can I get a free replacement?

This is the official beginning of a list for me. I’ve gotta start somewhere and if I do it here, I’ll have faithful subscribers and occasional lurkers to keep me accountable to use my time efficiently. I leave for Liberia, along with my sister Lois and a friend, Vivian (who is visiting a cousin), in a little over 2 weeks. My brother Robin and his family will be meeting us over there several days later. I’ve got entirely too much to do between now and then but I’m determined to get as much done as possible.  As long as the Lord blesses me with energy to do it…..

Before I get started on my list…. Daddy kind of gave us a scare this week. He was scheduled for outpatient surgery for a blocked tear duct on Wednesday. Well, he was told that his blood pressure was too high to do the surgery and they scheduled an appointment for the next day with his doctor. When my nurse sister found out that night how high it actually was, she got the message across that the ER was the best place to be for him at 10:00 at night. So I met Daddy and Mama there and a brief assessment indicated it was still too high. ERs being what they are, it was around 1:45 before we actually got to see the doctor. A pill seemed to do the trick and brought down his blood pressure within 45 minutes. His mom also had hypertension so it looks like we may have to keep an eye on our blood pressure, too. He has to go back in a month to see if the dose he’s taking is doing the trick. We’re so glad he’s okay!!!

Being at the ER at that time of the night provides for unusual entertainment. Living in a small town, most ER cases aren’t all that traumatic, mostly aches and pains that need to be looked after, since the doctors’ offices are closed. The little couple to my right was chatting with two ladies in their 50s. While attempting to catch a little snooze I overheard the following conversation (not quite verbatim but as close as I can remember) (Jamie, skip this part. You’ve already heard it twice.):

Young Couple and 50s Ladies discussing boys and girls and which was easiest to raise. They finally agreed that both were hard to raise.

50s Lady #1: By the time they’re sixteen, they’re gonna do what they want, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Young Lady: When I was sixteen, I was wild. I got into all kinds of trouble. I got pregnant but I miscarried at 6 months. I was kinda glad, though, ’causes my boyfriend used to beat me all the time. This one (indicating the one with her now) he won’t lay a finger on me. If anything I’d be the one beating him up.

50s Lady #2: When me and my husband “Bob” was married 40 years, one day I hit him and he hit me back. I got on the phone with my daddy and told him that “Bob” hit me. He wanted to talk to “Bob” so I put him on the phone and my daddy asked him why he hit me and he said, “Well, she hit me first!”

Young Lady: You’ve been married 40 years? You don’t look old enough to be married that long.

50s Lady #2: I’m 56. I was 16 when I got married.

Young Lady: Well, you don’t look near that old.

(My observation: I thought she looked older than 56. Her skin was that of a smoker and her hair had seen more perms and color jobs than freckles on my arm. Nicotine and chemicals are not effective in maintaining a youthful appearance.)

Then there was the girl who came by herself on the ambulance. She stayed in her wheelchair most of the time but when she needed to go out for a smoke, she was able to get out of her wheelchair, and hold the door open while pushing the empty chair through the door, though it took a bit of finagling to make it out and then back in again.

Then there was a young man who had hurt his foot on a four-wheeler. His wife/girlfriend was with him and than another young couple came in and hung out with them chatting until he was called in around 1:00 am to see the doctor.

I guess you could call the ER a social experience. I think I’d rather avoid needing the ER, all social thrills aside!!

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So I think I was saying something about lists. I get to cross of 1 thing already.

1. Smoke 25# of Boston Butt roasts for FB choir supper on Tuesday night. I think I ended up nearly as smoky smelling as the meat.
2. Make “secret” recipe of barbecue sauce for above pork roasts and get meat cut up and in freezer. The reason I say “secret” is because I don’t even know it. It is comprised of 5 ingredients: Dump, Stir, Cook, Taste, Repeat.  Some kind ladies helped me finish cutting it up or “chipping” as it is also called, tonight after the school picnic.
3. Finish cleaning that didn’t get done today in preparation for FB choir coming through next week.
4. Take off work early on Tuesday to go swimming with the girls (one of whom is my sister) from FB. Oops. First I need to make sure I *can* take off. Did I mention recently that I have a good boss!
5. Meet with several ladies for lunch on Wednesday. No worries about forgetting this one!!!
6. Lots of cousins gonna be around next weekend. Find out if a pool is needed for those not going boating. Find out if I can help with food.
7. Meet with VBS committee about various activities for that week (second week in July). See if my sis wants to help with VBS.
8. Meet with Ben & Clarita about housesitting details. We’ll be staying at their house for 6-8 weeks this summer while they’re in PA.
9. Get pre-end-of-fiscal-year stuff ready at work so the end-of-fiscal-year stuff is ready to finish up when I get back.
10. Assess wardrobe and see if I need to do more sewing or shopping. I believe cotton is the ultimate fabric of comfort but it is not the most practical travelwear. Ironing and all of that.
11. Find pair of sandals that are practical for rainy season and don’t not have a thingy between the toes (ie: flip flops). The thingy drives me nuts.
12. Try to catch up on sleep again. This week I got to bed at: 9:30, 9:30, 3:15: 11:30 & 1:30. It’s already 11:00 so I need to finish up here and get to bed.
13. Get business license for photography.
14. Get state sales tax number for photography.
15. Finish getting pictures for postcards. Do layouts. Get printed. Take to retailer. Oops. First take designs for approval and see what they want to sell. See, my sister alerted me to that fact that the only local postcards available are really, really old ones of the city hall. She talked to a local retailer and told them that I might be interesting in producing some for them to sell. They are interested but the local points of interest that people have been asking for in postcards are all commercial buildings & several churches. So, I have to get a photo release signed by the owners, they most likely will be wanting to know I’m legal, so I need to do my homework. Yeah, I know it’s complicated and I’m not sure it’s even worth it but in order to sell any of my work, I’m probably supposed to have both the license and the sales tax number. This project most likely will not get finished before I leave!
16. Get birthday gifts to take along for my family in Liberian.
17. Get birthday card and money off to my nephew in VA that I missed earlier this month. (Wonderful aunt, aren’t I?  )
18. Graduation celebration for my oldest nephew, Derrick, who just finished up his high school work recently!!!

Well, if you’ve taken the time to read all of that, you obviously (I hope!) care enough to bug me occasionally and see if I’m using my time wisely. Certainly *xanga is not a wise use of time so I bid you a good night!

Marylou

* I’m sure that is highly debate-able!!!  I’m likely to debate with myself on that issue.