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Just Shoot Him In The Arse.....

I was discussing the coyote with a long term resident of Tucson.  I told him that I had to keep my two little dogs inside because she was staying close to the house.  I always thought they were skittish of humans.  He said "Next time you see a coyote shoot it in the but with a BB gun."  I have never shot anything in my life and I don't think I could shot a coyote even if it is just a BB gun.  I can understand the logic behind it but I just can't do it.  I don't have a BB gun.  I guess I will pass the idea to Scott. Bernie aka Scott's dog went chasing after the javelinas last night but fortunately Scott was able to get him back.  You know it is not safe to step out in the yard.

The floor man came today to begin cleaning the brick floors in the house.  The floors are beautiful.  He did half today and I am just thrilled with the results.  I don't think the floors have been washed since 1984 when the additions were added.  It was pretty gross.  I am going to be taking pictures.

With the peeling bathroom walls, yes I did clean them, the primed them, and painted them.  I think I have the problem solved but I am not going to start bragging until after I do it.

Tomorrow is blood work for me.  Hopefully this will be the last time they will poke me.  I have been watching what I eat, gave up Diet Coke, exercise more and I have been smoke free since Feb 12.  My blood better be good or I am going to order a  rare steak, wine, diet coke, and a cigarette.  Then I am not going to walk for a month.

On that note....  good night.

Who's Bright Idea Was This?

We are still painting the living room.  The walls in the living room have been stuccoed which is a porous material, rough, and in some places fragile.  We are learning the art of repair as we go.  If I knew how to use a sprayer I would use it and I would have this room knocked out in no time flat.  Nor do I know anyone that can show me how so it is being done by hand and roller.  It is a pain in the neck and back.  We are just a couple of hours away from finishing the living room and I am so ready for this to be done, over, finished.

We are calling in the painters because of the bathroom.  It was painted turquoise blue and we wanted a lighter shade of blue.  A friendlier blue.  The folks that have been remodeling the house suggested that we prime it, and use semi-gloss latex paint.   Which we did but the paint is peeling off the walls in various places.  OMG  I do not know what the heck we did or rather I did but I did something wrong.  My son just walks into the room, shakes his head, and walks out.  I have another bathroom to do and I am going to have to hire someone to do both bathrooms so this won't happen again.

Yesterday was also a bad day for the pups.  When I turned onto the dirt road that leads to my house I saw a coyote.  Which I thought was odd seeing one late morning.  The coyote stayed pretty close to the house so I was overly protective of Lu and Fi.  To a coyote they are large rats.  They were confined and not happy.  Maybe today they can play in the courtyard.

Later.

Popcorn Tree

In the fertile minds of children there are Popcorn Trees. Stately, beautiful trees, with fluffy white edible popcorn balls that bloom year round. Like a dogwood tree, it is very difficult to grow a popcorn tree, the conditions have to be just right and it takes a very special place to grow one. Only children know of this special place to plant a popcorn tree seed..... To think and to dream like a child again.... Wouldn't that be wonderful?


James aka Rusty kids will stick things in their nose, their ears, and other orifices. You three kids ate spare change, stuck couch stuffing up your noses, and you know the story about Uncle Ray losing his hearing.

I will repeat it for those that don't know. I was given my name because my brother couldn't say my real name. When he tried to say my name it came out "Bepper." My wise ma decided it is better to go through life as a Pepper than a Bepper. Prior to my birth my mother noticed that Ray wasn't hearing as well and it wasn't selective hearing issues. When the doctor took a look in his ears he found two red, warty growths...... My brother had stuck two red crayons in his ears and forever altered his ability to hear and speak. James aka Rusty be happy it was popcorn seeds that Isabel planted in her ear. No honey, there is no reason for her doing it except it was there and there was an opening. Simple.

At least I heard about one of my little no seeums aka grandchildren. So life is good.

How About A Little Music?

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day! My son Scott had a "gig" on 4th Street and I was there to capture it all. I even took Mom's camera so I can make a video of it. He was later approached to play another gig.... Which is way cool. Enjoy

 

  

  

  

  

This is a shirt a girl drew on and decorated.  Thought it was interesting.

  

 

Pictures And Other Topics of Conversation

Jim Nabors

Jolie - He owned a Nut Farm in Hawaii. He always claimed he was to busy with his career to ever get married and start a family. Back in his hey day it was a death sentence to a person's career if they were to "come out." I loved him, he was goofy, talented, and could make a person feel good by just looking at him. Yeah, those were the good old days. He did have a liver transplant back in 1994, I think.

