Today is our annual Turd Toss Day in the park and I'll be doing my best to win the coveted title of "Turd Queen". I never have in all the years I've been here but one year my friend, Joann, won and let me wear the Turd Queen hat for a few moments. The closest I ever came was about 10 years ago and I really thought I had it until Ginnie dunked one more turd than I did.
The Turd Toss goes like this. 2 clean toilets are placed about 20' apart on Easy St. Each turd tosser is given 2 turds (stocking wrapped speghetti or something like that) and stands behind or next to one of the toilets. They toss the turds into the distant toilet if they're lucky and accurate. The man tossing the most turds into the toilet is dubbed Turd King and the woman tossing the most turds in receives the title of Turd Queen.
How this yearly ritual came about is a mystery but the two people who always were in charge, Charlotte and Mark, have moved from the park and I don't know who has taken over their roles now. I guess I'll find out at 2 P.M. today when I'll be lined up and waiting to attempt once again to be the official Turd Queen.
Oh yes, someone has also always baked a gummy worm cake which closely resembles a used kitty litter box. Where these ideas came from is anybody's guess but they're fun and get a massive turnout of participants and watchers.
Since I wasn't here last year, I'm not sure if the "after toss" pot luck and dancing in the street still goes on. This may all sound silly but it's the silly things in life that are the most fun.
Wish me luck!
Update: I lost..again. Molly won the Turd Queen title and Nelson, bless his 90+ year old heart, won the Turd King title. His precision was amazing!
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
The First Person
Being non-religious doesn't mean I don't have my own half way logical beliefs about life after death and mine have been with me for a very long time. I know this life we're living right now cannot be the end-all. It can't be logical that the spark of life begins only to end anywhere from immediately and up to 100+ years. That is a nanosecond in eternity.
Whenever I think of who I want to see when I pass on, the first person that comes to mind is my grandmother. Nan was the woman who battled Children's Aid in order to keep me. In 1940 many unwed mothers had their children taken from them against their will. Nan was the stay-at-home Mom for me while my own mother worked. Nan was the one who was always there. And she's the one I want to see first.
I gave my grandmother a hard time growing up. I was willful, disrespectful, and non-appreciative. She passed away when I was 26 years old and I've been thinking ever since how much I have to apologize to her for. She was a character, but a fun loving lady who worked hard all of her life for her family.
Anyway, I think we all have some idea of who we want to greet us when we die and there is no doubt in my mind that my grandmother will be the first one to arrive for me.
Whenever I think of who I want to see when I pass on, the first person that comes to mind is my grandmother. Nan was the woman who battled Children's Aid in order to keep me. In 1940 many unwed mothers had their children taken from them against their will. Nan was the stay-at-home Mom for me while my own mother worked. Nan was the one who was always there. And she's the one I want to see first.
I gave my grandmother a hard time growing up. I was willful, disrespectful, and non-appreciative. She passed away when I was 26 years old and I've been thinking ever since how much I have to apologize to her for. She was a character, but a fun loving lady who worked hard all of her life for her family.
Anyway, I think we all have some idea of who we want to greet us when we die and there is no doubt in my mind that my grandmother will be the first one to arrive for me.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Dog Races
This seems to be a season of changes. One of my favorite day trips from the park is to the dog races in Tampa and that's where a bus load of us went yesterday. Surprisingly, the trip in January was cancelled because not enough people signed up to go. Just a few years ago, if you didn't get your name on the list within a day of it being posted, you didn't have much chance of getting on it at all. Yesterday our bus wasn't even full.
Carol and I sat together and she, for the first time, left her dog, Maya, with a sitter. Maya is a rescue dog who was probably used for breeding in a puppy mill so she's very traumatized and quite dependent on Carol's presence. She wails when Carol leaves her alone and that's why she decided to use a sitter.
On these trips we first stop at Buddy Freddies for a darned good breakfast buffet. The food was excellent but the place was maybe half full...it's usually full. Then off to the races where we spent about half an hour going over the program to decide which dogs to bet on. My practice is to bet on all 10 races (we can only stay for 10) at the same time, having chosen my dogs because of the name, and a bit of their records. I know so little about how to bet that it doesn't matter whether I bet all at once or one race at a time. Now, Carol chose to see her dog arrive before choosing one of them to bet on and she won a lot of races! I won about $17 back from the $20 I bet and that's not bad, either.
Another big change was that the attendance at the race track was very small. There are usually triple the number of people who were there yesterday. Hmm!
After the races, we got back on the bus and went to Parksdale for our strawberries and ice cream desserts. Soooo good! There is also a farm market there for us to shop before we leave. No change there...it was packed with people!
