Pay Attention

 It has been an incredibly long day. Campers began arriving shortly after noon. This cuts severely into my garden time! The weather is not helping. It is extremely humid outside, discouraging me from running in and out, only to be sweaty and smelly.

HeWho fancies himself to be a knower of all things has pretty much screwed up our wi-fi here. Not the park, mind you, buy MY wi-fi. HeWho constantly looks for new things, is always buying gadgets that are supposed to enhance our signal. He had one system working quite well until it didn't, so he ordered a replacement.

So, you are no doubt thinking, what is the problem? The problem is that he had set it up with a password. Yes, you must be thinking, this is a good idea. Just like my Apple password and ID he set up for me, he can't remember the password. His passwords NEVER correlate to anything a normal person would think of. There may be a pet name thrown in there, but the rest of it is just a series of letters, symbols and numbers he pulls out of the air (bet you thought I was going to name another place he could pull things from). Does he share this information with me? No, he does not and then when I need that information he acts like he had nothing to do with it at all.

Surely there is a way to get the password, or change the password. But he has lost interest in this particular endeavor and has moved his attention on to something else. I am online right now with the system that the entire park uses. I could be thrown off any second. This will cause me undo stress and make me want to shake him. I will have to get really upset, then he will set out to research that password.

And this all could have been avoided had he simply let me pick the password or written the password down. I swear I would have eaten the paper he wrote it on after memorizing it. We don't have a lot of top secret stuff that needs protection from the world at large. And if you happened to see a series of numbers and letters with a few odd symbols thrown in written in my reservation book, I doubt you would think about what it was for.

Today would have been my oldest son's 50th birthday. I feel old! It has been 10 years since he died. It should be easier to think about, time being a great resolver of feelings. I have to confess that it isn't. This, too shall pass.

The park is getting full tonight, with lots of travelers on the road. I find that I am easily annoyed today. A man and his wife come in and when I get to the part where I am showing them how to get to there site is goes downhill. I speak clearly. I enunciate and I am pretty good at giving directions. Plus, I employ the use of a high lighter, drawing the route to your site as I tell you where you are going.

The conversation went something like this: "This is where you pulled in and you are right here, already headed in the correct direction. So, you go down this road, the one that says 'Bullfrog BLVD' and 'ONE WAY'. Stay on this gravel road until you come around the curve. You will be faced with a 'Y' in the road. Go to your left onto Ribbit Road, then back to your right onto Frog Hollow and look for site 32 and then just pull in. Easy in, easy out. I say all of this without interruption. If you ever carry on a conversation with me, you might find it hard to interrupt me.

So, the man stands there staring at the map and looks outside at his camping vehicle and says, "So, I need to turn around?" I am shaking my head in the negative as he goes on to ask, "How do I back in to this site?" I look at his wife and see that she is thinking pretty much what I am thinking. "Okay, you need to pay attention." I say before going through the whole thing again. To my credit, I didn't laugh out loud or even ask the man if he was an idiot. The mask is a good thing. You are unable to see most of my face. Now, if I could just control my eyes .....

Everybody Dance Now

Mom mowed the back yard today. This is Cujo, in case you didn't know. Mom is a very good mower. She has a routine and sticks to it. First she grabs two bags. She puts one on her hand and holds the other one in her other hand as she picks up all the poop in our yard. As disgusting as this might seem, she says that leaving it and mowing it in the grass will just make our yard stink and is not good for us dogs. I think she said it could cause us to have worms. Worms!! I don't want worms in my body. Well, unless I eat one. Sometimes I see worms after the rain and have found them to be quite tasty.

Mom says this is not the kind of worm she is worried about. I appreciate her efforts at any rate. I remember once when Mom was sick, our Dad mowed. What a mess he made. Not only did he not pick up poop (said he forgot, but I, for one, do not believe this), he didn't pull up all the grass at the edge of our yard. Poor Mom just looked out the back door, then turned around and went back to bed.

