Trials and Tribulations of an Old Poz Queen

[rondrond]

My Aunt Jeannie died today..cancer.

[rondrond]

  Mom had 1 brother., Uncle Sonny...his real name was Ed, but everyone called him Sonny. He was in the Army for awhile, and then he got married to Aunt Jeannie and they lived in Miami. ...This was also the time Elvis was in the army and Aunt Jeannie either dated or had a date with Elvis...I'm not certain on the details.

I liked Miami..lots of palm trees..not the same as trees in Texas and Michigan...exotic is what they were...special trees for special places...

Mom glares at ronnie and his camera....remember tree/people rule. ...yes mam..On a vacation to Michigan, by car, I had used two double rolls of film on ...trees...no people, just trees I had thought were beautiful.

After returning home, I took one roll to be developed, and it was $20.00 and Mom had a fit.."What's with all the trees?...Where are the people?" She then made a rule ...no more pictures of trees unless there was a person standing  by the tree.

ronnie hides other double roll of undeveloped film....of trees.....*there are a lot of trees between Texas and Michigan*

Uncle Sonny and Jeannie moved to Houston.....so now we would go to Galveston beach and spend the whole day with the never ceasing wind and the roar of the waves and I liked it...These are the memories I have of her, and I always refer to her as a one unit entity with Uncle Sonny.

By that I means, every time I think of Sonny, I think of Jeannie...Sonny and Jeannie....I do this with all my relatives, if married...and I always think of them with Houston and Galveston Beach....

"Mom?  Why don't we live here?"...ronnie wants to move to exotic place with exotic trees....."ain't happening"....yes mam...

.I would build sand castles and make moats and tunnels and have water come in and fill tunnels and moats and then have to do damage control to turrets and walls and keeps ronnie occupied all day and ronnie likes it...

One year, my Aunt Fay and cousins came from Michigan.  So, we went to Waco and my cousins had a good time discovering the trailer park and the storm cellar and the mail room....and getting to visit with their Grandparents and of course, Aunts Sue and Tresa.

Then we went to Houston and visited Sonny and Jeannie.  and had a big family outing in Galveston on the beach, which is nothing like Lake Michigan because it is the Gulf and it is windy and there are waves and the water is salty.

I showed them how to body surf, which is surfing a wave using your body instead of a surfboard and collecting sea shells and how to turn 'brown as a nut' (Katie and I had made our own concoction of tea and baby oil)

Then I successfully cleared the water by pointing out jelly fish and 'large, suspicious dark shapes' which could be sharks or dolphins (there is supposed to be a way to tell them apart, I never learned as the minute I saw anything suspicious I was out of the water.)

 But then I showed them how to scoot their feet in the sand which was supposed to scare anything in the water away. (I did a lot of scooting)

Then when the sun went down and it cooled a little, you realized just how burned you were because you were HOT, and then depending on how bad it was ...you burned and blistered....but that was part of going to the beach...

Uncle Sonny worked for Motorola and had two houses...one in Houston and one in Lafayette, Louisiana...had three children, two girls and 1 boy....Uncle Sonny had a Helicopter he used to commute between Houston and Lafayette....Uncle Sonny is a busy man.

They used to have a house in Waco  and Aunt Jeannie would watch us while Mom worked....we sort of made the rounds...you go to one place for awhile and then they need a vacation from you so you go to another place....good thing we had a lot of relatives....

Aunt Jeannie loved Dr Pepper and just like the old bottles had the clock on them with 10-2-4 on them she would have to have a Dr Pepper at 10, then 2 then 4....it was a ritual...ronnie would have to go to the neighborhood store and buy Aunt Jeannie Dr Pepper and cigarettes....*back then they did not care who bought what just as long as you bought* 

Jeannie smoked a LOT of cigarettes, and drank a LOT of Dr Pepper. I would help her clean house by emptying the ashtrays and putting them in a sink of soapy water, and picking up all the toys we had dragged all over the house.

We would play in the back yard, where they had a banana tree,( yes, in Waco, Texas)....and we were FORBIDDEN to go anywhere near it.
Sometimes we would entertain her by wrestling....actually, I think  it was her way of letting us be mad and fight and burn up some energy, only in a controlled way....Katie and Terry were the best as Aunt Jeannie would laugh, and laugh until tears came to her eyes watching them.

They had a big Motorola TV.....that was a given since he worked for them...and she had the coffee table parked in front of it to keep my cousin Julie, who was still in diapers and learning to walk and turn knobs, and stick things in slots, away from it. ....

Cartoons were always on and we would watch The Roadrunner, and Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle and Rocky J Squirrel, and then she would have to watch Lloyd Bridges in 'Sea Hunt' and some 'Mr Science Show',  'To Tell the Truth' and then Mom would be there to take us home.

edited for inevitable typos

[Jeff G]

I'm sorry to hear about your aunt , those are some fine memories . My mom has 8 sisters and 2 brothers that I love very much , I think I will call a few of them today and tell them so .