By the time we got back home, I was just too tired to go over to the clubhouse and play cards so I stayed home and snoozed away the evening. I was in bed and fast asleep before 10 P.M.
All in all, it was a fun day as always and I'm looking forward to going again!
Carol and I sat together and she, for the first time, left her dog, Maya, with a sitter. Maya is a rescue dog who was probably used for breeding in a puppy mill so she's very traumatized and quite dependent on Carol's presence. She wails when Carol leaves her alone and that's why she decided to use a sitter.
On these trips we first stop at Buddy Freddies for a darned good breakfast buffet. The food was excellent but the place was maybe half full...it's usually full. Then off to the races where we spent about half an hour going over the program to decide which dogs to bet on. My practice is to bet on all 10 races (we can only stay for 10) at the same time, having chosen my dogs because of the name, and a bit of their records. I know so little about how to bet that it doesn't matter whether I bet all at once or one race at a time. Now, Carol chose to see her dog arrive before choosing one of them to bet on and she won a lot of races! I won about $17 back from the $20 I bet and that's not bad, either.
Another big change was that the attendance at the race track was very small. There are usually triple the number of people who were there yesterday. Hmm!
After the races, we got back on the bus and went to Parksdale for our strawberries and ice cream desserts. Soooo good! There is also a farm market there for us to shop before we leave. No change there...it was packed with people!
By the time we got back home, I was just too tired to go over to the clubhouse and play cards so I stayed home and snoozed away the evening. I was in bed and fast asleep before 10 P.M.
All in all, it was a fun day as always and I'm looking forward to going again!
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
An Observation
Last week 2 of my friends and I, all seniors, went to Crispers for lunch...excellent home made soups, salads, etc. As is our way and our generation's way, we yakked all the way through lunch and for almost 2 hours after lunch. It was lovely.
When we arrived at the restaurant, 2 young men came in about the same time. I noticed they both carried their cell phones in hand, ordered their food, and walked away looking at those cell phones. I'd occasionally look across to their table and each and ever time, both young men were in their own little worlds...on their cell phones. I actually never heard them say 2 words to each other. This continued until they left, each looking down at their cell phones as they walked out.
Can anyone besides me see that this is one of the problems with our society? People seem to be holding themselves separate from others, even in a group, preferring to associate with an inanimate object rather than the human beings right there with them. This has got to create loners or at least people who are incapable of interacting with others face to face.
This kind of thing is not uncommon these days. We've all seen it happening, maybe even done it ourselves (not me, of course). Sure, our society has many problems which need to be assessed and dealt with if we want to behave as a community but cell phone dependence has definitely caused a rift in personal interaction.
Something else I notice with groups of people on their cell phones is that they don't look happy. They look solemn. My little yakky group of 3 last week laughed a lot while we talked with each other.
Good conversation, laughter, exchange of ideas and stories, are an integral part of bonding. Just an observation!
When we arrived at the restaurant, 2 young men came in about the same time. I noticed they both carried their cell phones in hand, ordered their food, and walked away looking at those cell phones. I'd occasionally look across to their table and each and ever time, both young men were in their own little worlds...on their cell phones. I actually never heard them say 2 words to each other. This continued until they left, each looking down at their cell phones as they walked out.
Can anyone besides me see that this is one of the problems with our society? People seem to be holding themselves separate from others, even in a group, preferring to associate with an inanimate object rather than the human beings right there with them. This has got to create loners or at least people who are incapable of interacting with others face to face.
This kind of thing is not uncommon these days. We've all seen it happening, maybe even done it ourselves (not me, of course). Sure, our society has many problems which need to be assessed and dealt with if we want to behave as a community but cell phone dependence has definitely caused a rift in personal interaction.
Something else I notice with groups of people on their cell phones is that they don't look happy. They look solemn. My little yakky group of 3 last week laughed a lot while we talked with each other.
Good conversation, laughter, exchange of ideas and stories, are an integral part of bonding. Just an observation!
Yes, I'm Opinionated
I do have strong opinions on many subjects and maybe become too aggressive when discussing something that matters dearly to me. Being opinionated means sometimes causing friction between me and my loved ones and this hurts my heart but I can't be what I'm not. I may not spout facts but I spout the truth as I see it.
Anyway, one of my loved ones has butted heads with me a few times and I felt very misunderstood but now we're on to another topic and, darned, we seem to be agreeing. Either she has evolved or I have. It doesn't really matter!
Anyway, one of my loved ones has butted heads with me a few times and I felt very misunderstood but now we're on to another topic and, darned, we seem to be agreeing. Either she has evolved or I have. It doesn't really matter!
