KarenK

Oh Marg, this is so sad. My daughter was the same way. She fought and fought until her ravaged body said "No more". I will never forget one of her last lucid moments when she said " I just love life". Life did not love her in return.

Peace to you and your friend's family.

Kay, try taping saran wrap around your wrist. Hope all is well and you don't have to go back.

It rained here the entire weekend just in time for the huge Tempe Arts Festival. Feel bad for the vendors. We used to go to all those things. I have no reason or money to go anymore.

I lived with conflict more years than I care to count. My Christmas wish each year was simply for peace and quiet. Unfortunately it was fulfilled in the harshest way. I hate to see Gwen backed into a corner going through this.

Gwen, exactly what about Dee gives you a reason to get up? As far as I can tell, she is nothing but a source of conflict and pain. This is just my opinion of course, but she just sounds like a spoiled child who wants her way and exhibits anger and confrontation to get it. I doubt that she understands what "discuss" means. Many people come from a tough background as you say she does and they don't take it out on current friends. I wish she would get some help for both your sakes. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is what I see. I definitely don't have your patience.

Thank you, Dee. She was forced to become self sufficient at a young age. Her mother died in the flu epidemic when she was 7. She and her older sister(age 9) raised their 2 yr. old sister. Evidently my grandfather had little to do with his 9? children except to create them. He was a preacher with little income, 20 years older than my grandmother. One of his grown sons helped out the little girls with food and clothing when he could. He was a court reporter and got my mother her first office job at age 16. She worked her entire life from that point forward. She ran rings around me until a stroke at age 90.

I just thought maybe that job had been absorbed by computers like so many others. Evidently the ones hired by book publishers don't have much grasp of the English language.

Computers are beneficial in many ways, but they aren't perfect. I read a lot. I would have been an excellent proofreader, a profession which has undoubtedly been replaced by a computer. Computers don't understand the context of a word in a sentence. If it passes the "spell test", the computer inserts it whether it makes sense or not. It's this way in every book I read. I spend a fair amount of time interpreting, really quite irritating.

Computers are one reason my mother retired at age 85. She was an excellent secretary, a whiz at shorthand, typing, etc, but couldn't get the hang of computers. I don't understand them either. I just muddle through.

No sleep for me...maybe later. I hate the blasted nightmares. I don't know if it's worse to dream of the early years when we were so happy or the later ones after we'd kicked enough sand in each other's faces to destroy the sandcastle. Both hurt.

He said he doesn't remember locking it, just closing it with his foot because his hands were full of stuff. Both our vehicles are 17 years old, so no great prize there except Jeep Wranglers have a fairly high resale value, no matter what age. No worries about break ins at home. Dogs cause a ruckus if anyone is near the house.

Hate to say it, but my son is a slob also about keeping things clean which is odd because I'm a neat freak as was my daughter. His area of the house drives me nuts so I mostly avoid it. My area is mostly clean and organized except fighting dust and dog hair is a constant battle. Both dogs shed in spades, enough to make a whole new dog.

My son's Jeep has removable doors. A crafty thief could take them off in a heartbeat with a wrench and get $1000 apiece. Not something easy to walk off with though. Instead of taking something, they left behind a baseball cap.

Sorry that Scott lost some valuable things.

My son's Jeep was broken into last night. He parks it behind the gas station/convenience store where he works nights. The joke is on the would be thieves as the jack, his tools, and anything important is in the house. He had removed everything to make room to transport the dog to the vet a while back and never put it back. They took nothing, not even his loose change. Crazy things happen there frequently. The place is big with a car wash, cigarette store, and deli/grill. He works alone doing restocking and cleaning while it is closed. A couple of months ago, he found a naked, passed out guy in the car wash bay. I think he's found women also. The place is on a reservation next to the freeway and a Wal-Mart where homeless hang out after the store closes. Packs of coyotes roam the empty parking lot at night. Never a dull moment!

Marg, did you run into many gators and snakes growing up? Your beautiful country looks like a prime place for them.

Not to make you all too jealous, but still in the 70's here with slight rain chance. Not holding my breath. Bet the snow is beautiful though.

Have you contacted Direct TV to see if this was normal procedure for a follow up and this was a real employee?