[denb45]

  Mom had 1 brother., Uncle Sonny...his real name was Ed, but everyone called him Sonny. He was in the Army for awhile, and then he got married to Aunt Jeannie and they lived in Miami. ...This was also the time Elvis was in the army and Aunt Jeannie either dated or had a date with Elvis...I'm not certain on the details.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your aunt , those fine memories, will last you FOREVER, it's all we have when someone has passed away , ronnie you know your auntie is in a much better place now 

[bear60]

Ron.....................Sorry to hear that your Aunt has passed away.  The memories are sweet.

[rondrond]

Thank you all for your responses. I know she is in a better place. Nothing is simple...she was dealing with other symptoms as well as the cancer and was in a lot of pain.

Looking in the address book, I am noticing as I flip the pages, lots of ..'deceased'..entries by a lot of names.

I am getting old. So is everyone else. Life stops... life goes on....

I remember taking my 6am meds. It was dark outside and I had to turn on a light.

Then I was awakened by the ringing of the phone and the special 'ditty' that has been designated for Mom and ...

Today we are celebrating the boys birthdays. Robert will be 30 and the twins 27. It is 10 am and Mom will be here @2-3pm.

...the couch is calling... the house is clean, Katie already has gifts...I don' buy them cards. The only cards they are interested in are from Mom with their monetary gifts....

maybe just a quick nap...I am so sleepy...

[OutOfDarkness]

Hi Ron,
Sorry to hear about the loss of your aunt.  I lost my grandmother this year.  When we knew my grandmother was not going to be with us for much longer, all of these really wonderful memories came rushing in to remind me of what an important presence she had in my life.  It was in her home and my Grandparent's presence that I sought peace and solace from my abusive surroundings.  I am so very lucky to have them in my life. 

Thank  you for sharing your memories, you have a great way of writing about things.  I enjoy reading your posts.

[Winiroo]

Sorry for your loss. I hope she had a long and happy life.

[rondrond]

The doorbell woke me up. It was Mom with this HUGE box of like 30 cup cakes. Where she finds these things, I never know. I do know that she was the first one to bring a sugar free cake she had baked using honey....

..and it passed the boys inspection and was devoured.  So, The Birthday's  began....

 Dewayne arrived with Chera and McKayla. MacKayla had to let me know that on her next Birthday she was going to be five. They had also arrived hungry as Chera and Katie had already communicated that part of his gift was dinner at 'The Olive Garden"....



McKayla stated that she liked The Olive Garden's breadsticks, and that though she would be full of their breadsticks, if you ate her, she wouldn't be crispy....we had given her a doll for Christmas that drinks tea and talks...she stated that she couldn't find 'Chip'....Chip is the teacup with a crack on the lip......
.we had also given her a tent that looks like a castle and Dewayne stated that it was probably in the castle somewhere. & our little princess, just may be a wee bit spoiled*



Chera refused to have her picture taken as she is pregnant and feeling 'fat'....so we have a pic from a few months ago...when they went to Sea World..



A remarkable feature about Chera is that where our eyeballs are white, hers are blue.....

Then Daniel showed up. He had been on the road from Oklahoma and had been visiting his 'Buddies' and played a round of Disc Golf. He has been working construction and we all know how hot it's been. He had a true 'redneck'   Katie insisted that he pull his cap up to show his face.

So, he got to show his workman's tan:



a better pic of Daniel



Daniel with his oldest son, Destin



We haven't seen Robert yet, but he works on Saturdays and is busy.

[denb45]

Then Daniel showed up. He had been on the road from Oklahoma and had been visiting his 'Buddies' and played a round of Disc Golf. He has been working construction and we all know how hot it's been. He had a true 'redneck'   Katie insisted that he pull his cap up to show his face.

So, he got to show his workman's tan:



a better pic of Daniel

DANG Ronnie................ Daniel looks like a younger version of YOU, it's kinda creepy the resemblance, don't cha think? 
nice pictures of your family by-the-way.............you're making me Home SICK for Califronia and my Twin Sister and her family 

[bear60]

DANG Ronnie................ Daniel looks like a younger version of YOU, it's kinda creepy the resemblance, don't cha think? 
nice pictures of your family by-the-way.............you're making me Home SICK for Califronia and my Twin Sister and her family 
..................................
you beat me to it...I was going to say the same thing.

[rondrond]

DANG Ronnie................ Daniel looks like a younger version of YOU, it's kinda creepy the resemblance, don't cha think? 
nice pictures of your family by-the-way.............you're making me Home SICK for Califronia and my Twin Sister and her family 

..aaand...even thought they hadn't seen or talked to each other for months, just to show how these two twins work...they both showed up in red T-Shirts.....just sayin......

[Winiroo]

You guys beat me to it.
Daniel could be your child you two look very much alike.

[rondrond]

You guys beat me to it.
Daniel could be your child you two look very much alike.

Yeh, He's heard it all of his life. When I started getting involved in their lives, Bobby's family would meet me for the first time and they would remark....'now,  we see which side of the family Daniel takes after'....

I used to joke with him that "yeh, it's a curse that you were born with my good looks" 

When I had my Vending business he worked with me for awhile and everyone believed him to be my son:

They're father and son,
they get the job done...

..and the women school bus drivers at the Main Terminal where I had 6 machines, would not believe otherwise...."where's your son?"....

