Moving fast

We did see the trotters on Saturday. They were moving pretty good. Quite a few "broke" . After reading the terms and definitions from the link I just provided I read that "cross fire" is the term my daughter had asked me about on Saturday.  She wondered if the front leg/foot ever hit the back one. She said "you know, like when  your ankle bones smack together when you are running?'' Well, I cringed - the brought up some memories. Ouch!

It was a beautiful day Saturday. Not too hot. Warm but with a breeze. We tired ourselves out pretty good walking around. I topped my day off with a fair sausage sandwich. She wanted nothing. I threw the elephant ear and funnel cake away. I had brought them home. Can you believe nobody ate them?

Ramblings about nothing much in particular

I read an article where somebody thinks this pirogi has the markings of a religious biblical being. Me? I think it looks like Charles M@nson. Not that I want to give that creep any recognition or any mention, but yikes!

No matter to me. I hate pirogis. Never tasted one I liked.

I am so far behind in reading all your posts. I am trying to catch up. I got to where I was reading two books and jumped right into another one. I was reading, reading, reading - forgot to read your posts and forgot to blog for a while.

Then I found a bunch of Johnny C@rson shows. The best of...etc... Oh, my. Laughter is good for the heart, mind and soul. My nephew had purchased them for me years ago and I had forgotten about them. They are great!

I was intrigued by the episodes with Tiny Tim. Remember him? I remember when he married "Miss Vickie" on the C@rson show. But back to Tiny Tim - he acted and sounded just like Michael J@ckson. I had to laugh at that.

I didn't get far with our "R0bin Williams" marathon. I did watch "Awakenings" which I had not seen for a long time. The most popular ones I know too well. But one of the early ones - "The World According to Garp" I may watch. The book was mentioned on one of the C@rson episodes I was watching before they brought R0bin out. He looked so "out" of it. Self medicating, I guess.

Anyway, I may download the book and read it. Put it among the other dozen or so I have to read. Sheesh. I really need to get outside.

Which reminds me. I think we are going to the fair tomorrow. (Oh, crap - make that later today. I have lost track of time). My daughter and I love to watch the "trotters".  But, I am still torn. Is it animal abuse? I just think the animals are beautiful and truly amazing. I will try to get some pictures.

It was a beautiful day out there today. The tiny school I was working at was located close to one of the most beautiful spots in my county. I had my camera. I was so worn out, hot and frustrated when I finished I had no energy or heart to go take pictures afterwards. I just went straight home and collapsed. Grrrr.

The link above is a YouTube video I captured in September 2008. Six years? SIX YEARS ago? Mama!  And the link mentioned with this paragraph is where I posted about it. LOL!

Flash

Photo courtesy of niece. I did not attend these back-yard fire works. I don't usually feel safe when "amateurs" are letting off fire works. I love my nephew and I hope he is always safe.

My sister-in-law is home from the hospital and doing well I am told. I will probably go visit her later today or tomorrow.Or, I may just wait and call instead. I like to give people time to rest and adjust. She did have all of her stomach removed and we are hoping that the cancer does not return somewhere else.

Very quiet around here. I did nothing yesterday. There is a big festival in town for the week-end, but I don't go any longer. I don't need that food that I love so dearly and I don't need the noise.

Weather has turned cool here in Ohio, so just keeping windows and doors open instead of running the air is enough.

A beautiful bird had decided to build her nest on the top of my front door porch light. It is one that sits on the side of the door. I did not realize it until I went out after dark the other evening to retrieve the mail and she went nuts when I went to go back into the door.

I had no idea what the hell was going on and I thought I was under attack. Hearing the flutter of the wings I realized it was a bird and I figured she must have built a nest on my light. I wasn't looking up, I was holding the mail over my head. I felt like Tippi Hedron! I believe I twisted my neck - it was hurting all the next day.

I go out the back door and around the house to sneak into my mailbox, now. It is on my front porch wall. I move slow and she and I just eyeball each other the entire time. No sudden movements!

