The world is going to hell in a handbasket. I watched in horror as a group of Minneapolis police officers murdered a man. I am sure I saw what everyone else saw. The officer nonchalantly knelt on a man's neck as the men begged for his life. I saw him go limp and the officer maintained his pressure on the man's neck. The man was black. The man was someone's child, a member of a family, as well as a member of a community. The fact that he is black should not matter …. but it does. His alleged crime was not a violent one and he was already in handcuffs.
The officers remain free, no charges have been filed against them. I am not black, but this outrages me. Imagine how all the black young men feel. They live in fear because they would seem not to matter to people in charge. Their protest turning violent should come as no surprise. They have tried peaceful protests and that would appear to be fruitless. I am not condoning the arson and looting. They are only hurting their cause. I do understand it.
I find myself shouting at my TV. All they need to do is arrest the men responsible for the senseless death of a man. Just arrest the men, put them behind bars and then begin the investigation. Just like they would do with any other man seen by many witnesses committing a murder, police status be damned.
So much media coverage and talk that seems to try to confuse the situation. I can no longer watch. I have plenty to do here anyway. I have a few reservations this weekend and of course, they are showing up before check-in time. Before I even open the store, much to my everlasting annoyance.
I was planting an oak tree when I saw the rig pull in. I headed to the store. HeWho was trying to take care of it for me, but I know better than to let that happen, as I already have a plan for placing rigs in my head. I enter the store just in time to prevent him from putting this rig in a spot that is already reserved. Call me a drama queen, but I can't help myself from saying, "I'm sorry, I thought I had more time, is it noon already?"
To his credit, the man did comply with my mask wearing rule, although he voiced his opinion that my rule is stupid. HeWho opines that the families of 100,000 people might not agree with him. "That's not that many." says the man who failed to listen when I told him that anytime afternoon was the time to check-in. I bit my tongue as this buffoon tried to project his opinion of a conspiracy being perpetrated by all the hospitals. I did not ask him how many deaths are acceptable to him. I am so tired and the long day stretches ahead of me.
The news just announced the arrest of the kneeling officer. Too little, too late? Only time will tell. The other three officers were complicit, as well. They should be arrested, too.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Who's On First?
Some campers are staying until Tuesday. Okay by me. They are usually busy with their own thing and don't bother me at all. Some leave on Sunday and most leave on Monday.
Sunday proved to be the most confusing day of the weekend. Shortly after noon I checked in some tent campers for just one night. This always baffles me. If I were to tent camp (and that is never happening), it would not be for just one night. You spend the afternoon setting up and maybe have a campfire and eat dinner. Then you sleep and get up in the morning and have everything to take down. How is that relaxing?
The forecast for this weekend was not at all inviting for camping in a tent. We were lucky that the storms held off as long as they did. Probably about the time that tent set up, the storm hit with a vengeance. The winds were blowing small bits of gravel in the air and the clouds were rumbling. I was outside trying to sanitize the bathrooms and replace paper product. Had to attack the chore piecemeal, as people kept coming up to use them. I finished the last swipe of the mop as the rain started hitting the ground.
I felt bad for those tent campers and hoped their shelter didn't get blown away. Inside I continued answering endless calls. I had some travelers checking in. I sent the first one to a site I thought was empty. It was marked to be empty on my chart, but the camper decided to stay another day. So, the camper I sent to 27 called me and I told them to take 31. I was busy checking the reservation for 33 and another camper was pulling in. 33 called to tell me that their site was occupied, This was because 27 who was supposed to go to 31 went to 33. So, I told 33 to take 15 because I knew it was empty. But 33 decided to take 31, so that the camper that was right behind them could not take 31 after I sent them there. Stay with me, it gets even more confusing. I sent 31 to 15.
The night before I had told a camper that I knew I had site 15 for the next evening, as it was a one night stay for the previous occupier. I was indisposed when that camper came in and HeWho said he would take care of it. As he was getting up to go register them I told him to put them in 24, knowing that 15 was occupied. Forget the fact that I had explained all this to HeWho alternates between telling me he can't hear me and I am talking too loud. The lady camper told him that she had talked to me the night before and I had told her that I knew 15 would be open. So, despite the fact that I had told him to put them in 24 in my clear, distinct, proper enunciating voice he sent them to 15. Why, you might be asking? "because she said you told her 15 and I figured you knew what you were doing"
"I do know what I am doing and the last thing I said to you was to put them on 24." Said his wife. HeWho replied with, "Oh, I didn't hear you." With a deep ever suffering sigh, he activated the lift thingie on his chair and donned his tennis shoes, never saying where he was off to. He went out to find the misdirected campers who called me, like anybody with a sound mind would and I sent them to 24 and texted the deaf one to return to his chair.
And, this is why I answer the phone and take the reservations and dispatch the campers to sites. It works well until someone fails to follow my directions.
Sunday proved to be the most confusing day of the weekend. Shortly after noon I checked in some tent campers for just one night. This always baffles me. If I were to tent camp (and that is never happening), it would not be for just one night. You spend the afternoon setting up and maybe have a campfire and eat dinner. Then you sleep and get up in the morning and have everything to take down. How is that relaxing?
The forecast for this weekend was not at all inviting for camping in a tent. We were lucky that the storms held off as long as they did. Probably about the time that tent set up, the storm hit with a vengeance. The winds were blowing small bits of gravel in the air and the clouds were rumbling. I was outside trying to sanitize the bathrooms and replace paper product. Had to attack the chore piecemeal, as people kept coming up to use them. I finished the last swipe of the mop as the rain started hitting the ground.
I felt bad for those tent campers and hoped their shelter didn't get blown away. Inside I continued answering endless calls. I had some travelers checking in. I sent the first one to a site I thought was empty. It was marked to be empty on my chart, but the camper decided to stay another day. So, the camper I sent to 27 called me and I told them to take 31. I was busy checking the reservation for 33 and another camper was pulling in. 33 called to tell me that their site was occupied, This was because 27 who was supposed to go to 31 went to 33. So, I told 33 to take 15 because I knew it was empty. But 33 decided to take 31, so that the camper that was right behind them could not take 31 after I sent them there. Stay with me, it gets even more confusing. I sent 31 to 15.
