I had some other stuff I was thinking about and going to write about but then I got a phone call from Frankenstein. He's the *other half* of my sister, BratCinderella. I swear that man is brain-dead at times with how he dismisses anything that doesn't directly involve HIM. By this I mean, he is a MAN...and as such, can be totally self-involved. He tends to dismiss anyone else's health problems (or feelings) other than his own.

He calls me tonight (Monday night) around 9:30pm because he's returned from the hospital where my sister is in ICU in CRITICAL CONDITION! It gets worse. It seems she has been in there since EARLY SATURDAY EVENING. I know!!! Apparently, she had not been feeling well all week long but hadn't mentioned it to Frankenstein. But Saturday morning and most of the afternoon, she spent in bed because she felt SO bad that she could no longer hide it from him (since HE has been unwell and complaining almost constantly most likely). So, he magnanimously says he would go out to grab something to eat so she wouldn't have to worry about making dinner and he does. Now, I will give him this much credit...he probably asked her if he should bring something back for her. They have ONE car and it's now gone. She is alone and in pain. She apparently started vomiting up blood and so much of it that it scared her. She had to call 9-1-1 or take a cab to the emergency room, I am not sure which she did. Or she might even have asked her good friend next door to drive her. It all depends and I am hoping I will get the full story somewhere down the road. But, she ends up in the hospital and they are pouring blood into her because her blood pressure is low and they need to find the ulcer that is obviously bleeding in her stomach.

They did the tests on her on Sunday which involved putting the scope down her throat to locate the problem and the location. Frankenstein said when he asked her, she was awake, aware and lucid and said she was feeling a bit better.  Later, he was told that they would have to do surgery on her and that was planned to be done this morning (Monday morning). However, when Frankenstein got to the hospital, the surgery had been postponed because her blood pressure had dropped down so low they didn't dare sedate her.  Frankenstein tells me that she was semi-conscious all during the time he was there. They put pressure bandages on her legs and started doing ice water lavages of her stomach in an attempt to slow the bleeding down. She was put on the *critical* list at this time. They HOPE to be able to perform the surgery in the morning so that is why I am asking anyone that reads this to please pray for her.

It wasn't until he came home tonight that Frankenstein thought about trying to call me to let me know what was going on. I truly believe that he thought she would just hang out at the hospital for a day or two and then go home. He actually said to me...*she signed herself into the hospital*. I told him, *Frankenstein, you only sign the papers once they decide to admit you. You can't *sign yourself* into a hospital for no reason.* Honest-to-god, the man is an IDIOT and totally self-centered. Only HE can be sick and have to go to the hospital. SHE is just taking a couple days off or something trivial.

I tried to get ahold of her daughter but it was late for her and I knew she was probably already asleep since she has to get up so early in the morning to get the baby to day care on her way to work. I had to leave a message on her phone for her to call me. I also ended up calling her brother's office since he has changed his house phone since I got the number in my phone book. He does that on occasion for no apparent reason. But his company has the same number (it's his business) so I left a message on his phone and included both my new number and Frankenstein's cell phone number so he can call. I am hoping he can take the time to go down there to be there for her since he lives about 6 hours or so away. He would be company for Frankenstein (who is no spring chicken and will be lonely) and would also be of more use as far as letting people know her condition, etc.

I admit that I am beside myself. Normally, I would pack a suitcase and jump in the car to drive down and be there for her. But I have Chewlee to consider (although these days things would be easier to arrange). Just got an email from *B* and she says that BabyBrat is willing to go down to help out once BratCyndee can go home to recover if she wants her to come. IF? She MIGHT say NO...that it would be too much to ask....that she can manage....but I know better. She will need someone to be there for her. Frankenstein himself is ill and has some big problems. He will NOT know how to even START to take care of someone else. He's in poor shape and suffers from incontinence at times, has fallen and had to go to the hospital for stitches as well as other things. BratBaby would be a wonderful solution and I know that even Frankenstein would be grateful for that help.

I think my blood pressure has even gone down because I was getting the signs of a major headache and it's subsiding now. All the things that I imagined would be needed can be done if BratBaby jumps in and takes a hand. I could just kiss her. I just may if I get to see her the end of June when I go up to Chicago.

Time to close and make an attempt at getting some sleep. I'm having a problem with that lately for one reason or another. Since my heart is a bit lighter now, I just might manage it tonight. Love you all. Have a great day and I wish you good weather. Spring should be showing up everywhere soon if it hasn't already. Live each day to the fullest, laugh loudly and often. Love deeply and forgive easily. Life is short.....and you just never know when a tragedy might hit you or someone you love.

It was such an amazingly nice day here at Brat Farm that it was over before I even realized it. I mean, I looked at the clock and suddenly realized that I hadn't heard the Beast or the dog for a while. I was busy playing a new game I downloaded off the Big Fish site (which was free due to Bratfink sharing that information with me). There was no rush this morning and I spent some time going through my email and playing some Tri-Peaks Solitaire on Pogo. The Beast was working on his pictures of the various falls we've seen in the last week (including his solo forays to same) and it was just wonderfully calm and peaceful.

