Movin' on, day 2

Day two and I am writing again....actually, I am spending time waiting for my morning exercise class and trying to be creative and possibly pithy. After having my coffee, my mind was activated and now I am thinking and writing. Although, I would rather be asleep in bed  but dad has to wake me up when he leaves for work and say good by. For the past week, he is up and out before 6 am. Once he is gone, I dig my head back into my pillow and the brain starts percolating....kind of like my coffee.....then it is over...my cozy, relaxing sleep has been unalterably interrupted and now, I am movin' on.

By the way, the week before Christmas, I was up every morning at 5 am. Why? Oy! Who else was going to get things done? Seriously, dad has not touched Scotch tape or scissors....ever! Tink...well, she tries but since she works late in the evening, her sleep pattern is different. And the big kid? Well, I have noticed when I mention the "C" word (Christmas), his eyes dilate and he has to run an errand.

Face it, BP mom, you are on your own creating memories for people who seem to be somewhat indifferent yet appreciative. Does that make sense?

Speaking of the big kid running errands, I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday in the Farmer's market.



This Amish market is open three days a week, so a person has to stock up for the week during that time frame. After completing a grueling step class yesterday morning, I ran to the market as it poured rain. As I shook the water off my head like a dog after a soaking bath, I picked up a few items to purchase. Setting them down at the cash register, I went into my wallet to pay and noticed that I did not have my credit card. Dang! Double dang! Guess who had it? That's right....my lifelong student went to the market for me the day before to purchase eggs and never returned it. Looking at the owner of the kiosk, I had to admit that I had no money and sheepishly left.

Fast forward to dinner time....I had to go back out to purchase supplies for dinner. The market was closing at 6pm and I had thirty minutes. Looking up from his computer, the big kid said that he needed a break and wanted to join me (the market is 5 minutes from the house). As I pulled into a parking space, I said to him "Got my credit card?". Guess what? Uh huh......he ran back home while I went into the market. It was now 5:45 and I could not check out until I had the card. Moreover, the vendors were closing up. I was now down to 6 minutes...no sign....5 minutes....4....then I was kicked out. I had enough cash at that point to buy a loaf of bread. That's it...bread....

Then he drove up. Was I furious? I could have been...but I wasn't. In fact, I figured that we would have omelets with the eggs that he bought the night before with my card and toast. Lesson learned....when all you have is cracked eggs, you make an omelet.

Tomorrow, dad, Tink and I are headed south. The southern house was flooded  late April of 2016. A water pipe burst damaging the entire first floor. Everything (and I do mean everything) was either destroyed or damaged in the flood. We needed Service Pro to come in and they gutted the first floor. The second floor had some mold and was emptied.

I can look at this problem as a disaster or an opportunity. Actually, it is both since the house is uninhabitable. Yet, the opportunity lies in the ability to rebuild the home stronger and more user-friendly. For example, I think that a bigger family room and kitchen are warranted since they are the hearts of the home. With an increased seating and gathering areas, family and friends can gather to eat, drink, chat, and laugh. The rooms would be more comfortable and have some cool features....like creating a SMART house.

Dad is obsessed with the notion of a smart house. Everything could be controlled with an iPad or smart phone. I have a question or two..."What happens when the power goes out? What happens when there is no internet?" Does the house fold up? Will we be able to get through the front door or would we have to break in?

As a few people in my family know, I am awful at breaking and entering. I drove Lil A home from school one day and she did not have a house key. She said that she could pick the lock. Huh? The kid was twelve at the time. Are these private schools teaching the kids how to commit a crime?

Desperate, I gave it a shot and was unsuccessful. Neither Lil A nor I could make the lock move. So, we sat on the porch and waited for rescue.

The second time that Lil A and I tried to break and enter, she was older and swore that we could remove the screen on the first floor in the back and the window was unlocked. The plan was to take off the screen, open the unlocked window, and I would lift her through the window. Did that work? Well, I learned a few things. First, I am terrible at removing screens since I broke it while pulling it out of its casement. I pulled so hard with Lil A that we were propelled backwards with a broken screen in our hands.

 Success, right? Not exactly...

The second lesson learned was the window was not unlocked. My brother is not sloppy when it comes to closing up his home before he leaves. Third, do not listen to a thirteen year old when it comes to committing crimes. Fourth, it costs roughly $75.00 to replace a screen. For his birthday, I bought a new screen and placed a bow on it.



