Oh ... io Sky

One of my drive-bys

I can be a little slow at times. A couple of months back I was shooting out the car window and I noticed that sometimes the camera would not take a picture. I would push and push and I would get so angry. Missed another nice shot! Then to make things even worse, the camera would shoot just when I passed a telephone pole or a billboard sign.

What a dork! It found something close to focus on and "click" it goes. It was just trying to be a good camera. Like I said. I can be a little slow at times. :)

Feelin' the Blues

The lake was not this blue, but the hue calls out to me

I was not up to snuff yesterday. Today I am better, but just on autopilot. I have some turbulence on the homefront that is keeping me awake at night and preoccupied during the day. I suppose in life we could make things easier, but we don't know that until long after the fact.

It is hard to watch a loved one stumble. Hard to watch them make mistakes. Hard to see them uncertain and afraid. I scream out what I believe is advice, but it comes out as the wicked witch who nags and nags. I am jaded. I am a cynic. I don't believe. Because of all of this, I know nothing in the eyes of a fifteen year old. I hope beyond hope that she proves me wrong. I can live with being wrong if it will bring her happiness.

A spray of orange

Setting sun on the camp lake

I arrived late to the campfire on Saturday night, so the only pictures taken were of the last few rays of an orange sun dipping below the horizon. We ended up waiting for about an hour for my daughter's friend to join us. I was growing impatient. I was ready to leave, but because of what happened before, I hesitated. This is the friend whose mother dropped her off at our house without knowing if we were home or not. I thought that they might do that again. The girl does not have a cell phone that I know of.

It turned chilly Saturday night. We burned pallet after pallet, but still we got cold. Most of us left early. We chatted a while. There was a new couple among the group. They were just in from Las Vegas. They were trying to adjust to the cold weather. They brought their five year old daughter. It was pretty chaotic. It was apparent that the parents had no control over this girl. She bounced from one of us gals to the other starved for attention. Many times we kept telling her not to run around the fire. Every so often one of us would try to distract her, but she became clingy when we showed her any attention. I tend to pull children in and play with them, but after an hour she was giving me a headache. A couple of the gals took her for a walk, but found it was too cold away from the fire. Finally the parents took her home, but it had put a dismal atmosphere on the party.

That and one of the boyfriends of us gals kept complaining about women's lib. He was drinking pretty heavy and he just didn't have anything nice to say. He is very pessimistic. He is pro-Bush, anti-gay, anti-foreigners and anti-country. It just wasn't a good night.

That is some tradition

Happiness is having a cake all to yourself

Somewhere the tradition started that when a baby has it's first birthday, they get an entire (small) cake to destroy for themselves. I don't know about this. I love cake (rather, I love the icing) as well as the next person, but this is a little much to digest. Of course she didn't eat the entire thing. She just stabbed at it and shoved a few fistfuls in her mouth, while we snapped some photos and everybody got a good laugh and then she was hauled away to be washed off.

My gracious, that's a lot of sugar.

Silver Lake

One of the beautiful lakes close to me in Eastern Ohio

Caught in the afternoon sun it looks quite silver. I was on my way to the casino last week-end and I just had to stop at a roadside rest and snap a couple of pictures. I didn't dally around, though. I moved on to the fun.

I have a campfire to go to this evening. The day is beautiful and I am hoping to get some great sunset photos. My battery charger has been acting strange, though. I am not sure it is charging the batteries properly. That could be bothersome.

Tomorrow I am on my way to a little girl's first birthday party. (see yesterday's post with "jeepers creepers"). This reminds me of my daughter's first birthday party. I remember the cake, where we were, who was there. Fifteen years ago. Where were you?

Cheeseballs and trays are made. I have to pick up some crackers, yet. Good food, good friends, good times. Instead of my top hat and cane, I'll have my camera and sunglasses. And, awaaay we go!

Jeepers Creepers!

Where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers, creepers! Where'd you get those eyes!

Photo Friday Challenge: Innocence.

It's a new dawn

Catching the sun between the showers

So today I am sitting in a vocational school. I was downloading a program for an end user that just seemed to be taking forever. I was sitting in a chair in the lobby when the guidance counselor brought a white haired lady into the office. He excused himself saying he would be back. The secretary asked the lady if she could help her.

