Fairy Grandmother

A firecracker faded away yesterday.  An original Rosie the Riveter from Detroit. Not many of those left, I don't imagine.  One tough lady, an original character. I only knew her for four years, but she immediately welcomed me into her home and her family.

Jon told me later that this was not always so, and that he was surprised she liked me on sight.  That she usually didn't like any of the boyfriends/girlfriends/friends that anyone in the family brought home. But, she liked me. I was flattered.

She got cranky in the last year.  Can't blame her.  Thanksgiving last year wasn't very enjoyable. But, I really couldn't blame her, because she really didn't want to host.  The rest of the family seemed to think Thanksgiving just wouldn't be right if it wasn't at Grandma Helen's little house (and hey, I bet they were right).  It was just too much work for her.  She didn't do any of the cooking, but she sure ordered people to and fro if what they were doing weren't up to her standards.  The food was tasty.

Grandma Helen became my adopted Grandma. The one grandmother I was close to, died early in Jon and I's relationship.  I still had one living grandmother but it was one of those weird relationships that was strained since I never could figure out  why she'd put up with my grandfather (who was never an awesome person and was a mean, mean drunk once upon a time) so I could never really respect her.  So I adopted Grandma Helen.  Then my remaining grandmother died and she was the only grandma left.

I am now grandmotherless.  I know, I know, I am 35 and most people don't still have grandma's at my age, and some no longer have parents.  There is just something that always captured my imagination about Fairy Godmothers...something magical.  (I didn't know what a godmother was and didn't have one anyway so I imagined a godmother as a fairytale grandmother; besides -- Grandma DeWitt WAS a Fairy Grandmother...loved kids made all kinds of interesting magic happen when we were at her tiny trailer.)

So I was sad when Jon texted me from the hospital telling me she was gone.  Then, I told him I was sorry and that she was a force of nature, a tough lady.  And he texted back: "just like you."  Then I cried and asked if he was okay. He replied that he was, but I knew  better.

He's not okay.  No one in her family is okay today.  He wouldn't let me go with him to check on his folks. I didn't argue. I probably should have argued.  But, some people are really private in grief...and I can respect that.  I have no idea how my father in law is taking it, badly, I suspect.  The man is a mystery to me, but he has a big heart.  So if Jon thinks it best that I not go along, well, then, its his family he's known them longer than I have.

We miss you Grandma Helen.

I wish I had a photo of her from WWII doing her thing...and someone actually might...but, it can't be much different than this one.

Stranger Danger

Sometimes, as I watch Emma freak out when she sees the mail person walking up and down the opposite side of the street delivering mail, drool flying from her mouth as she barks, and, once the mail person changes to our side of the street and nears the house and Emma's agitation and fierceness increases to the point of her seeming to want to lunge outside; just what Emma would do if actually personally confronted with the mail person.

I think she would run away, and keep fiercely barking and drooling.

It's a fairly annoying bit of our daily routine. Nothing helps.

And, since, we live where we do, I guess I haven't looked seriously into preventing her from getting so worked up about strangers. I want people to be afraid to come into my house.

People who know Emma, know she is enormously afraid of people who are new. It took her weeks to get used to Levon, a month to get used to Dave, and she never has made up to Shane. I suspect because he usually refuses to come over and visit, and also because he makes lots of quick, loud movements that she views as threatening.

So, until she gets over her fear of strangers; which I figure as never, I'll just have to continue to see her foaming and spitting as she barks when strangers walk past the house.

And now for the lazy portion of our day

It's....a day off....well, kinda.

I mean, no random crazy assholes...but I've worked hard since I've been up. Well, until now. Now, I'm relaxing.

First, I went to the bunny room.  I cleaned the bunny litter, and since Vincent has discovered a new hobby/compulsion, decided to start taking up the carpet in there.  His new compulsion involves digging at random bits of carpet and rendering them bald, and also chewing on any raw edges he makes.  This was pretty simple,  at least it is so far.  I just pried up the tack strips on two sides of the room (it's a tiny room) and pulled out any staples/nails with the pliers. Granted, I haven't gotten all the way around, and I haven't rolled up much carpet, but its a start.

Jon wasn't amused with this new development until I told him the carpet was ruined anyway. He then offered to help, and get it done with, but its something I can work on in the mornings sometimes before work and on days I'm off and Jon is working. It shouldn't take too long.

