I'm Not Hungry Anymore

I do not like to leave food on a plate. I will try to eat everything on my plate. Even when I am full I keep eating until all the food is gone if I can possibly help it. I know it's not healthy. I don't know why I do it. Maybe It's because I don't like to be wasteful. Maybe it's because I'm a bit O.C.D. (I even measure my shoe laces). Perhaps it's because that personality test I took in college said I was a perfestionist. But the fact remains that I do it. I'm just thankful that I have a fairly high metabolism rate. I could weigh 600 pounds now. (I could still stand to lose a few pounds). With that being said, I dare say I'm the same way in life. If you give me a task to do, I'm gonna do what it take to get it done. And if you give me 100 tasks, I will try to accomplish them, too. Maybe it's determination. It could be a will to prove I am somebody, I am not a loser. Possibly, it's a will to survive, or a need to feel wanted, accepted. But the fact remains that I will do it or die trying. Sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming. How will I ever get all of this or that done? I've tried ignoring the issue at hand, procrastination, if you will. It's still there. It doesn't go away. In fact, it only increases the stress level, particularly if there is a deadline involved. I don't care for asking for help. Maybe I'm afraid of looking weak, not up to the job. But life seems to favor those not-so-little curve balls. And it becomes necessary to make a change, albeit ever so uncomfortable to do so. I will either be forced to get assistance or back out altogether. But quitting is such an ugly option to me. The stresses of life have been mounting lately. My mind goes a thousand miles a minute most days. I watch the news and fret over things I have little to no control over, because I know it could potentially affect my life. Potentially? It shouldn't even be a concern yet, but it is one. Work has been changing drastically lately. I'm not convinced it's all for the good. But I work for the man, a rather large corporation that has been on the fortune 500 list. When they say jump you are more than welcome to ask questions, but in the end you'd be wise to just jump. But overall it's been a good job, and I feel compelled to be be thankful for it. Of course, there's this move coming up, as well. Anyone who has ever had to move knows the stresses of it all, whether it's across the street or across the world. Just the decision alone could nearly drive one mad. And I could never leave out family and friends. I must admit that some things have gotten a quick prayer and then forgotten. It's not because I don't care, but because I do. I could easily allow so many other problems consume me when I haven't even begun to conquer my own. But immediate family and close friends are not an option to ignore. I dare say I'd do just about anything for those close to me if I could. These days life is what it is. The stresses of life are great, and I'm positive I'm not alone when I wonder how I will ever get through it all. But I'm convinced it is not impossible. If I could give any advice on how to cope with a full plate, even to myself, it would be this: Start with one bite at a time, feel free to share, and don't be afraid to say no to dessert.

Missin' Y'all

So I haven't been able to blog for a few months.  I'm still alive and kicking.  I don't have a computer now, thus no internet.  Well, I do have internet on my phone, but I can't post on my blog. It just takes up too much memory and keeps timing out.  I do get to view my blog, though.  So I have seen everyone's comments.  I was just laughing, wondering how many blog rolls I've been deleted from.  Things are going pretty well.  Driving the truck is alright.  If I had to choose between the truck and the office, I'd pick the office any day.  It was more predictable.  It was pretty much 8-5 Monday through Friday.  On the truck I may work late evenings or sometimes on weekends.  But the pay was better on the truck.  Of course, we still have chickens....and pigeons....and cats.  And of course we still have Max and Minnine, our two little dogs.  Mike is doing well.  He's at home this weekend while I'm at my parents.  I came to my nephews birthday party.  He stayed home because he was working yesterday.  I'm on my mom's computer updating to let you all know I'm good!  I'm on Facebook if anyone wants to be my friend.  I'm listed as Randy Peterson Jr.  I have two accounts with the same name because I wasn't able to get into my old account.  It's still there, but just won't let me log in.  I'll try again and if I get in I'll just delete the old account.

We had a  lovely holiday.  Christmas and New Years were spent with my family.  We had snow on a couple of occasions.  And we're expecting more snow this week.  I could do without the snow....and the cold.  I just don't like the cold weather.  I'm thinking of buying a winter home in the Carribbean or maybe Central America.  Perhaps Costa Rica.  I'd love to spend some time in the Rain Forest. 

