My eyes! My eyes!
I think I burned my eyes.
All I did was go outside.
As soon as I stepped outside after work, the searing heat hit me. My eyes dried up and teared horribly, all the way home. Which of course washed my eye make-up into my eyes. My eyes wanted to clamp shut with all the irritation going on. This intense dry eye tearing crap didn't really hit until I was actually going in my open Jeep. Yes, that was me driving all over the road like a blind woman.
The actual temperature was 99 when I got home, with a heat index of 102. The humidity is much lower today, only at 31%.
By Wednesday we are to have a break in the heat with some showers.
Smaug and Camper are already doing less hitting, hissing, and more chasing. We were hoping it wouldn't take the whole week for the two cats to acclimate to each other. They seem to be playing together and each shows a major degree of jealousy over the other. Every time Kizzie walks by Smaug hits her. I tell him he is a bad boy. Rand says he understands Smaug's motivation.
Rand visited cousin Deb yesterday. I stayed in the entire day. It is too hot for me to risk anything. Rand had a very nice visit with Deb. He reports that Deb was in good spirits and feeling pretty good.
Today was my usual Monday at work a flurry of paper work, followed by another mound of paperwork. Mondays fly by. I could easily spend another hour or two. My office is quite stuffy and a bit on the warm side. When others ask about the use of personal fans, we are told our building is new and the environmental service is operating well. Uh-huh. It is also regulated from the Minnesota offices, our outside environment is warmer than theirs is, and our new building has lots of "new owner blues". And I have hot flashes. I'm thinking a fan is really in order in my air space.
My co-workers have learned again how to use the sticker system.
My breakroom pile has grown very sparse these days. I'm down to just three lunch bags on top of the refridgerator not claimed from last week. It's really bad. One bag is "saving" the others. Two of these I could toss without ever looking back. I'm guessing their owners no longer work here. The third one is the coolest lunch bag I have seen and would pay (and probably will) money to own. It is a Target Logo bag. It had to be a prize awarded at some point. I would really feel bad throwing this away. It even has a name badge identifying the owner's first name, but it is a fairly common name. We have a few by that name currently. But by the end of this week, I have to do something. (I don't think I have salvage rights.)
Rand's schedule is flipped this week. He is covering vacation shifts at Pepsi. He is working second shift there and doing the auto parts thing part-time mornings. Between places, he came and had lunch with me this afternoon.
I'm going to dissect a watermelon and follow it with a very cool shower. I'm already in my pajamas. I think every day should be pajama day!

Sleeping Beauty
Today
I have slept most of the day and am now readying for bed. I don't know what is up, but today was beyond a do nothing day. I am down and out blegh.
I didn't get my little buddy this weekend. Lilly was not feeling up to par, so we decided it was best to let her rest. Not sure what is going on, but it's probably teeth again.
Yesterday
Rand had to work in the morning. I spent most of the morning asleep with my head on the desk. I was attempting to pay bills. I just couldn't keep my eyes open.
That afternoon Rand and I attended a birthday party for neighbor Gabby. It was held at a neighborhood wading pool. It was a great party, cute theme, and we had fun until my body signaled time to go. The temp was in the high nineties. I made it almost an hour before I got those signals that tell me to get cooled off.
I have had three heat strokes, I know the signals. Excessive sweating, searing pain behind my eyes, and my skin feels like I'm being poked with hundreds of red hot pins. My skin just seems to crawl with this red hot heat. Yep, time to go. Later that evening Rand and I did go grocery shopping. After dark, the temps dropped to a sultry low eighties. Almost do-able.
Even though we don't have Lilly, we aren't without a grandkid. Rob and Dana are on their way to Colorado. Smaug is staying with Gramps and Gramma. This big boy is still spoiled and unmannered. We have convinced him, for the time being, to quit hitting the other animals all of the time. Camper and Smaug's spatting and hissing fits seem to be evolving already into play.
Friday
Rand got his truck sold. The guy (claim to be a busy contractor adding to his fleet.), had promised cash. At the end he gave us a personal check. We kept the registration and key and left the truck with him. Mr. Scott E. Johnson promised us if we took his check to his bank in the morning, we would get our money. Rand took the morning off to do just that. Mr. Johnson's bank was not a success story. Rand called and once again this strange man promised he was transferring funds as we spoke, we needed to check the bank again.
Friday evening. We are out of patience. Out one truck, and have no money. We get a police escort to go in with us and reclaim our truck. Now everything is back to normal.
Strange man, claims to be worth millions, can't prove it. We hadn't even advertised the truck. He just wanted it.
I won! I Won!
This blog is a daily read for me. Then one day MM made this announcement. I was in!
I will of course take pictures of my bounty when it arrives.
Time for bed YAWN! Hopefully zzzzz I will awaken for tomorrow..zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Please remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.
Life has been a roller coaster ride most of this year.
I'm hoping the stress, hills and "thrills" of the last several months are behind me. This week, I suddenly feel as if all the G forces are gone and I'm coasting in.
I have taken the deep relaxing breath.
I believe this is possibly from going in to work, being able to put my time in - where I am needed most, and knowing the job is going to get done well.
And it's only Wednesday!
There are still other rides in this amusement park of life; but, with any luck, I don't have to get right back on the roller coaster from Hell for another marathon.

