I wandered around a little bit and grabbed a couple things I hadn't planned on for the girls.  I'm not going to say what but they weren't all that expensive and I thought they were cute.  Then I came home to tackle my desk.  What a nightmare!

I thought being down to 8 pieces meant the worst was over, right?  Not a chance in hell.  It was awful.  It's bad enough the directions are translated into English from god only knows what language by someone that has taken *English* in school for a few years and never spent any actual time here in America.  I found a few place where I had to read it over a couple times to figure out what the hell they were TRYING to say.  Then, there were a couple parts where things should have been put together in a slightly different way because the pieces were of different sizes and having the top put on.....well, I'm not going to go over all of THAT.  It did cause me some problems and I have a blemish now that I shouldn't have (or wouldn't have with just a small difference).  However, it doesn't show so it's okay.

The bad part is that my cpu won't fit in the alloted area.  The case is too tall to go in there.  I could have left off this one section if I had thought to measure it.  I can't do it now so it's sitting next to the desk.  I also have to do a little work with my printer.  It's going to go on a sliding tray and I will have to pull that out when I want to print something.  But, all-in-all,  I like it.  Just don't ask me to put together another one for a long, long time. 

I've mentioned before at how much I love the people here in the South.  Well, let's say here in Alabama anyway.  I can't attest to the rest of the South yet.  Here and there in SC, NC, TN and KY, I've found the same things.  They smile, look you in the eyes and will greet you cheerfully even if they don't know you.  I found this startling at first but now am used to it.  I still find it a very nice way to live and am grateful for it.  But there are a few things that occur that puzzle and sadden me.

For instance, I find the way they treat their pets to be very strange.  MOST of the people I have met don't believe a dog belongs in a house.  They provide a dog house OUTSIDE and that's the dog's shelter, winter and summer.  They don't worry about ticks or fleas.  Some of them don't give them heartworm medication to prevent problems even though it's very prevalent in this area because we DO have mosquitos.  They also seem to feel the same way about most cats.  They let them wander all over the place.  Some are never allowed in the house either.  But here is what *gets* me.  If they get hit by a car, they kind of shrug their shoulders and they MIGHT shovel it off the road (or someone will) and they leave it for *nature* and other animals that might eat the carcass.

I heard a man talking to what was either a friend or neighbor and they were talking about a dog that had been hit by a car.  It belonged to the man that was talking and he said, *Well, if the dog wasn't smart enough to stay away from cars, he sure wouldn't have been any use to me anyway.*  The dog was only three months old!

They don't seem to bother training their pets, if that's what they really are.  I find it hard to believe they should be called pets when they aren't trained and don't really receive any affection unless the people have older children.  Our next door neighbor has a beautiful fawn colored labrador male that I call Bozo.  He is untrained and was never housebroken even.  She leaves him out in the back yard without a dog house because she has a deck with space underneath it for him to shelter.  In really bad weather, he IS put in the garage.  He got heartworm because she thought he couldn't get it if he was kept in the backyard.   She's a lab tech that does sonograms and you would think she had enough education that she would know it's spread via mosquitoes and those are EVERYWHERE.  Even in your own backyard.  The poor dog had to go through the shots and being confined for 40 days with no exercise, no kind of excitement.  We found out  he was kept in a small kennel in the garage that whole time before he was allowed back in the yard.  He was one of the lucky ones.  She cared enough to take him to a vet and take care of it.  Most pets that get it here don't.   It's so sad.

It's bad enough that people are constantly dropping off puppies they can't give away or sell.  There have been some beautiful pups dropped off around us because we are a rural area.  I'm sure the people figure that surely someone on one of the farms would take in a cute puppy.  There were three little lab puppies dropped off here once.  A neighbor started feeding them to keep them away from the busy road but she is a widow and couldn't keep doing it.  My next door neighbor took two of them (yes, she then had THREE pups in her yard).  However, after a few months, she gave away the female before she could become a problem because neither male had been neutered.  Bozo is older and is a bully to the poor little male that's still there.  He has learned to escape and he gets into our yard where he will play with Baron until we bring Baron in.  However, he will soon be too big to get out of his fenced area or even under our gate like he's been doing.  Baron isn't a bully or mean so they have fun.  I feel bad for the poor dog because Scarlett doesn't seem to notice...or care...about what's going on.