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know we're good.  If you can't find me on FB, check with Tracey.  I'm frieds with her and Amy and Anna and Kim and Joanna and others.  See y'all around!!

Trapped

I couldn't think of what to post about.  My brain was getting fried from the thinkin'.  But I was reading on other blogs about wanting fall to get here.  And that got me to thinking.  I thought about a number of things, but mostly why we are always in a hurry.  Today, we are living in a "give-it-to-me-right-now" society.

As a kid, we only had a house phone.  But today I can't make the short drive to work without seeing gads of people yakking on their cell phones.  And it is my deepest belief that they make the roads more dangerous.  What are they talking about, anyway, that can't wait till they get to a stopping point?  Not that I am opposed to cell phones.  Not by any means.  I have one myself.  I just don't use it when I am driving.  If I think it's important I pull over. 

As a kid I recall having only four channels.  We had ABC, NBC, CBS, and if we were lucky we had PBS.  And usually we had to go outside to adjust the antenna just to get a somewhat clear picture.  Now, everyone has to have the works.  Full cable with all 58 of the movie channels.  I saw a commercial the other day for a sattelite tv provider advertising over 200 channels, plus all the movie channels free from some period of time.  I have cable tv, but it's just basic tv.  No DVR, no special channel to show you what's coming on at 3 a.m.  Just about 50 or 60 channels.  And the funny thing is there's rarely anything worth watching.  Some channels even play daily marathons of sitcoms and other programs I never even cared for anyway.  And what's with paying for channels I don't EVER watch.  I don't watch Spanish channels.  I know a little Spanish, but not nearly enough to understand a tv program.  Give me the good old days when after school meant going outside to play till dinner time.  Then settling down to watch a good family movie together.  Cartoons were for Saturday morning only.  Now, there's 24 hour cartoon channels, albeit, some of them are a bit racey for kids in my opinion.

And what's up with microwaves?  We have one.  We use it for popcorn, warming water for tea and such, reheating leftovers.  But who wants an entire meal that's been pre-cooked and frozed, then thawed and recooked in a micorwave?  I used to eat them.  But that was when I had a job that only gave me 30 minutes for lunch.  Is it so important that you rush a crazy meal together like that so you can go watch a program you're not really that interested in?

Do people ever have family time any more?  We didn't really eat at the dining room table when I was a kid.  But there's a good reason.  It wasn't big enough.  Dinner was usually at my grandparent's house, as the lived less than a mile away.  So dinner was usually for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.  So we got our plates and ate where we plopped.  But it was never alone in front of a tv or in the bed room.  It was often we family in the living room, maybe with a football game on.  Or on the porch with cousins.  But family interaction was key.  I know of a family nearby me that rarely even spends time together.  The two children, late teens maybe early 20's, are wrapped up in their own goings-on, the wife has a second part time job and is often not home till 9 p.m. and the husband works full time, but runs around on his free time with "his" projects.  I thought "HOW SAD!"

Some times Mike and I will play with the dogs in the yard, mess with the chickens on weekends, have a cigarette on the porch in the evening with drinks.  With all of today's technology we stuck in a speed trap.  I was (am) a big fan of the country group Alabama.  One of my fav songs of theirs goes something like this:

I'm in a hurry to get things done

I rush and rush till life's no fun

All I gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

I love the summer time.  It's my favorite season.  I enjoy spring and fall, as well.  I'm not big on winter, but I still see the wonders and beauty of that cold, short-day season.  The snow is beautiful and the cold restarts life.  This morning as I was backing out of the drive way I noticed the little maple tree I planted last year was just starting to turn red.  Maples are so pretty this time of year.  I bet Joanna @ Boonedocks Wilcox is getting a beautiful show right about now.  It won't be long before there's frost on the pumpkin.  Why not take a look around.  See the wonders of what God has given us.  Tell your spouse, partner, children, parents, you love them.  Take a moment before you leave for work or school to breathe in the cool, crisp morning air.  Do some cloud watching.  Plant some flowers or a tree.  Savor the taste or your coffee, your meal, your dessert.  Bake a cake.  Make life fun.

