It's Been a Good Weekend

Yesterday was another good day. I felt real good. I don't know what kinda drugs they gave me during surgery, but I seemed to have an abundance of energy. I went to Sam's to buy some hanging file folders. I had bought a Filer Cube from Target to set up in my computer room. I'm buying pieces as they go on sale. You can put together a whole desk with shelves, cabinets and files if you want to. When I went to put the cube together, I found out there was a piece missing - the back. I called the customer service number and left a message for them to call me back.

After Vance got home from playing golf, I went to Wal-Mart to get one of those gates to go in a doorway to keep kids or pets from getting into a room. I wanted to keep the dogs out of the dining room. When I got back, I moved the bookcase that was in my computer room out into the hall. It looks pretty good there. I am trying so hard to get my computer room cleaned up. I would like it to be the next room that Vance puts flooring in - maybe this winter. I want to get organized so I can get some projects done. I want to scrapbook, but don't have a place to lay out all my stuff. I'm planning on putting the Duncan Fife dining room table that I bought several months ago back in the dining room. Right now, it's in my computer room. I will be able to use it to scrapbook on.

This morning, I woke up and my nose was hurting. I guess it's true what they say about the third day after surgery being the worst. I went to church and sang with the Praise Team, but my nose was hurting. I ended up taking a pain pill when I got home. I hate taking pills, but I didn't want it to get out of control. I ate some lunch and then took a two-hour nap. I felt better when I woke up; still a little uncomfortable, but not enough to keep me from working in the computer room. Got some stuff thrown away and other stuff a little more organized.

School starts back tomorrow. I talked to Trent today and he's excited. He's ready to go back to school. Tabitha starts back to college and Hope starts to Head Start. It will be a busy day for them tomorrow. Keep them all in your prayers.

Guess I will go lay down on the couch. I'm still sleeping there so I can prop myself up without having to worry about rolling over and hitting my nose. Or, Vance rolling over and bumping me. Tomorrow will be a catch-up day for me. This is going to be a very busy week since I missed two days last week.

Goodnight and God bless.........................

Day After Surgery

I was able to get a good night's sleep last night. No problems from the surgery. I woke up early and Vance went to work. I'm not having any pain and my nose didn't bleed during the night. I feel great!

I got up and did a few things around the house. I hung up some pictures in the hall using those Hercules Hooks. I'm telling you, they are wonderful for sheetrock walls. Then I decided to go to the Credit Union to get our money for the weekend. Fran is going to reschedule her surgery for the week after next. That will work out better for me, too. It will be a payday week, so I won't have to be rushed to do the timesheets. And if she is having problems on Friday, I can go sit with her in the hospital. But, I don't expect her to have any problems.

I went over to Kim's office and she talked me into going to lunch with her, Kenny B. and Tom. We went to a Chinese Restaurant. It was good. I haven't had Chinese in a couple of years. After leaving the office, I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics to buy some photo mats, but found out they don't carry them except in the Jo-Ann Super Stores. Wish we had one here. I bought some clear plastic containers for $.99 each. I had bought some shelving from Target and put it together today. The containers were a perfect fit. I have found one reason I have so much junk in my house is that I put it away in containers that I can't see into and I just forget I have it and go out and buy more. So, I'm going to start buying clear containers to store my stuff in. And, of course, label everything. When I got home, I realized I needed a couple more of those containers, so I went back to Jo-Ann's and bought four more.

I cleaned a little in my computer room and set the new shelves up on my desk. My room is beginning to come together.

When I got home from Jo-Ann's, I started sneezing. I guess it was from being around all those potpourri and candles. But, it didn't hurt my nose. I can't blow my nose for several days, so I just have to sniff. That's no fun. I did find out that I have stitches in my nose. It looks like he cut through the nostril from the left side to get to the right side. Probably to be able to fit the instrument in at a straighter angle. Still, I believe I'm doing wonderful considering I just had surgery. There's no swelling and no bruising on my face. Nobody can even tell I've had anything done to my nose. That's a good thing.

Today was more like vacation than recuperation. Was able to get things done that I hadn't thought I could do. Figured I would be laid up on the couch all weekend. Penny asked me to go to Shipwreck and I considered it today, but it's just too hot. They say even the water is hot - it's like a sauna or hot tub. No, I'll pass on that. Plus, I burn way too easy. Tomorrow, I'm going to put together my filing cube and go get some hanging file folders. I'm bound and determined to get organized to make my girls proud (Tabitha and Michelle).

Well, I've got a little time tonight that I can throw in a load of clothes to wash, so I guess I'll get busy.

Goodnight and God bless..................

