Willy Fell Out The Damned Tree
This is just a quickie before I head off to England tomorrow.
I have a new favourite TV show.
It is called Mountain Monsters. The picture above is of the gang of monster chasers.
It is quite possibly one of the funniest things I have seen for a long time. It isn't meant to be.
It is like 'Here Come's Honey Boo Boo' on steroids.
The idea is that these 'good ole boys' chase down various monsters that have been brought to their attention.
They range from bigfoot type beasts to cave demons and hell hounds. Oh there is even a Sheepsquatch but I haven't watched that one yet.
There's Trapper, Buck, Willy, Wild Bill and a few others.
They chase around the woods at night, armed to the teeth with guns etc and every week they are certain they saw or almost captured whatever it was they were after.
A quote from Trapper, "
Yup that trap works real good. Slicker than snot on a doorknob."
I will add a couple of links so you can get a feel for it, if you choose to have a look.
It is just so funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydhv2PqEUG4
http://www.destinationamerica.com/tv-shows/mountain-monsters/mountain-monsters-video/behind-the-hunt-webster-county-werewolf.htm
I hope you enjoy.
OCD.....overload.
Saturday we went out to breakfast.
Just to Panera for bagels etc.
A little girl, similar to the one above, sat across from us, busily sticking stickers in a sticker book.
Harmless you might think.
No it bloody wasn't.
Not for someone like me.
My OCD kicked off big time. She was sticking those stickers in as if she were in a race against time.
The universe would implode if she didn't get all those damn stickers stuck down as quickly as possible.
Nary a thought for getting them lined up properly, without overlapping and making sure they were carefully smoothed out so there were no wrinkles in the paper.
OH NO NOT SHE !!
She was sticking them in Willy Nilly and it drove me nuts.
I would have spent (still would) ages, carefully selecting each sticker, making sure it was positioned precisely in the space provided and then gently smoothing each piece so the page looked like an original picture and not stickers.
What was this child thinking???? I have to admit my daughter would have done just the same as me, my son - not so much.
I was getting so agitated watching this abuse of a sticker book that Philip said I should go outside.
We did leave quite quickly as my nerves couldn't take much more.
Autumn, or Fall as it is known over here, has set in.
Our trees are starting to turn to their beautiful colours.
This one is right outside my kitchen window and I think it looks particularly gorgeous right now as it has various colours going on.
I shall miss most of the colours while I am away. I think they will be done by the time I get back.
I do hope the weather is good while I am in England so that I can get out and about.
The other night I woke hope because there was a cat scrabbling at the bedroom door....or at least I thought there was.
Philip was rumbling away so I knew he hadn't heard it.
I tried ignoring it for some time in the hope that whoever it was would give up and go away.
It didn't stop.
Eventually I got up and opened the door expecting to see one of our herd sitting the other side.
There wasn't one.
But, on the other side of the landing we have a little 'niche' (for want of a better word) where we keep the suitcases. Around these sat a delegation of cats........all staring at the cases.
I had taken mine out during the day in an effort to encourage myself to actually start packing something. Oh dear one of the cats must have got behind the other cases and couldn't get out.
The scrabbling continued.
The cases were all standing upright - I started to move them, but no cat appeared.
Then as I moved another case I was surprised at how heavy it was. The zip was slightly open........just a gap.
I opened it. Two huge green eyes gazed back at me. Tootsie had somehow managed to get into the case, from the top, through the little gap and couldn't get back out.
I say 'somehow' because she is a big (bloody enormous) girl and I am surprised she even squeezed in.
In her very 'catish' way she slowly stepped out of the case and walked away, without a thank you or kiss my arse - she didn't even glance back.
The others all then dispersed. 'Nothing to see here' attitude had crept in and the excitement was over.
It was a good job I got up to investigate but I know better than to expect gratitude.
Catitude but not gratitude.
I had my flu jab last week.
I think this was how the lady did it.
Happy Family
Well the excitement this week was whether the Scottish people would vote for an Independent Scotland or opt to stay within the UK.
It seems they prefer to stay.
I am glad.
Those who wanted an independent Scotland seemed to want it for all the wrong reasons.
The problems that would undoubtedly ensue didn't seem to be addressed at all.
There were many businesses that would leave Scotland, the ship building industry would be lost (the Royal Navy wouldn't be having their ships etc built there anymore), the EU wouldn't allow them to just stay on and what about schools and the health service?
Plus Scotland may have oil (but that won't last for ever or pay for everything) but it has little else. If you have ever been there you will know that it is a magnificent country for rugged scenery but there are so few people there.
What about border controls?
Passports, immigration?
There are many people who are Scottish that have moved south to England for jobs etc.
What would happen to them?
There is a lot of this, which is lovely but it won't pay the bills.
So, for all concerned I am glad they are staying. They are getting extra powers too so that is a bonus for them.
Well done Scotland.