Catching Up A Bit

Hey everybody!  It's me, Randy!  Remember me?  Yeah, I'm still busy as usual.  Hurricane Earl came by, but I didn't even notice, really.  We had a little rain and a few good, hard gusty winds around 2 a.m. or so, but I slept right through it.  Actually I got up around 1 a.m and again around 3 a.m., just my usual waking up.  It drives me crazy, actually, but that's a whole other post.  But I didn't really hear any rain or wind.  The chickens were all fine this morning, and the three baby pigeons were okay.  One of the pigeons has feathered out, and I think will be a pretty white color.  The other two were born yesterday and the day before.  They're still pretty tiny.  But we survived Earl just fine.  We were lucky, really.  If that thing had come straight onto land, we'd have been hurting in a bad way.  Hope you faired well, Linda, by the way.

I have also applied for another job, within the same company of course.  I don't think it's the ideal job by any means.  And it will certainly mean more hours, and being on call every other weekend.  But it also means a good bit more money.  My boss was NOT happy about it at all, either.  But it was either this, or take a second job.  I had a second job at one time.  I was working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., going home to change and maybe grab a bite to eat, then going to my second job to work from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.  I was getting home at 1 a.m. and getting back up at 6 a.m. to get ready for my day job.  I felt like I was staying at a motel rather than my home.  I really didn't want to do that again.  I explained that to my boss, who incidentally, put in my annual review that he'd recommend me for a management job.  But that sort of job may be available in 6 months or 10 years.  It's a gamble really.  I am hoping that he will make it worth my while to stay rather than change divisions.  My new job would be delivering liquid carbon dioxide to customers.  That's going from a cushy office job to working a truck in the field.  Sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it?  I think it does.  I'm afraid it could be a dead end job.  But my dad said it would be wise to go where the money is.  And not to hesitate to take a job elsewhere if that was where the money was.  But being a loyal employee and a hustler at getting the job done, even if it is more work than there's time for, it's a tough call.  I haven't had my inteview yet, but I have heard from a couple of guys in the CO2 division that the job is mine if I want it.  It certainly makes for restless nights.  It also means that blogging could very well have to go away, at least for a while.  I don't want that either, but I suppose we will have to see what comes of it all.

Anyhow, my aunt is coming to visit from Texas.  She lives in Temple, Texas and is going to New York to visit some long time friends of hers.  But she is stopping here in North Carolina to visit her sister for a few days.  She'll be here on Wednesday, the 8th, through Monday the 13th.  I'm taking Friday off to spend a three day weekend with her.  She was like another grandmother to me growing up.  She's my great aunt, my grandmother's sister.  My grandmother passed away in 1998, so she's really the only "grandmother" I have now.  I haven't seen her in five years, so it should be a nice visit.

I want to thank each of you for your words of encouragement on my last post.  Sometimes life just gets a bit confusing.  It reminds me of when I was driving a 18-wheeler with my brother.  I think we were in Alabama or Arkansas when our directions said to "turn at the light".  My brother got so angry and frustrated.  Do we turn left or do we turn right?  He turned left, and it was the wrong way.  We then had to find a place to turn around and go the other direction.  If you know anything about 18-wheelers, they are notorious for not being able to turn around very easily, especially in the city.  I'm hoping that if I'm not going in the right direction I will be able to turn things around fairly easily.  Hey Ho! as John would say.

Back To Mormalcy?

I love summer.  I think summer is the most wonderful time of the year.  Even from a kid I always enjoyed summer.  I was very close to my great aunt.  My great uncle passed away when I was four years old from cancer.  My aunt remarried and moved from New Jersey to Texas.  So from the ages of 8 to 18 I flew to Texas every summer to stay with her and her husband.  I've also spent summers working on fishing boats, playing football in the fields, building forts in the woods...you know, all that boy stuff boys do when they are young.  From the time I can remember, my summers have always been busy.  This summer, really, has been no exception.  It's been one thing after another. 