This time she said something strange, though. Well, she says a lot of things to us dogs that we don't really understand. She sings a lot about scooping up poop and "I'm the poop scooper". I wonder if other people and dogs hear her. But today she was scolding us for pooping after she was done scooping. As if we are supposed to wait? When you gotta go, you gotta go. I would think she would be happy we are outside. 

But she asked if when she started the mower, it cued the music and us dogs started singing "Everybody Poop Now". Then she sang it to us after she stopped the mower to do another poop scoop.

Is this a real song? Do people really sing this? I kind of think she made it up. She sings loud when she mows and she kept singing this and laughing. I hope no one heard her and wondered about her. What if all the dogs in the park hear her and think they are supposed to poop? That would be really funny!

Let The Sleeping Beast Alone!

As suggested by Blogger, I tried the new format. I do not care for it. I found everything except how to put a new post on. Kind of important. I just switched back to this format and I will look at it again when I can give it my full attention ..... maybe.

My computer refuses to download the pictures from my phone. I have some really good pictures of Bo and company I wanted to share. Bo is growing at  an alarming rate. Puppies eat a lot and poop a lot. He has probably tripled in size and no longer has the soft round body of a puppy. Meaning he weighs between 3 and 4 lbs. Not big at all, he just looks so lean. Like a fat baby learns to walk and all of a sudden the baby isn't round anymore. He is starting to grow some Yorkie whiskers on his face.

One side of the face is growing faster than the other side, so he looks a little like he might have a tooth infection on one side. He doesn't of course. I do. Have a tooth issue. I had been ignoring it through the quarantine, knowing I would have to deal with it eventually. The pain was just occasional and seemed to disappear overnight.

Then last week, I woke to a throbbing mess of a mouth. The entire left side of my jaw hurt. From , the tip of my nose to the middle of my chin, then forming a triangle of agony back to my ear. Even my inner ear sent out stabs of pain. I succumbed to the pain and made an appointment with my dentist. I couldn't even tell them which tooth it was. They all hurt at that point.

The night before the appointment I dreamed that it was ALL my teeth on the left side and he pulled them all. I guess that would make my nocturnal movie a nightmare. I still have my lower wisdom teeth. Having lost a molar on each side in my teens, the wisdom tooth had plenty of room. The upper wisdom teeth have been removed. I only have one upper molar with a crown and the lower molar and wisdom tooth both have fillings.

I was prepared to have him yank it out. I was, in fact, looking forward to the bite of the needle that would numb the pain. That should tell you how miserable I was as I waited my turn in my vehicle to have my temperature taken, then be escorted through the back door, like some illegal abortion of my mouth was about to occur.

But, no numbing, just blasts of cold air and cold water, then X-rays to find the offending tooth. The dentist, a nice young man, advised against extraction.  He suggested a root canal and another crown. He gave me a referral to an Endodontist. Where was the old man dentist with all his bag of tricks, like jiggling my cheek when he pushed the needle in? I don't know if I trust this very young dentist! Where is my pain relief I long for?

I have an appointment for the 24th of this month. I just dutifully swallowed my last dose of antibiotics and looked longingly at the bottle of Vicodin. From the day of my visit to day of the root canal is 26 days. He gave me 16 Vicodin with instructions to take one every 6 hours, with a dose of Ibuprophen at the 3 hour mark.

Do the math, this is a mere 5 day supply of pain management. How am I supposed to control the pain for that long? I absolutely had to take one after the visit. All the prodding and poking along with blasts of cold air and water really woke that tooth up. I have been popping those pills in half and only taking them when the pain makes me want to scream. Yesterday  and today have been okay. But I am so careful with food and beverages, protecting that tooth lest I wake it up!

Buppy

Cujo here, my mom has been preoccupied with weeds lately. She used to take that puppy with her, but now he stays inside with all of us dogs. She says he is a little too brave and apt to wander off. She said he used to stay right by her feet, but that now he thinks he is a big dog. I don't know how he could think that! He is not big at all. He will never be as big as me and my Mom says I am not a big dog.

