Van is loaded...

Yesterday was a finally "get some of the junk out of my house and into the van...Day."  I managed to get the majority of my stuff into the van..  Still have to pack some clothes and Molly's bag.  One or two other items and I am ready to head out for the retreat.

Last night Marji and Danny came up from Maryland with the majority of her stuff.  I had made a pot of Wendy's Chili (a recipe from Facebook) and we had a bowl or two.  The Danny went out and loaded her stuff into my van.  He was worried that he might have to drive her to OBX because of the amount of stuff she was bringing.  Now it appears as though he can stay home.  She still has some stuff to bring down, but hopefully  it can be divided in other cars.

I have not looked into the van, that will be later in the day.  I will be completely packed by bedtime tonight.  Then up and on the road by 6:00 AM!  From the statements of the other ladies going, there will be little sleep this evening and tomorrow there will be some very excited women heading to the Outer Banks.

Once we start the journey, I will not be posting here.  I will be sending our activities to our retreat web site.  Once back, I will pick up here.

Now, off to pack a lunch, dress and head to the gun club for the 7 hour final day of our class.  Classroom stuff and shooting exercises.... turn in our tests and evaluations and we are done.  It has really been an outstanding class.  The West Caln Sportsman's Club should be very proud of the efforts put in by these dedicated instructors.

Another Intense Class ..... and a new tooth!

Last night was yet another intense class learning about protecting myself in my home.  We started around 7:00 PM and did not get out of there until closer to 11:00 PM.  No shooting, all lecture.

Normally I would have hated this.  It would have been hard staying awake.  This was not normal.

Our instructor tonight was a member of the club, an NRA instructor AND a police officer.  To say he had a unique vision of the need to protect ourselves is an understatement.  He knew the laws and dispelled some myths and absolutely scared the bejebbers out of us.  Perhaps I have been living in a vacuum, but I have rarely seen so many people so armed and fearful of their surroundings.  But I have to admit, I find myself looking around more as I leave stores and trying to be aware of my part of the world.  I may not be Rambo when I am done, but I will be better prepared to fend off an attacker.

Saturday I will be in class for 7 hours and then I should be a certified something with the NRA.... wooo hooo!

This morning I got up and continued gathering things together.  Then I went to the dentist to have my temporary crown removed and the permanent crown put in.  Dr. Stuppy did an outstanding job.  It is probably the most comfortable crown I have ever had.  My only complaint is that the glue really, really tastes bad.

So, I am off to continue loading the van.

Getting an early Christmas Present....

So, I visited with my orthopedic surgeon today.  He wanted to know how well the SYNVISC had done 6 weeks ago.  I told him that it had done little or nothing to relieve the pain in my right knee.  He sighed and asked me if I was ready to take the next step and go for a knee replacement.  I also sighed and said yes.

It was not a surprise and we had already touched on it.  So I, while never ready to undergo any surgical procedure, knew that in order to get relief and perhaps get back to a normal physical life would have to start the process.

So, the nurse in charge of scheduling, sat down with me and we went over his schedule and my schedule and I am going to have a knew right knee installed on December 2nd.  It will require about three days in the hospital, so maybe home by the 4th if I do well.  Home health care and PT for a couple of weeks and then outpatient care and PT until back on both legs.  No driving for 6 weeks.  I guess wintertime is a good time for that.

I will have to find a way to get Molly taken care of while I am in the hospital and then find folks to help me with errands and appointments for 6 weeks,  OMG.. lot s to get ready and only 2 months after getting back from the OBX to get the house ready for me and a walker!

Wish me luck.

Let the Prep Begin....

There are fewer than 6 days before 6 of my dearest friends and I hit the road for the Outer Banks.  We have rented a house for the week and will be resting, laughing, going to the beach (maybe) sewing, crafting, cooking and just plain having fun.

I am beginning to take the little piles of things that have popped out all over the house into slightly bigger piles and finally into manageable boxes for packing into the van.  I am finding myself rethinking what I am taking.  My BFF Marji, even though I have cautioned everyone to pack thoughtfully, evidently has come up with some craft things that she wants to teach and has a LARGE pile of things to bring along.  So large that her husband has told her that he would be happy to drive her down.  (Yes, he is nuts.  They broke the mold when they made Danny!)  I am trying very hard to find a way to take everything I need for me, all of the things I have for others and for Miss Molly and still have room in the back of the van for all of Miss Marji's stuff.  I keep telling her that we are only there for 7 days (6 whole days, but who is counting) and that most everyone have already selected the project(s) that they want to do.... but I might as well be talking to the wall.  Everyday I talk to her and she has added more to the pile.  Yikes!

So today, I will begin loading things into the van.  Molly's kennel which gets filled with other stuff.  Two large containers on wheels with kitchen stuff and crafting stuff.  Once that it done, I will get clothing and Molly's stuff together.  I want to try to get ahead of things.  I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow with my knee surgeon.  Hopefully a cortisone injection for a nice vacation will be on his agenda.

I have my Thursday night gun class, Friday my permanent crown is put in and then Saturday is the final class for the gun course... all day!  Then Sunday... we are off.  I am leaving from here and we are meeting up at Indian Acres.  Should be fun, if I can just get there!!  Lots to do!  Lots to do!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

I really hate being disappointed.  I hate even more when I am disappointed by a friend, but it seems to always be someone who you care a great deal about who disappoints the most.

Now the majority of my friends have never let me down.  If I need them, I know I can call on them and they will respond to my needs.  But I have one who lets me down as a matter of course, I have come to know (and expect) that she does not keep her word to me and I keep wondering why I continue to count her among my friends.

Friends are supposed to be people who work together to make our lives more pleasant.  They share interests, they go out of their way to make them feel special.  They contact each other frequently and worry when they do not hear from each other.  They keep their word and on those rare occasions when they have to let their friend down, they call and apologize.  They are there for each other when they need it and even when they do not know when they need it.

I really hate being disappointed.

Yesterday was fun but frustrating...

