Lincoln logs

It's interesting to go to places and find out a little bit about history that you kind of knew about and yet totally didn't comprehend until you experience it visually. I knew Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin type house. I imagined something like Little House on the Prairie type days, but still didn't realize how small this dwelling was, until I visited Kentucky and saw for myself. I believe my bedroom is larger than his entire house was. I am amazed.

Whassssup?

Now I know what Einstein meant when he was asked to speak at a university and he got up on stage and said, "I have nothing to say."

I never kept a diary for the same reason.

This year we celebrated the 4th early. It was June 28th when we went to Hanover to watch the fireworks and tuned into the local radio station to hear the display set to music. It was the best music KNDY has put on in years. Knights in White Satin, the Chicken Dance, Ring of Fire....

We're planning a drive of the east coast states this month. I guess I'll have something to write about then. :)

Son is home from college, daughter just visited this weekend and went back to Kansas City. I've got laundry duty, and the man of the house is working on the cars. Same ole same ole.

Changes

It's leap year, and it's February 29th! I just finished two weeks of training for my new job. I'm very glad this company invests in a training program for new employees. The computer system itself, although user friendly, would take an enormous amount of time to learn on your own.

The company put me up in a hotel right in the middle of the city where I had access to all sorts of stores I love but rarely get to grace the doorsteps of. The past two weeks has gone by so fast. Every night I'd be up until 1 a.m. and be at work by 8:30. Then it was shop til I drop again.

My biggest find was a suit sale. Since son took pop's suit (with permission) to school with him.... "that's ok, I don't wear one anyway"....... then he's pallbearer. uh huh. So, I happened upon a favorite store with already low prices and on sale to boot. Some guy was trying on the jacket of one style that I thought looked really sharp, so I got that one in Grandpa's size, found a shirt on sale to go with it, and voila. I turned around and there's a suit for pops and a shirt to go with it too. Everything was on sale except the ties, but I already found ties elsewhere. These look great! I hope they fit.

This morning there was a special at Mickey D's where you buy a drink and get a skillet burrito thinger for free. So, the office went over and got breakfast. We happened upon the man himself, so I got a phone-photo with him, and then the office got together and snapped a shot for the newsletter. I don't think this was the genuine guy because he's so short, but, it is unusual for the guy to be there in person, so we got photos. Check out the shoes!!

Dear Diary

A long long time ago in a land not so far away, I was a kid. It was popular back then to write in a diary and it didn't have to be anything special or anything important, for that matter. Still, I didn't do it. I knew it was something I could not commit myself to doing on a regular basis. Now, there is this thing called Blogging, which is the same concept as a diary really. Only it confirms my suspicions that I would not be a good candidate for a diary..... then or now.

Today, I woke up late, went to work late, took a late lunch and brought it back to my cubicle, worked late, was late meeting my father-in-law and husband, and got home and had a late supper. Then, I realized it's been a while since I wrote anything on this blog, so I might as well stay up late and write something down.

Although I was late, it was a good day. It was 14 degrees on the way to work, although clear skies. Soon after arriving, it began to snow, and the wind whipped the snow like a tornado of styrofoam tidbits. I had read my son's latest blog addition before heading off to work, and it was more important for me to write a comment than it was to be on time this particular day. Although I was not missed, there were those glad to see I arrived to help them do their jobs. I have turned in my resignation to be effective February 7th and have accepted the offer of employment with what I think will be my last employer. Not that I plan on dying anytime soon, or retiring for that matter, I just think this employer has the most to offer as far as places to go, people to be (account exec, branch manager, regional, etc.) I put in 9-1/2 hours today and got paid for 8. Why? I dunno. I love my job.

Right after work I was supposed to meet my father-in-law at his rental house. He has some prospects coming in Friday and the house isn't quite ready. He needed the carpets shampooed, and yours truly just so happens to own, well at least one but probably two, yeah, two carpet shampooers. Why? I dunno. They must've been on sale.

