Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Just Plain Bazaar
I had a bazaar experience at the grocery store on the way home from work today! I popped in for a few groceries – of course, ended up getting more than I planned, so actually had about 6 or 8 bags in the cart. When I was about 1/2 way through with loading the bags into my trunk, I heard what sounded like stones or pellets being thrown behind me. I turned around and saw that it was POURING down huge drops of rain – the size of quarters – in a heavy sheet on the cars in the row behind me! But, it wasn’t raining a single drop on me! I was so surprised to see it absolutely drenching the cars just across the aisle between the rows from me and not on me that I stood there with my mouth wide open for a couple of seconds. Then, I turned and started to put the last two bags into the trunk. Well, as soon as I turned, it hit me! And, it came down so hard and heavy that by the time I got those two bags in the trunk, put the cart in the rack that was right beside my car, and got in the car, I was DRENCHED – totally soaked!!! I sat there for a minute catching my breath and laughing at myself! If I just hadn’t gawked at the rain behind me, I would have likely made it in the car without getting soaked.
Then, I drove out of it and down the street to the house. I could see the rain coming up behind me in the rear view mirror. As soon as I pulled into the garage and shut the door, the down pour hit the house! HA! I beat it, that time! hahaha
I got in the house and, of course, the girls wanted to go out, like usual! I opened the door, even though it was pouring out, because they are good in the house all day and deserve to be able to pee when I get home. They ran out, hesitated on the deck for a second, proceeded down onto the patio and onto the grass, and spun around to run back in the house! They decided it wasn’t worth it and they could wait just a little bit longer! I laughed so hard at them! They got to go back out and take care of business about 5 minutes later when it died down to just a normal rainfall.
So – that was my excitement and good laugh of the day!
R.I.P., Oh my beloved iPhone 3Gs
I have been waiting with great anticipation – counting down the days, in fact – until I was eligible to upgrade my iPhone 3Gs to an iPhone 4 at a discounted price. That date came this past week – June 25th! That evening, I eagerly got on-line to make sure I was now eligible and what my cost would be. Happy with what I found, I made plans to go to the AT&T store this weekend to make my purchase! Then, the next day, I heard the rumors about the iPhone 5 possibly coming out in September! Uh oh! What was I to do now? Go ahead with my plans to get the highly anticipated iPhone 4 or wait for the 5? What if I decide to wait and it doesn’t come out as rumored? What if it does and it is back ordered for a year? Oh the dilemma! Advice from friends were split 50/50 with go for the 4 and wait for the 5! My decision came yesterday – wait for the 5, but if the rumors push the unveiling date out at all, then bite the bullet and go for the 4!
That was yesterday! Today is a different day…….and story!
For about a week, now, I’ve noticed my phone was running out of juice faster than usual. By the time I’d get home each day, it was down to about 25% charge. I didn’t think much of it cause I have been texting more lately and getting more calls – all because of working through purchasing a retirement home long distance! So, I just thought that I was running it down faster than I typically do. Today, while I was out and about, I checked emails, got and responded to a text message, and took a few photos. In particular, I was driving by the rebuilding efforts at the Lowes that was damaged during the tornado. To my surprise, there was a very large helicopter hovering low over the parking lot. Luckily, the light at that corner turned red, so I could stop and gawk at it – they were using the helicopter to lift large pieces of equipment of some kind up onto the roof!!! Who needs a crane when you can have a helicopter! WOW – I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture before the light turned green. Then, I went up to Murphy Express and gassed up the pony. On the way back, I was mesmerized by the helicopter, again, so I turned into the Capital Bank parking lot and stood with the dozen or so other spectators taking photos and video. I snapped a bunch of photos and got in the car to leave. I went to turn off my camera and noticed that my screen was black – I tried to wake it up and nothing happened – I tried to shut it down and nothing happened! I thought the battery must have run down because I was taking so many photos and zoomed in to get them. So, I plugged it into my car charger – and nothing happened!!! The phone was DEAD!!!!
Apparently, once I decided to wait for the 5 to come out, a signal went straight to Steve Jobs alerting him of a lost sale. He said, “oh no you don’t, Kim! I need to reduce inventory of the 4s before I put the 5s out there. No one deliberately waits for the 5!!!” I contend that he then sent a whammy to my phone to end its battery life! That sealed the deal and made my decision for me! I either had to go with the 4 now or go without a phone until the 5 comes out! That was NOT going to happen – going with the 4 is the only option! Thanks a lot, Steve Jobs!