It's just a side of people in the South that doesn't seem to fit.  Most of them are church-going, religious to a fault and very kind to PEOPLE.  This doesn't seem to include animals.  It bothers me a lot and I doubt I will ever get used to it.

Oh well, time to close and get this posted for now.  I'll bitch another day about other things I've noticed and am puzzled about.  I'll also tell you about some things that tickle me and others that make me smile because ....well, we'll get into that another day.

My day started out with a phone call from the Princess.  It seems Chewlee was at day care and wouldn't stop crying.  She had a slight fever when the Princess got her up that morning but she threw up the Motrin or whatever baby fever medication she uses.  She didn't have a fever when she first got there but, when I picked her up, the teachers told me she hadn't eaten much breakfast which is unusual for her.

The poor little thing was laying down on the mat with her blankey under her head and she looked just awful.  She was glad to see me and just wanted to be picked up.  I put her into her seat in the back and she felt very hot to me.  So I wasn't totally surprised that she vomited when I pulled into the garage.

Here's the strange thing.  When we turned onto the road into the *subdivision*, she perked up and said *Grandma's house*.  I laughed and told her, *Yes, we are going to grandma's house*.  When I had wiped off her face and lap after unstrapping her in her seat, she could hardly wait to get into the house.  THEN....she starts running through the house yelling, *Gramma!  Gramma!*  I was shocked because it was ME she was looking for.  I finally grabbed her, picked her up and said, *Hey!  Here I am!*  She then threw her arms around me and wiggled to get down and ran into *our* room.  It kind of threw me that she was kind of *out of it there* for a while.

She was a bit hungry and asked for some chips first but I asked her if she would like a banana and she just LOVES those.  She sat in HER chair (Dora the Explorer) for a while and then started leaning back in it.  I asked her if she wanted to sit in my lap and she got right up and came over to me.  I held her and rocked her and she was so hot.  I'm going to have to get some Children's Motrin or Tylenol and keep it in the house for times like this.  I got up and sat in the recliner with her and rocked her until she fell asleep.  That's where she was, sound asleep, when her mother came for her.  She didn't want to wake her so she ate some lunch here (Italian beef, of course).   

When Chewlee woke up about a half hour later, the Princess took her to the doctor's office.  It turned out that she has a double ear infection.  The cough was minor in comparison but she has amoxicillin she is taking and the Princess said she was already acting like she felt better by this evening.  Depending on how she is doing in the morning, I may take her for a couple hours while the Princess gets some shopping done.  She doesn't want to drag the baby out in the cold and wind.  It's supposed to be both tomorrow, unlike the temperate day we had today.

I got over to Staples to pick up some of the stuff I needed and I picked out my chair.  In fact, I went ahead and bought it and brought it home.  The Beast assembled it (it IS part of his Xmas gift to me after all).  Lots of swearing went on but it's finally together.  It is SO comfortable to my poor back.  I looked at their desks but didn't find anything I liked.  I will keep looking while I am out doing MY Christmas shopping.  I have to go to the big manufacturer's center in Boaz for a couple of the things I want to get.

I got all I needed to send out pictures people requested and a new box for Bratfink's stuff I am sending her and the Boy.  The Beast cut up and threw out the one I had been saving so I had to BUY one.  Sheesh.  I came home and finished up packing that to send off tomorrow.  That's the first stop I will make.

We are due for a couple days of fairly decent weather.  At least sunny and clear.  High's of around 42 and lows of 29.  The weekend is going to suck, however.  I hope to get most of my stuff bought by then so I can spend the weekend wrapping gifts and getting them under the tree.

I did about 1/3 of my Christmas cards and got those out, including the one for my son, Mustachio.  He isn't going to make it so I sent him his Christmas cash in his card and will send his presents home with Buttmunch.  I'll miss him.  It's usually the only time of the year I get to see him for more than an hour or so when I stop in Louisville on my way up to the family reunion in June.

It's just awful outside today.  It was drizzling, extremely windy and just plain gruesome outside.  The Beast had to trek out there twice today and didn't want to open up the garage (he was heading for the garbage bin) so he went out through the front door.  Bless his heart.  He claims when the garage gets all that cold wind blowing into it, it drops down the house temperature more than opening and closing the storm door.  I don't know if it does or not but it DOES make a difference in his mind so who cares?  I'm tucked safely in my room.

