I Didn't Know It Was So Bad

The Canadian dollar is really bad now against the American dollar but I didn't realize just how bad until last night.  One of my friends here stopped me as I was going in to play Bingo and said that she had a pile of Canadian coins that she wanted to give me because she had no use for them.

Can it be that our money is so worthless it's being given away??

I know banks won't take foreign coins but I felt a little deflated about the value of our Canadian money.  Just how bad is it when no-one wants it??

I Want a Cat

There are very few moments in my life when I'm lonely but I'd have none if I had a cat.  Pulling up those cute little posts from the internet about cats is what is pushing me to get one, too.  Cats are amazing creatures, so different from dogs.  It's hard to find an arrogant dog but all cats have that arrogant, aristocratic, and curious personality that makes them so much fun to have around.

First I have to make sure I'm not still allergic to them and then I have to learn to accept that any cat I get might like sitting on top of the kitchen cupboards.  I don't like animals being anywhere except the floor and you can train a dog to abide by the rules but not a cat.

Another good reason for getting a cat instead of a dog is that they use a litter box and don't have to be taken outside to do their business.  

It looks like I might get a cat...soon.  I love them all but I think a Burmese cat is beautiful and doesn't shed like other cats.  Now I've gotten to the point where I'm choosing a breed.  Seems as though I've made headway. 

Update:  I changed my mind again.   

Strong Winds

When strong winds blow in Canada, I don't worry but I do when that happens in Florida because I've seen too many pictures of trailers here flattened by tornadoes and hurricanes.

I've never been too close to a tornado but I have been here when one went through an area not too far away causing both destruction and death.  It's a frightening sight to see the aftermath of a tornado.  I remember seeing roofs blown off brick buildings, 50" light standards bent and almost flattened to the ground, and trailers left looking like a pile of scrap.

In this park of maybe 300 people, there is only one relatively safe place to go during a tornado and that's the billiard room but it's not very big, definitely not big enough to hold even 100 people.  I've only once since 1998 felt threatened enough by the weather to hike my little self over there.  Luckily, our park suffered no damage that day.

Today the winds are especially strong and I'll take care to watch the weather report.

My Minion Blankie

I love the Minions and their cute sayings.  My sweet friend, Bonnie, went to the trouble of making me this fabulous throw and I'm just at a loss for words to say how happy this makes me.  I've already had a couple of naps under it's warm and soft fleece...heavenly.  I draped it over the sofa and feel thankful and cared for every time I look at it.  And it makes me smile!!

Friends don't have to buy you things, though, to make your life a good one.  They just have to be there and show they care about you.  A Minion blankie is frosting on the cake!

When Dennis was sick, I made him a fleece blanket for him to nap with.  I knew he enjoyed soft things and often slept with a wadded up t-shirt against his face.  I never made a fleece blanket for myself but now realize just how wonderful it is to cuddle with one.  I love my blankie and had planned to leave it here in the trailer so that Nash and Nolan wouldn't claim it but I might change my mind and take it home with me.  It is just that nice to nap with!!  It will have to travel back to Florida with me, though!

I'm one happy lady...with a blankie!  

New Windows

I'm on a roll now that I'm not paying lot rent.  There have been quite a few things that needed doing on the trailer in the last few years that I let go because I assumed I'd be selling soon.  One of the big things was putting in 2 new windows to replace the ones that leak.  That should have been done years ago but I just didn't know how to go about getting it done.  Mickey couldn't handle putting in the larger one and it never occurred to me to call in someone from a window replacement business before.

Someone from Window World is supposed to show up today but I'm worried he won't be able to find my trailer.  This park is laid out as a campground where, in the trailer section, the street letters don't make much sense because "D" (mine) doesn't designate the street but a whole section.  I explained that I was right across the road from the clubhouse so I hope the poor man has that written on his directions.

Joann had windows with screens put in her trailer for under $200 each so that's the price I'm hoping for.  My worry (another one) is that delivery might be delayed and I head back home the end of the first week of April.

Well, lo and behold, the young man finally found my trailer and is now measuring the windows.  Update will come later.

Update:  Well, crap!  He was sweet as could be but his company's windows are not made to fit my trailer.  Apparently my windows need to be 2" and their's are 3" thickness.  I hate, hate, hate this!   He was very nice and suggested I check out Broke and Poore.  Hmm!  He also thinks they might be able to install them.  Hmm!  I guess I'll do a rough measurement and drive on over to Broke and Poore maybe on Saturday because I'm busy the other days.  Update to come later.