The night before I had told a camper that I knew I had site 15 for the next evening, as it was a one night stay for the previous occupier. I was indisposed when that camper came in and HeWho said he would take care of it. As he was getting up to go register them I told him to put them in 24, knowing that 15 was occupied. Forget the fact that I had explained all this to HeWho alternates between telling me he can't hear me and I am talking too loud. The lady camper told him that she had talked to me the night before and I had told her that I knew 15 would be open. So, despite the fact that I had told him to put them in 24 in my clear, distinct, proper enunciating voice he sent them to 15. Why, you might be asking? "because she said you told her 15 and I figured you knew what you were doing"
"I do know what I am doing and the last thing I said to you was to put them on 24." Said his wife. HeWho replied with, "Oh, I didn't hear you." With a deep ever suffering sigh, he activated the lift thingie on his chair and donned his tennis shoes, never saying where he was off to. He went out to find the misdirected campers who called me, like anybody with a sound mind would and I sent them to 24 and texted the deaf one to return to his chair.
And, this is why I answer the phone and take the reservations and dispatch the campers to sites. It works well until someone fails to follow my directions.
Monday, May 25, 2020
The Season
Cujo here. This time of year is the time that my mom refers to as "the season". I know this because Oscar told me all about it when I came to live here. Us dogs absolutely hate "the season". Toni Louise and I have been through this many times and we are used to it. We just curl up and sleep all day and then we want to be up when the store closes. My mom scolded me for waking her so early this past weekend. I felt bad about it, but I really needed to go outside. This is what happens when you hold your pee all day!
Eddie (my mom calls him Charming Eddie, and he isn't all that charming, if you must know) is really having a hard time with "the season". Last season my mom's desk was right through the door to our house and she would stand at the door to talk to us dogs. Sometimes she would pick one of us to stay in the store with her. Usually Eddie. Because he would cry for her. A very unbecoming habit in my humble opinion.
Now that she moved her desk up to the windows (this was after she was told she couldn't, by the way) so that she can see the campers coming in, she doesn't let any of us stay out there with her. She says it is for our own good. She is probably right about that. I admit that I might be tempted to bite anyone messing with my mom. Maybe Eddie would like to be out there, though. Now that I am thinking about it, that would leave Toni Louise and me in peace.
Dad likes to sleep in his chair every afternoon and Eddie will sit in his lap and sleep. But when we are in here alone, he gets whiny and annoying. As long as it is nice and sunny outside people will be taking up my mom's time. I don't like this. I like it when she is holding me and giving me kisses on my head (she calls it my sweet head). I am always happy when the season goes away!
Eddie (my mom calls him Charming Eddie, and he isn't all that charming, if you must know) is really having a hard time with "the season". Last season my mom's desk was right through the door to our house and she would stand at the door to talk to us dogs. Sometimes she would pick one of us to stay in the store with her. Usually Eddie. Because he would cry for her. A very unbecoming habit in my humble opinion.
Now that she moved her desk up to the windows (this was after she was told she couldn't, by the way) so that she can see the campers coming in, she doesn't let any of us stay out there with her. She says it is for our own good. She is probably right about that. I admit that I might be tempted to bite anyone messing with my mom. Maybe Eddie would like to be out there, though. Now that I am thinking about it, that would leave Toni Louise and me in peace.
Dad likes to sleep in his chair every afternoon and Eddie will sit in his lap and sleep. But when we are in here alone, he gets whiny and annoying. As long as it is nice and sunny outside people will be taking up my mom's time. I don't like this. I like it when she is holding me and giving me kisses on my head (she calls it my sweet head). I am always happy when the season goes away!
Sunday, May 24, 2020
When You Need A Haircut ....
Hey Debby, come see us, we allow pop-ups!! Don't worry about that muskrat, he is as smart as the Charlie the catfish.
It is Sunday, only one more day to go. The forecast for this weekend was dismal, but it has been the nicest weather so far. Only a few bouts of overcast skies and today will be sunny and in the 80's. Despite several cancellations, I have been almost full each night.
Travelers appreciate those sites that were cancelled. Most campers have obeyed my wearing a mask inside my store rule. I have given out masks to those who had none and I will go outside to assist those who refuse my offer of a mask.
Only one camper was truly obnoxious about the mask. I went outside and he could not seem to stay out of my personal space, much to my absolute annoyance. He went so far as to touch my arm to share his belief that this Covid 19 "situation" is a hoax the Democrats thought up. When I asked why people were dying, his answer was the hospitals were using it to scam the government by putting Covid 19 on the death certificates …… because this would net them $18,000 per death.
Since he felt so comfortable sharing his beliefs with me, I shared my belief that I though he was crazy. I followed that by saying I didn't want to hear his beliefs anymore than he wanted to hear mine and that if it was going to be a problem, he might not want to stay and that would be okay. He stayed. He hasn't shared any more theories with me.
HeWho will sometimes object to things that I say. I was tired and the guy really bugged me by touching my arm. I didn't knock him to the ground and mask him, did I? I merely used my words. There is always one problem person in a crowd. I think that might be a rule.
As the sun went down yesterday, I stepped outside to watch dog walkers and bike riders enjoy the evening. I had many compliments on my gardens. I do like praise!! One gentleman was quite taken with my buttercups. Pictures don't quite capture just how stunning they are. He asked for a small plant to take home and I dug up a few for him this morning. The spread rapidly. I started with just one plant from a friend.
Cujo and Eddie have expressed their displeasure with me by waking me extra early. 5:30 am is just too early, but I was afraid to go back to bed, fearing I might not wake up until noon!! I got a short nap yesterday and did sleep until 7 this morning. I still think a nap is in my future today!
I need a haircut. I was in need of a hair cut when I went into the hospital the first of March and I REALLY need a haircut now. Or, I did. Yesterday before I jumped into the shower I stood in front of the mirror with scissors and cut my own hair. No, I will not be posting a picture. The front looks okay, I just followed the line of the previous hair cut and chopped the same amount off each section.