The Princess called me to make sure our plans were still on for going out to eat and we talked about what time we wanted to do this, knowing the restaurant would be crowded. The Princess had already inquired about making reservations and was assured she could do that up to an hour before we wanted to be there. She was waiting to find out if Johnnycakes was going with us or going to see his mother instead. She felt he might want to do that because it wouldn't be very nice of him to go out to dinner with ME and not spend some time with his own mother. He had to work today but was expected home around 1 or 1:30pm.

The first of my kids to call was the youngest son, Markus Aurelius. We chatted for a while about a few things and what I had been doing since we had talked last. I was just getting ready to jump in the shower to get ready so we didn't talk as long as he probably wanted. Next was the older of my two boys and wouldn't you know that he would call JUST as I was getting ready to step into the shower? We chatted for a couple minutes after he, too, wished me a Happy Mother's Day and then he apparantly hit a dead zone because he was just gone off his cell phone. I took the time to jump in the shower and the called him back after I got out and was *air drying* a bit before dressing, fixing my hair and, yes, putting on makeup. I don't do that often since I don't have to go to an office any more. I find it exhilarating NOT to have to do that. I was right about him hitting a dead zone. It seems he was on his way to install some equipment today since the office was going to be empty and it made it a lot easier. It was for one of his regular customers and he had the key and the codes. He said it was a boring day for him so he would rather just get it out of the way and just show up to collect his money in the morning.

The last to call me was Buttmunch. She had hoped that Little Orphan Annie would have called me but she hadn't and I really didn't expect her to do that. It's going to take some time to heal the breaches that the lost years when she was kidnapped by her father to be patched up and true family love and concern restored. I finally got finished getting ready and headed up to the Santa Fe Steakhouse to meet up with the Princess and Chewlee. Yes, Johnnycakes went over to his mother's even though they had been there yesterday to deliver her the flowers and card they had for her. It's just not the same as visiting on the actual day.

It was my first time there and it was an interesting conglomeration in it's atmosphere. It had all the normal earmarks of a steakhouse with one exception. They served buckets of peanuts in the shell and guess where you were expected to put the shells once you opened and emptied them? You got it...there was a carpet of peanut shells all over the floor and sidewalk area outside the restaurant.

They did, however, have a crew of people that seemed to be constantly working on cleaning up one part or another of the restaurant floor during the whole time we were there. The food was excellent. I had ribs and grilled shrimp with a sweet potato and cole slaw instead of the steak I had thought I would order. It just looked incredibly good as I saw it going by (and I do love sweet potato with cinnamon butter). The Princess ordered beef fajitas while Chewlee got chicken tenders and french fries. That was amazing to me because it was a large order and only cost $1.98 for kids her age. Chewlee dove into hers and did a good job of eating although she was a bit messier than she would have been at home. She was in a booster seat so she had more moving around freedom than she does at home when eating. We sat in a booth by the window rather than at a table so she was fascinated at all the people outside the window waiting for their tables.

I got a lot more food than I expected so I brought home some for the Beast (and me, too) to eat when hungry. I didn't ask him what he fixed himself because he had been invited to join us and had decided to stay home and watch his basketball games instead.

I came home and we talked for a bit about the restaurant and I showed him the food and made him take a rib to try it (it fell off the bone the minute you put it to your mouth). He even tried my sweet potato because it smelled so inviting and said he liked it. I know he was surprised although I have been eating it at home on occasion but he would never try the cinnamon butter. I figured to each his own and knew he just had no idea what a treat he was missing. I don't think I will have that problem in the future, however.

I settled down at my desk and read email and then decided to play this game again that I had first played last night. It's just a different type of solitaire similar to a game on Pogo but a bit more interesting since there are *commentators* and you pick an avatar. You also *win* the right to buy various items in the Pro Shop (it's golfing based) as you go along. I think it's cute but Bratfink thinks I am *weird*....LOL.

I got involved playing the game and semi-watching a program on National Geographic and time just flew by. I don't think the Beast said goodnight but I can't swear to it because I was so into the game. It's late now, however, and Chewlee will be here early in the morning. I need to get to bed since the darn dog woke me up a couple times last night growling at something he heard outside. Once it was the next door neighbor and her boyfriend coming home from being out with friends. I knew that because she had mentioned it earlier in the day when I was outside and we stopped to chat. She still has a couple more weeks of keeping Bozo quiet, calm and confined while he's undergoing treatment for heartworm. She feels so bad for him because he isn't used to being confined but she wants him to get well. I'm glad we have always had Baron on heartworm prevention medication since the vet first got it started. I read about the treatment and it's just awful. Plus, there's a very good chance that a dog might not live through it. If the heartworms are killed off, they could have caused enough damage to the heart that the dog would be infirm and sickly even afterward.