Surgery Went Fine

Well, today was the day for my surgery. Got up around 5:00, took my shower and got ready to go. Couldn't eat, so I just watched the Weather Channel to see what the storms were doing. Looks like Texas was getting a lot of rain.

Vance got up and we went to the Surgery Center. I had no sooner sat down, than they were calling me back. I kissed Vance and followed Nurse Day to the back. She gave me my "designer" gown and told me to "tie it in the back." I tried, but it was missing a tie. So much for designer gowns! We made the best of it and had a good laugh. She was great. She asked if I was okay and I told her I was fine; no anxiety at all. I try to look at surgery as an adventure. That way, I don't get scared. Plus, I pray a lot and ask God to take away any fear that might try to creep in. He takes good care of me. I know He's holding me in the palm of His hand and I'll be okay.

Nurse Day got a call from the front and said my pastor was here. She finished putting in the IV and the anestisist, (I know I've spelled it wrong) John, talked to me and told me what he was going to do. The one thing he said that concerned me was that he was going to insert a stainless stell tube down my throat into my windpipe. That didn't bother me. It was when he said it could crack, break or knock out some of my teeth that I got a little concerned. Then, Nurse Day went and got the pastor. Well, it wasn't Pastor Sammy. It was Pastor Bill. He does the hospital visits for Pastor Sammy. I didn't think Pastor Sammy would be there. He was supposed to have therapy this morning. Pastor Bill asked if I was anxious about the surgery and I told him no, but if he wanted to pray for me anyway that was fine with me. He talked to me for awhile, then he prayed right before they took me back. I described Vance to him so he could speak to him on his way out.

They took me back to the operating room and the nurse and John were talking about food. Wendy said she absolutely loved goat cheese and told me I had to try it. John told us about a "guys night out" and one of the male nurses cooked for them all. He said he had never really liked Banana Pudding, but the way this guy cooked it was the best he's ever eaten. He even recited the recipe for us as he was giving me my drugs. Before I could blink, I was out and waking up in the recovery room. I was a little groggy, but fine otherwise. The first thing I did was run my tongue over all my teeth to make sure they were still there. They were fine, Thank You Lord!

Another nurse came and talked to me. She said everything went well. I was in and out of the operating room in less than 30 minutes, but had to stay in recovery for an hour. We chatted and I saw John walk by. I stopped him and asked him if he could email me the Banana Pudding recipe. He said he would be happy to and took down my email address. (When I checked my email tonight, there it was.)

As I was getting dressed, I bent over and my nose started bleeding. Not much, but I did put on that cute little mustache bandage so that I wouldn't bleed all over myself. The nurse went and got Vance and told him to go get the car and she wheeled me out. As I was about to go out the door, I looked up and there was Pastor Sammy. He opened the door for us and helped me into the car. I said "I thought you had therapy this morning." He said he had cancelled it. That was so sweet of him. Vance said Mrs. Sandi had come and sat with him during the surgery, then Pastor Sammy showed up. They are so good to me.

We started home and I tried to call Mama. She wasn't home. Vance said Kim had called but he couldn't hear her too good. She said she would call me back this afternoon. She had to go to Crestview for a meeting today or she would have been with Vance in the waiting room. Called Fran to let her know I was okay. She was amazed that I sounded so good. I told her I was fine and was going home to just relax. She had a doctor's appointment this afternoon to see when her surgery is scheduled. She called me on her way home from the doctor's and told me it was next Wednesday. I'll see if I can get off and be there for her.

Penny called right after I got home. She was real surprised to hear how good I sounded. I told her I was fine and as long as I remembered not to bend over, there was no bleeding. I forgot four more times and it bled for just a second.

Olga called and then she came over to visit with me for awhile. She said there wasn't even any swelling. She thanked the Lord for answering our prayers. She brought me a little care package - 6 little dessert cookbooks and a book on Bible Trivia. That will be fun to try to answer the questions. Some of them are really hard. They aren't from the Bible; they are about different religions. I looked through the cookbooks and decided I was going to have to start making desserts from time-to-time. I may just have to make it and take it to work to share with the guys.

Dot called. She was on her way back from Matt and Christi's. Sarah called to make sure I was alright. She was so excited to hear me talking and laughing. She had prayed for me last night at church that it wouldn't be any worse than just having a tooth pulled. And it wasn't. I give the Lord praise! I finally got up with Mama. She had been out gallivanting around. I'm glad she can still get out and go.

The dogs were real attentive. They didn't want to leave my side. They are so good when it comes to me being sick.