Well, Robert is not having a good birthday. He is 30. He states that he feels old.

He just got married in June, in Las Vegas:

Robert and Paulette



Well, now he's married and sharing a bed has brought to light a 'problem' ....he snores....loudly....stops breathing in his sleep... a lot...Katie knows the drill, she has the same problem..and he is now on oxygen. Katie immediately asked "which number is the machine on?".....

When he said "11" and he wears a full oxygen make, Katie was in shock. "That's a lot" she is now concerned about her baby boy.

 Katie's looks kinda like a gas mask...but her machine is on some lower number "4"...so now her maternal instincts are turned on....

...and he hurt his back. He is doing some light remodeling, like removing the breakfast bar. He is a mechanic and is used to doing the 'impossible' and playing 'Super Mechanic' ....oh,  those nuts and bolts that REFUSE to come off...well...he gets them off.....

..so he is in pain and if it doesn't stop soon promises to go to the doctor. *Katie's maternal instincts are 'on full' now,  and she's ready to put that wheelchair in 4th gear and head over there....it's just down the road* ...

Robert immediately tells her that he is doing fine...stay home....

I've been plagued by a rash behind my knees and the back of my calfs. Little tiny bumps that itch like hell. I am rapidly emptying that tube of cream the Dr gave me. It's worse when I'm elevating my leg and the material from the blanket seems to make it itch. I can't sleep on my stomach, it makes my back hurt,

When I lie on my side, my arms go numb...so my best option for sleep is on my back. *Katie thinks that I need that sleep test also*  I picture family coming to town and staying over and running in terror from the house at bedtime as we all don our oxygen masks 

Two days ago the rash was on my belly and on my inner arms. It seems that an area clears just to have it move to another. 

While watering the yard, I stepped on a twig/branchelette from the pecan tree and it scraped my swollen ankle..left a scratch mark, .no blood, but it's hurting and itching...

more cream....

[bear60]

Quote Ron: " It's worse when I'm elevating my leg and the material from the blanket seems to make it itch.
Two days ago the rash was on my belly and on my inner arms. It seems that an area clears just to have it move to another. "
...........................................
Ron.....I have similar problems and have found relief by wearing only 100% cotton TShirts and making sure I have a cotton bath towel under my bare legs while lying around watching TV.  Do me a favor and check the labels of your TShirts, if they are a cotton "blend" with something else ....try 100% cotton and see if there is a difference.  Also, I find using certain laundry detergents make me itch. Good luck.

Joel

[rondrond]

Quote Ron: " It's worse when I'm elevating my leg and the material from the blanket seems to make it itch.
Two days ago the rash was on my belly and on my inner arms. It seems that an area clears just to have it move to another. "
...........................................
Ron.....I have similar problems and have found relief by wearing only 100% cotton TShirts and making sure I have a cotton bath towel under my bare legs while lying around watching TV.  Do me a favor and check the labels of your TShirts, if they are a cotton "blend" with something else ....try 100% cotton and see if there is a difference.  Also, I find using certain laundry detergents make me itch. Good luck.

Joel

Thanks Joel,

My 'undies' are 100%. We have used the same detergent for 10 years. Checked to mae sure the aide had not changed the settings on the washer. I always use the extra rinse cycle. They sometimes reset to their preferences and we have to retrain them on 'our ways'

[rondrond]

JW fell at the Rehabilitation Center. He stated that he doesn't know why he did it. His knee had stopped hurting and he just decided to get up.

He had also forgotten that he was effectively 'tied' to his bed by oxygen tubes and his catheter. So, down he went.

No broken bones. Only wounded pride.

I decided to go to the store early in the morning instead of late afternoon. and beat the crowd and heat. Well,... I beat the crowd.

Was looking for flower seeds and finally gave up and asked where they kept them and was told that they don't carry flower seeds anymore. 0.0

I bought a small bag of Bermuda grass seed. I couldn't find any St Augustine grass seed. There isn't any. @.@

I googled it and sure enough there isn't any St Augustine grass seed available.... anywhere.

I took out the weedeater and spot cut anything that had tried to grow at the curb and mowed the front yard.

Then I threw my grass seed about, and set about to waiting and watching for it to grow.

Still waiting and watching. I water in the morning and in the evening.

After buying chicken I noticed there was a sale on fish. I have avoided this as I have never cooked fish before.

It was Telapia Fish and it was this BIG, HEAVY blue box on sale for $11.00 so I got it.

So, Tuesday dinner, I get brave and open the box. It is FULL of these fish fillets that are individually wrapped. Looking at them, they seemed small, so my stomach's eyes said to cook four.

Mom had given several suggestions on cooking so I decided o... in a pan on the stove top, using Smart Balance butter.

Mom had stated that they would not take long to cook, just until they 'flake'...@.@  ..ok....

So I get the brown rice going and the bean chimichangas with jalapenos, and some zesty gumbo soup, and then I put the fillets on to cook.

They sort of cooked like the chicken breasts, but when I went to turn them with my turning fork, they refused to cooperate so I had to get this 'special tool' that Katie had got that was like tongs, only one side was a spatula and the other forked....