The little lady said "I need to get my G.E.D." The secretary said that the guidance counselor would be back to help her and the secretary excused herself.

I was curious. I wanted to know why this lady needed her G.E.D. at this stage in her life. But of course it is rude to just blurt it out. Nobody else was in the lobby so I asked her "Are you getting a job? Is that why you need your G.E.D.?" That question itself was a stretch. I probably should have known better but I felt like I should say something. She seemed lost.

Her face twisted into an emotional jigsaw puzzle. She managed to say "I have to get a job."

"Oh" I said, thinking to myself that perhaps her husband had just died. She reached for a tissue from the box on the table.

"After 44 years of marriage, my husband has asked me for a divorce," she wiped her eyes.

Yikes. Talk about opening up a Pandora's box. I said the first thing that came to my mind and please pardon my expression. "That S.O.B.!"

She was distraught. I think she needed more of a therapist than a G.E.D. "I'm 62 years old and nobody will hire me!" She tried so hard to regain her composure it broke my heart.

Before I could tell her there were programs out there for people in her position, the guidance counselor returned and whisked her into his office. She remained in there for the rest of my time in that office. I was upset by my ordeal.

A couple of years ago I volunteered at a nearby University doing what I thought was this type of help for senior citizens. I wanted so much to help the elderly get back on their feet in this technology age. The ones who were afraid of computers and needed the skills to re-enter the job market. It didn't turn out that way. I am not exactly sure why.

I also tried to volunteer with the Salvation Army. They never returned my call.

I will think of something. If it had been in my home town I would have waited around and asked that lady's name and given her free computer lessons.

Am I being naive? To think that I can help somebody in that position? Am I overstepping my boundaries with grandiose thoughts of saving somebody? Hmmm. Sounds like fodder for my next therapy session.

October Sky

Death does not lie still

Can you hear the wind
as it whispers and beckons
a hint of a memory
I hear your voice

Caressing my face
with strands of my hair
calling out to me
making me shiver

My mind races
my heart lurches
dropping like a roller coaster
taking me back in time

Come find me
circle your arms around me
I am reluctant
to let you go.

Life in the closet

A little mini - scarecrow

Yeah. I just may re-name my blog to "Life in the Closet". The technical 'wiring closet' that is. Sigh. I'm not gay. I guess at 46 I would know by now. I just googled that and I can't believe that "www.lifeintheclosetdotcom" isn't taken by now.

So I go to this little elementary school today.

It is raining buckets outside, yards are flooded as are the ditches around the roads.

Inside the school the gymnasium is a buzz of noise and activity. The small children are dancing. I listened to the music. It is "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones. This has the words "I laid a divorcee in New York City..."

I thought to myself, "Wow. Pretty wild music there for that age group."

I went on to my little dusty and dark wiring closet. I was flushing out a Nachia worm on this school's network. I didn't know it was Nachia yet. I only knew that the router was "thrashing". I love that word. Anyway, I narrowed it down to two machines, and the technology guy cleaned them up - he told me which worm it was.

As I have stated before schools are cramped for space. They put the speech teacher in the closet with the network equipment in this school district. I was listening as I studied their network.

A little boy came in and was quite chatty with the teacher. He said "Tristan is a girl." The teacher said "No, Tristan is a boy." The boy was probably 8 or 10 years old. He said "Tristan is a girl because he has boyfriends like we have girlfriends!"

The teacher promptly went on with her lesson.

As I was leaving the school building I exited near the gymnasium. The song playing this time? "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. And the lyrics in this song include "Any love is good love. So I took what I could get!"

Cripes. I remember elementary school and gym class inside on gray rainy days. We danced to "The Farmer in the Dell!"

Oh, come on! "cripes" isn't in this blog's spell check dictionary?

Who knew?

The best pizza in the world = the most painful heartburn in the world.

Who knew?

The old welcome display

The old one in the foreground, the new one in the background

The old one kept falling off the nail when we got a hard wind. I added some crafts to it because it was getting thin. The new welcome sign is hanging in the back ground. Underneath sits a very comfortable rocking swivel patio chair.

Come on over and sit a while.

New Welcome sign

My new Fall Welcome sign

What I didn't purchase at the festival last week-end I made up for it today at a pumpkin patch and at JoAnn fabrics. It was a bright and sunny day. My daughter and I decorated our patio and our front porch railing.