I had been looking forward to Saturday.  It was OBAATs Day.  OBAATs or One Block At A Time Quilting Group on Meetup is a really nice group of women who meet once a month to make quilts and enjoy each others company.  I had a project I wanted to begin and felt I would get a great deal done.

Now, I admit, it was partially my fault.  I had signed up for this event many months ago.  And once I signed up, I did not go back to the site.  After the July luncheon, they had decided that the opening fall meeting would be pillowcases for the Con Kerr cancer project.  The first couple of hours were to sew pillowcases and then the rest of the time your projects.  I had no problem doing that, but I had no fabric for pillowcases.  It also changed my mental planning.  It just caught me off guard.  Fortunately the Charity Coordinator had put together kits for pillowcases just for those of us who were not prepared.  So I did get to start my project and I am excited to take it with me to the OBX to continue working on it.

So, after a fun day, I packed up the van and headed home.  By the time I got home, Molly had been in the house for 7 hours.  I figured that she would have left me a puddle on the floor.  She did want out immediately and went outside and pooped.  But no pee.  So I came in and looked around the floor.  Nothing!  I was fine until I looked at my couch.  Each cushion... all three of them, had wet spots in the center.  I was ready to cry.  I still had the sewing stuff in the van but I had to take care of the sofa first.

I dug into the porch and freed up the carpet shampooer that I had stored there.  It had an upholstery brush but I could not figure out how to install it.  So I had to get on the computer, download the user manual and then it was still a puzzle on how to install it.  I guess I was tired and angry and I just wasn't thinking correctly.  But with persistence I finally figured out the simple step to get it working.

Then I headed into the living room.  I could not get the sprayer feature on the shampooer to work.  It had been a long time since I last used it, so I grabbed a spray bottle and sprayed the cushions and began sucking up the pee.  In time the sprayer began to work, so I got to use it, too.  I went over each cushion twice and then turned the fans on.

So now it is raining.  By the time I went to bed well over 1/2 inch of rain had fallen and it was still raining.  So the sewing stuff is still in the car.  I will get dressed and head to church and then come home and unload the car and get started on getting ready to head to the OBX a week from today.  Hopefully it will be a better day!

Handgun Hangover....

Good Morning.... I think!

I have discovered that there is a different kind of hangover.  I suffer from handgun hangover after firing a gun late into the evening.  What, you might ask, is a handgun hangover?  It is the inability of getting to sleep after being at a gun class or shooting a firearm late into the evening.

My theory is that one has a flood of adrenaline when shooting a gun, even if it is intentional firing, under controlled conditions at stationary targets.  The later in the evening that the firing occurs, the later into the wee hours of the morning one is awake.

Last night was class number three of the gun safety and personal protection inside the home class.  These evening classes run from 6:45 PM until a little past 10:00 PM.  There are 16 people in the class and we have some classroom instruction and then we move to the range to practice with our weapons.  Last night was the first time I had taken my Ruger SR22 to class, so I was particularly apprehensive.  The instructors present us with scenarios and we then fire our weapons using those instructions.  So, even when I am not firing, I am hearing gunshots and with each explosion of the gunfire, I am sure my little adrenaline pump is releasing the chemical into my system.

This morning, Molly is going to the groomer for her styling so she is ready to go to the OBX.  I had to set an alarm.  It went off at 7:30 AM.  I know I was awake until sometime after 2:30 AM.  So I am feeling a little groggy.  Yes, I have a handgun hangover.  It is going to make for a long day!

Another Prep Day & dinner with friends....

I had another restless night.  I think I may have figured out why... there is a full moon tonight, and I know I have had issues around full moons.  Sounds strange, but there are different magnetic pulls that can affect major things like tides.  So I am sure something as insignificant as me could be impacted.

I cleaned up my kitchen.  I have found that I am using paper plates and can go for several days before I have to clean pots and pans.  I will cook a meal and then have leftovers for several days.  So I will wait until I have a good sink full to do a thorough washing.

I worked on getting the final pages ready to go into the books of patterns that will go to each lady going to the OBX.  I have only one other page to go into a sleeve that is already in the book, so aside from putting in a couple of pens for note taking, the books are done.  The exciting thing is that the vinyl mesh arrived.  They even had the yellow mesh that we were waiting for.  Yippee.

Tonight I met two other widows for dinner.  We met at an Italian place in town.  I had a coupon, so we enjoyed the meal and did not have to pay full price.  I loved it.  Annette was one of the ladies.  Debbie was the other.  We are all finding that we need to have someone to get us up and going, so we are going to try to do that for each other.

Had a call from one of the ladies going to the OBX.  She was looking for a sweatshirt to do the shirt dress.  I was happy to be able to help her out.  She is excited.!!!

Tomorrow is back to the gun class.  We will begin the Personal Protection Inside the Home.  Should be interesting!!

Big Plans, Bad Day....

I woke on Monday with big plans.  After coffee, I jumped in and started by striping my bed and getting fresh sheets put on.  I had the TV on to some of my lessor channels.  So it took a while to realize that there was another horrendous tragedy unfolding in D.C.  Once I realized that, I found the wind had gone out of my sails and I ended up staring at the TV... just like I had on 9-11.  I hated what I was seeing.  I wanted to turn the channel but I had to watch.

The frightening thing for me is that my brother, who just retired on the first of this month, was a civilian working for the Navy.  He was based in Dahlgren, VA but would go into D.C. from time to time for meetings.  I texted him and asked if that was where he would go to his meetings and he texted back... Yes!  I could only begin to imagine how much more horrifying it would have been if he was still working.  His son, Tommy, is also working for the government since graduating from Virginia Tech.  But my brother said he is not in the Navy Yard.  Prayers answered.

My thoughts and prayers go to the families  of those who lost their lives and the workers and first responders who were injured.  I am keeping those workers who were not injured but had to survive the day and now live with those memories and have to deal with the loss of co-workers.