I couldn't see the back of my head. I just grabbed up chunks and cut what I hoped was about the same length I cut from the front. It feels a lot better. I have asked others how it looks in the back. It is either okay or they are afraid to tell me the truth.
It is Sunday, only one more day to go. The forecast for this weekend was dismal, but it has been the nicest weather so far. Only a few bouts of overcast skies and today will be sunny and in the 80's. Despite several cancellations, I have been almost full each night.
Travelers appreciate those sites that were cancelled. Most campers have obeyed my wearing a mask inside my store rule. I have given out masks to those who had none and I will go outside to assist those who refuse my offer of a mask.
Only one camper was truly obnoxious about the mask. I went outside and he could not seem to stay out of my personal space, much to my absolute annoyance. He went so far as to touch my arm to share his belief that this Covid 19 "situation" is a hoax the Democrats thought up. When I asked why people were dying, his answer was the hospitals were using it to scam the government by putting Covid 19 on the death certificates …… because this would net them $18,000 per death.
Since he felt so comfortable sharing his beliefs with me, I shared my belief that I though he was crazy. I followed that by saying I didn't want to hear his beliefs anymore than he wanted to hear mine and that if it was going to be a problem, he might not want to stay and that would be okay. He stayed. He hasn't shared any more theories with me.
HeWho will sometimes object to things that I say. I was tired and the guy really bugged me by touching my arm. I didn't knock him to the ground and mask him, did I? I merely used my words. There is always one problem person in a crowd. I think that might be a rule.
As the sun went down yesterday, I stepped outside to watch dog walkers and bike riders enjoy the evening. I had many compliments on my gardens. I do like praise!! One gentleman was quite taken with my buttercups. Pictures don't quite capture just how stunning they are. He asked for a small plant to take home and I dug up a few for him this morning. The spread rapidly. I started with just one plant from a friend.
Cujo and Eddie have expressed their displeasure with me by waking me extra early. 5:30 am is just too early, but I was afraid to go back to bed, fearing I might not wake up until noon!! I got a short nap yesterday and did sleep until 7 this morning. I still think a nap is in my future today!
I need a haircut. I was in need of a hair cut when I went into the hospital the first of March and I REALLY need a haircut now. Or, I did. Yesterday before I jumped into the shower I stood in front of the mirror with scissors and cut my own hair. No, I will not be posting a picture. The front looks okay, I just followed the line of the previous hair cut and chopped the same amount off each section.
I couldn't see the back of my head. I just grabbed up chunks and cut what I hoped was about the same length I cut from the front. It feels a lot better. I have asked others how it looks in the back. It is either okay or they are afraid to tell me the truth.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Quarantine Wasn't So Bad ....
The big day has arrived. The beginning of the weekend. I woke at my normal hour and began the routine of letting dogs out and making coffee. I inhaled the aroma as I stood at the door waiting for my babies to come back inside and settle on the sofa with me. Eddie growled at the monitor on the wall and I saw a camper outside with people waiting to invade my morning.
It's barely 8 am and I am not opening that door! I will be in that store until 9 pm tonight and I NEEDED the coffee before I greeted the public. I was still in my night shirt with the dachshund on the front of it proclaiming that I sleep with wieners. I watched the monitor as they left. Maybe they went for breakfast. I do recall telling someone they could come in a little early, but not 4 hours early.
I swallowed my coffee and went outside to pick strawberries. They are late this year. I have usually picked the major portion of them by now. The grounds look just lovely with the sunlight resting on the freshly mown grass. We worked all day yesterday with mowers weed whackers. My flower beds are lush and full. My lavender iris are in full bloom, as well as my red peonies. I look around and grab up a weed here and there.
Oops, left my hose out! The flamingoes are pink again …. neon pink! The blue and yellow planter box will meet with some paint soon!
This is my memory garden. It is a nice place to sit and contemplate the world!
The pond looks inviting and I hear the fish are biting. Well, except for Charlie, the Catfish. He has been in the pond for about 13 years and legend has it that he is size of a small child. HeWho feeds him, so he will not be fooled by a worm on a hook. Water moccasin and snapping turtles are a hazard to avoid. A muskrat has been annoying the men. No one has been able to shoot him yet.
Why do you build me up, Buttercup ……. They do make a nice ground cover and choke out the weeds.
My sycamore tree is not looking well. There are leaves at the top but the bottom limbs are bare. This makes me sad. I love that tree. I have babied it along since it was about 4" tall. It makes wonderful shade when it isn't naked!
The clock says my day is almost over, just waiting for one more camper to arrive and then it will be time to lock things up. Another 30 minutes to clean bathrooms and I will be ready for bed.
My dogs are very unhappy with things going back to normal. Cujo refuses to come in when I let him out now. He will roll on his back and make me go outside and pick him up. I think Cujo was rather fond of quarantine. I am missing my mid afternoon nap that I became accustomed to. I am thinking quarantine wasn't so bad, too!
It's barely 8 am and I am not opening that door! I will be in that store until 9 pm tonight and I NEEDED the coffee before I greeted the public. I was still in my night shirt with the dachshund on the front of it proclaiming that I sleep with wieners. I watched the monitor as they left. Maybe they went for breakfast. I do recall telling someone they could come in a little early, but not 4 hours early.
I swallowed my coffee and went outside to pick strawberries. They are late this year. I have usually picked the major portion of them by now. The grounds look just lovely with the sunlight resting on the freshly mown grass. We worked all day yesterday with mowers weed whackers. My flower beds are lush and full. My lavender iris are in full bloom, as well as my red peonies. I look around and grab up a weed here and there.
Oops, left my hose out! The flamingoes are pink again …. neon pink! The blue and yellow planter box will meet with some paint soon!
This is my memory garden. It is a nice place to sit and contemplate the world!