You can tell it's become my hideaway because I have piles of folded clothes scattered around (I've been washing clothes again) and I have all the packing stuff in here for getting my packages together.  I STILL haven't made it to Staples yet but I will tomorrow and I decided I am sending Bratfink HER package via UPS.  It's a matter of convenience at this point since I have no assurance that there won't be long lines at the post office.  The postwoman told me, when she dropped off a package here for our next door neighbor that won't fit in her box (we have great rural drivers), that the amount of mail and packages leaving here have been incredible there.  I don't want to end up stuck in a long line so UPS it is!  I may even order my stamps I will need after I get these Christmas cards out via the internet.  Why not?

So, I have wrapping stuff, Christmas card boxes, winter clothes waiting to be hung up (another bin down when that's accomplished), folded clothes, hangers, summer clothes waiting to be put in the empty bin...well, you get the picture.  Plus my normal stuff on the craft table.  Sewing machine...cut out pattern waiting to be sewn up, bag with my current crocheting project (afghan), my storage box for threads, pins, etc.  The room looks PACKED!    But, it's the warmest room in the house and it will be cleared up in a few more days.

The Beast wants me to take a look around Staples for the chair and desk I might want.  Phew!  I was afraid we would be making that trip to the Unfinished Furniture place in Huntsville again and that would mean a long term project for the Beast with all this cold weather.  You really can't stain and varnish furniture in a cold garage.  So, I will look around and see if there is anything I like.  If not, I will be searching online...sigh.  At least he cared enough to ask me what I wanted.  Somehow, I knew the freezer would be last on his list.    To him, it's more a pain since it uses electricity and that might run up the bill.  Hey!  He needs that money for HIS stuff.  **Rolling eyes here**

The Princess read my blog and knew about the Italian beef so guess who came to lunch today?  I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.    I forgot to ask her about how the baby reacted to Santa Claus but ended up phoning her because Bratfink wanted to know too.  I forgot to ask because we were talking about Buttmunch and Sheepie.  I need to know when Sheepie is coming or wants to come so I can get her ticket bought.  The Beast wants to bring her to either Huntsville or Birmingham so I need to get exact dates FAST!  I don't want to miss the special 10-day prior pricing.  It's expensive enough, trust me.

Oh, and they didn't take her to see Santa last Sunday.  They will take her this Sunday instead.  Chewlee was so in love with the displays at the Botanical Garden that she didn't want to leave.  As it was, even when they took her to the car and put her in her car seat, she couldn't take her eyes off it.  She cried when they finally left.  So she will do her visit with Santa this coming Sunday.

Poor Princess.  She's very torn over what to get Johnnycakes.  She's come up with some good ideas and given me a couple, too, albeit she didn't realize it.    At least I know what he needs.  (Forget it, Johnnycakes...no clues from ME!)  I already know what I am getting the Beast so it's just a matter of getting to Lowe's and getting it for him.  I know it's never a good idea to buy a man tools but....I do know all he has and what he will find useful.  I know he'll use it and that's the main thing.  I bought him a Dremel a couple Christmas's ago and I think he gave it to someone without telling me.  He won't admit it NOW but I know he knows where ALL his tools are so his *it must have gotten lost in the move* shit doesn't wash with me.  I wanted to use it, too, so he messed me up that way.

Time to get all these folded clothes put away, then it's the shower for me.  I have my warm jammies on because there is more and fouler weather coming our way.  It's in the Midwest right now but we are going to get it, too.  Possibly even more snow here. 

After I got the cigarettes, I finally managed to back out of the area I was kind of pinned in without hitting one of the jerks that didn't seem to notice my backup lights on.  Drivers are the same everywhere, I swear.  Then, as I drove towards Wal Mart, I noticed.....the parking lots was almost full!    I know.  And it's still kind of early.  I could hardly believe how packed the store was with shoppers.  They had carts full of what you knew were going to be presents because I doubt very much that the grandmother-types I saw play with Fisher-Price toys. 

