What it means is that my freedom is really and truly OVER.  Probably for a long time since he's not the type that cares about the Holidays beyond the food being served.  THAT he goes for in a big way.  The man LOVES food that includes mashed potatoes, his favorite sweet potato casserole and (preferably) oyster dressing.  I normally make that for him in a side casserole.  The nice thing about the sweet potato casserole is that you can make THAT for any meal.  It doesn't require serving with a special meat.  It goes with everything....chicken, pork, turkey, beef...and I imagine even some of the more exotic meats in other parts of the country (bison, deer, moose, etc.)  You get the idea. 

The Princess just called and it seems she has picked up a nail or a screw in one of her tires.  She wanted ME to take her car to Walmart to have it fixed but I told her to drive it there and I will pick her up from Walmart and drive her to work.  She plans on asking Johnnycakes to come and pick her up from work and drive her there to pick up the car.  I don't imagine he will object.  NOW it's not so long a ride as their previous home in Boaz.  It's just a touch further from my house so there's little difference in who picks up whom.  But it means I have to get dressed.  So that's what I will be doing after I post this.  I need to pick up a few odds and ends from Walmart anyway so it's no big deal.  I want to look and see what they have in the way of turkeys, too.  I'm not sure if I want to get one now at full price or take a chance and get one when they go on sale.

I went to wipe down the back door since it had some of Baron's hair on it and a few splashes from things that have been thrown in the garbage.  Imagine my surprise to find the door really loaded with the dog's hair.  He's a Doberman for cryin' out loud....short-hair...no tail to wag and throw hairs around.  I am constantly amazed at how much hair he sheds.  You normally don't really notice them.  I do when I dustmop because the poor mop ends up just loaded with them and there's always a pile that I end up with that I have to throw away.

I almost didn't remember that today was garbage day so I ended up going outside at 9pm to move the garbage bin out to the street.  We have such a long damn driveway and it's so dark here at night that I end up *feeling* for the end of it with my feet.  You can just barely discern a difference in color between the concrete and the grass.  You would think that would help but you should be here and see what almost total darkness is like.  Very eerie.

We had overcast skies and high winds yesterday but no rain all day long.  Of course, when I had to go outside to move the garbage bin it was raining...and raining hard!  I was wearing my fluffy slipper (they are warm and the floors are cold) so I ended up having to remove them and throw them in the washer when I came back into the house.  I wasn't totally soaked but I did end up keeping a comforter around me once I put on dry pajamas.  Took me a while to get warm again.  It was only 50 degrees and the rain and wind made it just miserable.

I know the Beast will be stopping at Publix on the way home.  He's going to call me when he gets to Huntsville so that I can throw the pork roast on that I plan on making.  I already peeled potatoes to make some mashed and I cut up some califlower for a veggie.  I'll make gravy from the pan drippings.  The roast is small and will only take about 50 minutes to cook.  It will be enough.  He had better remember to call me or I will be totally pissed off at him.  I also want to tell him to pick up some of the lunchmeat we like.  We can't get Boar's Head brand anywhere near us.  It's more expensive but the taste makes the difference.

Time for me to get my butt moving.  I want to get a little more done before I consider the house decent.  Love you all and have a wonderful day.  Life is short.  Live it.  Love it.  Play hard.  Have some fun.

I haven't had him constantly breaking into my train of thought or interrupting what I am doing at the time because, of course, whatever he is involved in and wants me to come see is infinitely more important.  He really hates that I can keep my own company and keep busy without needing his help or input.  He just doesn't understand that he spent years and years trying to control me and everyone else around him and now he can't do that any longer.  All he can do is annoy.  He just doesn't hold the reins like he used to. 

Talked to Buttmunch today and I have a feeling she might be suffering from IBS like I do.  It seems intestinal problems run in the family but this one is the least painful (although pain IS involved when it's acting up) so it's not an unreasonable assumption.  I suggested she try out this OTC medication she can buy that I am using and just see if it helps.  If so, she can avoid a lot of the problems that I had to suffer through before it was diagnosed.

