Just when I am thinking my life is settled into a nice, kind of peaceful pace, I get hit with a lot of melodrama and an attempt to try to make me feel guilty at this late stage of my life.    Let me explain.

It seems that Sheepie's father has been drinking (more) and doing some serious drugs.  The man has always been a piece of shit as far as I was concerned but that's neither here nor there.  When he kidnapped his daughter years ago, we all worried sick about what she was possibly going through since his family also came from that same cesspool that he emerged from.  However, when she was found and we finally got to see her after all the (lost and unrecoverable) years, we found out he had treated her decently, had not abused her in any way (except for constantly moving and the parade of *stepmothers* aka girlfriends) and she was basically a very sweet, if naive, young lady.

I was happy that she and her mother were reunited even if they couldn't be together all the time.  They started talking on a daily basis and became friends.  We (the grandparents) paid for her tickets to travel up here a couple times a year so she could be with family on holidays and get to know everyone again.  We were happy to do that much for both our daughter (whom we also brought down here so she could be with her daughter) and our granddaughter.  I provided spending money for both of them, especially at Xmas since my daughter hasn't worked in a couple years.  She lives with a man that does the best he can for her but it's sometimes kind of lean.

Now, the sperm donor father obviously did too much coke and vodka last weekend and ended up beating up his current girlfriend and she had to be taken to the hospital for her injuries.  No surprise there.  He had my daughter in a cast more than once (but she hid that from us until much later....after she had finally left him for good).  The sperm donor father spent four days in jail and will have to go to court soon.  I expect he just may have to spend some time in jail but he might get out of it with extended probation and anger management because he does have a daughter that is dependent on him.  We just don't know what his court-appointed lawyer will try to use to keep him out of jail.

BUT...instead of her mother being happy and seizing on this opportunity to lay  claim to her daughter, it seems it has suddenly become OUR responsibility to take in our teenage granddaughter.  How much simpler that would be...for our daughter, not for us.  We are no more ready to take on another teenager than we are ready to jump into a crematorium oven and get it over with.  I am now in my mid-60's.  The Beast is almost 70.  He's had two strokes and a cancerous bladder tumor.  His health and humor suck.  I am diabetic and have IBS...all things I did not have when we were keeping our oldest daughter's child for the school year and her mother took her every summer.  It was when child services was finally called on her and we found out they were living in a car and an abandoned trailer with no electricity or water that we knew we had to take in the Princess or she would end up dead somewhere or somehow all because my daughter was totally addicted to drugs.  Worse, she was *hooking* to put food in their mouths AND still get her drugs.

Since they were living upstate from us and we were totally in the dark about their situation, we were so horrified I can't even begin to tell you.  It was then that I knew that my daughter was a total loss.  If she could abandon her own flesh and blood that way.  I no longer cared what happened to HER but the daughter didn't deserve it.  There was no *father* to turn to since he had actually been just that...a sperm donor.  He disappeared into the night like a wisp of smoke.

Unlike Sheepie, who had a mother that gave up her daughter to the father for a summer so she could party and thought she could just pick up things when summer was over.  But life has it funny twists, doesn't it?  Sheepie disappeared and that was that.  It was eight years later that she was found.  Sheepie was thrilled to find out that the whole family had been keeping their eyes out for her and searching online for any traces.  It was, I believe, a popular kid's site (I want to say Facebook but I may be wrong there) where she was finally found once she had access to the computer.  She was found and the rest is history.

However, here is where the melodrama comes in....IF the father goes to jail, where will Sheepie end up?  Her mother thinks WE should take her in.  We have an extra bedroom so not a big deal right?  Wrong.  We don't need to complicate our life at this stage of it.  We should have some peace and time without headaches...and a teenager IS a headache.  Her mother started saying that it would mean a bigger apartment and double the rent for them.  Well, gee!  Isn't that awful?  Kids are never *convenient*.  We know.  We had four.  I remember the struggle going from a one bedroom to a 2 bedroom and then a 3 bedroom, with the increased costs. 

Our lives have been full of taking care of kids.  It started with one of my sister's that we got custody of when we weren't married all that long and we were young.  Then it was a brother, and it only got more and more mind-boggling and expensive as the siblings (mine, of course) were older as they ended up with us and we had our kids besides.  We could never turn them away.  We were younger then and we both worked.  Our life was hard...and made harder by the fact that the kids (ours) got into trouble, used drugs (all but the youngest one) and were always *needy* for one thing or another.  Mostly cash or a car or something.  It's always been something.  We were lied to and manipulated by our kids one way or another.  We've also loaned money to my siblings but we pretty much wrote that off since that happened when life was finally getting good for us and it wasn't a hardship.  We only have one kid that repaid us for something we did for him.  The Princess has, at least, repaid us for everything we have done for her.  She is in the process of repaying us for the second car we've financed for her (the first was when she was much younger) and also the ATV she is buying from us.  That is almost paid for now, if I am not mistaken.  She's a working fool and has always worked as soon as she was able.  Even after having the baby, she was back to work within six weeks. 