When something like this happens the news media concentrate so much on the who did it and why.  Until the families who suffered loss can come to terms with the events, we will not get to know the people who were killed.  And there may be some we will never get to know as their family will choose to keep everything private.  But the ripples of yesterday will go to the friends and family of the shooter, the workers in other buildings as well as the building where the workers died.  The law enforcement people who secured the scene will be forever altered, the neighborhood will lose the sense of security that it had.  And we are all changed, our sense of well-being has been dinged, yet again.

I was speaking to a friend this morning.  He commented that it seems that the world is getting more dangerous.  I have to agree... to a point.  I sometimes wonder if things like this happened years ago, before the news media was able to send news around the world within moments of it happening.  In this case, I think I prefer the 'good old days'.

I wonder what these events are doing to our children growing up.  Is there a generation growing up who will think that the way to make things that they think are wrong into a right is to take a gun or guns and shoot?  As you all know, I have been in the process of arming myself against intruders.  I have purchased two firearms and am learning the proper way to shoot, take care of and secure them.  I hope that I never have to use them, other than on a gun range.  And I hope and pray that we find a way to prevent such a senseless tragedy, as we saw yesterday, in the future.

Another step in my shooting proficiency...

Today was a lovely morning and went into a grey afternoon.  The summer-like weather has disappeared overnight, it seems, into pure fall.  It was 90 one day and overnight the low went down to 46 and I woke up so cold.  I really miss the gradual transitions I remember from my childhood.  One of the gentlemen at church said his furnace kicked in Saturday night.  According to one of my weather apps, it will not get any higher than high 70's this week with one day not even getting out of the 60's.  I am guessing that the days of wearing shorts are going to be few and far between.  Perhaps when the girls are on the OBX it will be warm enough for shorts.

I raced home from church, grabbed a sandwich and headed out to the West Caln Sportsman's Club.  This is where I am taking my basic gun course and the Personal Protection Inside the Home course.  The club is about a fast 15-20 minute drive from the house.  The other range I am using is closer to an hour.  The annual dues are a whopping $50.00, much easier to handle than the $300.00 at Targetmaster.  I met with Gabe Julian, one of the instructors for the class, and we went over the way the club works and what is expected.  The majority of the ranges that are used are outside.  They basically have them manned only on weekends....BUT...if you become a rangemaster, you can use the outside ranges anytime during the week.  So, once I am approved (in November) I can take the rangemaster training and then I can go during the week to shoot.  I am sure I will figure out the process needed.  They also have some fun activities like a night at the races, a ladies day event, a turkey shoot and an annual dinner.  So it will be something to look forward to.

I came home and found myself nodding off in my chair.  I guess I needed the sleep.  I was planning to watch the NASCAR race and then get busy, but just before the race was halfway done, the rains came to Chicago and they went into a 5 1/2 hour delay.  So I putzed around, folding up the couple of patterns that Debby brought over on Saturday.  Still need to scan the envelope front so the girls can see what they are trying to make.  I made a hamburger helper dinner and started making lists to pull things together for the trip.  The race finally started back up and I watched it to the conclusion and texted/talked to Mary Davis about our menu plans for the trip.

Everyone is getting really excited about the trip.  I hope it is not disappointing.  I do not know why I worry as we have never had a bad time.  But we have three new ladies this time and one never knows how things will go.  I think they will enjoy each other.  If nothing else, we will all learn how to make some wonderful Christmas gifts and spur some excitement about sewing, crafting, homemade and quilting projects.

A Day of Progress....

Yesterday was a day of moving forward.  Every now and then you have a really good day.  I was up before the alarm clock went off.  Grabbed a quick cup of coffee and dressed.  I had the windows open and it was COOL both outside and inside.  For the first time in a long time I grabbed for a pair of seat pants and not shorts.  I still wore a short sleeved tee shirt and was sorry I did.  Thank goodness I had a jacket in the van!

This morning was my Best Buddies Meetup group.  Best Buddies is a newly formed social group for widows and widowers.  There were about 10 of us.  Annette was there, along with Debbie (not my BFF, yet another one, Lynne, Ed, Liz and Bev.  One of the new members (and this morning her name escapes me) was a new widow.  She lost her husband in July, so the loss was very fresh and very acute.  In the course of asking about her as we ate our breakfast it urns out she was married for 72.. seventy-two... years.  The next question was, well how old are you?  (she did not look much older than that.  Here she was 92 and had driven herself!  I can only hope to be that way should I get to 90!

Back home and did some things on the computer.  My BFF Debby came by.  She had not been over for a while.  She had copied some of the patterns on larger paper than I could do in my system.  So now I can work some more on the books that the OBX girls will be getting with their patterns.  We chatted for a bit before she headed out to WalMart.  Marji called shortly after and we chatted for a bit.

Then I moved outside on the deck.  I am making a surprise for the girls.  I had pieces of wood that I needed to wrap in batting.  Marji and Danny had brought up and electric tacking gun.  I had used it inside for the first two and Molly had gone ballistic.  She ran and hid in the bedroom... as far away from the Living Room as she could get.  So I took the other five outside and sat on the deck to finish them.  They are wrapped and ready for the next step.

I finished putting sleeves on recipes and a couple of other patterns/instructions to go into the books.  Then it was time for bed!  Wow... what a day!!!

Arsenal Complete....

Friday was an odd day.  I had made plans, in my head only, to work on a surprise for the OBX ladies.  It did not happen!

I had an up & down night sleeping.  I find that shooting in the evening has my Adrenalin levels elevated just from the stress and frustration that the firearm gave me.  But I finally got up around 8:30 AM.  I had my breakfast and wandered the Internet.

I was thinking about the night before and the shooting with that frustrating gun.  I was also thinking about my new pistol and I did not feel good about using it this coming week.  I want to be able to get some range time in before I bring it out to the class and I doubt I will have time.  So around 12:30 PM I got in  my car and headed to Targetmasters.

I had read several reviews about the friendliness of the staff there.  I was geared to be ignored or treated brusquely.  Zach came over to assist me.  He was very helpful and patient.  I told him what I was looking for and he immediately brought out a couple of guns.  They did not have anything in the way of a revolver that would satisfy me, but they did have a couple of semi-auto pistols that met my criteria.  I ended up purchasing a Ruger SR22.  It came with 2 magazines, but I got an extra.  I also bought a 'brick' of .22 caliber cartridges (there were 525 in a brick).