I figured since this was my last day to eat what *I* wanted, I went ahead and cooked up a small head of cabbage I picked up at the store.  I LOVE cabbage (although I will suffer for it later) and with lots of butter and a bit of salt and pepper, I am in heaven.  Once I find out what time he will make it home, or which day, I will make him a meal to come home to since he won't stop to eat after he has his breakfast.  He will be starved, and exhausted.  Shortly after eating, he will hit the sack.  Trust me on that part.  Been there, seen that.

One of my *kids* that hung around my house with my kids (we call her *Taz* 'cause she was a wild and crazy child ) now has a child of her own.  The poor baby is now five but she has had some major problems since birth, including something similar to autism but not as bad.  However, she is going to have to have tubes put in her ears for the fourth time in her short 5 year lifetime and her mother is just sick with worry over it all.  I tried to reassure her with what I knew including the information that my son, Mustachio, had one in his ear until he was almost 12.  But having them put in was better than any alternative because ear infections are a BITCH!  I know.  I suffered from them as a kid to the point that I went deaf because my eardrums were so scarred.  Fortunately for me, the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic there, associated with Michael Reese Hospital, had a doctor that gave me new ear drums from a vein graft taken from my arm.

Mustachio's surgeon that did his ears got so excited and asked to see my ears.  I let him look and he told me the doctor did a nice job except for one or two stitches that he drew too tightly in my left ear.  Maybe that's why that ear didn't recover as much hearing as the right one, who knows?

Well, enough talk about all this stuff.  Time to get this posted while I still have internet.  We haven't gotten much in the way of rain HERE but all around us has been getting it.  But the cloud cover plays hell with my satellite internet.  *Sigh* Nothing is ever as good as you hope it will be, is it?  It's still better than dial-up. 

Love you all and have a great day.  Take care of your health now and do something special for yourself today. 

My son brought back large plastic bottles filled with various oils but he ended up giving THOSE to a gal he had met online.  I won't go into the details but the whole thing ended up being a disaster that I don't think my son is over yet although it's been several years now since the break-up.

But...KP has leave and went to visit another city (it sounds like *guitar* )) to both see it and do some shopping.  I had just asked her to see if she could find them and price them for me.  I figured I would send her the money for and names of some of the oils I wanted and she could do that at some future date.  I've waited this long; a while longer would be no big deal. 

The list is incredible.  I figured I would just stick to the ones I know best since she said she had enough money to front that for me.  I only sent her a list of four.  That will work for me and I am so excited about her actually getting them for me.

Gawd, gotta love that gal.  She has such a big heart.  I hate the thought of her being in Iraq for 18 months.  I pray for her every night.  There just aren't enough good people in this world to put any in harms way without a little assist from the Big Guy.  Bless your heart, KP.  Big hugs sent your way.

I ended up with the baby yesterday.  Turns out the Princess's plane didn't land until around 8:30pm OUR time (9:30pm Atlanta time) and she had to drive home from there after she got her car and got her luggage into it.  Johnnycakes had to get to work so he dropped her off here, clean and dressed for bed, so he could leave for work.  The poor baby was tired but knew that her mommy was going to be coming for her so she really fought hard NOT to go to sleep.  She kept crawling into my arms to be held and rocked.  I did try once to lay her down in bed but after about 10 minutes, she was up and dragging her blankey behind her. 

We ate a few grapes and watched some TV.  She finally got up and patted my computer chair, climbed into my lap once I sat down and then told me to play a game.  I laughed at her but started playing some Mahjong.  She loves the animal shapes the puzzles are in and has gotten good at guessing which one I am working on.

By the time the Princess got here, she was out like a light.  She woke up briefly when Mommy picked her up to carry her out to the car and gave her the sweetest, happy smile.  *Awwwww*  She then gave her a kiss and was settling back down in her arms to go back to sleep.  I let her take home *her* afghan that she kept telling me, the Beast, her mother and anyone else that was around was *hers*.  I only used it for taking a nap in my recliner and I can make another one......after I finish the one for Sheepie.

OMG!  I just got a call from Sheepie's father asking me to send him money because their electricity has been cut off!  He's such a liar though that you just don't know if you can even trust him.  I told him that it's the wrong time of year to look to us for anything because this is when we have to pay all our property taxes AND we don't even have our SS money for the month yet.  He had the nerve to imply that he's been *taking care of Sheepie for ...get this! 15 years*.  The nerve of that SOB...he also said he has taken care of her and never asked us for anything in all this time.  I had to bite my tongue not to say to him *You bastard!  You stole her from us so don't tell me what *sacrifices* or *costs* you paid*  I told him I could send him the $10 I had in my wallet but there was no way I could get even that small amount to him in time to help him out.  He hung up on me.