I didn't win at Mountaineer. I lost a little. Not much. If I have reached my spending limit, I quit. I had forgotten how to play the slot machines, so I had a rocky start. I found the non-smoking section. I played the slots there right before I left and won back almost all of the money I lost. At least I went home without too much of a dent. Wow. Six years ago, I couldn't tell how anyone could become addicted to the machines, but this time - it was a bit different. They use the paper tickets now instead of the dirty, noisy quarters. You lose the rush of hearing the quarters cascade out of the machines, but you don't have to deal with the germs. The machines try to mimic the sound when they are issuing the ticket, but it isn't the same.

Personally, I think a ticket with $81.10 isn't the same as holding 4 twenties in your hand. I seem to have no problem shoving that ticket back into a machine. I wouldn't have shoved 4 twenties in at a time. I would put just one in. So, I think this ticket thing is more to the casino's favor.

The bright lights, the noise and the cigarette smoke contributed to a headache, but I cut it off at the pass with my migraine medicine. I made it to 2:00 a.m. I started at 4:00 p.m. We ate dinner from 7:00 to 8:00. The rest of the time was spent in the speakeasy. There were 8 of us. We bounced around and had a good ole time.

The drinks I tried were:

1 Amaretto Sour
2 Vodka Collins
1 White Russian
2 Bud Light

That was over a nine hour period. I liked the Vodka Collins the best. The Bud Light was during dinner. Drinks are not free at this casino. Water and coffee are if you are playing the slots. My elder sister wants us all to go to Las Vegas. She has been half a dozen times. I'll get there. All in good time.

We spent the night and the next day I went to visit my friend. I discovered that she is now in a nursing home. She contacted a staph infection at the hospital and they sent her there. She was looking better. She really wants to get out.

I was a bit mortified by the nursing home. I had not been in one since I sang in the church choir some 34 years ago. How very depressing. The smell got to me. I must have washed my hands about six times the 4 hours I was there and used the anti-bacteria handwash twice. Once in my car I used one of my Clorox disinfecting wipes. I keep a container on my front seat.

That reminds me. My sister brought individual packets of wipes for us to use at the slot machines. The buttons are touched by hundreds of people a night. We didn't see anyone else using them. I never used to be this germ phobic. I just think more these days "What if?"

Destruction

Photo Friday Challenge: Destruction. My living room Christmas eve 2004

Do you see my dog's tail?

Just my size!

Little outhouse for little people

One of my sister's ex-husbands makes outhouses that seems to be all the rage for yard decorations. Can you imagine? The one pictured above is not one of his. He sells in a different part of the state. But, it was just a few years back we were removing them from our back yards.

Regardless, this little girl thought it was the greatest thing to play in. Peek-a-boo or a wooden version of a playhouse, she seemed to be enchanted with it. I didn't look inside any. Maybe there is an old Sears catalog or some corn cobs hanging on the walls. Corn cobs? Who in their right mind?

We went shopping for a Halloween costume this evening. No easy feat. I have a stash of long dark capes and wigs and a few masks, but my daughter didn't want anything to do with scary and gory. She used to be into that. Now, it is a sort of zombie chick. Yikes. I won't be here for the party. It is tomorrow night.

I'll be here. I am not a gambler. We went in 2000 and of course, I got a migraine. I sat in the non-smoking area and drank pop. I felt a little better later. We'll see how this time goes. I am taking my camera, not sure if they are allowed in the speakeasy. I'll find out. Guess I'll pack my winter coat for this trip. I am hoping the sun shines even if it is cold, and I can get some nice fall pictures on the way.

Backroads

Backroad in Tuscarawas county

A beautiful road for taking pictures. If the sun were out and gave the leaves some color. I only had wet, dreary and gray. If only the camera could have captured the smell of freshly fallen rain on the wet leaves. Mmmm.

I did see the cutest thing. I came upon a tiny horse pulling a tiny cart. (Not on the road pictured above. They were on a much busier road). Inside were three of the cutest little Amish children. They smiled and waved at me as I passed them. We were going in opposite directions so I was able to get a good look at them. It was too quick for me to get my camera ready and I wouldn't have taken their picture anyway. Maybe that is changing also. Along with other Amish traditions, maybe the young ones don't mind their picture being taken. There was not an adult to be seen. I am not sure what the laws are for moving vehicles on the roadway and how old you have to be to operate one. But, they sure were adorable.

