Happy Birthday, Dear Mr. Dizzy!

Today is Dear Mr. Dizzy's birthday!



So - - Happy Birthday to . . .

The "King of Air Guitars" - -


The best Grandpa in the world - -


And the love of my life - -


Happy Birthday, Babe. Love you!

Grace In Small Things: 7/2010

What I am grateful for this week - -

• The SUN finally peeking out after a nasty week of winter weather! (FINALLY!!)
• Breakfast with my Daddy
• Spending the day making cards with my Aunt and cousins
• Listening to my grandsons playing "Cat-opoly" with Dora the Explorer playing in the background
• Pizza for lunch! (Sausage and pepperoni!)

Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Go kiss your sweetie and tell him/her you love them.

Grace In Small Things: 6/2010

What I am grateful for this week:Seeing my son for the first time in many months (he lives out of state)

• The little "foster kitty" we have at the moment has been declared healthy by the Vet, clearing the way for us to try to place him in a good, permanent home
• Indian Butter Curry Chicken and Rice for dinner - - SO yum!
• NCIS Marathon on the TV
• My "Snuggie" on a cold winter day

Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

Grace In Small Things: 5/2010

What I am thankful for this week:

• Only missing ONE day of work because of my sinus problems (feeling MUCh better now, thank you very much!)
• Rescuing the itty bitty kitty someone dumped out at our place last week:

• Spending the morning with my two Grand-boys (my little men!)
• Doing business with a Propane company that will come out at 9:30 PM - - yes, AT NIGHT - - to fill out our propane tank when we ran out of fuel, and the temps were getting down to 7 degrees
• Hot Creme Caramel Tea on a cold winter's night

Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

BRRRR

***UPDATE***
Apparently the gauge marker had frozen stuck, and showed that we had propane, when we actually did not. Our propane company - - BLESS THEM - - actually came out and filled our propane tank last night, even though it was 9:00 PM. Thank you, Ames Propane, Decatur, Illinois!!

Ever wondered what would happen if your propane tank went down to ZERO before you realized it? On a night when the forecasted low is 8 degrees?

Let me tell ya - - it's NOT fun.

It is now 58 degrees in my house, and going down fast. Thank goodness for a propane company with a 24 hour emergency number . . . and the truck just arrived!

C'mon - - get that tank filled, and let's crank up some heat in here!

(Thank goodness we have cats to keep us warm!)

Grace In Small Things: 4/2010

What I am grateful for this week:

• Taking my grandsons out to supper (Mmmmm - - Culver's)
• Hearing my grandsons say, "I love you, Grandma" (*sigh* warms my heart)
• Surviving Hell Week Three at work!
• Spending time with my Dear Old Daddy Sunday afternoon
• Mr. Dizzy to curl up next to on the couch and watch a "Burn Notice" marathon

I really do have a good, blessed life.


Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

Winter . . .

*sigh*

First it was the bitter cold.

Then we had the heavy snowfall. Followed by high winds, causing drifting and whiteout visibility conditions.

Then we had nearly a solid week of dense fog. (And I do mean DENSE. Like, not seeing a stop sign until you are RIGHTUPONITOHMYGODHOPEICANSTOP!! dense)

NOW - - freezing rain. And tonight and tomorrow? MORE freezing rain.

I think my latest Facebook status says it all - -

"I am SO OVER Winter. I refuse to participate any more!"

I quit - - wake me in April.

Grace In Small Things: 3/2010

What am I grateful for this week?

• A three-day weekend after two weeks of sheer HELL at work.
• SURVIVING two weeks of sheer HELL at work.
• Fun times with friends at a *non*-birthday party.
• Making it home safely in thick, pea-soup fog. (NOT a fun experience)
• Spending the Monday holiday with dear Mr. Dizzy!

Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

Hell Week(s)

Haven't had the time, or the energy, to post much lately. It has been "Hell time" at work, with coming back from Winter Break, giving trainings and presentations to faculty, staff, and students, and then the semester starting.

Exhausting . . .

But I am at least posting my "Grace In Small Things" posts every Monday, and hopefully things will slow down soon so I can get back on the regular posting bandwagon!