Gwen, I'm so sorry you were targeted by that creep. I think service providers usually follow up with a phone call or email survey. I've never had one come to my house anyway.

Sorry about your little bird. I had one as a child. I let it out to fly around and it broke it's neck flying into a mirror. Always felt bad about letting it out. Hope your friend will get you a replacement and that they are compatible.

Gwen, Happy late birthday wishes. Hope today went smoothly for you.

Marg, you definitely looked happy and if you weren't, you didn't know it. Drinking didn't agree with me either. Passed out on our wedding day. Was probably an omen.

Gwen, it's probably best to disregard a lot of what she says. Because her thinking is obviously warped, it's not worth wasting time to try and understand it. Calling you wacky because you are straight is not going to turn you gay. Is that her long term goal? I know she's doing a good job of making you crazy. Where does she spend time when she's not with you? Does she have a job?

Having our Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday as my son works on Thursday. Easier to have it on one of his days off. I get lazier each year about cooking. Less time I am standing, the better off I am, so am going with instant potatoes and canned yams this year. Gone are the good ol' days of Ron's delicious dinners.

Gwen, I can't believe that she is so dense as to think that "straight" women are coming on to her. She obviously doesn't know the difference between being friendly and romantically interested. You have made your intentions quite clear.

I know I watch way too many crime shows on TV. Unpredictable people can turn to violence in a heartbeat. Please be extra careful!

When I was cleaning out my mother's house after she passed away, I found a very old suitcase filled with letters my father had written to her when they fell in love. He traveled a lot for his government job. I know they were both married to others at the time and ended those relationships to get married. I started to read one letter, but stopped. Somehow it felt like an invasion of their privacy. I think those letters are around here somewhere(can't remember what I did with them). I doubt I will ever read them. People are entitled to their secrets.

Marg, unfortunately I think remembering our childhood more clearly than our childrens' is just another sign of aging. There's probably some fancy syndrome name for it. When I volunteered at a nursing home as a teen, there was a very elderly woman who would clearly relate coming west on a covered wagon with her family, but could not remember current things like who I was. That has always stuck in my mind. I thought it was funny at the time, but not anymore as it happens to me.

You are doing a great job helping your family. Billy would be proud.

Marg, who is sending this multi page document to your sister? Her SS amount would not change monthly. If she also has SSI, I suppose it might change as the amount is based on income and disability, but surely that would require some kind of review other than a bank balance. Who has access to her bank info? Sounds strange to me.

Marg, there have been things I've said here that were better left unsaid, for sure. Sometimes frustrations just have to be expressed, especially when there is no one to talk to in person. Some of us wear our hearts on our sleeves. Totally opposite to what I was taught. My father always told me "Keep your own counsel". I never listened.

No nausea with the double vision. The dizziness is usually in the evening while trying to cook(maybe I'm allergic to cooking, lol). I think it's a combination of exhaustion from not sleeping well and my BP med dosage too high causing my BP to drop too low. For some reason my doctor wants it to be about 110/60. It drops to 50 and my body doesn't like it. I lowered the dosage myself once and was better off. May do that again. The doctor doesn't live in this body. I do.

Marg, I wear sox and sandals around the house. I have never been a barefoot person. Except back in grade school(in the dinosaur age), I ran track and we always ran barefoot. No rules and regs back then. My best friend had her front teeth knocked out by a flying bat while catching in a softball game(no face protectors back then either). Anyway, my heels would get callused and I would trim them with a razor blade. Maybe I'm paying for that now.  lol

Nothing much happening here, Kay. Just surviving one day at a time. My son continues to suffer with back and hip pain of undetermined origin. His employer does not provide "sick" time so he just grits his teeth and keeps going.

Don't understand the double vision thing, Dee. I'm fine when walking around the house, but when I'm in a moving vehicle(even as a passenger), it is disorienting with both eyes trying to focus. I have to cover one eye. I don't attempt to drive any more.

I can trim my bangs, but wouldn't try for an entire haircut.

Kay, one of my heels cracks and bleeds. I alternate between hydrocortisone cream and vitamin E cream. It never heals completely. Hope you're able to get yours checked out soon.