Back to the gutted southern home.....it seems that we have hired a few fellows from Mayberry to rebuild. The general contractor is a sweet southern gentleman who reminds me of Barney Fife. His right hand man actually helped to build the house 25 years ago which is why we hired Barney. Sadly, since this is Mayberry, their notion of time and my notion are polar opposites. If I say the word "today", I mean that I will have the work done before bedtime. In Mayberry, today means...any time...maybe before bed....maybe tomorrow...maybe the day after...or the day after that....Oh, by the way, Barney wanted a deposit to get started, yet we do not have a contract yet. Yes, a handshake works on the playground but not real life.

Memo to Barney: Please give us a contract. I don't care if it is written on a matchbook or post it note...just give me something in writing. By the time that we are finished this project, I may not have any hair left in my head as I tug on it every time Barney and I meet.



And so, it is off to skills and drills class. I have to keep up with the classes since they help my knees and energy levels that will help me deal with Barney, Opie and Aunt Bee.

Will try to write tomorrow.

Peace!

Movin' on from Bullpen mom

Good afternoon! Thanks to my good friends, family, and readers for encouraging me to write again. I have to say that I have not been motivated and sadly, I did not know why...until now.....

Huh? "Why now?", you may ask (or not ask, but I will tell you anyway)....Well, I have had two days off. Yes, the number is two. I did not think about work as I stared at my Christmas tree. Further, I listened to my new Google voice activated system that plays songs for me upon verbal request. That's right. I do not even have to turn it on. I say aloud "OK, Google, play Simon and Garfunkel for me." And Ms. Google plays S&G. Now hopefully, you will be able to follow my convoluted logic.....

During the last two days, I have been trying to work up the energy to write. But something was stopping me. So, I began to perform self-analysis. Yes, as a doctor, I have a fool for a patient, but I digress.....

So, I am thinking.....and thinking...and thinking some more.....my head was beginning to hurt...

Here is my response....I think that I was in a rut. Perhaps I was a bit depressed. Maybe my lack of initiative had something to do with Big M passing on. His death was a tremendous blow to me...more so than I admitted. I kept it to myself and did not share with anyone because I knew that they were suffering too. Who needs to worry about me? No one. So, I kept quiet.

OK, so I lost Big M....then BP Grandmom had the battle of her life as she did everything to kill some unwanted cancer cells in her body. She lost her hair, but she did not lose the battle as she is currently cancer free. That's what I said....cancer free. Dang, she is a heck of a fighter. Cancer did not know who it was dealing with....

Another issue is that I lacked motivation at work. I was not, as the millennials would say: "feeling it..." Yep, I started to count down the days to retirement. Sadly, I cannot count that high, so I went through the motions. Hey, I did a good job each day, but my heart was not into it. I felt a bit empty.

Then the big kid was going through two surgeries and the loss of his baseball career. That's right. I am no longer Bullpen Mom....hence the new blog title of Movin' on.....He handled it well and stayed away from campus and baseball for a year. He wanted nothing to do with it as he figured out his next move....which is to go to law school. Yes, I said it....he really meant it...he wants to go to law school. In fact, as he is applying to schools up and down the east coast this week, I am reading his essays, which are pretty dang good.

With his athletic retirement, I was no longer traveling around the country. I was staying home and working out with my Biggest Loser team. I actually came in third. This was an amazing accomplishment for me, since I hate losing weight and would prefer a life in which I could eat anything I wanted and remain thin. Unfortunately, the body was not designed for unlimited Snickers bars, so I am rejoining Biggest Loser 2017 next week.

Furthermore, I believe that I may miss travels and baseball more than the big kid. In fact, I loved going to new places and watching the team play. it was such fun and a diversion from real life. I guess that I was living in a bubble and once baseball ended, I had not figured out what to do with myself. Now I know....I am going to write again and try to get my zest back for life and work.

So, now you know.....I was affected by life's events and really did not give a hoot about writing or myself. yet, I am back....and there will be more stories as we work toward law school entrance and three years of law school angst.....In the meantime, he is attending a local university and trying to earn a masters degree in criminal justice. Am I hearing from him? Oh yeah, since some of the courses are online, I can hear him shouting at the computer as he reads the posts from other students and cannot seem to earn a "A" in a course where he feels he deserves it. Guess what? You are no longer the big man on campus, so, enjoy your time as you figure out life the way the rest of the non cool crowd did...without a safety net.

And so, back to Simon and Garfunkel....as I listened to the words, I began to think more about how fluent Simon's lyrics are....in fact, I consider PS a poet. His ability to write is incredible....so I listen...and have become inspired to write again and share the struggles and non travels with readers. Some posts will be short. Some posts will be dry. At least you will know, that each word is the truth as no one can make up the things and events of my life. It's not possible.

And so, I have been asked to edit an essay for the big guy as he seeks admission into a law school...any law school....in this country.....the US.....

Peace!

PS: How about Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher? Dang. It's true. A person can die of a broken heart.