I enjoyed sitting, eating and chatting with the Princess about a number of subjects we had never really talked about before....things like prejudice and gays. Even the Beast and how he's more mellow than he was when she was a teenager and his way of playing with Chewlee. I told her that Chewlee was at the age where he really started to like kids....walking, talking and developing a personality. And hers is so cute that it would be tough not to love her. She loves so unconditionally and expects it in return. Gotta love her.....

I love you all. I hope you had a wonderful day, good weather and got to spend time with your children where possible. If you had half the enjoyment that I felt today, it was good for you, too and I am glad for you. Have a great day tomorrow (Monday) and I will keep notes. If we don't get rain, I need to venture out in the garden once again.

The Princess, Chewlee and Johnnycakes gave me some beautiful flowers and a Mother's Day Card that made me cry. Why? Let me explain. The Beast and I raised the Princess from when she was in diapers. At first we had her a few weeks out of every month, then sometimes three or four months at a time...we were reluctant to turn her over to her mother but the Princess loved her and we fostered that in her. When she started school we had her for the whole school year since we lived in a good school district. Then came the day that we got a call and were told that if we didn't want to keep her, Child Welfare was going to place her in foster care because our daughter had been living in a trailer with no electricity, no gas, no way to prepare proper food and was going to be living in her car (we found out it would be for the second time) plus it looked like she might have to spend some time in jail.

Horrified, we got into the car as quickly as we could and drove the 400+ miles to the area they were living to pick her up. At that time, the case worker made our daughter sign over custody of the Princess to us in a binding agreement without having to go to court. That was protection for the Princess from the reaches of *the system*. It was a sad time but we brought her home to the room that had been hers for years already. We tried to lighten her heart a bit with a stop at Disney World on our way home but, as we found out later, she didn't even remember it. She was locked in herself because of knowing she had lost her mother, perhaps forever. The sadness of a child is a terrible thing to behold but we did the best we could to make her life as happy and normal as possible.

It helped that we lived in a beautiful big home with a pool and on a small lake. The kids in the neighborhood were ones she had known for years and she hadn't been gone all that long. We never knew what she told them, if anything. I became as much of a mom as I could. I encouraged her to join in various activities. She joined the school band and learned how to play the clarinet. I went to every activity at school and saw all her performances. When she joined soccer, I took her to practices and went to her games. When she got older, we enrolled her in modelling school, one of the best available (John Casablancas) so that she would learn how to walk and apply makeup properly. She learned how to dress properly for interviews. She even modeled at a Christmas fashion show that we attended. They wanted to sign her up as a model but the Princess, although she enjoyed what she had learned and had gained much confidence in herself, did not want to do the things necessary to be a professional model. We would never have forced her like some of the mothers might have if given the opportunity. There are times I think she was a bit sorry she hadn't signed up. I understand her audition for a TV commercial was extremely good.

Later, after the Beast had his strokes and we had moved to Port Charlotte, we decided to adopt her formally. We discussed it with our children first to make sure they agreed to it because it meant she would share in anything we might leave to them. They all readily agreed that she had always been *their little sister* anyway and we should go ahead. Which we did. I have no regrets on that part although we DID have our problems with her as she got older (like any kid gives their parents). We made mistakes and so did she. Water over the dam now since we moved her and little Chewlee up here to Alabama with us to get her away from one of HER mistakes.

Now, originally, when we got custody of her, we had explained to her that we would always be Grandma and Grandpa to her and her mother was her mother always. What else could you say to a kid with a broken heart (and, truth be told, so was mine because her mother was MY daughter)? But mother I was and mother was how I felt. The Beast and I had the chance to give her many of the advantages that we were not financially able to give to the other kids. We were more financially secure then with our own business and it did very well for us.

Every Mother's Day I received a card (at least) from the Princess. It was always Happy Mother's Day, Grandma. For all those years. I accepted it because I was, indeed, her grandmother. I didn't have the right to demand anything more from her. I did so hope that, in her heart, I might have filled that special spot, however.

So, the card I received today made me cry and I didn't really want the Princess to see how it made me feel. I probably should have but I will have the chance to let her know when the kids and I go out to dinner and meet up with my niece, Tara. That's what was decided to do instead of having a barbeque at their home. I will hug and kiss them all and let them know how it affected me to get a card that says, *For A Special Mother with Love....*

Inside it says, "Sometimes you may think that the nice things you say and the sweet things you do are taken for granted but that's just not so....They're remembered with love and are even more appreciated as the years go by. And this message is meant both to thank you and to tell you that you are a wonderful mother." It was signed by the Princess, Chewlee and Johnnycakes.

Now you know why I cried. MAY YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL AND MEMORABLE MOTHER'S DAY. I love you all very much.

The day was bright and sunny. It had all the earmarks of a great day and it was! Of course, it was also hot by late afternoon but by then we were home and the Beast ran over and turned on the AC as soon as we walked in the door! I know! First time this season and the earliest he has EVER turned it on here in Alabama.