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Busy Week at 3W
Just a note...we all had a good laugh at coffee morning trying to remember what 3W stood for (the name is changed now). Some thought it stood for U.S., Canada, and somewhere else. Some thought it had a whole different meaning but I knew. It stood for Disney World, Sea World, and Circus World. Circus World doesn't exist any more and our park name has been changed but we who have been here when it was 3W still refer to it as such.
Anyway, today I get the oil changed on my car and then play cards at Gail's house tonight. Tomorrow we have a tea party and fashion show in the clubhouse. Thursday we go to the dog races in Tampa. Friday is coffee morning at my house. Saturday is our Canada Day dinner. Pheww! Busy week!
Saturday, March 3rd is our Vegas Day games, dinner and auction at the clubhouse so that's an all day event.
I do love my winters in Florida and the great people in our park. I love being close to Shelley and John, too. I'm a very lucky lady to be able to enjoy all of this.
Anyway, today I get the oil changed on my car and then play cards at Gail's house tonight. Tomorrow we have a tea party and fashion show in the clubhouse. Thursday we go to the dog races in Tampa. Friday is coffee morning at my house. Saturday is our Canada Day dinner. Pheww! Busy week!
Saturday, March 3rd is our Vegas Day games, dinner and auction at the clubhouse so that's an all day event.
I do love my winters in Florida and the great people in our park. I love being close to Shelley and John, too. I'm a very lucky lady to be able to enjoy all of this.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Lunch With The Alvari
Shelley and John picked me up yesterday and we drove to a nice Mexican restaurant in Orlando somewhere (I have no idea where I was) where we met Nicole and Sam. I'm very proud of all my family but Nicole pretty much amazes me the most with how darned intelligent she is and she still looks like she's 12 years old!
John, Nicole, and Sam did a lot of talking that went right over my head...Nicole and Sam are both engineers and John is just a plain genius. I'm not discounting my highly intelligent Shelley, either. Dennis would have been right in his glory there conversing on schematics and business tactics. I am not at their level.
John measured the trailer window that needs a piece of plexiglass to protect it this coming summer so I can relax and not worry about the awning breaking the window. The hurricane winds last summer caused the awning to shake so much that it tore up the window screen. If it had broken the window, the trailer would have filled up with mold and been uninhabitable.
I love living this close to Shelley and John during the winter but I still need to cut the time spent here to 3 months instead of 5. Hopefully, they'll get that beach condo they're looking for and I'll feel better about being here only 3 months. They get no use whatsoever out of the trailer but they'll really get to enjoy a beach condo.
I've got nothing much to do today except some Swedish weaving. I enjoy lazy days like this!
John, Nicole, and Sam did a lot of talking that went right over my head...Nicole and Sam are both engineers and John is just a plain genius. I'm not discounting my highly intelligent Shelley, either. Dennis would have been right in his glory there conversing on schematics and business tactics. I am not at their level.
John measured the trailer window that needs a piece of plexiglass to protect it this coming summer so I can relax and not worry about the awning breaking the window. The hurricane winds last summer caused the awning to shake so much that it tore up the window screen. If it had broken the window, the trailer would have filled up with mold and been uninhabitable.
I love living this close to Shelley and John during the winter but I still need to cut the time spent here to 3 months instead of 5. Hopefully, they'll get that beach condo they're looking for and I'll feel better about being here only 3 months. They get no use whatsoever out of the trailer but they'll really get to enjoy a beach condo.
I've got nothing much to do today except some Swedish weaving. I enjoy lazy days like this!
Sunday, February 18, 2018
We Will Make Changes
My precious and much loved grandson truly believes his generation will be effective in making our world a safer, kinder, happier place. He truly believes that each generation that has gone before are responsible for the horrors we're seeing today.
I love him dearly but he is one of the good, idealistic young men who is going to be sadly disappointed when his vision of utopia fails to appear. Each society is a reflection of the culture it has adopted and we're seeing the effects of cultural change for the worse right now.
I believe it can get better because it has to get better. There is something seriously wrong with what our children are being conditioned to that has caused all of these mass shootings. There are violent video games and movies, violent and hateful lyrics in popular songs, removal of pledging allegiance to the flag of our country in the schools. There are homes with both parents working and no-one home to watch over the children. There is rampant divorce and single mothers doing their best to be both mother and father to their children.
There are so many reasons for the poor direction our society has taken and each and every one of them needs to be acknowledged and addressed. The blame doesn't lie solely with past generations but with allowing flawed human beings access to more than they can process at an early age.
We have raised too many "entitled" human beings who have now reached adulthood. If their parenting was poor or sometimes non-existent, these are the walking time bombs we speak of and not the people with mental illness. We are not raising mentally ill children, we are raising perennial children with no coping skills for the real world.
Something has to change and I'm certainly hoping it will.