I do need to put some foam in the gaps where the carpet tucks under the baseboards and then seal them with silicone so that things don't end up  where I don't want them and I can sweep up bunny messes easily with a broom. Such as random poo pellets and bits of hay and litter.

I did a load of the never-ending laundry. I swear I think it breeds while I am asleep.

I mowed our lawn.

I mowed the in-laws lawn.

And now I am relaxing because I am tired from all those things.

I still need to wash dishes and vacuum but am fairly certain I will do neither of those things today.

Then I am off Tuesday and will go on the prowl with Ruth. That sounds more fun.

I am also contemplating just kidnapping Ruth and James and going on some sort of short road trip to....my parent's house....or anywhere, for that matter. Sounds fun.

Zip Trip

Sunday we left on a virtually unplanned trip to see my parents. By unplanned, I mean we decided at 9 am and by noon we were on our way.  We went a different route, avoiding the Ohio Turnpike altogether and also the city of Norwalk...on a route that wasn't as speedy but more entertaining. The town of Clyde was visually interesting. They have an actual diner car there and an ice cream parlor shaped like a soft serve cone.  So if anyone is heading toward Norwalk from Toledo, I'd recommend US 20 East.  Its a bit slower, but there are more farms, more interesting things, and once the construction clears up, it will be two lanes headed East, two lanes headed West. 

                I couldn't find a better photo.  The diner actually looks more 30s than it does here.
                Guess I should have made Jon pull over so I could whip out my camera.

                                                                        Yum!
                      
We didn't do much in Ohio since we only had time to stay the night then drive back.  We did manage to eat at the Mexican place we love.  The pizza place was closed because the town of Killbuck was having the annual Early American Days festival, which strikes me as odd. I think they'd do a grand amount of business during a festival, but maybe I'm wrong.
                                                    

                                                                   More Yum!

I scratched and made over my old pal Bean.  The dogs romped outside and went on a walk. Emma found a spine of a dead thing and decided it made for an awesome object to roll on top of and carry about.  She didn't get too stinky, so I assume it had been dead a long, long time.  Emma also wasn't shy of my parents this visit. No barking at them when she first sighted them.

My dad waited until my mom hit the showers after a very muggy walk to tell me that she'd had another episode where her heart decides to pitter patter along at 200 beats per minute and that the pill they'd given her for such an occurrence didn't do its job so they ended a walk last Friday in the emergency room.  Mom didn't want anyone to know.  But my Aunt Maxine had been staying there for a visit, so she knew.  And NO ONE told me.  I mean, I know my mom has been off work for quite a while because she has had both her hands operated on because of carpal tunnel, so I guess it would have been difficult for dad to call without her knowledge, but still.

So now I know why all the weird, mixed up dreams/ nightmares about home last Friday night.

My mom has finally agreed to see a specialist, dad says. I told him to make sure to call me if anything happens, because I know I can get some kind of paid leave for a family emergency.  He said he would. 

We had a nice lunch yesterday. My dad cooked hamburgers on the grill and we ate sweet corn, tomatoes, and all kinds of good garden food.  My dad's garden, he says, has done the worst ever this year. Not too surprising because of all the 100 degree temperatures and the scant amount of rain.  So they've been wanting to can tomatoes and having problems with rot, and in general even getting enough tomatoes to can.

Then we were on our way back home.  Traffic was crap, but then, that's what we get for picking a national holiday to travel. Gas was 20 cents cheaper in all those tiny little Ohio towns.  I guess Michigan is just price gouging.  Usually the little places charge more. We did travel on the Turnpike on the way back. Didn't know which way would be better with the holiday traffic. And we went through Norwalk, OH, which is a pretty cool town, actually. So if anyone happens to be traveling on US 250 heading west you will see this:

                                The buildings in Norwalk are amazing and old.

And that leaves us with planning our next trip.  We are thinking of traveling to Jon's Family's cabin in the U.P. somewhere the first week in October. He doesn't have any vacation coming, but we'll see what his boss says.  Sounds fun if we can manage it, though.

The Nazis Tell me I Must Not Post This

A message appeared in the break room at work the other day. No blogging or using Facebook or any other kind of social media mentioning anything at all negative about Tractor Supply Company. How interesting.