The nicest thing about buying my pistol at Targetmasters, I was immediately able to go right onto the range and begin running some cartridges through the gun.  It is a sweet little gun.  I still have to work on getting the gun sighted in, but I was able to cluster many of my shots in and around the bullseye.  I am quite pleased with my purchase.  Even though it is a semi-auto versus the revolver, I am sure it will be a nice weapon.  My one concern is that I might get forgetful and remove the magazine but leave a live round still in the chamber.  This gun has a safety feature that when the magazine is removed, even if there is a cartridge in the chamber, the gun will not fire!  So I am much less nervous about having a semi-auto in the house.

I talked to Brian last night.  I am sure he thinks his mother is nuts.  He is not sure how I could just go out and blindly purchase a gun.  But I have been using them on the range and with the class, I knew what I was looking for.  The funny thing is, my 'blind' purchase came up with the same gun that he will be going out this weekend to buy.  So his detailed research came up with the same gun!  Amazing!

I came home and last night I shut the air conditioning off, again, and slept very nicely with some much cooler air coming in from Mother Nature.  Today is the Busy Buddies breakfast and my BFF, Debby, is supposed to be coming over.  I will be working on the OBX surprise!

Another intense night...

Yesterday was a quiet day until late afternoon.

I installed a safe in a secure place in my home.  I wanted to be sure that any firearms I might own would be safely locked away in a place that was not easily observable but I could gain quick access to in the event I needed it.  I found a small standing safe that fit nicely in the place I selected.  It has three sections for storing things, so I can store some of my more important things there as well.  It weighs 50 pounds, empty, so I had to use my little platform trolley to move it to it's new home.  I am very happy with the outcome.  I know I have done the best I could to make sure my weapon(s) are as safe as possible.  I am learning in my class that not only being able to shoot properly is important, but overall making sure the weapons are secure and out of the hands of anyone but those intended to use them is equally, if not more than important.

I made my 3 envelope roast yesterday.  I was able to make some of the best roast beef sandwiches I have had in a long time.  I had added mushrooms and onions to the recipe and the result was delicious.  As I was eating a fast moving but dangerous thunderstorm arrived.  It has been quite a while since I have seen such beautiful but frightening lightening.  Thank goodness it only lasted about 20 minutes and was pretty much gone by the time I left the house.  According to the rain gauge it put down close to 1/3 inch of rain in that short period of time.

Last night was the second night of my basic pistol class at the West Caln Sportsman's Club. It was another intense evening, with a lot of information in a very short period of time.  The first hour was the final classroom instruction before we went onto the range.  The rest of the night was firing exercises.  I was using the .22 caliber weapon from one of the instructors.  It did not work very well.  Loading the cartridges was difficult.  They did not seat well.  I had to give each one an extra push in order to have the gun fire correctly.  It made  the entire process more nerve racking for me as the first two exercises had the gun misfiring often.

In spite of that, and in spite of the fact that midway through I also managed to shoot my pinky finger on my left hand with a staple gun, I managed to keep almost all of my shots inside the target.  My instructor even said I was a good shot...it was his gun I was using... and that he would try to have a better gun for me next week.  I think I will just start using my .38 that I just bought, however, so that I can continue with the gun that I will be using for self defense.

We have now completed the basic pistol course.  Next week we will start the Personal Protection Inside The Home (PPITH) course.  This is where we will learn how to safely use the gun inside our home should we encounter an intruder.  Our next shooting experience will include kneeling.  I hope my old and infirm knees are up to it or at least they will be able to help me up once I get down.  I am guessing I will wear my brace for those classes.

These volunteer instructors are very good.  They challenge us, emphasize safety over and over, but are very helpful and patient with us.  I really believe that this is the best learning experience I could have gotten to become a responsible gun owner.  Thanks to the Sheriff's Office for pointing me to this class.

A New Doctor.... again!

Yesterday I met my new primary doctor.  Her name is Diana Chiromeras, MD.

For many years I had one doctor.  I started with her when she was just starting to practice and followed her around as she bounced from practice to practice.  She was close to where I was working and that worked for me.  I continues to see her after I retired but when she made another move to a different practice, I decided it was time to part company and I came back to a more local medical group.  I selected a new, young doctor thinking that she would be the last doctor that I would have to select.  I was wrong.

My lovely new doctor had a baby shortly after I started seeing her and she announced the last time I saw her that she would be leaving my group as they could not work around her hours for the care of her children.  I can understand that but it left me selecting a new doctor... again.

Yesterday I went to see one of a couple of new doctors that have come into the group.  I had a visit with Dr. Diana Chiromeras.  She is young, but not too young.  She seemed very confident, except when maneuvering around the computer programs.  It was her first day and I really thought that she was doing well.  We had a very nice conversation about all of my medical issues.  She looked at the results from the tests I had done on Monday and declared that, overall, I was in fairly good health.  I need to lose some weight (but I knew that) and I needed to exercise more (also a 'duh' thing) but rather than stating that, she wanted to find out what little thing I would be willing to do to alter my lifestyle.  She did not say I need to lose so many pounds or do so much exercise each day/week.  She wanted to know what I would be willing to change.  So we set a simple goal for the next visit.  It is attainable and something I agreed to do.  Simple.  She is not demanding, I feel I can do them, and so I will.  Interesting technique.  Perhaps this one might even work.

I followed that by heading to the grocery where I bought things I will make for dinners that should have me eating better along with a couple of nummie things that I can indulge in when I feel the need.  The rest of the day was studying the book for the class I have tonight.

Remembering...

12 years ago today, I was in my cubicle at Ceridian.  My cubicle was on a window, and I was happily working doing Quality Assurance for the payroll software that was being created by the developers.

This was one of those days that will be forever etched in my mind.  It is one of those days, like "where were you when Kennedy was shot?", that remain vivid in our minds, no matter how much time has passed.

