Tuesday, September 30, 2008

My Pap

On Saturday morning, I was up having coffee and chatting with a friend that had come for the weekend to help me with my house when my phone rang. I saw the caller ID and I knew. My mother was calling to tell me that my grandfather had passed away early that morning. I had expected this, knew it was coming from conversations earlier that week and still, I found myself crumpling to the floor and sobbing. My mother, who's father this is, was strong and calm and I was crying so hard that I couldn't breath.
I knew this was coming and still there is a hole where his presence always was. He was my Pap jsut as he was Momster's and the many other cousins. I remember being asked, "Are you V's granddaughter?" I spent most of the day in a daze. I tried to function but I felt like my brain was in a fog. I will not be attending the funeral today becuase of the distance I am from my family but that is OK with me. I want to remember him the way I always have. Tall, goofing off, riding snowmobiles, driving the boat at Two Lick, teasing Grandma.
When I saw him earlier this year in the home, he was old, he had shrank down as age and illness took its toll but my image in my mind overlayed this. It was like his spirit was visible. I watched him talk to my daughter as she sat on his lap and I was sad because she will never know him and have the memories that I have.
Pancakes, bacon, egss and ketchup for breakfast every morning. Him sitting in his undershirt, twitching his biceps to make me laugh. He and grandma played cards with my parents many times and he used to hit his knuckles on the table as played a card.
He would try to make chores around the house fun for us. We would rake leaves from the trees into big piles and get it onto the giant tarp he would pull behind the tractor. Then we would all pile onto the tarp also as he put the leaves into the vegetable garden.
Picking potatoes in the fall. Why was this a good memory? Because it was fun, and the weather was cool and dry and it was a family thing.
Snowmobiles and sledriding and family picnics in the giant yard.
The sound his big tractor made is in my memory.

The thing I remember the most is his love for my Grandmother. They grew up and married in an age when visible demonstrations of love were uncommon yet they never failed to show each other how they felt. They got up in the morning at the same time, went to bed at the same time and ate every meal together. They had matching recliners sitting side by side and would often hold hands sitting there. He would do something and she would slap his hand and say, "Oh, V" and he would laugh and then she would to.
I think that their love is what makes this bearable. He is gone from us but they are together again. They are holding hands and teasing each other and leaning over to give a kiss. He is strong and goofy and she is right there to keep him in line.
I will miss them both very much.

I am connected!!!!!


I am finally connected to the Internet!!!! Yeah! No more going to the Mexican restaurant to nurse chips and salsa just so I can use their free Internet!
Things here are about the same. I am working on getting my house unpacked and I have found my living room floor! The kitchen is organized but the stuff that didn't fit into the kitchen is still piled in the dining room. I have plenty of storage just not in the places I want. I don't like storing food or appliances away from the kitchen because then I don't use them. We have satellite TV and I managed to get everything wired into the back of the entertainment center so that DVDs play and things like that. I have learned a lot from this whole experience but what I really want is some TV show to come in and take over the rest. I'm done with the whole learning thing and just want it all over and put away!

Friday, September 19, 2008

The hubby is coming!!!

The hubby is coming, the hubby is coming!!!!! Actually, I don't even know if he is breathing hard! but he will be home Oct 9th and will get to see the house for the very first time. Since I am still experiencing buyer's remorse, I have been working like a maniac to get it ready. On Wednesday, the first shipment of household goods was delivered and so that makes everything else even more complicated!!!! Check out my latest slideshow!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

No longer homeless....