...well the fish went right in the middle and I grasped and turned. I'm starting to notice that the smell isn't like the smell of cooking chicken ....

Then, the definition of 'flaky' becomes clearer as it is falling apart...I was thinking of flaky as in a croissant roll, or some pie crusts, and now,  as in falling apart...

Anyway, we ate it, and it was good....kinda bland...Katie put her 'Jessie Hall' garlic salt free seasoning on it and ate away...

We got 'fullfullfull' and might just have to only cook one fillet each..despite my stomach's eyes stating that two will be needed....

So, now we're into the benefits of eating fish with it's omega 3 oils and it's good for your eyes and skin and brain....

...and I'm sitting and digesting waiting for the beneftis of eating omega 3 oils in fish to appear as we are watching TV...

Finally, Eureka season premiere and Saving Grace....

still waiting for the benefits of eating fish to appear...I have to go back to the store as I forgot to put soup on my list...

My itching has disappeared,  as the bumps. It was suggested to check my undies and such for 100% cotton vs a cotton blend, and that some detergents cause a rash...

We haven't switched detergents, still liquid Wisk....The washer is still set on extra rinse...

The Dr states that the HIV meds have a side effect of rashes and to keep using the cream and let her know if it DOESN'T go away....

ALRIGHT...thunderstorm brewing, finally..I might not have to water the yard this morning...

...sits waiting for rain to water grass seedlings....I was watering the yard yesterday evening, and people were taking their evening constitutionals for health and I suddenly got hit by the...I'm officially 'old' as I am having the neatest and greenest yard on the block....

Only people with time on their hands have time to do picture perfect yardwork....might as well put up a sign...

[Winiroo]

It seems silly but I'm just tickled pink it is sprinkling outside and its only 81 degrees. 
If I decide to go anywhere the car shouldn't be an easy bake oven.

[rondrond]

It seems silly but I'm just tickled pink it is sprinkling outside and its only 81 degrees. 
If I decide to go anywhere the car shouldn't be an easy bake oven.

HAHA...try putting a cooler of partially melted ice in the middle of the car seat. Then have it tump over in the seat on you...you will be cool....for awhile...

We had another thunderstorm this evening, but it didn't net much in the way of precipitation. 

..just enough that I didn't have to water....

Tomorrow July 31st,  is JW's birthday. He will be 73.

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edited to add...JW has a collection of gag gifts of 'butts'....such as a little outhouse and you open the door and  "OOPS" there is someone standing there and his britches are going up and down exposing his butt...etc.....

[rondrond]

sigh....where oh where is my mind?....

I'm meeting Mom at the Rehabilitation Center. An MRI has shown that the fall JW took the other day fractured his hip. He is going to be moved back to the hospital today...

...and ..she reminded me that JW is 86 today not 73....she will be 72 on Aug 18th. ...@.@

 hope I don't get lost on the way to the hospital...

[bear60]

I love the "butt" jokes!  I hope JW does well in the hospital.  Any plans for the weekend Ron?

[Winiroo]

sigh....where oh where is my mind?....

I'm meeting Mom at the Rehabilitation Center. An MRI has shown that the fall JW took the other day fractured his hip. He is going to be moved back to the hospital today...

...and ..she reminded me that JW is 86 today not 73....she will be 72 on Aug 18th. ...@.@

 hope I don't get lost on the way to the hospital...

Perhaps yours went on vacation with mine. LOL  It happens
If all else fails blame it on having too much HIV in your brain at the moment.
The card was cute.

[rondrond]

I love the "butt" jokes!  I hope JW does well in the hospital.  Any plans for the weekend Ron?

He's got another one with an outhouse ( he has a thing for outhouses) and it's bigger than a bread box. He will snigger and tell you to open the door. You open the door and this figure, drops his pants and turns and whizzes on you.....JW is on the floor by now...he loves his gags....

I thought I was getting to Kindred Care Rehabilitation early. I saw Mom's 'Yukon' parked upfront and there was an ambulance in the front door.

I got to the third floor and rounding the hall, saw a lot of activity. Three Medstar hunks were wrapping JW up in the bed sheet like a big 'ol burrito and moving him onto a guerny.

I had to get in his line of vision for him to see me, and I wished him a Happy Birthday....well, really, looks like a kinda sucky birthday....

Then we had to tackle his Lazy Boy Leather Recliner..Jw doesn't sleep in bed any more....(sounds familiar)...

He has a series of sleeping spots he roams to throughout the night....(still sounds familiar)...

Before he fractured his hip, he would get up in the night and get in his recliner.....now, we needed to get it back to the house as Harris Hospital frowned on redecorating their rooms..

Found maintenance and a dolly and it really got a lot of compliments from staff..."that sure is a nice big recliner"...I started to wonder if we weren't moving it right now, would it have disappeared?

I also began to think it should not be called a recliner but a mini loveseat.....this thing is huge....I broke a sweat...

So, we got it in the back of my truck and strapped in, and we got it to the house and BOY was it hot...I was really seating now, I have already added the moving of the recliner to my cardio tally sheet for the day...

Mom went on to Harris Hospital as she now has to sign 500 forms...they have to decide to either replace the hip or let it heal....