I love him dearly but he is one of the good, idealistic young men who is going to be sadly disappointed when his vision of utopia fails to appear. Each society is a reflection of the culture it has adopted and we're seeing the effects of cultural change for the worse right now.
I believe it can get better because it has to get better. There is something seriously wrong with what our children are being conditioned to that has caused all of these mass shootings. There are violent video games and movies, violent and hateful lyrics in popular songs, removal of pledging allegiance to the flag of our country in the schools. There are homes with both parents working and no-one home to watch over the children. There is rampant divorce and single mothers doing their best to be both mother and father to their children.
There are so many reasons for the poor direction our society has taken and each and every one of them needs to be acknowledged and addressed. The blame doesn't lie solely with past generations but with allowing flawed human beings access to more than they can process at an early age.
We have raised too many "entitled" human beings who have now reached adulthood. If their parenting was poor or sometimes non-existent, these are the walking time bombs we speak of and not the people with mental illness. We are not raising mentally ill children, we are raising perennial children with no coping skills for the real world.
Something has to change and I'm certainly hoping it will.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Cultural Suicide
I heard a lady on the radio, very angry about the latest mass shooting, say that we are in the midst of cultural suicide. She spoke mainly about gun control which will never be allowed in the United States no matter how many people die needlessly.
I thought of other issues that would point to cultural suicide such as not letting our children fail...at education or sports. I thought of unfair laws that allow criminals and predators freedom after serving 1/3 of their sentence. I also thought of the lawyers who whine to the jury that their client had an abusive or deprived childhood in order to get them a lighter sentence.
I thought of Bruce Jenner who, after sex change surgery, was lauded by some as a hero. I saw veterans with amputations and possibly PTSD living on the streets while we treat terrorists to unconscionable awards for "undue" suffering after their capture. I thought of university students, laden with school debt, unable to get a decent job or even a job at all.
I see T.V. shows praising a young teen boy who prefers to live as as a female but who now has a crush on a girl. Marriage and life commitment is rare. Fatherless homes are common. Teachers are threatened by their students and the students' horrible behaviour is tolerated by their parents.
Our society is in this devastating state of chaos because self discipline and respect isn't being taught at home or in the schools. Social mores have become illogical, supported by the few and followed blindly by too many. Society has to make some kind of sense or it will gradually crumble and that is what we're seeing today.
A young man, sad because he's lost his parents and resentful because his behaviour at school caused his expulsion, believed he had the right to take his legal semi-automatic weapon into the school and take away the lives of 17 people. He felt lousy so he decided the answer was to murder innocent people.
And that makes about as much sense as all the other illogical bits and pieces of our present day society.
I thought of other issues that would point to cultural suicide such as not letting our children fail...at education or sports. I thought of unfair laws that allow criminals and predators freedom after serving 1/3 of their sentence. I also thought of the lawyers who whine to the jury that their client had an abusive or deprived childhood in order to get them a lighter sentence.
I thought of Bruce Jenner who, after sex change surgery, was lauded by some as a hero. I saw veterans with amputations and possibly PTSD living on the streets while we treat terrorists to unconscionable awards for "undue" suffering after their capture. I thought of university students, laden with school debt, unable to get a decent job or even a job at all.
I see T.V. shows praising a young teen boy who prefers to live as as a female but who now has a crush on a girl. Marriage and life commitment is rare. Fatherless homes are common. Teachers are threatened by their students and the students' horrible behaviour is tolerated by their parents.
Our society is in this devastating state of chaos because self discipline and respect isn't being taught at home or in the schools. Social mores have become illogical, supported by the few and followed blindly by too many. Society has to make some kind of sense or it will gradually crumble and that is what we're seeing today.
A young man, sad because he's lost his parents and resentful because his behaviour at school caused his expulsion, believed he had the right to take his legal semi-automatic weapon into the school and take away the lives of 17 people. He felt lousy so he decided the answer was to murder innocent people.
And that makes about as much sense as all the other illogical bits and pieces of our present day society.
Outrage
I'm listening to the CNN news about the latest mass shooting which killed 17 people at a high school right here in Florida. The commentator is outraged over the fact that a depressed 19 year old man had every right to own a semi-automatic weapon which he used to murder 17 students at a high school. Yup, lots of outrage...again and again and again.
The story about this depressed young man will explain a bit the gun philosophy held by the majority of the American citizens. He had recently lost his mother and was being treated for depression. He had been expelled from the high school he shot up. A family acquainted with him kindly took him in to live in their home. They saw nothing wrong with a depressed 19 year old man moving into their home with a semi-automatic rifle! Their lawyer was quick to explain that the rifle was kept in a locked case...the 19 year old had the key to the case.