News Nonsense

I'm sitting in my little Florida trailer and it's cold.  This has apparently put me in a crappy mood because I've got more to bitch about.

I normally only watch/listen to the news on CNN because I can't stand the idiot blather on local news channels but today I'm cold and lazy and don't want to take the time to change channels.  I'm watching/listening to Channel 8 which I think is Tampa and the idiocy is mind boggling.  The news crew even played a game.  OMG!

Being me, I analyzed why local news reporters are so buddy-buddy and love to use up air time to discuss their personal lives and came to this conclusion.  The people who watch them are either brain dead or cold.   

911, Pizza?

Of course, a Florida 911 operator didn't lose her job because she was busy ordering pizza for 8 minutes instead of taking the emergency calls she was hired to do.  That's not the way it's done now because no-one is actually expected to perform their jobs in a professional manner.  

In this case, a person fainted in the dentist's office and a 911 call was made but no-one answered.  The operator was ordering pizza on that line and even asking for information on prices.  This could have been a call about someone choking to death or caught in a burning building.  This could have been a call that ended up in a death.

The 911 operator received a reprimand on her employment record.  I guess if there had been a fire that took the lives of half a dozen people while she ordered that pizza, she might have been put on paid leave for a day or two.

Maya

My friend, Carol, acquired a little Yorkie a few months ago and it really warms your heart to see the two of them together.  Maya's previous owners might have been running a puppy mill and she got too old to produce more puppies so the owner, may she/he rest in hell, had the nerve to sell this little dog to my friend for the unbelievable price of $300.  Carol was told the dog was 5 years old but the vet says she's closer to 10 years old.

Carol told me how Maya had lumps on her chest, swollen foot pads, and massive infection in her ears when she went to live with her.  Carol had the vet do surgery and cure the infection and now Maya is a happy and cuddly old puppy.

Carol needs the constant affection she receives from Maya and Maya needs and deserves the loving attention she receives from Carol.  It's as though they were meant to find each other.

I've often thought that dogs are angels who come into our lives to teach us how to become finer human beings.  In this case, the union of Maya and Carol could be more that Maya needed rescuing and Carol is her angel.

When Carol first brought Maya over to meet me, she was very shaky and nervous because she didn't know me.  She knows me now and trusts me.  What a compliment it is to have an animal's trust!

And so...both Carol's and Maya's lives have vastly improved since they came together.  Each needed someone to love and snuggle with and now they have it.

Something Old/Something New

I have no qualms about buying from second hand stores so, as you can see by the photo, I just bought the cutest lamp from one.

I was tired of the lamp in the bedroom and wanted something a little more old fashioned so I checked out a few thrift stores until I found this sweet old lamp.  I didn't like the shade that was on it but, lo and behold, sitting all by itself in a corner was this cutest lampshade I've ever seen.  Being me, I asked for a discount because I wasn't taking the shade already on the lamp and was given one.  It never hurts to ask.

The lamp is a greyish glass (maybe was white in it's youth) with a marble base.  The shade, to me, is gorgeous beyond words and makes me smile when I look at it.

Total cost with tax..$8.05.  I love it! 

Freeing Space

When I thought I was selling the trailer, I cleared out even more than I'd planned on and it's worked out well.  It all went for free and that's fine with me because I had very little monetary value in the items and no emotional attachment.  Most I'd bought cheaply at yard sales to sell on Ebay and only kept because I hadn't gotten around to discarding.  By eliminating all those mainly small items, I was able to clear out one whole shelving unit in the Florida room.  It continues to feel really good about creating space where once there was clutter.

When Shelley and John took over my lot rent I felt an immediate release of tension from my shoulders and that's exactly how I feel every time I permanently remove stuff from the trailer.  It's amazing how much stuff I'd accumulated to sell on Ebay that didn't sell and just took up valuable space for years.  

Now I'm looking around here and thinking about getting a new desk that doesn't have the shelving on top of it...it would make the room look bigger, I bet.  I'm also eyeing the large T.V. stand in the Florida room and picturing a simple stand to take it's place.  

I guess we never stop feathering our nest, do we?

Why Do I Watch Maury???

I have very low class tastes at times and so I do watch Maury.  But I'm getting fed up with the number of women who bring man after man on stage to prove they're the father of their child only to be found wrong.  What is going on with the women who have so many sexual partners they don't know for sure who fathered their children??