My Dad

Painting the house today made me think of my father. It wasn't because of the painting per se. It was because my back went out. I am very good at hiding my discomfort but by the end of the day I was getting a little grumpy. Because of my father being disabled, I had to lift him - in and out of bed, in and out of the shower, and once or twice off the floor because he was dreaming of racetracks and walking.

Pictures

I remembered to bring my camera! Enjoy the pictures. Oh and before I forget - Hannah the next time I buy a cantelope I will do a macro shot of the seeds.... A little strange but I will do anything for you.

Painting or What A Surprise

You never know what color paint is until you put it on the walls and you cannot depend on the store to get the color right.  Mom and I told Scott what we wanted and left it up to him.  The living room and laundry room was to be an off white, leaning more towards brown.  Scott went down to the Home Depot, went through several paint chips and decided Sand Dollar was a good color.  They even painted the color on the lid so we could see it and it was a nice off white.

I have an aversion to the color yellow and rightfully so.  My first home after my divorce was a 1960's mobile home painted an "Always Save" yellow.  My home really stood out in the trailer park and not in a good way.   Mom loves yellow and associates the color as brightness and light.  I look at yellow as an embarrasment.  You know where this is going don't you?  Let me finish.

Yesterday Scott and I primed the laundry room, living room and bathroom.  The goal today was to finish painting the three rooms.  After I left yesterday, Scott decided to paint the laundry room which is the same color as the living room.   That color was to be "Sand Dollar."  Only that wasn't the color in the bucket.   Scott liked the color so much that he painted a wall, took a picture and sent it to me.  I was so surprise that I threw the dogs and mom in the car and drove out there.

I am not sure what the color is, I am thinking it is more butter than buttercup.  My mom and Scott is thrilled with it.    In fact by the time I got over to the house he had the laundry room painted.  Truthfully I like it.  It is all brightness and light and it makes you feel really good when you walk in.  We do have enough to finish up so we don't have to worry about trying to duplicate it.  I plan to take pictures when we finish it.   Now we just have to find a color that will go with our yellow living room to paint the kitchen and dining room.  And pray it is the color in the bucket.  We are trying to go  a shade or two lighter than the living room.....  Now I am not sure what color to paint it.

As odd as it sounds, the older part of the home is the darkest.  We have a bank of windows running down one side of it and it is still darker due to the shade.  We definitely need to paint it a light color.  It will be something in the yellow family. 

Strange isn't it?  As an adult, I have always lived in a house on wheels.  First a single wide then a double wide.  My first real home was "Always Save" yellow and my first real home without wheels intererior is yellow.  Only this is a kinder, gentler yellow.

Mellow Yellow, perhaps.

Deception Pass - State Of Washington

My son, James aka Rusty, took his family to Deception Pass. Enjoy the pictures.

Picnic - Isabel, Hayden, Jaeda, and Sam

Getting ready for some major rock throwing....

Rabid Rabbits In The Basement

I had a dream that I bought a house with a basement that was designed to be a wetland. You would go down the stairs to various grasses, small pools of water, trees and of course wildlife. It housed snapping turtles, water spiders..... and two rabid rabbits. I didn't know about the rabbits when I purchased the house, that was something the Realtor told me after the fact. He also told me rabid rabbits were easy to detect because their ears pointed straight up.

No I didn't sleep very well last night and that was the most exciting "thing" that has happened to me in nine days.


Still alive and kicking.

Sunny Day

Just Stuff

Mom and I went to the house yesterday to see what has been done.  They have replaced all of the windows in the kitchen.  The picture, on the side, shows the old windows.  It was single pane held on with spit and prayer.  It was an accident waiting to happen......  Now we are even more energy efficient and safer and in the long run the windows will pay for themselves.   Scott bought paint for the interior and when they are through with patching the drywall we can start painting.  The walls will be an off white leaning more to the brown than white.  The trim will be Walnut.  The outside of the house will be a medium brown with a darker brown trim.  We are so colorful.  Still think I should have painted it purple.

Once again the city showed up on our doorstep armed with a camera.  I guess someone called and said we were building an addition to the house.  Scott explained that the house was stuccoed and that is why it looks different.  He also explained that all of the work being done to the house doesn't require a permit.   They took pictures of the house and left.  I guess that way if they get another call they can take a look at the pictures to compare and see if we are doing anything illegal.  I am looking into super tall trees that will block views.  Any suggestions?  I have not encroached on my neighbors but someone is stepping on my toes and I am losing my patience with them.  If I was a developer they couldn't do this, all they could do is watch as the buildings go up and the views disappear. All I want is repairs finished and the house painted.