I began getting emails about a disaster in New York City.  A plane had crashed into one of the towers of the Trade Center.  I had in my briefcase (and those of you who know me will not be surprised) a tiny portable TV.  I pulled it out, plugged it in and found a local station.  I watched the live broadcast as the news folks were describing the scene.  I was watching when the second plane hit the sister tower.  It was stunning, numbing, frightening.  At that moment my world changed.  The terrorism that was more commonplace in worlds far away was now on our safe and secure land.

Word got out that I had a TV.  Understand that it was a tiny screen, like 2 inches, but it showed enough and shortly I had a crowd trying to see the pictures.  We were watching when the first tower and then the second tower came crashing to the ground.  We mourned the immediate loss of life.  We were horrified.  Some cried, others just stared... wide-eyed our minds unable to process what we had seen and were watching.  No more work would be done in our offices that day.

A TV was finally connected in the conference room.  We wandered in to watch until we could not  handle it any more.  We would go back to our desks and try to do anything to take our minds off of what was happening but soon we were back in the conference room to watch some more.  After the plane hit the Pentagon and then word of the crash of the fourth plane, we were told that we could go home.

At home the TV was on non-stop.  There was not a channel that did not have their own news crews covering or were connected into a news feed if they did not usually do news.  Analysts were trying to make sense of it all.  When there was nothing new to report, they began to pick apart each event.  They tried to put us at ease that the event was over, but we all knew that we would never feel safe and secure again.

Today, 12 years later, I remember those who died.  I remember those working in the Twin Towers whose normal day turned out to be their last.  I remember the brave First Responders who ran into the structures to help save lives.  They did save countless lives, but lost their own when the towers fell.  I remember the people who died in the Pentagon.  I remember the brave civilians who died when they took the plane over from the terrorists and kept it from hitting it's target by crashing it into a field in Pennsylvania.

I remember.  I pray for peace and forgiveness.  I fear for our world and I pray for our leaders that they will make good decisions so that someday the entire world might know the peace and security that we used to have in this country.  I pray....

A Day of shopping...

Slept until 7:30 AM.  It was very nice.... but I could tell that the humidity was on it's way up and the temps are supposed to reach 90 in the next couple of days, so the windows got closed and the AC is back on.  No sense in waiting until the humidity gets unbearable in the house to turn it on.

I spent some time with Molly and caught up on emails and the like, showered and then headed off to French Creek Outfitters in Phoenixville.  I was curious to see how I was treated.  In many places a woman are not taken seriously.  This has been primarily a man's domain.  I have read many reviews of gun shops and ranges being rude and unfriendly to the ladies.  So I figured I would learn for myself.

After passing the place and having to turn around, I arrived at a very nicely arranged shop.  I headed to the gun displays and began window shopping.  One customer and one salesperson had spread themselves out over the revolver section, but I was still able to look in to see what they had.  I was finally approached by a very nice young man (Xavier) who spent some nice amount of time showing me their available pistols.  They did not have very many Smith & Wesson (USA) firearms, but they had some Rugers (also USA made) and Taurus (Brazilian made) along with one or two Charter Arms (also USA).  I liked the feel of the Rugers, but the instructors from the gun class have told me that I should really look for one with a three inch barrel and the ones they had were two to two and a half.  I decided to walk away and see what other shops had.

Since I was out, I decided to stop at the Village Arms.  This is a small shop in Gap where I actually sold Rudy's handguns and rifle after he died.  (Yes, there was a nice .22 LR caliber handgun in the mix and I have wished that I had kept it!)  They had very few revolvers of any kind.  None were 3 inch barrels and I did not want to look like Wyatt Earp with a long barrel on my gun.  Josh helped me here.  This place has some really bad reviews on how they treat their customers, but Josh could not have been nicer... he just did not have a great many to look at.

I debated about going all the way down to Targetmaster but decided to go home, instead.  I let Molly out and looked up other gun shops locally.  I found one in New Holland and called them.  I asked if they had any firearms using my criteria and was told that they had a Smith and Wesson Model 60.  It was not the Pro Series that I had used in Minneapolis, but it fit my criteria.  So I headed out for New Holland.  I had talked to Sean but Frank was available to assist me.  He was showing me a couple of .357's and Sean pulled out the S&W Model 60.  It was a very nice little gun.  Nice weight, nice balance.  Not the high end of the Pro Series, but a really sweet weapon.  They did not have a big selection of .22LR's, so I decided to pass on that but I did come home with the Model 60.

It is a .357 Magnum but also shoots .38 special and .38 caliber +P cartridges.  The .38s will not have the recoil that the .357 will and being weighted for the .357, I should be able to handle the recoil.  I will continue to shoot the borrowed .22LR at my next class and then switch to my S&W for the rest of the classes.  I will also head to the range for some practice next week.  I will still look for a nice .22LR.

I was once again amazed at how easy it was to walk away with a lethal weapon.  I had to fill out a form saying I was sane enough to own a gun and would not hold the store liable for anything after I left the store.  Then there was the form for the background check.  I gave them very little information.  Frank took the paperwork and put it in the system.  It took me longer to fill out the form than it did for him to get the reply.  I bought a carrying case and some ammunition as well as cleaning supplies.  Sean helped me carry things to the car.

So, my experience in buying a gun was very positive.  I will still look at my treatment as I look for my .22LR, but I am beginning to suspect that all of the bad reviews were fomr people who are just jerks and get treated that way because that is how they treat others.

I have a safe coming so I can lock the guns up at home.  It is my responsibility to make sure the weapons are secured so that children, anyone who knows they are here and try to get to them or anyone who breaks in cannot get them.  I also have some speed loaders (needed for the classes) and a couple of other cleaning items.  These will be here Thursday, from my favorite online seller.... Amazon.com!

Here are a couple of pics of my new protector.

Early Morning.... Shopping for OBX

I had my alarm st for 6:15 AM!!  I am retired!  Good Grief.  The strange thing is that I was up about 20 minutes BEFORE the alarm went off.  Sad, really.