It's not even the money that we find important.  It's the fact that her word has always been good.  If she said she was going to repay us, she has.  Our daughter thinks it's about the money and she says she offered to pay for her clothes and *stuff* (she must had told that to her dad, who told her NO to begin with).  She seems to miss the point entirely that we are TIRED.  We are tired of raising kids and a teenager is still a kid and their lives are nothing but melodrama and constant fighting about something or another.  My memory may not be fantastic but I sure do remember that!

I told my daughter that we would be happy to get her daughter up to her if she so chooses.  If not, don't try to make out like we owe her something because we took in her sister's daughter all those years ago.  It was a different situation and we were younger then.  We really didn't want to do it and spent almost 3 hours in the car on the drive up discussing it, although we had a feeling it might come to that.  It's what happens when you have a kid on drugs who has a child they can't take care of at all.  It's obvious that there is still a lot of jealousy there when she shouldn't feel ANY.  She (Sheepie's mother) turned out to be a better person than her sister and she won't end up dead under a bridge somewhere, unloved and perhaps unclaimed even. 

We shouldn't have to make drastic changes in OUR lives because our daughter doesn't want to make any in HERS.  It's HER daughter.  She is young and healthy.  She missed those years in Sheepie's life and now has a chance to reclaim some of the time before Sheepie makes a life away from her.  From my point of view, she should be eager to do that.  Nothing and no one should interfere with that priority.  I think there has been enough melodrama in OUR lives to last us forever or until we die, which will probably happen a lot sooner than forever. 

I almost got to find out if the Princess dressed up Chewlee for the preschool Halloween Party today.  I wasn't supposed to pick her up, as I mentioned, since the Princess got off work early enough to do that herself.  However, about 5:10pm, I got a frantic call from her to pick up Chewlee since she was still with customers and couldn't leave them.  However, when I checked, the Beast was gone in the car and the truck still had the trailer with the ATV on it attached. 

I called back with an SOS since the Beast had not taken either of his phones with him.  She said (as if it was MY fault) that IF she could get back to the customers, she might be able to finish up and still get Chewlee.  So, I sweat it out and hoped that the Beast got home quickly from wherever he was ...just in case!  When he walked in the door, I called the Princess's work # and found out she was just walking out the door so I breathed a sigh of relief since she was much closer than I was anyway.  I yelled at the Beast for going out without a phone on him and he just shrugged and said I should have figured he wouldn't be gone long since he took Baron with him.  I reminded him that he often takes the dog down by the river for a run and he's gone a long time when he does.  He forgot about that.

End result was that I don't know if Chewlee dressed up or not.  *Sigh*  Oh well.  I'm not even sure if the Princess or Johnnycakes has plans on taking her to any of the local events for the kids.  I do remember how it was always a real event for the Princess as a kid and her costume had to be *just right* or she pouted.  It sometimes took days to figure out what she even wanted to wear.  At least Chewlee is at the age that she will wear whatever Mommy picks out and the Princess doesn't have to worry about THAT being a problem.  I almost can't wait until it IS a problem for her.  Paybacks are a bitch. 

I did check on the candy stash and I have a bowl handy to put it in when we find out if we will get any kids at all this year.  I have always tried to keep candy here...just in case....even when we didn't have little kids living nearby.  But, we have two families now with kids...make that three...almost forgot about the original kid that has lived here for the last two years.  He's older and what you would call *portly* so I'm not sure if his mom and dad will let him do the T or T thing.  He didn't last year.  The ones I would love to see are the little ones from the family that lives in the house where Baron cuts through their yard to beat the Beast home when they do their *run* around the circle.  I love when the little ones dress up and come to the door.  They are always so adorable.  I believe there are four that look like they are 8 and under but I'm only guessing.  The other new family, the kids are a little older than that but not by much.  And there are only two of them that I have seen.

I got a package yesterday of some things I ordered for Christmas.  They're decorations and they are so neat!  I got two of each; one is a Santa and the other is a snowman.  They stick on either doors or windows and they are lit from within but....they change color.  It goes from white to blue to green to red and so on.  I put one on the window just above the top of my monitor last night and watched it and they are going to look so cool!  I will be putting up the outside lights probably the weekend before Thanksgiving so that our house is fully decorated during the Holidays.  I am so looking forward to this, I can't even begin to tell you.  It's my favorite holiday and I am like a little kid.  I love to get gifts and see people open them.  I love it when I get that perfect gift for them although that's not always possible.  But...I DO try.

The Beast is feeling a bit under the weather tonight so he went to bed early after a hot bath and a swig of Nyquil.  He swears by that stuff and loves the original green stuff.  I can tolerate the red but I actually prefer Theraflu.  It's for more than just the flu these days...

