The Princess and Chewlee are home, safe and sound. I guess they enjoyed themselves and the Princess spent more money than she planned....of course. I don't know a single person that goes to a resort area with money in their pocket that doesn't spend it and more on all the enticing goodies that can be found. It's a shopping paradise and you buy things you really wouldn't even miss if you hadn't gone there.

The bad thing is that the Princess got a flat tire on her way home. I didn't really understand what she was saying when she called to tell me but I think they called Johnnycakes AAA to get the tire changed. I think the Princess didn't have a jack to get her little bubble tire on so they could get somewhere to buy new tires. She should have done it when she got her back tires replaced but she may not have had the cash to do it then. Thankfully, she was only 11 miles from Walmart here in Albertville so she stopped there to get the two tires replaced before she came home.

She had called me when they left Gatlinburg to let me know they were on their way home and she asked me what I was making for dinner (this has become a standard question with her lately). I often wonder if that is when she decides whether or not she's coming home to eat or not....LOL. When I told her tacos, she seemed less than thrilled. However, I decided on them because we could eat them whenever we felt like it. They are eminently reheatable (the meat and the shells). Plus, I wasn't really sure what time they would arrive home. I thought they might spend more time in Gatlinburg on their last day after they returned the key to the cabin they rented. But I guess she and Johnnycakes had enough excitement to last them for a while and came home. I got the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and cheese ready early. I even opened up some chopped green chiles (I love them on my homemade tacos) and made some mexican rice for a side dish. I knew Chewlee couldn't eat them but we had some beefaroni here that she loves so I knew she wouldn't be left out.

The Beast did NOT finish the floor. In fact, he only managed to get another two plank width done because he found *another* problem area. I swear to you, he creates problems for himself. He also kept beating up his hands and dripping blood all over. I can't begin to count the bandages I've put on him the past couple days. He also forgot and was swearing up a storm in front of Chewlee but she was, thankfully, distracted. The Princess closed the door to the computer room so Chewlee wouldn't hear him.

The Beast has one area of his left hand, the part on the outside of the hand at the base of the thumb, that he has managed to hit three or four times. His skin is like paper so it doesn't take much. He managed the first time to get it pinched in one of the seams he was pounding shut and even left a tiny strip of skin in it. He did manage to remove the skin. That is the same area he has managed to hit with a hammer, albeit a mallet type hammer, several times afterward. Two of his fingers are also sporting bandages. He said he wanted to take a shower but, at the rate he was going, he was afraid he might bleed to death if the hot water started all his *boo-boo's* bleeding again.

His little tirade he went through was because he managed to make a nick in one of the planks. Thank goodness he bought the repair kit for that purpose and he pointed it out to me since I am the one that will have to take care of it. I have no idea how *I* got elected to do that but I'm kind of glad I did because he doesn't really have an *eye* for that kind of thing. I swear he's partly color blind. I shouldn't be surprised since most men are in one area or another. Some are just worse than others.

So tomorrow I will be making *repairs* on a couple areas he's managed to screw up. Cross your fingers that the repair kit actually works the way it says it does. You know how that can be when they make it for a wide spectrum of colors and you have to *layer* the color. I will let you know how that goes.

Chewlee is asleep now and the Princess should be in bed but I don't know if she's even home from Johnnycakes. I should check her room before I head for bed. If she's not, I am going to call her to get her home. She has to work in Gadsden tomorrow and that means almost an hour's drive at almost any part of the day due to traffic even though it's only about 29-30 miles away. She loves to work at that store because it's in a mall and is constantly busy. She loves to stay busy so that is right up her alley. She's thinking about transferring to that store (she was offered that if she wanted it by the district manager). It might mean they will take her out of Management Training because that store doesn't need an assistant or a manager, I think. But she would make more money in commissions she said.

The bad part about her working in a mall (from previous years experience with the Princess) is that it's just chock full of stores for her to spend money in and she does.....LOL. It would be difficult for her to keep to a budget with all the temptations right there under her nose. She thinks nothing of spending a LOT of money on bras at Victoria's Secret, for one. She has expensive taste. She always has her whole life. We are partially responsible for that because she was kind of our *only child* at a time when we were financially comfortable. We even sent her to John Casablancas modeling school just so she would learn the proper application of makeup and gain a little confidence in herself. That was prompted by her constantly thinking we were *old-fashioned* when we were horrified at how her girlfriends applied makeup. But she learned. Oh, how she learned. She does a wonderful job because she looks like she hardly wears anything. But if you had to pay for the makeup, you would die. Hell, even the BRUSHES she uses for the mineral makeup are more expensive than some complete outfits I have bought for myself. She actually pays $60 or more for jeans that are TORN. When I grew up, if your jeans were torn beyond patching with one of those iron-on patches, they got thrown out unless your mother would cut and hem them for shorts. Nowadays, they just cut them and let them fray all over the place. It seems like, if they have holes in the ass area, then they are PERFECT.

If I were a kid now, with the same parents I had back then, I would look like they were expecting me to enter a nunnery. I kid you not. I can't even imagine my parents letting me out on the street the way most of the kids today look. And god forbid if I EVER brought home a guy that had those damn pants on that look like they will fall to the floor any second now. If their underwear showed, my dad would usher them right out of the house and never let them near me. I am so thankful that THAT look never appealed to the Princess. She always thought it was stupid even if it WAS the fashion at the time. And Johnnycakes? Bless his heart. He keeps his pants right where they should be....at least, he BETTER!

Kim, Johnnycakes mother, thinks I should meet his grandmother. She thinks we would get along and she thinks that the grandmother needs some friends. I have no idea why but both the Princess and Johnnycakes gave me a narrative about her *foibles*. The Princess told me that my *bitch* necklace would give the grandmother a heart attack. I've worn it for almost 25 years now and I am not about to give it up. I might tuck it under my shirt the first time I meet her. I guess I would have to go over to Kim's to do that but I wouldn't mind. I could use some friends here, too. And who knows? I might actually open up her world a bit.