Thank you all for all of your kind words.  I just bit the proverbial bullet and made it through.  I took Lu on a hike and then gave the girls their baths.  I feel so much better.  I am trying to watch everything I put in my mouth and it when you take away my comfort foods it makes quitting just a little bit harder.   I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and found a substitute for my peanut butter.  Also their soy milk is SO much better than Silk.  I also picked up some salmon that cost less. I am starting to really like Trader Joe's.

Everytime I start to feel a little down in the dumps I listen to Mark Lowry.  I don't know why I find that man so funny but I do.  One of my favorite comedy sketch is "Take A Pill."    It is GREAT to start off the day with a belly laugh.  That is what I did this morning.

Links Related To This Post
Take A Pill, Mark Lowry
Bath Time
Trader Joe's

This Is How I Woke Up With A Camera In My Face

Tired...... Please

I swore to myself that I will not complain or moan about the cigarette issue because there is nothing more boring than reading about someone trying to quit smoking.  I brought this on myself and I will stop by myself,  suffer in silence, bite the bullet, buck up.....

I am sick of all those folks who say "I quit and I didn't have a problem with quitting.  I didn't have any cravings or nicotine fits."   Bull Hockey  I don't know what drugs those people are on but I want some because it has been hell.  The cravings don't stop, they are always there, lurking around the corner and you know eventually you will be ambushed by them.  After a couple of days of not craving a cigarette you are ambushed by a desire that is so strong you just want to scream. 

It started early yesterday morning and by afternoon I had gone through two packages of bubblegum, popped enough bubbles that the dogs no longer fear them, and the cravings only intenisfied.  By evening I was climbing the walls and begging for some relief.  This time the second hand smoke didn't ease the cravings.  There are no words that I can come up with that can describe what I am feeling, except it has been hell.

Before I went to sleep I said "Oh please make this stop."  I woke up this morning and it hasn't stopped, if anything it is worse.  Hand shaking, crying worse.  It didn't help that poor little Fi was constipated which required rubber gloves, baby wipes, and little kisses.  Now she has diarrhea, I am still in the throes of a 24-hour nicotine fit and life really sucks right now.

And We Watched

Yesterday Scott, Bernie and I went to Catalina State Park. We left Lu home because of her wanting to flop every 15 minutes. We wanted to hike the longer trails and that would have taken two days if we took Lu. She will be going with me tomorrow.

Scott and I found an interesting ant trail. It was well traveled and from it's appearance it looks like it has been in use for a long time. So we followed it for a short distance until it led into the brush. Instead of getting back on our trail we just stood and we watched.

There were a lot ants on this trail, traveling in both directions. Meeting and contacting one another, carrying their loads and giving us the impression that they had a sense of urgency and duty. Where were they going? What was under the brush? Water, food? Were they moving their home to a safer location? What I found fascinating was not once did they stray from their trail. Since it was a well worn trail it makes you wonder if pheromones were used in marking this particular trail.

Interesting Ant Facts I Found On The Web

There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world.
An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight. If a second grader was as strong as an ant, she would be able to pick up a car! They work in teams to move extremely heavy things.
Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!
Ants don’t have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet.
When ants fight, it is usually to the death!
When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they’ve been.
Queen ants have wings, which they shed when they start a new nest.
Ants don’t have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes.
When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.
Ant brains are largest amongst insects. Mushroom shaped brain appendages have function similar to the gray-matter of human brains.
It has been estimated that an ant's brain may have the same processing power as a Macintosh II computer.

Tohono Chul Park

Today mom and I went to Tohono Chul Park. Beautiful place, wonderful day to view all of the flowers, I created the following slide show.  Enjoy!



Links Related To This Post
Tohono Chul Park

Cigarettes

They are managing to price cigarettes out of existance.  I, for one, is totally against this.  In order to finance  the State Children's Health Insurance Program the government is going to have to encourage people to smoke not discourage.  When people stop buying cigarettes or start purchasing them on the web,  I would suggest they start raising taxes on liquor.  It is just as deadly to people as smoking.


Sure alcohol doesn't have "second hand drinking"  but how many drunks get into a car and kill someone or wipe out an entire family?  There are alcohol related illnesses to consider as well.  Cigarettes might deadlier but alcohol is right up there with it.

If they are going to control the citizens of the United States and remove their bad habits then they need to look at all of the deadly "sins"  and tax them all fairly and evenly. That is all I am saying.

No I haven't started smoking again.