Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Boring Day

This has been a boring day. I did meet with Bob A. for breakfast this morning and then came home to weed one of my flowerbeds before it got too hot. I stopped at 10:00 when I was covered in sweat. I didn't get the mulch down but I did get the flowerbed next to the shed weeded.

I came in and drank some water and wiped down my face and then went out to Windsor to see Phyllis at shortly after 10:00. I stayed until almost 11:00. Bob A. came out just as I was leaving. Phyllis told me a lot of things about her life in Clay Center but none of it made any sense. Poor woman! I listened anyhow, nodded my head and commented now and then so she would know I was listening.

I went out to church to make some copies of the material for tomorrow night's "Living the Questions" group.

After that, I went to the bank and then stopped by Sonic and bought a cherry limeade slush, the most refreshing drink I enjoy. I got in the habit of drinking them now and then in the heat of summer when I was selling cars at Quality Motors. I don't drink many soft drinks...just when I eat Mexican food or chili or pizza. I also enjoy one when I eat a hamburger. They are full of high fructose corn syrup and very unhealthy. High fructose corn syrup cannot be processed properly by the pancreas and flows directly into the blood stream. I personally believe it is the cause of obesity and diabetes. In 2007, researchers at Rutgers University found that sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup have high levels of compounds called reactive carbonyls, which are found in excess in the blood of people with diabetes and may contribute to tissue damage. And it's found in nearly everything we buy at the market. I always read the labels and if it is one of the primary ingredients, I don't buy the product. Both Bob, who is now deceased had, and my sister, Phyllis, has diabetes. Neither family had any history of diabetes. Sierra Mist is the only soft drink that does not contain it. Every once in awhile, I see a product that is labeled, "no high fructose corn syrup". I always figure that company knows something most of us don't about high fructose corn syrup.

Then all afternoon, I have stayed in the house and read. Slinky has been in the kitchen most of that time. He wanted out awhile ago and I let him out but after being out ten minutes, he came to the back door and started barking to get back in. I don't blame him. It's 104 out there and humid. I finished one book and have begun another. I finished "The Case for God" by Karen Armstrong. Now I am reading "Jesus Interrupted..The Hidden Contradictions in the Bible and Why We Don't Know About Them" by Bart Ehrman, my favorite author. He is a Bible Historian...my favorite.

I fixed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich awhile ago and began eating it just before I had to let Slinky back in. He noticed immediately that I was eating. The dog is nearly blind and completely deaf, but there's nothing wrong with his nose. He sat down...then he lay down with his head on his paws and begged me for some of it with his eyes. I cut up half the sandwich and gave it to him. He was delighted! He ate every bite and then wanted some of my crust. I also gave him that. Then I had to show him my empty hands before he was satisfied that it was all gone.

Now I'm back to reading my book.

More later....

It's 5:45 PM and 106 here.

Friday, July 22, 2011

The President's Dilemma

Now I understand the president is in a real dilemma. The speaker has left his office without making any kind of a deal. It seems Congress is just going to let the country default on the debt. In their minds, it's their way or no way. They are determined not to let the tax loopholes expire for the wealthy. They do not want the wealthy to have to pay their fair share. Most pay only a capitol gains tax of 15% with all the loopholes they enjoy.

House Speaker John Boehner has ended debt talks with President Barack Obama, telling fellow Republican House members in a letter that he will "begin conversations with the leaders of the Senate in an effort to find a path forward."

The president said his administration had offered "an extraordinarily fair deal" to cut expenditures and raise revenues, in return for Congress agreeing to hike the nation's debt ceiling. But he said that Boehner "left (him) at the altar."

Obama says he called congressional leaders from both parties to the White House on Saturday morning to "explain to me how we are going to avoid default" on the nation's debt.

"We have run out of time," Obama said.

So their conclusion is not to pay the armed forces, Medicare or Social Security after August 2nd? Is that so? If they default on the debt, our credit worldwide would be affected and it could cause a worldwide crash.

That would be a fine kettle of fish. I hope they are feeling willing to pay the consequences. There are a lot more men and women in the armed forces and social security recipients than rich people in America and THEY vote. But this is all based on the premise that there really IS a debt crisis.

We will see!

No, it is possible for President Obama to raise the debt limit himself without the "permission" of Congress. That's just what they want him to have to do. They will then use that as political ammunition.

This entire crisis is all about the 2012 presidential elections. It's all political posturing. The trouble is the bulk of the American people are not aware of that.

Finally Friday

Friday at last. At work today, I was the receptionist. Sylvia was off for some reason.

I came home and the cable company was here changing out the wiring for my cable and internet. Bob A. had let them in the house. They pulled the old cable out of the attic and it was frayed. It must have been eight years old. We moved into this house in 2003 and it had dish. We did not want dish so we ordered cable. The attic was very very hot and Josh was soaked when he came out of there.

I spent an hour on the phone trying to get the AT&T listing of our church corrected. It is listed as Crossarods of Christ Community instead of Crossroads Community of Christ. No one would have ever found us with that listing. But they could not cancel it and they would not change it. So I called Leslie and had her just cancel the land line when she paid the next bill.

We all have cell phones anyhow. That's ridiculous.
Now they've lost a paying customer. Serves them right!

I will stay in the house again this afternoon. It's supposed to be 102 today.

More later...

It's 4:15 now and it's 104 here. Wow!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Sick Thursday

I was up in the night after taking a stool softener. Those things cause me to have stomach cramps. I won't do that again. I will just let nature take it's course. I have been uncomfortable ever since camp. Nothing worked much at camp. The treatment was worse then the condition though.