The pond looks inviting and I hear the fish are biting. Well, except for Charlie, the Catfish. He has been in the pond for about 13 years and legend has it that he is size of a small child. HeWho feeds him, so he will not be fooled by a worm on a hook. Water moccasin and snapping turtles are a hazard to avoid. A muskrat has been annoying the men. No one has been able to shoot him yet.
Why do you build me up, Buttercup ……. They do make a nice ground cover and choke out the weeds.
My sycamore tree is not looking well. There are leaves at the top but the bottom limbs are bare. This makes me sad. I love that tree. I have babied it along since it was about 4" tall. It makes wonderful shade when it isn't naked!
The clock says my day is almost over, just waiting for one more camper to arrive and then it will be time to lock things up. Another 30 minutes to clean bathrooms and I will be ready for bed.
My dogs are very unhappy with things going back to normal. Cujo refuses to come in when I let him out now. He will roll on his back and make me go outside and pick him up. I think Cujo was rather fond of quarantine. I am missing my mid afternoon nap that I became accustomed to. I am thinking quarantine wasn't so bad, too!
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Pain Competition
Last night I soaked my broken toe in salt water after I mowed my back yard. It eased the pain considerably and I had a good night's sleep. I woke with Cujo's cold nose alarm and after we stretched, Cujo and Eddie hopped to the floor and ran for the back door. I fumbled around for my slippers and after shoving my feet in, I stood.
A jolt of pain began in my toe and radiated up my leg. I hobbled to the door to let them out and then to the coffee pot (priorities, people, priorities), then collapsed on my couch. I looked at my toes and they don't look any different. The swelling has gone down and the only indication that something might be amiss is the tape on two toes. Well, that and the pain. I have things to do!! I can't succumb to a toe!
I showered and readied my self for the day, carefully removing the old tape and replacing it. I noted that the overcast skies and damp atmosphere certainly wasn't helping any of my joint pains. I had to make a trip to Walmart to pick up HeWho's meds. While I was there I grabbed the few items on my list and a few that were not. I visited the garden center and came home with some clearance plants that I rescued.
It is my right foot and the most painful part is the part of my foot that applies the brakes in my car. Wasn't so bad on the way there, but on the way home I wanted to cry. Last week I hit a rock with mower and it slammed into my left ankle. In favoring the foot with the broken toe, I managed to hit that left ankle with the shopping cart. My right thumb joint started to throb as if jealous of the attention the lower extremities were getting.
Feeling like my body parts were in a contest to see which one could deliver the most pain, I drove home. To add insult to injury, there was nary a soul around to help me unload the contents of my car. I was thinking I could let HeWho bring all the items in and I could stay in one spot and tell him what to do. I like to tell people what to do, I always have the best ways to do things and I like to share my talents.
It was not to be, so I hauled the stuff in and put the frozen items away and let the dogs out and then back in. Cujo was in a frenzy to get closest to me and hit that sore ankle with his hard head, while Toni Louise was leaping about trying to convince me that coming in the back door was treat worthy and she stomped on my toe. Eddie waited patiently for my attention and all I wanted to say was "Please don't touch Mommy!!"
Today is Kevin's birthday. He expressed a wish for a German Chocolate cake and he will have one! I mixed the batter and baked the cake and it is cooling as I write. I have always referred to Kev as my wife. He takes up the considerable slack that HeWho leaves. We both are quite fond of our friend as he celebrates his 55th year. I just wish he would stop calling me Mom!! I am not old enough to be his mom!
It goes without saying that I will not be mowing today. The guys will have to mow my areas. That will be cringe worthy as I know they will be slinging grass bits into my flower beds. I think I will stay in here so that I don't have to watch. The countdown to the holiday weekend stops for nothing and no one.
I have a hard time doing nothing, so I will cut out more face masks to share with those campers who are lacking them. My sewing machine has an option to run the motor with button you can push with a finger instead of the foot pedal. Sewing is such a mindless chore for me, I wonder how hard it will be to change the method. Guess I will find out.
A jolt of pain began in my toe and radiated up my leg. I hobbled to the door to let them out and then to the coffee pot (priorities, people, priorities), then collapsed on my couch. I looked at my toes and they don't look any different. The swelling has gone down and the only indication that something might be amiss is the tape on two toes. Well, that and the pain. I have things to do!! I can't succumb to a toe!
I showered and readied my self for the day, carefully removing the old tape and replacing it. I noted that the overcast skies and damp atmosphere certainly wasn't helping any of my joint pains. I had to make a trip to Walmart to pick up HeWho's meds. While I was there I grabbed the few items on my list and a few that were not. I visited the garden center and came home with some clearance plants that I rescued.
It is my right foot and the most painful part is the part of my foot that applies the brakes in my car. Wasn't so bad on the way there, but on the way home I wanted to cry. Last week I hit a rock with mower and it slammed into my left ankle. In favoring the foot with the broken toe, I managed to hit that left ankle with the shopping cart. My right thumb joint started to throb as if jealous of the attention the lower extremities were getting.
Feeling like my body parts were in a contest to see which one could deliver the most pain, I drove home. To add insult to injury, there was nary a soul around to help me unload the contents of my car. I was thinking I could let HeWho bring all the items in and I could stay in one spot and tell him what to do. I like to tell people what to do, I always have the best ways to do things and I like to share my talents.
It was not to be, so I hauled the stuff in and put the frozen items away and let the dogs out and then back in. Cujo was in a frenzy to get closest to me and hit that sore ankle with his hard head, while Toni Louise was leaping about trying to convince me that coming in the back door was treat worthy and she stomped on my toe. Eddie waited patiently for my attention and all I wanted to say was "Please don't touch Mommy!!"
Today is Kevin's birthday. He expressed a wish for a German Chocolate cake and he will have one! I mixed the batter and baked the cake and it is cooling as I write. I have always referred to Kev as my wife. He takes up the considerable slack that HeWho leaves. We both are quite fond of our friend as he celebrates his 55th year. I just wish he would stop calling me Mom!! I am not old enough to be his mom!