I figured I might as well do the *stroll* down the toy aisles and then through the clothing sections I was interested in.  I found myself a couple neat light jackets for only $3.00 each.  And they are NICE.    I will get use from them since I don't really have any sweaters I can just slip on when the weather is so-so.  I found a couple things I liked for the baby and for Tara's little guy, too.  I'll probably pick them up in the next day or so.  I will have to run out tomorrow, even though I hate to because I spent 3 hours at Wal Mart, on my feet and then standing in a long line.  By the time I got out of there, I couldn't stand the idea of hitting another store.  I still need to get some photo mailers so I will be hitting Staples tomorrow and want to see if I can find one of the ergopens like Bratfink has.  Those look neat and might solve the cramping problem I get when I have to write for a long time.  My Christmas cards have to be out by this weekend or I'll go nutty.  I have to try to get to the post office then, too, although my next-door neighbor said the lines were long there today.  I might wait until Wednesday to mail them out but we shall see what the day brings me.  If I get some good sleep tonight, it might be easier.

It was funny this morning because I was up before the Beast was and actually was waiting for him to get up before I made too much noise.  Not a problem because I played some Trivial Pursuit and then did my daily crossword while I was waiting.  He was shocked I was up, about and dressed already.  It got worse when I got busy.  He looked at me and said, *You know, you're scary when you get like this.*    It reminded me of what Ron says to Hermione in one of the Harry Potter movies (but for a lot less reason).

I asked him to do one thing...and one thing ONLY before I left.  I gave him over 3 hours to do it in, too.  I asked him to please take down the tree from the attic.  When I got home, there was one section of it down.  The rest went by the wayside as soon as his package arrived via UPS.  Yes, he bought himself another *gadget*.  This one looks expensive because it came in an aluminum case that looks like a small suitcase.  It's for calibrating his monitor, I kid you not.  I waited all afternoon and into the evening (I had stuff to put away, including separating the meat into smaller packages for us) and I finished folding the last load of clothes I had put in the dryer before I left.  Socks and underwear mostly so no big deal that it had to wait.  I finally told him, *You should probably put the stairs up so you can pull the car into the garage.*  He thought it was a smart idea so he ran out to do that so he could get back to calibrating his monitor.  That was the fastest I saw him move all day.

So, that means that tomorrow morning we will get up early (I hope), get the rest of the tree down from the attic and all the lighting and Christmas decorations down while we are at it.  He SAYS he will put the tree together for me and I almost fell over when he volunteered that.  He must really be feeling guilty about me dragging all the groceries in PLUS getting it all put away.  Whatever it is, I'm glad to take advantage of it while it lasts.

I'm beat now and I keep getting cramps in my ankles of all places.  I guess all of me got a workout today....LOL.  I'm glad I restocked my pantry and now I have some of the Princess's and Chewlee's favorites for them.  I also picked up some really nice rolls for the Italian beef.  Green peppers were a bit pricey but at least they are decent sizes.  I should be set with meats, etc. for the next two weeks and not have to shop again until I get ready for Xmas.  Buttmunch is coming in on the 23rd so she can help me there.  If I go to pick her up, we can stop on our way back home for whatever is needed.  I actually think I have most everything I will need for that except for the ham, if that is indeed what we have.  At this point, I am turkeyed out and ham is sounding really good to me.

The warmest it got today was 39 degrees so I think it's safe to say that winter has definitely turned its face toward us.  I doubt we will have any unexpected warm days ahead.  It's a good thing, I suppose, because it will make me more apt to do all the Christmas decorating.  I'm a glutton for punishment with doing it when it's cold outside.  I don't just do INSIDE decorating.  I would do more outside if we had a ladder tall enough for me to reach the gutters.  I keep thinking I'm going to buy one for the Beast for some sort of celebration but I have the problem of getting it home.  I don't really know anyone with a truck...worse, where would I hide it?  Oh, I know.  Just occurred to me where I could keep it until Xmas but....there's still the problem of transport.  Oh well.  Nice idea but it will have to wait for another time.

After getting a little bit done around here, and not nearly what I wanted to, I laid back in my recliner (not a smart idea) and promptly fell asleep for three whole hours!    I kid you not!  And I had slept well during the night so I have no idea why.   I hate when shit like that happens because it blows my whole day. 

I DID get dinner made (Italian beef sandwich's courtesy of Portillo's of Chicago).  I made up some cooked green peppers for mine since the Beast could care less.  If the Princess comes for lunch late enough tomorrow (I DO need to get some better buns than I had so that means shopping), she will get a surprise.  Unless, of course, she reads this but I am counting on her not doing it before she goes to work.    I want to find out if she's already registered for school for next semester, too, and what courses she's taking.