I was only supposed to drink liquids today, so I asked Vance if he'd go get me a sweet tea from Sonic. Figured I could have that and water all day. Around 3:00 I started getting hungry and got Vance to bring me some Saltines. Ate several of them and they didn't make me nauseated, so I decided I could eat when Tina brought food. She brought baked zitti, soup, salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden. I ate some soup, zitti and a breadstick. Feel great. Vance ate one of the salads. He had eaten a little late for lunch. He was busy outside blowing off the leaves from the front steps and cleaning and organizing our kitchen drawers and cabinets. They needed it. Have I said what a good husband he is? He's the best.

Well, I think I will go back and lay down on the couch and read a little before I go to sleep. It's been a good day. God has blessed me with an easy surgery and an easy recovery. I give Him all the praise! Thank You, Lord!

Goodnight and God bless......................

Friday For Me!!!!

I woke up in time this morning to stop by McDonald's and get breakfast. Of course, I picked something that probably wasn't good for me (is any fast food?). I got a bacon, egg and cheese something. Not a biscuit, but the thing that kinda tastes like a pancake? The name escapes me. It was good anyway. I knew I had the safety meeting and I was hungry. You know - so hungry your stomach is growling. I didn't want to have it making noises while I was in a safety meeting, now did I? So, I fed it and my stomach was very happy.

Worked very hard today since I won't be there the rest of the week. Yep, today is Friday for me! I'm having surgery at 8:45 in the morning, so I will just lay around and catch up on my reading - and watch HGTV if my husband's not in the house. Maybe I can talk him into going back to work on Friday. I should be fine by myself. I'm not expecting to have any problems and not much pain, so I can just relax for a few days. I got plenty of books and magazines to read and my couch is very comfortable, so I'll be fine. As long as my dogs don't bug me every few minutes to go outside.

Went to Wal-Mart to get a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts. Just don't have many shorts to wear and I wanted something comfortable to wear around the house while I'm recuperating. They have changed everything around in our Super Wal-Mart. I couldn't find anything! I thought I could run in and grab a couple of t-shirts and a pair of shorts and some books and run right out. I had to walk all over the store to find what I wanted. But, find, I did. And a lot better prices than Target. More selection, too. Can't wait for Kohl's to open. Should be a couple more months (and it's right on my way home!).

Had to go buy groceries for my dad since I can't do it tomorrow. I usually buy his groceries on Thursday after work. He was out of everything, so I knew I couldn't wait until next week. I rushed to the store, bought everything and hurried to his house to unload and put up. His legs are really bothering him. He hasn't left the house in over a week. He said he was going to get up tomorrow and try to get outside a little if it's not too hot. The heat has been unbearable this week.

After leaving his house, I called Vance to tell him that I wouldn't be coming home. I had to go pick up Trent and Hope for church. Tabitha had to work tonight. Picked them up and we went to church. Praise and Worship have asked if they can bring food to us tomorrow night. That's so sweet of them. I'm really not supposed to have anything but liquid for 24 hours after surgery, but I may eat anyway. Just depends on how I feel.

We had an awesome Praise and Worship service. The people didn't want us to stop, so we had to grab some more songs to sing. We watched the rest of the video "Thou Shalt Laugh". It was pretty good, but not as good as the first half.

I took the kids home and talked to Chad for about 20 minutes, then came home. Vance was waiting up for me just so he could kiss me goodnight. He's a great husband. I ate cereal for supper since I'm not supposed to have anything heavy.

Now, it's time for me to go to bed and get some sleep. Gotta be at the surgery center at 7:45, so that means I have to get up early; but not too early.

Will let you all know how it goes. Goodnight and God bless..........................

Meeting with the President

We had a meeting with the president of our company today to let us know about the positions that will be changing and how many jobs would be deleted. Thankfully, mine is not one of them. The covered group is so short-handed now that we can't afford to lose anybody else. It was good to know that my job is one that is needed. I will strive to do the very best I can, especially with the new timekeeping system we're about to go to. I'm getting much better at it. Still slower than the old system, but I guess I can get used to it.

Had a doctor's appointment around 1:00, so I didn't take a lunch. It was my pre-op appointment to get ready for surgery on Thursday. Found out my surgery will be first thing in the morning - be there at 7:45 and surgery at 8:45. Also found out I can't take anything for pain between now and then. And my shoulder is giving me a fit. Just have to use the Tiger Balm on it and pray that the pain will go away. I was almost in tears this afternoon. And it only hurts when I'm entering time. It didn't hurt at all this past weekend. I know it's a job-related problem, but you won't see me filing workmen's comp. I don't want to be labeled a slacker. No, I'll just make an appointment with a chiropractor sometime after my surgery and get started on treatment.