I am not going to go into real specifics for many reasons but I just found out about someone I know/knew that committed suicide last week.  He was the brother of someone I happen to love a great deal (and, no, it's not the Beast's )  It really made me angry.  I'm angry at the person for many reasons.  The one that really hits me initially about it is that he was doing it when he did to ruin what should have been a happy event for the family.  I haven't spoken to them directly yet so I don't know if they found out about it before or after the event.  However, knowing the selfishness of the person involved, I have a hunch it was part of his plan to make sure they heard about it BEFORE the event.

I won't claim to know the person very well.  I only met him a few times at various events but I labeled him a male *drama-queen* because he had a way of spoiling things for his family and others when he couldn't get his own way.  He had some serious problems, mostly drug-related.  He left behind a nice son who loved his father despite all his failings (but all kids are like that..you love your parents and just want them to love you, too).

I saw him on a couple occasions cause a scene at gatherings (special events with family and friends attending) where he would be drunk and high on drugs because he wanted to embarrass his mother and siblings when the mother wouldn't give him money.  She had stopped doing it because it was only going to feed his habit.  He had been in rehab several times and just started back down the same trail within weeks of getting *clean and sober*.  He stole from the family business to the point that he was finally banned from the premises.  They never prosecuted him (since he WAS family) but it often caused a hardship on the mother emotionally since this was her only son.  The sisters were also running low on hope.  It took a lot for them to admit they no longer trusted him nor wanted him around.  Their hearts all ached because he was, after all, still their brother.  It was just a sad situation all around.

But, my anger is for the brother.  He is the one that chose drugs over his family, even his wife and son.  He is the one that was so totally self-centered  that it was always, always about HIM.  When he couldn't have his way, he created a scene.  Even now, I do not have any sympathy for him because I think his suicide was a total act of melodrama and it was not because he was despondent, unless he was upset about not getting his way nor being the center of attention. 

I have no idea of just how he chose to commit suicide but...if he did it with drugs, I will make you a bet that he really hoped to be found and rushed to the hospital and saved.  That would garner him the attention he craved (plus he would get more drugs) and the sympathy he needed like a drug.  The fact that his mother and sisters were going to be celebrating what should be a happy occasion just had to rub him the wrong way since he was not part of it (and probably wasn't welcome either since that would have been a disaster).  Hell, one way or another, he was going to ruin it for them anyway.

Now, if he blew his brains out or hung himself, then I will know he really wanted out of his problems and just tied the two events together to cause as much sorrow and misery as he could since he felt that way.  He wanted to punish them all for HIS mistakes, HIS problems, HIS choices in life.  He couldn't take the blame for anything and he sure didn't want anyone else to be happy when he was miserable.

I think many suicides are driven by the same kind of motives.  Seldom are there true despondent people that are ignored.  I'm not talking about the tragic teenage suicides but about adults that have many more years and knowledge of the help available to them if they just reach out.  I'm talking about the ones like the brother....self-centered and self-serving.

The family will, of course, feel deep sorrow and they will still feel like they somehow failed their loved one.  It will leave scars on their hearts and minds for years to come.  It's much easier for some reason to think *if only I had done this or that, maybe it would have been different*..than to accept the fact that the choices were not theirs to make but HIS.  It's a lot like tough love.  You have to learn to accept the fact that you are NOT responsible for the choices someone makes.  You ARE responsible if you make excuses for them and enable them by bailing them out or giving them cash or give them power over you because you keep making excuses for them.  Some people are just never going to be worth your time, effort or emotional well-being.  We should mourn the person they might have been but accept the fact that THEIR CHOICES made that impossible. 

I pray that the family doesn't grieve too long or too hard.  That they put what happened into the proper perspective for their own happiness.  Keep any good memories close to their hearts and don't take any responsibility for the rest.  Say a prayer for them, if you don't mind because I love them all dearly.

Today, of all days, I decided I had to make a run to Walmart for a few things we were totally out of, like creamer and aluminum foil that the Beast needs for some reason.  I think it has to do with the rifles, mainly because that's what he was messing with when he asked me if we had any.

From a bright, sunny day, it got a little bit overcast.  Not seriously overcast because we were still getting flashes of sunlight.  The schools let the kids go home early because Weatherbug was forecasting a severe thunderstorm alert and the sky started looking kind of *iffy*.  When I checked the radar online, it was showing a couple fronts, including a huge one coming from the Midwest. 

Like most people, I do not claim to understand all the various colors or the various frames they often put up but, if the footnotes are clear, I CAN get a pretty good idea of what's in store for our area.  It didn't look all that bad; everything depended on how fast the storm was moving.  When it came time to pick up Chewlee (I had been watching the weather closely in case I needed to pick up Chewlee early), the sky was a bit overcast but not dark and threatening.

That all changed once we got to Walmart.  Suddenly the sky got almost black and then the rain came pouring down.  They announced over the intercom that it would be a good idea for everyone to try to complete their shopping because we were under a tornado watch.  And then the sirens started...........!