I had plans to go see the new Tom Hanks / Julia Roberts movie and thought that I could still go see the movie and go to the AT&T store in Cary tomorrow. But, panic set in — how could I go a full 24 hours without my iPhone? So, off to Cary I went! I can see the movie another time – maybe tomorrow!
But – remember my ranting about how much I hate Cary and the disastrous last trip I made up there? Well, I sure thought about it on the drive in. But, I knew exactly where the AT&T store was – the one I got my 3Gs at – right next to BJs – easy! I could go directly there, do what I needed to do, and get out! Right? WRONG! I drove right to the location of the AT&T store and found an empty store front! WTH???? Oh no!!! But, wait – I remembered when I was driving around lost looking for a gas station on that last trip that I saw another AT&T store. Did I remember correctly? Was it near Cary Towne Center? I headed that way to find out – keeping my fingers crossed! Yep – BINGO – there it was, right where I thought I had seen it! WHEW! I went in and told my story to the sales person. He tried to get my phone to “wake up” and take a charge with no success! He declared it officially dead!
So, in a matter of minutes, I was the proud owner of the only WHITE 32 MB iPhone 4 they had in stock – plus a hot pink case that clips to my waist band – plus a blue tooth device for talking and driving! Problem, though………since my 3Gs is dead, they couldn’t get my contacts or photos or anything off it!!! DANG – I’ve lost the photos of the helicopter at Lowes!!! And I know I haven’t synced or backed up my phone in a while – not sure what was recently added that I may no longer have access to! Luckily, I don’t store photos on the phone – I down load and delete them off the phone right away so there weren’t any photos lost – except the ones I took this morning – the really cool ones!!!
When I finished at the AT&T store, I got in the car and thought “while I’m here, I might as well…….”, but I stopped myself cold and said “oh no, you don’t – get out of here while you’re ahead!” I returned to Sanford and made a bee-line up to Lowes to see if by chance the helicopter was still hard at work – no such luck! So – unless you saw it for yourself, you’ll have to take my word for it — Lowes don’t need no stinking crane – they gots them a helicopter to do the job right!
And the good news? All but two recent contacts (that I had jotted down, so was able to add back in) were replaced after I synced the new phone! And I set up my blue tooth! I’m good to go! And I have my new iPhone 4! I’ll probably be a little sad if the 5 comes out in September, as rumored, but I’ll live — I’m happy with my new iPhone!
So, R.I.P., dear sweet 3Gs – you were a good companion and loyal friend…..now, you’re gone and I’ve replaced you, but I won’t forget you – you never forget your first!!!
A Big Day For Sanford
Yes, today was a big day for Sanford…..a major milestone in the evolution of our town……a long awaited arrival finally came to fruition! At 6:30 this morning, the newest Chick-fil-A location opened and at 9:00 the ribbon was cut with more anticipation, hoopla, and ceremony than a visit from a sitting President would get! OK, so maybe I exaggerate just a little – but not by much!
Of course, I had to head up that way after work to get an opening day meal. I’ve been to lots of Chick-fil-A restaurants, but never on an opening day. To be honest, I was really quite impressed!
To tell the story adequately, I need to back up a bit. For as long as I can remember, a free-standing Chick-fil-A has been on every wish list I’ve ever seen for Sanford. When it was announced that a deal was set to open one on an out-parcel lot at the WalMart shopping center, the excitement began to build. It was all people could talk about. As the highly anticipated opening day grew closer, the excitement turned into a frenzy of eager fans hungry for a chance to eat one of those amazing chicken sandwiches without having to go out-of-town or to the hospital. (Side note for those who wonder why I mention the hospital: Sanford does have a limited menu Chick-fil-A location in the hospital cafeteria). Then, yesterday, the first 100 customer challenge began. You see, whenever a Chick-fil-A opens a new location, they offer a free meal (sandwich, fries, and a drink) every week for a year to the first 100 customers who meet certain criteria. They have to arrive at the restaurant at 6:00 am the day BEFORE the opening and stay there for at least 24 hours – camping out in the parking lot – to be eligible. If more than 100 customers meet the criteria, the 100 winners are selected via a lottery drawing. Crazy, right? Well, the Sanford opening had well over 200 people show up for the challenge! Tents were erected, lawn chairs were set up, games were played to pass the time, and the 200+ people – mostly strangers – shared a fun-filled 24 hours together! (BTW – I was NOT one of them!)