There is no logic here. It is all insanity. It will happen again and again and again because the majority of Americans treasure their "right to bear arms" over the lives of their children. Remember the little children at the shooting in Sandy Hook?
The story about this depressed young man will explain a bit the gun philosophy held by the majority of the American citizens. He had recently lost his mother and was being treated for depression. He had been expelled from the high school he shot up. A family acquainted with him kindly took him in to live in their home. They saw nothing wrong with a depressed 19 year old man moving into their home with a semi-automatic rifle! Their lawyer was quick to explain that the rifle was kept in a locked case...the 19 year old had the key to the case.
There is no logic here. It is all insanity. It will happen again and again and again because the majority of Americans treasure their "right to bear arms" over the lives of their children. Remember the little children at the shooting in Sandy Hook?
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Homey
I don't apologize for my love of Furbies and will keep the last ones I have and take them with me when I go home. Jake once told me they scared him to death when he was little but I've loved them since first sight.
There is a huge "Elvis" sitting on my desk that won't go home with me so I hope the new owners (when the trailer is sold) want him.
There's a "Minions" throw on the sofa that a friend made for me and that, too, will go back home with me.
This trailer, owned since April of 2000, has been a lot of work and worry over the years. It's needed tipouts and even the front wall to be rebuilt but all is good now. Unfortunately for trailers, especially in Florida, you never know when the next problem will strike. Hurricanes can even make them disappear.
All in all, I'm glad we bought the trailer and I've much more enjoyed than worried about it so it was all worthwhile. I've wondered how I'll feel when I leave it for the last time and I think I'll be okay. I'll miss the good people here something fierce, though. Good people and good friends are not that easy to find and I've been blessed with the ones I have here.
Next season I won't come here until after Xmas. It was very difficult this year being away from family during the Xmas season and I don't want to go through that again. My time is getting short just because of my age and I have to be cognizant of that fact. We don't live forever, you know!
Anyway, it's been a good run and I'm thankful to have had the experience!
Some Medical Advice
I do hate taking medications but the 2 very life altering problems I've had lately needed looking after. Without going to a doctor, of course.
I've had reflux for a few years and it's been getting worse, waking me up at least once in the middle of the night. The other odd problem is the watery eyes that developed on the drive down to Florida. These are not things that will kill me but things that irritate the life out of me.
And so, I decided to look for something other than the Pepcid I've been using for reflux and found Prevacid which offers a 14 day treatment...1 teensy capsule per day...and I have to say that, after only the first capsule, no reflux at all.
And then to deal with the watery eyes. I had researched and found that dry sinuses (which I also have but which aren't much of a problem) can cause watery eyes and you can take a saline nasal spray which should help. It helped a bit. I decided to go big, though, and buy the expensive one, Flo-Nase, and it's helped a whole lot more. I used to tear up so badly that the tears ran down my cheeks...very embarassing especially when you're sitting in the game room and losing. I now only have slightly teary eyes but I've just started the Flo-Nase so I'm hoping for the best to come.
And that's my medical advice for the morning!
I've had reflux for a few years and it's been getting worse, waking me up at least once in the middle of the night. The other odd problem is the watery eyes that developed on the drive down to Florida. These are not things that will kill me but things that irritate the life out of me.
And so, I decided to look for something other than the Pepcid I've been using for reflux and found Prevacid which offers a 14 day treatment...1 teensy capsule per day...and I have to say that, after only the first capsule, no reflux at all.
And then to deal with the watery eyes. I had researched and found that dry sinuses (which I also have but which aren't much of a problem) can cause watery eyes and you can take a saline nasal spray which should help. It helped a bit. I decided to go big, though, and buy the expensive one, Flo-Nase, and it's helped a whole lot more. I used to tear up so badly that the tears ran down my cheeks...very embarassing especially when you're sitting in the game room and losing. I now only have slightly teary eyes but I've just started the Flo-Nase so I'm hoping for the best to come.
And that's my medical advice for the morning!
Monday, February 12, 2018
If We All Played Nice
There is so much turmoil, hatred, prejudice in this world of ours and I think I know who is responsible. It's the young adults and a few middle aged morons who should know better.
The proof lies here at 3W which is full of seniors simply enjoying each day we are blessed to receive. We make the most of it by letting ill feelings slip by and away in the wind instead of banding with other ill tempered seniors to overtake the neighborhood. If anyone says in a snit too long, it just takes a few hours with the happy seniors to change their frame of mind.
I know I'm being facetious when I say all seniors have learned to live together in peace because there are many who live hateful lives. The thing is that they usually just stay home and bask in that hatefulness. They don't go out into the world and cause chaos.
