I feel a need to withdraw to myself.. take a break other than needed Kiddo additions.

Apparently, in Washington D.C., they, like so many other places are feeling the financial crunch. Libraries are cutting hours and schools are cutting their budgets. Nothing new or different from any other town, city in the United States but what makes this newsworthy is what has been planned for a community park in this time of financial insecurity.

It seems there is a park and in one area there is the expected playground for children and, I happen to think this is cool... a garden, vegetable garden I believe. How cool is that? But in a grassy area someone, I am not sure, has deemed it necessary to put in a dog park.

The man I saw on television seemed to have a rather cavalier attitude on the funding of this. The money is apparently not tax payer money, as I remember it, it is civic money? As in, I am assuming money raised by the community, for the community. I guess people shouldn't be upset by this? That's the feeling I walked away with after only part of the story.

I can explain the perplexing part of this story. Schools are cutting back, dog park being built. Library cutting back.. dog park being built. Schools and libraries benefit our children, the future leaders of our country. Parents do not care where the money comes from but if you have extra you give it where it is most needed, back to the community in a manner that continues to encourage the growth and education of our youth. With SURPLUS we can build a dog park.

Of course, if I happen to have extra money in the bank it doesn't go toward a luxury item for the dog. Sure, it's my money to spend it the way I want to but when I have a child or grandchild struggling, I do believe I'll take care of the child first.

I love dogs. I wouldn't own one in a very small house unless I had a very small dog. So I guess I wouldn't need a dog park. Part of owning a pet is being responsible and I suppose a dog park might be a good idea but fund it solely by dog owners or other donations that feel that this is needed.

If you have enough money in your coffers to fund a dog park during these difficult economic times then DONATE it to a school. Help those children who deserve the best. It doesn't matter if the government pays for education, if your community has extra they can still donate it. Then, when the times are plenty, when making budget cuts in schools and libraries is not needed, that's when you build a dog park.

In the meantime, lets put our children first on our list of priorities and then the dogs.

Bank lost a $9,800.00 deposit of mine. I am fuming. If you read below you will see I vehemently say I do not have asthma yet I was calling my son to bring me the inhaler to the bank cause I couldn't breath. I was for the first time in months very happy because I could pay bills without taking more money from the home equity line of credit which is about sapped. And it's... just... gone.

The Kiddo isn't sick but my son found out whatever it was she had, the mother took her to a house that five adults have it?? I am not entirely sure about that... but alot had it and only the Kiddo and another adult actually got sick. The rest just got nauseous. Today my son is.. apparently SICK.

He tried to go to work, my other son came and the sick one drove to a shop we work with about sixty miles away. I am not sure if he got told to stay at the shop or what but he didn't continue on to the job site. They do have a way of going to work even when they are sick and my husband has had to tell my son to go lay down in the truck, stop working .. The last time he was falling asleep while trying to run a saw.

Anyway, my husband who is not my nubby.. ( must see Twitter to understand... ) called the shop and my son was no where to be found. Not in she shop, not in the truck.. nowhere. Oh great, so now he's sick and missing. A few hours later my husband got a phone call... they found my son. Apparently he didn't want to go into the shop and be sick so he went to the end of the building in the woods. Someone has chased him somewhere to sleep and he's no longer lost.

My husband was going to take me out to dinner tonight for Valentine's Day. Beat the rush. But I think we'll keep the Kiddo instead so my son can go home and sleep this off. And pray neither one of us get sick till after tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow we have an appointment with the man that does our taxes. That's not an appointment you want to miss!

The bank hasn't called yet. I NEED to pay bills. They haven't even offered to cover the bills.. at least in the amount they've lost. The teller could almost read off the amounts each check was for. They KNOW I put the money in their bank. The receipt is done right, so at least do something so I can cover my bank account and not have anything bounce. If it's not fixed or a guarantee of them covering my checks at least up to the amount I've deposited, then I will change banks. I had already started to consider it as I have heard Capital One is taking over our bank.

My son had one of their cards and they charged him money to ask a question.. The only dealings I had with them were trying to get his card canceled for him because they didn't do it and they had approved my granddaughter for a credit card. This is a different one and she was six at the time and resided with us. They would not let me have her removed from their list because SHE had to do it. They, of course would not speak to a minor. As you may understand this company has already turned me off.

There is more but some of what has gone on I'm not at all ready to speak of.. but, if I'm scarce as of late.. this is why. Too much is going on at one time... When it rains it pours. But really I don't need a flood!!

You know you are getting old when you sign on and write about your physical! But it's not the physical that is a problem. There are moments when I feel bad for my doctor. He lucked out to have such a good (insert a sarcastic cough here.) patient as me!

Cholesterol is high.. yeah, yeah.. just kill me and say... "Cut out the Starbucks!" Won't happen. Okay maybe it will... some. We need to save the money anyway.

I'm anemic again and can't take iron. So.. I have to eat the very foods the doctor wants me to cut out! You know, red meat and I forgot what else but, eh.. Starbucks doesn't help the anemia.

Then came the topic of asthma. No, I do not have asthma just ask me and I'll tell you this! But, I shouldn't still use the inhaler thing unless I'm having a problem with breathing. So, like a dummy I am going to try and help explain away my case.. I only have a hard time breathing when I have a cold, or during allergy season or if it's very cold outside. I left off stress which I've been under a HUGE amount of lately or humid weather. Pretty much all the time it sounds like. It would also explain why my face; particularly around my lips feel numb. Now, it made sense to me that EVERYONE has a hard time breathing during cold weather, colds, etc.. Otherwise, I'm fine. So, since everyone must suffer this I am simply .. normal.