I had to call the pharmacy as I still haven't received my Rx's I called in on Friday and was assured that they had been mailed yesterday....

I'm going to have to remember to talk to Dr about making that 2mg warfarin bottle 100 tabs instead of 30 tabs...being on 9mgs daily uses two of those suckers at a time and that bottle seems to be empty eveyrtime I open it...

Then I put in a call to my Case Worker at AOC and left a message that I am now ready to be added to the Food Pantry....sigh...just trying to stretch things here until I get 'judged' by SSA...

I've decided to tackle the deck. I hosed it down and it really needs a good scrubbing. I need to replace a board that the kids broke by climbing on the bannister to get in the oak tree growing nearby....the had a Halloween party one year and hung all these ghoulish masks in the branches and a skull of a steer....

I had to hound them for almost two years to get back up there and take them down..(this is an old oak tree, very tall and twisted) .they thought it was 'cool'

I also noticed I had 'ring around the bath tub" on the shingles of the wall at the bottom where rain water had splashed dirt up and I used my hand to rub some of it...

I discovered that grasping the water hose too hard for too long will numb my hand and fingers and set them to tingling...I was scared that I had disturbed an ant nest at first...but, no, it was good 'ol PN....

So, I need to find this bucket with a tire brush in it that I used to wash my work truck with...it's either in the garage or the basement....but I need that brush to scrub the walls and the deck.....

I would love to put up some latticed panels and paint the whole thing white....but for now....I just need to get it clean...it's been years since I even set foot on it...sort of had it on 'ignore'.....

[rondrond]

Robert called and he is coming by to get his Birthday card. He looked tired. Katie says he looks happy.



His rider mower has died, and is past any additional help in the fix-er-up department...it's officially... dead.

He has a push mower, but though his back is feeling better, he states that the grass is about waist high.


...and when did this happen?

They have some goats, but he needs the grass from the front yard to feed the two horses. @.@

How tight-lipped can you be?

I know that he now has two step children. Is this his way of making them at home? Paulette has an EBay Home Business. She sells 'Vintage Items' Supposed to have a store somewhere. The garage is like a store warehouse.

Can you get animals on EBay? Did she 'Make a Deal?" on EBay?

Talk about the things we do for love....;\

He has the horses in the dog pen until he gets the back yard completely fenced and then he will need to make them some kind of shelter.

I don't know 'nuttin' about the goats. What happens after they've cleared the land of undergrowth? Do they give milk? That you can drink? What has Robert gotten himself into?

Mom called and ....

JW was given a partial hip replacement today. It was supposed to only take a few hours and wound up being an all day ordeal.

Mom has been there the entire day and is absolutely exhausted. She has her 'at the end of the day' summary:

*the surgery is over
*he survived it
*he's in recovery for the next three days
*he will be moved back to Kinder Care Rehabilitation for physical therapy
*he can come home

***now go home and get some rest Mom***

[bear60]

Hi Ron
What a way to spend the weekend!  I am glad that things went well in surgery....now the real job starts.  Recovery and rehab Take a long time.
Be well and take care.

Joel

[Winiroo]

he states that the grass is about waist high.

Its amazing his grass is growing at all. 104 - 107 temperatures.

[rondrond]

Hi Ron
What a way to spend the weekend!  I am glad that things went well in surgery....now the real job starts.  Recovery and rehab Take a long time.
Be well and take care.

Joel

Yeh, and Mom is going to get the brunt of it all. I have been surprising her lately by showing up instead of calling....

Now I'm thinking of letting Robert have the riding lawn mower Mom was going to give to me. I can't get it in the yard. The gates are not wide enough. The back garage door would work if the frame was taken out....

**ronnie hatches a diabolical plot...this is a Cub Cadet tractor mower....in the shed is a Zero Turn ....   and Mom has just hired a yardboy so she won't be needing that Zero Turn ....drool, drool.....*****

The Cub Cadet TRACTOR mower  could be considered a kinda 'redneck' wedding gift... (Sears has a gift registry).

...and I COULD drive it through where the fence is down in the back...just have to come up through a driveway/possible street and would have to move that pile of tree branches and logs that I have been dragging out of the yard...

..all this thinking ...and my head hurts....literally..I have these bumps that have appeared on my scalp and they HURT when touched.. .like you are looking in the trunk and stand up and hit your head HURT....in my hairline around my ears and on top where you would have a side part...

last summer, it got so bad from the itching and oozing and flaking...this was before I re registered with ASO....I discovered that Head and Shoulders gave instant relief from the itching and it finally went away.

This isn't itching, but sure does HURT when touched....noticed it when brushing my hair and as the bristles ran across my scalp...ooh,ooh,ooh....OUCH...

I have a DR appointment on Thursday.....another thing to add to my list....

*Rash..That was .on arms, legs, belly ... now on scalp. It will probably be cleared up by the time I get to see DR.  I'm pretty much screwed because I can't mix antihistamines with Warfarin...all I get is this cream...

[rondrond]

Its amazing his grass is growing at all. 104 - 107 temperatures.

He has an irrigation system. Plus, the Trinity River is across the street. And there are a LOT of trees on the property.