The audience always boos the possible father who refuses to accept responsibility for the child until a DNA test proves it's his.  In this day and age, it seems this has become a wise decision.

Most often the child isn't his and he doesn't even get an apology from the mother, audience, or even Maury for what he has been put through.  It is a horrible thing to do to a man to insist he's the father of your child if you've been having sex with other men at the same time.  

When he does turn out to be the father, I feel sorry for the poor guy because he is now stuck with the screaming and often promiscuous woman for the rest of his life.  The baby will also suffer from this hateful union that brought about the birth of an innocent human being.

Men need to stop taking chances on impregnating women they don't love or want to spend their lives with.

I think I need to improve my choices of T.V. shows to watch.

Dying With Dignity

There is only one way to die with dignity and that is to be free of pain.  We might develop terrible diseases that debilitate us but as long as we're pain free we can deal with it.  There's no secret that we all have to die one day and the passing will be different for each of us.  Some will go passively and some will fight every inch of the way but, in the end, we will go.

I've never understood why heroin isn't used to relieve pain in the dying when everything else has failed to do so.  In my mind, it is imperative that a dying patient be kept pain free using every drug possible with none excluded.  

My own fear of dying has never been my end of life but whether or not I'd be in pain and I'll make a guess that most people feel the same way.  My personal belief is that death is not the end of us and that we move on to another form of life so I'm a bit curious about what that will be.  If I have a choice, I'd like a nice new body, too.  LOL!

My son-in-law's mother just passed away and in terrible pain until she was deeply medicated while in the hospital.  I feel that enough medication should have been available to her at home so that she never had to suffer at all.  The caregiver of a terminal patient should legally be able to give enough medication to keep them pain free right up to the moment of their death.

I'm 75 1/2 years old and know my years ahead are numbered so I can only hope my ending will be pain free.  Not much to ask, is it?

No Perfect Day

I've thought for a long time that I'm supposed to have problems.  It seems forever that I get the worst problem solved and there is not even a skip of a beat before another problem arises to take it's place.

I have 2 windows in the trailer that have leaked.  Mickey was able to sort of fix one by covering it with caulk (caulking?).  The other window hasn't been a big problem until this year when I discovered some of the floor tile lifted just below it.  Apparently the leak was not stopped over the summer by the sponges I put in the track and it overflowed and settled on the floor of the tipout behind the sofa.  And so I bought awnings and had them installed so I didn't have to put in new windows to solve this problem.  They worked...but then I pulled the sofa out to check the wall under the leaky window and found it to be saturated and ripply from the leak over the summer.  Now I am not quite sure what to do because there is a danger of mold behind the wall paneling.  This happened with the other window but Mickey took it apart, found no mold, and replaced that section of paneling.  This is what needs to be done with the paneling behind the sofa but Mickey isn't here any more and I'm not sure if this is something that Paul (the handyman) can do.  I hate being faced with a problem I don't know how to solve!

John and Shelley are coming over later in the week so I'll have to ask his advice.  Their house is in the process of a huge renovation right now and he doesn't need to be worrying about my piddly problem...but the possible presence of mold is spurring me to drag him into it.  The "problem", not the "mold".  LOL!

Anyway, I guess I'll have to ask Paul if he has the time and the ability to replace the damn window and replace the damaged wall.  I feel like I'm in the midst of a tornado!  I want to purchase a new sleeper sofa but I don't want to do that until this problem is solved.

Wonder what the next problem will be??  

Gun Control

I'm a Canadian who hates guns and all they stand for.  They are for killing and maiming under the guise of offering protection to the owners.

I watch the United States news and hear how the majority of American citizens will fight to the death to preserve their right to bear arms and it saddens me.  I don't think they understand that by removing their rights to buy and possess assault rifles and requiring them to register all other guns doesn't hamper their ability to own a gun...hopefully for protection only.

Granted, criminals don't buy the guns they use to commit a crime...but those stolen guns probably came from someone's home.  It's the massive availability of guns in people's homes that supply the criminal world.

I don't argue the point with my American friends because their opinions are just as strong as my own.  I don't understand their views and they don't understand mine.  But we can still be friends.  These friends are not criminals and all own their guns legally.

Most Americans don't want to hear the statistics.  They don't want to hear that there are more gun murders in the States every year than in any other country.  They don't want to hear that a known unstable person is still legally allowed to own guns.  They don't want to hear that no-one but law enforcement ever needs to own an assault rifle.