Today was the grand opening and the ribbon cutting ceremony. From the pics I saw from the Chamber of Commerce, it looks like all the local elected officials and many happy citizens were on hand to welcome the new business to Sanford. It sure looked like everyone was having a grand time – lots of fun and enthusiasm on everyone’s faces!
Since it was a work day, I had to wait until after I got off to go check it out. I figured it would likely be crowded, so I decided to just go through the drive thru and take my opening day meal home with me. Traffic heading in the direction of the WalMart area was thick and slow. I wondered how many were actually going that way for the same reason I was – to eat a piece of history in the making. I pulled into the parking lot – barely – and got into the very long line for the drive thru. But, here is where I became impressed! The line was outrageously long – I assumed I would be there until midnight! But, it moved surprisingly fast! And then there were the “greeters” – men in dress shirts and ties that I could only assume were high in the managerial ranks of the Chick-fil-A organization were standing along the drive thru line.
The first I came up on was welcoming every car and handing out a photo sheet of the menu board so that we could decide what we wanted to order before we got to the speaker to place our orders. He was very cheery and friendly – commenting on how I should have my top down on such a beautiful day! Then, right at the bend where the line split into two lines for two order boards was the famous Chick-fil-A mascot – a cow wearing a jersey with words begging people to “Eat Mor Chikin” – waving at everyone. Thankfully, his costume hid his face, cause I’m sure it was beet red and not very happy to be wearing a fur outfit in the almost, if not right at, 100 degree day we were having! (don’t let the sky in the photos I took fool you – it was HOT and it was SUNNY and the breeze that was blowing in the threat of a possible rain storm was NOT at all cooling)
When I got to the speakers and placed my order, I was greeted by a cheerful voice that said “Welcome to Chick-fil-A, how may I help you?” and then after I told him what I wanted, he said “We’ll be happy to serve you at the pick up window. Enjoy your meal and have a great day.” As I pulled ahead, there was another important looking man with a tie directing the two lanes back into one lane to proceed to the pick up window. He, too, was very cheery and welcomed me and wished me well. Then, there was an employee in a Chick-fil-A uniform and another important looking guy in a tie running up and down the line waiting for the pick up window taking money and bringing bags of food so that no one had to wait at the window – smiling and joking with customers as they went about their job of keeping the flow of cars moving along smoothly. It really was quite impressive – from the time I got in that incredibly long line until I pulled out of the parking lot with my food, I’ll bet no more than 10-15 minutes had passed!!! I’ve waited longer than that at McDonald’s with only 1 or 2 cars ahead of me! And to top it all off……..my order was CORRECT and HOT – VERY HOT! And I left with a smile on my face and a commitment to return again!
And those important looking guys in ties? Well, they had to have been there doing their greeter thing and more all day long cause they were the same guys in the photos posted by the Chamber of Commerce giving speeches at the ribbon cutting ceremony. They sure didn’t look it, but I’m sure it wasn’t easy to stand out there in this heat with a long sleeve dress shirt and a tie all day! Way to show enthusiasm for becoming a part of our community, guys! I sure appreciated it and I bet a lot of other people did, too.
So, why are Chick-fil-A sandwiches such a hit? Afterall, it is just a chicken sandwich, right? WRONG!!!
I don’t know what makes them so different – a breaded chicken breast on a bun with a couple dill pickles – but they are! The flavor is amazing! And they are so juicy and tender – NEVER dry like chicken breast can be sometimes. I am not a fan of white meat chicken, but I LOVE me some Chick-fil-A!!!! It doesn’t matter what makes them special – they just are! So, help out the cows that really need you to “Eat Mor Chikin” and less burgers and go check out the newest Chick-fil-A location in Sanford! Enjoy!
Recovery…Renewal…And Life Goes On
It has been two months and four days since the devastating tornado ripped through our town and a week and a day since I took my tumble at the movie theater in Cary. Both seem like forever ago. The two events, of course, can not be compared in any way, but both are evidence that things can happen in a split second that stop you in your tracks and both are evidence that life, indeed, does go on. Recovery and renewal abound.