It goes without saying that I will not be mowing today. The guys will have to mow my areas. That will be cringe worthy as I know they will be slinging grass bits into my flower beds. I think I will stay in here so that I don't have to watch. The countdown to the holiday weekend stops for nothing and no one.
I have a hard time doing nothing, so I will cut out more face masks to share with those campers who are lacking them. My sewing machine has an option to run the motor with button you can push with a finger instead of the foot pedal. Sewing is such a mindless chore for me, I wonder how hard it will be to change the method. Guess I will find out.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Sign Of The Times
Will it work? I don't know. I hope so. I confess that I am not looking forward to the holiday weekend. Actually I am dreading it. It will be busy and I normally love to see people I haven't seen since last season.
This season is different. It will be a constant to enforce the new rules and I will be worried non-stop about HeWho forgets to put his mask on. We are touchy, feely people and have to stop ourselves from hugging and shaking hands when we encounter people. HeWho tends to get too close to people in an effort to hear what they have to say.
Old habits die hard. His new hearing aides came yesterday and the volume on the TV went down. For some reason he still cant hear me. This supports my theory that his loss of hearing is selective! I am still repeating everything thing I say to him.
Upon waking yesterday I stood and slipped my feet into my faithful rubber shoes I am fond of. The soles are super thick and support the arch of my foot well. When I put all my weight on my feet, my right foot shouted out in pain. It was the ball of my foot, right under my toes. I slipped the shoe off while I waited for my fur babies to complete their morning ritual.
It was swollen and very tender to the touch. I figured I had stepped on a rock and bruised the bottom of my foot. I have done that before and it will be tender for a couple of days. Last night I wriggled my toes as I was sliding my feet between the sheets. I wished I hadn't done that! My second toe cried out in pain and I am pretty sure it is broken.
How did I break it, you ask? I have no idea. I have been working in the gardens and usually it is my lower pack and butt muscles that hurt. They did and maybe that's why I didn't notice my foot. Today the toes is sitting at an odd angle. I will tape it to the toe next to it and go on from there. No, I am not seeking medical attention. I will already be doing what would be done. Without an X-ray.
I need some hot days here! The weatherman lied again. It is supposed to be sunny and warmer all week. Instead it is cool and overcast. The strawberries need some hot sunny days!
All my plants are full of green berries, but they are not getting ripe. My tomato plants are still inside. I have even attempted to plant seed. Maybe I should make a sign for the weather!
Saturday, May 16, 2020
No Complaints?
The weather was predicted to be really nasty this weekend. As a result, all my reservations cancelled. This did not upset me in the least, I have plenty to do in preparation for next weekend.
Last weekend was quite busy. I stayed inside and tried to maintain social distance from the people who seemed to be intent on invading my personal space. When the reservations were made, I had specifically told each and every one that the store would not be open. Didn't stop them from coming to the door and HeWho has blood pressure issues, let them in. After the third time dealing with a herd of unruly children, I banished him from the store, as well.
I tried to maintain a "no contact" check-in. It worked well with travelers in the previous weeks, but proved to be too confusing when the weekend crowds came in. I managed to clean the bathrooms and do all my outside tasks while no one was around, but had to let them in to register. I have decided to put a sign on the door requiring a face mask to enter. My space is small and can fill up quickly with far too many people. I will have a mask on, for sure, but I still don't want a crowd inside my store.
The pool will remained closed this season. There seem to be no guide lines available for pools. I know I will have many complaints, but this is a whole new world. The rowdy children with the rowdier parents last weekend showed their displeasure by kicking the pool gate until they bent it. Chain link gate and fence, they were determined. Because I tried to protect myself and stay inside, I didn't know about this until they left.
They brought along a golf cart that was driven way too fast by the adults. Several of my kampers spoke to them and they didn't listen until HeWho offered to kick them out. Then they took to the trail through the woods. They took a curve and almost slung the children riding on the back off. They said they would never come back here ….. music to my ears.
This coming holiday weekend will determine whether I will remain open this season. I am not back to my former level of energy and HeWho will never be back to his former level of energy. He still has blockages in his main arteries feeding his heart that will need to be addressed in the future. There is part of the heart muscle that is simply dead. Will never be back. I am constantly reminding him to put his mask on. If he contracted Covid, he would not recover. His heart is just not strong enough. I am not ready to be a widow. The revenue would certainly be down, but that seems unimportant at this time.
I have seasonals who will be using their campers and of course our family of kampers who call this park home. We will get along just fine. Complaints will be few and far between!!
Last weekend was quite busy. I stayed inside and tried to maintain social distance from the people who seemed to be intent on invading my personal space. When the reservations were made, I had specifically told each and every one that the store would not be open. Didn't stop them from coming to the door and HeWho has blood pressure issues, let them in. After the third time dealing with a herd of unruly children, I banished him from the store, as well.
I tried to maintain a "no contact" check-in. It worked well with travelers in the previous weeks, but proved to be too confusing when the weekend crowds came in. I managed to clean the bathrooms and do all my outside tasks while no one was around, but had to let them in to register. I have decided to put a sign on the door requiring a face mask to enter. My space is small and can fill up quickly with far too many people. I will have a mask on, for sure, but I still don't want a crowd inside my store.
The pool will remained closed this season. There seem to be no guide lines available for pools. I know I will have many complaints, but this is a whole new world. The rowdy children with the rowdier parents last weekend showed their displeasure by kicking the pool gate until they bent it. Chain link gate and fence, they were determined. Because I tried to protect myself and stay inside, I didn't know about this until they left.
They brought along a golf cart that was driven way too fast by the adults. Several of my kampers spoke to them and they didn't listen until HeWho offered to kick them out. Then they took to the trail through the woods. They took a curve and almost slung the children riding on the back off. They said they would never come back here ….. music to my ears.
This coming holiday weekend will determine whether I will remain open this season. I am not back to my former level of energy and HeWho will never be back to his former level of energy. He still has blockages in his main arteries feeding his heart that will need to be addressed in the future. There is part of the heart muscle that is simply dead. Will never be back. I am constantly reminding him to put his mask on. If he contracted Covid, he would not recover. His heart is just not strong enough. I am not ready to be a widow. The revenue would certainly be down, but that seems unimportant at this time.