I'm still in a cleaning mode, now my co-workers get to deal with it.
Part of my duties include keeping the break room presentable. This hasn't been done on a regular basis for a long time.
I swear to you - cleaning up after Lilly is easier.
Part of our breakroom rules is that when you put something in the fridge, you put a day of the week sticker on it. These are amply provided. You are only allowed to keep stuff in the fridge for the shift you are working. Each day requires a new sticker.
I did a clean sweep this week.
A lot of stuff was thrown away. Unmarked lunch pails are on top of the fridge. If unclaimed in a few days, they will be tossed.
I have cleaned the small appliances (microwaves, toaster oven). I hope to have the fridges cleaned by the end of this week. And these will be maintained.
Obviously, I'm not making a lot people happy, those who have had a loss.
All they have to do is apply a small sticker.
We'll see if they are up to the task.

A little excitement in the neighborhood this week. I missed it. And I was home! A strange guy covered in blood wandering around. Seems he had been shot. More than one neighbor called 911. Nobody knows how this began or ended.

Help! I'm cleaning and I can't stop!
Actually, my body is pretty well putting an end to things.
I got a lot done today and with Rand's help did some minor furniture rearranging. Most of the attention went into the office. It now houses both computers and can comfortably sit three adults and Lilly. I moved my sewing stuff downstairs to the guest bedroom. These were in Lilly's room. Now Lilly is free to play in her room without my worries.
Our guest room is pretty and fresh.
This all involved a lot of vacuuming and dusting.

Rand and Willie went to visit cousin Deb today. Rand reports she is doing pretty good. My plan is to visit her on Tuesday, my "late day". Deb is looking at a few weeks of being hospitalized while she heals.
Deb is a survivor of Spinal Bifida. She is the same age as Rand and I and was never expected by doctors to reach adulthood. She and Rand are more like brother and sister, than cousins.
Recently, Deb had a skin ulcer that required surgical cleaning and closing. She has to remain on a special bed in the hospital for a few weeks to heal.

Our vacation is officially over.
I start my official new work schedule tomorrow. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be normal office hours. Tuesdays will be a "second shift" schedule.
This may sound silly, but I am a bit nervous.
This same job that I have been doing for months now -
Tomorrow, I finally get to roll into a routine and really make it mine.

The service for Grandma was held in SE Missouri. That's where our family roots trail back to. I come from a long line of hillbilly, redneck, and gypsy.
Rand and I were unable to attend. Financially it would've been a hardship. Physically, a road trip like that would destroy me. I'd be over the top in pain.
The old folks are in Arkansas with Dad's brother, Bill. Aunt Sharon is in the final stage of her life. Cancer. It is expected that she may only have days to weeks to live.

