, this part of the house is hot for the very same reason. I love the big windows though and I wouldn't change them. I really wish I had bought a 3 bedroom now, so I could have an office. There is plenty of room in the bedroom, but I just don't like the way it looks. A bedroom should be a bedroom!!! I actually spend most of my time in the bedroom watching TV or on the computer. Right now I am about to get under the electric warming blanket on my bed!!!
According to the radar on my computer, it is snowing on me right now! I guess it isn't making it to the ground because my eyeballs don't see any snow!! I did hear some sleet last night, but since it was 80 degrees before it turned cold, the ground is too warm for it to stick. My day is plannned even though I would rather just curl up by the fireplace with my John Grisham book. I am going to lunch with the ladies and then taking my dad to Shreveport to see his hearing aid man. I had already planned to just go get Dad and take him out driving for a little while. He gets so tired of just staying home and inside. Yeah....I'm good like that!!!
I had my confab with the doc this morning about the blood test abnormalities. We did the creatinine and liver tests again to be sure that it isn't just a fluke. No results for about a week probably. I was supposed to get a container for a 24 hour urine catch, but they forgot and I forgot. I know he wrote it down, so it's them that should be checking to be sure everything is done. I guess I'll wait for the results and hope nothing further is required. There is a chance that if the creatinine is still out of range that my diabetes meds may have to be changed. He said metformin is not supposed to be taken if there is any indication of kidney malfunction. If the liver numbers are still up, we will do an ultra sound of the kidneys and liver. I guess I have been blessed with good health for way too long!!! 
