Friday, March 31, 2017

Long Hours

You know you work a lot of hours when you get your paycheck for the week you were sick, and you still have more than 50 hours on it.  Suffice to say, I work a lot --and I mean a lot --of hours.  The good thing is, this year, I won't have those major outlays like I did last year.  You know, paying off my son's college tuition.  Cutting down a huge old tree.  That sort of thing.  That means I can spend my money buying things I want.

I guess I went a little crazy at the store this evening.

First thing I bought was the last shower curtain masquerading as a closet door.  This one for Cody's room.  I only went over to that department to look for a curtain rod.  While I was there, i figured might as well check out the shower curtains, too.  I found this one that goes perfectly with what I'm trying to do in that room.


Now, I just need to find him some curtains -- actual window curtains for his actual windows-- and that room will be pretty much done, except for hanging things on his wall.  I'm thinking of making a run up to Batesville to Lowe's after work tomorrow, or maybe Sunday afternoon.  They're having a pretty good sale on garden stuff, and I can look at the curtains they have while I'm at it.  Maybe.  If I can get moving, that is.

Back when I was a kid, my Mammaw always bought us Peeps at Easter.  I never really liked them that much, but I always ate them anyway.  Because Mammaw bought them.  I've carried that tradition on into my adulthood.  Each year, I buy one package of Peeps and eat it, for my Mammaw.  Since I was in the store already, I headed towards the Easter candy aisle, and thought, "Might as well buy the Peeps and get that over with."  When I got there, I found this


 package of Peeps with a plush Peep toy. 


I picked it up and thought to myself, "If I buy this, I'll never have to eat another Peep again."  So, I bought it.  Now, every time I see that Peep, I will think of my Mammaw and how she always bought Peeps for us. 

And my final purchase of the day.


Which may override my desire to go to Batesville this weekend. 

Eh, Lowe's will still be there next week. 







Thursday, March 30, 2017

Stormy Weather

I made it through the storms last night, though it got pretty hairy there for a while.  I woke up to several small branches down in my back yard.



And some in my front yard.  Where there aren't any trees.


We had to have had some pretty stout winds to blow those branches there.  On the way to work, I saw lots of twigs and leaves down, and I heard there was a tree down west of town, but no major damage.  At least, none that I've heard of.  A lot of people were without power, but I didn't lose mine.  Thank goodness for that.

I got some more news on my coworker who was arrested yesterday.  Turns out it wasn't for selling drugs after all.  Turns out he is a murder suspect in Memphis.  I found an article in the local paper about it.  I tried to search in one of the Memphis papers' website, but there were too many homicide articles, and I couldn't find it.  They actually have a homicide tracker feature on the site.  Wow, it makes me glad I live in a small town.

I mean, there are murders here, but not that often.  Not multiple murders each day. 

Well, that was my excitement for today. 

Yesterday, I was out in my yard.  I wanted to mow before the storms hit.  On a whim, I decided to check the pecan tree, and I saw buds!  You know what that means?  I can plant!

I think I'm going to put some French Marigolds in this weekend.  Just the one bed, though, so I can cover it up if I need to.  Yee haw!  I'm so excited!












Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Sealing Wax

I've wanted one of these for years.  I mean, literally, years.


I was browsing Amazon and found one, with the wax sticks.


As I was debating whether to buy it, I looked in the right sidebar and it said, "Order within the next three minutes and get it by Wednesday".  That was all it took for me to hit the Buy With 1-Click button. 

All day long, I was anxiously awaiting the end of the day, so I could rush home and play with my wax seal.  But what to seal?  I didn't want to just drip it on paper, so I had the idea of signing, then sealing up a bunch of Christmas cards.  That's what I did. 


 Yeah, it's going to take a bit of practice to get it down.   The main thing is figuring out how much wax to melt, and getting the stamp centered.    Other than that, it's a piece of cake, and so much fun!


I think next time, I'll get the kind with the little spoon to melt the wax in.  I think it'll work better than the kind with the wick.  At least you don't get ashes in your seals.  I'm already looking to get some different stamp designs, too.  Yggdrasil* came with the set, so it's the one I got. 

The good news is, I may actually get Christmas cards sent this year!

Oh, we had a bit of excitement at work today.  One of my coworkers got arrested at lunch.  I didn't know what had happened to him, and mentioned that he'd left. 

"He didn't leave," the lady I was talking to said, "He got busted!  The cops nabbed him at lunch.  They were waiting at the door for him."  I asked someone else what that was all about, and she said, "He got caught selling drugs on plant property."

What is wrong with people?  I mean, selling drugs is bad enough, but you can't wait until you get off work to do it?  I have the same reaction when they catch people having sex on plant property.  Seriously, what is wrong with you people? 