Sun chaser

Sun rising over my town in Eastern Ohio

Some folks chase ambulances,
some chase dreams,
some chase lovers,
some chase children
and some chase dogs.

I have been known to chase all except the ambulance, I believe.

And now, I chase sunrises and sunsets.

The Petting Zoo

Feeding the llama

One of the favorite attractions of the festival is the petting zoo. I didn't know this little girl, but since mine is 15 and was out and about taking her own pictures, I zoomed in on this one. She is giving the llama a grape.

You could purchase little dixie cups of carrots and grapes to feed the animals. All of them except the tigers. The lady selling the treats told us one little girl was handed her dixie cup of treats and proceeded to eat them herself. LOL! To heck with the critters. It was apparent that they were getting much more than they needed, so she was eating them.

My sister kissed the camel. It is a ritual that usually my brother does every year. His daughter got a picture of him doing it and I got a pic of my sister kissing the camel. Here.

The expressions on the faces of the people around them are priceless.

Well, they aren't actually kissing. You put a baby carrot in your mouth and the camel takes it out of your mouth with his (or her) mouth. By the looks of it, the camel is female because the pictures my niece took of my brother and the camel - looks to me like that camel was twitterpated.

It's all about the colors

Festive Ponchos.

What a beautiful week-end for the fall festival this year. I normally do not go on a Sunday because it is nearly impossible to navigate to the area because of the enormous car show.

We went earlier than usual and I snuck in a back way. We waited less than ten minutes in the line of cars. Now, leaving was another story. I was not aware that the festival shuts down at 5 p.m. on Sunday. What a mess.

It didn't help that by that time I had an enormous headache from the sun and the rich foods. Besides the fact that the week-end was hectic for me because of the extra traveling and visiting I did. My head was about to explode. When I arrived home I was able to lay down for about thirty minutes. I had taken migraine medicine long before. I awoke refreshed and ready to catch up on some long overdue housework.

The colors. The food. The weather. I did not purchase anything. Drat! I began to get a sick headache halfway through the day. My daughter's foot began hurting. She has been diagnosed with tendonitis. We purchased new shoes hoping this will help. We were ready to go home after four hours of walking around.

We didn't even tour the old car show. They had a record amount this year. We could see vintage vehicles covering the entire hillside. They are remarkable. I saw different people than I normally do. Probably because it was a Sunday instead of Saturday.

My brother and his wife help to man a concession stand for their fire department. They both were tired. They have been camping in a tent all week. You can tell they were ready to go home. They chose not even to walk around with us. I couldn't blame them.

My sister made a few purchases for Christmas gifts. She also has cement geese that she likes to dress up. She chose one male pilgrim outfit and a female Indian outfit this year because we always have Thanksgiving dinner at her house. I think her geese have a bigger wardrobe than I do. LOL!

My picture taking was also low this year. I just plain ran out of steam. This week-end some family members are meeting at a large gambling resort in a neighboring state. I am going to rest up this week so that I can party all night with them. Woot!

Bridges

A bridge between WV and OH

I went to WV today. A funeral, a hospital visit. Saw some people I have not seen in many, many years. It was a long, trying day. Bittersweet. Death is bitter. Hospital admissions are bitter. Seeing old friends is sweet. Hearing sad news is bitter. Talking positively about the future is sweet.

The sunshine was inspiring. What little I saw of it. The time I did spend alone in the car I was pensive. Change my diet so I don't end up with congestive heart failure. Watch what I eat so that I don't end up with diabetes.

I had so much at home to do. I had a headache when I woke up this morning. I slowly drank coffee and took a shower. Get moving. Go. Visit people. To hell with the lawn and weeds. To hell with the dirty kitchen and the carpet that needs swept. Go. Socialize. Be there. Reach out and touch someone.

Memories. Tears. Laughter. News. Happenings. Diets. Restrictions. Cravings. Nurses. Needles. Sore bums. Bruised arms. Swollen legs. Tired. Where to go from here.

One thin dime

Photo Friday Challenge: Thin