Depressed - lower in amount

The above photo is not mine. The sweet potatoes at my county fair numbered about three. The presentation, the show was more depressed than usual. I have not been to the fair in a couple of years. There was a huge sweet potato at our fair, though. I can't recall the weight. 

I always try to go through the barn displays of the 4-H. I like to see what photos and pictures were presented and which ones won. Years ago I entered about three photos in a county close to where I grew up. One of my paintings brought in first place. The other, second. My sister entered it. I wasn't even there. I had promised that picture to a friend. He was the one who went through my paintings and he must have seen something in it. LOL! Maybe he was the judge. NO! Just kidding. What was that? Thirty, thirty-two years ago?

Come to think of it, since I wasn't there - maybe there were only three paintings entered. Grin.

If somebody liked my painting, I gave it to them. I have not painted in years. I took up drawing again about twenty years ago, but .... eh. I was always "the artist" in my class. I wonder what some of my teachers and fellow students would think when they found out I ended up in computers. They would probably scratch their heads and say "Huh?  Her?"

I went to the county fair today to watch the trotters. It turned out to be a beautiful day. There were only a handful of races. The attendance is way down this year. Economy, perhaps? Swine flu scare?

We did not walk through the animal barns except for the goats and that was when we first arrived to get from point A to point B. Nobody was walking through.

I watched "Snow White and the Huntsman" last night. I missed patches of it because I was doing other stuff and at one point even took the dogs outside. My daughter liked it. I find it very difficult to watch K Stewart. And it is not because of her recent indiscretion, but I just find it hard to look at her.

Here I am being goofy

Went to the county fair today. My sister and I posed behind this cutout. Yes, I am very goofy. The best one today was when we ate Chinese later this evening. My sister was looking at the menu on-line and asked "What is human beef?"  She had misread it. It said Hunan beef. I laughed so hard spit flew into her coffee cup. She had already finished her coffee and I couldn't help it.

We went to see The Lion King 3D last evening. Another fun day with family. I should sleep well tonight.

Great and Grand

I looked it up. Grand Nephew is just the same as a great nephew. So, I was right all along.

My party is Saturday. My annual July celebration. I have it on whatever day my town is setting off their fireworks. They have a festival in the park (just over the hill from me) for about 3 or 4 days during this long week-end. It is a great time. Sometimes I don't get the chance to get over there, but when I do - I am never disappointed.

So far on the menu, sweet Italian sausage, hot dogs, hamburgs, calico beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, vegetable tray w/dip, cheese ball and cheese tray (I just remembered I need crackers), strawberry frozen, peanut butter fudge, pineapple pudding cake, lemonade, iced tea, pop and beer. Sister 1956 won't be able to make it this year. Drat! She and I just went to a party Saturday so that is okay. She could only go to one or the other (because of her job).

Sister 1954 is excited because there will be some family members she has not seen yet since her release from prison.

I didn't have my party last year because I had my daughter's high school graduation party (remember the sumo wrestling?). That was only one year ago? Good grief!

My daughter's new beau will get the full exposure to family and I think she might be nervous about it. I don't know. She got mad at me last night. I guess I embarrassed her in front of him by telling her to "chill out." She called me on it and accused me of getting an attitude each time company was over. She was stomping around the house trying to force one of the puppies to poop outside. He was so scared he ran and jumped into my lap shaking. (The pup, not the boyfriend).

I think stress is getting the best of her. New job, new beau and all. Me? I bit my tongue with her. I know how hard it is to be the new love interest in some one's home and I refused to make her new beau feel uncomfortable by arguing with her. I let it pass.

I bought my first bag less sweeper. I got the Bissell Healthy Home model. I really like the bag less feature. It was so easy to snap it in and out and to empty it. Once I figured out that I kept putting it back into "brush" mode and that was the reason I was not picking anything up, I was okay. It is much lighter than my previous models.

I am going to focus on outside mowing and landscaping today. I hope. I need energy. My head hurt as soon as I got up this morning. I went to bed too late (vacation days from work) and I suppose that might be the reason. The dogs don't care that I went to bed late, they want to go out at 6 or 6:30. Sooner if they can. I also got myself a brand new hedge trimmer. I have never used one before. I guess you have to supply your own electrical cord? Good thing I have one. My friends spoke of how they cut the cord while they trim. Sounds like it happens a lot. I suppose I will do it, too. I chose the lightest model they had. My arms will be sore enough.