I know that sounds terrible but I've been told I probably have asthma nearly 20 years ago and nobody felt a need to follow up on this. So, for 20 years whatever it is I've figured for the most part alot of coffee fixes it.. (Oh wait!! Don't turn my back on the Starbucks so fast!!! It's HEALTHY for me!) I figured all people must have the same thing going on because it was so easily dismissed by the physicians before.

Now, I am afraid to follow up on this. I will though but I feel like I'm sitting under a hammer waiting for it to fall. If I have asthma.. along with the other things, when will the insurance turn me off? And I've tried to apply for different insurance because ours is so expensive. Our medical insurance is more than our house payment for just two of us. But guess what? If you are in need of medical insurance you get turned away.

So, in short, I have to cut out red meat and the sort for cholesterol. I have to eat red meat and the sort to correct the anemia and insurance be damned, I need to make sure I don't have asthma. I have two more appointments with him, and two appointments to make with other doctors.. Damn, I thought I was healthy when I woke up!!!

There are no rules!! I like anything with no rules! The link to Unconscience Mutterings can be found to the left in the Diversions section. Simply replace my words with your words.. there are no right or wrong answers

1. Cups :: Coffee!! Lots of coffee.
2. Brilliant :: The sun.. or maybe Las Vegas lights.. one is natural one is bling.
3. Disobey :: I will disobey alot of people but never God. Well.. lets be honest............I try not to disobey God.
4. Abstain :: I have four kids.. you don't think I practiced this much do you?
5. Daily :: Routine, rut, boring.
6. You make me :: giggle!
7. Hurl :: Jose Cuervo apparently wasn't as good a friend as I thought!
8. Intensify :: Deepen, tighten.
9. Fuck! :: Not with you!
10. Race :: Something I simply cannot do anymore..

I was out walking with my 4-year-old Grand daughter. She picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and asked her not to do that.

'Why?' my Granddaughter asked.

'Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs,' I replied.

At this point, my Granddaughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, 'Grandma, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart.'

I was thinking quickly. 'All Grandmas know this stuff. It's on the Grandma Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma,' I answered. We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.

'Oh.....I get it!' she beamed. 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa.'

'Exactly,' I replied with a big smile on my face.

When you're finished laughing, send this to another Grandma!!

The phone rang. I knew it was the school but they wouldn't talk to me. I knew what was going to happen. They would call the Kiddo's dad, he'd call me and I would have to go get her. I was fuming.. she has been good for so long. She stayed home last night and wasn't with her mother.. what on earth did she do to get kicked out of school?

I knew he'd call so I started to put my braces on.. well.. one. Before I could get done the phone rang and I was ready to tell him I'd go get her but waited politely to hear what she'd done wrong.. he even sounded upset. It was.. lice. Lice? My head has been itching the past few days. So has hers. I chalked it up to dry scalp because even my skin gets dry in this cold and itches.

In the meantime I lost the second leg brace. Joy.. poor child is at at school and itching and I can't find my shoes. The nurse did not call her mother.. she knew my son was upset and I figured that might be why. The mother, (this could be my imagination.) would suddenly take her from him because of lice.

It seems it has more to do with knowing how much this puts us out. Cleaning and combing her hair. Washing sheets on two beds.. in case I have it too but nobody can see anything. My son has always had dandruff so I couldn't tell if he had to worry about his kids. So while he was here he cut it almost all the way off. Then he has to go home to his house and do this all over there. Plus hope his roommate has tolerance for this.

It seems that he isn't concerned about the mother. As far as he knows, and timing suggests this to be very possible, she could have gotten them from her mother. She and her friends, if they get some crack skin problem they won't even know it.

Pause for a moment while I pick my jaw up off the ground. Oh, not like this is the first I've heard it suggested this was a possibility.. and keep in mind.. this is not something I have first hand knowledge of but I asked him why he lets her take the Kiddo if he suspects that

"Mom, you know from the last time, I have to have proof. All I have to do is refuse to let her see her and she'll come take her." I started to object but he knows me too well.. or we've walked down this path before. She only needs to get someone, anyone, to let her say she's living there. Or maybe even have the intention of trying to let her stay there. Yes, this happened last time only it was her other grandmother that bailed the mother out.. and the mother got to keep the Kiddo. I can't imagine having my hands so tied as his are right now.

But, I had to call him back... the Rid comes with a tube of gel for your hair. I left the room for a minute and came back and she's putting "lotion" on her hands and feet.. my husband was on the phone with me and heard only.. "HEY, that's not lotion!" He couldn't hear her say.. "But Grandma my hands are so soft!"

Lice or not.. tantrums and troubles.. I adore her.

There are no rules. Take off my words and use your own words. There is a link under Diversions.. or you can copy and paste from mine. Just have fun with it.

1. Take :: It or Leave It!
2. 350 :: Degrees in a preheated oven. Huh?
3. Stand :: Still!! Quit moving so I can brush your hair!
4. Raspberry :: Jelly
5. Turnstile :: I need to go on a diet
6. Infomercial :: Time to sleep!
7. Dejected :: Sad.
8. What’s the word? :: It's right there on the tip of my tongue.
9. Awestruck :: Antonio Banderas
10. Smashed :: Kiddo's Mother

Seems to me if you feel an overwhelming need to correct someone's spelling or more likely a typo that was missed, you MIGHT wish to check your own spelling?? I don't know but.. that was just a thought I had.

MrsRobinson wrote:
It's T U C S O N, NOT TUSCON, ARIZONA - and it laster longer than 10 seconds! 2/2/2009 3:04 PM EST

This was copy and pasted from the comment section of a news article. I made no changes to it. I just felt compelled to share it for the chuckles.