Grace In Small Things: 2/2010

Five things I am thankful for this week:

• A tractor to dig through the PILES and PILES of drifted snow (thank you, Mr. Dizzy!)
• My four-wheel drive Jeep Liberty, pulling me through the large drifts and getting me home from work safe and sound.
• Carmichael-kitty crawling under the covers with me early in the morning and snuggling close.
• The smell of bread baking in my bread machine.
• Making cards on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Count your blessings - - join Grace In Small Things.

*sigh* Here We Go Again . . .

Mother Nature has done it to us again, dammit.

I left work today at Noon, because we have gotten around 6-7 inches of light, fluffy, powdery stuff, and now that the wind has kicked up and gusting, it's all IN THE AIR.

Visibility sucks.

See for yourself:









It's kind of hard to tell from the pictures, but if you are out in it? It's a total white-out. Driving home was definitely a "white-knuckle" experience!

I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow . . .

Grace In Small Things: 1/2010

I have decided that 2010 IS going to be a better year than the past 2 years have been. One possible way to help that along will be to make sure I have reminders of the GOOD things in my life, and try to keep the negatives at bay.

So with this in mind, I have decided to participate in "Grace In Small Things". Every Monday in 2010 I will (try, at least) to list 5 positive things in my life. Hopefully, this will help me keep a more positive outlook about life in general, and maybe even help me over the "rough spots" that are bound to pop up now and then. (Well, that, and the med the Dr. has prescribed)

So - - with that in mind, here is my first-ever list:

• A nice, warm home on a brutally cold day (-14 degree wind chill today - BRRRR!)


• NCIS on the telly (Leroy Jethro Gibbs . . . *sigh*)


• Homemade Italian Wedding Soup, nice and warm in the tummy on a cold Winter day


• Kitty-girl Squeak trying to crawl under the laprobe with me so she can curl up on my lap and take a nap (but unfortunatel the laptop is always in in her way!)(But yes, I do move it for her!)(She's VERY demanding!)


• Deer-hunter Mr. Dizzy getting a deer, which will be processed and donated to the Food Pantry my Dad works with.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe - - this is dangerously cold weather. Stay safe.

Dear Mother Nature . . .

Okay, I get it. It's Winter. It's supposed to be cold. I know.

But ENOUGH ALREADY with the below zero temps and wind chills!!

*sigh*

I. HATE. WINTER.

I can haz Spring now?

2009: A Year In Review

In a nutshell - -

2009 pretty much sucked. BIG TIME.

• In May, we had Mr. Dizzy's health scare with his blood pressure. He's doing fine - - actually, he's doing GREAT - - but the lasting effects that episode did to my fear and stress level has still not abated.
• In July we got the bad news that my son and his wife were divorcing, after 14 years of marriage. The grandboys are NOT handling this situation well, and Grandma and Grandpa Dizzy have been losing a LOT of sleep over this.
• In December my Dad's cataract surgery on his left eye had (of course!) a complication when he caught a virus in that eye. Fortunately, he is doing VERY well now, but it was pretty stressful for a week or so.
• Pressures at work (that shall remain unsaid).
• Other things that I am not willing to discuss here, due to the sensitive personal nature.

All this really brought me down over this past year; in fact, I blogged about it HERE and pretty much spelled out what had been happening.

BUT - - I do have one positive thing to report - - I had a routine Doctor appointment today, and while there, decided it was time. So, I talked with him about what had been going on, and what I had been feeling. We decided it was time I tried something to help my stress level, and he suggested one that does NOT have a side effect of "weight gain". My first stop after leaving his office was Walgreen's to get the prescription filled . . . so we will see what happens.

Now - - time to list what I am hoping for in 2010:

• Get the stress in my life under control. I refuse to let it control ME any longer.
• Get back in shape; in fact, with my Christmas money (and a few other pennies I've been able to save up), I am rejoining the Gym.
• Lose the extra 20 pounds I'm carrying on me at the present time. The above items will definitely help me with this one!
• BLOG MORE!