The good news is, I've got buds on my roses.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so maybe Friday I can get out and take pictures for you.

*Yggdrasil is the tree of life in Norse mythology. 

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Tyr Is The New Thor

It appears that Tyr is the new Thor. 


Except without Thor.  And the long blond locks.  Or a reason to smile... Um, ahem, what was I saying?  Oh, yeah...

Remember how I used to post about Thor's Day mayhem?  Well, now it would seem the mayhem is hitting on Tyr's Day.  It all started when I got halfway across the parking lot, heading in to work, when I realized I'd left my phone at home.

Now, this isn't that big of a deal, since I'm not one of those people who has to check her phone every five seconds like some of my coworkers.  What it did mean is that I didn't have my Kindle app, so I couldn't read my book during my lunch break.  Without those few minutes of being able to transport to another time and place, I was totally discombobulated throughout the mayhem of the day. 

I won't go into all the gory details, but at last the day finally ended. 

And we get to do it all again tomorrow. 

Yippee. 

Monday, March 27, 2017

Curtains

Back when I moved into this house, there weren't any doors on any of the closets.  I thought that was a bit weird.  I asked the seller to put them back, but they said there weren't any doors on any of the closets when they moved in, either.  Well, all right then...

Closet doors went onto the list of things I needed to buy for the house, when I can afford them.  In the meantime, I am following the advice Beverly gave me and am hanging curtains in front of the closets.  This is the one I've chosen for my bedroom. 


Technically, it's a shower curtain, which was a lot cheaper than regular curtains.  It already makes my room look neater not having all my closet junk out where everyone can see it.  Now, all I need is to get my crown molding and baseboards installed and I'll be done with the bedroom, for now.  Well, except for hanging stuff on the walls, that is. 

While I was ordering, I went ahead and bought a new shower curtain for my bathroom.


Just like with the bedroom, all I need is my crown molding installed and I'll be done, except for hanging stuff on the walls, that is. 

I'm going to get a shower curtain for Cody's closet, too, but his will probably be camouflage or something that goes along with his rustic, hunting lodge theme.   I would have ordered one at the same time as I ordered mine, but I was really, really tired. 

Speaking of being really, really tired, I seem to be developing my own peculiar dialect, which I call Really, Really Tired.  For example, repptor tept means plastic wrap in Really, Really Tired.  This afternoon, I came home and stoutly declared, "I'm not afraid of my own boogers".  I have no idea what I was intending to say, but there you go.  I've long since given up trying to find an explanation for such things.

But I digress...

The next big project will be to get my living room painted.  I'm still not quite ready to tackle all that paneling, though.  I haven't forgotten what a pain in the patooty painting my bedroom was.  However, it was worth it.  My room looks a lot nicer now.  I'm sure the living room will, too, when I get around to painting it.

Meanwhile, I've got things happening in my front flower bed. 



Two of my three dahlia bulbs are sprouting.  I haven't seen hide nor hair of the freesias, yet, though. Not that flowers have hides, or hairs, which may be why I haven't seen any. 

There I go, lapsing into Really, Really Tired again.  I guess I'd better get on to bed, before it gets worse.



Sunday, March 26, 2017

Sunday Hymn

I don't normally post on Sundays, but I'm going to try something new.  I'm going to start posting either a hymn or a short inspirational message.

To start with, I'm posting this hymn, which always seems to be Hymn #1 in the Baptist Hymnal.

Let's see how long this lasts...

Saturday, March 25, 2017

We Weren't Invited

Apparently, the front half of my line at work decided to have a party, but didn't invite the four of us who showed up to work.  Yes, I said four.  Fully manned, the front of the line has 8 people.

Needless to say, I'm a bit tuckered, so there will be no post today.  Instead, I'm just going to leave this right here.

I promise you, this will be the best 8 minutes of your day.




NOTE:  There wasn't really a party from which we were excluded.  We were just being sarcastic.  Based on some of my FB comments, I thought I'd better clear that up.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Short Post

This will be short, because I should have been in bed an hour ago.  But I'm not.  I'm sitting here writing this post...why do I do this to myself?

Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I can almost move again after my adventure with my chainsaw Tuesday.  My chainsaw, by the way, seems to have acquired the unfortunate name of Leatherface.   Don't ask.  I've never even seen the movie. But there you go. 

Be that as it may, all day Wednesday, I said to myself, "Self, when you get home from work, you are going to go out and cut a bit more wood."  But when I got home from work, my arms and my back said, "No, you aren't."  So, I didn't.

But Wednesday was too beautiful a day to stay inside, so I got out and cut my grass.  Rather, I mowed my weeds.  I don't have grass yet, just a yard full of weeds.