As I drove through town yesterday, it was a pleasure to see the Lowes Home Improvement store – the one that made national news after the tornado of April 16th turned it into a pile of twisted steel and debris – actually looks like it is almost a Lowes Home Improvement store again. The company dug right in and cleared the lot and started rebuilding. They anticipate the opening of the new Lowes in the fall. Then, I read in the paper this weekend that the Tractor Supply Store across the street has decided to rebuild and will likely reopen by the end of the year, as well. Although there is still a lot going on and a lot to do – clean up efforts, rebuilding, and donations to help those who lost so much that day, Sanford has picked itself up by the boots straps and is moving on. I’m sure the reopening of Lowes will be a big event for our town. Although it never diminished the horror of the many homes that were gone in a flash and the impressive way the city pulled together to start the recovery process as quickly as the devastation occurred, it was the defining picture of the storm, so it will surely be a defining picture of renewal when it reopens.
And there is new growth, as well. The long anticipated opening of a Chick-fil-A in Sanford will be a reality this week. For as long as I can remember, a free-standing Chick-fil-A has been on every “wish list” I’ve ever seen for Sanford. I say “free-standing” because we DO have a Chick-fil-A in Sanford, but it is in the hospital cafeteria and not so easy to just run by and grab one of their famous chicken fillet sandwiches. It will be quite an accomplishment to have one with a full menu and a drive thru and right there in the middle of the WalMart plaza parking lot! Woo Hoo!
As for my tumble last Sunday……I gave in and went to Urgent Care on Monday and the doc confirmed I had a cracked rib. So, I’ve had a very painful week. For some reason, the anti inflammatory meds were helping a lot until Friday, when I had a major set back and could barely move or breathe! But, I took it easy over the weekend and didn’t do anything to stress it – something I should have done the beginning of the week – and now it feels like it is recovering quite nicely. Oh, it is still very tender and reminds me if I turn just right or cough or sneeze, but for the most part, it is obviously on the mend. I considered going to the movies to see “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” this weekend, but pictured myself getting to the door of the theater and freezing in fear and turning to run screaming from the memory of the “accident”! hahahaha Seriously, I just decided to lay low this weekend and will likely go see this movie in a week or two.
And so, life goes on……….make the most of every moment for you never know when life will throw you a curve ball!
Weekend Movie Reviews
So, the weekend wasn’t a total disaster! Yes, there was the unfortunate trip to Cary (see the next post for details – I really want to just forget it and not repeat it here). But, overall, it was a nice weekend. I started out Saturday morning with a great couple of hours pool side with some friends at a baby shower to celebrate a soon to be born little boy. I did some shopping, made a delicious tuna noodle casserole to feed a craving I had for one, and saw two good movies. I actually went to the theater to see the movies – first time in a very long time. The cost of going to a theater has gotten so high and there haven’t been any come out that I felt I couldn’t wait for Netflix to get them, so I have pretty much stopped a once routine favorite pastime. But, I decided to treat myself this weekend. The first one I saw was “Bridemaids” on Saturday afternoon – I have been toying with the thought of seeing this one since they first started promoting it. Then, today, I saw “Midnight in Paris” – I stumbled on this one this afternoon and it caught my interest.
Like I said, from the first trailer I saw of this film, I wanted to see it. But, I was dragging my heels because I was reluctant to spend the money to see it at the theater only to find out I wish I had waited for Netflix. I was driving by the entrance to the theater Saturday on my way back from the baby shower and suddenly thought I should swing through and see what they had to offer. When I saw this one was still showing here and it was about to start, I decided to give in and see it.
“Bridesmaids” stars Kristen Wiig as Annie and Maya Rudolph as Lillian, who are life long best friends. Annie’s love life is sort of like a train wreck and Lillian is newly engaged. Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honor and that’s where the fun begins. One of the other bridesmaids, Helen, is Lillian’s fiance’s boss’s wife and a new friend of Lillian’s. Starving to be the center of attention, Helen takes over everything and throws her plentiful cash around to ensure all the plans that Annie is trying to make go Helen’s way! Most of the funniest scenes are in the trailers, but there are enough other surprises to make it still funny and worth seeing. One disastrous event after another make this one of the funniest journeys from engagement to wedding day ever! Through it all, the characters find love and the true meaning of friendship and how to make life work out for the best. A strong cast and well put together story line result in my rating of A- for this movie. I recommend it for a girl’s night out and a good belly laugh!
“Midnight in Paris” has been under the radar for me. I haven’t seen any trailers or heard anything about it. When I decided to go to Cary, today, I scanned the movies that were playing and stumbled onto this one. I really like Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams and was impressed by the story. So, I added it to my plans for the day.