No food, no coffee.  I had a fasting blood test this morning.  I did not worry about a urine test (I was not told there would be one), so I did use my facilities here at home.  Luckily, my kidneys did their job as the nurse asked for a sample as soon as I was called into a cubicle.  Ordinarily I would have said 'no way' as I have never been good at peeing on command.  But today, in addition to being another spectacular day temperature wise, was an exception to my normal so I was able to provide what they needed.  Yippee??!!

After letting the vampire lady do her thing... she was very good as my veins usually roll... but she said she went to a deeper one.  She got what she needed and I headed out to the desk.  The doctor I had been seeing had informed me on my last visit that she was leaving the practice I was going to as they were not able to alter her schedule to allow her more time home with her young children.  She had found one that did and was leaving the end of August.  I had gotten a flyer from the practice this week introducing 2 new docs and a Nurse Practitioner.  I made an appointment with a new doc who does family and women.  I will see her this Wednesday to go over the tests and get a couple of vaccines.

I left the office and headed to Dutchway Family Restaurant for their breakfast buffet.  It is the first time I have wandered into a restaurant by myself.  It was a really big step for me.  I had my Pistol Handbook, so I nibbled on some lovely breakfast items... fresh biscuits, creamed chip beef, bacon, scrambled eggs and a couple of potato dishes.  A couple cups of coffee finished the meal.  I was amazed at the number of seniors who were there as well as some red neck business meetings (tee shirts and flannel plaid) that were happening.  But I got through some of the gun basics on both types that we are dealing with before heading home.

I gave Molly some lap time before heading out again.  I went back to the Consignment Shop but this time as a shopper.  I went through a store full of 'meh' junk.  I have never been one to find old stuff pretty unless I was looking for something specific.  Today I was looking for small bottles or items for button flowers.  I found a fairly large bud vase, two common, glass salt shakers like I had found at Good's and a beautiful purple bottle with a very thin neck.  All but the purple one have gone into the OBX box.  The purple one will stay here with me.

I then headed back to Gap, filled up my van with the cheapest area gas and stopped at the Dollar Tree.  I went nuts.  I did find a couple cool vases for the button flowers, but I also found some really fun things that the OBX ladies will be getting upon our arrival in Kitty Hawk.  I will not list them here in case some of the ladies are reading the blog.  I doubt it.  I do not have a big following.  I basically just enjoy doing this to remember my days.

I did enjoy talking to my brother, Andy, this morning.  He called to find out why I had been up so early.  He checks my cameras almost daily and had noted my early rising.  He is finally beginning to feel retired.  I am not sure that he or his wife are comfortable with it.  As usually happens, the things they thought were in place, are no longer in line.  Typical for life but scary when you are finding yourself on a fixed income.  Andy was to work on an embroidery job that they had lined up.  He had been tweaking the design over the weekend and was going into production mode today.  I do not know, yet, if he got them done.  His internet, phone and cable are down, so they are in the dark, technologically.  

Tomorrow, I may head out to Phoenixville.  French Creek Outfitters is there.  It is a sporting goods store that sells firearms and also has a gun range.  I just want to see prices and how they treat me.  Gun shops are notorious for being arrogant when it comes to women.  So I will see how they are and what they have in stock.

So, another adventure tomorrow.  I will let you know how it goes.

Dinner Tonight

This is what I ate for dinner tonight:

This is Lobster Ravioli.  Inside each little pillow is a LARGE amount of delicate lobster meat.  It came frozen from a local manufacturer called San Marco.  It is located in Downingtown.  They are closed on Mondays, so do not try to find them that day.  They make noodles, spaghetti, shells and... as you can see, ravioli.  Some is dried and in bags.  Some can be found frozen.  They also... if you get there early enough...have the most delightful Italian bread that is good with a slather of butter as a snack before bed!  There are some sauces or the ingredients for special sauces.  There are cheeses and olives and a few exotic ingredients.  It is a small shop, so do not expect walls or aisles of items.  They have a limited offering, but they are made there and offered to the public.  I am sure that in the back they have a wondrous facility and I am also sure that they supply many restaurants in the area that are known for 'fresh' or 'homemade' pasta.

I know they provide a local eatery with item.  I have even splurged on Lobster ravioli at that restaurant.  But I could have served 12 people for what I paid at San Marco.  I will be getting my own, from now on.

Not to worry, Brian, I am still going to learn to make my own pasta.  Ravioli is something else!

Open please and human kind

Yesterday was a very pleasant day here.  Highs were in the 70's, so for the first time since last May, the air conditioner is off, windows are open and without the humidity that was here all summer, it is delightful and last night bordered on cold.  Yippee!

I woke early and continued with the table cover for the card table for White Cane Days.  I also put together some small table signs and made a collection jar out of a plastic container that help pretzel snacks.  I think the table will look very professional and well put together.

I headed out in the van with a chair, some water and the table , cover and everything else.  First stop was the dentist.  Dr.Stuppy bought out my dentist a year or so ago when Dr. Rappaport ended up with a nerve issue that prevented him from continuing being a dentist.  I have seen him at cleaning time but this is my first time for actual dental work... and crown work no less.  My appointment was at 2:00 PM.  He numbed me (the worst part as far as I am concerned) then took impressions, ground away the bad parts, more impressions and then put in a temporary crown that was not a tin can.  It was made on-site and looked like a tooth.  Impressive.  I was out and setting up for White Cane by 3:00 PM.

The Consignment Shop where my table was set up was a few miles away from my dentist on the same highway.  It is the first time that my Lions Club has ever set up there, so it is an experiment to see if it is worth doing it.  The highway bucket brigade was in Parkesburg from 4 to 7 PM.  The shop closed at 6:00 PM, so I just set up my table at 3:00 PM and started taking donations.  I was amazed at how many people did not even bother to give anything.  I was also touched at the ones who looked like I should be giving them money gave em what little change they had or took their last bit of cash.  I am setting up again today.  Perhaps a Saturday will yield more generous people.

The rest of the night was catching up with friends and chilling with Molly.