I hate, hate, hate waking up with a headache.

Fire Eater

What a way to make a living!

Or, maybe it is just a week-end hobby for him.

Speedracer

Cheech and Sable chase Chong around the yard.

I am trying to get used to my daughter's camera. It is an Olympus Stylus 720 SW. Having a heck of a time keeping my finger out of the shots. The battery is lame. Lame! It conks out after twenty minutes or so of shooting.

My schedule is beginning to ease up. I am slowly coming out of the "summer of a hundred doctors' appointments". What a ride. I should finish the foot one up today. A follow up. The insert and the new shoes have been helping. I am experiencing times with little or no pain in my heel. I feel like I am wearing cement blocks on my feet. I have to wear shoes that lace up and tie. Yuck. I am a "slip-on a pair of loafers" type gal. Or slip into some low-heeled pumps. I am having a hard time wearing sneakers to work with casual dress clothes. I am glad I don't have to really dress up. I still have to crawl around on the floor from time to time to connect technical equipment and wires, so I wear casual and comfortable.

For meetings I like to dress a little better, though. Sigh.

Our county fair begins on Monday. Not sure if I will go this year. I skipped it last year, I might skip it this year.

Daughter can't stand her classes at school. Groan. I try to listen. The griping is constant. She gripes about her boyfriend, she gripes about her classes and her teachers and she gripes about traffic and other drivers. Double groan. I am her sounding board, I guess.

Meanwhile, family is beginning to plan week-ends in October. Fall festival is on the 4th! Break's over!

Are you trying to tell me something?

From one of the fairs at a neighboring county

I think the turkey is trying to convey a message here. And I am not certain I want to know what that message is. When I lived with my brother back in the late 80's/early 90's he had this device he used when he went turkey hunting. It looked like a four inch by four inch black chalkboard called a turkey caller slate. You scratched a wooden device over it and it made a female turkey noise. I got pretty good at imitating it and at fairs I make that noise. Folks around us think I am nuts and my family usually leave when I do this. Sometimes it gets the turkeys all honking and making noises. That is the noise I made to get the reaction out of the turkey in the photo above.

I was reminded yesterday of why I don't clean very often. I used the mold & mildew spray on my downstairs shower. The smell of bleach was so overwhelming I became sick to my stomach and wrestled with a stupid headache the rest of the day. Even walks outside didn't help me. It ruins my day. I can still smell it this morning and I have to return downstairs to finish washing clothes. Ugh.

I am always running fans in my house and the weather is nice enough to have all the doors and windows open. The smell lingers in my memory or somehow. It is nauseating.

One of the two pups have diarrhea. He starts going on the pet bathroom pad, but more times than not he finishes with it off the mat. Fun stuff. Another smell that is making me sick. Then I clean the rug and spray pet deodorizer. Another smell! It is turning into a real Funday Sunday. It will be a minor miracle if I don't end up having to swallow a migraine pill before this is all over with.

For some unknown reason one of the pups have started to urinate in the kitchen. I have solid tile in there. The first time I wasn't paying attention and I had my knock-off "Croc" shoes on and I slid halfway across the floor. I thought I was ice skating. Which I have never done before. I also thought my feet were going to go out from under me. I am very careful now (especially since most of the time I am in my bare feet) and check the floor out before I walk on it. I also put a puppy pad in there, but they will urinate and then turn the pad over onto itself trying to cover it up or something. Then it is just as slippery.

I'm probably going slowly insane here. What a nut job. They are all sleeping peacefully now. The two pups at my feet so that when I get up to get a fresh cup of coffee I have to make sure I don't step on them. The boxer over in my chair. Sable at her usual post by the back door. Cats on the back of the couch. The two that will come upstairs, that is. I did see Moose for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday. I caught a glimpse of her when I went downstairs to switch the clothes over. She looked fine. I feed them (Moose, Mr. Tibbs and Teton) and give them water. It disappears so I know they are getting to it. Casper and Jasper stay upstairs and give the boxer an "in your face" stance. They don't scare off so easily. He ignores them, now.

