Monday, Monday

A nice cool day--really cool nights now--bad weather coming in Wednesday--high winds--again!  Tor Con of 3 for southern Michigan, 4 for northern Indiana and Illinois and Ohio.

I woke up Sunday morning with a terrific pain in my shoulder joint and down into my bicep.  By afternoon, I was ready to cry and took a couple of Advil and rubbed some horse liniment on it.

Around 5:00, Pearl's daughter stopped by and invited me to go up to the newer part of the Park to have supper with them...so I did!  Pearl's daughter, Margie, lives in a nice big double-wide in the newer part of the park--south of us.  Her daughter Jennifer and grand daughter Brooklyn also live there.

I have never quite seen such a bratty girl as Brooklyn--8 years old.  She is completely spoiled and never disciplined.  Margie and Jennifer are so sweet, and the child really doesn't sass them, but she says nasty things to them.  When Pearl said "Hi" to her, she looked at Pearl and stuck out her tongue, and walked into her play room.  I never did see her say a word to Pearl, her great grandma.

Then she said to Margie, her grandma, "You have so many wrinkles.  You look older than anyone I've ever seen."  Marge is 53 and quite pretty.  Then the kid says, "Look at your teeth.  They are all crooked and dirty looking.  You need to get dentures!"

At another time she said to Jennifer, her mother, "Where were you all morning?  Did you go to churchy-churchy?  You're so bad, you need to go everyday!"

Right about then or MUCH sooner, I would have taken the brat into her room and laid a couple of slaps on her behind.  No--I wouldn't have done that.  I would have slapped her bratty mouth the minute she stuck her tongue out at her great grandma.

All Jennifer and Marge ever say is, "Brooklyn, that's not very nice."

So far, she thinks I'm quite cool--we'll see how long that lasts.
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This morning I looked out and there was the maintenance guy Aaron, at Tami's door leaving her a paper--I assume to clean up her junk pile.  The manager decided to let Aaron do it, as he is all over the park, mowing vacant lots and keeping track of homes, so he would have been the one to see the pile.  I didn't hear her scream as yet, but I am wondering.  Can't wait to see what she does.  Can't wait to see that junk pile gone.

Then at 1:00, I had just sat down to watch my Soap and you know who, came through the door.  Sighing and carrying on...I just kept looking at the TV.

"Oh.  Is your show on now?"

"Yep.  One to two--every day."

"Oh...that's right.  I was over Friday when you were watching it.  I'll be back."
<for some unknown reason, she now comes over every single day>

So, as soon as my Soap was over, I got my list, jumped in the car and headed to the grocery store.

I stopped at the Tractor Supply on the way home to get my two big bags of bird seed--hopefully to get me through the winter.  A nice young man loaded it for me, wheeled it out to my car and put it in the trunk.  Now--always before, Merle has helped me unload it and carry it on the porch and poured it into the metal can I store it in.  BUT--I wasn't about to ask--him with the bad back and all.  If he even mentioned that his back hurt later, Pearl would blame me.

So there I stood.  Open trunk and wondering how I was going to manage two, 35# bags of seed.

I took a couple of deep breaths and sang to myself, "If I have to, I can do anything.  I am strong.  I am invincible.  I am woman!"

Lifted it out, kind of dragged it over to the porch steps.  Lifted it up, one step at a time.  Got it on the porch over by the chairs.

Grabbed it by its "ears" and lifted it up onto the chair. 

Cut the top of the bag with my utility knife 

did the same with the second bag.

and dumped it in.  70# of seed!!!

Then I went back to the car and toted in my  10 bags of groceries because, I knew, if I sat down to rest, I might never get back up.

I no sooner got the last bags in the house and, you know who, drove in her drive and immediately walked over.

She was into her deep sighing of earlier in the day.  Then she proceeded to tell me--AGAIN--about her nephew's elaborate wedding coming up this Saturday.  AGAIN--telling me the family was renting the entire floor of the Renaissance Hotel in Novi.  AGAIN, that her dress was being altered, "just to show the tips of my shoes because it is such a formal wedding."

"Are you wearing the caftan dress that was your Mother's?"

"No.  I was going to, but my sister-in-law told me it was too exotic and I might be the center of attention and detract from the bride."
<take a look in the mirror.  You'd detract from the bride alright, not because of your beauty, but because you'd look ridiculous in that dress!>

"Ah.  Yes."

"The reception is going to have an open bar.  You know, where it is all paid for.  My Daddy is going to wear a tux.  This wedding is going to cost the bride's parents at least....oh, I'd say eighty thousand and my brother is playing at least thirty thousand of that."

"Are you being boastful again?" I said with a smile

"No.  I'm just telling you facts."
<like I could give a mouse's patootie>

"I'm just exhausted," she said.

"Oh why?"

"I have had to run all over today.  Getting my hair re-cut, after that hatchet job I got the other day.  Trying to find shoes.  I had to stop in at the tailor's to have another fitting to get the length right on my dress."

"I'm tired too.  I............."

"Did I tell you that my Dad offered to pay to get that dent out of my trunk because I didn't want to pay the deductible?"

"No.  Well, that's nice of him."

"Plus, I have to take my car in for detailing because my Daddy will be riding with me.  It needs vacuuming and cleaning inside."

"Why don't you vacuum it yourself?"

"Oh...I'm too tired.  Besides it is only going to cost ninety dollars--a steal."
<hm-mm, it cost me seventy to get mine done last spring>

...and then, more and more that I don't remember because...I kinda quit listening.  She finally left ninety minutes later.  I put away the groceries, had some macaroni and tuna salad and sat in my chair watching Jeopardy with the TENS device pads on my shoulder and arm.

I know that I am going to be hurting tomorrow from the lifting today.  I ache tonight, but not too bad, but I think I will take one of my super-nice Percocet pain pills I got after my hip surgery, so that I can at least sleep.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

P.S.  Have you heard of that new respiratory virus that is happening to young kids and babies.  It starts out like a cold and goes into respiratory distress of respiratory arrest.  Tell your kids about it so they will know to watch the grandkids.  You gotta get them to ER--quickly.