Here are a couple of pictures of the table with my fast made tablecloth and signs.  I think I did well!

Intense Night....

Last night was the first class of 5 so I will have a good knowledge of guns... how they function, how to be safe handling them and how to properly shoot them and hit what I am aiming at!  This series of classes is being presented by NRA instructors at the West Caln Sportsman's Club.

I left a little after 6PM and put the address into my GPS.  I had estimated at least a good 20 minute drive using the route in the packet from the club.  My GPS took me a different way and I was there in 12 minutes.  To say I was early was an understatement.  I sat in my car for a few minutes and the entire time the only people entering the building were men with shaved heads.  Frightening.

I entered the building at 6:30 PM and  was directed to take any seat.  Over the next 10 minutes, the tables filled up with the other 15 students.  I was relieved to see that about 50% of the class was women.  Most of them had their own guns.  There were only three of us who did not already have a weapon.  We were given the use of a gun from the club.  I am starting with a .22 caliber revolver but I think after the next class where we will be shooting 50 rounds, I may move up to a .357 caliber but shoot .38 caliber ammunition.  Time will tell.

The class went until a little past 10:00 PM.  It was intense.  The main emphasis is safety, safety, safety.  They are also debunking myths about what happens in the real handling of guns versus what we are 'learning' on TV.  We have a handbook that must be read by next class and there will be an evaluation and test on that material.  In two weeks, we will be getting another handbook and there will be an evaluation and test on that too.

But I am sure that by the time we are finished, there will be 16 people who will have a healthy, new respect for our weapons.  We will know how to field strip, clean and assemble our weapon, load the weapon in the dark and fire at an intruder without a second thought as to whether the gun is ready to fire, because we will know by the feel that it is ready.  We will know the proper weapon that we should own for what we are planning to use the gun for and be ready to be a responsible gun owner for that weapon.

It was an intense time and I am looking forward to the next 4 classes.

My weapon for the first night of class.

PABA Frustration and a new adventure...

After a two month break from meetings for the first time since I joined PABA (Parkesburg Area Business Association) we resumed our regular meeting schedule.  I was really hoping that after a summer break that the members would come back with a renewed enthusiasm and be ready to tackle some of the issues we are facing head on.  Instead, our president did not attend (he was at a school function for his son so it was understandable) and the 'fabulous four' joined by the 'fabulous fifth' sat around the table.  The meeting started at 7:00 PM.  There was really no agenda that we could follow.  The treasurer had forgotten to check our mail box and had not updated the membership numbers.  As secretary I did have the minutes from the June meeting.  Under 'Old Business' we went over the July Bike Race' again.  It was an activity that we were unable to sponsor due to our low number of active members but we have one member who is beating a dead horse in getting an explanation as to why we did not support it.  The result is that we are going to survey our membership to see their reactions and/or issues with the bike race.  (30 minutes of my life gone that I can never get back.)  Then we moved through a couple of items quickly before getting into two issues, one from the Vice President and one from our absent President.

The thing you need to know about our dear Vice President is that he was once a school teacher.  He learned long ago that in order to get his point across to his students he had to find a way to say the same thing in 30 different ways.  He does that very well.  What could be done in a couple of simple sentences usually takes at least 15 to 20 minutes.  He now makes signs and banners.  Our president had told a new business owner to contact the VP about possibly repairing a sign that is an orphan at the end of our Main Street.  We got the whole story, including the failure of several Borough officials to follow through on things, that ended in new business people putting the whole idea on the back burner.  As near as I could see, this had nothing to do with PABA and yet now, the same member who wanted the survey now wants PABA to adopt the sign and fix it up ourselves so businesses can hang their names on it.

Then we got into the final issue... the way the Borough works when new businesses try to come into town.  It involved a business that wanted to open a small shop in an abandoned building, put money into the project based on comments from the Borough Manager only to have the Borough Council tell the entrepreneur be told they could not do what they wanted to do.  They were dumbfounded as the Borough Manager had told them it was OK only to have him deny that he had done so.  It is a story we have heard before and is one of the reasons that our businesses are closing down and why new businesses do not want to come into town.  But with only 4 or five active members, there is little we can do as an organization besides write letters or complain.  This is really something that has to be fixed from the Borough side and those who feel passionately about it need to go to the Borough meetings or run for office so they are in the position to change council.

The meeting ended around 9:00 PM.  Between redundant ways of saying the same thing, going round and round on what we should do on past events and present issues, I have never been so frustrated.  It at least cemented my resolve to not allow myself to be re-elected to the secretary post for 2014-2015 and free up that time in my life for other pursuits.

Venting done.

Today I will be making up a banner or table cover for the Lions Club.  Tomorrow I will be setting up table at the local thrift shop for White Cane Day collection.  I will head there after I am at the dentist getting my crown prep done.  Then I will be there Saturday in the morning soliciting donations before a lunch by the chairman of our White Cane day committee.

Tonight I begin what will be 22 1/2 hours of gun safety training.  I am excited about this class.  I am still a bit nervous about handling a gun.  The first two nights are strictly about dealing with the pistols.  I will be using their weapons for the first couple of classes since I have not yet purchased my first gun.  They will be helping us figure out the type of gun that we will actually need to purchase.  I need to be there around 6:30 PM and it will go until 10:30 PM tonight.  Each Thursday night this month will be a class and then the Saturday before I leave will be an all day class.  Not sure what I will be certified as when I am done, but I should be more comfortable with a gun by the time I am done.

So, another busy day.  My quiet week has become more busy than I expected!  Good thing I am retired!!

A very good day, so far...

After a  night of concern yesterday, today has been a very good day.

Last night my BFF, Debby, was trying to get some medical treatment for her injured leg.  Healing was not progressing well and after nearly 2 weeks of pain, she went to the Urgent Care center, then to her family doctor and finally to the ER.  (She would have saved time and money had she gone there first, but might have missed being treated by Dr. Brilliant... his real name!)  She has less pain today and is seeing a wound care specialist as I type and feels well on the road to recovery.

