Dead Tired

Be careful what you wish for......After having not worked for a few weeks, I almost skipped off to work on Tuesday and it felt great. I stripped a foyer of paper and felt some stiffness in my back and shoulder muscles that night.

Wednesday I was off to repair the stripped walls, prime all walls and hopefully start the 1st coat of paint. No painting got done but by the time I got home, my calf muscles were cramped and very sore.

This morning, Thursday, I could barely force my legs up the steps but I made it and was elated about finally getting a paycheck today. It was a struggle all day and the foyer is now a beautiful shade of "Chianti Red" but it took 2 coats and a coat of tinted primer. I got home late for my nap, BUT I DID GET A PAYCHECK.

When I get home from OC, I have to go back to the job and use polyurethane to stripe the whole foyer. Have to make sure the paint is totally dry so the tape won't pull the paint.

Now my whole body aches and I hope I can get out of bed in the morning.

Note to myself: Make more of an effort to exercise when I don't have work.

Home again

I spent all day yesterday being almost gleeful that I was going to be going to work this morning. At 7:50 AM my phone rang and I cringed..........was it a problem in the family, did someone else die, was someone in jail????? No, it was my customer, sounding very stuffy and apologetic, saying that if I could come tomorrow it would be a big help, because she has the flu and a fever, and needs to stay in bed all day. How could I say "no", that's not convenient, when I could be taking a chance on catching something and be laid up for a week?

So here I am staying home again........ Maybe I need to just get a REAL JOB. Yeah, right!!! And give up all this free time?????? It does get boring though and did I mention that getting paid would be nice. Thank God for SS and my new budget that doesn't require as much money to exist.

Next week I am going to Ocean City to help my aunt get things done in her house and I can almost guarantee that I'll start getting calls for jobs for that time. When you think things are arranged, they really aren't. And I thrive on a schedule and tend to panic when it changes so frequently.

Here's hoping that I'll go to work tomorrow and not have the time to write in this blog.

Another Saturday

Went to Lucy's family get-together in Falls Church today and it was good seeing the people I haven't seen in a while and meeting new family members. Everyone just keeps moving on with their lives.

Just finished watching "Secret Window" and it was surprisingly good. Very much like a Stephen King story but very interesting. I liked it!!!

I'm proud of myself today..........I actually did 2 things high on my list of "to do's". No procrastination today.

I got the oil changed in my truck and I bought the cheese and crackers for the get-together tomorrow.

It is still cold so I could easily have stayed in the warmth all day and then rushed to get these things done at the last minute, which is my usual way.

Started watching another movie that appears to be good.
"Secret Window" with Johnnie Depp.
I've been fairly lucky lately with my movie choices.

Lucy

My friend Lucy from Florida finally came back to the area for a few weeks. She was reluctant to do so because of the memories of her husband who died in Sept. 2006. They had lived here most of their lives.

I picked her up at her sisters condo in Falls Church yesterday at 11:00 AM and we drove to Sterling to see our old neighborhood. Then we went to Costco because she wanted to pick up some things, which we left in the basket because the lines were down the aisles. Then we went to lunch at "Pacific Rim" which I had remembered as a good restaurant. Wrong!!! Maybe their dinners are better than lunches, but it was terrible. SORRY LUCY.

Then we were off to where I thought the Walmart was but it is now a Target. Guess I should have reacquainted myself with the area. She got her things there anyway and we couldn't think of anything else to do so I headed back to Falls Church. Then she wanted to go to Giant and I screwed up again and took her to a Whole Foods instead. Turns out she was so impressed with their produce that she was glad we went there.

Then it was back to the condo where I dropped her in front and headed back home. It was a good visit and I will be seeing her again on Saturday at her family get-together, to which I am always invited. ???????????? Guess they like me.

Jeffery called this morning to say he has an interview tomorrow for a construction job. Boy, would that ever make me happy and proud. Maybe getting together with his daughter after all these years has changed his attitude. I can only hope. Good Luck, Jeffrey!!!

Still cold

Yesterday I made it to Thurmont at exactly the time I had planned on meeting Dean, despite a detour around Lucketts due to a downed telephone pole. Had lunch and went to the funeral home. All went well there and I find it so sad that families drift so far apart that funerals are the only thing that bring them together. But it is good to get together even for that reason.