Time to hit the sack here. It's later than I thought and, with this cold I have, I need the rest. I'm not doing too well in that area lately. But...I did sleep in today (yesterday?) so I am just now really starting to get a bit tired. Love you all. Remember when out shopping this weekend to smile at total strangers. It might just confuse them and make them wonder what the hell you meant by that....LOL.

Oh please don't misconstrue this as meaning the end of time or any such thing. I mean the end of my torture and the final episode of the new flooring. So if any of you googled something looking for those kind of blogs, you can leave now. This is the end of week two of the Beast working on putting down slightly over 200 sq. ft. (I think that's what it was....maybe 220) of Pergo flooring.

Today the Beast pulled up the last of the carpeting and padding. I pulled more damn tacks up that were holding down the padding. The whole time I really wondered why they used it AND used so damn many of them besides. When that was all done and the area swept up and vacuumed well, he got the plywood laid down on the whole area so he was ready to go....except for ONE small area. It seems the Beast was/is half a sheet of plywood short. He needs it for the inside of the coat closet. He even went and checked the small amount of scrap he had (thinking maybe he could piece enough of it together but NO) He will have to go and buy another sheet of plywood tomorrow so he can finish that up.
I only had to help him make two small cuts on the plywood. That means I held up the damn sheet while he pushed it through the table saw. No wonder I have so many little slivers in my fingers.

The Beast actually read the directions for installing the thresholds. I know! I was shocked, too. But he paid so much money for them and he had never installed one before. He didn't want to take the chance of screwing it up. He hopes to have the complete floor installed (not including the trim) before the Princess and Chewlee get home. I am just praying that he does. Not only would it surprise them both, but it would be a nice homecoming treat for them. If I am right, they should be home late tomorrow afternoon or early evening. I hope they had a nice time. I think they got some good weather at least.

If he actually starts working on the floor early tomorrow, I see no reason why he couldn't have it done by dinner time. Lord, please! Give me a break here.

Oh, I finally got ahold of the county yesterday and guess what? The only place available to take our bulk trash (the rug and padding) is the same landfill we used to be able to take stuff for free. They wanted $30. for the cardboard that the Beast took there (which he ended up leaving at Tara's since HER trash company picks up everything). It looks like we may have to bring this stuff over there, too. Although I would hope the Beast will break it up into two different weeks. For all I know, Tara might have an abundance of trash of her own that needs throwing out.

My poor computer room is a disaster area. I had to empty out the bookcase in the living room so I stacked it up on the top of the Princess's dresser and my craft table. I also have all four chairs from the same table in here temporarily (two will stay and one will have the baby's booster chair on it when she gets back home). What he is going to do with the fourth one, I have no clue unless it goes into the storage area we will be renting next week.

That was mainly supposed to be for the Princess's bedroom set in here and the boxes that are using up a lot of room out in the *barn* out back. We also want to put the treadmill in there unless the Beast decides to sell it. I think we should because Baron has gotten too cagey for it. The minute you run out of treats, he's off of it like a shot. I think I am going to ask Tara's boyfriend to give the Beast a hand moving the stuff into the storage area. He would be more help because I have seen him lift things BY HIMSELF that would normally take two or more men to move. I'm sure the Princess could intimidate Johnnycakes (or cajole, whatever) into helping but I hate to do it since he goes to school and works, too. He already was a big help to the Beast when we had to move out the washer and dryer so he could do the flooring in that area PLUS he helped him get the pedestals installed on them.

BTW, it came to my attention that some people had no real idea of what I meant by pedestals for those. I have no idea what they imagined but....you see front loaders displayed in the stores on them all the time. They literally come in two pieces which most people are not aware of until the clerk tells them. The lower part (pedestal) brings the doors up to a reasonable height but you can purchase the washers and dryers without them and they are the height of a normal washer/dryer. BUT...since they are front loading, they are a real pain in the back.....LOL. I thought it would be okay when we first bought them (and I figured the Beast would be here using them during the summer). If I had known we would end up living here full time, I would have gotten the pedestals right off the bat. Duh! Well, I AM a blonde. At the time, I didn't see why we should spend the extra money for a house that would only be lived in a few months out of the year. Shows you that you should always be very careful about investing in ANY property. Life is just full of surprises.

My sister, B, mentioned that they also staple the padding up in the Chicago area so it won't slip and slide. I am just not used to homes with wood sub-flooring having lived in Florida for most of my married life. In California, too, they have mostly poured concrete slabs and there is no such thing as stapling the padding. That's why it was such a puzzle to me. I have never seen it before and I have had several homes that we replaced both carpet and padding. The wood sub-flooring is the difference. I will know for the future now.

Time to hit the sack and get some sleep. It will be a busy day for me tomorrow. I love you all and wish you a wonderful day and night plus sweet dreams. Hug someone today. A friend or relative that comes to visit, the mailman, well...maybe not the mailman unless he's a hunk. Tell those you love that you do as often as you can. Life can be very short at times. Make sure you know that, if someone you know or love should die unexpectedly, that you KNOW the last time you saw/spoke to them it was with words of love.

Let me apologize for not posting this last night like I had planned. When I awoke late this morning, I realized I hadn't done it so I added this. I have a sinus and chest cold (not severe but annoying) and a headache that comes and goes. The headache might be the result of the Beast and his constant *banging* because he is really moving along and getting the living room done. Of course, one must remember that the Beast works in varying speeds.....slow to comatose.

He started on the living area early in the morning. That's what woke me up from a wonderful dream. I came out of the bedroom, cranky I admit, and said, *Thanks a lot, buster!* He just shot me a look and kept pounding the plank he was working on into place. I got my cup of coffee and retreated into my computer room where I turned on the TV (loud) and my computer. I was determined to hide as long as I could. That lasted almost to the end of my first cup.