The crux of the problem seems to be that Americans do not want their government taking away any more of their rights and I understand this.  But what if it made for a safer country if no-one could legally buy an assault rifle?  Is that such a horrible right to give up??

No, we don't want the government to have too much control over us but sometimes we need to hand over a bit of control for the better good of the country we live in.  

Friends

I've come to believe that the safest place on earth for a senior is in a senior park.  It's like a little village where everyone knows everyone and there are plenty to look after you when you're sick.  I caught a cold on Friday, slept most of Saturday, had soup offered by Joann, and then Cathy brought me beef stew which I'll have for lunch today.

We seniors know we're more vulnerable to an illness that turns serious so even a cold doesn't escape attention.  Lucky for me, my cold is well on the way to being gone.  I still have a bit of a cough but it's not bad.

If all the countries of the world took care of their neighbors the way the seniors in this park take care of each other, this would be a magnificent world.  

Got A Cold

It never used to bother me too much when I caught a cold because it was usually short lived but, now that I'm an old gal, it tends to hang around a bit longer...sometimes for many weeks.

I was really looking forward to going to the HOA meeting on Saturday because it promised to be full of controversy...I like watching controversy as long as it doesn't get violent.  I woke up on Friday with laryngitis which turned into a full blown cold with treacherous cough on Saturday.  I don't go out in public with a cold because I don't want to be responsible for killing anyone here so I missed the meeting.

By Saturday evening, I was starting to feel as though the cold had lessened in severity...good news.  This morning I'm still coughing a bit but feel pretty good.  I guess this is one of those times when my body has been stronger than the cold germs that invaded it.  

My goal had been to beat the cold by Tuesday so I could go over to the clubhouse and play cards with my friends.  It just might happen!

Sleep Deprived

I've had problems with my sleep for almost as many years as I've been alive.  In the past few years I can have 2-3 nights where I get next to no sleep but then I'll take an Advil PM and sleep like a baby.  This usually results in resetting my sleep pattern and I sleep fairly well for weeks to months.

For some reason, since Shelley and John took the burden of lot rent off my shoulders, I can't sleep at all.  It's not worry that keeps me awake but thoughts full of "should I allow them to do this?, what can a buy for the trailer to help them?, can they really get some worthwhile use out of it?".  I think my conscience is bothering me.

Any way, this lack of sleep finally caught up with me yesterday in a scary and very dangerous incident.  I'd gone over to Shelley's to have lunch with them and Sam's family...after having a seriously sleepless night which I thought I could fix with a late afternoon nap.  On the drive back home, I knew I was very tired but it's only an hour and 15 minute drive which I was sure would be no problem for me.  Nope.

I became aware that, when I'd blink, my eyes would not reopen immediately.  I was darned well falling asleep at the wheel!  Determined to persevere, get home and have a nap, I stupidly kept on driving.  At one point, I drifted over to the next lane where the noise from the bump strips jarred me awake.  Thank heavens there was no car next to me because I'd had no control over my falling asleep.  Like I said, it would happen when my eyes blinked and then didn't reopen.

This frightened me awake and I was able to make it home without further incident but it seared in my brain how dangerous it is to drive when you're tired.  I don't know how I'll manage from here on in because I have so many sleepless nights and drive to Tampa on a regular basis.  Last night I took half an Advil PM and slept well.  Maybe I'll take the half pill a few times a week and see if that helps regulate my sleep.  Otherwise I'll have to be smart enough to pull off the highway whenever I feel too tired to drive.  I've done this when I've done the long drive from Canada to Florida...just pulled into a rest stop and rested my eyes for 15 minutes or so before carrying on.

I'm now frighteningly aware how quickly one can fall asleep at the wheel.  

Merry Christmas2015

I don't know about anyone else but I never looked ahead to the day I'd be celebrating Christmas at 75.  In all honesty, I didn't think I'd still be around and having as much enjoyment in my life as I do.  There's something to be said about taking each day at a time and enjoying it the best we can.

When my children were young we always had an open house for the whole family on Christmas Eve.  It was a hectic but magically happy time when biggest joy was spending this time with our extended family.

One of our traditions was for the children to open one present each on Christmas Eve and it was always new pyjamas so they'd look decent in the next morning's photos.  