BUT - - this is the best one - - and I am shamelessly stealing it from one of my favorite bloggers, Crazy Aunt Purl (do you read her? Well, why not?? You should, you know!):

• Come from a place of yes

What does that mean? Well, she explains it WAY better than I can in THIS POST. She's an incredible inspiration to me! So go on, go read it. I'll wait right here until you get back . . . :-)

Here is hoping that you all have a happy and safe New Year, and that 2010 is good to you and yours!

Why I Hate Winter . . .

Our weather forecasters called for "snow showers" for yesterday and today.

WELLLLL - - 5-6 inches of "showers" later, here we are:







*sigh*

I hate Winter . . .

To You and Yours . . .

In the Spirit of the Holidays . . .

Winter Break

Today is my last day of work before Winter Break. Campus closes today at 5 PM, and will not reopen until January 4th.

Mr. Dizzy's place of employment is also closing for Winter Break today, and he also is off until January 4th.

We are both looking forward to having some time off together, and being able to just be home and get some projects done. Oh, and hopefully a LOT of relaxing, too!

Can't wait for this day to end, and my Break to officially begin!

** UPDATED ** Walmart Black Friday Incident (Finally! The Whole Story!)

**UPDATE**
I tried using the Walmart Gift Card. It didn't work! I talked with ANOTHER manager (no, not the one I refuse to talk to - - the one from the "incident") and he checked it out. Apparently the magnetic strip on the card was defective . . . they loaded the amount on another card that they claim is a good one. We will see . . .


Yes, I promised a LONG time ago to write about the Walmart Black Friday incident. A LONG time ago. But I have very good reasons for not getting back to it until now. REALLY I do.

Dad had cataract surgery on his left eye. Simple enough procedure, and he planned on being with us for 2-3 days until his vision returned to where he could drive home again.

BUT - - you know what they say about the "best-laid plans" . . . so of course it didn't go as expected . . . Dad caught a virus in that eye following surgery. So instead of 2-3 days, what followed was a week of doctor's rechecks, and numerous eye drops put in (some 3 times a day, some as many as 7 times a day). Add to that being called out of town one day for work (leaving town at 6 AM)(I am NOT a fan of getting up at 4 AM!!) and everything else happening (including Holiday preparations) . . .

Well, it set me back a bit, okay?

But I'm here NOW, so let's get on with the story of the Walmart Black Friday Incident:

Mr. Dizzy and I were looking through the ads in the Thanksgiving Day paper, seeing if there were any big special deals that would actually be able to entice us to get up at the ungodly hour of 4:00 AM, and trek through the stores fighting the Black Friday crowds. We didn't see anything, so decided not to go anywhere. However, that is the point where FATE steps in and decides to change things up for us . . . *sigh*

Our daughter-in-law called and said that since we got the grandboys a Wii for Christmas, she was wanting to get them some games to start them out with. However, she had to be at work at 6 AM and wouldn't get off until 2:30 PM (can you see where this is going?), would we be able to go to Walmart and try to get some of the games they had on sale for $7 each? And Menard's had the Wii controller bundles (6 controllers per bundle) for $5 each. Could we help her out?

*sigh*

Yeah, guess we're hitting the stores early.

We got to Walmart at 4:45 AM, and it was a madhouse. People pushing and shoving and vying to get in a good position to start tearing into the stacks of goods as soon as they announced it was 5 AM. Mr. Dizzy and I fought our way through to Electronics, me with store flyer in hand, and asked where the $7 sale Wii games were. Not in Electronics - - they had been set up in GROCERY, all the way at the other end of the store.

*sigh*

Fought our way through the crowds to Grocery. Halfway there, they announced it was 5 AM, and bedlam hit. People were pushing, shoving, grabbing things . . . the Walmart staff could do nothing but back away and try to keep out of harm's way.

We finally made it to Grocery, and asked where the sale games were, and were directed around the corner to where the displays were set up. Lots of DVD's; don't see any games. Ask a third person, who pointed to where the displays were. Okay - - no signs, but LOTS of games. We found 3 that we liked, and AGAIN asked (just to make sure) that these WERE the $7 games. We were told yes, they were.