Now, remember, I'm doing this after getting up at 3:30 AM and working a 10 hour day at the factory.  Wait, make that an 11 hour day, because I stayed late to help out a fellow brazer who had gotten a bit behind.  By the time I was finished mowing, I was literally staggering with exhaustion trying to push my mower back to the shed, and wondering why, oh why do I do this to myself?.

Yesterday, I decided I wasn't doing any yard work.   None.  At all.  Sigh.  I did.  I stacked up the wood I'd cut Tuesday, but that was it. 

That brings us to today.  And I can almost move again.  It still hurts to move, but I can almost do it.  I'm getting too old for all this work nonsense. 

Speaking of work, I had a nice surprise waiting on me when I got home this afternoon.  One of my friends is knitting a sock yarn blanket similar to the ones I'm doing.  Last week, I balled up and sent her several mini skeins to add to her blanket.  Today, she returned the favor.


Looks like I'll be knitting blanket squares this weekend! 

And lastly,  I've completed my Gerbera Daisy collection, with the orange one. 


I need a pot for it, which means I'll probably have to head up to Batesville here in the next week or so, since it looks like our Wal-mart won't be carrying flower pots again this year.   Eh, I've been looking for an excuse to go to Lowe's anyway. 

Now, if only the pecan trees will start budding so I can start planting stuff! 

*That's a bit of old Texas folklore my dad taught me, and a schoolmate recently reminded me of.  Once the pecan trees start budding, there won't be any more frosts. As my dad said, the oak and the elm may be fooled, but you can't fool the pecan trees. 











Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Why, Oh Why?


I have this big pile of wood in my back yard.  It's what's left from having my big tree cut down.  I'd asked the guy to leave me the limbs for firewood, so he did.  Yes, all that wood -- even the great big pieces -- are limbs.  He didn't leave any of the trunk.  There's no way I could have handled trying to cut up that trunk.  It was huge.  H. U. G. E.  As it is, I'm probably going to have to ask for help with some of the larger pieces anyway.  All that to say, I have this big pile of wood in my back yard. 

All day long, this pile of wood has been calling my name.



I tried to ignore it, but it was relentless.  Finally, with great angst, I drug out the old chainsaw and went to cutting it up.   I was about to stop for the day when Mrs. Newman came out and asked me to cut down a couple of dead trees in her yard.  Just small ones, maybe 6 inches in diameter. 

I went over and cut her trees down, and tossed them over the fence into my yard, to add to my pile of firewood.  Mrs. Newman thanked me, and said she was going to burn the stumps down.  I said I was going to go take a shower. 

By the time I walked back to my shed to put my chainsaw up, I was so exhausted I was literally staggering.  Remember, I'm doing all of this after getting up at 3:30 AM and working a 10 hour shift in the factory.   It was definitely one of those What was I thinking? moments.  I'm afraid I'm going to have noodle arms tomorrow.  That ought to make work fun.  Or interesting to say the least.

Other than that, it was a beautiful, albeit warm, day.  The old girl really enjoyed having the windows open.  At her age, there isn't a lot left that she can enjoy. 


I think I may have finally found someone to get rid of all that concrete that is still in my back yard.


 First the tree guy was going to haul it off, but he never came and got it.  Then the construction worker said he'd come get it and haul it off with some of his other construction scrap, but he never showed up.  I asked one of the maintenance guys at work, and he gave me the name and number of someone who could come bury it in the yard for me.  According to Jonathan, the guy is reasonable and reliable.  The only problem...

I have to make a phone call. 

If you know me at all, you know what an issue that is.  If you don't, let me just say, I've had that number for two weeks now, and still haven't called it. 

That ought to tell you something right there...


Monday, March 20, 2017

Monday, Monday

I'm tired.

I've been tired all day.  I'm not sure why, considering I slept pretty well last night.  If you don't count the weird dreams, that is.

I dreamed I was at work, and another group leader asked me to help out in his area.  After working over there for a while, I thought to myself that I needed to go get my tools from my regular work area before someone stole them.  I headed back to get them, and couldn't figure out how to get back to my brazing stand.  Yes, I was lost in the plant.  The plant I've spent the majority of my waking hours for the last 21 years, and I was lost.  The plant I know better than I know my own house, and I was lost.  Lost. 


I think my dream may have been precipitated by what happened Saturday.  This past weekend was the last two days of spring break, and a lot of people were out.  I mean a lot of people.  The group leader across the way didn't have either of his sub-brazers show up.  He had one of his line brazers trying to sub braze, and despite what ADP management seems to think, the two are not the same thing.   About half an hour into the day, he hollered across to me and asked if I would come sub braze for him.  I told him to clear it with Supervisor Calvin and I would.