Tabitha called and said the Headstart Program approved Hope. She will start Monday morning. We give God all the praise for finding her this position. I believe He will watch over her and she will be able to learn like she wants to learn. She loves books. I'm praying that the daycare will be a very good one with great teachers.

Stopped by Target on my way home. Was looking for a couple of tops to wear with jeans, but Target is so expensive. I'm not paying $16.99 for a t-shirt. Even the ones on sale were around $12 and $14. I'll go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and see what I can find. As I was heading home, Penny called and asked if I could take Tiffaney to work. Swayde is sick and she didn't want to take him out. I made a U-turn and headed in her direction. I'm so glad she moved closer to me. Picked up Tiff and carried her to Chili's. Told her to call if she needed a ride home, but she said she could get a ride home.

Tonight was our Ladies' Ministry meeting at church. We watched the movie "One Night With the King." It's the story of Esther. It was a beautiful movie, but the book "Hadassah" by Tommy Tenney is 100 times better. If you haven't read it, believe me you won't be able to put it down once you start. The way he describes things, you can just picture it in your mind. I've always loved the story of Esther and Tommy Tenney really makes it come to life. Read the book first, then rent the movie. You will love it! I'm going to read the book again first chance I get.

Well, it's almost 11:00, so I guess I better get off here and go to bed. Something is wrong with Vinnie's right eye. It looks really weird. I don't know what he's done to it. If it doesn't get to looking better, we'll have to take him to the vet.

Goodnight and God bless...................

No Nap Today!

Yesterday, I had big plans to clean my house since I will be recuperating from surgery next weekend. It didn't happen. I ended up washing three loads of clothes and folding them. My shoulder was still hurting and I was wore out from all that mental pressure of trying to do eSTARS all week. I dozed off and on all day between loads of clothes. Who says working with your brain isn't tiring? Sometimes, it's worse than physical work. Actually, physical work usually energizes me. I even went to bed early last night.

It was hard to get up this morning. I overslept and almost didn't go to church. Vance assurred me that I would have time to get ready and I did. Pastor preached on depression today. It's not a sin to be depressed. Everybody gets depressed sometime in their lives. I've been there several times in my life, but God always brought me out of it.

Was really bad at lunch today. I was craving fried chicken, so I went to KFC and got some. I only ate half of it. It really wasn't as good as I had dreamed it would be. Next time, if I'm going to be bad, I'll go with a hamburger. What's funny is that Vance grilled chicken for supper. The grilled chicken was much better than the fried.

I worked in the dining/craft room trying to clean it up. It looks pretty good. Hopefully, that will be the next room Vance puts flooring in. We will need help moving the big pieces of furniture out. That's where all my photos are located.

I'm having printer withdrawal real bad. I've got so many ideas running around in my head that I want to try out, but I need a printer to get them done. Gloria offered to give me hers, but it's not a good photo quality printer. She was so sweet to offer it though. This is another good lesson in patience. I'll just have to write down my ideas and put them to work as soon as I get mine back.

I started writing in my Gratitude Journal again today. I had forgotten about it until I found it in a box in the dining/craft room. It's mostly a craft room since we don't have a dining room table in there. Maybe when we get the floor down, I'll turn it back into a dining room. I have so much to be grateful for. If we all sit down and start writing, we will find that our lives really are full and that we have a lot to be thankful for. If you've never done it, sit down and write down some of the things that you are grateful for: family, friends, good health, good job (whether it be a career outside the home or a mother/homemaker in the home), etc. I'm sure you can come up with a lot of things that you are grateful for.

Usually on Sunday afternoon, I always take a nap. I didn't even get sleepy today. I guess I'm getting enough sleep during the week that I don't need the Sunday nap. I'm wondering if it's because I quit drinking tea. Maybe the caffeine really was keeping me awake. Now, I start getting sleepy around 10:00. That's a whole lot earlier than the 12:00-2:00 time I used to go to bed.

Speaking of bed, it's getting close to 10:00. Guess I should be winding down and start getting ready for bed. Goodnight and God bless...................

I Did It! eSTARS, that is.

Woke up to a bad thunderstorm. Vinnie followed me around the house like a shadow. Shadow, on the other hand, just layed in one spot. The thunder doesn't bother her, but it scares Vinnie.

Went to work and got busy inputting my timesheets. I've worked in eSTARS the entire pay period and I managed to get it all done and locked and approved before 4:00. I even had to input 5 timesheets from the Chipley office. I feel pretty good about doing a whole two weeks' worth of time on eSTARS. Did come across a couple more problems. That's why I'm so intent on doing time in eSTARS instead of regular STARS. I need to find all the problems before they take STARS away from us. And if the other crew timekeepers aren't even trying out the new system, nobody else is finding the trouble spots. I don't want to be surprised when they turn off STARS and some problem creeps up that can't be fixed. I want it all taken care of now.