I have seasonals who will be using their campers and of course our family of kampers who call this park home. We will get along just fine. Complaints will be few and far between!!
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Begin Again
Another day has dawned. Saw it happen, thanks to one fat cat named Martha!
Couldn't go back to sleep. The blood pressure situation has been addressed. They increased the dosage to 40mg. I had already sort of done that in an effort to make up for my mistake. If it does not respond by tomorrow, we will go from there. HeWho is trying to kill me with worry!!
Meanwhile, Cujo's wasp sting has healed and he is as good as new. Toni Louise and Eddie's yeast infections have cleared up considerably and they aren't chewing their skin off. And the park is open. The phone is the bane of my existance. the weather is horrible and the pool remains closed until ..... I don't know.
The store is stocked and Dr. Pepper has come out with a new flavor. Dr. Pepper/Creme Soda. Unaware at the time of placing my order, I didn't get any. Today I will mix the two flavors together and see what it is like. Pringles also has a new flavor. Rotisserie Chicken. I have not tried this. Too much sodium and I don't really like Pringles. When Lays went nuts with new flavors, I tried a few and didn't care for them. I like plain old Lay's potato chips. Not that I can have them anymore. Too much salt.
Grease and salt make everything taste better, don't you know? Oh well. Having ventured out twice now in my mask, doused in hand sanitizer, I have decided I would just rather stay home. I remember my grandmother wearing gloves everytime she left the house. Cotton gloves that went in with the laundry. Maybe Covid 19 will bring them back into fashion. We touch so many things and I have never been more aware of that. I just remembered that I need to go wipe down the steering wheel in my car.
Someone called the store phone at 12:34 this morning. I decided to return the call at 6 this morning while I was drinking coffee. No one answered. I have had a few calls about the pool, but it seems the call of this season is "Do you have any campsites?" (Yes, yes I do, this is, after all a campground ... says the voice in my head) I answer in the afirmative and they ask, "Do you have one I can camp in?" When I ask WHEN this event might take place they seem to be confused about my question. "I just want to know if you have a campsite I can camp in." My brain starts to hurt at this point as I calmly explain that until I know the WHEN, I can't say. After we get that out of the way and I try to ascertain the mode of their camping adventure. Tent or RV, 30 amp or 50 amp and make my life a true nightmare as I explain each option.
I think I need to go back to bed and start over.
Couldn't go back to sleep. The blood pressure situation has been addressed. They increased the dosage to 40mg. I had already sort of done that in an effort to make up for my mistake. If it does not respond by tomorrow, we will go from there. HeWho is trying to kill me with worry!!
Meanwhile, Cujo's wasp sting has healed and he is as good as new. Toni Louise and Eddie's yeast infections have cleared up considerably and they aren't chewing their skin off. And the park is open. The phone is the bane of my existance. the weather is horrible and the pool remains closed until ..... I don't know.
The store is stocked and Dr. Pepper has come out with a new flavor. Dr. Pepper/Creme Soda. Unaware at the time of placing my order, I didn't get any. Today I will mix the two flavors together and see what it is like. Pringles also has a new flavor. Rotisserie Chicken. I have not tried this. Too much sodium and I don't really like Pringles. When Lays went nuts with new flavors, I tried a few and didn't care for them. I like plain old Lay's potato chips. Not that I can have them anymore. Too much salt.
Grease and salt make everything taste better, don't you know? Oh well. Having ventured out twice now in my mask, doused in hand sanitizer, I have decided I would just rather stay home. I remember my grandmother wearing gloves everytime she left the house. Cotton gloves that went in with the laundry. Maybe Covid 19 will bring them back into fashion. We touch so many things and I have never been more aware of that. I just remembered that I need to go wipe down the steering wheel in my car.
Someone called the store phone at 12:34 this morning. I decided to return the call at 6 this morning while I was drinking coffee. No one answered. I have had a few calls about the pool, but it seems the call of this season is "Do you have any campsites?" (Yes, yes I do, this is, after all a campground ... says the voice in my head) I answer in the afirmative and they ask, "Do you have one I can camp in?" When I ask WHEN this event might take place they seem to be confused about my question. "I just want to know if you have a campsite I can camp in." My brain starts to hurt at this point as I calmly explain that until I know the WHEN, I can't say. After we get that out of the way and I try to ascertain the mode of their camping adventure. Tent or RV, 30 amp or 50 amp and make my life a true nightmare as I explain each option.
I think I need to go back to bed and start over.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Bllod Pressure
I have been absent from the land of blog for a bit. Life has been busier than usual after being locked in for so long. The campground is officially open. We were busy last weekend.
Despite me telling everyone that the store was not open, they seemed to stalk the door until I opened it and let them in. I was in a mask, they weren't. One man even sneered at me and said I was crazy. I see a lot of people making fun of those people merely trying to protect themselves by wearing a mask and gloves and making use of hand sanitizer. Why, I wonder, does this seem to bother them so much?
We had our televisit with the cardiologist last Monday. HeWho said he liked this method, that it was so easy. Easy for him. We both had appointments 10 minutes apart with the same doctor. Mine was first. The first call came from the receptionist verifying the appointment and telling me that another call would come from the nurse to go over my medications. Then the call from the doctor and then a follow-up call to schedule the next appointment.
So, four calls per visit. I took care of all the calls except the call from the doctor to HeWho was busy holding down his chair. About the time he started cardio re-hab, I became less diligent about checking his blood pressure. Then I had my own cardiac adventure and he became obsessed with my blood pressure. Then we seemed to stop taking our blood pressures altogether unless we felt bad.
So, imagine my surprise when I took his blood pressure and it was 210/111! I did this in preparation of the televisit. That is stroke range, you know. So, I spent over half of my doctor call talking about HeWho and trying to figure out what was making his blood pressure spike.