Now, the young adults are not too bright so they can be conned into jumping on any bandwagon that comes by. The few middle aged nasties who lead them are losers in life. By their age, they should be nicely settled down with families and jobs instead of leading a ragtag group of dithering millennials to plant bombs and shoot innocent people. It appears our soldiers should be hunting down and eliminating the middle aged nasties and leaving the aimless millennials to finish growing up. Soon the world would be a place of peace.
This could be true.
The proof lies here at 3W which is full of seniors simply enjoying each day we are blessed to receive. We make the most of it by letting ill feelings slip by and away in the wind instead of banding with other ill tempered seniors to overtake the neighborhood. If anyone says in a snit too long, it just takes a few hours with the happy seniors to change their frame of mind.
I know I'm being facetious when I say all seniors have learned to live together in peace because there are many who live hateful lives. The thing is that they usually just stay home and bask in that hatefulness. They don't go out into the world and cause chaos.
Now, the young adults are not too bright so they can be conned into jumping on any bandwagon that comes by. The few middle aged nasties who lead them are losers in life. By their age, they should be nicely settled down with families and jobs instead of leading a ragtag group of dithering millennials to plant bombs and shoot innocent people. It appears our soldiers should be hunting down and eliminating the middle aged nasties and leaving the aimless millennials to finish growing up. Soon the world would be a place of peace.
This could be true.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Free Day to Swedish Weave
I really enjoy the social interaction here in the park but I also enjoy my alone time. I usually keep to myself on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Saturdays are often spent doing a bit of shopping but Sundays are really free. Today I'll use my time Swedish weaving the afghan I'm making for my friend, Dee.
It's going to be hot today and the rest of the week so I'm hoping my air conditioning continues to work. It's been acting up...the motor sometimes comes on and hums but doesn't kick in properly. I would never go to the expense of putting in another central air conditioner in this trailer but would put in a window air conditioner if I had to. A trailer with no air conditioning in Florida would not be a fit place to live.
Monday will be another free day but there are always little jobs that need to be done. It's nice to have the time to indulge myself in whatever I choose to do.
It's going to be hot today and the rest of the week so I'm hoping my air conditioning continues to work. It's been acting up...the motor sometimes comes on and hums but doesn't kick in properly. I would never go to the expense of putting in another central air conditioner in this trailer but would put in a window air conditioner if I had to. A trailer with no air conditioning in Florida would not be a fit place to live.
Monday will be another free day but there are always little jobs that need to be done. It's nice to have the time to indulge myself in whatever I choose to do.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
I'm Fed Up With Walmart Florida
Walmart isn't my favorite store at the best of times but I'm hoping what I'm seeing in Florida isn't setting the stage for Walmart in other states or provinces.
I used to like to shop at Walmart because I could also get groceries there. Today I needed some groceries and some yarn...also found 2 pair of summer pyjamas for the boys...so in I went.
After finding my items I went looking for a cash register that wasn't lined up too badly and found one that allowed 20 items only. There were about 3 customers in front of me so I felt pretty lucky. No.
The cashier moved in slow motion, had to leave the register for each of the 3 customers in front of me because she couldn't ring their purchases in for some reason..one couple had only a T.V. Her interaction with the T.V. took about 10 minutes! Then she took on the couple directly in front of me and my hopes rose. No.
They had only a few items but they and the cashier had a long conversation in Spanish before slowly moving away. Now, I have no problem with Spanish speaking clerks but I'd already asked a clerk where to find an item and he spoke no English at all.
So I put my few items on the belt and the cashier informed me there was no bar code on one pair of pyjamas. She tried to give me excuse after excuse why this was so all the while I was trying to tell her to just put them aside and I wouldn't buy them...didn't want to wait for her to call a sales person from the department. She then started blaming customers for ripping off the bar codes. Heaven help me.
Oh yes, as I waited in my line fuming at the long wait, I watched the line beside me. If it took my cashier 20-25 minutes to ring up 4 customers, it took the cashier next to her (but the customer had a cart full) that long to ring up 1!!! It seems they were on a slow down today and foolishly think this might help them keep their jobs. If and when I ever shop at Walmart again, I'll use the self serve check-out. I usually have problems and need a clerk to help me at self serve but I'm sure it would be faster than what I put up with today.
I used to like to shop at Walmart because I could also get groceries there. Today I needed some groceries and some yarn...also found 2 pair of summer pyjamas for the boys...so in I went.
After finding my items I went looking for a cash register that wasn't lined up too badly and found one that allowed 20 items only. There were about 3 customers in front of me so I felt pretty lucky. No.
The cashier moved in slow motion, had to leave the register for each of the 3 customers in front of me because she couldn't ring their purchases in for some reason..one couple had only a T.V. Her interaction with the T.V. took about 10 minutes! Then she took on the couple directly in front of me and my hopes rose. No.