Kim and I went to Hungry Howie's and got a steak sandwich. It was pretty good. It's been years since I've had anything from there. Vance and I used to eat there about once every two weeks when we were eating lunch together.

After lunch, I was so sleepy. I know it's because of the bread and I didn't have caffeine to go with my lunch. Still not drinking tea except maybe once a week.

My shoulder is giving me a fit. It hurts so bad. I know it's because I stay so tense trying to get my work done. Maybe now that I've managed to do as much as I've done, I can stop being so tense about the new system. I know now that I can do it.

Came home and Gloria called to see if I could help her open up a Picasa account. I walked her through the steps. Then the computer kicked her out. She's been having trouble with her DSL connection.

Since, I can't print or scan anything, I loaded some of my brother's pictures into an album on Picasa. He passed away 9 years ago of cancer. I still miss him and think about him every day. I wonder about his son, Anthony. We haven't seen him in several years. I think Jennifer is living in Mobile now. I'd sure like to see them.

Well, I'm getting tired, so I guess I'll go to bed. Goodnight and God bless..............

One Week and Counting........

Next week at this time, I'll be at home recovering from surgery to get that bone spur removed from my sinus cavity. Still don't know the time of the surgery. I'll find that out when I go for my pre-op appointment on Monday. Keep me in your prayers.

Well, I've been doing eSTARS exclusively for nine days. I've managed to keep up and I'm getting faster at inputting. Yesterday, I found another little problem. I just wish that some other crew timekeepers would get busy and try out this new system. They might could find problems that I haven't encountered yet. It's kinda hard being the only person trying to figure out what's wrong with the system. Boy, are they gonna be surprised when they start working in it.

I took my printer back to Best Buy today at lunch to see if they could figure out what's wrong with it. Nope, they gotta send it off. I'm going through printer withdrawal right now. I sure hope it doesn't take long to get it back. It was two months when they sent my Epson off. I hope HP is faster at diagnosing and repairing. There is so much that I'd like to be doing right now. I have this idea for making cards, but I've got to print out photographs in order to make them. I've even thought of using my credit card to go buy one of those $99 printers that you can carry around with you, but so far, I've been able to control myself. Vance asked if I could rent a printer. Don't know of anybody who rents them out. Hey, that might be a business to get into....

Since I didn't blog last night (just too tired when I got home from church - more on that later), I'll tell you where Kim and I ate lunch. There's a new restaurant called "The Casserole Lady" downtown. We decided to try it. It's really a cool place. They make all the casserole's themselves in individual aluminum dishes - like what you get from frozen lasagna. They heat them up and you've got your own personal casserole. We had enchiliadas. It was pretty good. Also had a tossed salad and bread. Not bad for $5.95. They also make sandwiches. I'm sure we'll go back there again sometime.

As for church last night, Pastor showed a Christian comedy DVD called "Thou Shalt Laugh". Patricia Heaton (of "Everybody Loves Raymond") was the hostess. We only got to see three of the comedians, but they were hilarious. I haven't laughed that much in years. I've got to get a copy of it and show it to Vance. Tabitha wants to get one for Chad. There were a couple of people who literally fell off their chairs onto the floor laughing. Good, clean fun. I think Pastor knew we all needed a laugh. We all take life much to seriously and never find the time to just bust out into a good ole belly laugh. Well, we did last night. Kim and I emailed Pastor today and thanked him and asked if we could see the rest of it next Wednesday night. That would be just what the doctor ordered right before I go into surgery the next day. Laughter doeth good like a medicine.

After work today, I went and picked up Trent and carried him to buy school supplies. He wanted to go to Target, so that's where we went. I think we got some pretty good deals. He should be set for school when it starts week after next. He said he was ready to start now.

Got home and talked to Vance. He told me one of the guys he worked with noticed that he hadn't been smoking (four weeks today). He wanted to know how he did it. Vance told him the name of the drug the doctor gave him - Chantix. The guy went on the internet and ordered some. Vance paid around $60 (insurance won't cover it) and the guy will have to pay over $100. I guess that's because he doesn't have a prescription. It has really worked. I'm so proud of Vance.

I'm doing pretty good with watching what I eat. I've lost 14 1/2 lbs. so far. Vance is eating healthier, too. He doesn't need to lose weight, but he does need to get his cholesteral down.