I watched "Push" last night. It was okay. I have some trouble following the movies a lot. I have to run closed-caption all the time now. I miss so much if I don't. I can't turn the volume up really loud because of the action scenes. They come in so loud with a boom it is an instant headache. I keep the volume to a normal level and run close caption. I am a fast reader so I can pretty much read and see the scene before it moves on. I like the main character. He played in "Cellular" and I liked that movie, too. And, Dakota Fanning. What a resume on that girl.

Roller boy

My hair is always limp and tangles easily. I used to wear a long perm, but have not had the money or the inclination to keep that old fashioned style. It is outdated. But, I loved it. It suited me and my stringy hair. To keep my bangs feathered back, I use one roller when the humidity is high or when I am in a hurry or travelling. This is one of the rollers that I use.

This little boy belongs to the girlfriend of my nephew. He was quite shy at first but warmed up to the rest of us over the evening that we camped out at the fair. It didn't take him long. We played ball with him. He has quite an arm. That is my cosmetic mirror that he is holding. After I put the roller in his hair he gave me a dubious look and then looked over at his mother. A plea for help?

I didn't leave it there long. My daughter is constantly saying she hates kids. That is because she has not been around them. If she were around them all the time she would REALLY hate kids. Actually she doesn't know what to do for them or with them. This boy always takes a shine to her when she is around. His mother has jet black hair and my daughter is blond, so I don't know why he is attracted to her. He will not let her be. By Sunday she was holding him most of the time. Her arm hurt for two days after the fair. I laughed. I got pictures of the girl who "hates kids" holding him.

We've named the boxer. Slade. It doesn't roll off my tongue easily, though. When I yell quickly at him - heaven only knows what comes out of my mouth. Sl-l-loane! S-s-suh-lade! Until my brain registers and I get the name right.

A very nice veterinarian (not mine) offered to scan him for a microchip. I called all the vet offices in the neighborhood. I have called our county dog pound, our humane shelter (new this year), the sheriff's office, the police station, two radio stations and four vet's offices. She scanned. No microchip. I thanked her for trying. Everybody wants to hear the story. They can't believe that somebody would abandon this beauty of a dog. The vet guessed his age at 1 year or 2. That is what I guessed.

He and the pups are sleeping quietly at my feet right now. They rough house a bit and then crash. The pups yelp when Slade gets too rough, but they come right back for more, so unless I see them cowering and trying to hide from him, I pretty much let them work it out amongst themselves. He gets rough and pounces at them sometimes stepping on them with his giant paws.

We needed new harnesses for the pups (they outgrew the little ones we got them last month) and figured we would get one for Slade also. The choker chain chaffed his neck and made it bleed so I needed another way to contain him while walking him.

My daughter and I went to college orientation yesterday. Coming home, I was not even thinking. I opened the back door and yelled "Outside!" without putting a leash on Slade. He came bounding out. My daughter yelled , he took one look back at me and off he ran. I was crushed. I was kicking myself and in shock. I grabbed the little leash we had been using and scooted in the direction he ran. I was mortified. All I could think of was "What is going to happen to him now?" I felt that I had failed miserably. I had let him down. Finally he ran around a house and I crouched down and pleaded with him to come to me. He acted all shy and coy and he threw his front paws out and kept ducking his head in a playful manner like "Aw, shucks!" All I could think of was "Hey! Don't be so shy, we slept together for Chrissakes!" He came to me, I got the leash on and I doubt that I will let that happen again.

Anyway, now I have the harness and a sturdy leash. The pups have their new harnesses for when we walk them. Poor Sable. I think I saw her pack her bags and head north to my sister's house. I called her and said to expect her. LOL! Not really. I do have to find some time and give her some extra special lovin' this week-end. She is being very, very good.