Overnight I was up and down.  Fell asleep with the TV on and it work me up at 2:30 AM.  Then Molly wanted out close to 7:00 AM and then we did not get up until her whining to be fed got us up just before 9:00 AM.

Mid morning I had a call from my newly retired brother.  He had spent the better part of the day yesterday getting his retirement signed off on the base.  There were several things that he had set up to be completed while he was on vacation.  None of them were, they were still on the secretary's desk so instead of taking a couple of hours, he put in a full day.    When he called today he said that today finally did feel different.  He knew there were things he wanted to do, but had really slept in and then watched a movie before calling me.  I think he is going to enjoy being retired.  We chatted for quite a while and then he was off to the bank to open his account for the business he is going to run from the house,

I have heard from Debby and she is on her way to get to the wound doctor.

I have heard from Mary.  She is making plans to move her sewing room from her shed and into her house.

I heard from Shelia.  She needed some questions answered about the OBX retreat.

The trash was picked up and the lawn guys were here so I look pretty outside.

Tonight is PABA and I already have the minutes done and am ready for that meeting.

A very good day, so far...

It's a Banner Day for my Brother!

I want to take a moment to congratulate my brother, Andy, on his retirement today.  He has been working for the Navy as a civilian for, give or take, 30 years.  I have watched as he matured and became a respected member of the folks that help maintain and build the fleet of ships that help to keep us safe.

Today is his official final day.  He is only going in to sign final paperwork and turn in the last of his official government issued equipment.  Then he will get in his car and leave the base for the last time.  I never had a chance to retire and know it was my last day.  I managed to be laid off and not walk away on my own.  But I am assuming that the feeling of driving away, knowing that you will not be going back is both frightening and satisfying at the same time.

He has been off for almost two weeks.  But it must seem to him more like a normal vacation.  He and his wife, Carol, had driven to Pennsylvania to pick up her mother.  Then the three of them headed off to Williamsburg for a week.  After coming back, they returned Mom to Pennsylvania followed by a day of rest.  So retirement has not really set in.  I would guess, by the end of this month, he will finally feel retired when he is able to pick and choose what his activities will be.

So, dear brother. please know that I am so very happy for you.  You have worked hard and are so deserving of the time where you can be in control of what you do and when you do it.  My wish is that you will find this new phase of your life to be everything you imagined and could possibly wish for.

I love you!!

My Mother and her teeth....

OK... odd title.  But she provided half of my genetic material and while I have not suffered from many of her bad genes (yet), I did inherit her teeth.

My mother had a mouthful of crowns and bridges. She could break a tooth at the strangest times and on the oddest food.  She was best known in our family for breaking teeth on soft food, like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Several years ago I used to assist in the planning of a bus trip to various fun locations with a bunch of fun ladies.  I broke a tooth while in Myrtle Beach on a shrimp po' boy sandwich.  I also broke one while on a trip to the Outer Banks with a smaller group.

Over the last month or so I have been feeling the twinges while chewing that were indicative of a tooth preparing to break.  I am planning another trip to the Outer Banks with my friends, so I figured that I would probably end up breaking it while I was away.

To my delight, I will not be doing that.  Instead I broke my lower right molar on a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit this morning at home.  Did not feel it break but rather found the tooth piece rattling around in my food.  The open section of the tooth is a bit sensitive but not unbearable.  I will have to shift my chewing back to the left side of my mouth.

But at least I can head to the OBX knowing that I will not be breaking that tooth while I am away!

Quiet Day, Busy Day...

It was another late night with an early morning.  I remember seeing 2:00 AM, so the alarm at 7:30 AM  was not greeted fondly.  My intentions were to go to church, but ever since I arrived at the church to find no one there but in stead a picnic at a different place and time that I knew nothing about, I have to admit that I am not feeling kindly about attending.  So, since I would not be a happy attendee, I opted to stay at home.

I cleaned up the kitchen.  Danny and Marji had indicated that they might come up, so I was clearing up some things preparing for their visit.  Marji heard that I had made my beans, so she wanted to come and have some dinner so she could enjoy them.  She also wanted to bring an electric tacker for the OBX board project.  She also brought all of the gadgets that she has put together for the button flower project, including three of the 67 bags of buttons she got last weekend.  I do not think we will be lacking for buttons for this project in October.

Marji and Danny arrived a little after 1:00 PM.  We chatted for a bit.  Danny & I discussed the chimney cap.  He had installed it a couple of weeks ago but it was larger than the chimney (even though the advertisement said it was  adjustable) and I had been concerned, not so much about ti flying off in the wind but more that it would loosen and fall over the opening and fill the house with carbon dioxide.  Turns out he had been concerned about ti, too.

So, he set about taking the cap back off and making some alterations to the cap itself.  He added a couple of straps that will rest on the top of the chimney and prevent it from slipping down on the chimney should a screw or two loosen.  I am much more comfortable about being ready for the heating season.  I am going to resurrect the CO2 detector and get it into a placement closer to the basement.  It has been near the TV in the living room and will sometimes go off when I know things are fine.

Marji and I chatted a bit about the trip and then I worked on the board project.  There are three layers of material that are going on the boards.  I have figured out 2 of them and only have one more to create.  Then I just have to get all seven of them finished.  Four weeks from today we will be checking into our house and working on the button flowers.

After Danny finished with the chimney, I had sloppy joes ready to eat and a big pot of baked beans, too.  Not very many of the beans left and I gave Marji the last bag of beans in the fridge.  I still have a container to go through here.  I am so happy to share something so good with someone who enjoys them so much as the Lantz family does.

I will be working on the board project one board at a time.  Molly is so scared of the electric tacker.  Each time I pull the trigger she jumps.  She finally hid in the bedroom, all the way around the bed, as far away from the living room as she could get.  I actually had to go all the way around to her to get her to come out.  So I will do one board at a time while she is outside so as not to traumatize her.  She has been very subdued all evening.  It must be one of the tones that she can still hear and it scares her badly!

No plans tomorrow.  Maybe I will head down and visit Debby to see how her leg is doing!