He also lied because he tried to tell me that he hadn't even talked to his family in almost 20 years (and that is such a big lie, he should go to hell just for THAT).  It was only a month or so ago he was going to move him and Sheepie *back in with his sister*.  Does he think we don't communicate with each other in this family?  Or that Sheepie doesn't tell us those things?  Ack!  I have a headache now.  I'm going to close this and take a pill to try to cut it off at the pass.

AND....it looks like brat and I both lost our bet.  He didn't come home either day we had chosen.  If he stays the whole time he said he was going to, we will both have to be picked up off the floor in shock. 

I HAD to finally get my butt out and do some serious shopping.  I needed to start picking up some of the basics for Thanksgiving since I hate to do that all at once.  I bought the stuff for the sweet potato casserole, the green bean casserole and the cranberry sauce.  I already have the stuff for the pumpkin pies (and the real whipped cream, too).  I found a really nice pork sirloin roast that I cut in half since the Beast and I don't eat all that much and I am the only one that really eats leftovers.  Got some really nice Idaho potatoes that I intend to bake a couple for the Beast and I one night.

I needed to stop at Murphy's for some cigarettes and then made a stop at the liquor store for some much needed vodka.  I debated taking the groceries home before I ran to the bank to make a deposit but thought...*What the heck?*  I didn't have anything that would go bad in the short time it would take me so I went into town and did that.  Before I headed home, I decided to take a little spin around the *town*.  I found some neat little stores (Mom & Pop type) that I am definitely going to hit sometime soon.  There's even a nice woman's store of the type I loved back in Ft Lauderdale.  Good clothes, decent prices.  Okay...okay...I admit it.  I didn't just cruise by that one.   It's going to be one of the first places I stop when I have my Christmas money in hand.

Have you started your list for Christmas shopping yet?  I did.  Some of the people on my list are easy.  My grandkids in Tennessee want money.  The type of stores they like and the things they like are not easily available here.  One they like is only in Birmingham and no way am I going to make THAT ride.  Besides, I'm not sure of their sizes OR their exact taste of the moment.  I sent for a kids laptop computer for the baby.  It's got games loaded on it to help her learn her numbers and the alphabet and lots of other good things.  It's not Leap Frog but it will do for now with her fascination with computers.  It even has a mouse that works with it.  She will have a ball.  I caught it on sale in one of my catalogs I get in the mail so it wasn't very expensive at all.

Buttmunch has been hinting strongly and often that she would just LOVE a digital camera.  Woo hoo.....have you priced those?  OMG....even the cheaper ones are expensive.  I shall continue looking.  I know people appreciate cash but I truly love to watch them open up gifts.  I do have some ideas that should work for a couple of them so I'm happy about that.  It's the Beast that always presents me a problem.  I'm thinking maybe that new hammer tool that they are advertising on TV.  You know the one I mean.....it will hammer in nails at odd angles.  He has a problem that way anyway.  It's the reason he got the nail gun but that's for nails you want to put in straight.  I was thinking the electric hammer would be good for when he works on expanding the deck out back.  Oh well, time enough......

After I got done shopping and got home, I still had to carry everything in that I bought...and then put it all away.  When I got done doing that, I was exhausted beyond belief.  We never really get used to that, do we?  It hardly seems fair that we do the shopping and then have to put everything away, too.  I think more mothers should train their boys to do things like that and get the husbands to help so they (the boys) don't grow up thinking it's a woman's job.  I do remember teaching my boys to cook so they wouldn't feel they *needed* a woman in order to eat.  They also learned how to do their own wash.  I tried (god knows!) to teach them about cleaning.  The Navy taught my oldest son to iron and clean thoroughly.  He's the only one not married yet.  I still have hope since he's only in his 30's now.  I know he would love to have kids of his own and a good woman to come home to every day.  I always add that little memo in my prayers.