I made the mistake of removing staples from a small section of the little hall/alcove that leads into the two bedrooms and the guest bathroom opposite the master bedroom AND on the other side of the living room. Why were there staples that needed to be removed you ask? Because apparently in the South, you STAPLE the padding under the rug to the floor. Don't ask me why. All I could think of was that it prevented bunching or something if you move heavy furniture over it. But the guy that installed it really pissed me off.

The normal staples used by most contractors are about a half inch long and rather thick. No problem to pry them up with the proper tool (which the Beast had purchased). However, I believe he had a helper and only one normal staple gun. They did, unfortunately, have a second staple gun that shoots staples only slightly bigger and thicker than the staples you use in your home or office. Worse, because the staples were so lightweight, the helper used a LOT of them in some areas. He even crossed them at times to make sure they kept the padding in place.

So, there I was working on the staples that were holding down the padding on half the living room floor. When I got to the side the helper worked on, *I* started swearing. I ended up scraping a lot of the padding out from around and under the staples and then took a hammer and pounded the shit out of it so it was smooth to the touch when I ran my hand over it. I also picked up a sliver or two in some areas so my poor fingers hurt.

The Beast and I put down the underlay and then he got busy. He worked slow and steady but he actually got half of the living room done. He also went and got the neatest doorway finishing molding that I have seen in a long time. The way it's made, he doesn't have to do any undercutting of the door jambs. Even though he has a tool that makes it easy for him to do.

He actually got half of the living room done except for the little hallway/alcove area. That's a bit of a pain because there are so many doors there....the coat closet, the linen closet, the two bedrooms and the bathroom. He's going to do that area first and then we will be cutting and tearing up more carpet and padding. I will be doing more staple removal as soon as that's done.

But the half of the living room that's done looks just beautiful...it flows so nicely into the dining and kitchen area. I'm very pleased with it. From moving furniture across it, I have to tell you that Pergo really IS a great product. It's amazing what it DOESN'T show. It's also so easy to take care of...the instructions tell you to damp mop with just water and a little vinegar. That's it! I'm sure the cleaning products industry hates Pergo.

It's time for me to give the Beast a hand with cutting some plywood so I will close for now. I will not forget to post tonight, I promise. I'm just tickled that we might actually have this floor in and done except for the trim work before the Princess and Chewlee get home. That will shock the Princess, let me tell you. She has really teased the Beast about his snail's pace installation.

Love you all and talk to you later. Hugs. Have a great day.

The comedian, George Burns, was once asked if people his age still had sex. He replied, "yes, just not with each other". I can really understand that. All it takes is standing in front of a mirror, naked. *shudder* Now I know why the Beast's grandmother once told me she still had sex (she was in her late 60's at the time) but she never, ever put the lights on. Heck, I am to the point where I would say, *No touching now!*

But the header for this really is misleading. It isn't what I really wanted to talk about. I was just reminded of this after having my hair trimmed today and the (young) gal gave me a wink and said to me, "You look really good. Maybe the old man will get an inspiration tonight". I laughed and told her that HIS inspiration might be taking me out to dinner but nothing more surprising. *Sigh* Unfortunately, that's true. Between his two strokes and his high blood pressure medication, sex is a part of my life that I have learned to do without. A nice cuddle has become a great night for me.

The flooring project is moving ahead at a snail's pace. He did get carpeting rolled up and also the padding, extending a couple feet into the living area. I spent a good hour scraping up the padding that was stapled to the underfloor where I couldn't pry it UP and the Beast vacuumed it up as I went along. He got the plywood set down for the area uncovered, nailed it down and we laid down the underlay for the laminate. He then got to work on getting more of that installed. He got about another four feet done. At this rate, it shouldn't take him more than another week or so and that doesn't include the little hall area between the other two bedrooms and the guest bath. That's a problem of it's own which I won't go into. Suffice it to say that it will mean a lot of waste due to the fact that the wall ends and makes a turn that won't be an easy cut because of it intersecting less than midway of a plank. It's just never easy, is it?

The Beast has acquired more of the tools he should have had at the beginning to make installation easier. All I can say is that it figures he would find out about them AFTER the kitchen and dining area. But he can now do pretty much everything by himself now and doesn't have to be calling me to come help him every few minutes.

The Princess called me today to let me know they had arrived all right and were settled in to the cabin. The baby actually slept pretty well although she woke up and crawled into bed with Mommy around 6:30am. But then she slept until 10:30am. After dragging in everything from the car, then going out shopping for food since the cabin has all the amenities, they were pretty much exhausted. When I talked to the Princess about 1:30pm CDT, they were heading into Gatlinburg to do the tourist thing and look around to see what they wanted to see. I hope they have a good time. I'm at least getting some much needed rest with this cold of mine. I took two naps today, which I guess I need for my body to fight off this darn cold. I am so glad I got those tissues with lotion in them or my poor nose would be just RAW.

I made us a nice dinner tonight. Pork chops, fried potatoes, asparagus and some whole cranberries for a change. I usually serve applesauce but it just appealed to me to have something different. The Beast ate almost everything on his plate (which ticked off the dog greatly). You would think the darn dog was starved. He eats darn well...better than most dogs, in fact. But, like people, he eats more when he's bored and the Beast was too busy to take him for a run today even though the weather was wonderful. It got up to 70 degrees and was bright and sunny. Tomorrow it is supposed to be even warmer (75 degrees) and I know the Beast will probably run the dog twice around the circle at least.

Bratfink told me my blog is boring, boring, boring because I don't add some pictures that would answer some questions for people (like...what the hell is a pedestal for your washer and dryer? what do they look like?) I can understand that. I guess I am going to have to try to get the hang of adding those kind of things. My problem is that I have to do it without letting the Beast get a clue about me having a blog. He would have a heart attack....LOL.
It's kind of like her taking pictures of the Boy's hair twisty things without him knowing she's doing it. He knows she has a blog (and reads it) but, once it's posted....oh well!!