Vicki got my dad there in all his glory...........Unironed shirt, crooked suspenders, hiking boots and, worst of all, pee stains on the front of his fly. Dear God, what can we do with him????????? Vicki says she knows she has to do something but, as usual, has no time till after tax season.

Today they are calling for sleet and ice and I am supposed to meet Lucy for a late lunch in the Tysons Corner area. Not a place I want to be for rush hour with ice on the roads. May have to beg off of this one.

BRRRRRRRRRRRR............

Boy, is it COLD today??? And they say it will get into the single digits tonight. Glad I have a roof over my head and movies to watch. I went out this morning and drove my truck around the block to make sure it would go in the cold and then this afternoon, I returned 1 movie and got a salad at Panera, just to get out of the house for a few minutes.

I opted not to go to Frederick today because to go for 1 night or a week, I need to pack almost the same amount. Especially when I have to take clothes to wear to a funeral tomorrow. It will be lots easier to dress here, drive to Thurmont in the AM, go to the funeral and come back home tomorrow night. More tiring but the cold should keep me alert.

Watched 2 good movies this week; "A Walk To Remember" and "Elizabethtown". Now I am starting "Five People You Meet In Heaven". Looks pretty good so far.

Snow Day

Our first snow of the year came down gracefully from 10:30 AM till around 3:30 PM. There was no wind so it came straight down all day and was beautiful. Then it started to sleet and rain so now it is kind of slushy but still beautiful. Now it needs to disappear by tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I finally worked, hanging paper in a small bath in Woodbridge. Not much but enough for now. I'm glad I had nothing for today and tomorrow because of the roads.

My Uncle Everett, my Mom's brother, died Tuesday evening in Emmitsburg, Md. He's been in a nursing home for a few years and hasn't been doing good for quite a while. It's a blessing that he passed.

The funeral is Monday in Thurmont so I'll be heading up on Monday morning and coming back Tuesday.

Life is good.....

"American Idol" is back for the 7th season starting right now.

Sad isn't it that this is the highlight of my year so far ????

Off the hook..........

Yeah!!!! I just called the court house and was excused from jury duty for the entire week. This has been nerve wracking and a pain in the butt, not knowing what to plan. Now I hope I never get called again. Why did I think it would be an "adventure"????

Lazy Sunday

Up at 5:00 AM again but for no reason. Just up.......read the paper, worked puzzles, ate breakfast, etc. then decided I might as well go back to bed about 10:30. Back up at 11:15, dressed and went to Target for weekly pickups and home for snacks and another nap. Can't seem to find a purpose some days. Must be the weather (chilly and dreary) and the Xanax keeping me low-keyed.

Ready to tackle the evening tv shows and then back to bed.

Back Again

I will not even try to catch up since I last posted. Too much water under the bridge.

Today got me out of bed at 5:00 AM to meet the Auto Train in Lorton, VA. and lead my aunt (Dean) to Route 50 in Maryland. She decided to return early from Florida because of health and doctors. The message for Amtrak trains said that the train may be as late as 10:00 AM but would probably be in by 9:00 AM depending on how many stops they made for freight trains to pass. Close enough for government work, I guess.

The train arrived at 8:54 and it took about an hour to unload her van. We headed up the road and and made it though the maze of roads around the area called the "mixing bowl" and onto Rte. 50, thanks to my GPS. I love that thing!!!! We went almost to the Bay Bridge to McDonald's to eat and chat for more than an hour.

On my way home I stopped at Nancy's place in Reston to give her a movie that I thought she would enjoy, stayed about 15 minutes and got home for my nap about 2:30 PM.

The holiday season went pretty much the same way, with me running up and down the road for 6 days. I clocked over 600 miles just visiting family. Next year, I have promised myself that I'll leave town until the Christmas Season is over. Last year I spent that time in Tampa with my friend Lucy, and it was so much easier. But I did miss seeing my family.

This past week was unbelievable with temps in the 70's Mon. and Tues., 60's Wed.,Thurs. and Fri. and 50's today. I think we are going to get hit with some cold now but the snow is supposed to go North of us. Couldn't last forever, it is January!!!