Unfortunately, in rushing around to get ready, make sure we had some dog food packed for Baron, water and a dish, plus taking my morning pills and all the other stuff you try to remember to bring on a day trip, I was ignoring the fact that my stomach did NOT feel well. It was after only a couple sips of coffee when it started. I told the Beast that it tasted *odd* but he drank some of mine and said he didn't taste anything. But, once I had finished rushing around, my stomach was roiling and I knew I needed to sit down and relax because I was going to barf otherwise. Well, I leaned back in the recliner and started with the gagging you do when you are fighting NOT to barf. The Beast got a worried look on his face and I had to jump up and run to make the sink before I actually DID it, finally. I told him let me lay down for a minute or two and see how I feel. It only took about five minutes and I felt great. Getting rid of that coffee was apparently just what I needed to do. The funny thing is, I didn't barf up my pills I had taken earlier. Believe me, I checked because I would have had to take them again. But I didn't barf much up, either. Go figure.

So, feeling much better, we set off for the Lookout Mountain Scenic Trail but on the Alabama side. It didn't take us long...about an hour...to reach our first destination which was Little River Canyon State Park. The road into it gets a bit hairy at times due to the inclines and curves. It's the first time that I have seen a road with a warning sign that it is too dangerous for RV's, trucks and motor homes. And I can see why. For 11 miles, I felt like a little kid at times going *wheeeeee* at some of the dips we hit and then there would be a sharp series of turns. It hardly seemed like it could be the main road into a state park. But, according to the map that the Beast had picked up from the Ranger's Station last week, that was it. We found out on our way out, however, that this was untrue. We found a safer and shorter route that any truck, RV or motor home could take into the park and there would be no screaming or even swearing. I made notes on it for if we ever go back there.

Little River Canyon Falls was beautiful, if a bit loud. The volume of water pouring down was spectacular. It made for some great white water and we could see people in lightweight kayaks getting into the water below and heading down river. Had to be a lot of fun and it was a great day for it.

The park itself isn't anything to write home about although it's neat and clean for a state park. And I mean CLEAN. Even the bathrooms would have made the Beast's aunt happy and I swear she has OCD about cleaning. We let Baron run around to work off some energy. Wrong move. As Baron was running along the bank of the river, he suddenly disappeared from sight...and I mean SUDDENLY! The Beast took off at a dead run with me trailing behind and what do we find? Poor Baron had gone to jump from one spot to another and he hit a spot where the ground WASN'T and dropped like a stone into the water. The dropoff was deep right there (and thankfully, out of the current from the swift moving river). We found Baron with his chin and two front paws on a rock and he had the most shocked and panicky look I have ever seen on a dog's face. I had no idea they could get that much expression. The Beast turned white when he saw where the dog was but managed to reach out, grab his collar and drag him closer to land where he could get some purchase and climb up. I was still incredulous over the look on Baron's face and laughing my ass off. The Beast did not find it funny nor did he appreciate (until later) MY sense of humor. We headed back to the car, took the beach towel out that I had just happened to throw in as an afterthought before we left and the Beast dried off poor Baron as much as he could. He definitely had gone under when he fell in because his whole head was just as wet as the rest of him.

Our only concern now is that he might be afraid of water and we sure don't want that. The Beast came up with an idea, however, that will probably work. He's going to take the dog to Lake Guntersville (the swimming and picnic area does not exclude dogs), put Baron on a leash, and then wade out into the water with him. He will slowly move into deeper water. He said even if it takes a couple trips, it will be worth it and I agree. Baron had just gotten over his aversion to water and started venturing into shallow areas. I will report on what happens when the Beast actually DOES it.

We then decided to head up to Desoto State Park (also along the trail) and check out their picnic area and facilities. It said there was a playground, picnic tables, volleyball court and swimming pool as well as primitive and improved camping plus motel, cabins and chalets. It was only about a half hour drive from Little River Canyon. The picnic area is nice but not huge. From the parking, we don't think they actually get a lot of people that picnic there. It also was extremely clean and neat. The playground is one that Chewlee would love. The pool was very, very nice...much like many park pools and there were plenty of nice chairs to sun on, also. We took a spin around the camping areas because it was still early and found them very nice. The cabins and chalets were impressive and I filed the information on them away in my file cabinet when we got home. Who knows? We might just decide to spend a week up there later in the summer.

The Beast was beginning to fade so we then headed over to the falls area and what an incredible sight that was. I thought the other falls was spectacular. NOT. It was an easy walk down the stairs to the rocky but fenced overlook. The Beast got on the other side of the fence but I kept Baron at my side and we stayed safe. The rocks looked slippery and I told the Beast it was HIS butt if he went out there and fell. Unf...err, Fortunately, nothing happened. He set up his tripod, took several pictures and then we climbed back up to the car. I was grateful for the stairs and the rail. I had been dragged forward at Little River Falls and fell to my knees. My jeans were fine but my knee got *jean burn*? Road burn? You know the kind of thing I mean. Jeans, fine. Knee, NOT.

Once back in the car, we both were ready to head home. I haven't told you about all the various overlooks we stopped at and walked out to check and see if they were picture-worthy because they were interesting in general just for sheer drops, rocky canyon walls and loads and loads of green trees but not otherwise. That is what really got us so tired. The GPS finally got the idea of getting us home the shortest way and it did. We made one stop for something cold to drink (there's a serious lack of convenience stores in state parks), then another at Walgreen's to pick up a Pedi-Paw that we want to try on Baron's nails and then home.