They sound the sirens when a tornado has been spotted OR when one looks like it's forming in the clouds and just hasn't dropped down yet.  I think it was the latter reason that ours went off.  Chewlee and I finished grabbing what I needed and got through the line as quickly as we could.  We waited out front for a break in the rain and made a run for the car.  We got most of the way home before the rain started coming down harder than the wipers could keep the window cleared.  I really worried about getting home but we made it!

The Princess called to tell me she was trying to get home from work since that was closer than coming here to get Chewlee and she couldn't see more than two feet in front of her.  She said she would come to get Chewlee when the weather calmed down or passed.  It seems Johnnycakes had come much earlier to pick up Chewlee but, of course, she was with me at Walmart.

So, Chewlee ate some spaghetti while watching Diego and then played with my flashlight for a while.  She hadn't been able to do it for a while because the batteries had died.  I remembered that I needed them (mainly because of the weather and the real possibility that we might lose power) and replaced them as soon as we put all the other things away.

So, here we are.  It's after 7pm and it's still raining hard outside.  Weatherbug keeps chirping to let me know that the tornado alert is now a tornado watch so I guess the storm will be passing us shortly.  I know the Midwest got hit hard with tornadoes because one man at Walmart, visiting her from Cincinnati, works for a large trucking outfit that has a huge terminal in Markham, Illinois.  I guess I should say *had* because it was hit and just flattened by a tornado.

What's funny is that they told me they were planning on moving here in the near future.  It was why they were here in the first place.  They had visited earlier in the year and fallen in love with the area and the people.  I told them I could understand that since it still amazed me how nice the people here were.  They shared some of the same experiences and feelings about being greeted by people they didn't know at various shopping centers and stores.  They loved the *good mornings* and being looked right in the face when people were walking towards you.  They said they hadn't really realized that it's almost like people up North try NOT to look directly at you because it might be dangerous or something.

It was almost 8:30pm before the Princess finally came to get Chewlee.  I could understand why she was freaking out so much earlier in the day.  She showed me a couple pictures she took of a tornado across the way from her work place.  It was at least a few blocks away but I was   She also experienced a tornado a couple months back that scoured her poor car and caused about half the value of the car to repair when all was said and done.  She's not exactly fond of tornado weather. 

We'll find out later what damage was done in the surrounding areas because the sirens went off at least five or six times this evening.  At least we never lost power, just television reception (satellite) and internet (ditto).

That's what Chewlee told me when I picked her up from preschool.  *We gotta hurry, Gramma!  Winter's coming!*  When I asked her WHY we had to hurry, she just gave me this look like I was asking a really dumb question.  I told her that it was going to be a while longer before winter got here and she just said, *You'll see!*  You can't argue with a kid that has her mind made up, can you? 

It did make me wonder just why she was so sure it was going to happen before we got safely home.  Knowing Chewlee, it could be something she overheard so there's no way to tell.

For some unknown and unfathomable reason, Chewlee was sent home from preschool today with NO PULLUPS ON!    I know.  We didn't find out until the Princess got here.  Chewlee told me she farted and that was why she smelled stinky and she fought me checking her out.  I warned her that she wouldn't be able to fool mommy but she ignored me and just sat in her Dora chair.  I was trying to get dinner done and figured I would check her out after I finished making it.  However, the Princess got here a bit earlier than expected so, when she went to check her, she whomped her bottom for lying (she had said she didn't poop) and, when she pulled off the jeans (which had a wet streak down the inseams) the lack of pullups was discovered.  It was a real mess since Chewlee obviously is still suffering from a bit of diarrhea.  The Princess was livid and said they were not going to be happy in the morning because there was no excuse for that.  They usually send home a note if she needs to give them more pullups and she had no note.  I recall that they have used other kids pullups at times when they run short and just replace them the next day when the Princess drops more off. 

Chewlee was not a happy camper going home since her mother was angry with her AND with the school.  I know she's going to be VERY good the next few days because Chewlee hates when her mother is upset with her.

I made some spaghetti for dinner for us tonight and I think the Princess will probably come over for lunch tomorrow since she knows I made it.  I also made us some Texas Toast (the five cheese type) and added just a touch more shredded mozzarella cheese on it.  It all was scrumptious. 

The thunderstorm hit here last night before I went to bed.  There was definitely rain, thunder and lightning but no tornadoes nor any hail, thank goodness.  I went to sleep with the thunder all around us but it was a kind of lullaby to me with the sound of the rain, too.  It helps drown out the Beast's snores.    Tonight it won't get down very far (just in high 60's) but no rain.  The forecast for tomorrow is rain, however, with a high around 80.  I'm pretty sure this will be the last hurrah for warm weather since it's always gone before Halloween and you know how close THAT is now. 

Chewlee spent the night, as I mentioned in yesterday's blog (we are talking about her spending Saturday night with me).  She resisted going to bed at first but she was tired.  She hadn't napped so I knew she had to be.  I tucked her in, kissed her goodnight and went off to spend a couple hours playing games on Pogo.