Christmas morning was spent watching the happiness of my children as they opened their gifts.  Some memories stand out a bit more, like when we put Dennis' name on one of Kim's gifts and she thought she'd been short changed for a moment.

Another tradition for us was the yearly jig saw puzzle that Dennis and whoever else would spend hours putting together.  The only Christmas I remember the grandsons working along with him was when I bought a jig saw puzzle where the picture was all women's butts.  Jim would always work along with Dennis no matter what the picture was.

Boxing day held more traditions for us.  Dennis would make a huge pot of turkey soup and some of the relatives would stop by for a bowl of it.  It was like the calm after the storm but still held all the joy of the Christmas season.

Christmas doesn't represent presents to me.  It is a time of joyful spirit and being thankful for all the good in your life.  

Today I'll have Christmas dinner at the clubhouse with maybe 150 people, many are good friends.  Tomorrow I'll head over to Tampa to spend time with the Alvarez family and get to meet Lisette's boyfriend, Danny.  In our family, Christmas is probably the most loved holiday of all and I've heard Shelley will carry on her father's tradition of making that spectacular turkey soup.  I can't wait!

Merry Christmas!

Life Changer

My life changed today and I'm still reeling from what it all means.  Shelley and John have bought my trailer and are taking over the dreaded lot rent.  They also want to do some improvements but I can afford to do some myself now.  The benefit is all mine and it's a gift from them that just amazes me.  I definitely would have had to sell the trailer this year or walk away from it because I can no longer afford the lot rent...the Canadian dollar continues to drop against the American dollar and that is what is strangling me.

I felt very uneasy about burdening Shelley and John with my problem but they're looking to the future when Kim and Cindy will want somewhere to spend their winters when they retire.  We certainly are a strongly bound family who takes care of family.

This park is very close to Disney and I'm fine with Shelley letting family (but only family) stay here when I'm not here.  She knows about the need to close up the trailer properly, too.  I may only have a few short years left to come here but at least I won't be worried constantly about the cost.  

I've already got some improvements I'll make and I can't wait to get started.  First on my list are awnings for 2 windows that have been leaking.  Then I'm going to replace the flooring either with ceramic tile (if the trailer floor will support it) or vinyl tile.  It makes a big difference how much money I plan to spend because now it will be for my family and John's family.  I hadn't wanted to put another penny into the trailer because I'd thought it would either be going to a stranger or being turned over to the park.  This is going to be fun!

Oh yes, another thing happened today that was both bad and good.  As I was leaving Shelley's to go home, I saw a note under my car's windshield wipers.  It was from a lady who apologized for hitting my car and she'd left her phone number.  An honest lady!!

I checked the car and saw some damage to the right rear side and shed a silent tear or two.  I love my car.  John called the lady who doesn't want to go through her insurance but will pay for the repair.  I called my insurance company who said that was fine but I should get her insurance number, too, just in case she didn't pay.  I trust this lady because she could have walked away from the accident and not left the note with her phone number.

It's been a life changing day in a few ways.  Most incredibly wonderful! 

Update:  I got repair quotes for $1700...never expected it to be that high.  The lady who hit me decided to go through her insurance and they have already arranged for the repair to start on Monday.  They'll also provide me with a rental car to use until it's done.  All in all, it's an inconvenience for me but it's turned out to be well handled.  I'm thankful!

Surprise

I put my trailer up for sale last week because our Canadian dollar has dropped so drastically that it's become ridiculous for me to keep the trailer with it's high lot rent.  It wasn't a move that broke my heart but it did mean that my life would be changing and not necessarily for the better...just the wy lives change all the time.

John and Shelley phoned me a few days ago and offered to buy the trailer so I could continue to winter in Florida.  I can't tell you how that made me feel...awed, loved, scared, unsure.  My mind filled with thoughts of how my husband's life work is what gave me the trailer to begin with and now our daughter's would be what gave it to me for a little longer.  My biggest fear is that I'd get sick and not be able to come here anyway and they'd be burdened with it.  There are so many cons for them buying it and the only pros are for me to be able to winter in Florida for a few more years as long as my health holds out.

I'm going over to Tampa today to talk to them about it and make some kind of decision.  I still feel all those things I felt when they first offered.

Yes, I'd love to keep coming back here to the park for a while yet, maybe not for 5-6 months but for 3-4 months instead.  I love it here and I love the people who have become my friends but I can't get past wondering how fair it is for Shelley and John to carry the financial burden for me.

I'll just have to wait and see.