The Beast headed right to bed but I stayed up to chat with Bratfink (who had called me on my cell phone just as we pulled into our garage) online. She told me to *get home!* and I laughed and told her we had just gotten there and would see her online in a few minutes. We chatted about this and that for a while. Then she went to lay down and so did I.

I was more tired than I thought. I won't tell you how long I slept but it was light when I laid down and dark when I got up. I'm still very tired so I will say goodnight now. The baby comes early tomorrow (7:30am) but the Princess only works until noon. Love you all. Take care and have a wonderful day. See you tomorrow.

Since they are predicting isolated thunderstorms for tomorrow, we are taking a chance and going on the road trip up the Lookout Mountain Scenic Roadway. We will be bringing the dog with us so that meant a doggie bath was in order. He smelled VERY doggie. (Color me green thinking of being in car with him in that condition). So, I grabbed the blanket we use to cover the back seat when he is in it and threw it in the washer to clean it up. Need a clean blanket if we are going to have a clean dog, right?

The bathing of the dog was actually very easy since we could do it outside. The Beast, feeling sympathy for the dog, filled up a bucket of nice warm water to use to wet him down. He did it with a big rag instead of pouring it over him and I applied the flea shampoo and started scrubbing him down. I was totally amazed at all the loose hairs that came off him. A short hair dog still sheds like crazy with the onset of warmer weather and he proved it to me today.

Baron was amazingly calm while we bathed him. Of course, not being idiots, he WAS tethered to the rail of the deck so he couldn't bolt. He didn't even try until the Beast picked up the hose. He does NOT like the hose for some reason and I used to be able to exercise him in the back yard by having it on and spraying it towards him. It was funny (to me). The Beast used a nice gentle shower setting and we got him rinsed off well. I then used the doggie creme rinse the Beast had bought a while back (waaaaaay too pricey for my taste). It does smell great, however. The next time we bathe him we are using Head and Shoulders shampoo for dry skin, however. The dog trainer that lives down the road told us that it prevent fleas AND helps his skin. It's also a hell of a lot cheaper ounce per ounce.

After we had rinsed him off, the Beast towel dried him and Baron shook himself off good, ran down into the yard and rolled in the grass then came back up and laid down to finish drying off. Now I won't mind the long drive with him. He really DOES smell good.

The Beast spent some time studying all the sights along the drive and planned out where we will be stopping to check out various places. Some are falls (and, yes, they are really close to the parking areas) so he can take some pictures. I told him I am NOT hiking down the hills to reach the bottom. We are also going to stop and check out the picnic and swimming area. We hope its as nice as they advertise because we would like to find another area to bring the family. It's always nice to find someplace new.

With Mother's Day looming over us, I found myself in the midst of a conversation on Pogo about mothers. I lost my mother in 1985. She was just 56 years old. She only got to see a few of her grandchildren and none of her great grand or the little sweetheart that is her great-great grand. She would be just 78 this year. I miss her all the time. She was really just becoming a wonderful mother and friend when she was taken from us....meaning all of her children and grand-children. Just three years after she died, her first great-grandchild was born. I was so sad because she would have just loved her to pieces. Mom loved babies.

It was kind of neat to hear the stories of others that had lost their mothers. Shortly after one of the girls left, another online friend popped into the room to tell us that our friend, the one that had just left about an hour before, had lost her mother. It wasn't unexpected but we all knew that it was still tough to take. She had been expecting it for several days as her mother was very ill and in the hospital. She had told us just a couple days before that she was expecting a call from the hospital at any time. This was after a visit she had made to spend some time with her mother. The friend that popped in was getting a sympathy card and asked us if we wanted our names included on it, which we readily agreed to and were grateful that she was including us. Some of us also sent her a short note on Pogo email so that she knew we cared and were there for her if she needed someone.

Life is short, folks. Think about that seriously. You cannot take your loved ones for granted. You can lose them suddenly or after a prolonged illness. That is why I say constantly to be sure to tell those you love that you do love them. Even the simple *Love you* at the end of a phone call is one way to do it. It's easy and it says it all.

Love you all. Have a great day. I will report on our road trip tomorrow. Hope you (and we) have a great day!

I would have to say that Alabama is definitely out of the drought they have been experiencing for the past several years. Between the rains last year (including the late rains at the end of the year) and all the rain we have had this year, our rivers are all running just below flood levels and creeks that have been dry for years are now running.

We had four inches of rain just last night and some very wicked weather besides. Our news channel showed much of the damage done by some minor (?) tornadoes (called EF-0 and EF-1) that come and go in the blink of an eye. No deaths or injuries that anyone knew of but some definite damage, mostly by trees that were twisted, split and thrown like darts into the sides of buildings or some trees that ended up falling over from the water-soaked ground and tornadic winds. One tree had a bole that was well over 10 feet in width and they never did show now deep it had been. There is a huge amount of trees and branches down all over several counties but, thankfully, relatively little loss of power due to power lines being down. It was actually amazing.