His diet has not been as strict as when he first came home. He has been known to eat things that are forbidden. I went through everything he did and ate. Then I went through his meds and thought I discovered the root of the problem ….. and it was MY fault! When his last refill came in of his blood pressure meds, I did not notice they had changed the dosage of the pill and I was supposed to be giving him 2 instead of one. In my defense, the 10 mg pill looks just like the 20 mg pill, but I still feel so guilty! I corrected it right away and have been monitoring his BP several times a day.
It won't come down. I gave him a one time double dose and the lowest it got was 150/88. Still too high. His cardiologist had told me to keep a close eye on him and monitor his food and activity to see if the high BP was a one time thing. It is not.
He is at the doctor's office now. I couldn't go with him because today is delivery day for ice and soft drinks. We pay our vendors upon delivery and I probably could have asked someone to watch the store, but he went to our local clinic and she will consult with the cardiologist.
Nothing to do but wait now ….
Despite me telling everyone that the store was not open, they seemed to stalk the door until I opened it and let them in. I was in a mask, they weren't. One man even sneered at me and said I was crazy. I see a lot of people making fun of those people merely trying to protect themselves by wearing a mask and gloves and making use of hand sanitizer. Why, I wonder, does this seem to bother them so much?
We had our televisit with the cardiologist last Monday. HeWho said he liked this method, that it was so easy. Easy for him. We both had appointments 10 minutes apart with the same doctor. Mine was first. The first call came from the receptionist verifying the appointment and telling me that another call would come from the nurse to go over my medications. Then the call from the doctor and then a follow-up call to schedule the next appointment.
So, four calls per visit. I took care of all the calls except the call from the doctor to HeWho was busy holding down his chair. About the time he started cardio re-hab, I became less diligent about checking his blood pressure. Then I had my own cardiac adventure and he became obsessed with my blood pressure. Then we seemed to stop taking our blood pressures altogether unless we felt bad.
So, imagine my surprise when I took his blood pressure and it was 210/111! I did this in preparation of the televisit. That is stroke range, you know. So, I spent over half of my doctor call talking about HeWho and trying to figure out what was making his blood pressure spike.
His diet has not been as strict as when he first came home. He has been known to eat things that are forbidden. I went through everything he did and ate. Then I went through his meds and thought I discovered the root of the problem ….. and it was MY fault! When his last refill came in of his blood pressure meds, I did not notice they had changed the dosage of the pill and I was supposed to be giving him 2 instead of one. In my defense, the 10 mg pill looks just like the 20 mg pill, but I still feel so guilty! I corrected it right away and have been monitoring his BP several times a day.
It won't come down. I gave him a one time double dose and the lowest it got was 150/88. Still too high. His cardiologist had told me to keep a close eye on him and monitor his food and activity to see if the high BP was a one time thing. It is not.
He is at the doctor's office now. I couldn't go with him because today is delivery day for ice and soft drinks. We pay our vendors upon delivery and I probably could have asked someone to watch the store, but he went to our local clinic and she will consult with the cardiologist.
Nothing to do but wait now ….
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Mystery Ailment
See my Cujo's fat toe? This is actually an after shot. I failed to get a before picture. He was hobbling around and looked so sad. I picked him up to launch an investigation and his poor little paw was hot and swollen. He let me stick my finger between his toes as I looked for a clue as to what had happened. I couldn't find a cut or any clue. I settled him in his favorite place …. next to me.
When he went out for night-night pee-pee time ( I sing a song to them and they know bedtime is approaching), he was only using three legs. Needless to say, I knew I would not sleep well worrying about my Cujo.
This is a picture from the night before. Just look at that face! He was saying, "Mommy, help me!" I cleaned it thoroughly and noticed a break in the skin, making me think something might be in his toe. I put an excessive amount of Prid (a drawing ointment), hoping it would make whatever in there surface.
But …. how to keep the ointment on the toe? Dogs lick, you know. Then I wondered what the ointment would do to him if he ate it. I knew he would just take a bandage off ….
I wrapped it in gauze and then put a baby sock on his foot. Just look at that good boy! He attempted to take it off and I told him he couldn't. He left it on!!
He left it on all night and this morning he can bear weight on his foot. He is such an obedient little guy. My heart just swells with love for him! I can barely stand it when any of my furry babies are sick. It was such a relief to see him walking this morning. I still don't know what made his little toe swell. Could have been a bee sting or he could have stepped on something, lodging it in his toe. The bandage held no evidence. A true mystery!
P.S. I can now see a bit mark on the side of his toe, looks like a wasp got him. I will be putting traps in my back yard! And, the freezer ..... a good cleaning and it works! Who knew I would be right?
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
How Hard Can It Be?
Picking up from yesterday .... this past fall our personal freezer stopped working. I moved anything I could salvage to the store's ice cream freezer. The "off" season was upon us and I could easily get away with using it with no problem. I was thinking HeWho might take a look at it to see if the coils just needed a good cleaning, or maybe the cord was compromised in some way. This never happened, despite the fact that I mentioned it more than once.
So, wouldn't you know that the store freezer is acting up now. The only freezer left is the freezer that holds the bags of ice and it is outside. Not to mention that people now think we sell chicken breasts and ground turkey, along with a variety of frozen vegetables. This is why I wasn't so keen on the purchase of many boxes of ice cream to sell. I will need to call my freezer fixer guy.
Today HeWho has left for the fence panels, taking a trusted work kamper with him. I am not worried about him forgetting his mission with Craig along to keep him on task. Silly of me to think he could accomplish three stops in one day. I will just do it myself.
I am also on a mission to pull my freezer from the wall and have it at the ready for HeWho does all things electric. I will vacuum the coils and anything obvious. I am willing to bet that it will work just fine after this is done. Just call me Mrs. Murphy!
This past winter, I expressed my desire to rearrange the office/store. HeWho gave me that look he gives me and told me that what I was planning was impossible. It wasn't, of course, and with some help from my friend (Kevin), it was accomplished, just like I said it could be. Does he think I don't know how to measure! The registration desk is no longer blocking the door to enter my humble abode. It is actually just a half door. I have been begging for a full door, since I don't want everyone to be able to peek into that door and into my kitchen. The dogs will go nuts if this happens.
