March 28, 2011

  • Busy Day


    Tales From The Brat Farm

    First of all:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER CEE!!!!!!!  Love you much.  Hope you have a great and happy day.

    I slept in this morning (10:15am) but I probably could have slept longer if I hadn't heard my phone beep to tell me I had missed a call.  I figured I had slept long enough so I dragged my carcass out of bed, shuffled over to the coffee pot for a shot of *wake-up juice* and then went to see who had called.  It was the Princess so I called her back.  She gave me the news about Bailey (which can be found in the update you can find previous to this blog) and, after I hung up, I went into the kitchen to see what the Beast was planning on for today.

    He was glad to hear about Bailey being found and passed along the news that Tara's older boy had some kind of virus on his computer, thanks to his younger brother.  It seems like every time he uses it, if left alone, he contracts a virus, a worm or gets infected with spybots.  I was surprised that they didn't have some kind of antivirus program on it but I guess they had just been using the Restore feature to an earlier date for most of the problems.  They did have a spybot program that removed those but it wasn't an antivirus.

    When they came by with the computer, the Beast discovered that our antivirus program didn't recognize it since it was masquerading as something else.  But, what it was was a nightmare.  It would prevent you from using your computer until you press a *buy now* button for THEIR antivirus program which would then remove the problem for you.  I call it a terrorist form of ransom.  The Beast finally did manage to defeat and remove it but I swear it was half his swearing and half just plain stubbornness.  He didn't even have to reformat Drive C, which he was trying not to have to do.  I swear you need two or three different antivirus programs in order to be effective.

    While this was going on, Tara's poor son was drafted into moving the bags of Miracle Gro from the bed of the truck to a spot in the back yard for the Beast.  It will make it much easier for him when he finishes making up his other two *gardens* once the forms are ready and he fills them with that stuff, some of our natural soil here and then puts the topsoil over it all.  Once the plants are large enough, he also plans on putting mulch on top of all of them, including my flower box out front.  Hopefully, it will reduce the amount of moisture lost so they can go longer without needing watering plus it should also help keep weeds out of it.  At least, we hope so.  Then, next fall, we can just churn it all up and let the plant remains become natural mulch and fertilizer.

    He also enlisted his aid in putting together the next form that will go down.  He had cut all the wood for it but was reluctant to ask my help because I was busy doing housewifey stuff.    I was doing some hemming and sewing and packing some things up, too.  He knows how cranky I get when he stops me when I am busy with MY realm of responisibility.

    Tara has been dieting and I had to compliment her.  I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks and I could tell she had lost weight.  She's lost 15 lbs. so far and she looks so much better.  She told me she is also feeling better.  We sat and chatted for a while and she asked about Sheepie and Buttmunch, Mustachio and Marcus Aurelius.  She also told me about one of the *kids* that we knew from Sunrise (he was her first boyfriend) that was only 42 and died suddenly just when he had finally gotten his life all together and had even found the woman he loved.  It was all very sad.  We used to refer to him as *Peter Pan* because he just never seemed to want to grow up.

    He had started a business and it had become successful with him getting contracts with the school systems in both Dade and Broward counties in Florida.  He had bought a house in an upscale suburb of Ft. Lauderdale.  On the first night that he and his fiance had moved into it (they had bought it but had been working hard at fixing it up the way they wanted it), he got up to go to the bathroom and fell down dead.  He either had a heart attack or an aneurysm that finally bled out.  They hadn't gotten the autopsy results yet.  I thought that was so sad.  Tara had been in contact via his Facebook site and she was so glad he had found the love of his life and was doing well.  Then, this!  Like I have said time and time again, life is short with no guarantees for anyone.  That's why I say....always tell those you love that you do love them each and every time you talk or part.  It can be consoling for both people involved. 

    By days end, the Beast and I were both too tired to think about eating so the Beast threw some pot pies in the oven.  Quick and easy and it fills the hole.    Now I am going to just relax for the rest of my evening.  The Beast has gone to bed early because HIS activities were a bit more physically challenging than mine.  I'll be playing games on Pogo for a while and then will go to bed and just dream sweet dreams, I hope.

    I didn't get Chewlee today, I guess because Johnnycakes didn't go into work like usual due to the shooting of Bailey and trying to find a vet that answered their phone.  I hope I find out what happened tomorrow and I will keep you posted on that.

    Love you all and I hope this spate of bad weather passes us all soon and we get back to the business of Spring.  The Beast's next plantings will be ONE watermelon plant and ONE cantaloupe.  He learned his lesson a couple years back....LOL.  Have a great day and week and please drive carefully.  Our weather has turned stormy again so I need to get this posted.