Tomorrow will be another day of working on the darn floor (and I am so glad the Princess and Chewlee are gone for this). I would dearly love to feel better. Oh! It DID strike me today that I really AM getting acclimatized to the weather here in NE Alabama (or the Tennessee Valley area as it is called on TV). I actually went out to Walmart and the hairdressers in a T-shirt! In Florida, I would have been in a sweatshirt at 70 degrees. Of course, the humidity is higher and lower temperatures are accompanied by high winds there so the wind chill is awful. But I would never have thought I would ever go out in just a t-shirt in weather like this. It felt wonderful to me.

Have a great day everyone. Love you lots. Kisses and hugs to all and wishes for great weather where you are.

The Princess and Chewlee left for their vacation up in Gatlinburg this morning. The weather was crappy because it had rained and there was still a light drizzle. Chewlee was so happy to be going *bye-bye* that she was a joy to watch. I was absolutely amazed that Johnnycakes was able to pack everything into the Princess's car and there was still room for them. Best of all, Johnnycakes was going to drive so that took a lot of worry off my chest. The Princess has a lead foot and her car has a lot of miles on it now. It needs gentle handling. They had the GPS to guide them to the office of the rental place and, after that, they were on their own.

When they were finally ready to leave, Chewlee ran over to *Papa* and gave him a hug and kiss, then to me and, last of all, the dog. Yep, she planted one right on the side of his snout. Then she ran for the door and was trying to push it open to make sure she was really going somewhere. It was too funny.

BTW, *B*, if you are reading this....the sundress you crocheted for Chewlee is absolutely stunning. It fits her perfectly but...we couldn't take pictures of her in it yet. It will have to wait until they get back at the end of the week. After trying it on her the first time, she just wasn't cooperative. It's the damn back teeth that are coming in. She will start crying, seemingly over nothing at all, before it hits you that the teeth are really hurting her. She fights having the Numzit on her gums but it really DOES help once we wrestle her to the floor and pry open her mouth. They should be through the gums completely by the time they get back so don't despair. The Beast wants some pictures of her in it (even HE was impressed by the work you did on it) so he will be sure to take them...front and back....LOL. I even promise to make sure to put her pony tail through the opening you left in the hat.

Okay...ready for the big news? This is another disaster in the making. The Beast went and priced carpeting for the living room. We wanted to put Berber in there OR put the laminate down. Originally, I didn't want the laminate but I love it in the kitchen and can see it would be wonderful. I would need an area rug but there are some great ones out so that's minor. He now *knows* why he dragged his feet on finishing the one edge in the dining area.....it's because he's going to put laminate down. I want it but....OMG..the work!

We have to pull up the rug, cut it up into manageable sizes and bag it up. Then there is the matter of the padding. Some jerk actually stapled it down along the seams so taking it up now becomes a mess because it breaks into balls. As if that's not bad enough, then the staples will all have to be pried up (they are commercial staples) because you can't have those left or it will inevitably cause breakage of the laminate. We thought we could just take it all to the city landfill but the Beast went there to dump all the cardboard boxes that were from the laminate and the table and they now charge for it. It's turned commercial!

Because we live outside the city limits, we can't get bulk pickup from the city. I'm going to have to call the country tomorrow to find out what the heck we can do before we do any of this. The Beast took the cardboard over to my niece Tara's house because THEY pick up everything you put outside. Love you much, Tara. At least the Beast finally got to see the new baby there. He said the baby was so small he didn't think he looked real. I told him that little Longshot was bigger than either of our girls when they were born and he was dumbfounded. He didn't remember them being so tiny.

The Beast decided that we will take up ALL the carpeting and padding but we will push all the furniture over towards the windows while he does his thing with the plywood. He bought that tonight and I saw it with my own eyes in the garage. Since it's only 1/4" plywood, he didn't need any help bringing it in. Thank goodness because I was celebrating my *vacation* by staying in my pajamas for the day. I sure wouldn't have gone outside in them even if we don't have a lot of neighbors yet.

This doing the living room is going to be more of a nightmare than the kitchen was. It will be easier once he gets to the point he can start putting the planks down. But the living room isn't large enough to have all the furniture on one side and still be able to get any use out of it. There won't be a comfortable place to sit until the floor is done completely. Once he does the side closest to the dinette, then everything will have to be shoved over on what he's done and then it will be a matter of climbing over things just to get to the kitchen. *sigh* I don't know what I ever did to deserve this but I sure am sorry. The Beast DID save the trim that was along the edge of the dining area and there is enough to use for where he cuts the carpeting off at the bedroom doors. At least we don't have to worry about finding something to use.

I think my daughter, Buttmunch, might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She is starting to isolate herself and is becoming volatile over nothing. She also can't think straight and isn't remembering events AS THEY ARE. I don't know if it's possible she is going through an early menopause or if it's a chemical imbalance with her. I just know she is miserable and making the people around her miserable too. I know she feels like she is imprisoned and totally at the mercy of others. She has been out of work for over a year and feels she is now too old to be considered when some perky college kid is competing with her. I can understand HOW she got into that position but I don't know what to do to help her. I would love for her to see a good doctor in case it's a combination of things but I know she won't even consider it. I have to give this some serious thought.

Sorry to dump on anyone reading this but I am seriously worried about her. Pray for her and for me that I get some kind of inspiration. A little help here, Lord, would REALLY be appreciated. Thank you and amen.

Time for bed now so goodnight and I love you. Say a little prayer for the sick among us and those that can't afford health insurance. I am among those because what I have is of little help. I'm just trying to make it to Medicare and hope that IT is available when I turn 65. I pray that I stay healthy until then. I take that back. I pray that I stay healthy for the rest of my life but...if I HAVE to get something serious, then I don't get it until I have Medicare.

I wish you all good weather and some fun. Laugh as much as you can and as loud as you like. Laughter heals.

By leaving our mark, I mean that we have given it a personality that is ours. Sometimes, it can be little things. Other times, like our first house, it's really a complete gutting and starting over. Lord but I loved that house. I can still see it in my mind's eye. It had a fireplace that I slaved over to redo because the gorgeous cherry wood mantel had been painted over time and time again. It took me six weeks but I finally restored it. I had always, always wanted to have a fireplace and that is the only home we have owned that had one.