I got over there and asked the other brazer if she'd ever sub brazed before.  "No," she said, "and I'm so lost." 

"Never fear," I replied, "the cavalry is here."  And thus, we made it through the work day, but I had a different view all day.   I told Supervisor Calvin it was like sitting on the back porch instead of the front porch. 

After work, I came home and thought about all the stuff I needed to do, but didn't really want to do any of it.  I spent the rest of the day watching TV.

Sunday.  My only full day off and I slept half the day away.  Well, I slept until 8:30, but after getting up at 3:30 all week, that feels like sleeping half a day away.  Sunday afternoon, I got out and cleaned last year's mulch and the weeds out of my flower bed, clawed my soil, and planted the two bags of bulbs I had.


They didn't take up as much room as I thought they would, so I've got plenty of room to plant more.   Mrs. Newman was working in her yard, so we chatted a bit about what we were going to plant and all.  She saw my garden claw, and asked about it.  I showed her how it works, and let her borrow it to turn her flower beds.  When she brought it back, she said, "I love that thing!" 

That's all I've done so far.  I had to run into town after work today, and stopped by the store.  I almost bought some marigolds, but decided to wait.  Yes, today is the first day of spring, but there is still the chance of a late frost or freeze.  Besides, I need some time to get my marigold bed ready.  That won't take long.  I just need to get out and do it.  I scratched my gardening itch by buying another gerbera daisy.



While I was there, I bought a couple of bags of garden soil.  I already have another box of that fake stone border.  I'm going to extend my front flower bed a few more feet.  That ought to hold my gardening fever in check until it's warm enough to plant. 


In knitting news, I finally found time to cast on my red, white, and blue project.  This is the red and white part of it.


The blue will come in a bit.

The fun part came after I cast on the first time.  I was knitting away, thinking to myself that this was some mighty thin worsted weight yarn.  It was then that I checked the ball band.  No wonder it was so thin.  It's not worsted weight after all.

It's DK weight.  That explains a lot.   I ripped it out and cast on again on smaller needles, but with more stitches.  Now, we're cooking with gas. 

And I'm out of gas, so I'm going to bed.  Goodnight.


Friday, March 17, 2017

Friday, For Want Of A Better Title

I feel almost human again.  I feel better today than I have in a week.  I'd stopped to chat with my coworker Edna on the way out of the plant, when Coworker Johnny stopped and said, "You got a runny nose?" indicating my box of tissues.  Edna told him I'd been sick.  Johnny said he'd been sick, too, and from what he described, he had the same thing I did.  I guess it's going around. 

Since I'm feeling better, it looks like no one is going to get my stash any time soon.  Edna told me she started to comment on all that, but she didn't want my friends to think she was a nut.  I assured her, "Oh, no.  You'd fit right in with some of my friends!"  You ladies know who you are!  Hmmmm, maybe I should teach Edna to knit and she can come with us next time we get together.  Which needs to be soon, right?  Right????

But not too soon.  I'm still kind of sick.  But not really sick.  Just a little sick.  No need to go dividing up the stash just yet. 

Remember the car wreck I told you about yesterday?  I got a bit more info on it.  The guy who was right behind the kid who got hit told a friend of mine, and she told me. 

The kid who got hit -- hereafter known as The Kid-- was driving a white car.  He was in the right lane, and there was a somewhat sizeable pickup truck in the left lane blocking his view of traffic.  Now, most people, when they can't see the road, or what may be coming down it, would stop or at least slow down until they were sure the way was clear.  Not The Kid.  The guy behind him said he never even slowed down.  He just pulled on out, right in front of the dump truck.  Which hit him.  Because at that point, it pretty much had no choice.

When the police got there, The Kid was just standing there, flipping his keys around his finger.  Now, most people, when they commit a traffic violation and have to deal with the police, the first thing they do is get out their driver's license.  Not The Kid.  He just stood there, flipping his keys around his finger. 

The police officer asked him, "Do you have a driver's license?"  The Kid shook his head no.

The police officer asked him, "Do you have proof of insurance?"  The Kid shook his head no.

The police officer then asked him, "Son, do you have any form of identification?"  The Kid brightened up, nodded, and pulled out his EMI badge.  (EMI is the temporary staffing agency the plant uses during the busy season.). 

Well, all righty, then...I'm imagining he got quite a lot of citations for that little stunt.

The funny thing is, I was walking across the parking lot to my car after work today, when I saw another wreck.  Two in two days.  This one wasn't bad, though.  I couple of ladies bumped bumpers as they were backing out of their spots.  It didn't leave any damage on either car.  One lady said, "I'm good with it if you are."  And the other lady said, "I'm good with it if you are".   So I said, "You've got three witnesses who heard you both say you're good with it, so we're all good.  Let's go home."  And that's what we all did.  