This is the story of Gil (Wilson) who is engaged to Inez (McAdams). They are in Paris with Inez’s parents, who are there with the Dad’s business. Gil is a screen writer who is attempting to write his first novel. He is a hopeless romantic and dreams of 1920’s Paris, wishing he could live in Paris to fuel his artistic creativity. Gil and Inez have very little in common and she constantly says things to criticize him and come off as apologizing for him. Some friends of Inez just happen to also be in Paris and they start to spend a lot of time with them. Since Gil doesn’t particularly like the friends, in particular the guy, he starts taking long walks through the Paris streets at night to gain inspiration for his book. He gets lost and sits on a stoop to gather his thoughts. When an old fashioned car comes along with a bunch of people dressed in flapper outfits calling to him to come join them, he is intrigued enough to go along for a ride. And what a ride it is. He finds himself at a party with music, literary, and art icons like Cole Porter, F Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, and Pablo Picasso. He leaves the party to go get his manuscript so that he can get some of their opinions of it and finds himself back in current time and the place where the party was is actually a closed laundry mat. He goes back to the stoop each night at midnight and the same car comes along to pick him up and take him back to 1920s Paris to hob nob with the friends he met the first night as well as others, such as Matisse, TS Eliot, Gauguin, and more. His adventures change his life and his relationship with Inez.
It is a fascinating story full of fun and adventure. Gil’s dreams come to life and he finds his inner creativity. I rate this one a solid A+ and highly recommend it. I should probably knock off a little from the rating because the movie just sort of ends abruptly and leaves you wanting much more and has too many loose ends, but I won’t because the rest of the movie makes up for it, by far.
I HATE Cary!!!!
Ok, so the title is a little misleading and not totally accurate. I don’t really “hate” Cary – there are a lot of cool things in Cary and if you want some of the more specialized shopping, you really have to go there. I really like what the Cross Roads Shopping Center area has to offer and really like Cary Towne Center. But, what I really dislike (I won’t say hate, again) is getting around in that whole area. I have never – yes, never is the correct word to use here – not even once – ever gone up there but what I left totally sorry I went! I typically have a specific reason for going and rarely go just to “go”. I almost always accomplish what I went for, but I still leave frustrated and irritated! My biggest problem is the layout of traffic flows – both on the streets and in the shopping center areas. No matter where you are, you can’t get to where you want to be without going 100 miles out of your way to get there – you can see where you want to go and you may even be right in front of it, but, unless you’re damn lucky, you will have to drive around the world to get to it! And wherever you go, you have to go in the wrong direction, first, and then get turned around to the correct direction! It is INSANE!!! The directionally challenged should never be allowed to drive around in that area alone……….and I am a prime example!
So, today I wanted to take a drive up there to go to BJs and Best Buy. I was pleasantly surprised that the traffic wasn’t too bad. I went to Best Buy, first. I bought a Kindle – I’ve been tempted to get one for quite some time and finally decided to do it. Then, I went to BJs and stocked up on some things there. From BJs, I went to Sweet Tomatoes for a late lunch of a delicious salad. I also planned to see a movie that started at 4:50 at the theater in Cross Roads Shopping Center. When I got done with lunch, I had some time to kill and realized I left Sanford without gassing up and I was just about on empty. So, I set out to find a gas station. I wanted to find one on a corner so that I could get back in the direction I needed to be in. I thought there was one just up from where I left Sweet Tomatoes, but it was quite a bit further than I thought. I made a U-turn to get to it only to find out it was CLOSED!!! So, I got back on the street to go a little further in the opposite direction. After not finding any other gas station and time was ticking to the movie, I decided to go back in the other direction again. I found one a way’s past where the other one was, so I pulled in and got gas. But, as I was leaving, I discovered that, although it was on a corner, I was only able to make a right hand turn and wasn’t able to head back towards the movie theater. So, I turned right and then left at the next stop light. I pulled into a parking lot to turn around so I could get back on the main street to head back in the right direction. It wasn’t long before I realized I had no clue where I was and absolutely nothing looked familiar! The street signs said the street name was one I’d never heard of and then, suddenly, I was at the intersection of Tryon Road. I knew that was wrong! So, I back tracked to see if I could figure out where in the hell I was and how I could get to the movie theater! I found the parking lot I used to turn around in and discovered I just went the wrong way and was soon on the right track! But, it was 4:45 and traffic was really starting to pick up. And, of course, every stop light had a “Kim’s coming, turn red” sensor in it! Uuuggghhh! By now, my blood pressure is through the roof and I’m cussing at every light and car in my way!