In this house, it is definitely going to start with the laminate flooring. The Beast DID finish the utility area today and it looked wonderful. No one will ever see it but we know that it's perfect. The Beast and Johnnycakes got both the washer and dryer attached to their pedestals (which contain drawers) and moved into place. We even washed a test load of clothes to make sure there were no leaks. The Beast replaced the vent pipe and cut it shorter than it had been so the two machines could go back a few inches further from the doorway. We want to put bi-fold doors on it so it can be closed off when not in use and look much neater.

He also put in a clothes pole for me so I can hang up clothes as they come out of the dryer and sort them according to where they need to go. I have the empty clothes hangers in the drawer under the dryer since I can't leave them on the clothes pole when the doors are put on. I am able to put all my clothes *accessories* like spot removers and such in the drawer as well as both the dry and regular bleach since I don't use them that often. The pedestals bring the openings to my washer and dryer at the right height not to put a strain on my back at all. It's going to be a real pleasure both now and in the future as I get older.

The house has more personality to it than when we bought it brand new from the builder. Even the Beast's shelves that he made add little touches that are unique. His shelves look professional and lord knows, they should. With the carving machine and all the other damn stuff he bought for his wood working, it BETTER! It certainly cost enough.

We had Johnnycakes over for dinner. We made a roast chicken with stuffing (some cooked inside the bird, the rest in a casserole dish). Johnnycakes had never had anything but cornbread stuffing. Ours, of course, was a bread stuffing. He seemed to like it although he refused to take any that was cooked in the chicken calling it BUTT stuffing. He seemed to like it but he's so polite, it's really hard to tell. He ate well at least and even got up and scraped his plate clean.

He helped the Beast out quite a bit today and made an attempt to help peel the potatoes with the Princess. He is not skilled at the use of a potato peeler. I offered to give him a paring knife if he thought that would help but he laughed and said nothing would help so he might as well keep trying with the peeler.

The Princess actually prepared and cooked everything except the gravy. I had to stand by to tell her if she needed a little more of this or that but she cut up everything and mixed up the stuffing all by herself. She even stuffed the chicken and seasoned the skin. So it was a nice meal for me. I got to eat one that I didn't have to prepare. It always tastes soooooo good.

When Johnnycakes finally went home to do his wash and his packing for their trip, the Princess started packing up her stuff. OMG...it takes a lot to ensure comfort with a baby almost two years old. Toys to keep her interested and busy (including her books), enough diapers and wipes for 5 days, bottles, clothes including pajamas for night time (and it gets cold in them thar' mountains). She has to bring clothes for the two of them for both warm and cold weather, jackets, shorts, jeans, long sleeve tops and short sleeve ones. Our weather has been so strange, there's just no telling what it will be like. She had to bring the booster chair with tray, the umbroller stroller, the baby's blankey and her blankets from her crib (for familiar comfort reasons) and she even bought a baby monitor since she isn't sure how far away the baby's room will be from hers.

Then there is the matter of all her hair stuff...the flat iron, MY hair dryer (it's a better one than hers but I told her she should take it after using hers just once), the shampoo, special conditioner, special spray (to prevent frizzing AND static electricity) and her cosmetics. She then ran around grabbing the container of Q-tips, her skin lotion and body spray and she's still afraid she's going to forget something. I made her put the Numzit in the diaper bag so she didn't forget that since poor Chewlee is just miserable.

The Princess even came in and grabbed the baby's little car she likes to sit and ride herself around on. That went right into her trunk. I started looking around and thinking, *Where the hell is she going to put all this stuff?* Her car is NOT that big.

It's a good thing that guys don't need much because poor Johnnycakes isn't going to have much room, believe me. The Princess borrowed MY big suitcase, the little one, the matching duffel and they are all stuffed. She will also have the diaper bag, a bag of goodies to munch on for them AND the baby. I bought some of the yogurt puffs Chewlee loves from the Graduate line of baby foods and some seedless green grapes that she likes.

The Princess is now taking her shower in preparation for bed. We kept Chewlee up late although she was asking for night-night around 7pm. She didn't get to go to bed until almost 10pm. Hopefully, she will sleep through the night. The Princess has a couple bottles ready for her just in case.

The Beast is eating some carrot cake (he can't go to bed on an empty stomach or he's up during the night...eating) and is then heading for bed. I did a big shopping today and put all of it away by myself since everyone else was busy doing something or other when I got home (although the Princess broke off and helped bring some of the bags into the house for me). I also had to put the leftover food away since I didn't cook it (a kind of family rule thing) and the Beast did the dishwasher thing. He really can be useful at times.

He is now talking about just going ahead and doing the living room area because the kitchen looks so great. I told him that was up to him. I just didn't want a whole lot of mess for weeks at a time. Even though the area should be easier since the room is almost square, you just never know what you are going to get into. Plus he has to put down some plywood (1/4") to bring the living area even with the kitchen floor area. I think I am just doomed.....doomed I tell ya...doomed to live in that dimension between living and dying, laughing and crying, loving and hating....you know what I mean. Maybe I could get a motel room for a week or two while he's working on that??

Have a great day everyone and I love you. I saw a man today that had a frown on his face and said. as I came up to him on my way out of the store, *Smile! Nothing is ever that bad.* And, know what? He did. He probably thought I was nuts but it did make him smile for a bit. It was well worth the few seconds it took me. Live well, love deeply and laugh often. Laughter heals.

Here we are. Day 9 of the floor project. We are talking about only 210 sq. ft. It is STILL not done. In fact, the Beast didn't do anything on it today. He decided to let the Princess get her washing done so he could do that area TOMORROW. Will it actually get done? Tune in tomorrow. I'm losing all hope.