The guys scrubbed some greasy wall while I ran the machine. If I would have known there was so much carpet, I would have brought both machines with me, but I only remembered the livingroom having a covering. Yeah, it's pretty much wall to wall except the kitchen. The kitchen. Now that's a sight.... not a pretty one, either. I volunteered to paint it tomorrow night after church and Thursday night after work. Why? I dunno. I love my father-in-law and I kinda/sorta think he could use my help. Besides, the prospects come Friday. I hope they like the smell of fresh paint.

Last night I made chili and meatballs. The meatballs were for supper, well, the chili is too, just not last night's supper. I didn't have all the ingredients I normally put in my BBQ meatballs, but they turned out ok enough. The chili is good. Just hot enough to smack you without losing the flavor of the sauce. We'll probably regret eating it later, but hey, that's a part of life.

Speaking of gas prices, I paid $2.94 a gallon for gas the last time I filled up my Aurora. It has been fluctuating between $2.88 and $3.19 lately. Crude oil hit $100 a barrel earlier this year. Sent the price of gas soaring. It's back down around $90 a barrel, but that won't last long. Politics. Let's not go there. It's an election year as it is. Did I mention it's also leap year? Happy Birthday to all you young folks who have a birthday every four years.

There, Diary, are you happy now?

Bonfire

We prepared for the colder weather by trimming all the trees and burning the trimmings. That fire included cedar tree limbs that were green. I didn't think that would burn at all since it was freshly cut a few hours before, but it took off and created the highest flames I'd ever seen. We cut a few of the bigger branches into 2-ft. lengths for the inevitable bonfire we would have when our son came home from college.

A business acquaintance operates a packaging plant and has a huge amount of scrap wood that he discards every day. When I mentioned we were going to have a bonfire at our house, he offered the wood scraps from his business. All we had to do was show up with a pickup and trailer. It was unbelievable that so much would have been thrown away, and that was just a day's discard. We had a 20-ft. trailer not quite full, but not much more could fit on it.

When our son arrived, he and his friends had not one, but THREE bonfires the week of Thanksgiving. We were so happy to see him back home. Before Christmas, we need to see about stocking up on more firewood! (and hotdogs and marshmallows)

Empty Nest

There are some things that hit you hard that you think you're prepared for, and this is one of them. The empty nest is what most people refer to it as. This past week has been one of the most emotional times I can remember. When the oldest left for college, she was only an hour away, and sometimes not even that. When she graduated, she didn't come back home to live, she had her own apartment, and the whole "leaving the home" idea was a gradual one. When she said she was going to Brazil, we checked into cell phone coverage and internet services, and found we can communicate through Skype. Between email and chatting and voice messages through Skype, we stay in touch. The youngest, however, graduated high school and his college is 8 hours and 4 minutes away if you drive non-stop. We still haven't been able to attain the record that Mapquest set; our best being 9 and 1/2.

I don't know if more time after graduation would have prolonged the ache, or if it would have been any easier to let go. All I know is that I find myself crying randomly throughout the day, and even now as I write. I miss my kids.

Looking back, they were my main focus for the past 20 some years. They are grown and getting on with their lives, and it's my focus that needs to change. I email and chat and make calls on the cell phone, and I suppose it is the next best thing to being there, but it sure isn't the same.

What hit home was when I went up to the bedroom that he used to occupy, playing XBox or Playstation games with his friends, sending internet messages, or watching t.v......... and saw wall-to-wall carpet that had been vacuumed and an empty closet. Some people try to offer comfort reminding me that the empty bedroom is not a granite stone. Although truth is in those words, comfort is hard to find.

Today I will put on my happiest face I can muster. Tomorrow maybe I can take a few steps toward change.

Jane

There she is, Miss America. The baseball, apple pie, all-american muscle car that nobody else has: Jane. Now why that name? I dunno. Maybe it has something to do with Tarzan, or maybe nothing at all, just a name. Why is it that guys name their cars anyway?