I still have stuff that needs hanging up and I have a load of clothes in the dryer so that will be my BIG deal *stuff I got done* for today.  I'm beginning to feel like the Beast with that attitude....LOL.  Him and his *one big project for each day* thing he has.  Sheesh.  I'm getting old when I start acting like HIM!

So my day has been one of calm albeit non-productive.  The Beast made a crack to me today about *not coming out of my room since June or July* and I just shot him *that look*.  One day, *that look* WILL kill....one can only hope.  He starts making cracks like that until I start out doing my shopping.  Then he starts wishing I was *back in my room*.    But that's the Grinch in him coming back.

Is anyone but me annoyed at the new series about Steven Segal?  He's become a fat slob that shouldn't even be starring in movies about any kind of self-defense and now he's a cop?  I don't care how long he's been one, nor the fact that he was already a Buddhist and teaching self-defense when he was *discovered* by Hollywood.  He's arrogant, self-centered and egotistical and he can't shake that showing no matter what he's doing.  I guess since he was judged to be a reincarnation of Buddha, he's trying very hard to look the part.    From what I understand, he was supposedly a cop already when he started making movies.  Woo hoo!  I'm impressed.  NOT.

So far, no more forecasts of snow.  I also haven't heard from the Princess about Chewlee's day at the Gardens or her visit with Santa Claus.  I'm anxious to hear about it, one way or another.  I hope she got a good picture of her with him.  Those are always cute in family albums.   I told Buttmunch we need to figure on when we will bring Sheepie up for Xmas.  I need to find out what the Princess's schedule is for that week.  Maybe we can share the drive getting her back and forth from Atlanta so we only have to make the drive once each. 

I was talking about his working out at the gym.  I said something like *trust me, he's no body-builder.*  He took it to mean I was saying he was *puny* and it hurt his feelings.  OMG...it wasn't what I meant at all.  I assumed he would know that a body builder is someone so obsessed with building up his muscles that it is to the exclusion of everything else.  Body builders are self-centered and egotistical personalities.  I dislike them intensely and am so very grateful he is NOT like them.  I made an assumption that he would KNOW this but he didn't and I am heartily sorry for this misunderstanding.  I love you, Johnnycakes....don't ever change.  Next time you aren't sure of what I mean...for heaven's sake...ASK ME!  I will be happy to explain to you what I meant.

NEWS FLASH!

When I woke up, I was surprised to find I actually felt much better.  My chest feels better and my cough sounds a lot less threatening and much softer.  So far, no fever either.  I am, however, continuing the antibiotics because I think it's giving my body an assist.  For all of you that have expressed concern, thank you for your prayers.  I don't think it's swine flu, TYVM.  Nor does it seem to be pneumonia (although I have had the shot for it).  Even when it felt awful, I could still lay down flat without feeling like I couldn't breathe.  That's the one thing I couldn't do when I had pneumonia once, a long time ago. 

The Beast went to the dentist again today.  This dentist seems to know what he's doing.  He really checked out the Beast's mouth and told him that he didn't have enough bone in his jaw to support an implant.  It would require going in through his nasal passage to add material to build up the bone.  The cost?  Try $8000.  And that was just for building up the bone. It didn't include the cost of the 3D Xray that had to be done in Gadsden for some reason the Beast couldn't remember clearly since he was so shocked.  So we would be talking a total here, with the bone surgery, implant and new bridge of almost $12K, not including the specialty Xray.  No thanks, said the Beast.  He's going back to the original dentist (which this dentist suggested) and having the grinding out of the filling and putting in a new one (it's a bit delicate since it's right at the gum line) and just keeping the tooth and bridge he has.  So, he's paid out $250. for nothing to be done so far.    Figures, doesn't it?

We went out to Country Crock for Linner.  That's what you call a late lunch, early dinner.  And what does the Beast order when we get there?  Breakfast.    I kid you not.  Must have made him a real favorite in the kitchen.  I almost don't care what I eat there as long as it includes their cooked apples.  They are just so darned tasty.  I make some at home but mine are different.  I finally realized just today that they use Granny Smith apples for it.  I am going to give them a try the next time I make mine.

The Beast insisted we take Baron with us since Baron was antsy and feeling confined.  He's always so good in the car, even when he has to stay inside it when we go into a restaurant.  He also knows he will get a treat when we return....LOL.  It was only 45 degrees out and I worry about him getting cold but the Beast really warmed up the car on our way there (it was HOT in the car).  Baron was fine and the inside of the car was actually comfortable when we returned and we were in there for almost an hour.

