Too freakin' close!!!

BRRRRR!

The temperature has not risen above 34 all day and it is raining. We are thankful for those 2 degrees above freezing because ice would not be welcomed. Actually, due to the rather elevated slope of my drive way, I would be stuck at home because I would not be able to get traction on an iced over driveway. I had some icicles earlier, but they have melted. This morning I went to get some meds for Mom at Wal Mart and took them to her. When it is this cold, they stay at home and have it way too hot for me. Mom can hardly stand it either, but Dad has to have it really, really, warm. It's stifling to me. He doesn't understand why everyone doesn't want to be that warm!! Yesterday, he had a little damage done to his truck because he met a log truck on a bridge and he got a little too close to the concrete sides of the bridge. He knows he should not be driving, but it's hard for him to give it up. His macular degeneration has really affected his vision. I feel sorry for him.

Soul food

Yesterday I went to Mom's and picked some collards for her to cook today. She did that along with some fried fish and hot water cornbread and baked sweet potatoes. Yes, it was delicious. She can still cook collard greens. I guess the most surprising thing is that I grew them!! Yes, I did. So there!

Voila!

Mission accomplished! I now have a DVR and it is working properly. The cable company told me they would be here between 8 and 10. He showed up at 9:50. Good thing.....because I was about to lose my cool. I don't know why because I had not another thing to do today. It's just the principle of the thing. Be here when you say you will be here. They escaped my wrath! I bet they were scared.

Good Times Rollin'

We rolled at 5 P.M. yesterday (that's Mardi gras talk) in my first ever parade. It was sooooo much fun and I can hardly wait the two weeks until the next parade that I will ride in. Throwing those beads was so much fun, but it was way too short. Afterwards, we all got together at a local restaurant for a few beers, good times, and good food.

Tonight I was the designated driver for a birthday celebration for one of the ladies. We went to Bossier to Ruby Tuesday's and had a great time. I have made some really good friends since I moved here. They really make me feel a part of the group and they have been together for years.

This is interesting!

It's SNOWING!...

.....but it isn't sticking. It is going to be so cold on that Mardi Gras float tomorrrow at 5. Thank goodness, the Minden parade doesn't last very long. We cannot wear overcoats. We have to wear our tricked out tux jackets, white shirts, white gloves and our top hats. I had to go buy some ear warmers today and some gloves that I can wear under the mandatory thin white throwing gloves. It will be fun. The next parades that I'm in aren't until Feb. 2nd and 3rd. Who knows what the weather will be like then. It could easily be HOT or COLD!

All is well!

• My foot is much better today. I am hardly even limping today.
• My car is back in my garage to the tune of $476, which is way better than the $1200 the dealership would have charged me.
• I have clean sheets to sleep on tonight. (Don't laugh. I like clean sheets)
• The fun starts tomorrow with the float loading party.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Ouch!

The doctor's receptionist told me to come in right now when I called this morning. I always wait until I am in really bad shape before I go to the doctor. He is pretty sure it is gout and is treating it as such unless the blood tests show a different diagnosis. My uric acid is always high and I don't do any of the things that are supposed to cause gout. I remember that my grandfather had it, but I don't think it's hereditary. He gave me a shot of celestone, which is magical short term, but it also sends my blood sugar soaring. All cortisone does that to blood sugar. It's only around 200, but for me that is soaring. I also got some more pain pills, some gout meds and an antibiotic. Hopefully, it will be all better tomorrow!

On another note, once again the money is flowing from my account. My car is back in the shop getting the torque changed in the transmission. The whole transmission has to be removed to do this, so it will be expensive. They had my car all day today and haven't even pulled the transmission yet. I have my mom's car now. I wish I wasn't crippled so I could clean hers up for her while I have it. It's a mess!

I can't walk and Britney Spears is a MORON!

Something happened to my foot yesterday. Last night a knot came on top and started hurting really bad. I scrambled to locate any left over pain pills in this house and found a few. They didn't help much. I even tried a lidicaine pain patch, which also didn't help. Now in addition to the knot, my big toe has gout and the whole foot is very, very painful. It is red, swollen and hot! I have to try to see my doctor tomorrow. It's Mardi Gras time! WTH! I can't not be able to walk!!!

Britney Spears is yet another Louisiana native giving Louisiana a bad name. She's an IDIOT! I'm just sayin'!!!!!

Mardi Gras Prep

We were busy as little bees today getting all the beads sorted and ready to be loaded....1,000's of beads....many, many boxes stacked according to each person's order. Tomorrow night we do the finishing touches. Thursday night we all go out to the den to party and load the floats with beads. The floats have hooks to hang beads on and they all have to be filled before the parade, which is Saturday. The extra beads have to be stored in special zip up bags marked with our logo...no cardboard boxes allowed on the float. This is a first class organization. No riff raff here!!!

Just a sample...

of the kind of costumes worn by Royalty at the Grand Bal's. This is our queen and the king wore matching attire. Unbelievable how much money is spent by Royalty. They have to buy all their costumes (have them made), all the decorations for their respective tables at the ball, very special beads that they throw and all kinds of other stuff. It's amazing! I had a good time, but it's not an event I really enjoy. I will enjoy the tailgating, float loading parties much more when I can have on jeans and my feet don't hurt. Most of our members stay at the hotel the night of the bal'. I do not. I had one margarita and one beer in the several hours I was there. I'm glad it's over...now the fun really begins with the parades and informal parties. I'll be less uptight then.