The weather here sucks right now and we are under a flood watch in this area.  Don't forget, we are in the foothills of some mountains.  I'm not worried about that happening around us because of the topography of this area but it does mean that some nasty weather is moving in.  My internet connection is becoming very spotty so I want to get this set to post later.  I'm waiting to hear from the Princess that she has gotten home in one piece and had a good time. 

Love you all.  Have a great day.  See ya!

There are government conspiracy theorists saying that governments are secreting DNA samples from thousands against the possibility of a disaster happening that might wipe out mankind.  This way they can clone a wide range of *people* to repopulate the earth when it's finally *settled down* and they can leave the underground sanctuaries that have been already built and supplied.  All I could think about was....OMG, all those kids!  ACK!  Because it would certainly mean lots and lots of babies being *born* all the time.  Honestly!  Where in the hell are they planning on getting the women to carry these *babies*?  Can you imagine being constantly pregnant and all without even the pleasures of sex?  **Will Mother 2033 please report to the lab for implantation**  Yeah, right.

The weather people are saying that the sun will be going into an extremely active storm cycle that could be very bad.  The solar particles can affect our electrical power grids all over the world and cause an outage that could last several years.  I can see the problems with that and having to learn to make do without all our conveniences.....refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, cell phones and even land line phones...you get the picture.  It would be kind of like going back to what we like to call the *pioneer days*.    The difference will be the number of people out of work and trying to find something to do or something to barter with for supplies.  Yeah, that would definitely suck but I really think most of us could get through that time.  People have done it after natural disasters.  But horses, cattle and oxen (remember those?) would really become valuable for transportation.  Yep, even that would be affected. 

It gives me a headache to think about some of this but, you know what?  I would rather just prepare like we did for a hurricane and stock up with foods and other things necessary to get by and then just take it a day at a time.  Why make yourself sick with worry over it?  Is that what they are trying to do with all these programs?  Make people nuts?  Push some people into suicide?  There are some people that take these things VERY seriously.  Too seriously, I think.  Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. 

The Beast and I have stocked up on things for many years now.  In Florida, it was because of the possibility of hurricanes.  We have carried that over even here in Alabama but it's truly just a habit.  Plus, the Beast lately has worried about the economy failing.  The one thing he cannot do without is EATING.    So we stock up.  Canned food mostly and some other stuff that will last (macaroni and cheese in the box, oatmeal, sugar we put in airtight 5 gal. containers, flour also, etc.)  I would prefer to stock up on coffee but he never thinks about THAT.    I DO have a non-electric coffee pot here that we can use on our propane stove that we used for camping.  We have a nice solid house, a big lot next to us that we COULD use to bury garbage if necessary.  We have a rototiller and lots of room for a garden to grow our own stuff.  Yeah, I think we could survive better than most.  Hell, we even have fruit trees here that do produce.  We just have to worry about too much rain and any pests that we need to spray to keep off them. 

Well, now that I have scared the crap out of you all, I want to say it was not my purpose at all.  It's just that all these doomsayers are making me nuts.  I hated it when they started it with 2000.  It's not much different now.  Just don't let it take over your life or enjoying what you have.  Life is short enough for us without all this garbage going on.  If you want, stock up on some things and then...relax.  Take things as they come.  Learn to roll with the punches, so to speak.  Take care of your health.  Tell those you love that you do as often as you can.  And enjoy..........

The baby pronounced herself hungry although the Princess said she had eaten.  I fed her some cereal (she said she wanted some with milk) and she ate it all.  I admit I didn't fill up the bowl but it was a respectable amount.  She then just wanted to watch Spongebob in my computer room even though I had it on already on the BIG TV in the living room.  She grabbed my hand to drag me into what I know she thinks of as *our* place. 

I knew she was tired because she just wanted to sit in my lap with her blankey and be rocked.  I finally put her down in the recliner because every time I headed towards the bedroom, she woke up and cried.  Separation anxiety?  Not sure but she also might have thought that *Papa* was asleep in there because she was saying *shhhh* as she grabbed my hand after she finished eating.  I'll take her in with me a little later.  I'm going to have to go to bed at a decent time because she will be up early.  I already have MY jammies on so there won't be any fumbling or noises.