I spent a bit longer playing games than I had planned so I didn't drag my butt into bed until about 2 am. At 4:30 am, I know I was sound asleep and dreaming and, in my dream, the dog was tapping on my face to go out.  Tapping?  Licking, maybe.  But tapping?  That's when I roused slightly and felt for the dog and got a shock because I felt a small arm that was NOT hairy.  I came awake because I realized it was Chewlee trying to wake me up.  I moved over, pulled the blanket up and told her *C'mon...crawl in, baby*.  She handed me her tee-tee and climbed up on the bed, plopped down next to me, grabbed her blankey and turned over when I pulled the covers over both of us. I knew she had probably kicked the covers off of herself because she was so cold.  I pulled her close to me to help warm her up and we both went back to sleep. 

I wake up around 6 am because the muscle running from my knee to my ankle on my right foot was getting very painful from contracting and causing the foot to twist slightly.  I got up, made Chewlee move over a little and told her I would be back in a little while.  She turned over on her other side and, I swear, was sound asleep in three seconds.  I hobbled/screamed inside out to the living room, closing the bedroom door behind me so I didn't wake up any of the sleepers.  I managed to make my way into my computer room and spent the next 20 minutes massaging the long muscle and my ankle muscles before they finally relaxed and I was no longer in pain.  By then I was awake so I turned on my computer to read the news.  Around 7:30am, Chewlee appeared next to me and I told her she should get back into bed and sleep while she could.  She just said, *But, Papa's up!* in that voice that is saying *...if he's up, it's okay that I am up, too* 

With everyone up, I decided it was coffee time because I knew I was going to fade and it could happen at any time.  Chewlee was raring to go. She wanted food but rejected every kind of cereal we had.  She usually likes the Honey Nut Cheerios (she picked them out for herself when we went shopping) but today she wrinkled her nose up at that and the Rice Krispies.  She didn't want oatmeal or eggs.  She didn't want waffles.  She finally ended up wanting some ham and some cheese slices along with a glass of juice.  When she was done with that, she just HAD to have some Cheese-its. 

The little stinker knew I was tired because she came over to me at one point and said, *Gramma...what's wrong with your eyes?*  When I told her I was just tired, she just nodded and accepted that explanation.  But, she made me curious so I went to look at myself in the mirror to try to see what she saw.  My eyes weren't red or even dark-shadowed.  They just looked really tired.

I turned on her programs for her and went and laid back in my recliner.  I didn't sleep but I just wanted to rest my eyes.  Chewlee made sure I didn't rest much by either asking me questions or telling me she was going to do this or that.  Around 9am, I finally got her dressed and was glad to see she was still dry.  She had gone in the potty when she first got up and she was still dry two hours later when I dressed her.  However, she really gave me a hard time about that.  The jeans were actually getting a bit too small for her and were almost hip-huggers.  Then I didn't put her socks on correctly.  She just wasn't happy with anything.  When I got back into my chair, she decided she was going to get a glass of water.  I thought that was kind of neat since she doesn't drink much water usually.  I had no idea she intended to play in it.  Worse, she also decided she wasn't going to fight with the jeans and go potty so when the Princess got here, Chewlee's pullups were *filled-ups*.  *Sigh*  I just can't win.  I really should have known better and put some nice easy pullup shorts on her so she wouldn't need any help when she wanted to go potty.

I'm fully convinced now that Chewlee is either allergic to fruit juices in her urine or else she's got really sensitive skin and it responds badly when she gets diarrhea.  In fact, I think the juices have something to do with that.  I think I probably give her more juice than she gets at home and it's a bad thing.  I told the Beast that he's got to figure on my adding Chewlee to the milk consumption in our house because, even if it has to be chocolate milk, I'm not going to be giving her fruit juice any more.  That way I can keep track a bit better and there's less chance of her breaking out at our house.  Besides, the milk is better for her any way.

At one point, Chewlee came running into the room to tell me that she had gotten water all over the floor.  When we went out to wipe it up, I could see she had slid in it, too.  Then, when we got back into my room after SHE cleaned up the mess she had made, she sat down to play at the little cardboard *table* she has in here.  I looked over and what do I see?  Chewlee is pouring water all over the top of it.  When I yelled at her, she immediately sat down on it and gave me this innocent look and said, *What?*  Yeah, like she didn't do anything.    When I made her get up, she told me she was just *cleaning it*.  I told her that cardboard is like paper and you do NOT put water on it.  Her *I'm sorry* sounded so sincere!

After the Princess finally took her home, I crashed for about two hours.  I still wasn't really slept out but I felt less groggy.  I found out that Bratfink had similar sleep time.  She just didn't have Chewlee. 

Other than making myself some cigarettes, making the bed and putting the dishes in the dishwasher, the only other thing I did was make up some of what we call hamburger garbage that we eat with pita bread.  It's quick and easy to make (hamburger, onions, green pepper, salt and pepper browned up and cooked thoroughly then stuffed into pita bread.  You can add cheese, salsa, fresh chopped tomatoes, mushrooms...almost anything you feel like adding.  It was one of my kids favorite dishes for dinner.)  Lets face it, at my age, when I don't get enough sleep, I have NO energy for doing anything.  Sounds like a good excuse, right? 