Photo Friday - common

Beef. It's what's for dinner.
These three ladies were staying in the shade,
to aviod the heat on this scorching afternoon.

Lillian Lea Whaley Stowers

December 17, 1915 - July 20, 2006
She is Home.

James and Lillian Stowers

Married 10-06-1934

They raised seven children.
James, Lillian's husband, died first.
David Lee - my father
James Oscar - first sibling to pass on
Billy Joe
Paula Marlene
Willard Walter
James Earl
Paul Allen

This sweet Grandma's girl is now on her way home. Gramps took his truck. It stays cooler than the Jeep - and he is going to haul an air conditioner to their apartment (from Jackie's house) and install it. We weren't taking them home until we knew they would be safe from the heat. After having three heat strokes myself, I am more than gun-shy. Babies do as badly as old folks in this heat. I do worse than everyone.
Current temp is 99, heat index is 112.

Not a happy day for this gramma.......I always miss her so badly.

Lilly, Lilly, where are you? She is sitting on Gramp's lunch bucket aiming to get into trouble. 

Lilly was caught red-handed. Mind you, she never does this when I'm home! She knows not to touch Gramma's things. This kind of behavior occurs while I am not here, but her mother is. 

Lilly playing with a favorite toy. 

A final picture from Great Grandma Donna's - Lilly was loving on a kitten. Notice even Cricket seems concerned. She had already been on the receiving end of Lilly's affection. 

Lilly emptied her toys out of the tin and discovered yet another way to sound really noisy. 

Lilly trying to fit her toy tin into Gramps lunchbucket. 

Lilly's reaction when it didn't fit. 

It was the end of a long day. Lilly was wearing the bottoms only because she wouldn't leave her diaper on. The bandana was my idea. Gramps ran out and got her some Orajel and her mood improved. 

I put the wading pool on the deck today. It did make it handier. The deck may never be the same. Lilly was loving throwing toys in as much as she was loving throwing the water out.  

If Lilly were to be given an Indian name it would be:
DontEatThat

Lilly walking with Gramps 

Lilly at the fence 

Cricket and Lilly 

Lilly in a sea of green and yellow 

Photo Friday - Remarkable

I thought Lilly would be amazed by the large quantities of flowers on Great Grandma's farm. Instead she is focused at just one - between her feet.

Lilly admiring the sticker Gabby gave her. 

What a bright eyed girl! Anna's hair is positively thick and long! 

Anna has grown quite a bit since we last saw her. 

Why can't we be friends? 

Both Anna and Lilly were showing a bit of jealousy on their side. 

Now that's an Ass!
From the Des Moines Register

Ames, Ia. — An organizer of the Iowa Games, which will attract 14,000 athletes to venues in Ames over the next two weekends, said he is unconcerned about participants catching norovirus, the sickness that caused alarm during the Special Olympics last week.

Jim Hallihan, executive director of the foundation that oversees the Iowa Games, said the spread of the virus during the first Special Olympics USA National Games "had to do really with being unclean in a way. There were a lot of kids with special needs, a lot of hugging. It was more of a person-to-person problem, and all those people are gone."

In a follow-up interview, Hallihan said he's been involved in Special Olympics and has observed first-hand the extra hugging and making more contact in regular situations.

He also said that when dealing with kids with special needs, some of them need help washing their hands.

Responding to Fellingham's statement that Special Olympics athletes are no less hygienic than the rest of the population, Hallihan said: "Whatever they say is fine. They run the show."

Ames was the site of the first Special Olympics USA National Games, which drew 25,000 athletes, coaches, volunteers and relatives to Iowa State University.

To call this guy an ass is an insult to donkeys.

Lilly's wading pool

Lilly with her popper. I think she would sleep with it, if we would let her. 

Looking for Gramps. 

No-No! Gramma's books!