Friday the 13th is Lucky

There have been at least a dozen times in the last week when I've been starting a thought for a blog while doing something. Of course I don't do the reasonable thing and jot down the thought, I do what I'm doing, the thought goes away and is gone with the wind. It's been a while since I sat down and just wrote. There are things to do, people to see, and here we are facing Fall already and I'm out of the writing habit.

First, Billy was here. What a great visit. He looks good, all things considered. He's also much more tender than he ever was to me. We fell back into the kids we used to be, singing cartoon songs at each other and making references only we'd get. I can't tell you what it did for both of us. We also pieced together timeline holes that we had. We talked about what happened all the years we've been apart- even including his Army time when I was home alone with Mom. In 5 days we covered 45 years. Took the skeletons out of the closets and looked them in the teeth. And we laughed like lunatics. On Sunday friends came by to meet him and that was great. The whole visit went by so quickly and of course I cried. I started crying Monday night when I realized there'd be no more days together. But he'll be back.

The whole production tired me out and I still feel like I could sleep for days but it also somehow reenergized me. A week before he came I went into high gear and stayed there. I got used to cooking a real meal each night and doing all the things you do when you have company. Tuesday night I fell out and I've been sleeping like a rock since, but I'm up and at things again. It's like I'm younger or something. I'm no physically better (except the probiotics have me eating everything like a normal person again) but I'm attitudinally way better. Go figure.

I also purchased a digital camera and am in the throes of learning the deal. Yes, there are many pix of Billy's visit, his new motorcycle, the Sunday crowd. Now that the weekend's here I'll get around to hooking it up to the computer and posting them. Even the most Luddite among us has to get with the times.

We had a helluva thunderstorming day yesterday. It got a little worrisome. Downtown had some flooding but the Shire came through without a problem.

I owe about a dozen people phone calls. If you've called me and I haven't called back, I apologize. I'll get to the phone over the next week. I've been trying to keep up with everyone via Fecebook, especially since Comcast email is so unreliable these days, but I'm blocking time for phonebacks. It'll happen.

Next Spring I'm going to the city. Old friends are throwing a huge gathering for Beltane, and I want to check on Billy in the house and see Kick and her family so I'm going. It'll make Billy get his ass in gear too.

There's lots of news to discuss. The Jersey Shore burning down right after they'd just rebuilt from Sandy was disheartening. Seaside was our Spring school trip, and I went there whenever possible in the late 70s Summers. I have dear memories of the place, young and sunburnt and laughing with friends. It's awful to think of those hardworking shopkeepers (who put up with crazed tourists and teenagers all the time) losing everything twice within a year. Just awful. I wish them strength and the money to do it all again.

Politics. Ugh. The Repos brought up cancelling Affordable Care for the 41st time. Each of those votes cost the taxpayers 1.45 MILLION dollars. You do the math. Then think of all the Congressional time lost to this stupidity when more important things could be done. Think they care?

I won't even discuss Syria. It's all too insane.

There's been no shortage of outrages lately. I'll spare you those that have happened and pick up what happens in future. You no doubt have heard enough already.

Okay, near 11p and I'm winding down. It's good to be back. I'll catch up with the rest over this weekend, as I expect to do some serious desk time. See you soon.

Helmet Head

Wow. A month's gone by since I last blogged! Labor Day is gone, the Summer's nearly over. It's all run by in a warm humid blur. Now we'll look forward to cool days and cooler nights. We have a frost warning for tonight, temps going down to 33-36F! Woohoo! Sleep weather! And we've gotten through the second anniversary of Irene. All's well in The Shire. In fact, the Flood Mitigation they'll start doing in two weeks won't displace me again after all. This building will only need floodgates, an outside job. Several other tenants will be moved out to do more extensive work in those apartments, but this is well-planned and they should only be out of their homes for 2-3 days. The whole thing will be over by mid-October.

Today will be marked in my personal history. After 18 years of living in Vermont, my brother Billy is coming to visit. Not a long visit, only til Tuesday, but still. I'm thrilled and excited, the house is full of food ( I have a lasagna setting up in the fridge), and throwing an Open House on Sunday so my closest dozen people can meet him. He called me an hour ago to let me know he was leaving. But he already had his helmet on and couldn't hear me. Typical. He's been riding again since April but this is the first long run he's done in over 30 years. I'm trying to not think too much about it. If all goes well he'll be here at 1ish. I have lunch fixings. Just a couple more things to do and I'm all ready.

It'll be a while before I catch up with my blogging family. Billy's here til Tuesday and I expect to sleep for a day after he leaves. But I will catch up! I feel like I should write an excuse note- "Please excuse Laura from writing, she's been busy living life." You've all been in my thoughts, even if I haven't been around. Summer's over, time to settle back in. There is much going on in the world, but we'll get to that. For now, I just wanted to say "Hey!" and let you know I'll be back.
xo

It's Gonna Be Alright

There's good news and relief today. Due to bad communication lines, those who won't be moved out of the Shire weren't and won't be told anything. Those who will be moved are getting notified this week by having a meeting with the PTB. I'm in the group of not having to move (HALLELUJAH!) but only found out the info from a neighbor an hour ago. So no, I won't be relocated (HALLELUJAH!) and Beery can visit without an issue.

My nephew is doing great. It looks like he'll be home for the weekend, as long as he can get started on solid food without a problem. Small miracles, but meaningful ones.

I'm going to go take a long hot shower, make something good to eat and watch a couple of movies. aaaaah.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

I could've lived without the last week.

The short version:
My Indy nephew's intestines twisted. He had emergency surgery Saturday and is coming around, hallelujah. Tonight they took out the NG tube and things are looking good. We'll all sleep well.

My brother Beery's niece (the late Mac's sister's daughter) was home with her newborn when her apppendix burst. It was touch and go for a couple of days but she's okay and came home today.

The Shire management is going to do Flood Abatement on our homes as per Fed Regs. All well and good. Most units will get floodgates and those inside won't be disrupted. But 10 units will be getting big disruption. They'll be raising the heating baseboards, some electrical outlets and the water heaters in those units. To do this, they'll require those 10 units' Hobbits to pack up, put their stuff in Pods (again! Just like when we were tossed out after Irene!) and go stay at a hotel for the duration of weeks while they do it. This was supposed to happen this Summer; we first heard about it in May. Now we're in August and there's about 6 weeks before Fall. Nobody knows which units will be vacated. Nobody knows what sort of accomodation we'll get, what we're supposed to do with our pets- and Leaf Peeper Season will start in 4 weeks, when there won't be a hotel room left empty in the state. Lovely.

And my brother is coming to visit Sept. 5th-10th which I'm very happy about (he hasn't been up in the 18 years I've lived here). However, the hotel told him he has to reserve that or not have a room because they're booked for Peepers from then on. And once he makes the reservation he can't cancel or he loses 500 bucks. So he made the reservation. Turns out it's the perfect week that Strider can't get any time off. That supersucks cuz I was looking forward to them meeting and so were they. And now I don't know if I'll even be in my home. He may be going from one hotel to another. And he'll be on his motorcycle, so I won't be going anywhere with him.
I don't know how this will work out.
Frank, I have a sick headache.
Maybe if I was younger or healthier I'd be taking this all in stride but my nerves are shot.

Years ago I said when I was retired I'd become a junkie. This may be time to do that.

Just kidding. I can't afford it.

The Walking and Talking Dead

Just a stopover to say Happy Lammas/Lughnasadh and to share a silly laugh. Here's Bad Lip Reading's tribute to The Walking Dead:

Have a beer, toast the first harvest round and get some laughs in today.