I am not fond of big dogs. Toni Louise is bigger than the rest of us dogs, but she is not all that bright. I recently watched her chase her own tail for a very long time. Even though she "caught" it several times, she let it go and continued to whirl around in circles, still chasing it. See what I mean? Not bright at all. Mom says that she is easily entertained. I suppose that is a nice way of saying she is dumb.

Eddie has befriended Bo. I refuse to call the puppy Mr. Bo Jangles. I doubt he knows his name. Mom is in the habit of calling him Buppy and he will run to her. She says it is a combination of "Bo" and "puppy". I think she is just confusing him and he will never know his real name. Don't tell her I think that, okay.

Anyway, Eddie plays with Bo to try to keep him out of trouble. This might be a noble thing to do, but I quoted my dad and told Eddie he was beating a dead horse. Then I had to explain that it meant you can beat a horse to death only once and that continuing to beat the horse is senseless. Then I had to explain that by his very nature, the puppy was going to get in trouble, no matter how much he played with him, rendering his plan useless.

Despite that, Eddie tries. Eddie could be cuddled with me on the sofa napping. I miss the warmth of his body. I am getting older, you see, and I like to be cozy and warm all the time. The puppy will sometimes cuddle up next to us and sleep. I like him best when he is sleeping or when he gets distracted long enough for me to slip in and eat his puppy food.

I get scolded for eating the puppy food. Mom says I already eat too much and that I am lazy and fat. Then she went on and on about the fat content in the puppy food not being good for me. I pretended to listen, but I am not really interested and I am not going to stop stealing his food. It is tastier than ours. The puppy steals bits of our food all the time! 

When Mom fills our water dish, Bo gets in the dish and wades around. I am beginning to think he might be a dumb dog, like Toni Louise. I wonder why she has two names? I only have one name. Eddie is Charming Eddie and Bo is Mr. Bo Jangles. It must have something to do with intelligence, as I would appear to be the most intelligent one here. Yes, that must be the reason.

The Masked Man

Just in case you have been wondering where I have been or if I am not being exposed to situations that prove to be blog worthy, it was just WiFi connections gone crazy.

Still plenty of people coming my way, despite the absence of water in my pool. HeWho is still here to annoy me and say baffling things to make my mind hurt. Finally, the WiFi has been fixed ..... at least this is what HeWho assured me after my constant complaining and nagging. Once again, I must remind everyone that if you have a talent, you must use it or lose it. Mine is nagging.

Losing Kevin has left a Kevin sized hole in my heart (and he was a big guy). I don't know how many times I have started to call or text him before realizing I can't. A train derailed in a small community close by today and HeWho's first thought was to go get Kevin so they could go look at it. Kevin was like an old lady in that respect. If he knew HeWho was going somewhere, he was always ready to ride shotgun. My grandmother would yell at anyone leaving for any destination, "Hold on, let me get my pocket book and I'll go with you!"

I will be missing him forever. He was like the younger brother I never had. When he escorted HeWho to the ER last October, he told the medical staff that he was our son! I was only 12 years older than him and I told him that while HeWho may look old enough to be his Dad, that I certainly was not old enough to have a child as old as him!

But, back to the present. I have become an early riser with the addition of Mr. Bo Jangles. He wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00, ravenous and needing to go outside. Today we got up about 10 minutes before 7. I shooed all the canines out the back door and before I even made coffee, I prepared Bo's dish of food. Dry puppy chow with a generous dollop of canned puppy food all mushed up together. If the food isn't ready right away, he will leap repeatedly at my legs and bark.

I had 3 envelopes on the door for after hour arrivals and curiosity had me looking to see how many showed up. One envelope was still stuck on the door. Still wearing my bedtime attire, I opened the door and kind of stuck my arm to snatch that envelope off the door. 

When I opened the door, I noticed a car sitting in the entrance drive just off the hard top road. Headlamps on, one of those new ones that glows blue and one old one. After I closed the door, locking myself in again, the car moved forward quite fast and parked in front of the office. I retreated to my bedroom to grab some appropriate attire and dressed myself. My hair got no attention, as coffee was still on my mind. By the time I dressed, he was pacing in front of the door.