That's something else they need to change.  About 8 or so years ago, they changed the rules and required us to park nose in.  They said it was too dangerous to park nose out, but the truth is, I've seen -- and had -- way more near misses since we've had to start backing out.  Another reason I hang around until the parking lot clears out. 

Yesterday, right before bed, I was thinking about my flower beds, and how it's getting to be time to start working on them, and planning what to plant and all.  I picked up this bag of bulbs to think about what I wanted to do with them, and noticed that they're growing already!


In the bag, on my shelf.  They're putting out shoots.  Seriously. 

Looks like I'm going to have to do some planting this weekend after all. 

Thursday, March 16, 2017

It Would Seem

It would seem I have reached the coughing up my lungs phase of this illness I'm dancing with.  I coughed so hard at work that Supervisor Calvin came over and asked if I was OK.  As if that weren't enough, my friends have started calling dibs on my yarn stash. 

Jan called dibs on the sock yarn.  Christi declared she is closer than Jan.  Then Amy popped up and said she's closest, but Kat the Cop said if she turns on the lights and sirens, she could beat them all here. 

By that time, I was laughing so hard I started coughing again.  So, thank you for that. 

But they brought up some good points.  If something were to happen, Cody would get all my stuff, but would he know what to do with the yarn?  I'd hate for it to go to a thrift store, when I have yarnie friends who would give it a much better home.  I'll need to make provisions for it.  Amy and Christi are physically closest, so they'd probably be in charge of collecting and distributing said yarn.  Now, I'll just need to make a list of who it gets distributed to.

Sheesh, I went from a head cold to deciding who gets my yarn when I'm dead.  How'd we end up here?  

OK, let's talk about something more pleasant. 

We had a bit of excitement after work.  See, we have two lanes to exit the employee parking lot.  One is supposed to be left turn, and the other is supposed to be right turn.  Most people turn left when leaving work, so that lane is usually backed up more.  Some people have taken to turning left from the right lane.  We've had several near misses already from people doing this.  We've complained about it for years, but HR says, "Once you're outside those gates, you're on your own."   I've taken to just hanging around for 10 - 15 minutes, just to let the craziness leave first.

Well, today, somebody tempted fate just a little too closely and pulled out right in front of a dump truck.  The good news is, he wasn't hurt.  They called an ambulance to check him out, but didn't take him to the hospital or anything.  By the time I got out of the gate, he was standing up and the cop was writing him a ticket. 

As Coworker Johnny said, "It was bound to happen eventually."  I'm just glad no one was hurt when it finally did. 

Finally, I can't remember if I posted this one before.  If I did, you get to see it again.   This is my dad with his two sisters, Aunt Martha and Aunt Bonnie. 



Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Discretion

They say it's the better part of valor. 

I got up yesterday morning, and started getting ready for work.  Just a few minutes into it, I said to myself, "I just can't do this today."  I got out the old thermometer, and when I saw that 100.9 reading, I took the better part and called in sick.  I spent most of the day huddled under a blanket watching movies and napping. 

I felt a little better this morning, and my fever was down to 99.2, so I went on back to work.  Group Leader Theresa tried to rag on me saying I had missed the easiest day ever.  I told her, "You're lucky I'm here today."  Lots of people were saying, "Wow, you must have really been sick for you to miss work."  It's nice to know I was missed. 

On that note, I can show you some of what you missed Monday when I didn't post the post I was going to post before I got sick.  Oh, I'm not going to go through the whole thing.  It was a long tirade on how Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest, only I spent more time working than resting. 

I won't tell you about the laundry, and changing my sheets, and spreading my Weed & Feed, and doing my taxes, and all the other stuff I did.  I will, however show you that I got those spider lily bulbs out of the bucket and into the ground. 


 That white fence is just to keep the dogs from stomping them into oblivion.  When the leaves die back, I'll pull it up so I can mow right up to the house.   When I finished planting those bulbs, I said, "I might as well pull those landscape timbers up while I'm here."


What you see here is the groove left in the weeds from where the timbers were.  Exciting, isn't it?

Here's something that is a little more exciting than grooves in the ground.  I had to run into town to buy kitty litter.  No, that's not the exciting part. 

While I was in the store, I went down the yarn aisle.  I was looking for some red, white, and blue variegated yarn for a KAL I'm participating in. 

KAL = Knit ALong, for those of you not in the knitting know.

I didn't find any, but look what followed me home.



I see another scarf in my future. 

