Momma said there would be days like this..

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Am I too old for this...?

As I push my way into the sixth decade of my life on this planet, so many things give me pause, and I ask myself if I am too old for this?
I know I am too old for a bikini..my body fell out of shape some years ago, and I know that not only would I look like a fool in an itsy bitsy teeney weeney yellow polka dot bikini...or any other bikini, I wouldn't expose any part of the general public to me wearing one.
Heck I wouldn't expose the dressing room mirror to that image.

I wondered when I started a facebook page if I was too old for the new social media, that makes friends of friends of friends that we really don't know. I started one to view photos of a niece's new puppy, and it has grown to be a daily touch base with old friends, family and yes new pets. But I also have pages, those little snippets of information that appear when you "like" a cause, or a page, or a link. Some are great, and I read them faithfully others meet the hide command. They still remain, but like dust under a bed, are hidden from my daily viewing. I've discovered new authors, bloggers, and tips from a variety of postings. I've rediscovered old authors I read once upon a time. So I guess I'm not too old for this.

Digital photography, a mystery to some has become a hobby of mine. The photos may not always be perfect, but after cropping and tweaking ,and in some cases deleting, I have to say for fumbling through the digital world, I find I love it. It certainly beats the old rolls of film found in the corner of a desk drawer, never developed, and when finally being turned into that long awaited snippet of time, discovering that out of twenty four shots, I may have gotten maybe two that were keepers. I will never be too old for that.

Politics, that topic that should never be discussed with a spouse, a friend, or family and was ignored by me, most of my voting life has suddenly roared into my world like a hurricane blowing against the door, demanding to be let in. I don't like it, not one bit. I don't like adults acting like spoiled children who have forgotten their mother's admonishment, to "knock it off and get along, or you will be sorry."
Come on boys and girls, let us get our shit together, and do what you were elected to do, which was work for the constituents that put you in office so you can add to your list of perks, and overall retirement.
The verdict is out on whether I am too old for this.

Working. Well the general feeling here, being part owner of small business, is that we will never quit working. Can't afford to and don't know how we could. I am however way too old to work the second job which is as a vendor at fairs and events peddling roasted corn on the cob to all those folks who roam by enjoying their day. I like talking with the customers, and other vendors, but this is a young person's gig, and I want to be one of the people walking by taking in the sights.

Although there are many other topics to touch on as to whether one is too old for certain things, the final one I'll address tonight, as I squint my tired eyes after being up for over 21 hours now, on three hours sleep and a twenty minute catnap, is whether I am too old to be blogging. I used to love writing letters, and kept a journal from time to time, but blogging seems to require that I sit down at the computer and actually come up with a topic at least once a week. I love to talk, some may consider me to be long winded on many subjects, but to put these thoughts into a written format regularly, writing something that I would not be embarassed to have someone else read, well personally I don't think I'll will ever be too old for that.
And that's that.

It's hot, hot. hot !!

Here where I live, the heat wave that has plaqued a large portion of the country came to visit.
Temperatures rose into the high 90', hitting 100 and over in some places.
Humidity added to the discomfort, and I was glad to have air conditioning.
Folks were cranky, with reason, and the oddest thing was come nightfall the roads were empty.
This is Friday night in the Poconos, a region known for it's influx of visitors from NY, NJ, and other states in our country who want to see our trees, enjoy our natural resources, heck maybe see on of our thousands of deer. They come to our water parks, rent kayaks and paddle down the Delaware, and shop our outlet stores, as though the prices were better than their home towns.
I had the occasion to pick up a late night meal for my working teen, and I was stunned, no traffic. The lots around the restaurants were only a third filled, and the highways were, well pretty darn empty for a summer weekend night.
I'm thinking that it is so hot that some are taking the advisories seriously, and staying put in a cool environment if possible. Hello folks it's summer. Now here we have had just two days of steamy summer heat, and folks seem to be hunkered in.
At first the heat really took my stuff right out of me. Today, it's hotter but not as bad. Could I be getting used to these temperatures that causes ones skin to sweat, becoming huge mosquito magnets. I don't know that I can get used to this heat, or I would live in Florida, or Alabama, or Louisiana. Perhaps it's more "accepting" the heat.
It is after all the middle of summer. I know ( even with global warming) that soon it will cool off to more seasonable temperatures, and before we can blink an eye there will be folks complaining of the cold nip in the air.
So it's hot, hot, hot, and will be for a day or so more, but for the most part we will survive hopefully without being rude to a family member or a complete stranger.
We have done this before in our lives. It was hot in our childhoods. Just like now.

What a run

If you're reading this you may think that this is about well, running. You would be wrong. Although I am always impressed by the fit and not so fit women and men along every road and path that are out there, pounding along the pavement in all kinds of conditions, the last time I actually ran was ... well I can't remember but I am relatively sure that something was chasing me.

No what this is about is a run of luck, not bad necessarily and not good, but quirky, weird luck. I just want a break from the craziness, just for a week or so. We've had lightning disable a well, a computer brain in an suv, and play havoc with our phone lines.
I have had two dogs, sisters no less, being out of sorts with each other a lot. We have had tick bites, disagreements with orthodontists, and still have some forms to fill out for the upcoming freshman year my youngest is about to undertake for her next four years of college.
We have physicals to take and records to get and the days are flying by.
Bad roommates run out on rent, and trash as they leave, and the temperature just doesn't want to give us a break.