I DID, however, get my pedestals for the washer and dryer. The Beast went to Lowe's (who had them in stock) and almost died because he thought that the price was $180 for BOTH of them. When they rang up the two pedestals AND the additional trim he wanted, he almost shit! He actually had them cancel it and came home to make sure I REALLY wanted them enough to pay that much for them. I told him YES and made him go back for them. He didn't enjoy it, let me tell you. If it had been something HE wanted, he wouldn't have given it a second thought.

The Princess was totally miserable today because it seems Chewlee was up most of the night. She woke up screaming around 3 am and the Princess had no clue what was wrong. She knew it wasn't a bad dream because she would have been easily comforted and done back to sleep. This was different and it took her a couple hours to actually figure out that it was the back teeth that are coming in on both sides at once. She was just miserable. Who? Actually, I think both of them.

When the Princess finally had to leave for work, I knew Chewlee wasn't ready for her nap yet. She was still a bit hungry so I gave her some yogurt and a couple crackers. She had eaten with her mother but not enough, I guess. She then wanted to play so I let her and when she started to cry for no apparent reason, I got the Numzit out and wrestled with her to get it on her gums. She hates the stuff but it DOES help. I then put her to bed where she stayed quiet for about a half hour before yelling she wanted OUT. I left her in her room because I knew she had just lain there, drinking her bottle and had NOT slept at all. After a few minutes of fussing, she quieted down and slept for about a half hour. That is NOT her usual nap but it was the best I was gonna get for today.

She ran around like a little hellion for over an hour and I kept thinking, *When is this gonna end?* It didn't. I dragged her into my room (where I can lock the door and keep her in), gave her a bunch of her toys that she nodded approval of while I held them up one-by-one and then sat there watching her. I really thought she would wear out at some point.

She never did. I, on the other hand, am totally worn out and tired. I am heading right for bed after this.

I read to her, watched her dance to the music on TV, read some more to her, let her read to me, yelled at her when she got into her mother's drawers and made her put the stuff she had pulled out back in the drawers and a few other assorted things. I couldn't turn my back on her for a minute and she was into everything she KNEW she shouldn't touch. We went into the living room a couple times where she ran around with the dog. He had been chewing on this round rawhide chew treat and Chewlee thought that was a great thing. She ran over, grabbed it and started dragging him around the room. Well, she thought she was dragging him. He was just holding on and following her. He finally dug in his paws and tugged it out of Chewlee's hands then ran over to the Beast and put it in his lap for safekeeping, I think. Chewlee didn't mind a bit and just ran around, then turned and grabbed the dogs stub of a tail and held on while poor Baron tried to shake her off. She finally fell on her belly and was laughing the whole time.

She was too much even for Baron. He finally ran into his cage and if he could have shut and locked the door himself, I think he would have. I just ran ahead of Chewlee and closed the door to the bedroom so Baron could relax. The one thing Chewlee HAS learned is that all shut doors (except for my computer room) are off limits to her. If the door is open to our room, watch out! Chewlee makes a beeline to the Beast's camera equipment and will root in his case if left unwatched. The Beast sometimes forgets to close the door to keep her out. Chewlee has lately, however, seen it open and gone and closed it.

Since the Princess had to work at the Gadsden store today (they needed a manager there since one or the other was unable to work), she had to stay there until it closed. And they were very, very busy since it is inside a mall. They couldn't even do any of their closing stuff until they locked the doors at 9pm. She knew she probably wouldn't make it home until about 10pm or so.

I think Chewlee KNEW that somehow. She didn't slow down until about a quarter to ten. She then crawled up into the recliner with the Beast and nestled beside him. I walked past her with her bottle (to have it ready for her) and she asked for it and her blankey. I gave her the bottle and went and got her blankey from my computer room and she was totally happy right there next to *papa*.

That was what the Princess saw when she walked into the house. A nice, sweet QUIET baby. I am NOT laughing. She sat with Chewlee for a few minutes and then put her to bed. She went down easily (although we put more Numzit on her gums and she kept trying to spit it out. Even the milk tasted bad to her for a minute or two). She is sound asleep and, hopefully, will remain that way until morning. I know she and the Princess both need it. So do I.

I needed a black toner cartridge for my printer and the Beast was sweet enough to stop at Staples for it during one of his many trips to Lowe's today. I went to install it and it was the wrong one. My printer actually has two black cartridges in it. I told the Beast it was the small one on the left (it used to be his printer so he knows it well). He came home with the LARGE one that goes on the right. When I told him, he said, *Shit! I do that every time.*

The cartridges all have the same numbers on them for some reason. I can see how it would be difficult for him to gauge which black one was which but I told him to buy the slimmest box of black and that should do it. In the meantime, I have a spare for my big cartridge. I almost hate to tell him that I am almost out of the red one, too.

The Princess doesn't have to work tomorrow (she actually blamed it on me. She was supposed to have it off but her manager fired someone and just put her on the schedule.) She told her manager that if he REALLY needed her to work, she could do it from 10 until 2 but not after that because *I* had made plans when I found out she was not working that day. She had to tell me because she was going to give him my cell phone number so he could check it out if he wanted. The thing is, she really wasn't lying. When she has off and I don't have to babysit is when I make my plans to do some necessary shopping and visiting. I figured on having the whole day without taking care of Chewlee anyway.

I need to stop by a neighbors house to check and see how they are doing. I haven't seen them outside much, even on the nice days we had. I DID see their grandson and we exchanged hello's and some small talk. He told me they were down with colds or something (you know how kids are) and he had just come by to help get out the garbage and do some raking while the weather was nice. I laughed and told him he could come over here and rake too.

I am fading so I had best close this missive and get my butt to bed. Love you all and have a wonderful day. We have had rain here for two days in a row and you can see the grass is loving it and responding well. The Beast is definitely going to have to get John Deere in shape and mow this place as soon as the rain passes. I hope you have at least a bright and sunny day. We need the rain so I am going to grin and bear it.