Love you all and I hope your Monday is a nice one.  We are under a severe thunderstorm watch with the possibility of hail, 70mph wind gusts and even a tornado tonight but it's so *iffy* that I am not going to hold my breath unless and until it actually starts raining.  Smile.  Laugh.  Remember to call a loved one that you haven't talked to in a while. Be sure to tell them you love them even if you only end your conversation with *Love you*.  It can make a world of difference in their life.

Today was a strange one because the Princess and Johnnycakes had plans for this evening (Saturday evening) and didn't want their pup to be stuck in it's kennel for the whole day and night.  So she called here to ask if she could drop off the pup with Chewlee.  I really didn't want to have to take care of the pup AND Chewlee so I had said please don't.  I hadn't thought about her being gone all night.  But, I figured I would tell the Beast about it and HE decided that it would be a good idea Baron to have some company AND it would help tire him out a bit since they run all over the place.   When I told him to call the Princess, I also said that HE would be responsible for taking care of both dogs.  He agreed because his idea was that they would spend the day outside since the weather was bright and sunny plus it wasn't expected to get too warm. 

It was the usual pandemonium with the two dogs when the Princess got here and the Beast herded them outside immediately.  They had no objection to that and happily played, barked, nipped and snapped at each other in good spirits.  Chewlee got very protective of Bailey and worried every time she heard Bailey yelp.  I was watching and found out that Bailey yelped any time Baron would duck down to see her underneath the chairs on the deck.  I guess she was surprised whenever he did that.  It was kind of funny to me that she would react like that just seeing his face at a level with hers.

After a couple hours outside, poor Baron was exhausted and Bailey was still really active.  But, when the Beast brought in both dogs, they both plopped down on the floor and just relaxed.  For a bit, anyway.  Then Bailey decided it was time to beat up Baron's nose with her paws.  When he just laid there, looking at her, she decided it was time to nip his nose and his lip.  Baron never reacted but I'm sure Bailey didn't really bite him hard or he would have.  She just wanted to play again. 

Me?  It was tough enough to keep Chewlee busy and not have her get involved with exciting the two dogs (which she DID do later on in the day.....AFTER Baron took a nap with the Beast.    Bailey went back outside because she wasn't interested in a nap and I told the Beast it was NOT on my schedule to watch her...just a reminder.  But she was happy out there.  Chewlee wasn't bothering her and she could run around anywhere she wanted.  She did finally lay down and I'm pretty sure she fell asleep for a while on the deck.  As soon as Baron got up from his nap, he went outside and there was more running around and running up and down the deck stairs.  *Sigh*  I could hear them even in my computer room.

Later, the Beast took both dogs out from and for a short walk.  Well, a short walk for Baron but not for Bailey.    I think she's only 5 months old and she's still so small compared to Baron.  Her legs are definitely on the short side in comparison but she sure is a cute little thing.  She's also very sweet natured.  The Beast was impressed at how obedient she was since she wasn't on a leash but she came when she was called and didn't object to going back into the house when the Beast told her to (and Baron also).  But Baron was NOT as good at that age.  I told the Beast that female dogs are much easier to train than males.  He picked out an alpha male personality when he chose Baron so he knew it wasn't going to be easy to train him.  Neutering Baron did NOT make him more malleable a personality, either.

Chewlee was a bit of a stinker today just because of Bailey being here.  It took her a while before she finally accepted the fact that the two dogs were having fun.  She kept dragging Bailey into the computer room because *Baron was sniffing her butt!*  I tried to explain to her that it was how dogs did things; they sniff each other's butts.  To that, she said, *But you don't like when a dog sniffs YOUR butt, do you?*  I told her it was because that is not how PEOPLE meet and greet each other and I am NOT a doggy. 

She was a real garbage pit today with her eating.  She had her cereal and then wanted pickles.  She ate the three spears that were left and was totally unhappy that there were no more.  She also ate:  pepperoni slices, cheese, two hot dogs, some salad with ranch dressing, some bacon (about five strips), one popsicle (), a handful of pistachio nuts (unshelled), two pieces of peanut brittle, some chocolate milk and some juice.  Just writing this out is enough to make me feel like I don't have to eat for two days at least. 

The Princess came to pick up Bailey before they left for Birmingham and to get a hug and a kiss from Chewlee since she is spending the night here.  After the Princess left, she started digging in her toy box here and found her bath turtle which swims.  It's really cute but the batteries were dead.  She wanted me to fix the batteries but I told her I didn't have the tool needed.  Never the one to take NO for an answer, she went to Papa and told him that I needed a tool so I could fix her turtle.  When he asked me what *tool* I needed, I showed him the turtle and told him the battery compartment had to be opened to replace the batteries.  When I told him there was no hurry, Chewlee wouldn't hear of that!  She tried dragging him out of the recliner to get *the tool*.  She followed him out to the garage and back in the house.  She came into my room and went to get my battery storage box (which she only saw me with once) so I could get new batteries.  The Beast thought it used AA but I knew it used AAA batteries.  I happened to have some in with my batteries so I gave Chewlee two to take to him.