The front yard is pic on the left. Across the street, all those cars are in a parking lot. Fort Worth Auto Auction bought Gus's vegetable patch. The tree line in the back runs along the levy and the Trinity River. In the even further distance is Downtown Fort Worth...to the right of that little truck was another house that used to be Granny's Antique Shop, and another driveway.

On the right is a view of the back yard from the patio. The bottom pic is in snow...at the top of the hill is a well. This is where the horses will live.

[Winiroo]

I rode by some auto auction place Billy said its the poilce impound we went by when I went to work with him one day last week. East Northside is the name of the street I think.
We also went over the Trinity river so I thought it might be the same area.

[rondrond]

I rode by some auto auction place Billy said its the poilce impound we went by when I went to work with him one day last week. East Northside is the name of the street I think.
We also went over the Trinity river so I thought it might be the same area.

Fort Worth is notorious for having one street, that has two to three names....Northside Dr becomes University Drive when it crosses Jacksboro Highway. I live off Jacksboro Highway (which is also Highway 183 and then becomes 377) off River Oaks Blvd (which is also Epipheram and then 28th St) 

When out of towners stop and ask for directions, I usually use landmarks as trying to convince them that the road they are looking for, is the road they are on...

The Trinity River is very long and winds all over the place. The Bass Brothers have been diligently giving Fort Worth a face lift and makeover and have made bicycle/jogging/walk your dog/skating,  paths along the entire river....

They have built condos and apartments downtown extending into the Arts District, converting some of the major landmarks into  Urban Villages. . One they have almost completed is the Montgomery Ward  building...





the first floor is restaurants, shops, and the rest has been converted into condos. There is a Super Target, and other stores in the back where the parking lot and warehouse used to be. It's hard to believe that Mom would take us here to go for 'back to school shopping'



here is a link on the construction from the beginning.

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=298&st=0

School will be starting soon. They already have school supplies in the store. I just xouldn't find the energy to go to the store on the regularly scheduled Friday/Saturday. In fact, I have been asleep all day, every day, and Katie has to wake me up to take 6pm meds.

I then go outside for an hour and do something to break a sweat. The deck is looking pretty good. It is covered in some black substance which I suspect is from the oak tree which hangs over it.

The bricked area under the deck is covered in dirt...now mud...and I will probably have to shovel it....

My grass seed is growing...It looks like one of those Chia Pets, you press seeds in and water...and it grows 'hair'....."Chia Yard"....

It had been 104 out there and I just couldn't find it in me to sweep up pine needles....and with 100+ those needles are dropping...I was inspired at the store and checked out the blowers...but they weren't cheap, and looked like you had to have them plugged in to use?....

Walked away and was further inspired.....I took out the lawn mower and mowed the driveway and the street and the curb...it actually worked...I still have to do some minor sweeping where the mower wouldn't go....but it beats sweeping and dealing with all those piles of pine needles...

Since the mower was out, went ahead and mowed the front yard...there was grass as I have been watering every day....and...

I overdid it, and turned a lovely shade of dark red from the neck up. I was only out there for an hour and a half. My back decided to join the chorus,  my DVT leg was swollen, the calf was hard and both legs ached in my calves and up into the outer thighs.

A lukewarm shower, graded down to cool at the end, sort of made me feel better, but I couldn't stop sweating and I was naked and wet under the ceiling fan...took me 30 minutes of sitting under the fan before I started cooling off and my normal color returned...it seems everytime I get hot lately......I turn bright red....you would think that I was sunburned....and it's only from the neck up...weird

..taking off my shirt and staring at a white body with a red neck and face....so attractive...

[Winiroo]

There is some historic big ole building off of I30. I have no clue what the name of the place is but I swear when I go down I30 they must have moved the freeway because I rememeber it being elsewhere when I was a kid.

Did that make sense?

I think I recall signs on it years ago for some haunted house. Its a huge building.

[rondrond]

There is some historic big ole building off of I30. I have no clue what the name of the place is but I swear when I go down I30 they must have moved the freeway because I rememeber it being elsewhere when I was a kid.

Did that make sense?

I think I recall signs on it years ago for some haunted house. Its a huge building.

It is next to the Downtown Post office and  the Trinity Railway station....

They used to have Halloween in it, and there was a Paint Gun , Paint ball, something ....once...

it has been remodeled and is now posh living quarters:

http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/t&p.htm

Interstate 35 no longer goes through downtown....The Bass Brothers didn't like it...and it has been torn up and taken out and rerouted to the other side of the building....an opportunity for it to be increased from a 4 lane freeway to 6 lanes....

I still get lost when I go that way as I am a visual person relying on landmarks, some of which are no longer there....

Massey's Club 21....



Katie's in laws were the Massey's and Robert's house is down the road, comparable to two blocks. Papa Massey built the club with this own two hands...also built the Rockwood Motel which was right behind the club. Room 15 at the Rockwood Motel is where I was exiled to from the drug house to dry out and come to my senses....