They had only a few items but they and the cashier had a long conversation in Spanish before slowly moving away. Now, I have no problem with Spanish speaking clerks but I'd already asked a clerk where to find an item and he spoke no English at all.
So I put my few items on the belt and the cashier informed me there was no bar code on one pair of pyjamas. She tried to give me excuse after excuse why this was so all the while I was trying to tell her to just put them aside and I wouldn't buy them...didn't want to wait for her to call a sales person from the department. She then started blaming customers for ripping off the bar codes. Heaven help me.
Oh yes, as I waited in my line fuming at the long wait, I watched the line beside me. If it took my cashier 20-25 minutes to ring up 4 customers, it took the cashier next to her (but the customer had a cart full) that long to ring up 1!!! It seems they were on a slow down today and foolishly think this might help them keep their jobs. If and when I ever shop at Walmart again, I'll use the self serve check-out. I usually have problems and need a clerk to help me at self serve but I'm sure it would be faster than what I put up with today.
Coffee Morning
Carol and I were the only 2 that went for lunch after coffee this time but we often get a few more. I am so thankful that these ladies make the Friday morning coffee one of the things they like to do as much as I do.
Norma and Charlie are on vacation in Florida right now but staying outside the park. It was great to see her visit for coffee morning. We had perfect weather and perfect conversation!
Wednesday, February 07, 2018
Florida Honey Ants
I have a bug man come once a month to spray so I rarely see a bug, thank heavens. It's the size of this thing that concerns me unless it really is just ants surrounding a little dead worm or lizard. You don't ever want ant nests in your home or trailer.
I've been taught to not spray ants with Raid because the ones who don't die just move the queen to another spot. I put 2 ant traps close to the thing and it might take a few days for the ants to disappear but the ant traps work well.
Now to wait and see what is there.
Update: I ended up spraying it with Raid and then removed what turned out to be a tiny little dead lizard that the ants were consuming. Ick!
Tuesday, February 06, 2018
Twisted Words
Something that gets my back up is when someone doesn't agree with you and they twist your words to mean something entirely different from what you said. What I said today is that we shouldn't apologize for our beliefs and one of my family members asked if that meant she shouldn't need to apologize for hers??? How does this even make sense?
I have family and friends who see the world differently than I do but that doesn't ruin the relationship. I've often said that we shouldn't apologize for our beliefs so I don't know how my words could be misconstrued like that. It matters to me to try to understand what's going on here. It doesn't matter to me at all what the family member believes or doesn't believe.
I have family and friends who see the world differently than I do but that doesn't ruin the relationship. I've often said that we shouldn't apologize for our beliefs so I don't know how my words could be misconstrued like that. It matters to me to try to understand what's going on here. It doesn't matter to me at all what the family member believes or doesn't believe.
Monday, February 05, 2018
Winding Down
Every year for the last few I've been getting rid of stuff from the trailer. We had a park yard sale on Saturday and it was pleasing to see how little I had to sell or give away. This means I'm close to being able to walk away from it.
The drawers are still filled with odds and ends which I'm not sure I should just leave so my plan for those little things is to put it all in a box and offer it for free and then on to the Salvation Army. I'm just thankful that the job of clearing out detritus isn't going to be a big one.
The more "stuff" I remove from the trailer, the more I like the trailer. That tells me I have or have had more stuff than I ever needed. These days it's yarn and monk's cloth that I seem to be accumulating and I really need to stop. As much as I love doing Swedish weaving, I think I have more supplies than I'll ever use up. It's almost an addiction.
Right now I'm looking at 3 little Furbies that I'd forgotten were here. There were 4 but I'm going to keep one and the other 3 are listed on Ebay. I haven't sold much on Ebay in the last few years but prefer to give away or cart to the Salvation Army. If the 3 Furbies I'm trying to sell don't sell, I have to keep them...they are close to my heart and I just can't part with them for anything but money. LOL!
Well, I've made my bed and had my coffee. I guess my work is done for the day.
The drawers are still filled with odds and ends which I'm not sure I should just leave so my plan for those little things is to put it all in a box and offer it for free and then on to the Salvation Army. I'm just thankful that the job of clearing out detritus isn't going to be a big one.
The more "stuff" I remove from the trailer, the more I like the trailer. That tells me I have or have had more stuff than I ever needed. These days it's yarn and monk's cloth that I seem to be accumulating and I really need to stop. As much as I love doing Swedish weaving, I think I have more supplies than I'll ever use up. It's almost an addiction.