Let the good times roll!

Last night we came close to finishing both our floats. The music was blaring from the children's float and everyone was dancing around. It's getting exciting. Of course, when that Mardi Gras song, New Second Line, is playing, it's impossible to be still. We have stacks of boxes containing beads that we ordered in the Krewe den. Tomorrow we will decorate for the Bal', which is Friday night. Sunday we finish up our floats and next Saturday is our local parade. It's the first one we put our floats in. The following weekend on Friday night, we have tailgating float loading parties in Shreveport in preparation for two parades...one Saturday, which is four hours long, and a shorter one Sunday. There are lots more parades, but those are the only 3 I will be riding in. Fun times I am really looking forward to.

"Nuf said"!

Louisiana has gone NUTS! Even the Academy store in Shreveport opened after the game tonight to sell LSU merchandise.

Whoosh!

Usually that is a sound associated with downhill skiing, but right now it is the sound of money leaving my bank account. I finally gave up my last hold on Texas after two years of living in Louisiana. Now I have a cell phone with a Louisiana number. It's charging now and I haven't set up my voice mail, but I will soon. Then I will send out the number to my buds!

O My Gosh! Ohio State already scored. I gotta go! This is serious.

At last!

This is the final rendition of our program for the Bal', which is Friday night. I think it turned out great and I am very pleased with it. I just hope all the others are as well. No one has seen the finished copy. I just picked them up today so it will be a surprise to everyone. It is 24 pages of ads and recognitions and made a profit of about $4000 for the krewe. Not bad! We do a lot of things for the homeless shelter here in our little town.

WooHoo!

I now have two new TV's...both hooked up and running properly. My brother got one for our mom and dad yesterday as well. Next, he is going to get one for him. I still don't have a DVR yet, but I will as soon as they get some in. Still don't have a new cell phone and provider yet, but I hope to get that done next week....then I will be done.

Last night we worked on the children's float....holy crap, it was cold out there. It's in a warehouse and we have one of those big heaters like they have on the sidelines of a football field..only not as big.

Today I gathered up my mom and the things we bought her for Christmas that didn't fit and we went to Belk's. It's real convenient for her because we can park in the handicapped space in her car and they have little carts for her to use like a walker or cane. She found lots of things and bought lots of things. She really enjoyed getting to shop for herself. I usually buy things for her because it's just hard for her to go to the mall...too much walking. It made me happy that she got to do that and enjoyed doing it. I think she got 5 new outfits and a robe for about $275. Everything was 50 % off, so she made out like a bandit.

BRRR!

Right here in the big fat middle of "global warming", our low temp tonight is supposed to be 20. Today, the high was 40. I heard Rush Limbaugh say this morning that every state in the US proper will have a temp of below freezing tomorrow. That's an interesting statistic if it is real. I do not believe that global warming is a problem. I subscribe to the scientific records that show a natural warming and cooling of the planet. Al Gore and Michael Moore are MORONS! I'm just sayin'....

Cheers!

On New Year's eve, I was already in my flannels and had my taco soup made. I was ready to call it a night when someone knocked on my door. I opened it to find a friend standing there in my garage. She told me to get dressed and come on and meet some others out at a restaurant. I did that and was still home by 8 P.M. Wow! How things have changed with age. I used to go out every New Year's and now I don't even care.

Yesterday I went to another friend's for cabbage and black eyed peas. It was good and I really enjoyed watching some of the Planet Earth series on their big ass HDTV with surround sound. It was awesome. I also took a quick trip to Best Buy and bought a new TV for my bedroom. I am going to get DVR for that TV,but right now my provider is out of DVR's. I have to be able to record some shows like Regis and Kelly and All My Children which I cannot do with the new TV because it doesn't have the built in recorder like my old one. I haven't hooked it up yet because I don't know how. I'll get it hooked up by the company when they come to set up the DVR which may be next week.

Today I bought a new TV for the den. It hasn't been delivered yet, but it will be today or tomorrow. I bought it locally so they can set it up for me. I liked it when all I had to do was plug in the sucker and hook it to the cable. Those days are gone. My brother just called and he is shopping for a new one for Mom and Dad. Lightning struck hers a couple of weeks ago and blew it out completely. He can hook theirs up because they don't have digital cable and a cable box to route everything through.

Now I have one more money spending project before I can stop with the outflow of funds. I still have to get a new cell phone and provider. I would love to have an Iphone, but that ain't gonna happen! Costs too much! I have to remember that I am RETIRED!

Since my partying days are over, New Year's is just another day. I do get a little nostalgic each year on New Year's Eve because it reminds me of all the ski trips to Colorado. We always had a great time on New Year's Eve. I'm still trying to get well, but I did go get the car washed. It's essential that my car be clean on the first day of the new year. I got all the yard ornaments at least in the garage...though not in the attic where they will eventually live. I have a few daffodils starting to peak out of the ground, so I planted a few more bulbs that I already had plus about 30 Dutch irises as well. Bulbs are so much fun because to me they are always a surprise. Tomorrow I will have black eyed peas and cabbage at a friend's house and hope the old adage about good health and wealth are true this year.

I am in sticker shock. Today I looked around at TV's. Dayum....I had no idea they were so expensive. Guess I haven't bought one in a while. I really need two now. The store where I looked hardest and where I bought a lot of stuff from when I moved here gave me a calendar. I started putting some stuff on it and discovered it is a 2007 calendar. WTH! I don't need that! Hope that's not how the new year will be!