Well, it's time for a fresh cup of java. I dread it because when I move, they move. Then they are awake and back at it. Sigh. But I will tell you this. Our house is full of laughter. Some boisterous yelling, but laughter none the less. We are having a ball with all these critters. I'll cry with the vet bills, but until then - let's just romp and knock things over. Run and hide and then peek out and romp some more.

Fair weather

This little girl is pretty in pink

I went to my home town county fair yesterday and my daughter, myself, 3 sisters, one nephew, one niece and two toddlers stayed over night in one small camper. Today was the "beautiful baby" contest. I am not big on this type of exploitation, but I was happy to take some pictures. My grand niece pulled first place in her birth year, and pulled 3rd place in costume. She played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. The girl above is my grand niece's first cousin on the "other" side. Other being "not my family side". Their grandfather on the other side is the fair board president. Yikes.

There is high tension and rivalry in this family already.

I really love that white blond hair.

And the weather was anything but fair. It rained buckets. Fortunately the event was held inside a pavilion where we were all covered.

I am severely sleep-deprived. Not only from the cramped quarters but from laughing so hard because we realized that my sisters and I have not all stayed in the same close quarters in over 40 years. We joked that we were all much smaller back then. My head is pounding.

Goat head

Another species from the fair. Just popping in here to say "hello". I'm not much in the mood to write anything. In pain. Tried soaking my feet in Epsom salts tonight. It took the burn away, but it has all come roaring back after doing a few household chores. Ugh.

Have jury duty tomorrow (or will be interviewed for selection). We shall see.

If things go my way, I will be off Thursday and Friday in time to prepare my food contribution for the reunion.

And if things REALLY go my way, I will have Monday and Tuesday off to recuperate.

Hot and boring

The pig looked hot. The pig looked bored. I felt bad for a lot of the animals. So many had fans on them. The 4-H members freeze water in big 2-liter bottles and put them in the rabbit cages to help to cool them down.

The puppies are growing fast and furious. They are full of mischief. Whoops a big clap of thunder just sent them scurrying to bury their heads in the pillows. I nearly jumped out of my chair. It has begun to rain here.

Showing

My grand niece is three. To properly show the cow, the shower must keep their eyes facing the judge (in the white shirt in the middle) and most showers will walk backwards.

Eye see you

One of the many animal species that I took photos of at the Carroll County Fair today.

I have many, many more photos, but my head hurts (too much sun) and my feet hurt (too much walking) and my face hurts (too much laughing). I am taking 2 ibuprofen, taking out the garbage and going to bed!

Active and Feisty

This dog barked almost all day long while we cleaned up my Mom's old house. It has been 7.5 years since my Mom passed. We don't let go easily.

Some folks meander through life at a leisurely pace, some cartwheel through. My nephew is the type that cartwheels through life (active and feisty). He did Motocross for years, taught hang gliding in North Carolina and sometime last night shortly after midnight cartwheeled a 4-wheel ATV right over a cliff.

The news is reporting that the cliff was 80 feet, but we are thinking it is more like 30. My nephew was wearing a helmet. Another rider went over also, not wearing a helmet. The other rider was life flighted directly from the scene, my nephew was taken by ambulance to one hospital and then later life flighted to another hospital.

The word is that my nephew and his friend (a co-worker) were in a group of riders, following an experienced leader who knew the terrain when for some reason or another, the two of them took off on their own. The story will unfold as time goes on. My nephew, of course, has no memory of the accident. In some cases, that is how the brain handles trauma.

My nephew has a bone at the bottom of his skull that is broken. He has a punctured lung, a bleeding spleen, and a laceration on his bowel. They were in water for over an hour before professional help could arrive. The terrain was that dense. My niece's boyfriend arrived at the scene first and held their heads above water until more help arrived. He said the water was chest deep.

My nephew is no stranger to broken bones and injuries and hospitals. You don't drive Motocross for more than a decade with no injuries.

Yep. So I get up this morning and after hearing the news, I prepare to drive back to Pittsburgh. That didn't happen. My sister called to say that he is in ICU and they won't allow any more in the room than 2 at a time. My family travels in packs of 8 or more.