Now that I'm not drinking tea up until bedtime, I've begun to get sleepy earlier. So, maybe it was the caffeine that was keeping me up all night. Who knows? Saying that, I think I'll start getting ready for bed.

Goodnight and God bless..............

Busy, Rainy Day

I went to sleep early last night and just about couldn't get up this morning. Had a very weird dream. That is strange in itself, because I never, ever dream. What's even weirder is that I remembered every thing about the dream even down to the color of the sand that was under the bleachers I was on.

Just barely made it to work on time. I jumped in the shower to see if I could wake myself up, but it really didn't help much. Got to work and Paul asked me if I was sick. No, just very sleepy. I got my timesheets and started working on them. I've decided to work in eSTARS this whole pay period to see if I get way behind, or can I keep up. I must say, it is very hard on my right shoulder. The muscle tenses up so bad that I am in horrible pain. My hand and arm goes numb and pain goes up into my head and I get a terrible headache. Took Motrin before lunch and Aleve after lunch and that still didn't help much. I was almost to the point of going home, but I refuse to let it get the best of me. It's probably time to go see the chiropractor, but that will have to wait until after my surgery and dentist appointment (which I haven't even made yet).

Ran out and got a salad to eat and came back to my desk to eat it. Only ate about half. Just not hungry.

About fell asleep at my dest around 2:00, so I got up and made a pot of coffee and got a cup. I went to the health food store yesterday to get some Stevia, so I don't have to use the artificial sweeteners. I don't think any of them are good for you. Stevia is all natural - 0 calories and great for diabetics. They now make different flavors, so you can flavor your water or coffee. I bought a grape flavor and I've been using it in my water and it's really good. There was Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Orange... I bet the chocolates would be good in coffee; vanilla, too. I'll have to try them later. The coffee helped wake me up.

By the time I got off work, my shoulder was really hurting. I came home and put some Tiger Balm on it. That helped better than the Motrin or Aleve.

Vance went to the doctor today. He goes Monday for an ultrasound on his legs to see how blocked the veins are. The doctor gave him another prescription. He's hoping this will keep him from having to have surgery.

I went to Praise and Worship practice. We had a good practice.

Came home and Vance went to bed. I ate and watched Mystery Woman on the Hallmark Channel. I really like that show.

Came in to my computer and was going to print out some pictures, but my printer is dead. It won't come on. I got up under the desk and checked to make sure everything is hooked up and it was. I unplugged and replugged, but still nothing happens. I just can't live without my printer. If I can't figure it out tomorrow, I guess I will take it back to Best Buy and see if they can figure it out. I just got it in March. There was no indication that anything was going wrong with it. I printed on it a couple of nights ago.

Since I can't use my printer, I guess I'll go to bed. Goodnight and God bless.................

Rainy Day Monday

We had a lot of rain today. Of course, we need the rain, but I really didn't expect it today. Had to go out and roll up my windows.

Worked in eSTARS all day. I'm getting faster, so it's not nearly as stressful as it once was. It's still slower and I don't think they can change that. We'll just have to learn to adapt.

Went by Daddy's at lunch and picked up his check to deposit. Went to McDonald's to get a salad to carry back to work. I got the Asian salad. It was awful! I could only eat about four bites. I tried to force myself to eat more, but it was horrible. I know I won't be getting that one ever again.

Vance took his truck in and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I hope it was just a loose battery cable and he won't have anymore problems. He worked on the floor in the kitchen and got it finished. He had just enough of the original flooring to finish it. Looks good.

After work, I bought groceries for Daddy. He said he hung up his pool cues yesterday. I said "You've said that before." He said "This time I mean it. I even got rid of my cue sticks. My shoulder just hurts too bad for me to play anymore." I know it gave him a lot of pleasure to play pool. I guess that will keep him at home more since he won't have anything to do. Which will be good, cause he won't be drinking.

Gloria called and asked if I could help her with some pictures on the computer. She needed some sent to somebody and didn't know how to do it. She came over and I uploaded them to my computer and put them in Picasa and emailed the person the wanted them to go to to view the album. There were about 25 pictures to be sent. That was the only way I knew how to do it.

I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed early tonight. Goodnight and God bless...............

Great Weekend

I've had a wonderful weekend visiting with Vance and Fox while Michelle went away with a group of girls to a "girls only" getaway. She had a great time and so did we.

I said in my last blog that I wouldn't be leaving until 7:00 or 8:00 Saturday morning. Well, I woke up at 4:00 and couldn't go back to sleep; so I got up and took a shower, packed and was on my way at 6:15 - just like my husband said. I stopped in Blountstown and got a cup of coffee - no food, just coffee. That was bad enough - I had broken my "no caffeine" rule.