Since I couldn't find the yarn I was looking for, I came home and dug through the box of yarn my MIL sent me a while back.  I came up with this.  


Now, I just need to figure out what I am going to knit with it. 

Monday, March 13, 2017

Not So Fast

I had a good post for you today.  Oh, you would have loved it.  It was a really clever way to tell you about all the stuff I did around the house yesterday.  I'd mentally composed it last night as I was laying in bed waiting to fall asleep.  I couldn't wait to get home from work today to post it for you.

Then life said, "Not so fast." 

I woke up this morning, sick as a dog.  I was thisclose to calling in sick --something I haven't done in about 5 years --and going back to bed.  But I didn't.  I kept thinking about my monthly attendance bonus, and how that was a lot of money to sleep off.  I remembered times past when I'd called in sic, then felt better in an hour -- blowing a day's pay for no good reason. 

I went to work, thinking maybe the same thing would happen today.  Thinking I would feel better as the day went on. I didn't.

If anything, I got worse.  I made it to the end of the work day, but I'm telling you, if I still feel this bad tomorrow, I'm staying in bed.  

Saturday, March 11, 2017

How Was Your Day?

So, there I was at work, just a working away, when I had to walk to the tubing department.  On my way there, Coworker Edna stopped me and asked, "What are you going to blog about tonight?"

And I'm thinking, "Blimey, I wasn't planning on blogging.  Now I have to think of something!"  Only I didn't think "blimey".  I just threw that in there because it sounds a lot more dramatic than what I was really thinking.  Which was something dull and innocuous like, "Oh no". 

I go back to my brazing stand, and I'm busy trying to think of something to blog about.  It didn't take long for my mind to start wandering...I began to plan all the stuff I was going to do when I got off.  I was going to dig up and transplant that last patch of spider lilies in my front yard, so I could put my Weed & Feed down in the morning.  I was going to pull up the last few landscape timbers in the back yard, doing away with those beds right behind my house.  I was going to get really industrious and take the chainsaw to that pile of logs, and maybe even cut down Mrs. Newman's two dead trees.  I was going to rake up all the old mulch out of my flower beds and start getting them ready for planting late next month...

I pulled out my phone and opened my weather app to make sure it wasn't going to rain in the morning.  It said 45'.  That was from when I checked it at 3:00 AM.  I waited for it to refresh, expecting the temp to go up to the mid 60s or so.  But it didn't go up.  It went down.  Down to 41'. What?  I thought my phone was lying to me.  It had to be a mistake.

I turned to my coworker and asked, "Did you go outside at lunch?  Was it cold out there?"  She said, "Girl, it's freezing out there!  With that rain, it feels like it should be snowing."

I guess I wasn't going to be working in the yard when I got off after all. The only thing I did was to get those spider lily bulbs dug up.  And I trudged out to the old coops and got some firewood and built a nice little fire to take the chill off of the house.  

Then I did three loads of laundry and stepped in cat puke.  How was your day?

Finally, here are some pictures of random coworkers sporting their purple shirts yesterday (which I totally stole from one of the quality person's FB page).

Random coworkers taking a stand against domestic violence:


That's Former Group Leader Rod on the left.  A guy named Roy on the right. 


More random coworkers:


Mrs. Charlie on the left.  She's the one who said I had pretty lips, and that I remind her of her mother.  I have no idea who the person on the right is, but she knows me.  Calls me by name and everything.  All I know is she's an office person.  HR, I think. 


Still more random coworkers.  The guy in the middle is Former Group Leader Greg.  I haven't really talked about him much, because I only worked for him a short time before Former Group Leader Fernando took over that line.


Random front office people.  The guy in the middle is Chris Taylor, the Boss Hoss of the plant.



And lastly, Supervisor Ronny on the left, Supervisor Patrick on the right.  I don't know who the lady in the middle is.  I think she might be HR, too, but I'm not for sure.


All in all, it was a very moving tribute to my lost coworker, but I have to add one more, personal touch (and I don't do this for just anyone):







Friday, March 10, 2017

Purple Friday

There was a lot of purple in the plant today.  A lot of purple. 

Most people were wearing purple shirts.  Even the supervisors, and people from the front office.  Someone brought a bunch of purple balloons and tied them up all around the plant.


It got me to thinking.  I have other coworkers...

One whose boyfriend shot her in the face and left her for dead.  She survived.

Another whose husband shot and stabbed her multiple times.  She survived, too. 

There is another one who, even though she denies it, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find out her boyfriend was beating on her, too.  When I worked in the same area as him, he would hit me, and pinch me, and shake me, and shove me, and scream obscenities in my face.   He claimed he was just joking, but that's what they all say...