I can't quite believe that my trip to England is just a week away. It goes from being ages away to being right here.
I am looking forward to it .......well being there. I don't like the journey one bit, but it is the only way I can get there so I have to do it.
I always get awful jet-lag too for at least 3 days or so, but never mind.
Bubba did really well at the vet's. He got very cross in there. He growled and hissed at Philip and the vet. He tried to give Philip a smack. He can't bite because he has hardly any teeth left but he could give you a nasty suck.
The vet said, apart from his trots, he is doing wonderfully for a cat his age. He said his eyes, (Bubba would tell you they are his most attractive feature) are amazing. I knew that because he can still see that cat from across the road at about 5 miles distance. Ooooh he hates that cat.
The vet suggested a raw food diet, obtainable from one of the large pet stores, which could really help his trots...or 'dire rear' as my friend so quaintly puts it.
He also prescribed some pills we haven't tried before so we will see how that goes.
From there it was off to the pet store to buy the raw meat cat diet.
It comes frozen in little pellets and you just defrost the amount you need.
A very small bag cost almost $16 !!!!! Quite a step up from 49c a can of cat food.
But, we bought one small bag. Philip was going to buy more but my inner voice told me it might not be the best idea and I dissuaded him.
Just as well.
I defrosted some over night and gave it to Bubba in the morning.
He gave me a look which suggested I must have gone completely insane whilst I was asleep and he would be happy to let me know where I could shove it.
The other cats all came to sniff it, all pulled the same faces and moved off to their canned goods.
Far from me having to hold back the ravening hordes and protecting Bubba while he scoffed his tra la posh grub, as envisioned, I was left with a dish full of soggy looking pellets that, from the look on their pinched little faces, the cats thought she have been buried with due ceremony long ago.
Looks like our Petal the Possum is in for another dose of very expensive grub.
Who would spend $16 on dinner for a possum? Well, apart from another possum with a twinkle in his eye I suppose.
Bubbly
We are taking Bubba, seen here with one of the foster kittens, to the vet today.
He needs a check up really, just to see how the vet thinks he is doing.
We have upped his fluids to every other day but I am wondering if he still needs more.
He seems happy enough in himself, eats well (still has diarrhea) and sometimes looks a little bemused. We think he is a little senile but at around 17 years old, he has every right to be.
He is still his lovely old self, talks to us, hums and sighs. We can't have him on the bed anymore at night as he 'leaks a little' if he is in a deep, long sleep.
This upsets me a bit as he has always cuddled up with me at night and I know we both miss it.
Maybe the vet will be able to give him something to help.
Do you remember my
'former' friend who yelled at me and caused quite a scene a few weeks ago? Well, I was so upset over it, especially as it was all about me not having a problem with giving poor children a free school lunch - that it actually made me poorly for a couple of weeks.
I don't need or want any more drama in my life thank you, but I was also upset at the loss of a friendship in such an awful way.
Anyway, I may have mentioned that she phoned the next day and I couldn't bring myself to answer the phone, but then she went on holiday for a couple of weeks so I didn't hear any more.
Then last week she phoned again. Again I didn't answer. Neither time did she leave a message. She only let it ring a few times before hanging up.
I started to feel a little bit guilty because I thought that maybe she was calling to apologize. Should I have answered? I wasn't sure.
I just knew that when the phone rang I began to get in a stress.
This morning she rang again.
I decided not to answer and this time she left a message.
Oh I was so right not to answer.
I half expected her to say something like, " I am sorry for what happened a couple of weeks ago. Let's go out for lunch or something and put it all behind us."
That is the sort of thing I would have said.
Nope.....when she spoke her voice was full of "attitude".
She said.
"I am just calling to see if you are still mad at me. Apparently you are. This is the third time I have called so I guess it is three times and I am out."
Bloody hell.
Do you see what she did? She turned the whole thing around to it being me at fault for being mad at her. I am not mad at her. I am bloody upset and shocked at the dreadful display of bitterness and resentment she put on when we were supposed to be having a lovely morning swimming. All for nothing. The actual radio announcement about free school meals that she had got so wound up about, turned out to be a totally untrue Fox News type thing. I know because I investigated it.
Listening to the message she left and her tone made me so glad I hadn't answered the phone.
I do believe she would have managed to start it all over again.
Plus, I have now seen first hand this other side to her and I can never forget it.
I don't wish her any ill. I hope she and her husband stay well. She has a cruise lined up for October which I hope she really enjoys. If I were to bump into her in a shop I would say hello and pass the time of day, but she can never be a close friend again and that does make me sad.
We went swimming every week, sometimes had lunch out and also had little shopping outings towards Christmas.
I will miss her and all those things, but things once said can never be unsaid. That friendship has been damaged irreparably and I am sad.
On a lighter note.
I am getting my stuff together for my English trip.