We are in for more wild weather. In fact, it's already started here with no relief in sight according to the weather channel until after 7am tomorrow morning. That includes thunder, lightning, hail, high winds and flash flooding. It also means my internet connection is going to be flaky as hell again so I want to get this done and posted before I lose it once again. I'm not holding my breath on that day trip the Beast wants to take on Friday. Unless something changes drastically, it doesn't look good for that happening.

I may not have to watch Chewlee tomorrow after all. The Princess got her hours changed and doesn't have to be in until 3:30pm so that means only a 5 hour shift for her. She is going to see if Johnnycakes will just keep Chewlee home for that short amount of time and, if so, she won't have to drag her out in the rain. If he can, wonderful, but if not, no matter to me. I had no plans...LOL

It was really funny today. For the second time in a row, I put Chewlee down for her nap and started to walk out without doing the kissing thing with her. This time the Beast was standing at the door and got to see it, so I whirled around and went and gave her a big hug, a couple kisses and brushed her hair back away from her forehead. She then said *nite-nite* and *bye* to me as I closed the door. The Beast was standing back away from the door just cracking up. I shrugged and told him, *I told you we have our little ritual*. I took two steps towards the computer room and heard her wailing and thought, *What the heck now?* She continued it for several more seconds so I turned around and went back in to see what was up. She was holding up her *bottle* to me and was upset. It dawned on me that she had her sippy cup (which has a hard tip) and I had forgotten to give her the regular bottle. I quickly went to the fridge and got it for her. When she saw me with it, she grinned and held up the sippy cup for me to take as she took the REAL bottle and settled down under the covers. She then proceeded to take a 2-1/2 hour nap before she woke up in a really playful mood.

Even the Beast was glad that she was up and playing with the dog (although the two of them running back and forth through the kitchen and around the table is enough to set your teeth on edge at times). I figured it helped drain her energy as well as made the dog less hyper.

When she finally decided she was hungry, she was HUNGRY. She cracks me up sometimes with how much she can put away. She ate two cut up hot dogs (which she asked for), a banana, a huge helping of cut-up strawberries and THEN...she ate about half of my KFC chicken pot pie that the Beast had run out to pick up and try. I was really surprised at how good they are and wondered why I had never even noticed them before. Bratfink had mentioned she really loved them but they are available in her state only during the *winter* months. Don't get a hankering for one in August, they won't have them.

The Beast was shocked at how loaded the parking lot and store were when he went up to KFC. Everyone was waiting for the next batch of the new grilled chicken (on a Wednesday it's packed?). When I mentioned it to Bratfink, she said that was because Oprah dot com (Oprah.com) had a coupon for two free pieces and you could print out up to four coupons per family. The problem is, you must be there in person to redeem the coupon. No one person can show up with four coupons without the accompanying bodies to go with them. So, if you are reluctant to pay to try something new like that, just go to the website and follow the link to the coupon and print out what you need. It's only good until the 17th of May or some such date but can't be used on Mother's Day.

Looks like Kym is going to disappoint the kids again on Mother's Day. She informed Johnnycakes that *they* (and she meant the Princess, Chewlee, Johnnycakes, herself and Kaytlin were going to the fathers for Mother's Day. To which she was told OH NO *THEY* WERE NOT! I haven't asked why but I guess Johnnycakes and his father are not on speaking terms. At least, not from Johnnycakes point of view. I guess Kym thought she could force him to see his father but he surprised her. I feel kind of in the middle of it because I told the kids I would (once again) be there and was told I could have anything I wanted. So, I ordered a small steak. I don't eat a lot of meat these days but I do love a steak done on a charcoal grill. I don't want it *rubbed* or seasoned with anything but salt and pepper. Nice and easy to make. I guess I will make some potato salad to take over with me this time. I missed it last time because it was what Kym was supposed to bring but she never showed up.

Well, it's late and right now the weather is fairly calm so I have internet. I want to get this posted while I can. Love you all. Have a great (and drier than ours) day.

I'm starting this early more as just something of interest to some of my friends and family because I don't want to forget how bad this actually was here. I don't know what it was like in other areas, but it was enough to wake me up and keep me up. It started off thundering in the distance and slowly, slowly rolled closer and closer to us. Then the lightning started. And once it did, it was lighting up the skies like it was morning at 3:30am. At first, I counted from the lightning flashes until the thunder like we all learned to do as kids to tell us how many miles away it was. That is when it got scary because the lightning and thunder were happening together and I knew it was on top of us. I got out of bed then (we had the front and rear screen doors open) and checked to make sure there was no hail coming down because I was sure that we might be having a tornado in the area with the way things were going. But, although the rain was pouring down and the lightning was keeping the sky lite up, there was no real wind. That brought my heart rate back down and I could stop thinking about places to take shelter.