So we headed up front to the checkouts, and stood in line for a l-l-l-o-o-o-n-n-n-g-g-g time . . . finally it was our turn. The cashier rang up the games - - they rang up at $25 each. Told her NO, they were $7 each. She tried again - - $25 each. Um, no. Just NO. She called for someone to take one and check (mind you, we are holding up a very HOSTILE line of people at this particular lane). The person came back and said the Manager she asked checked with Electronics and they were $25 each. Um, NO. They were NOT in Electronics; radio back to Grocery and ask THEM. No, they would not do that.

We cancelled the sale and left the lane. And THAT is when the REAL FUN began.

Before we left, we stopped a Manager by the Customer Service area and asked to speak to her. We explained the situation. She said she was the one who checked with Electronics and that the games were $25 each. We told her again they were NOT in Electronics; she needed to radio someone in Grocery and ask THEM. She said she would not do that; she also implied that we were lying, and that we were trying to get full-price games for the sale price. I was LIVID! Mr. Dizzy had to literally pull me away from this woman, or I think I would have hurt her.

How dare you accuse me of trying to do that?

We left the store, drove to Best Buy, and found very helpful people who directed us to the sale games, helped us find the ones we wanted - - and it was a completely different experience.

While Mr. Dizzy was in line at Best Buy, I trekked on down to Menard's in time for their 6 AM opening. At 6:03 AM, I grabbed the LAST TWO Wii Controller Bundles on the display. AND earned a very dirty look from the woman right next to the display for doing that - - but did I care? NO, I DID NOT. Why, you ask? Well, two reasons - - 1) They were for my grandsons; and 2) SHE ALREADY HAD 8 OF THEM IN HER CART. So yeah - - screw you, lady.

Headed back down to Best Buy, picked up Mr. Dizzy, and home we went. We were back and finished by 6:20 AM. And totally wiped out.

I was still pretty vexed about the Walmart situation, so I got onto walmart.com and wrote an e-mail describing the incident in great, vivid detail. Monday afternoon, a manager from our Walmart store called to talk to me. She fell all over herself apologizing for the situation. And she also gave me a $50 Walmart Gift Card that I could pick up at the Customer Service counter next time I was in the store!

So, all in all, it did have a decent ending.

BUT - - I will NEVER, EVER go to Walmart first thing on Black Friday. EVER AGAIN. (Nope, not even for my grandsons)

An Avoidable Tragedy

****UPDATE**** I just checked with Mr. Dizzy, who was a volunteer Firefighter for 20 years. He told me that CO detectors cost around $20 each, and you can get smoke detectors for around $10 each. Like I said, I know times are tight, but seriously? This is a small price to save your life! If you don't have them, please go get them.

I am almost finished with the post telling about the Walmart Black Friday Incident, but something happened over the weekend that takes precedence. It was very upsetting, and totally avoidable. And I am just sick over it.

Over the weekend, a long-time employee or our city's newspaper and his wife were found in the lower level of their home, apparently overcome by carbon monoxide. Emergency personnel were called, and they registered a very high level of carbon monoxide in the home. The couple was transported to the hospital. The wife was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, but was able to come back home Sunday evening. But, unfortunately, the husband's exposure to the CO caused a heart attack, and he passed away early Sunday morning.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that they did not have carbon monoxide detectors, OR smoke alarms, in their home.

Senseless. SENSELESS.

Yes, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors cost a bit of money. I understand that times are hard right now. I GET IT.

BUT. It would have been a HELL OF A LOT LESS THAN THE PRICE THEY WOUND UP PAYING.

I'm sorry - - this was a totally unavoidable tragedy. I knew the husband, having worked at the paper part-time many years ago, and also seeing him in our local school district's Administration building when I worked there, and he covered the education beat. He was a very nice, knowledgeable, big-hearted man. This is really hitting me, and a LOT of people in our city, very, very deeply.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR - - go get one. NOW. Yes, they may cost a bit, but it could save your life.

Oh, and? While you are at it, check your smoke detectors. Make sure the batteries are good and that they WORK. If you do not have smoke detectors? Pick them up when you are getting your carbon monoxide detector.

Just do it. Please? I would really miss you if you were gone.