I made it to the theater at 4:55. I thought, that’s OK – they usually show a 1/2 hour worth of previews, which I generally really enjoy, so it won’t be a big deal to get there 5-10 minutes after start time. Um, nope – not this time! I walked into the theater and the movie was already playing – but, I was fine – couldn’t have missed much more than a couple of minutes. Guess what happens next? I walk into the dark theater. I stand there for a minute to let my eyes adjust. I carefully walk up the steps to the second row and turn in to take the first seat so that I don’t have to go too far in the dark. What I soon discover is that I am on the transition step – not the one that is the walkway for that row! I step towards the seat and there is nothing there to step on and I fall flat on my face on the floor between row 1 and row 2! As I went down, I caught the top of the back seat in front of me with my rib cage! The girl sitting in the seat turned around to see if I was OK. I wasn’t sure that I was, but was too embarrassed to say so – I just said, yes and apologized for falling on her. I got up and sat in my seat. The good news is that I was late, so I didn’t buy any popcorn or drink – if I had, I (and the girl in front of me) would have been wearing it!!!! I sat silently crying and wincing in pain while I tried to figure out what was going on in the movie. It didn’t take long to realize that I could barely move my arm or shift in my seat without causing intense pain in my ribs! After sitting there through the entire movie, I had all I could do to stand up. I have a sore right wrist and right ankle – both of which must have twisted as I fell – a very tender right shoulder, and the entire right side of my chest is traumatized – front and back and side from just under my shoulder down to my waist! I’m half convinced I may have cracked a rib or two. I can’t get up from a sitting position, bend over, twist, reach, cough, sneeze, or laugh without bringing tears to my eyes!!!! No visible bruising, though!
So, I got everything I went for and saw what turned out to be a really good movie, but got lost, irritated, and injured in the process! Yes, I’ll say it again – I HATE CARY!!!!
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Found this video a little while ago and the girls have been frolicking and following me around the house as I danced and sang this song from room to room……they get so excited when I dance and sing! That’s the difference between 4-legged babies who love and get happy over every little thing you do and 2-legged kids who get embarrassed by every little thing you do……hehehe! Anyway – just thought I’d share my mood and maybe you’ll sing and dance around your house, too!
Have fun……and be happy!!!!
Strange Dream
I had another of my famously strange dreams this morning. I went to bed early last night because I was so tired. Then, about 4:30 I was wide awake. The girls thought it was morning and wanted to go out to take care of business, so I got up and on the computer. After about an hour, we all went back to bed to finish the night and try to sleep in – after all, it was Saturday! Some time between going back to bed and waking up again at 8:00, this dream happened…….one of the oddest I think I’ve ever had!
So, this is how it went. I was in a meeting that wasn’t going well. I didn’t recognize any of the people in the meeting, but they all seemed to dislike me a LOT and weren’t paying any attention to my presentation and as soon as it was over, they bolted out the door without any reaction or interaction with me at all. I stood there in shock and started to get upset. Two ladies I didn’t recognize came up to talk to me. We acted like we knew each other very well and I told them how upset I was and I started crying. They went into a rant about how I should just forget about “those idiots” and chalk it up to ignorance. I started feeling better and grabbed one of the donuts left on the tray from the meeting. I bit into it and noticed what looked like a string inside. As I looked closer, I could see it was moving. I immediately spit out the bite that was in my mouth. The ladies looked closely as I pulled it out of the donut and discovered a very large worm and it was ALIVE and wiggling around! We all shuddered and were sickened at the thought that it was in the catered meeting food! About half way down this large worm (and when I say large, I mean LARGE – it was easily 2-3 feet long and as big around as tube of chapstick) there was a bulge. The skin of the worm was stretched very thin and we could see through it to see what was causing the bulge. It was a tiny piglet! Apparently, the worm ate this baby piglet and it wasn’t digested, yet. (yes, I know – worms don’t eat stuff like that, but this one did and it is my dream, so that surely explains it!) So, we just happened to have a scalpel handy and I very carefully sliced open the worm’s skin to retrieve the piglet. It was very tiny — as oddly small as the worm was oddly large — it was barely over an inch long and maybe 1/2 as big around as it was long – just round enough to create an obvious bulge in the large worm. When I got the piglet out, it was all curled up and felt warm to the touch. I put my finger on the chest and felt a very faint heart beat! It was alive – barely! We all got happy and excited that we just may have saved the little piglet’s life! We talked quickly about what we should do. I said that I should take it to Dr. Cindy – she’ll know what to do! So, I wrapped it in a wash cloth and ran to All Animals Veterinary Hospital and told them I had an emergency for Dr. Cindy! Dr. Cindy confirmed the piglet was still alive, but in distress. She said they would do what they could and that she was hopeful that they could save it. She said I needed to decide what I wanted to do with the piglet if it lives. Without any thought at all, I said “of course, I’ll take it home and raise it!” I woke up just about that moment………not sure if the piglet survived, but I’m glad I woke up before I totally committed to bringing a pig home to live with me and the girls! Can’t imagine how THAT would have gone!!! haha
Alarm Clocks Are EVIL
I hate alarm clocks…….there, I said it! They are intrusive, irritating, and mean! They are EVIL! They jolt me awake long before I am ready and quite often interrupt a dream I would prefer not get interrupted. And to make matters worse, most of the time they wake me to the sound of some obnoxious song I don’t particularly like that then ends up playing over and over and over in my head ALL DAY LONG!!!! But, the alternative is that ear-piercing repetitive BEEPING sound that just grates on my nerves and starts my day off feeling totally violated.
