Monday, Monday

If the best feeling in the world is knowing you don't have to set your alarm for the next morning, then the worst must surely be turning it back on after a long weekend.

Yep, that happened this morning.  I had to go back to work, and was so not ready for it.  As if to add insult to injury, I walked in to utter chaos.  Not only was there nothing ready for the lines to run, but there weren't even any parts for us to braze up for them.  We had to scramble for the first couple hours, until tubing got us some parts down the line. Needless to say, I'm a bit tuckered.  So, this'll be brief.  

After work, I had to run into town to pay a bill, so I took the long way home, and went out and checked the lake.  The water is still high, but not as high as it has been, and the sluice gates appear to be wide open.  The outlet channel is much higher than normal, but at least, the water level is finally headed in the right direction, and that's a good thing.  

Another good thing, all the cotton fields around here have been planted.   Some weren't planted until nearly the end of June -- almost two months late, but at least they're planted.  Down in the Delta, some farmers didn't even bother to plant this year, and that's not good.  Some of the first fields are starting to flower.  I'll bet some of you didn't know cotton has flowers, did you?  Hang on, let me see if I still have a picture of one...

Yes!  I found an old picture I'd taken several years ago.

Purty, ain't it?  They can range from white, to almost red,

or anywhere in between.  These were some pictures I'd taken back when I used to walk my dogs down a dirt road between two cotton fields.  Now, the city has bought that land, and built a factory on it.  A factory which sits empty, because they can't find anyone to least it, and can't seem to figure out why.  *Ahem* Infrastructure *Ahem* Eh, what do I know?  I'm just a tax paying peon.

But hey, we're getting a new sports complex!

I finally arrived home to find this waiting for me.

My first letter from my English pen pal!  I've found several who have said they'd write, but this is the first person who actually did.  I haven't read it yet.  I'm going to wait until I get off here, and ready for bed.  Then I'll snuggle down under the covers and savor it.  Maybe I'll make a mug of decaf Earl Gray tea to go with it.  

I had the weirdest dream last night.  No, you?  Weird dreams?  Surely not.  

Hush up.

There was this lady that used to work out at the plant years go.  She was determined to get me married off.  She even said so.  "Becky, I'm determined to get you married off," she said.  Well, last night, in my dream, she had fixed me up with a blind date.  When we got to where I was supposed to meet the guy (she'd come with me -- or maybe she'd picked me up and dragged me to meet him, which seems more likely), guess who it was?  It was one of my white headed shanty men.

As soon as I saw him, I panicked and ran out of the room.  Or wherever we were.  She came out and was trying to convince me to come back in, and that's where I woke up.

Finally, my son sometimes posts the most hilarious things on Facebook.  

By the way, I have actually shot a machine gun.  An M-60 to be exact, back when I was in the Navy.  It was totally cool.  And fun.  And I'd do it again.  In a heartbeat.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go dream of machine guns and sea chanties.

Goodnight.