TGIF!

Most weeks seem to fly by as if the dates on the calendar have sprouted wings and have taken into flight, never to be seen of again.  Not so much this week.  However, it’s Friday, which I’m grateful for, and I’m sitting here sipping a Dunkin’ Donuts hazelnut coffee.  I thank this hometown franchise for finally opening shop in the desert.  This coffee is my Friday morning treat.  Well, I’ve got an update on a few things here.

Father-In-Law

He’s on the mend.  It is a huge relief.  After spending a week in the Intensive Care Unit, he is being moved to an assisted living facility.  It was touch and go for a while there.  I thought seriously that the next post would be on advice on how to comfort and support a grieving spouse.  Thank God this is not the case.  FIL was diagnosed with valley fever which is a disease indigenous of the desert here.  The bacteria lives in the dirt and if you are in an area where the infected dirt is kicked up and you happen to breathe it in, you may just get this disease.  There is no cure for it.  In fact, horses and dogs also get this.  I don’t know a whole lot about this but apparently it affects the lungs and upper respiratory.  The disease can lay dormant in one’s system for some time.  This would make sense because my FIL worked construction all of his adult life.  Someone once told me that drinking a good Guinness stout ale helped that.  Although I suspect that someone may have been an alcoholic, too, so I’m really not sure.  Anyways, it looks like he is going to pull through this time.   [insert big sigh of relief here]

A Mother’s Wrath

One night this week I had to do some banking at hubby’s bank.  This is a small grocery store branch so while at the window I could hear the conversation between an angry mother and her teenage son.  They were seated at a small desk and working with a young woman who tried to look like she wasn’t paying too much attention while fiddling with the computer set to the side of the desk.  I’m sure there was somewhere else she would have rather been at that moment.   Apparently the mother and son shared a checking account.  The son had some bounced items and from what I could gather, they were both there to straighten it out.  The son tried to convince his mom that he was not guilty of any wrong doing.  “Ma, all I bought was a burger.  That was it.  Nothing else, ma.  Why are you on my case?”  He obviously didn’t have a clue that it wasn’t the cost of the item he bought as it was the amount that was left in their checking account.  All the while his mom glared at him.  “That was $35 on top of the price of your burger,” she replied sternly, then, “if you do this again….         

I will KILL you.”   

I believe she was quite serious.  Not sure if the kid ended up with the fear of God in him but I sure as heck did!   

Sisterly Love

Yesterday I had to cancel an email account due to the fact that spoofers had gotten ahold of my email address and were using it to email unsolicited crap to friends without my knowledge.  Its happened now three times and I’ve traced it back to service providers in Greece, Argentina and Panama. I’ve written to these service providers but its not doing much good as the idiots are using multiple SPs.  So I created a new email address and went about emailing said friends the new address.  I inadvertently typed in my sister’s email address thinking I had typed in my moms.  Here’s what she said:

My sister: I’m not your mother!

Me: Oops!  Sorry.  Can you please send me Mom’s email address?

My sister: Mom doesn’t want to talk to you.  You keep sending her spam. 

Me: Don’t make me go over there (Boston, Ma) and steam roll  you.  Just because we’re old married ladies now doesn’t mean I won’t (of course now we may both be in danger of breaking or fracturing a hip but don’t think that I won’t take that chance!).

So far no response.  No email address for Mom either.  By the way, I’m 42.  She is 38.  Some things will never change.  I would also like to think that my less than petite size may give me an advantage.  Being an Amazon does have its perks afterall!

Stupid Service Provider Company

I had posted a few times about a company I’m dealing with regarding a service I never knew I had at home.  Someone was supposed to come out and check the equipment for the aforementioned services that we haven’t received, and after I took a few hours off Tuesday morning, I got a call that the technician was sick.  So now I have to wait until next Tuesday.  I’m really anxious to get this resolved.  It seems to be dragging on and on.  I’m going to hold onto good thoughts that this will all be worked out and I won’t be stuck with a big bill.

Saturday!

Guess what I get to do?  I’m meeting up with Maureen in Tucson for some photo taking fun.  She will be the first person I have ever met in person from blogging.  We spoke on the phone last night.  Its going to be such an honor to partake in this with her.  I’m sure there is so much I’ll be learning from her.  As most of you know, her photos are amazing.  Its going to be a fun fun  day and I’ve been looking forward to it for a few weeks now.  I’m sure there will be some pictures to share early next week. 

Sunday!

I was invited to go running with a group of people early Sunday morning to prepare for a 5K we are all doing next Saturday morning.  I’m on the fence about going because there is somewhere else I need to be.  This could be cutting it short.  We’ll see.  I had the flu this week so I’m a bit behind on training.  Okay, a lot behind on training.  I can always walk I suppose.  A gym I belong to here just opened up another location in my neighborhood.  I am really excited about this.  Earlier this week I stopped by to check it out.  Everything is so brand new.  I could probably walk there but in all honesty will probably just drive.  Anyways, this is supposed to be about Sunday.  After reading about another great recipe from one of my neighbors, I’ve decided to give it a shot on Sunday afternoon.  If you like anything made with pumpkin, check these out.  I’m going to try the pumpkin pie bites:

 http://zoom50.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/calabazapumpkin-cucurbita-maxima/ . 

Zoom has incredible recipes posted that use many exotic herbs, fruits, nuts and vegetables.   She always includes a history, as well as a picture of the items she writes about which is really informative.

With this said, I wish you all a wonderful weekend!