And I thought, "If he does this to a coworker in front of a plant full of people, I can just imagine what he does at home, behind closed doors." 

Then I thought about my own situation, how easily I could have become just another statistic... if it weren't for the homewrecker who stole my husband away from me, and for whom I am so thankful. 

And I realized how lucky I am, and how God was watching over me. 

I am truly blessed. 


Thursday, March 09, 2017

Change Of Plans

I hadn't planned on going to the store today.  I'd planned on coming home and piddling in my yard a bit, but about half an hour before the end of the shift, one of my coworkers asked me, "Why are we wearing purple tomorrow?"

"We're wearing purple tomorrow?" I replied, not knowing anything about being supposed to wear purple tomorrow. 

I turned to the coworker on the other side and asked, "Why are we wearing purple tomorrow?"  She said it was for domestic violence, and in memory of our coworker who was murdered by her boyfriend last week. 

I don't have a purple shirt any more, the last one meeting a tragic demise at the hands of some very sharp pieces of steel, so it was off to the store I went.  It would seem I was not the only one in this predicament, as half of my coworkers were also there buying purple attire.  I came home with this one.


There wasn't a whole lot of purple left.  That one is OK, but I'd wanted one a bit more vibrant.  I wandered over to the men's section to see if they had any purple shirts.  They didn't, but somehow, this baby managed to sneak home with me.


I keep saying my ultimate goal is to have all my shirts either Navy, American flag, or Dallas Cowboy themed.

Speaking of the Dallas Cowboys, it would seem that Tony Romo has been Wally Pipped.  There is nothing official on the website, but word around the league is that they are looking to trade him.   Dak is the starter now, and Romo is too good to be just a backup.  Except that he is about as fragile as a soap bubble.  Honestly, I can't recall in the last 10 years more than one or two seasons that he didn't miss a bunch of games due to injury.  Still, I wish him well, and I hope he lands with a good team.

Anyway, I finally made it home from the store to find a giant pile of dog doo in my kitchen floor.  It's kind of worrisome, since my dogs are normally very well behaved.   Every dog has accidents from time to time, but if it becomes a trend, usually it means they are sick.  I'll keep an eye on them, and hope this was just a freak thing.  Like I said, they are normally very well behaved, especially considering how long they have to hold it sometimes.

Last but not least, I finished the Jayne hat last night -- including weaving all the yarn ends in.  


I still have to find the pom pom I made for it.  I know it's somewhere in the computer/craft/snake room.  I'll just have to go all Indiana Jones in there to find it. 

If nobody hears from me within a week or so, send out a search party. 

I'm not kidding.

Wednesday, March 08, 2017

A Day Without


Apparently, today was another one of those worldwide protest thingies that have been happening a lot lately.  This one was called A Day Without Women. 

I chose to participate.

I got up bright and early and told my dogs they would have to spend this day without me.  I was going to get up and go to work, because I'm an adult, and that's what adults do. 

Jesse was not pleased by this.


"You gon' spend the day wifout me?" he said. 

That was almost enough to change my mind, but alas, I have bills to pay and dogs that need to be fed. so I took my woman self to work.  It wasn't long before I began to regret that decision.  The purpose of this women's strike was to show the world how important women are -- as if the world didn't already know that.  My work decided that today was going to be the day to show me that the plant can't seem to get along without me, and they did so by calling my name a bazillion times. 

Instead of A Day Without Women, my day should have been called A Day My Coworkers Couldn't Scratch Their Own Bums Without Calling Becky's Name.   Every. Time. I. Turned. Around. Someone else was calling my name.  Seriously.  Every five minutes.  Asking me about this.  Asking me about that.  Wanting me to do this.  Wanting me to figure out that.  Wanting me, calling me, worrying me to death. 

Nag, nag, nag, all. day. long.  And most of what they were asking me about didn't even have anything to do with my job, which is brazing.  Seriously, why are you asking me about a delta plate?  I don't have anything to do with those, so why would you think I would know?  But ask they did. 



In fact, work was so mayhemic that at one point, that I checked my calendar to make sure it wasn't really Thor's Day. 

Thor...Loki...mayhem...you know the drill.  Unless you aren't up on your Norse mythology.  Then you don't know the drill.  Someday, I'll explain it.  But not today.  Which is Woden's Day.  Not Thor's Day. 

Be that as it may, the mayhem finally stopped when the shift ended.  Then I came home and ate half a bag of chocolate chips.

Now, that's what I call a woman's day celebration.  





Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Posting

That's how it is sometimes. 

I think, "I'm too tired to blog today.  I'll just skip this one day."  Then just one day turns into two, then three, and before you know it, you haven't blogged in a week.  I really need to get back to blogging every day, even if it's just a quick, insignificant post.  You know, just to stay in the habit.