I just need all this to stop. Not forever, because to believe that would be foolish,but for just a few days. To catch my breath, to refocus, to read that book that sits on the table taunting me to open it. I need renewed, well as renewable as a soon to be 60 year old woman can be. I want to sleep in and not do all the laundry that has accumulated while the well was malfunctioning.
I want to drink coffee, put my feet up and read.
Well I like fairy tales but don't believe in them and this is what I have asked for..so perhaps I should make another request. In September.

Belated musings

I would feel bad about ignoring my writing, if I really hadn't ignored it.
I spent an hour before my regularly late shower, to catch up a bit and wrote a pretty good piece if I do say myself.
Then a terrible event occurred and I found myself with an empty block, and nothing had saved. I looked at the corner and saw the notorious yellow exclamation point. The dreaded ERROR ..
How could this happen?
After trying to comment on another blog and failing to connect, I stopped for the evening determined to resolve whatever issue was happening and promising myself that I would from now on save my work.
I did back up all my blogs I had previously written. I even went so far as to attempt to set up another account on Wordpress..this because I had read that my problem with blogger was shared by many others.
That remains only partially done as I got busy. Really haven't had time to continue my migration. Tonight with some time to spare, I though I would give it one more chance, and so far so good, no error, and all is looking good.
So between working and rain, and no plans for the 4th, I dealt with limited water due to a well pump that has been malfunctioning for over ten days now, and loads of laundry building and finishing a book. Instead of barbecue, I now own a pair of new sneaker type shoes.
All is good.

But I was only gone two days

Why is it that whenever I go anywhere longer than a day it seems that things go awry here at home? I am certainly not a super housewife, or a super mom, actually not a super anything. Anyone can do daily what I do. It's not difficult, doesn't require great mental or organizational skill, it's just the daily stuff I do day after day.

This time I was gone two and a half days, available almost always by phone.
Yet chaos seemed to reign again.
I've left someone in charge of two semi behaved dogs and a self sufficient cat. Gave pretty basic instructions, after all what I do isn't brain surgery. In fact I have been questioned occasionally over the years, what do you do all day?

My response has always been a wise ass retort regarding bon bons, soap operas and long phone conversations with my many friends as I go about spending huge amounts of money at department stores on things I do not need
I usually receive a slammed door or a nasty reponse, which 99 percent of the time I ignore.

This time the water pump quit after a storm which apparently contained a lightning strike that disabled the pump, and threw dirt upon my youngest daughters new wheels. Well new to her.
These wheels after being driven by her father for a day refused to start and was towed back to the lot to be looked at the seller, mechanic.
Of course instructions regarding our little dogs was ignored, and they responded by creating as much havoc as possible. This netted them the opportunity to be left outside through a thunderstorm. They do have shelter but a thunderstorm?, their most hated of weather events, and dangerous should another lightning strike hit close by.

Now obviously to you and to me these events would have most likely happened if I had been home. But it wouldn't have been the overwheming catastrophe that was related to me. It would have fallen under the category of shit happens.

When this same person was left in charge of his children years ago. nothing else got done. No work, no chores. Even though the girls were both in school, it was for some reason an overwhelming task to do a little laundry, a dirty dish or make dinner. I was told there wasn't time to work and I came to find out that dinner consisted of diners or pizza. (he can cook by the way).

So the next time I have to leave I will hire a pet sitting agency. (the girls are grown) and turn off my phone.
It will be better for all.

Monday, Monday

So here we are at the beginning of another week, this one filled with leftover chores from the weekend, and the end taken up by a two day orientation at my youngest daughter's soon to be home for the next four or five? years, her college.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for the orientation of something new such as a college, but for the students. The parents are supposed to attend two days of pertinent information as well. Two days!! This concerns me that professionals can't compact all this information in less than two days.
I could have stayed in a dorm, so I can get the idea of what our children will be experiencing in the fall or I can book a room, both cost money.
I'm not sure exactly what I will learn from this experience, but I dutifully booked a room, and paid for an orientation packet. I am still working on the paid part.
I will be staying in a motel, as I don't really need to experience the comfort of a single dorm bed, in a room shared by a stranger at my age.
I think my imagination is good enough to know how my daughter will be living, on campus at least for a year.
I will attend at least part of the activities scheduled for the parents, but unless they are something new and keep my attention, I plan on ducking out and checking out the small town this big university is located in.
By the way did I mention that this is my second go round at college visits.
The school won't really tell you the important things, like who a good car mechanic is, or if there is a 24 hour clinic for when the college infirmary is closed. Are there available stores, drugstores, for the necessities of the teenage girls?
Do they deliver pizza to the dorms for late night snacking, and how much money should our new students really have on hand for the incidentals that make up college life?
What they won't tell us is how to convince our daughters that they really do not need to bring everything in their closets. First they won't all fit in the dorm rooms, and secondly after a week or two goes by, the student will realize that sweat shirts and pants are a good match almost six days of the week.
Do they suggest thirty pair of underwear? We know how often laundry will be done...I have already had the duffle of dirty duds arrive for visits with my former college student.
Do they tell us to be taste testing for the best microwave popcorn, frozen snack, dry snack?
How much bottle water should I bring or will the walmart found in or near every college town have the essentials she will need?
They don't tell us that our student to be will require a new college sweatshirt from the bookstore, and a bumper sticker or windown decal...on this orientation weekend.
So I'm gathering my stuff for our excursion, leaving a list of pet duties for my students father who will be in charge of the two dogs and one cat we are leaving in his care, and we will be doing the "road" trip thing come Wednesday.
Ah yes, orientation..maybe I'll get that book finished I started a month ago after all.
Well it is only this year, but maybe someone could suggest these two words for next years orientation..."virtual tour".