There was, however, almost no relief because we got wave after wave of what had to be *bands* of thunderstorms. When one *band* passed over us and was fading from sound and view, there was perhaps a 15-20 minute lapse before another storm started towards us. This went on continually, in the same manner, until almost 6am. I got very little sleep since there wasn't enough time to relax before it started up again. Even the news people on our local channel spoke of it so it must have been widespread. Now they are talking about more severe thunderstorms (but low chances of tornadoes) still heading towards us so I won't be assured of having much in the way of an internet connection for much of the day, I think. I have a satellite internet connection (HughesNet) and that requires decent skies or at least a light cloud cover.

So, my friends, if I am not online today when you look for me (if you have nothing else to do), you will know why and not fret.

Love you all. Talk to you later.....maybe.

When I woke up this morning, the two Beasts were gone. I knew immediately where they had gone. They went to some or at least ONE of the waterfalls that the Beast had found on the internet along the Alabama Lookout Mountain Scenic road. They actually found two of them in the time the Beast had allotted himself since he knows his limitations.

He got some nice pictures of the falls. They look fantastic. One of them he even got the spray coming up from where the falls meets the river. He couldn't take the time to go down to the base of the falls because of the dog. And, to tell you the truth, it's just as well because he came home exhausted and all of the sites he went to were very close to the road and the parking lots. There are other sites along the route that we want to explore. Primarily, the big picnic and swimming area along the river. If it's really a good area, we want to bring Tara and her kids there, as well as the Princess and Chewlee. We plan on picking up some KFC and making a day of it (I hope, weather permitting).

Had a good day with Chewlee. She got here around noon and went right to the high chair wanting something to eat. I gave her some of the leftover pizza from yesterday and found out she LOVES the pizza bones (crusts) as well as the pizza itself. I watched her in awe as she tore into it. I think she likes it because she has some more back teeth coming in right now. The Princess was stunned since she said she had fed her an hour before AND Chewlee had also eaten about 20 strawberries. The kid is an empty pit, I swear. When she finished her pizza (even the Princess had some), I gave her a sucksicle for dessert.

The Princess said Chewlee has slept in and not gotten up until 9am so I figured she wouldn't go down for her nap for an hour or so. Sure enough, about 1pm, she started asking for her bottle and saying *night, night*. I put her on the guest bed and covered her up. I started to walk away and she yelled *mamaw!* so I turned around and she was puckered up for a kiss. I couldn't believe I forgot that part of the ritual. Color me embarrassed...LOL.

She slept her usual two hours and I changed her diaper. She was just settling down to watch TV when her mother came in for her lunch hour and was happy to hear that she had taken her usual nap. It meant she should be ready for bed once they got home after she closed the store at 8pm. Ha! Ha! Ha! You would have thought I poured sugar down her throat when the Princess came to pick her up. She looked at me while the baby was running around like a typhoon and said, *What did you feed her????* It cracked me up. I told her...*She's just excited because she knows she's going bye-bye now.*

I found out earlier today that I got Friday off, hence the plans with the Beast to make the day trip. Sunday was *iffy* because Eric, the manager, was still playing with the schedule but it looks solid now, too. So, for the first time in a long time, I only had to watch Chewlee three days this week. I am hoping that Kym's foot will feel good enough for her to manage a day or two watching Chewlee.

The Princess finally got her EBT card (it replaces food stamps) and went out to stock up on food. She only had to spend $50 on diapers, wipes and those things not covered so it worked out well. Her pantry and freezer are now full and she still has a LOT left on her card. Thankfully, Johnnycakes is a GOOD shopper with an eye for bargains (and he refuses to pay more than he feels something is worth just because he COULD). He also kept the Princess from buying stuff they really DIDN'T need.

It seems Chewlee's biological father had plans to come up here for Chewlee's second birthday. He was being an asshole (as usual) and saying a lot of things he really shouldn't have because the Princess has control. The only way he could afford to come was with his father (who tries to get up here every month or so to see the baby) so the Princess finally called the grandfather and told him that if his son came up with him, neither one of them would be allowed to see the baby and she told him why. He swore under his breath and said he would deal with it. We know he adores Chewlee so we shall see what happens. As it is, the grandfather wasn't coming for the exact birthday due to his work and it's a long drive for him. He's coming up from Central Florida.

We hope the weather allows the picnic we would like to have along Lake Guntersville so we can also take the pontoon boat out for it. It would be Chewlee's first boat ride. I think she would get a kick out of how much the dog likes going on the boat, too. He's never been afraid of it right from the first.

Okay...time to send this down the tubes and get it posted. Love you all. Wishing you good weather and a great day.

It wasn't just me that was lazy today. Even the Beast was. Personally, I think it was from the darn dog who kept creeping up on the bed and laying all over us. I had made him get off the bed when I went in to sleep but he had gotten up on the bed some time later. The Beast finally woke up, made the dog get off the bed and had to keep yelling at him when he kept trying to get back up. At some point, we both fell asleep and, sure enough, the dog was on the bed and had wedged himself in between us.