I made the annual outing to Walmart to buy new socks, knickers and bras. I have a few new jumpers (bought in the sales) and some thinner tops too as at this time of year you never know what the weather will do.
I have to take up my new jeans......why do I hate this job so much?
The next bit of excitement will come when I actually put stuff in the case. Then it becomes more real.
Finally........I am really enjoying this latest course I am doing - Paleobiology.
I love the way it is structured and the lecturers are excellent.
Plus you don't have to dig.......I don't do digging.
Royals
The news that another royal baby is on the way reminded me to publicly thank two very kind souls who sent me this tea towel from England.
It wasn't for any particular reason and came at a most fortuitous time.
So, I got together a little collection to show them how much I appreciate it.
I am not a fanatical royalist by any means, but it somehow makes me think of home to have a few bits and pieces like this around.
They are not the sort of thing I can buy here.
So, thank you again, Peter and Chris.
Wednesday was the final free River Rhythms concert.
Always a bit sad because it means summer is almost over and 'arctic joy' will soon be abounding all over the place.
The band was pretty good, easy to listen to and easy to forget.
The evening was warm too. Just a lovely way to relax. Unfortunately the 'pseudo celebs' didn't get the memo that this extra week had been added and there was no Mr Bean, Johnny Depp or their ilk.
The weekend weather was glorious. What did we do? Bugger all.
This was because poor Philip had to work from home Saturday afternoon and then he had to go into work at around 10pm and work all night, coming home at noon on Sunday.
It was a really important install and he had been preparing for it for months.
It was a shame that it happened to be such a lovely weekend as, of course, when he got home on Sunday he needed to go straight to sleep.
We don't complain about it as he only has something like this crop up, maybe, twice a year.
To cheer him up I cooked a special roast dinner for him on Sunday.
We both really enjoyed it....and there are leftovers !!!
I caught up with my knitting and I think I have 6 or 7 more blankets to take to the animal shelter now.
I am also doing another online course.
I am rather liking this one. The last one was something of a fiasco, but I suppose they are all different.
Where's Chippy?
There is Chippy, well one of them.
We have lots of chippies this year but they have drawn the attention of a red tail hawk.
It is a magnificent looking creature but I wish it would go elsewhere.
I am very fond of my chippies and, apparently, so is he.
"One of these things is not like the others"
They are such cute little buggers and very cheeky. One sits on my back door step and doesn't seem frightened of me at all.
Pah..and me being so scary too.
This has been our Labour Day holiday weekend. Philip was off on Monday, which was nice, and I managed to pry him away from his computer game yesterday afternoon - we went out.
We just went for a drive and then stopped for lunch. Oh how I miss British pubs when you want lunch.
Here it is all McDonald's, Burger King, Subway etc. etc......which are all good, but sometimes I want something different.
We found a place that was a little different. It was mostly burgery type things but the setting was almost pub like, so we ordered some grub.
Philip's was better than mine (well there's a novelty). It is difficult living in Wisconsin and not eating meat.....oh and cheese now.
I seem to have developed lactose intolerance..........and I am bloody annoyed about it.
It has taken me some time to work it out but now I am certain. I started having stomach pains, bloating etc for days at a time. For instance, last Christmas I could barely eat my long awaited Christmas dinner because I was in so much pain and discomfort. It didn't occur to me that it might have something to do with the cheese & wine supper we had on Christmas Eve. This has been our regular Christmas Eve treat for years......why should it be a problem now?
A couple of weeks later, when Philip was out gallavanting, I decided to finish some of the delish cheeses off. Oh bad move. The next few days were agony. Another couple of instances that occurred after eating cheese produced the same results and the penny dropped.
I am really cross about it. I really love cheese......good strong cheese. I am like Wallace or Grommit (can't remember which) and adore a good ploughman's etc.
I am going to research stuff that you can take before eating cheese to see if that might work for me. Bundle of laughs being a vegetarian who now can't eat cheese.
Anyway...I digress....back to the restaurant......I found an item on the menu which sounded lovely.
Grilled talapia fillet with pineapple salsa on ciabatta bun with salad. Brilliant.
It wasn't bad.
The fish was so over cooked it was all dried up.
The ciabatta bun had been sort of fried on the griddle and was so hard I couldn't even break it.
The salsa was nice and the salad was saladdy.
But, looking on the bright side, at least I had found something on the menu I could order even if I couldn't eat it all.
Less than 4 weeks until my trip back to Blighty. Donna has promised that we can go out for a pub roast every Sunday I am there. You have no idea how much I am looking forward to that.
I can't wait to go round the shops, buy lovely vegetarian food to eat there and of course, lots of Christmas goodies to bring back.
This time I shall make sure I list every bloody item I am bringing back so that the man at immigration doesn't lecture me again.
"Do you have any fruit?"
"No, mainly chocolate."
"Ah well, a chocolate could have a strawberry centre. Now, that might be considered fruit?"
Really.