Right now I'm looking at 3 little Furbies that I'd forgotten were here. There were 4 but I'm going to keep one and the other 3 are listed on Ebay. I haven't sold much on Ebay in the last few years but prefer to give away or cart to the Salvation Army. If the 3 Furbies I'm trying to sell don't sell, I have to keep them...they are close to my heart and I just can't part with them for anything but money. LOL!
Well, I've made my bed and had my coffee. I guess my work is done for the day.
Sunday, February 04, 2018
Finding Religion in Flowers
I believe we are led somehow to what we need in life. I also believe that those who ignore warning signs are bound to follow the wrong path to their detriment. Just as it's difficult to straighten out your car when it slips into a rut, it's just as difficult for derailed people to climb back onto the right path once they've deviated.
I'm not sure when I started reposting photos of flowers on Facebook every morning but it's been quite a while. I've always loved the beauty of flowers but until recently never inspected the magnificent detail of each and every one of them.
It began to dawn on me as I ooohed and awwwed and sometimes gasped out loud as I looked at these photos that the perfection I was seeing could not have come about by accident. Were these gifts from whoever created us? It's very confusing for me because I've been turned off by organized religion since I was a child. I recognized at an early age that too many of the "good" church people were not what they presented themselves to be. I'm sure no-one could argue with me that there is way too much hatred in organized religion with different sects even willing to go to war with each other.
When I pay attention to the beauty in nature rather than church leaders and followers, I come closer to a religious experience. I'm a logical thinker and find even the rugged beauty of nature carries a message for us that there is something mightier than we are at work. The unbelievable beauty of those flowers I repost is a reminder that whatever power is responsible for us here is also gentle.
Before the flowers, I could see perfection in our children...not so much in adults but there were always a few who made me want to be a better person than I was. It honestly has been in my later years that I was granted wider vision to recognize what was hidden from me in my younger and more selfish years. I was blind but now I see...and now I understand those words.
Organized religion has always been about the leaders of those religions and how much power they can wield. With that power came corruption and the followers turned away from the beauty of nature and the will to preserve it. They lost the true religion.
At least that's my take on it. We'll all find out for sure in due time.
I'm not sure when I started reposting photos of flowers on Facebook every morning but it's been quite a while. I've always loved the beauty of flowers but until recently never inspected the magnificent detail of each and every one of them.
It began to dawn on me as I ooohed and awwwed and sometimes gasped out loud as I looked at these photos that the perfection I was seeing could not have come about by accident. Were these gifts from whoever created us? It's very confusing for me because I've been turned off by organized religion since I was a child. I recognized at an early age that too many of the "good" church people were not what they presented themselves to be. I'm sure no-one could argue with me that there is way too much hatred in organized religion with different sects even willing to go to war with each other.
When I pay attention to the beauty in nature rather than church leaders and followers, I come closer to a religious experience. I'm a logical thinker and find even the rugged beauty of nature carries a message for us that there is something mightier than we are at work. The unbelievable beauty of those flowers I repost is a reminder that whatever power is responsible for us here is also gentle.
Before the flowers, I could see perfection in our children...not so much in adults but there were always a few who made me want to be a better person than I was. It honestly has been in my later years that I was granted wider vision to recognize what was hidden from me in my younger and more selfish years. I was blind but now I see...and now I understand those words.
Organized religion has always been about the leaders of those religions and how much power they can wield. With that power came corruption and the followers turned away from the beauty of nature and the will to preserve it. They lost the true religion.
At least that's my take on it. We'll all find out for sure in due time.
Saturday, February 03, 2018
Black Only
I just saw a commercial on T.V. for a black only dating site. Every time I see something like this...black colleges, black beauty contests...I think how it is unthinkable that we in this day and age would ever have a white only dating site, white college, or white beauty contest. I was shocked to see that the U.S. has a black caucus. How can this be tolerated?? Caucasions, or most of them, have become enlightened and see that racism is wrong. Unfortunately the racism seems to be going the other way now and it is just as despicable as the old days when there were white only establishments.
Some people seem to be hell bent on "turning the tables". As horrible as racism has been, some blacks are working to keep out whites. I'm not sure what the purpose is here unless its payback but all caucasions were never racist so it's wrong, wrong, wrong, to brand them that way.
Anyway, there is no getting around it, black only, white only, asian only, etc., is not good for bringing everyone together and perpetuating it will never result in a world of peace.
Some people seem to be hell bent on "turning the tables". As horrible as racism has been, some blacks are working to keep out whites. I'm not sure what the purpose is here unless its payback but all caucasions were never racist so it's wrong, wrong, wrong, to brand them that way.
Anyway, there is no getting around it, black only, white only, asian only, etc., is not good for bringing everyone together and perpetuating it will never result in a world of peace.
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