Arrived at Vance's and had to wait an hour before I could play with Fox. He had just been put down for his morning nap. Vance dozed on the couch and I read a book "The Penny" by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford. If you haven't read it, it's a really good book. I could relate to Jenny.

My husband, Vance, called around 2:00 and said he was on his way. About 30 minutes later, he called back and said he wasn't coming. His truck was showing that there was something wrong with his battery. He was turning around and going home, if he could make it. He called me back later and said he couldn't find anything wrong with the battery when he hooked it up to the charger and his gas gauge was acting up, too. Looks like they didn't connect his electrical system right when they put his truck back together. He wasn't going to be able to join us. He was sorry that he couldn't see Vance and Fox. I was just glad he was okay and hadn't gotten on the interstate and something happen to the truck. He will take it back on Monday and see what they can do about it.

Fox woke up and we fed him and played with him and had a great time. Of course, I took bunches of pictures. You can see them at www.picasaweb.google.com/rutherford.patricia He is a smart little boy. Michelle taught him the sign for dog. He sticks out his tongue and pants like a dog. It is so cute. He's saying Mama now and I tried my best to get him to say Nonna, but he'd only say Mama or Daddy. Vance and I took him to his first car show at Sonic. Of course, Vance had to drive Maggie, his '55 Chevy BelAire. There were some nice cars there. We fed Fox and ate something ourselves and walked around and looked at the cars. It was really hot, so we didn't stay too long. Fox had a great time, especially watching the people.

After we got Fox to bed, Vance and I sat up and talked awhile and he worked on Penny's computer. There were a lot of viruses on it. I slept on the couch and Vance went to bed. Fox didn't wake up at all.

Got up this morning and Michelle had a schedule for me to follow with Fox, so I followed it to the tee. Took him for a walk and walked the whole way around the circle. I think Vance said it was about a mile. The last couple of blocks were the hardest. I didn't think I was going to make it up that hill. I don't get any exercise, so it was pretty hard there at the end. It was a beautiful place to walk and Fox loved it. He didn't say a word, just looked at everything and then he'd look up at me and smile. He was getting tired at the end, too. By the time we got back, it was time for his nap. Believe me, I wanted one, too. But I was afraid I wouldn't wake up. I sat for awhile and drank some water to let my leg cramps subside. They didn't last long. Read a little in my book, then washed the dishes and straighted up the toys. I waited until he had been asleep about 30 minutes, then I jumped in the shower. I had him awake and was changing him when Vance came home. He finished dressing him and we headed off to church. Ran into Christopher's parents in the foyer. They were in town to help Christopher with his kids while Sandra went with the girls to the lake. Had a good service and then we went back home.

I started gathering my stuff and loaded up the car to come home. Kissed them goodbye and headed for McDonalds to get some tea to keep me awake. I always take a nap on Sunday afternoon and I knew I would be getting very sleepy while driving if I didn't get some caffeine in me. So much for my "no caffeine" rule this weekend. As I was about to get on the interstate, I thought I had left something on the couch, so I called Vance. No, there was nothing on the couch, but I had forgotten Penny's computer. I turned around and went back to get it. Fox was asleep by then. We had to wait while Vance fixed one more thing, then I got on the road again. I got home around 3:30. My dogs really missed me. Shadow was jumping around and whining when I went in the bathroom. Vinnie started barking. They wanted my attention. Vance said Vinnie had gone to the front door at noon and stayed there all afternoon. He knows what time I come home from church on Sunday's. After greeting them, I fed them and layed down on the couch and took a quick nap.

Penny came and got her computer. I uploaded the pictures to my Picasa album and finished reading "The Penny." Very good book.

Now, it's time for me to go to bed. I'm tired, but I'm happy. I had a great weekend!

Goodnight and God bless.................

Tallahassee, Here I Come!

Spent all day yesterday in Pensacola in meetings on eSTARS. Looks like a lot of the problems I found won't be fixed. Some will, but not all. Because the program is web-based, you have to tell it what to do? I didn't understand that, but I just know that it will continue to be a slower program than what we have. I've been getting a little faster with it, so maybe I can cope. I also found out that nobody else had even gone into the program to see how it worked. I'm so glad I sent all those emails to Katrina. It is helping the team find and fix problems that didn't know about.

I was so sick yesterday. I had a terrible headache, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and ran fever last night. Took Claritin-D and Motrin and it seemed to take care of the problem. I was miserable during the classes. Kim and I drove over together. I was so thankful that she wanted to drive. We had a great time of fellowship. Saw three rainbows on the way home. Got into some bad rain storms, but we made it home safely. That's all that matters.