I had only been home from work about ten minutes when my brother-in-law came by. He had been to his meeting at the Alzheimer's Unit at Windsor. They reported to him on Phyllis' condition. She has lost about six pounds but they don't seem to be overly concerned about that. She now weighs 147.

He wanted to see if I wanted to go to lunch. I suggested "Just Us" at Cherryvale so we drove over there and had a very good lunch. I enjoy his company and I have known him since we were in high school. He was one grade ahead of me. I think my company is good for him and his is good for me.

He has had a flare up of gout. He has been troubled with it off and on for years. Luckily, he had the prescription for it since his last bout and started the medicine right away. For two days it was very painful. But today it was better. He is going to come over at 8:00 tomorrow morning to let the cable people in so they can replace the wiring in my attic. I will be at work but Bob A. will let them in. They sure didn't want to do it in the afternoon during this 101 degree weather. I will call before work tomorrow and remind him.

Bob A. will also come over Monday morning very early and cut down some low hanging tree limbs. I will cut them up and drag them into the carport. Leslie says John will pick them up in his pickup and take them out to the farm.

I will stay in this afternoon. When I got home at 1:15, I let Slinky back in and he is taking a nap now in the kitchen floor. Poor old dog! He just can't handle the heat but then neither can I....not when it's 101.

I will stay home tonight and watch TV if I can find anything worth watching on TV.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mediocre Wednesday

Of the three hours I worked today, I worked only about one hour. There was nothing for me to do the first hour because my supervisor was busy ordering clothing from online for her children. The second hour I had work but the third hour she left to train a driver on how to deliver meals and I was left with nothing to do. Luckily, I had my book and just read until time to leave.

When I got off work, I went to Wal Mart to buy groceries. I had not bought any since I've been home. Then Leslie called and wanted to meet me for lunch so I did that.

This afternoon, I sent in my Editorial for the newspaper and worked on downloading photos from my son Scott. I promised him I would build him and Becky a scrapbook of their photos this year.

I will have to get some photo paper before I can start printing them off. I think I have plenty of scrapbook materials left from the ten years I made scrapbooks for myself and the kids. He was delighted.

Tonight I will go to the PINCH meeting at St. James Methodist Church. It starts in thirty minutes so I had better start moving in that direction.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Busy Tuesday

I did have some work today at work. The last hour I sat and visited with one of the transportation people though. Next Wednesday (a week from tomorrow) is my interview at the judicial center. I hope they take me. I am so bored where I am now.

After work, I went to my MC3 board meeting in Independence and afterwards I took Juanita to lunch and then to get her glasses. The frames had broken.

Then I hurried on home. Slinky was out in this 100 degree weather and I was worried about him. I got him in about 2:30 and he lay in the kitchen floor and slept for three hours while I worked on my minutes. I just fed him and let him back out. If he wants back in in a little while, I will let him in. We took an eight block walk this morning and he was so happy about it. I must do that more often. He gets so much good out of it and at 7:00 AM, it doesn't overheat him.

Tonight I will just relax and watch TV. I will have some yogurt for dinner. I ate a hamburger and french fries for lunch with Juanita. I ate too much and was uncomfortable.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Monday at Home

I went in to work this morning at my training job and learned that they have cut my hours again and this time to twelve hours a week. I signed up for twenty hours a week in this training program but the Department of Labor has just taken a massive cut in funding for programs for low income people and the poor.

We are protecting the wealthiest Americans by not eliminating their tax loopholes, but we are taking it out on the poor. We are funding rich Corporate Farms with our farm subsidies. But our government has no compunctions against letting the poor take the blunt of their budget cuts. I will now have $387.00 a month income from my training job. I will work Tuesday through Friday three hours a day.

One of my neighbor's sons e-mailed me yesterday afternoon and wants to come over and discuss Genesis with me today. I don't know what that's all about but I am willing to discuss it with him. I do not take the Bible literally. I personally believe Genesis is similar to other culture's creation stories and is sacred myth. I don't believe it was written until after the captivity since all their records and religious artifacts were destroyed when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple when they took Israel captive. When the priestly group were returned to Israel after the Persians conquered Babylon, they wrote the creation story. I know tradition says Moses wrote the first four books of the Bible but the story of Moses death and burial are included there so Moses could not have written the account.

This conversation this afternoon should be interesting.

I did some cleaning this morning. I should have trimmed the yard but it got hot early and my neighbors would not appreciate me out there with my trimmer at 7:00 AM. I ended up trimming just before noon and came in soaked clear through. But it's done for another week anyhow.

This is really funny! All Jonathon wanted was to know more about the Genesis agency here which helps the poor with their rent and utilities and also food.

The internet went down this afternoon about 1:30 and I had to use my laptop to get online using one of my neighbor's signal. It came back up about thirty minutes ago. It's a mystery! Josh said it had been doing that over at Cherryvale too. He worked there this afternoon trying to get Cherryvale back online. I am supposed to keep track of it until Friday and then someone will be back to check out the new modem.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Busy Sunday

I did all my regular chores today before church and then Bob A. picked me up for church. We had a good service. After church eight of us went out to El Pueblito for lunch. That is always fun!

When I got home I began my Sundays newsletters. I got about halfway finished before I had to leave for the Alzheimer's support meeting. Bob A. was there too and about ten altogether.

Before I left I got an e-mail from the son of one of my neighbors across the alley behind me whose father is a Nazarene minister. He wants to discuss Genesis with me. I told him his father should be able to discuss Genesis with him since he is a Nazarene minister. But Jonathon insists he wants to discuss it with me. I told him I had the support group this afternoon and he asked about Monday. I told him I would be free from 1:00 till 3:00 tomorrow. So he is going to come tomorrow after I get home from work. Strange!

I got the newsletters finished and ready to mail. Now I will simply watch TV this evening.