She's sound asleep as I write this.  It's so cute.  Aren't they all adorable when they are asleep?  Makes you want to preserve that sight for all time in both your heart and mind.  You KNOW that they will eventually become.....*shudder*.... teenagers!   There!  I said it...that awful word.  Worse when it's a girl and you are talking hormones.   But c'est la vie!  Time waits for no one.

Was a quiet day here today and I was glad.  I got a bit more done, made some phone calls that the Beast wanted me to make while he was gone and cleaned up my room a bit more.  I didn't want anything harmful in the baby's reach and I had my sewing boxes down on the craft table.  Lots of needles, pins, scissors and other sharp things in there.  Dust mopped the floor one last time since I kept feeling things with my feet that I couldn't see.  I wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining it.  I was totally shocked to see the pile of hair from the dog that I was STILL picking up all over the place.  Sheesh.  If the dog wasn't so temperature sensitive, I swear, I would shave him naked.    Wouldn't that take away from his fierce appearance?  A naked Doberman.  ROFLMAO

Since the day was quiet, I really don't have a lot to report.  So I will wrap this up and just say *love you all*, *have a great day* and have a few laughs.  I'll let you know how the day goes tomorrow.  Chewlee and I will be watching SyFy if its any good.  Fat chance but I can always hope.

I got my linens changed on both beds and the old ones washed and folded.  I'm finishing up the rest as I write this.  I was hoping to be able to get to the winter clothes but haven't yet.  I'll more than likely be up late, however, so there's still hope. 

Sis and I were making bets today on when the Beast would be home.  She says Sunday but I think Monday.  If he was going to stay the full week, he wouldn't be home until at least Wednesday.  We shall see.  If Sis is right, she will be all over me to make a public admission so watch for what happens here. 

He has NEVER stayed the whole time that he says he will no matter what time line he has in mind when he leaves.  I swear to you, he thinks I am having fun or something without him and he just can't stand it.  He CLAIMS he misses his own bed and being able to keep his own schedule but I really don't believe it.  If I go with him, he will often try to extend the time we stay away so what's the difference between the two????  The fact that I am right there and he knows I am not having any fun without him being around.  Hell, sometimes I don't have any fun WITH him being around. 

OMG...have you been keeping an eye on all that has happened at Ft. Hood today?  I am just horrified.  To think that a psychiatrist with special training in traumatic therapy would snap and shoot all the people he did RIGHT ON THE BASE!  As I am writing this, 12 people are dead and 31 wounded.  First reports said he was dead but when they had the press conference, they announced he is NOT.  What the hell is going on?  The guy wasn't a combat veteran, had never been to Iraq and for all the information so far, he wasn't scheduled to go either.  He's Islamic, having converted a while back but had only recently started blogging about suicide bombers and stuff.  No one was saying what he was saying about suicide bombers but no one has said he admired them either. 

Those poor families.  It's bad enough to worry about them being killed in Iraq but here at home?  And on the base where they go before they are deployed.  I keep thinking that if KP was at this base before she was sent over to Iraq, how would I have felt?  It gives me a stomach ache.  I can imagine how the friends and family of anyone that is stationed there is feeling.  Say a prayer for all of them, especially those of the ones killed by this screwball.

Buttmunch called me while I was watching the news conference and she had no idea this was going on.  She was watching *House*.  I halfway expected her to change over to CNN but she wasn't anxious.  She said it was *too depressing* and she would catch it later on her local news report.  It's true.  It IS depressing for so many reasons.  I'm actually amazed the Beast hasn't called me to make sure *I* was watching it.  He watches CNN more than anything.  Oh...but his brother doesn't and he IS at HIS house.  Oh well.  I'm not calling him.  He can find out...whenever.  If I call, he will think I miss him so much I just HAVE to hear his voice. 

Why is it that men (husbands and boyfriends both) think that we should be so lost and helpless without them around?  Are we supposed to stop living just because they aren't there with us?  I will never understand that kind of thinking.  I love when HE enjoys himself when he's not with me.  I don't have to share EVERYTHING with him.  Sheesh. 

I gather Sheepie is making definite plans on being here with us this Thanksgiving.  We are going to have to figure out how to get her here since I doubt the Princess will be able to make the trip down there.  It's hard on the Beast to make that trip by himself and I will be cooking.  What to do?  What to do?  Have to think about it and come up with something that will work.  More later on this.