Just for the Corporate Nazis in Power:
Most of these sound just about right

Some of the complaints are completely grounded in folly...such as the 10% button on the register "doesn't work" or that anyone from TSC would ever approve a school selling a discount card with the TSC logo on it (they are very very wildly protective of the corporate logo as if it is some Holy Baby Jesus or something).  There is no 10% button on the register. It's a computer keyboard and the register consists of an IBM mainframe with monitors.  Also, TSC is very, very clear on the fact that employees are NOT to discount items unless they have clear instructions from a manager.  There is no such thing as senior discounts, military discounts or discounts of any kind other than coupons which are sent directly from the corporate office in TN or manufacturer's coupons. Period. Other than employee discounts, and even the employees get shit for it. Spend more than $50?  A manager has to ring up the order to make sure you are not hiding/stealing any items other than the ones for which you have paid. Yep.

So read with a grain of salt.

And some more

Sorry TSC, you do NOT have the right to implement a gag order against bad press from ME.  I am not saying anything that is not the truth.  Want to change the truth? Great! Become a progressive, caring company.  The ball is really in your court here.

We often work shifts with only two people. Truth. I complained about this to my Asst Manager. I hope she can convince the Manager that this is unacceptable considering those two people bore the brunt of the busiest hour of the day with over $1000 in sales, meaning customer service, loading product, handling cash and phone calls. This, is nearly impossible.  I think corporate would benefit hearing it and that we shouldn't "beef up" staff whenever the District Manager is around. Guess what, we do! It's all complete and total lies and a fascade that the store is always running just this way. Nope...the store never is run that way.

Last time I checked, I still live in America where free speech is supposed to be king.  If I have to piss off some Corporate Nazis because they reserve the right to tell me what I can and cannot say, then I hope they are livid. Fuck you.

I have no problem taking your money, but you can't make me keep my mouth shut.

Going on Back Home...and Elsewhere

Amish on Amish Violence Goes to Federal Court

For probably all of three people who were wondering whatever came of this bizarre story from last fall...including me.

For various reasons, the Amish believe their religion exempts them from many things that affect public safety as well, including using reflective orange triangles on their buggies so the buggies are more visible to drivers.  The entirely black buggies containing occupants wearing dark, mostly black clothing (even in summer) and pulled by dark colored (brown or black) horses are nearly impossible to see in any kind of setting that is not ideal.  Rain, snow, fog, or any kind of darkness makes them nearly impossible to see.  Any driver that makes a mistake and hits a buggy is instantly at fault...but, shouldn't the Amish be somewhat at fault for fighting all the laws that are meant to keep them safer? 

Amish Fight Buggy Laws

As someone who lived among many thousands of Amish for thirty years, I think even the orange triangle is outdated and, that at night, some sort of light source visible by vehicles traveling 55 mph  should also be mandated.  I often had to slam on my brakes and pray that I stopped once I realized that weird "alien spaceship" in the road was closer than I thought since the swinging kerosene lanterns the Amish use (if any light at all) render the judgement of distance an impossibility.  Kerosene lanterns are NOT bright enough to be seen by a car traveling a lawful speed from any distance. They just aren't.  Sorry.  Shove some LEDs on there, or....anything...would be better, even duct taping some Mag Lights to the buggy would be better.

 I no longer live amongst the Amish, but prefer them to ghetto trash.  I say we fill the empty, burnt out dregs of Detroit with Amish and see if they don't improve the mix. I bet they would.  Amish pay property tax, they fix their property, they farm the land, the grow their own food, they do all kinds of things that benefit the community. I'm not trying to run them down.  For their own safety, they just need to modernize a bit on points of public safety. 

There are lots of things about them I didn't like. I didn't like their shady care of animals. I don't like their treatment and attitude towards women. That said, not all Amish are shady toward their animals, and I doubt all of them expect their women to be baby factories, its just the majority of the low order Amish that do.  Lots of other people in the world are the same way....including some rednecks. 

I'd sure prefer some reasonably quiet Amish neighbors to the guy who likes to rev his Harley Davidson nightly for no reason and people who think its their right to break into empty houses to steal copper. 

And the Shit Falls from the Sky

Well this has been a shitty night.

Jon tells me at 8 pm that he is going to a friend's house in Westland.

I finally manage to contact him at 12 am because there is a weird car parked in front of our house.  He says he won't be out too much longer.

It is now 7 am. His phone is either turned off or he doesn't want to answer it.

Seriously considered packing up the animals and driving back to Ohio.  Could have made it there since I haven't slept anyway.  The thing that stopped me was not wanting to explain anything to my parents and being a burden on them.