He was attired in shorts, t-shirt, shoes and socks ... and a knitted cap that covered his head and entire face with only his eyes showing. I was taken aback, as he looked like a stereo-type bank robber. To make the situation even more bizarre, some one has knitted a marijuana leaf on his black cap where his mouth and nose would be. I opened the door and keeping a good grip on the handle of the storm door, I checked my desk to my right to note my wasp spray with-in reach. I was picking up some creepy vibes. When I asked what he wanted, he said he was here to register to vote!

Using my harsh old lady, no nonsense voice, I scowled at him, "What!!" He was staring, unblinking at me the entire time. Then he asked if I had a shower he could use and I replied in the negative. Still no change in his expression, I made a mental note that the leaf on his mask wasn't the only one he was in contact with. He then told me he was lost, that he couldn't find St. Louis. I suggested he get back on the interstate and head east. I was done, so I closed the storm door and locked it (something I don't usually do). I watched as he walked toward his Jeep, ripping the head cover off his face. I decided that he was about the size and build of my older grandson and about the same age, around 25 or so. He got into his vehicle and put a cigarette in his mouth, and backed out.

Then he suddenly put the car in drive and came back! Okay, buddy, you have my attention now! I closed and locked the door and reached for the wasp spray and the phone. I was totally creeped out. He paced back and forth in front of the door, as I watched from my tinted windows. I was about to call HeWho slept peacefully oblivious, knowing he wouldn't hear me if I screamed. He finally got back in his car and left. 

I was unsettled as I drank my coffee. I like to venture outside in early morning to enjoy the solitude and dead head spent flowers as I prepare mentally for the day ahead. Now my plan was ruined! I wasn't so eager to go outside while the rest of the occupants of the park slept. I hope I don't find this fellow in my dreams tonight. It was pretty stupid of me to even open the door. I will be more careful in the future.

This Is Not A Hoax

Most days of late have been spent in one or another of my gardens. I like to get out early, while the dew still covers the ground and it is somewhat cool. Weeding is a solitary activity requiring little thought. Just grab and pull, sling and do it again. How far you sling that weed usually correlates to what ever thought your mind is dwelling on.

Missing Kevin is there at the edge of my mind. Right now, though, I am sending prayers up for my sister-in-law and her family. She has Covid and is on a ventilator. I almost called Kevin to tell him before I remembered that he isn't taking calls anymore.

When HeWho was in the hospital, I was able to go there every day and see him for as long as I wanted. I could call him and find reassurance hearing his voice. My brother-in-law can't do this. My niece and nephew can only hear the report of her condition from medical staff caring for her. Her brother, HeWho, can't show support by traveling to Georgia and going to the hospital to visit her.

This virus is horrible. It is not a hoax, as so many have tried to "explain" to me. I have a mask rule that must be obeyed before entering my building. That doesn't mean that everyone obeys. Most people do. Some walk all the way to the door before reading the neon green sign with large letters that says, "DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT A MASK COVERING YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE". A few say they didn't see the sign, some ask if we provide the mask, like Walmart does. All of them have masks in their vehicles.

My favorites are the ones who, upon arrival to the door and reading the sign, announce "I ain't got no mask and I am coming in!" These would be new to my world, never having met me. Maybe never having had a door slammed in their face. After they realize that no amount of bluster will gain entry, I go outside to check them in. This is when they attempt to "educate" me about the hoax "them Democrats" have hoisted upon the world.

Depending on my mood of the moment I either ignore them or look on with wide-eyed wonder as they ramble on until it is my turn to speak. Then I will ask if I can share my opinion. I told one man that I thought he was an idiot, then asked if he still wanted to check in. He did and I told him that he could, but that he was not allowed to share his stupid nonsense with others while here (my park, my rules). I told another that perhaps we would be better off with a clever Democrat in office, as they were able to get the entire world to cooperate with the "hoax".

This is not a hoax, people. This is real and it is affecting so many people, so many families. My heart hurts for my sister-in-law and all of her family and friends who wait for that daily report about her condition. Please remember her in your prayers. Her name is Pam, the sister of HeWho. God knows her and you don't even have to pull weeds to offer prayer!