I was surprised to find out that the fireplaces in those restaurants are REAL.  I mean, they burn wood, not gas with fake logs.    We sat right in front of the one at our local CC , which is about 8 feet from the hearth and I was amazed at how much heat it threw out.  We watched it closely and saw the typical real wood burning ashes fall and the sparks fly upward.  I know there is no such *fake* display that has those effects.  Finally, one of the logs on it fell apart and down and we were sure!  I would love to know what the difference is in THAT fireplace design and the one at my brother-in-law's house.  His doesn't throw out half the heat this one did and the fireplaces are about the same size.  Hmmmm.

I made a joke as we were driving to the restaurant about getting there for an early *Early Bird* special and the Beast said he hoped we didn't have to wait until it started.  CC doesn't have early bird specials, thankfully, because I hope we never turn into one of those people that get all pissed off if they miss one or, worse, seem to LIVE for those.  I hated it in Florida and swore then that we would never get like that.  I couldn't believe it when I found out AM, his aunt, and her daughter actually keep track of which restaurant has different specials and how much they cost.  His cousin, CB, actually knows how much they save over *regular* prices, too.    She really IS a penny-pinching miser.  Unless, of course, she's spending her mother's money.  Oh, then it's different.  She would spend her broke!  You pick up on that easily enough when you are around her long enough.  It's part of the reason I hate visiting AM.  I love AM to death and will grieve mightily when she dies.  But CB....that's a different story.  I have a feeling not many people will be visiting her once her mother is dead.  She just doesn't have the big, caring heart her mother has.

I'll share a story about CB.  When her brother's wife left him, she and AM rushed up to help him out during the stressful time he had for a while.  They found him a housekeeper/sitter that lived in after a couple weeks and returned home to their lives.  Each year after that, CB would take the kids for a week during the summer and take them on a vacation they probably would never have had without her.  That was the good part.  She also bought them new clothes for the vacation.  That was a good part, right?  Here's the part that *gets to* me.  When they were ready to return home, all the clothes she had bought stayed with her.  She did NOT send it home with them.  She kept them because she wanted them to *stay nice* and said they would be there for them the next time they came to visit.  Well, that wouldn't be for another six months to a year, depending on certain things.  It was AT LEAST six months since they usually tried to visit around Xmas. 

You know how kids grow.  Well, it never failed.  When they returned, all those clothes (and they were expensive ones, I'll say that much) were too small for them.  To me, that's just a waste.  Did she learn from that?  No.  It continued until they moved closer to AM and CB.  Then, there was no need for CB to buy them clothes and they stopped going on vacations with CB because she took all the fun out of any fun they might have had by being a *tight-ass* as the kids put it.  They either were not *behaving* like she felt they should or they *might get hurt*.  If you think about it, there's not much that a kid can do that doesn't leave open a chance to get hurt.  Hell, you can do it just jumping rope.  And CB had it down pat.  She even criticized their choices of shirts if it *didn't have any color*.  What gives with that??  Or, she wouldn't like the color they chose.  They just didn't enjoy anything if CB was around and started really disliking her for the constant pick, pick, picking and her *fears*.  To this day, they love AM but don't like CB because SHE STILL DOES IT!

For this reason, because she spent a week or so with them every year, she tells people she *helped raise* those kids.  I still find it hard not to say to her, *Raising kids takes more than a week a year, CB.*  As old as she is, she will never believe it. She is one of those that are an authority on everything.  "Nuff said.

Another vent that I hadn't planned on.  Don't know why it occurred to me today.  Who knows?  Oh well.  Time to close this for now.  I need to check out some stuff.  I'm learning why Bratfink closed down her Facebook.  Sheesh.  With just our relatives, I've always got someone writing on my wall.  Usually several.  I swear there are people on it all the time.  I can't do that.  I have other stuff to do. 

Love you all.  Hope your weather is better than ours.  We haven't seen the sun for a couple days now and am having a lot of gentle raining going on.  Our humidity is incredibly high and my hair is a mess because of it.  No fun there.  Isn't it bad enough that I am old and wrinkled without having a bad hair day, too? 