My sister and her family were gearing up for this fair. They have always shown cows, sheep and such. They were not showing any animals this year, but my niece sings with the band and her boyfriend is heavy into the tractor pulls.

This will be a fair year they won't soon forget.

Trotting Number Seven

Warming up before the race

Here is a photo of one of the trotters we saw at the fair on Sunday. I admire the discipline the horses have as they trot around the field and do not break into a canter or a gallop. There were plenty that broke this year. At least one in each race.

I have had my nose stuck in a book for days. I finished "The End of The World As We Know It" and am currently absorbing "Final Analysis". Dishes, kitty litter and trash got done but that was all. Heh heh. It is a great way to pass the time while re-introducing our littlest feline to the litter box. Gently and slowly so she doesn't fear me or the box. No trauma during this important time. I shut us both in the downstairs laundry room with a fresh clean litter box after she eats until she realizes what it is she is supposed to do and where she is supposed to be doing it. She is becoming quite affectionate with me because of our bonding time together.

Miserable

Doesn't he look just miserable?

This photo was not taken at the fair. Believe it or not, I didn't get any animal photos there. Just derby shots and harness racing. My daughter is miserable with a bad cold/flu bug. Could be the one I had a month or so ago.

I sat on an aluminum stadium bleacher seat with no back from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. yesterday with about 2 ten minute bathroom breaks. I actually thought I would be more miserable than I am. I don't feel too bad other than tired. And my arm hurts from holding my camera up while I took videos of the derby heats. The vans were funny. I'll shorten the videos to just the good parts and try to post them here. They are grainy, but I think you can make out what is happening. I was a good distance away.

I can't understand why folks take small children and infants to these events. It has always bothered me that my county fair holds the demolition derby the last day of the fair (which is always a Sunday) and they start it at 7:30 p.m. The kids have school on Monday. Someone told me they do it to keep the kids away. Oh, hell. That bothers me even more.

I never took my daughter because it was a school night. This was our first year. She is sixteen years old. We left before the last "free-for-all" heat. We got home after 11 p.m. There were three tiny babies around us. For the most part they slept. There were about 8 small children (between 3 and 7). Now, how fun was it for these kids? Not very. They were cranky and tired because if you want a seat you have to get there hours before the event. They were bored. They picked on one another and got smacked many times by their parent. They annoyed everyone around them by kicking their feet on the aluminum bleachers. They stomped up and down the stairs almost falling. They kept pulling other folks' blankets off the bleachers and knocking drinks over because they were tired of sitting still.

The funny thing is if the fair was trying to deter the parents from bringing restless kids, it has kind of backfired on them. Because what kids come to the event? The ones who have parents who don't give a damn that they get enough sleep the night before school and are a tad bit on the negligent side anyway. They don't care if their kids are a nuisance to other folks around them. These are the kids who are starving for attention and if they can't get the good kind, they will act up and get negative attention. And, they do.

Last day of the fair

This ride turns them upside down

We are off today to enjoy the last day of our county fair. We are looking forward to watching harness racing and the so very popular demolition derby tonight.

I never was a fan of riding the more dangerous rides at a county fair. Do you ever "look" at the people who man those rides? Smiling parents shuffle their children onto those kidde rides and the person taking the tickets looks like a prison inmate from San Quentin. I am stereo-typing here, but I have yet to see a decent looking person controlling a small town carnival ride.

I can still remember putting my daughter on a ride and the guy taking the tickets had eight sucker bites (a.k.a. hickies or hickeys) on his neck. Well, maybe seven. I lost count because I was counting fast and trying hard to wipe the look of disgust off of my face. Ew. I think that was her last little kidde ride. She cannot stand rides, so I don't worry about their safety any longer.

I cringe when I see mobs of teens standing in line to get their thrill rides in for the evening. I just wonder who inspects the rides, if they have a hangover when they are inspecting them, how much they get paid, how much they may get paid under the table, and how often do they make an appearance.

Please accept my apologies to any carnival employees, state inspection personnel or any relative and/or friend of said so people who may be reading. The post is purely my personal opinion and is not intended for statistical value or manifestation in any way shape or form.