***AAAUUgggghh..*** KILL IT KILL IT ***one of the cats that has adopted us since Darcell's demise and has been lying around on the front and back porch....has..

put in a job application....Charlotte was at the door and when I let her in she was staring at the end of the porch stating that the black cat that has one ear folded down, was chasing a rat....I saw them heading my way and having a healthy instinct for survival got Charlotte in and the door closed.....

the 'rat' was taking refuge in the hedges and 'Billy BlackJack' wasn't letting him go too far....it was a scene from Tom and Jerry...as you can see, he   showed his qualifications for the job by laying down on the job....the rat just stayed put, they had been going back and forth for some time...(the rat is on the top of the bricks by the post looking a Billy BlackJack as though awaiting permission to live or die...



I upped the blinds and took the picture through the glass....all safe and secure....

I was having kittens just knowing that Billy BlackJack might just let it go...

Suddenly, Rat made a run for it's life and it was leaping and jumping and running and BlackJack was calmly stalking and followed Rat out of my sight as they headed for neighbors front porch and the other black cat with the white vest....

I gave Billy BlackJack the job....

[bear60]

Thats quite a story.....arent cats something else! I try to keep out cat indoors and away from such riffraff as alley cats.
By the way, good to see you keeping daytime hours.

[Winiroo]

ooohhh I can believe you got a picture of that rat and Billy Blackjack.  I cant stand darty quick little things that might bite or God forbid accidentally get squished between your toes.
I haven't seen any rodents here but I have seen lizards. ack!

My old house had plenty of visitors. Some of which where squirrel sized. Double yikes.

[denb45]

ooohhh I can believe you got a picture of that rat and Billy Blackjack.  I cant stand darty quick little things that might bite or God forbid accidentally get squished between your toes.
I haven't seen any rodents here but I have seen lizards. ack!

My old house had plenty of visitors. Some of which where squirrel sized. Double yikes.

In the past six years I've had the 2 Cats, I've NEVER seen anything, guess the Cats are doing the job, I do see ants, but, they're way too small for them to even bother with, however, they do chase and run down flies tho,  I've seen both of them chase flies all day long, if it doesn't MOVE, then the Cats aren't interested in it  ......by the way......my 2 Cats are indoor Cats, and never want to go outside  They shed year round, and I had to spend a small fortune on one of them DYSON Vacuum Cleaners, but, it was money well spent tho..............

[Jeff G]

My fierce looking bulldog Zita almost had a stroke when we came face to face with a small mouse
she yelped and ran in place for several seconds before getting traction on the tile floor .

I hate to admit it but I wasn't far behind her in our cowardly retreat . 

[Winiroo]

LOL jg

I had a small lapsa opsa mix dog at my old house years ago. A squirrel had gotten into the house through the attic access in the closet. She chased that sucker all around the house with me running around screaming opening outside doors hoping it wouldn't break anything important.
I like cats Den. Not fond of rodents unless they are in a cage then they aren't too bad. I still wouldn't want one but they arent as scary in a cage. Squirrels are ok if they stay out of the house.

The only things I dont like about pets are poop, pee and fur. 

[denb45]

LOL jg

I had a small lapsa opsa mix dog at my old house years ago. A squirrel had gotten into the house through the attic access in the closet. She chased that sucker all around the house with me running around screaming opening outside doors hoping it wouldn't break anything important.
I like cats Den. Not fond of rodents unless they are in a cage then they aren't too bad. I still wouldn't want one but they arent as scary in a cage. Squirrels are ok if they stay out of the house.

The only things I dont like about pets are poop, pee and fur. 

LOL  yeah my Cats are very clean, and they both meow at me every morning ,if I forget to feed them ,and clean-out both litter boxes, (my ID Doctor says it's ok to clean the litter boxes, cuz they aren't outdoor Cats, however my doctor did tell me that outdoor cats in my case would be a big NO NO) when I do that each day they seem to be happy for the most part.....it's the sheding ( all the fur, I don't like) and they are both short-haired-cats 

[Winiroo]

Unlike humans, they aren't as pretty bald. 

[denb45]

Unlike humans, they aren't as pretty bald. 

Why whatever do you mean? I've been bald most of my adult life....................ROFLOL!  ......I have looked at some hairless Cats before, eeeeeeek, they sure are ugly looking Cats 

[Winiroo]

Yeah, bald men are wayyyy more attractive than bald kittys. 

[rondrond]

Why whatever do you mean? I've been bald most of my adult life....................ROFLOL!  ......I have looked at some hairless Cats before, eeeeeeek, they sure are ugly looking Cats 

..and you are very handsome, baldness and all...

I am trying to get a picture of the cat with a white vest...she looks like one of your cats....only black, but the white on the chests....they look like...Twins..

[rondrond]

Yeah, bald men are wayyyy more attractive than bald kittys. 

..well, so much for me cooking chicken breasts tonight...

..eewwwww..who could even touch them? Thwy must have very sweet dispositions..

[denb45]

..and you are very handsome, baldness and all...

I am trying to get a picture of the cat with a white vest...she looks like one of your cats....only black, but the white on the chests....they look like...Twins..