The Beast doesn't want to kennel at night and wants to train him to sleep on his own bed next to ours. However, the Beast got lazy and didn't bring the bed in from the living room so it's HIS fault we both didn't sleep much and now I just want to go to bed and bring the shotgun in with me. The first time the dog jumps up on the bed....BAM!!!!

Unfortunately, I really could NEVER do that. The idea makes me a bit sick to my stomach. But I CAN dream, can't I?
Because we were both tired, neither of us did very much at all. We even ordered pizza for dinner from Mama's, a good Italian Restaurant run by born and bred Alabamians whom I doubt are Italian at all. But they do make some incredible food and a great pizza. That is something we have really missed since leaving Chicago many years ago. We try to have pizza whenever we visit up there (along with some other favorites like Italian beef sandwiches, tamales, those greasy little burgers from White Castle....you get the idea). I guess they are what you could call our *comfort foods*. The foods you grew up with and were often treats.

The Beast spent a couple hours researching various falls in the state. He found several within an hour or hour and a half of us that sound promising and are short journeys to the actual falls. The most promising one (and the most civilized and developed) is about an hour from us on Lookout Mountain. He's anxious to visit and check it out so he's going to make the trip up there tomorrow. It will give me a little break. Now if only we would get some sunshine.

I am extremely tired tonight so I am going to close this out and send it down the tubes. Love you all. I wish you a great and happy day and many laughs. Stay close to those you love and be sure to tell them you love them as often as you can.

I woke up to the sound of rain again. I almost said *as usual* since it's been raining for the last four days. I really am surprised we haven't had more flooding but I guess the lake is getting most of the runoff from the foothills here. The small creek that runs in back of our house (and down below the property) doesn't look all that bad but I have no clue how long that will last. The retention pond (that's not what it is but what *I* call it) across the way from us has more water than I have ever seen in it. The Beast is glad the dog won't go out in the rain and he can't take him for a run because he would be in it in a heartbeat. I remember when the dog HATED water and wouldn't step in it even if it was just a teensy little puddle. Now he's gotten older and braver and will go in up to his chest. It won't be long and he will be swimming in it. God help us when he's on the pontoon boat. No telling what he will do then.

No baby today because the Princess was sick. She has a fever and was throwing up this morning. I'm just hoping it's not flu. With the worries about the swine flu, that's one I don't want to think of Chewlee being exposed to.

The Beast was all ticked off at himself AND at Walmart. He went to look for some sausage he had bought yesterday and couldn't find it. I mentioned something about him not getting any veggies for the dog and he went off like a Roman candle because he KNEW they were together and that means he paid for it but didn't get it in his cart when he left the cashier. I told him that it's HIS responsibility to check to make sure he had everything. He said he knew that but wondered why it was that every time he DIDN'T, he always has come home short something. It's true, too. Sometimes life's lessons can be expensive. I wonder how long this lesson will stay with him?

He had brought home some strawberries that I cut up and sugared slightly since he said he was going to make some of the bisquick shortcakes but he never did get around to that. I took the easy way out on dinner and just made some fish sticks I had in the freezer and some of my recipe Spanish rice. It turned out great and the fish sticks were nice and crunchy as advertised. Mrs. Paul's isn't all that bad although I don't usually buy fish sticks. I really bought them for Chewlee since they are good for her to attempt to stab with her fork (she's actually getting good with one) or she could pick it up in her hand to eat. Even the Beast liked it but I think it was because usually on Sundays (unless we have company), it's *do it yourself* as far as a meal goes.

I am keeping a close eye on the garden to make sure it doesn't get any puddles of water in it. The plants are still young even if the Early Girl tomato does have blossoms on it. I also hope those blossoms STAY on it as long as they need to and don't get beaten off it by a heavy downpour. The new cantaloupe that I planted are looking good so I think I can stop worrying about THEM. My real concern is the cucumbers. The ones in the garden don't look great but the ones I still have in the little containers I bought originally (I'm glad I didn't get rid of them now) look wonderful. IF I have to, I can replant with them. I will know in another day or two if I have to do that. Everything else looks good. In another day or two, all the seeds I planted should be peeking through the soil and that's all that's left for me to worry about. We STILL haven't put in any strawberries but Lowe's has gotten theirs in so I'm not worried about being able to find any. I just would like to get some and have the total garden done.

My daughter, Buttmunch, called me the other day to tell me she had gotten bitten in the face by a dog. She sent me a pic of it on my cell phone and I almost died to see it. It looks just awful. I asked her if the dog had gotten it's rabies shots and she claimed it had. I couldn't figure out how she would have gotten close to a dog that would bite her but I guess the owner had introduced her to the dog but when he got distracted and moved away, the dog got nervous (she said) and then lunged at her. I hope she wasn't lying about asking if the dog had his rabies shots. I also hope she doesn't get some bad scarring from it. She's a pretty gal and it would be a shame.

Time to send this down the tubes and get it posted. Nothing else is new. Another dull day here but very relaxing. Love you all and have a wonderful day. We will try to stay dry for the next day (or so) that this rain is supposed to linger. If not, the boat is close to the house....LOL