Of course, I was a pall bearer at my cousin's funeral last weekend.  That's not an activity anyone wants to attend during the summer, or any other time of the year for that matter.  My poor aunt told me that she was holding up okay, but the hard part was going to be after all the people were gone.  She has a 21 year old son with Down Syndrome.  Her son was her support line.  I told her that her other sons would help look after her, but she said it was different with Charley.  She said they looked after each other.  She's still gonna be in need of good thoughts and prayers.

My great aunt that moved to Texas is coming to visit next month.  They are on their was to visit friends in New York, but they are stopping by here in Greenville to give my mom a break.  She has been living with my other great aunt (sisters) who is 91 years old.  She has broken her hip twice and is not mentally or physically able to care for herself any longer.  I'm gonna try to take a day off to visit her for the weekend while she is here.

We are once again in possession of too many chickens.  We've had a good hatch or two this year, and we have lots of young chicks.  Since I am completely unable to sex a chicken at hatch I often wait to see if it's gonna be a cockrel or hen before getting rid of it.  I try to keep some of the hens to replace to older hens that are no longer laying.  The older hens end up in chicken and pastry like the one we had last night.  In fact, I'm having leftovers for lunch today.  My two biggest daddies are Perogi and Bucky.

That's Bucky on top.  He's my mixed bantam and Perogi on bottom.  He's RI Red, but I'm sure he's got something else in him because he's got a pea comb.  But I've got other daddies, too.  I've got a couple of silkie roosters that mated with white bantam hens.  So I've got some bantam chicks running around with feathered feet and five toes.  But I need to get rid of some of them, so I will be putting an ad in the Carolina Bargain Trader to sell some of them off.

Oh, I also got another pigeon chick born!  My white pair has laid on eggs three times this year to no avail.  Finally, yesterday, a single white chick hatched!  I'm so hoping it lives.  My black pair has hatched two chicks this year.  Four actually, but only one gets the needed attention, I guess.  So only two have survived.  She is now sitting on another egg or two.  Here's to hoping!

Still Here

Just to let you know I'm still here.  Filling in for our inside sales guy, who is out on vacation this week.  Also, my cousin passed away this week.  He was only 35 years old, in good health, didn't smoke or drink, and he had a stroke.  His family has had a rough go of it.  His father drowned a few years ago.  His younger brother has Down Syndrome.  And his older brother hurt his leg bad at work a couple of years ago, and still has trouble with it.  If you're a praying person, please remember the family of "Charley".  I'll be back later.

He's Here!!

Actually, while I was posting yesterday, he was in the middle of being born!  Tanner was born yesterday at 2:53 p.m.  He was 7 lbs 13 oz and was 18 and a half inches long.  I went straight to the hospital after work, and of course I forgot my camera!  So no pics yet.  He has a pointy upper lip and no chin!  Renell, his mama, says he looks like a little turtle.  She said once he started to come out it was an easy birth.  She's getting tubal ligation today.  He was supposed to get snip snip today, but he had a bit of a fever yesterday, so they are postponing it to make sure they can prevent infection.  But all in all he's adorable!  He can't cry for crap.  He sounds like a little dog wimpering!  But I'm sure that will change soon enough!  Have a great weekend y'all!

Waiting On Tanner

Well, my sister has been having contractions for a couple of days now.  She went to the hospital day before yesterday...well, around 11:30 p.m.  with contractions.  They were 3-5 minutes apart, but only every other one was a hard contraction.  So they sent her home and told her not to return till she could no longer stand the pain, and to take Tylenol for pain.  She went back to the hospital this morning around 4:30 a.m.  I was so smart as to leave my cell phone at home on the night stand beside the bed.  So I called my mom mid morning.  She said Renell had an epidural and was somewhat relaxed.  Relaxed?  I thought the idea was to be stressed in order to get that thing out!!  Anyway, it's mid afternoon now, and I still haven't heard anything.  I will call later to find out.  But his name will be Tanner Lewis.  I'll try to post tomorrow to let you all know about them.