Once he got that closed and working again, Chewlee drove me nuts with turning it on and leaving it running next to my desk.  When I finally convinced her that the batteries were going to wear down, she finally turned it off but she carried it around almost until it was time for bed. 

The Disney Channel was running the Harry Potter movies and that's what we had on in my room AND out in the living room so Chewlee finally laid down in my chair with her *tee-tee* to watch it and I knew she was winding down from her busy day.  As soon as she falls asleep, I will move her to the guest bedroom so she sleeps soundly and I can play my games for a few hours before *I* go to bed.

I got a bit of a shock today hearing something (or someone) underneath the house today.  I couldn't think of any reason for the Beast to be under there but I was wrong.  When he finally extricated himself and came into the house, he said he was finishing up the one thing he hadn't when he was doing all that work under the house this past Spring.  He had one hole to finish covering up around the air conditioning ductwork that let cold air under the house. 

I figured that was just his normal thinking with the really cold weather coming up shortly.  But, he added, *I wanted that done so if it gets colder while I am in Florida, you won't have to run the heat a lot when it's windy outside.*  It made me grin but I tried to hide that from the Beast because I don't want him to know how much I am looking forward to that even if it means that Baron will be here (and very unhappy) with me.  His true master and best friend is the Beast.  He's just not happy unless he can crawl in the Beast's lap at night and share a nap (or two) with him ON THE BED!  He knows I won't let him do that with me.  Oh, I don't mind if he sneaks onto the bed at night after I am asleep but to just jump on the bed and lay his head down on a pillow (then spend a half hour scratching himself)...no way, no how.

The Beast also got the tank ready for spraying the trees.  I knew he wouldn't leave with that undone since it will be the last spraying until next Spring.  He HAS to do it before the ground freezes and the sap stops moving down inside the trees.  Then, hopefully, after his Spring spraying of the peach trees and the general spraying once more for the fungus....JUST IN CASE.....we are hoping for a really nice crop of fruit from all the trees.  I mean ALL the trees, even though it will make me nuts with all the canning and freezing I will have to do in a short span of time.  Think about it.  We have several different types of cherries, apples, pears, plums and (OMG!) peaches.  At least the peaches will ripen at two different times with the Alberta peaches being the earliest to ripen.  The apples include both eating and cooking types.  Some are best for canning, others for apple butter or freezing for pies later.  The pears are types for eating, cooking and canning.  Now what makes the difference between cooking and canning, I have no clue but I will by the time they are ready.  Someone told me that the cooking ones are really for baking or frying.  Having never heard of a fried pear, that would be different if true.  Baked pears I've had.  I just didn't realize that those needed to be firmer than, say, a Bosc pear.

Since he kind of flits around when he gets tired of one job, he also started to go through his tools and he cleaned up his tool boxes that he takes with him.  That will occupy him for days, knowing him.  He's not really sure just what he might be called on to do so he keeps thinking of other things he might need.  I've been through this before with him.  He'll also throw his welding tanks and tips in before he leaves.....just in case.  If he gets really *into* his preparations, he'll also throw in two different sized copper rolls, too.  *Sigh*  The man can really be anal.  I keep telling him that he's got a buddy there he can get some of that stuff from but he doesn't always want to wait if it's a quick kind of repair he can make.

Me?  I'm going to be keeping up the wash to make sure his socks, skivvies and tshirts are all clean and ready for him.  He's only got a couple pair of jeans he likes to wear so those will also be a priority.  I can see me whisking them off him to throw in the washer as he's trying to undress for a bath.    Hey, when he finally decides he's going to leave, I won't get much notice so I want to be prepared so it's quick and easy.  The incredible part of this all is another AC contractor we know (the gal that bought our company) thinks she got this one job she's been waiting on for several months and she offered the Beast a good amount of $$$ if he will just supervise the installation of the equipment.  It might actually work out that, as he finishes up this one job he is going down there for, the other will be ready for him to supervise.  Wouldn't that be fantastic?

Now, if you wonder why she would offer him good money to supervise when she is very capable, it's two-fold.  One...the Beast is nothing if not a great organizer for big jobs.  Two...jobs he supervises come out right and have great start-ups.  That's half the trick of not having a job that requires a lot of service calls.  If the start-up goes well, there are fewer problems that show up with the equipment.  There's also the fact that the poor thing (who has two teenagers) just had twins.    I know!  I really feel for her.  She's the bread winner for her family (her husband is a likable but not ambitious man) and he works for HER these days.  He's more the guy that runs around picking up and then dropping off the supplies for her various construction jobs all over the place.  He's perfectly happy doing that and his life is good.  You have to admire a gal with that kind of drive and ambition.  She's only in her early 40's (I think she's 41 or 42) but...OMG!  TWINS??? 