Don't forget to smile at everyone you meet. Say *Good morning* or *Good afternoon* or *Nice day, isn't it?* No need to stop and chat, just pass on by with that grin on your face and watch them pass it on. It's what I love about the people here. They smile at complete strangers and greet them like they were neighbors (actually, they are) that they just haven't met yet. It's a nice way to live.

The Beast spent today mostly admiring the floor sections that he HAS completed and tomorrow he plans on doing the utility area (finally). My living room is going to be the site for the washer and dryer while he does that. I am also getting the pedestal sections for underneath them so I won't be breaking my back with bending down to load and unload them. I AM getting older, after all.

There will still be the section leading into the living room....one damn plank section but there is a lot of work to that. I think I outlined that in an earlier blog. I know it's going to be a bitch to do with having to cut a part of the rug back. I have a feeling he may be forced to do the living room because there is not going to be an easy way to make that area look finished....if you know what I mean. We shall see.

I keep tripping over part of the underlay that is for that area. Nothing we can do about that until he actually finishes it. I have discovered one thing that surprised me. I found out that Chewlee is a slob when she is in her high chair. She has been caught throwing things on the floor for the *doggie*. On the laminate floor, it really shows up. I think I am going to have to keep a mop handy just because of her. The flooring clerk at Lowe's told me that my Swiffer Wet-Jet is not a good thing for it. I'm going to delay my opinion on that until I actually use it once on it. If it doesn't do a good job or it shows up as a dulling film, I'll just throw it out. I really loved it for my linoleum. It did a good job but if it left a film on it, it didn't show.

Chewlee was in a loving mood today. She kept making kissy faces and wanted to be hugged and played with. So I did the normal kissing her all over her face and neck while she laughed as babies do. It was adorable. I just love babies. They are easily amused (if only for a short time). They are so sweet at times and have such curious minds. Chewlee does NOT listen to being told *no* when she wants to do something. She just acts like you never said it and just goes ahead and does it. I spank her little diapered butt (just once and you know it's just for shock value) and you would think I broke her heart with the way she will cry. However, if I hug her, she thinks it's then okay to do what you just told her not to do.

She was crying the other day, for no apparent reason.....at least not at first. She actually ran into my computer room to look at her face while she was crying. I kid you not! She kept crying and actually was changing her face to something that I guess she thought was more convincing. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes......

Poor baby had a diaper rash that she hadn't had the night before. The Princess and I talked about it and decided to take her off all her juice until it cleared up. I think it's from giving her juice at night and her being in the same diaper for all those hours until she wakes up.

We took her off the juice and used some of the Aveeno diaper rash cream along with powder. It took two days to clear up but it was really so tender for the first day. I tried to use the wipes tenderly when she had a poopie diaper and I just hated how she reacted because it was so painful for her. I will be very happy when she finally shows some interest in using the potty. I'm hoping that's soon. Going to Day Care might actually help that along when she sees other kids using it.

I was trying to organize my DVD's today and Chewlee took the opportunity to look at them and was trying very hard to make conversation about them all. She finally decided she liked the picture on my *Tremors* DVD set (it has all four of the Tremors movies in it) and she wanted me to play it. It was really funny to watch her while it was playing. She was so intent and waiting for the *monster* to show up. When she thought it was time (and it was), she ran up to me (she was sitting on a box she plays with) and wanted to be in my lap with both my arms around her for when it did. She didn't act afraid, she actually laughed when it finally showed up. You would have thought that it was a friend of hers that had a part in a movie and she was just waiting to see it. She clapped and laughed. The Princess came in from work towards the end of the movie and said, *What is grandma making you watch?* She didn't believe me when I told her that Chewlee picked out the movie. She also said that it's probably why Chewlee has nightmares but I know that isn't true. The worst nightmare she seems to have had was the day we watched her *Curious George* movie. *I* think she has nightmares when she is feeling neglected by her mother or hasn't seen her in a day or two. Sometimes the Princess has to leave so early and then she works after school until the store closes. There have been times that the baby is too tired to wait up and is asleep when her mother comes home (although I try to keep her awake until then so she CAN see her mother). She seems to sleep better then.

It's going to be a bit of a hectic day tomorrow with the Beast cluttering up the living room with the washer and dryer. He knows he will need my help since he has to use the cart to move them so we don't scratch the floor. Then I can clean under them before he puts the planks in. Chewlee will be a little wild person because she will LOVE the clutter (new things to look over) and a will be like a maze for her and Baron to run around and play.

The Beast bought a new vent pipe for the dryer since the door on the outside got broken. I sure don't want a lot of wasps exploring in there since I don't use it every day during the summer. The door keeps them from exploring in there. I hope it's not raining because he's got to install it from outside. I also don't want him to bring my pedestals home in the rain since they are boxed up and that would be a real mess in our garage. Besides, I would have to go outside to help him bring them in.

It's bedtime for bonzo here now so I will say goodnight and love you all. Hope you have a wonderful day. Keep smiling. It helps prevent a lot of wrinkles.

Well, it's been over a week now and I can actually see an end in sight on this project of the Beast's. He painted the baseboards so it would be ready for the trim and tomorrow he will work on the last section where it meets the rug in the living room.

I have to say, it really looks great! It is so rich looking and makes the whole kitchen area look larger and longer. Of course, you do realize that he hasn't touched the utility area. He figures he can do that separately since he is now (finally) going to put up doors to close off that section. I really DID wonder why that wasn't done when they built the house but I guess the builder just didn't want to put that extra $90-100. into it. Sheesh.

I have decided that I want the living area done by summer. It should be much easier for the Beast because it doesn't have those angles he complained about. The room is darn near square and he's learned how to undercut the doorways now so that shouldn't be a problem. He also found out there are special tools he could have been using that would have made things a lot easier on him. I had laughingly said he should have taken the class they offered on it when it was taking place. It was half a joke but he could have learned a lot from it. Hindsight and all that.....