Oddly Enough, I'm Glad To Be Back

My vacation was pretty nice.  I stayed on the beach in Rodanthe, North Carolina with my family.  Lots of my family.  I enjoy seeing my family, but there were nearly 30 of us.  It didn't get as hairy as I thought it would.  I'm sure many of you know what I mean.  Family is family.  You laugh at their weddings, cry at their funerals, but seeing them once or twice a year is enough.  Still I love them and care about them.  We spent most of our time chillin' on the beach or swimming in the pool.  We stayed in a big, beautiful house.

It had a private pool that the kids really enjoyed.

We visited the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

We watched Kite Surfers ride the waves.

We watched the 4th of July Fireworks from the deck of the house, though my pics were quite blurry.

The beaches were lovely, but sand in the bathing suit is no fun.

Of course, I had to take a pic of the Atlantic Ocean.  If you squint really hard, maybe you can see my friends over in Europe!

We did other things, too.  We had a couple of shopping days.  We went to the Wright Brothers Memorial.  We had a couple of game nights, and had dinner in my uncle's seafood restaraunt.  We did have a lot of fun!!

And I want to include this panoramic I took.  The first morning I woke up, put on a pot of coffee, and went out on the deck for a ciggy ( I know, I'm trying to re-quit).  No one else was awake, and it was so peaceful.  I LOVED it.  I thought it was about 8 or 8:30 a.m.  But when I went back in and looked at the clock it was only 6:15 a.m.!  You just don't get up that early on vacation.  But check out this lovely view.

It was a nice

Back to the Mines

It was a lovely four-day weekend, though.  Mike picked me up from work on Friday, and had my nephew and niece with him.  I got home, did my afternoon chores...you know, feeding the chickens, gathering veggies....all the regular stuff.  The kids were in the pool, and I joined them late evening.  Saturday, and old friend came over to visit.  My nephew and niece were there, so she called her daughter to bring over her grandson to play with them in the pool.  The neighbor's son came over as well.  Then another friend showed up as we getting all the grilling going.  Mike had a couple of pork shoulders on the grill over oak wood since 8 a.m. that morning.  So he brought his daughter over.  Before long, it was a bit of a party.  Sunday, another friend, who has a house in Chocowinity, on the Pamlico River invited us to join him.  So we packed up a lunch of sandwiches and such and went fishing, swimming, and boating on the river.  Monday I did odd things around the house, worked in the garden, played with the chickens.  Our lady friend came over again, and we grilled again.  Then, my acutal birthday, Tuesday, I spent a good part of the day chopping weeds in the garden.  Oh, I also cleaned the big fish tank.  The smaller one only had one fish in it, so I put it in a large jar with some plants rooting in it.  I'm gonna clean the smaller one, and maybe put salt water fish in it.  Or a lizard or spider or something.  Mike and I had some smoked sausages for dinner and watch X-Men Origins-Wolverine.  Just a relaxing evening at home.  It was a busy weekend.  Oh, I do have some pics of the river we went to.  Mike took them a couple of weeks ago when he was there to help with some work.

Joel and Cheyanne in the pool

My other niece is at my parent's house (Grandma and Buddy) and called today to tell me happy birthday.  Mom got on the phone and said they did think about me, but just didn't get around to calling.  But they want to take Mike and I out to dinner Friday evening.  All in all it was a nice birthday weekend.  I need a few more of those....long weekends, not birthdays.  I so hate getting older.  But for now, it's back to work.

Renee @ Of Lemons And Honey

If you have not been by to see Renee lately or even at all you should go see her now.  She is an amazing woman with a fantastic story to tell.  Here is a sampling. When I read this, I was wondering if it was a real story.  If so, was it her story?  Well she says it is!  It's a real nail biter!  She has started a "book" and has gotten me hooked.  And if you are like me, you want to know....the rest of the story.  Visit Renee any time at her blog http://www.oflemonsandhoney.blogspot.com/

Good Weekend, Bad Monday

We had a very nice weekend.  It was sunny and fairly warm!  Saturday, Mike made another little chicken coop.  And I spent a good part of the day cleaning out the storage shed.  It was so full that you could barely get inside the door.  I cleared out tons of junk!  There is so much space in there now! 