Oh Ronnie are you becoming a CAT person, better go down to the FW Animal Shelter and adopt a kitty cat  .......they come in all colors and sizes, some even have already been declawed and FIXED too, hint, hint  Cats are GREAT for relieving STRESS, and they are very easy to care for too 
Cats don't care if your sick or disabled, they like you just the way you are even if you don't feel good 

[rondrond]

In the past six years I've had the 2 Cats, I've NEVER seen anything, guess the Cats are doing the job, I do see ants, but, they're way too small for them to even bother with, however, they do chase and run down flies tho,  I've seen both of them chase flies all day long, if it doesn't MOVE, then the Cats aren't interested in it  ......by the way......my 2 Cats are indoor Cats, and never want to go outside  They shed year round, and I had to spend a small fortune on one of them DYSON Vacuum Cleaners, but, it was money well spent tho..............

I had an Irish Setter/Golden Retiriever mix and my bedroom carpet was...red....I bought an indoor/outdoor vac just for her hair. Right after Winter, when it started getting warm was the worst. You could just grab cluimps of fur....Then she was all nice and sleek and shiny...

Wouldn't really have any major shedding during the summer, just during the winter months. Her system was probably confused by Texas weather...I have run around sweating in shorts on Thanksgiving and Christmas.....

Then there was the year we drove to Waco for a family Thanksgiving in 4 inches of driving snow and ice....I had a Toyota Celica and the headlights forze in the up postiion...they also got dimmer and dimmer as the ice formed around the headlight leaving only one round spot where the light beam came out...

We were caravaning, and Mom and JW were in a Lincoln Towncar.....the one in the above picture at Roberts...it was that 'pearl white' color and in the ice and snow was invisible...Jw was in the lead position and kept stopping to beat the ice off the wipers....I discovered that you can destroy ice covered wipers by beating on them ...mine had to be replaced 

Then the next year we had the air conditioner on and yelling at kids to "shut that door"...

[rondrond]

My fierce looking bulldog Zita almost had a stroke when we came face to face with a small mouse
she yelped and ran in place for several seconds before getting traction on the tile floor .

I hate to admit it but I wasn't far behind her in our cowardly retreat . 

I would have passed you both and been holding the door half open, shouting for you to "hurry up"...

Darcell, on the other hand was a mighty huntress and would have not only killed the thing, but have tried to eat it...ugh....I knew she had caught one when she would come around the corner from the backyard, head held high, then stopping and shaking it...

....then head held high and running.. 'from me'...shouting..."drop it...drop it...DROP IT....good girl....."..

...of course, ours are river rats,...When we were still at the house on Ohio Garden Rd....Dewayne, then 14, came up behind me shouting.."look"...

I was working a flower bed and turned and he was standing there holding a rat by tail and the thing was taller than he was....he was proud....stated that he had killed it by jumping up and down on it.....I was terrified....."drop it, drop it.. DROP IT...good boy..."

[Jeff G]

I think the most my dog ever grossed me out was when she drug up a dead cat my neighbor had thrown onto a pile of burning trees . I tried brushing her teeth ,  gave her a bath and made a trip to the store for some certs , her breath wasn't the same for a few days . This was years ago and whenever she is out of the fence she tries to run to that old burn pile .

You all can thank me individually for this fascinating story . 

[rondrond]

I think the most my dog ever grossed me out was when she drug up a dead cat my neighbor had thrown onto a pile of burning trees . I tried brushing her teeth ,  gave her a bath and made a trip to the store for some certs , her breath wasn't the same for a few days . This was years ago and whenever she is out of the fence she tries to run to that old burn pile .

You all can thank me individually for this fascinating story . 

I would feed her half a box of dog biscuits.....well, they say on the box that it brushes their teeth and freshens breath...

When we went jogging in the park, she found a dead carcass...I think it was a possum, and rolled in it....fortunately, the Trinity Park runs along the river. You cannot swim in the river, but there is a concrete platform, with BIG metal railings where you can stand in water and get a sort of sensation of the power of the water rushing by...

kinda reminded me of the observation decks at Niagra Falls...

I would take her down there and let her get a good washing off...she loved the water anyways.....

[rondrond]

Katie got a catalog from Mobility Dynamics....
 
Here's the Wheelchairs....I don't think Katie likes this catalog.......more please"
 
this chair almost made me orgasm......then it sort of frightened me.....what's going to keep a 300-400lb woman from tipping that thing over?
 
http://www.redmanpowerchair.com/indexflash.php
 
 
If we could cut off her head and graft it onto this chir.....just sayin....
this chair does more than she does on a good day....just sayin.....agin...
 
http://www.redmanpowerchair.com/360.html
 
 
Here's the vans.....
 
roll cursor over smaller pics to get a larger view....
 
Katie likes blue.....I like blue
 
http://rollxvans.com/currentinventory.aspx?STK=45013
 
http://rollxvans.com/currentinventory.aspx?STK=45043a
 
 
ignore those outrageuous prices.....we can haggle...
 
 
 
HERE IT IS..with the desired rear entry.....
 
http://www.aavans.com/Conversion/RearEntryHandicapMinivanDimensions.aspx
 
 

[Jeff G]

Wow , that's some wheel chair . If it had a bucket , a pooper scooper and a barbecue grill included I just might go for that myself .