There was an available door. The guy said we could have it for free. I like free, but told him I would be happy to pay for it. I kept nagging ( a talent I have honed to perfection) HeWho to remind the guy, to offer to go get it and to pay. Then I see that he has the doors on the marketplace on FaceBook and suddenly they are gone. Am I happy about that? No, I am not.
How hard can it be to build a door? I can use the discarded fence pickets and build a dutch door, so that I can close it entirely or leave the top part open when I am in the store alone. Am I going to share this plan with him? Absolutely not. How hard will it be? I will let you know.
So, wouldn't you know that the store freezer is acting up now. The only freezer left is the freezer that holds the bags of ice and it is outside. Not to mention that people now think we sell chicken breasts and ground turkey, along with a variety of frozen vegetables. This is why I wasn't so keen on the purchase of many boxes of ice cream to sell. I will need to call my freezer fixer guy.
Today HeWho has left for the fence panels, taking a trusted work kamper with him. I am not worried about him forgetting his mission with Craig along to keep him on task. Silly of me to think he could accomplish three stops in one day. I will just do it myself.
I am also on a mission to pull my freezer from the wall and have it at the ready for HeWho does all things electric. I will vacuum the coils and anything obvious. I am willing to bet that it will work just fine after this is done. Just call me Mrs. Murphy!
This past winter, I expressed my desire to rearrange the office/store. HeWho gave me that look he gives me and told me that what I was planning was impossible. It wasn't, of course, and with some help from my friend (Kevin), it was accomplished, just like I said it could be. Does he think I don't know how to measure! The registration desk is no longer blocking the door to enter my humble abode. It is actually just a half door. I have been begging for a full door, since I don't want everyone to be able to peek into that door and into my kitchen. The dogs will go nuts if this happens.
There was an available door. The guy said we could have it for free. I like free, but told him I would be happy to pay for it. I kept nagging ( a talent I have honed to perfection) HeWho to remind the guy, to offer to go get it and to pay. Then I see that he has the doors on the marketplace on FaceBook and suddenly they are gone. Am I happy about that? No, I am not.
How hard can it be to build a door? I can use the discarded fence pickets and build a dutch door, so that I can close it entirely or leave the top part open when I am in the store alone. Am I going to share this plan with him? Absolutely not. How hard will it be? I will let you know.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
If Not For Bad Luck ....
Murphy's Law, Even Steven, Karma ... call it what you will, it seems to be in full force this week. Yesterday it rained and the weather took a turn for chilly. Just when I thought I had laundered the last flannel shirt until the fall season. It is still chilly today and I would not be surprised if HeWho has his long johns on.
During a fierce wind storm, the wind took down a portion of the back yard privacy fence. The men propped it up and it weathered many snow storms and such through the winter. I was promised that the fence would be fixed as soon as weather permitted. Weather has permitted ample opportunity. HeWho is the master of procrastination is just full of excuses why he can't get the fence properly attached:
1. It is going to rain.
2. It is raining.
3. The wind is blowing too hard.
4. He needs an auger. (the posts are in place)
5. You don't expect me to re-use the old fence? (why not?)
6. The trailer is full and what will he haul the fence panels on? (hmmm, unload the trailer?)
Fence panels are on sale at Menards, plus they have an 11% rebate on all purchases. Well, isn't that a no brainer? So, yesterday, it was cold and drizzling. I suggested he pick up the panels since he couldn't do anything outside. I knew they would get wet, but it's not like he was bring home sheetrock or anything that would be ruined in the rain. I reminded him to not forget the 4 X 8 sheet of treated plywood to replace the entrance sign he has been asking me to paint, then telling me that the wood was rotting and we should just get a new piece.
Since he would be near Sam's, I suggested that he make the order to replenish the merchandise for the store on-line and he could pick that up, as well as a Walmart order. The Walmart is almost next door to the Sam's.
And that is when it started. I got a pick-up time with ease for a grocery order and went about filling my cart when suddenly the site froze. I closed it down, rebooted, and it happened again. This was while he was down at the tow shop with Kevin on a fax mission. This took quite some time, as I knew it would. Men love to gossip and if they run out of gossip they will talk about anything. The older the men involved, the longer these sessions will last.
I went on to painting the signs that need to be refreshed for the park and other stuff that has to be done on a daily basis. Upoin his return, I mentioned the grocery order and the problems I was having. I didn't expect a solution from him, but I was using this to prompt him to put the Sam's order in. Same thing happened with that order. He put his computer away and kicked back to watch the discovery channel. I asked about the fence again and he sighed deeply, then got up and went on his way.
I was baking a sweet potato cake to reward him when he got home. My phone alerted me to a text. He was telling me there was a wreck at 195 on the interstate and he did not know how long it would take for traffic to start moving. He was heading EAST! Menards is WEST. I text back, "Where are you going?" He texts back that he was going to Sam's, like I told him to. No, I did not! Sam's was an after thought. The fence is the primary goal here.
Not long after that, I hear him come in. "Do you need help unloading?" No. He didn't go. He just sat in traffic until he could turn around. We are exit 170, he was at exit 195. Correct me if I am wrong, but he just wasted a 50 mile trip with nothing to show for it.
To add an exclamation point to my frustration with the fence, another storm hit while he was lounging in front of the TV and dislodged his temporary fix on the end fence panel and it leaned far enough in that my dogs could escape. I managed to grab Toni Louise by her hind end before she scambled out and I shoved the panel up and propped it with a loose fence post.
Much to my dismay, that cake turned out really good. I was almost hoping it would be awful. The entire day had been filled with calls on the business line. For the past 3 days the phone has been ringing when I wake and has been ringing all day. "When are you going to open the pool", "Is your allses pool open yet" "I need to make a reservation, but my immune system is compromised, so I need to be away from everyone" "Can I live there, I got a 1986, 24' camper and I have two felont covictions for drugs, but I am clean now" (NO).
There is more, but this is enough to make my brain hurt for the day. I will enchant you with more misery tomorrow!
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