Our friend, Les, had gotten a few roosters from us earlier this year.  He ended up returning some.  He returned two white silkie roosters because he didn't really have room for them.  Then he returned a white mixed bantam rooster.  The white bantam (which is a pretty bird) got put in with another bantam hen that just started laying her first eggs a couple of weeks ago.  One of the silkie roosters also got put in with another bantam hen that just started laying.  I didn't know if that would work, but he's topping her (that's what I call it anyway, to be mild).  So we will see how that goes, eh?!

Then, my younger sister called to just say hi, and Mike told her to bring the kids over to spend the night.  So she did.  And it started out pleasant.  But Saturday night didn't end well.  Cheyanne is eight years old, and did quite well.  Joel, who just celebrated his sixth birthday last month, had a big problem.  First, a little history (in a nutshell).  He's got a very short attention span and was recently diagnosed with ADD.  He's now on medication that has changed him tremendously (mostly in a good way) and has also helped him in school.  But just before dinner he said that his stomach was hurting.  He ate very little dinner and only one bite of his ice cream sandwich.  Then the nastiness began.  It was diahrea all night long.  He was laying in bed with Mike watching tv and fell asleep.  When I went to move him it came from both ends.  I stripped the bed and his clothes and put him in the bath.  Clothes and bed sheets got thrown onto the porch till morning.  It happened again, and we went through the same routine.  I had no medicine for him, and his mom was not answering her cell phone.  So we trudged through the night and he woke feeling better Sunday morning.  He did throw up again late Sunday morning after jumping on the neighbor's trampoline and spent the rest of the time on the couch watching cartoons.  His mom came to pick up JJ and Cheyanne just after lunch. 

Mike and I just piddled around with odd jobs outside.  The weather was just too nice to stay indoors.  He put the wire on the breeding coop he made, and I moved around some chickens.  We've got several roosters that have been alone most of the winter.  No need to have hens getting roughed up if they're not laying.  So, I grabbed a few hens and put them in with roosters.  And Mike put an Omaha Steaks roast on the grill over some oak wood.  It turned out very delicious!  We had au jus that we dipped french fries into, and a spinach and tomato salad.

Then, I came to work this morning.  It was not pleasant.  I think I will spare those details, but I get e-mail updates that tell me about jobs that become available in the area.  Still waiting on a call from SFC Cook about the reserves.  She told me Friday that I'm probably getting the boot out the door.  She was checking so regs for some way around (I don't really believe that) but she would let me know for sure today or tomorrow.  The really stupid part is I can go see a recruiter and get right back in.  That's the U.S. Government (not) hard at work.  Whatever.  I'm in a pissy mood today, and almost didn't post.  I only did because I haven't since last Wednesday.

Update

Thanks to everyone asking about my mom.  She is much better and is back to work.  Odd thing is she was down with the flu, but she had gotten her flu shot.  Guess that flu shot isn't as great as they are saying it is.  Mike is just now getting better.  It's bad when he gets sick because it takes him forever to get better. 

I had drill this past weekend.  I really wasn't looking forward to it, as I had a PT test (Physical Training).  I had to do so many push-ups and sit-ups for two minutes each.  Then I had to run 2 miles.  I didn't do so hot on the run.  They are sending me to Orlando, Florida January 22-24 for  a Yellow Ribbon Campaign.  It's anti-suicide classes for those who have been to Iraq.  I came back four years ago.  I'd probably have done that by now if I were going to, but they say it's manditory, so off I go.  Then they are telling me that I will take another PT test next month.  This time I must pass the run.  If I pass I will be going to WLC (Warrior Leadership Course) in South Carolina to get a promotion.  If I fail the run, I get demoted.  No pressure.  A friend in my unit said he will pace me, but I have to lose at least five pounds in a month.  I'm not over weight, but I could stand to lose 15 to 20 pounds.  I've got my work cut out for me.

And something very important will be happening tomorrow night.  If you are the fan I am, they you are gearing up for American Idol!!  Yeeee-hawww! 

I was in Iraq when I picked Carrie Underwood to win.  I got home in March and voted for her like crazy.....and she won. But things will be a little different this year.  We have said good-bye to Paula Abdul.