Chewlee was in a rare mood today.  Very mellow.  She didn't even care that there was no gum in the candy jar and went for the Sweet Tarts instead.  Then she wanted to sit in my lap while we watched Penquins of Madagascar on Nik and then Dora.  She ate three pickle spears and really hoped to eat all I had left but she pooped out (and there were two more left...LOL).  I tried to get her to eat some FOOD but she told me no, she was going to eat with mommy and daddy. 

I'll have her all day tomorrow, including tomorrow night since the Princess and Johnnycakes are going somewhere and I will probably end up keeping her all night.  When Johnnycakes came to get her today, she was ready to run outside (and started to do so) until I called her back for her *tee-tee*.  She then ran out the door and just yelled out *Bye* when Johnnycakes said to her, *Aren't you going to say goodbye???*  Even HE laughed over that.

If I could hibernate until Spring like many animals do, I would.  I truly hate being cold.  What's bad about our weather right now is that it's really not all that cold....yet!  In fact, when this kind of weather shows up in late March or early April, we are pulling out our summer clothes because we know that warm weather is on it's way!  And, after all the REAL cold weather, it doesn't feel cold to us at all.

I remember my siblings laughing at me when I would tell them I was freezing and our weather in Florida was just down in the 60's.  I had on sweat pants and warm sweatshirts plus a jacket or coat when I was outside and they said that was t-shirt weather in Chicago.  After only a few years here in Alabama, I can really relate to that except......I still hate cold weather.  I don't care what YOU view as cold.  If my feet are cold, it's cold weather to me.

When I picked up Chewlee from school today, she had the cutest outfit on.  A pink striped cowl-neck sweater with a button holding down the part of the cowl that looked like it had been slant cut to hold it down.  She had pink leggings on and a denim skirt.  The look was so cute, it made you want to hug her like some doll.  Even her shoes were pink.  (Her *dancing shoes*, of course)

She told me proudly that she had pee'd and pooped in the big potty all day at school.  I told her I was really proud of her.  As we were headed back to my house, she said, matter-of-factly, *My mommy is going to be so proud!*  She repeated it several times before we made it back to the house (which is only about a 10 minute ride).  I knew she was very, very proud of herself just because of that.  So, once we got the car parked in the garage, I hugged her and told her how proud *I* was of her.  She just giggled and said, *Gramma!*  You know how they get when a grandparent fusses over them.  She loves it but just HAS to object at the same time. 

She didn't want to eat anything I considered normal today.  She wanted pieces of lunch meat (3), a slice of cheese, a bowl of cereal, some juice...she was just all over the place with her taste buds.  I tried to get her to have a hot dog, soup or some spaghetti-o's but that was just too mundane, I guess.  Then it was time for some pistachios since I had the container on my desk.  I didn't think she'd like them since they are unshelled and dry roasted but she sure fooled me.  Heck, I'm not even sure if *I* like them.  It was an impulse to buy them and I'm too cheap to just toss them out since they weren't cheap. 

Chewlee suddenly announced to me that she had to go potty and, wouldn't you know it?  The Beast was in there but he came out after about a minute.  I tried to get her to use our other bathroom but her step stool and her special little *seat* are in the once close to the computer room so she wouldn't have any of THAT idea.  She ran in as soon as the Beast came out and I just knew she hadn't made it as far as her bladder was concerned.  But, oh my goodness....she sure did poop!  She absolutely insisted I had to come over and look so I could tell Mommy how good she was.  I helped her out by wiping her bottom, then getting her redressed while she chatted all about how she just couldn't wait to tell Mommy (the Princess) how good she was.  She said, *She will be sooooo proud!*

When the Princess came here and found out Chewlee hadn't been able to hold her bladder, I could have strangled her because she zeroed in on THAT alone and NOT on the fact that Chewlee had used the big potty HERE for a change, too.  She's getting the idea but she needs her mother's praise about it, too.  I've just been praising her about what she DOES and telling her when she does BOTH ALL THE TIME, that's when she will get her big girl panties and won't that be great???

The Beast took the ATV and went out to inspect the state reserve to see if he could even find any animal trails, scat or even a sighting of a deer.  He came home cold and totally disillustioned.  He said to me, *Crap, if things go to hell and we really DO have to shoot something in order to eat, I'm just going to go to the State Park.  We KNOW there's deer there.*  He figures everyone will probably be doing the same thing and the deer will be scattering outside the park anyway.

Temperatures at night are down into the upper 30's or lower 40's these days and it looks like it's going to stay that way now.  I started going through my clothes because I really need to mail off things to Baby Brat and sister Cee.  I'm between a size 12-14 now so I am sending all the stuff I will never get back into to them.  The really skinny jeans and such will go to Baby Brat.  The rest either sister Cee can claim or she can give them away.  I would like to stay around 10-12 so I'm trying to lose a little bit of weight and do some toning of those areas we women who have had multiple kids have problems with.  We shall see how I do.  It's not going to be easy with the holidays coming up but I really AM determined.