When I got home, I just layed around on the couch. Didn't eat supper. Just went to bed. Managed to sleep all night and woke up feeling fine. Nose is still a little stuffy, but not bad at all. I think there was something around that I'm allergic to. I feel great tonight.

Today, I got to work and found out the results of the study that was being done on all our jobs. There will be a lot of people who will be changing jobs, if they even have a job. Some will be getting pay-out packages and will no longer work with us. As far as I know right now, I still have a job. I don't know about my boss though. His position was one that is being revamped. He could be working in another location for all we know. Nerves were kinda frayed around the office. I talked to Kim and told her that when this happened once before, all the people who left found better jobs, making more money and were very happy and not as stressed. When God closes one door, He always has another one open for us to walk through. It's up to us to walk through with a good attitude and faith that it will be better than where we came from.

I worked in eSTARS all day and managed to increase my speed. I got three days' worth of timesheets entered. I've just made up my mind that I'm going to be the best at what I do. I will adapt and make the most of it.

Kim and I went to Sunshine Cafe today in Millville and got a vegetable plate. It was very good. I've managed to lose 13 lbs. so far. When I got back to work, I found out the cornbread had more calories than the whole rest of my meal. I won't be eating cornbread anytime soon. Kim and I decided we were going to start having a time of devotion in the morning, at lunch and our afternoon break. We need to be praying for our company and the people who may be changing or losing their jobs. I called her back after lunch with a Bible verse the Lord led me to. It was Ps. 29:11 "The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." I read it to her and she asked me to pray. I prayed for those in the company to be strengthened and the peace that passes all understanding to be upon them.

After work, I came home and cleaned out Mama's car. I carried it back to her. She has plans to go shopping tomorrow. She said just to the grocery store, but we'll see. She will probably end up at Wal-Mart if the weather is nice. I hope she starts getting out some. I thanked her for letting us use her car. I don't know what we would have done. No, I take that back. Vance offered to let me borrow his old, green truck - the Hulk, I think he calls it. I wouldn't have minded. I love old trucks and cars.

I should have been packing, but I haven't packed a thing. I'm heading to Tallahassee tomorrow to help take care of Fox while Michelle is gone. We'll have a great time. My husband said I should leave around 6:00. I don't see that happening - 7:00 or 8:00 maybe. Depends on how long it takes to get ready. It's almost midnight now and I'm not in bed yet. I have a hard time sleeping before I go out of town. I don't know why. I've always been this way. I usually stay up most of the night. I don't plan on doing that tonight. I'm about ready to head to bed.

Goodnight and God bless............

Rainy Tuesday

Sure didn't want to get up this morning. Felt so groggy. But, got to work and drank 1/2 a cup of coffee and the grogginess went away. Is groggy a word? Well, it is now if it wasn't before!

The morning was beautiful, but right after lunch we had a gullywasher. I was standing in Kim's office and all of a sudden it got dark outside. Then the rains came. Didn't last long - just long enough for me to get soaked running to Mama's car to put up the window. I had no idea it was going to rain. It was so beautiful at lunch. I went to Chick-Fil-A to get a chargrilled chicken garden salad and got back to work to find they left out the chicken. Oh well, that saved me some calories and fat grams. I think I've lost a couple of pounds since last Tuesday. Don't have any scales at home and I had on jeans at work and still showed losing one pound. I think without the jeans, it will be more like two.

Vance called as I was about to get off work and said his truck was ready to be picked up. Karen had emailed me to tell me practice was called off tonight, so I went straight home and we went and picked up his truck. It looks like a brand-new truck. I dropped him off and went to Target to buy me a scale. Got one that even shows your body fat. (Like I need to know just how fat I am!) But, I forgot to buy a battery, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to use it. It was raining and I didn't want to get back out to go get one.

I thought I had lost my memory stick for my digital camera. I looked everywhere for about an hour and finally found it on the Bible. I thought I had already looked there. Maybe my guardian angel put it there for me to find. Who knows.

I think I have forklift training tomorrow. Say a prayer for me that I pass. I know I can drive the thing. I've done it before. It's the lifting over my head that scares me.

I guess I'll be giving Mama back her car Friday. I want to fill it up with gas and take it to be washed. I won't have time before Friday. She'll probably just leave it sitting under the carport and not drive it. What a shame. That's a good car. I kinda hate to part with it. I like everything about it except the leather seats. They are just too hot in the summer. I have to sit on a towel. That kinda defeats the purpose of having leather seats in my opinion. Give me cloth seats any day.

It's time for me to go to bed. Got to be up early tomorrow for the safety meeting and forklift training.

Goodnight and God bless................