And we are welcoming Ellen Degeneres.  I liked Paula, but she always seemed to be an emotional train wreck.  I don't know what to think of Ellen.  I'm not sure what credentials she's got that qualifies her to be a singing competition judge.  But, nonetheless, I'm curious to see how this, the 9th season, will turn out.  I understand that Ellen will not be on the first few shows (which are often the funniest as people make fools of themselves), but will show up at the judgement episodes.  Time will tell.  Let me see if I can pick the winner again!  If there are any fans out there, check it out on FOX tomorrow night.  Let me know who you think might be The Next American Idol! 

A Busy Start

My new year has not had a slow beginning.  New Year's eve was end-of-month close out for work, so that meant reports out the wazoo, as usual.  Mike had been sick all week and was in bed quite early New Years Eve.  I was intending to stay up to watch the ball drop at Time Square, but I don't care for the musical na-na's of the shows they put on.  So, as any old person would do, I watched the news channels...CNN, FOX News, etc.  But laying on the couch does not help you stay awake.  I fell asleep sometime around 11 p.m.  I woke around 1:30 a.m., shut off the tv, lights, and fish tank lights, and headed off to bed.  New Years Day was rainy and nasty out.  It was quite unmemorable.  House work and chores and such.  Then Saturday morning my mom called around 8:30 a.m. just as I was waking up.  (I slept in)  She was crying and it scared me.  I immediately thought there was some sort of accident and someone was hurt or worse.  She told me her chest was hurting, she thought she had pneumonia and wanted me to come take care of her and my gimp dad.  I jumped up, bathed, packed for the weekend and headed to their house.  My grandfather took her to the ER when I arrived and a couple of hours later she arrived back home with the diagnosis of FLU.  I asked if it was bird flu, swine flu, or human flu to which she replied, "Does it matter?"  So Granddad went to town to get fried chicken from Hardee's for dinner while I did a little cleaning.  I made some Christmas sugar cookies that evening, and Granddad steamed some oysters he brought home from Chinkoteague, VA where he's been fishing out of lately.  My cousin Mike (not to be confused with my Mike) was over to visit, and we watched some college football...ECU needs a new kicker!!.  Sunday was a little more cleaning and NFL football.  I put on a roast in the slow cooker, and Granddad said he'd look in on it before he left to go back out fishing.  I headed home to get myself ready for work today, and to tell Mike that Mom wanted him to come out to help some more.  So my new year has not been slow.  Mike's at the folks, and I'm spending a rare night alone.  It might be fast food, but I might also stop by Food Lion for an easy and quick cook-for-yourself dinner.  I'll have to see.

And To All A Good Night

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

From the Chicken Boys and Gang

Randy and Mike

Elvis...does his own thing, but has gotten quite lovey in his later years

Minnie (a.k.a. Porkchop)  A little shy girl..loves to sleep in a pile of clothes or pillows

Max...Never met a stranger...but likes to bark at cars when they drive by, or at a knock at the door, or at another animal in the yard, or at helicopters flying over...but is scared to death of a thunder and lightning storm.

Priscilla (a.k.a. Prissy)  A little groucho at times, but can be a real lovey girl when she feels like it.

Black Kitty and Stripey Cat...both love to be held, and like to sleep in the bed.  As soon as you pick them up the immediately go limp and start purring.  I can love and kiss them or swing them all around and they are just as content.  But they are mischevious at night and like to race the hall making noise like a herd of elephants....it got them put outside a time or two...LOL

And from the Chickens and Pigeons

We hope all of you out there have a wonderful holiday!

Feelin' Better

Feeling a bit better.  I'm still stuffy and have post nasal drip (Yuck!!)  But over all I'm okay.  I am going to my sister's tonight for my niece's birthday party.  She's 9 years old today, but thinks she 16 already.  I went to her soccer game last night.  She is a half back.  She didn't score, but her team won 2-0.  My nephew is a soccer player, too.  He'll be 13 in January.  Boy, they do grow up so fast.  I also have Reserve drill this weekend.  I'm dreading that.  My contract is up in February.  They better come up with a better offer than what they have so far, or I'm calling it quits.  We will have to see.  Everybody have a good weekend, and thanks for the "get well" comments.  Hope you feel better, too, Ames.  See y'all next week.