The day was about as dreary as I felt.  It also rained a couple times but never for too long.  Thank goodness or we would never have gotten Baron outside to do what he had to do out there.  The Beast would have been pissed if he had to clean up in the house because our dog is a wuss.    "Cause you KNOW that *I* am not gonna be doing anything like that for HIS buddy.

Tara dropped by this morning.  Was a real breeze in and breeze out.  Actually, it's more like a hurricane when she comes over.  Even the dog gets hyper.    I SWEAR it's her aura.  Then the Princess came by for lunch.  Good thing I have some leftovers here that she loves AND I opened a chilled can of cranberry sauce for her since she said she missed it on Thanksgiving.  I forgot to put it out but we had so much....... Usually I am the only one I notice has any but she claims both she and Johnnycakes would have eaten some.  She wants me to make my homemade cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner.  I didn't know she remembered me making that but she did.  So I have to put that on my list although I told her I would probably make a ham for Christmas.  It all depends on what the majority have a taste for when I ask them.  I would make it anyway because I like it on ham, too.

The Beast went to the dentist today.  I found out yesterday that it had been bothering him for quite a while so I just grabbed the phone and got him into the dentist that day.  Damn men.  He has a hard time with his lower plate that he ended up having to get because he wouldn't go to a dentist until his teeth were falling out by themselves.  I was shocked that it wasn't gingivitis doing it but it wasn't.  I told him to stop being a jerk or he would end up having to get a top plate and then he would starve to death because he's such a pussy about that.  I swear, it's 95% ATTITUDE that makes a difference and his sucks!

Turns out the tooth bothering him (a molar) is one that holds a bridge in place.  Figures, right?  So the dentist sends him to ANOTHER dentist that can pull it out and put an implant in.  *sigh*  So he goes today and SOAB! but the only dentist there is one that *pulls* teeth.  He can't do that until the bridge is removed so the Beast has to return, yet again, tomorrow.  What the hell is all this specialization nowadays????  Honest to god, it's enough to make you vomit and just another way to get more money out of you.  We found out the implant ALONE costs $1550.    I know!  Took me a while to get up off the floor after that one.  He always waits until whatever he needs done costs us a fortune.  If he had taken care of it right away, we wouldn't have this worry now.  But that's a man for you.  Babies about a dentist.

I decided I wanted some soup but didn't have the energy for making chicken soup.  I decided that, since I dreamt about it last night, I would make some bean soup with ham.  I froze some ham last month after the Beast brought a really nice Smithfield one home.  I make some 16-bean soup even though I would have loved to make split pea but I will make that later this month when the kids are here since they love it, too.  I know both the Beast and I will be sorry for this with the inevitable aftermath of eating beans but....OMG...it's so good!  It's worth it!    I also made some dinner rolls and didn't burn the bottoms this time.  The Beast said he's had a taste for them since Thanksgiving and so did I.  It was wonderful. 

I took some Dayquil for the cold but all it really did was dry up my sinuses for me.  For that, I was very grateful.  Bratfink says Dayquil makes her wired up and feeling like she's going to have a heart attack or something. The Boy  finally threw out a whole bottle of it after a year of it sitting there since Bratfink told him about the experience and said she wouldn't ever take it again.    Must have really been something!  It does nothing but dry up my sinuses.  I also don't even bother taking Nyquil because it does absolutely nothing for me.  Never has.  The Beast is off to dreamland after one dose, however.  I've always had a high tolerance for pain so it takes a LOT to affect me in any way.  The doctors found that out the hard way a couple times.  If I complain of pain, I am REALLY in pain.  I think its the aftermath of all my years suffering with chronic ear infections when I was a kid.  The pain was incredible and I tried so hard not to disturb anyone (there were always babies in the house and toddlers).  I think when I would finally sleep, it was more from exhaustion or I would just go unconscious.  When the eardrum finally burst and spewed out all the infection, I would sometimes sleep for a couple days.

It's why I have a lot of empathy for people in pain.  I know what it's like.  And people with diseases or illnesses that go on-and-on-and-on....I can hardly endure thinking about what it's like for them.  I treat them with the greatest kindness because I truly understand a little of what that can be like.  I also thank god that I don't suffer that way any more.

Well, now that I have thoroughly grossed you out, I will call it a day and get this posted for your reading pleasure.  Love you all and I hope your day is wonderful and you stay healthy.  Smile as often as you can.  Pass one on to someone that doesn't have one.