I didn't have to watch Chewlee for long before the Princess was back from her class and Johnnycakes came over. I was supposed to roast a chicken today and make stuffing but I really felt so bad from this darn cold (my nose was running, I had a slight fever and no energy at all) that I didn't do it. I know the Princess wants Johnnycakes to have some *stuffing* since he is used to Southern dressing. That can be incredibly varied by region but is nothing like the stuffing I make with bread as the base and not cornbread or cornmeal. I also don't do the fruits and veggie stuff, although I have had it in turkeys at friends homes. I did promise I would make it soon though. Probably Sunday and invite Johnnycakes over for dinner.

That's another thing I am having a hard time with here in the South. The difference between dinner and supper. I have heard them refer to our Midwestern *lunch* as *dinner* and our *dinner* as *supper*. What in the hell is the reason for that??? I mean, why did someone decide that Southerners would use different phrases from Northerners?
It's a small thing but I confuse some of my neighbors at times and I really don't mean to do that. We use the phrases we grew up with so I have to stop and think before I invite anyone over, I guess. I have to make sure they understand which meal I mean...LOL.

I got introduced to one of my son's chat friends today via Yahoo Instant Messenger. I was surprised to find out she lives in Baraboo, Wisconsin. That is a place I dearly love. The Beast and I used to primitive camp there (and it WAS primitive). We camped at Devil's Lake in Baraboo and the lake is fed by a natural underground spring. So they had the coldest showers there even in the hottest weather. I understand they have updated the campgrounds now and you CAN have a hot shower. The people who go there have NO idea what it USED to be like. It makes me nostalgic since we went there often since it was just about a two hour drive to get there.....sometimes two-and-a-half, depending on traffic. Perhaps one day again we can at least go there and walk along the bluffs. Of course, with the combination of the Beast's weakened leg (from his strokes and the paralysis) and his age...it's probably not possible. He's getting to be a real old fart.

Well, here I am once again up later than I should be. I can only say it's because I slept late and then took a small nap. I feel good again at least so perhaps that was what I needed to get me over the hump. I hope so because I need to run and do some shopping tomorrow (today) when Chewlee is down for her nap. My niece, Tara, told me about a butcher shop she discovered in Guntersville and I want to stop in and check out the prices and the quality. They sometimes are much cheaper than the big supermarkets. I'll let you know what I find. I miss the butcher shop I went to in Florida.

Love you all and have a great day. Be sure to smile at everyone you see. If nothing else, it will make them wonder just WHY you smiled at them. But, who knows? You may be the only person to look them in the eye that day and give them a cheerful smile. I find that it brightens my day to do it. Give it a try.

Well, it's been over a week now and I can actually see an end in sight on this project of the Beast's. He painted the baseboards so it would be ready for the trim and tomorrow he will work on the last section where it meets the rug in the living room.

I have to say, it really looks great! It is so rich looking and makes the whole kitchen area look larger and longer. Of course, you do realize that he hasn't touched the utility area. He figures he can do that separately since he is now (finally) going to put up doors to close off that section. I really DID wonder why that wasn't done when they built the house but I guess the builder just didn't want to put that extra $90-100. into it. Sheesh.

I have decided that I want the living area done by summer. It should be much easier for the Beast because it doesn't have those angles he complained about. The room is darn near square and he's learned how to undercut the doorways now so that shouldn't be a problem. He also found out there are special tools he could have been using that would have made things a lot easier on him. I had laughingly said he should have taken the class they offered on it when it was taking place. It was half a joke but he could have learned a lot from it. Hindsight and all that.....

I didn't have to watch Chewlee for long before the Princess was back from her class and Johnnycakes came over. I was supposed to roast a chicken today and make stuffing but I really felt so bad from this darn cold (my nose was running, I had a slight fever and no energy at all) that I didn't do it. I know the Princess wants Johnnycakes to have some *stuffing* since he is used to Southern dressing. That can be incredibly varied by region but is nothing like the stuffing I make with bread as the base and not cornbread or cornmeal. I also don't do the fruits and veggie stuff, although I have had it in turkeys at friends homes. I did promise I would make it soon though. Probably Sunday and invite Johnnycakes over for dinner.

That's another thing I am having a hard time with here in the South. The difference between dinner and supper. I have heard them refer to our Midwestern *lunch* as *dinner* and our *dinner* as *supper*. What in the hell is the reason for that??? I mean, why did someone decide that Southerners would use different phrases from Northerners?
It's a small thing but I confuse some of my neighbors at times and I really don't mean to do that. We use the phrases we grew up with so I have to stop and think before I invite anyone over, I guess. I have to make sure they understand which meal I mean...LOL.

I got introduced to one of my son's chat friends today via Yahoo Instant Messenger. I was surprised to find out she lives in Baraboo, Wisconsin. That is a place I dearly love. The Beast and I used to primitive camp there (and it WAS primitive). We camped at Devil's Lake in Baraboo and the lake is fed by a natural underground spring. So they had the coldest showers there even in the hottest weather. I understand they have updated the campgrounds now and you CAN have a hot shower. The people who go there have NO idea what it USED to be like. It makes me nostalgic since we went there often since it was just about a two hour drive to get there.....sometimes two-and-a-half, depending on traffic. Perhaps one day again we can at least go there and walk along the bluffs. Of course, with the combination of the Beast's weakened leg (from his strokes and the paralysis) and his age...it's probably not possible. He's getting to be a real old fart.

Well, here I am once again up later than I should be. I can only say it's because I slept late and then took a small nap. I feel good again at least so perhaps that was what I needed to get me over the hump. I hope so because I need to run and do some shopping tomorrow (today) when Chewlee is down for her nap. My niece, Tara, told me about a butcher shop she discovered in Guntersville and I want to stop in and check out the prices and the quality. They sometimes are much cheaper than the big supermarkets. I'll let you know what I find. I miss the butcher shop I went to in Florida.

Love you all and have a great day. Be sure to smile at everyone you see. If nothing else, it will make them wonder just WHY you smiled at them. But, who knows? You may be the only person to look them in the eye that day and give them a cheerful smile. I find that it brightens my day to do it. Give it a try.