That's right, I now am the proud owner of a house. With severe cigarette smoke stains, ripped carpet, sticky counters and cabinets, and other things I have not yet discovered.
But it is mine! I have no internet at this time and the technician will call me 'sometime this week" to come in and get it going but until then, if I eat lunch at the local Mexican restaurant, I get free wifi. The food is a little salty but other than that, not bad.
I have received permission to research on my paper and will be enrolling in the final class this week. My official graduation date is Nov. 13th and I have already ordered my cap, gown, tassel and hood! Good times.
I have spent since Friday working on my house. It took 2 coats of primer and then 2 coats of paint to cover the smoking stains in the living room. In Cee's room, we used a quart of spackle to fix all the nail holes that had been papered over. There was also the 10 foot wide murals drawn with oil pastels under the wall paper. I have primered her room but not painted yet. She is not happy but other things take precedence. I will compile a slide show later this week for all to see my home improvement efforts. Now I am going to home to change all the plugs and light switched in the living/dining room. Not just the plates, but the actual plugs! I am brave but I think it can't be that hard. I will let you all know how it went IF I survive. Tomorrow, I will be installing the new mailbox that I assembled this morning. The postmaster has to approve its location.
I feel like a veritable handyman!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Tales of woe

Now that I have thoroughly hurt every one's feelings in my last post, I am back to vent some more! Yippy, aren't you excited!
I have been working on my paper, slowly but surely, but I have noticed a trend. If there is a book around that I haven't read, I'll read it instead. I have been very stressed and not sleeping well so I have a tendency to take a nap instead of writing also.
So yesterday afternoon, I thought "Go somewhere to get away from the distractions." I had everything planned. Take Cee to bus stop, take shower, make myself presentable and take laptop to Starbucks. I could sit there, drink outrageously priced coffee and be totally cool. No books to read, no couch to sleep on. Lots of work done, right?
The patron saint of mischief must have listening in. I can hear the laughter "Bwaaahhaaa!"
Here's what happened. The mortgage company wants to talk to Joe Dog, you know, my hubby, who is in Japan, 14 hours time difference. That one. And we can't just give them the phone number, he has to call the credit agency and change the number so the mortgage company can get it from them and call him. And then when he finally speaks to a human (although that is not what Joe calls him) at the credit agency, they won't put a phone number on his credit report.
At 9 pm last night, the toilet plugs up. Bad. Really bad. I pull out the handy dandy plunger provided with the room and give it a try, no go. I call the front desk for maintenance and am told there is no one on duty at that time of night. So, we continue to use it for non-solid waste until this morning when I call for maintenance again.
My request gets caught in the shift change turmoil. I call again. Maintenance finally shows up. Unfortunately, one of them is completely terrified of dogs so I lock Teesha in the bedroom. She proceeds to howl and howl and howl the whole time they are here.
They try my plunger, their plunger, their snake thingy. No luck. By this time, I am bursting at the seems. I finally go to the housekeeping office to pee. They have to call out someone else. "When will they be here?" I ask. "Sometime today" he answers. I tell him that is not acceptable. He makes a phone call from my room and is waiting for the call back when the phone rings. He answers, thinking it is the boss. It is not. It is my, by this time, very irritable husband, wondering why there is a strange man in my room, using my phone. Thank goodness, he was too tired to get upset.
Later, more maintenance shows up with yet another plunger and presto, toilet unplugged. Now I can shower, go to Starbucks, get busy writing, all is well.
Guess what I did instead?

I took a nap. Yep, couldn't take any more. Went to sleep and woke up refreshed and ready to write. This post that is..... :)

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Where have I been?


I am right here in SW Oklahoma trying to deal with everything that is going on in my life.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you just shut down? That has been me in the last few days.

My To-do list has been so long that I am not getting very much done! It includes:

Get Max groomed.

Email committee chair about meeting.

Attending said meeting.

Purchase and install new air filter for truck.

Register Cee for swim team and get her to practice on time.

Fix billing for room charges.

Change rooms (so no one can move into the old one anyway!)

Call mortgage broker about interest rates

Balance check book

Put new tags on license plates. (Should have been done on Sunday.)

Bug realtor about measuring rooms.

Establish accounts with all the utilities.

Arrange for storage of personal property until house is available.

Pacify husband who is having control issues.

Clean room and do laundry.

Get appointment for Cee's allergies.

Get allergy shot.

Grocery shop.

WORK ON PAPER!!!!!

Did I mention WORK ON PAPER!!!!


I know that some of my faithful readers have missed me!!!! (Momster) I will try to post about every 3 days if my mind does not just burn out from the pressure! I will pick up my award today or tomorrow!