But, much to my dismay, they are a necessary evil. I do have an internal alarm clock and three four-legged alarm clocks that tend to not allow me to sleep much past 7:00 am, but they all aren’t always dependable – and I do have to be sure I get up early enough to shake off the sleepiness, get a shower and do other primping and prepping, let the girls do their business, feed the girls, goof around checking emails and Facebook, read the paper, and get to work on time. When I don’t get up early enough to do all those things, I start the day feeling rushed and disorganized.
I do, however, have a favorite part of the alarm clock that I find rather rewarding……..the snooze button. I slap that button the first 4 or 5 times the alarm goes off so that I feel like I’m being defiant and telling the alarm clock that I am still the boss and I tell IT when I’m going to get up! It is my little way of privately showing off my disobedient and naughty side each day. But, the last couple of days I have been less in love with my snooze button.
Sunday night, I noticed that my alarm clock’s LED was acting funky. It no longer displayed the time in a readable manner. I tried unplugging it and plugging it back in. I tried resetting it. Nothing made the time show up properly. Then, I tried just seeing if the alarm would come on by hitting that button that allows you to check it for sound. Nothing! I tried turning on the radio portion – again, nothing! So, I came to the realization that my alarm clock DIED! My first thought was to dance around the room singing “Ding, Dong, the witch is dead”, but soon sprung back to reality and the fact that I needed that witch to work the next morning.
I got out a small travel alarm clock I bought some time ago, but have never used, and set it and went to sleep. I figured it will do until I can get to the store to buy a new regular alarm clock. When the time came for it to go off on Monday morning, I was pleasantly surprised – the sound that woke me up was a low tone steady beep – not that usual blaring or clanging sound that comes from most non-music alarm clocks. I smiled and hit the snooze (hey, the sound may have been more pleasant, but I was still going to steal those extra minutes). Then the reason for the snooze button’s fall from grace happened. The alarm clock went off again and I thought “that didn’t feel like 8 minutes to me”! When I looked at the time, only FOUR minutes had passed! REALLY???? Four minutes????? What kind of snooze session is that? You can’t even get comfortable again in four minutes!!! After a couple of those, I just give in and get out of bed – no sense in lying there hitting that thing every four minutes.
So, I will be making sure I get out there and buy a new alarm clock………anyone know of one that I can program to only go off when a song I don’t mind having play in my head all day is playing?
Planning For The Future
Planning for the future can be a complicated topic. It means different things for different people. It even could mean different things for the same person at different times in their life or in certain circumstances. Future planning can include events like birthday parties, where to go on vacation, what college to attend, who and when to marry, family size, career aspirations, and ultimately, retirement. Some people are casual planners and some take planning very seriously and put a lot of time and effort into it. And, then, there are those who rarely plan for anything and just take things as they come.
I, for one, am a serious planner. When I need to make a decision or plan for something, I research it to death and think it through to the Nth degree. That’s not to say that I am indecisive or have difficulty putting a plan together. Quite the contrary. I find thinking it through and understanding all the variables helps me come to an informed decision that I am comfortable with and the result is a plan that I can live with and rarely run into a curve ball that I’m not prepared for.