Anyway, here is a quick rundown of what has happened since I last posted.

1.  My coworker, the one whose boyfriend shot her, passed away Thursday.  I didn't know her well, but she seemed very sweet.  I've been in kind of a funk ever since then.

2.  Cody's got another sister.  If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know about the twins Taylor and Faith.  Well, he's also got a third sister from the ex's second wife.  Her name is Ashley.  Cody texted me Sunday and said she'd tracked him down on his Instagram account.  That was a surprise. 

3.  Cody's sister Taylor is pregnant.  Faith already has a little boy.  Now the other one has a bun in the oven. 

4.  I bought Doctor Strange, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The mid-credits scene made me nearly jump out of my chair. 

5.  I'm this close to finishing another Jayne hat.  This one has been languishing on the needles for quite some time now.  The last earflap nearly finished, then I just have to find the pom pom I've already made for it, and it'll be done.


6.  I still haven't done my taxes. 

7.  I was going to put my Weed & Feed on my front yard Sunday morning, but it was raining when I woke up.  It is also supposed to rain this coming weekend, so I don't know when I'll be able to get it down. 

8. Eh, that's about it. 

Thursday, March 02, 2017

Texas

On this date, 181 years ago and in the midst of the siege of The Alamo, Texas declared its independence from Mexico.  Just four days later, The Alamo would fall, the brave defenders never even knowing that this document had been penned.

While it lacks the deep poetic beauty of the American Declaration of Independence, these words are still inspiring, and worth a read.

   

 The Unanimous Declaration of Independence made by the Delegates of the People of Texas in General Convention at the Town of Washington on the 2nd day of March 1836

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.
When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the ever ready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.
When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.
When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.
Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.
The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.
In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.
It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.
It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.
It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.
It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.
It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.
It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.
It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.
It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.
It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.
It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.
It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.
It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.
It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.
These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior.
We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.
The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.
We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.
[Signed, in the order shown on the handwritten document]
John S. D. Byrom
Francis Ruis
J. Antonio Navarro
Jesse B. Badgett
Wm D. Lacy
William Menifee
Jn. Fisher
Matthew Caldwell
William Motley
Lorenzo de Zavala
Stephen H. Everett
George W. Smyth
Elijah Stapp
Claiborne West
Wm. B. Scates
M. B. Menard
A. B. Hardin
J. W. Bunton
Thos. J. Gazley
R. M. Coleman
Sterling C. Robertson
Richard Ellis, President
of the Convention and Delegate
from Red River
James Collinsworth
Edwin Waller
Asa Brigham
Charles B. Stewart
Thomas Barnett
Geo. C. Childress
Bailey Hardeman
Rob. Potter
Thomas Jefferson Rusk
Chas. S. Taylor
John S. Roberts
Robert Hamilton
Collin McKinney
Albert H. Latimer
James Power
Sam Houston
David Thomas
Edwd. Conrad
Martin Parmer
Edwin O. Legrand
Stephen W. Blount
Jms. Gaines
Wm. Clark, Jr.
Sydney O. Pennington
Wm. Carrol Crawford
Jno. Turner
Benj. Briggs Goodrich
G. W. Barnett
James G. Swisher
Jesse Grimes
S. Rhoads Fisher
John W. Moore
John W. Bower
Saml. A. Maverick (from Bejar)
Sam P. Carson
A. Briscoe
J. B. Woods
H. S. Kimble, Secretary

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

And So It Was

Bright and early this morning, I walked into work.  I clocked in, set down my tool bag, and began going about my daily tasks of setting up the front of the line, in preparation for the work day.  As I was going about my business - and minding my own, I might add - Group Leader Theresa walked up and said, "I tried to call you last night, to tell you to come in at 5:00.  I thought I had your phone number, but I don't."

She'd asked me for it a couple of times before.  Well, not so much as asked, but she said, "Make sure you give me your phone number before you leave today."  I said OK, but then I didn't give it to her. Oh, I didn't forget.  I just didn't do it. 

This time, however, she pulled out her phone and insisted I give her my number right then and there.  What choice did I have?  Group Leader Theresa now has my phone number, and an admonition that just because she has it, doesn't mean she can call me willy nilly -- or that I'll even answer the phone at all.

And so it was that my group leader obtained my phone number, and also how I started going in to work at 5:00 AM. 

The good news is, we didn't get the bad weather we were expecting.  The worst of it passed to the north of us.  However, it's been so wet and chilly, I haven't been able plant the new daffodils I bought. 



So there they sit, with the rest of my potted plants.  


Waiting for spring, just like the rest of us.