That being said, I have been giving a lot of thought to my future lately – in particular what I want to do in regard to my retirement, which is still a way off, but something I really need to start serious planning for. I don’t know if it is because of certain things that are going on in my life and my family or if it is just something that most people start to do at my age, but I came to the realization that I needed to start making plans and acting on them – regardless of how far off I think actual retirement may be. I’ve known for several years that if I couldn’t talk Mom into moving down here, I would eventually move back up to my home town to be near her. But, lately, it has become so much more than that – an intense feeling that I need to make the move and make it work – a sense of belonging. It is obvious to me that it is time to set some wheels in motion. So, the end result has been decided, which is a big load off my mind! The only part that is still unknown and subject to several factors is the timing – when will the right time to retire be? Obviously, there are a lot of things that need to be considered and my finances are a huge piece of that! But, that’s OK – so long as I work towards the end goal and make progress along the way, the timing will work itself out when the time is right. I just don’t want to get to the point that the timing is right, but I’m not ready and have to push it out until I am ready! I’d much rather have everything in place and waiting for me! hahaha
I took a big step in the last few weeks to set some of those wheels in motion. One big detail needed to be worked out in my mind so that I knew how it fit into the over all plan. Do I wait and figure out the details of getting a house after I work the timing out or do I start figuring that out sooner rather than later, even if that might mean an unknown duration of maintaining two homes? The pros and cons are endless and took a lot of soul-searching and deep thought. So, in keeping with my tendency to research things to death, I decided to do some exploratory work while I was home on vacation the end of April. I thought it might help if I knew what types of homes were available in the area and what my money might get me – if and when I’m ready. So, I spent hours looking at realtor.com, trulia.com, and other web sites to see what was listed and the price ranges. Then, I contacted a high school friend who owns a real estate business in Albion to seek out some advice and gave him a long list of homes I wanted to go see while I was up on vacation. Even though I told him I wasn’t necessarily ready to consider actually buying anything, yet, he was great and spent a lot of time with me going over all the options. Between the homes he took me to see and some open houses I popped in on, I probably saw about 20 houses in a few short days! Intense! But, I got a real good sense of the market in the area and what I might be able to get in the price range I was thinking was right for me. What I wasn’t really prepared for was what I would do if I found something I really loved? It is really early in the plan, so do I jump on it or wait and see if something else comes along further into the plan?
Well, I did fall in love with a house – a very modern home with an amazing kitchen! So, the torment began — and so did the pros and cons lists! First, it was above the top end of the price range my calculations said I would be comfortable with, but still within my reach. Second, I wasn’t really sure I was ready — I was only exploring options with no intention of jumping in with both feet, just yet! It would be very tight financially for an undetermined duration. This was a huge decision! I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I couldn’t stand the thought of passing up this house and the potential of not finding something I’d love as much later on. So, I thought it through and after much consideration, I got pre-approved and put in an offer. But, it didn’t work out – just wasn’t in the cards – and I was so disappointed!
But, as fate would have it, the very day I finally decided to just walk away from that option, another house popped up on the web sites that caught my eye. It was totally different and not like any home that usually grabs me. But, I couldn’t stop looking at it – the pictures showed an adorable Cape Cod with bright, inviting rooms and what looked like a really good layout and flow from room to room and some really lovely features. Unfortunately, I was already back in NC, so couldn’t go see it in person. I asked my brother to go look at it and see if he thought it was something I should see for myself. He did and called me all excited and recommended I go see it. So, I booked a flight for a fast weekend trip. I instantly knew it was the one — the feeling was totally different from the “wow factor” I experienced in the other home — it was more like an “aaahhh, I’m home” feeling! Instant comfort! I had already gone through the “should I do it now” struggle, so it was an easy decision, this time. I could see myself in every corner of the house and imagined the potential for making it my own – I’m already decorating it in my head. It looks like a lovely cottage and I can’t imagine living anywhere else in my retirement years! So – I put in an offer and it was accepted! It was obviously meant to be – for it to be listed the very day I decided the other one just wasn’t in the cards – for me to feel so comfortable and at home in it – for the offer process to go so smoothly – for the “is it the right time” struggle to already be done – for the price to be so much more comfortable – it is the right home at the right time! Of course, until closing, there are things that could still go wrong and derail it. If that is the case, I will be crushed, but I’ll just keep looking and know that something else even better will come along………but, I sure hope it doesn’t come to that because this one is perfect!!! {coy smile}
So — here is the “sale pending” sign in front of my future home (my soon to be second home, until such time as I am ready to retire – however long that may take). Funny how a simple little sign can put such a huge smile on my face:
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