Trying To Remember...

Today is my mom's birthday - she is 3/4 of a century old.  She spent the night last night since I had to take her in to the lab early this morning to get bloodwork done.  There is a Ruby's across the street from the lab so I took her to breakfast also.  And we had a good time.  I kept having to remind her that she is 75 - she wanted to remember so she could tell her friends if they asked.  So we are sitting there and I'm just staring out the window watching the trees blow around in the wind (can you believe the wind?!) and my mom all of a sudden asks me what I'm thinking about.  Not much - just watching the trees in the wind.  So I ask her the same thing about what she is thinking about and she says she is trying to remember that she is 75 years old today!  I just thought that was hilarious!  We had a really good laugh about it!  And I think she is losing her taste - every time I ask her how her food tastes - she always says not very good.  And with the amount of milk and sugar she puts in her coffee nowadays (she never put sugar in her coffee when I was younger) - she might as well just order sweetened milk!

When we got back to her place - she told me that she needed a new TV remote because hers was missing.  So as I rummaged her drawers for laundry - I looked for the remote also.  Didn't find it in her dresser or the nightstand - so I started poking around in the closet - I knew it would be around somewhere.  I eventually found it wrapped in a sock, stuffed in one of her slippers in the bottom of the closet!  No wonder it's missing!  God Bless Her!

So I'm working on a new class at work - we have been creating some specialized classes on destinations in the USA and Canada and I'm working on Vancouver and Victoria.  To do some of the research, I've checked out some books from the library.  I found a few more books today and left work early to go pick them up since they were from a library closer to my home.  So I drive up to the library - and the parking lot seems a bit empty - and then it hits me - I should have known - but I walk up to the door anyway - yep - they are closed for Columbus Day!  You would think I'd remember - we have been getting reminders all week that our offices may be busier today since the DMV is closed - oh well!

And finally - I was able to replace the shoes that stank of the North Sea (oh - that's right - I haven't gotten to that day yet in my chronicles of England!) - the shoes that I kept and dragged around England and then eventually threw out when I got home.  I was able to get the same pair and they were even on clearance!  Most excellent.

Must go for now and make a few decisions about what I'll take up North with me.  Looked at the weather and it should be in the 70's - what to wear, what to wear!  Hope to be able to get some internet access while I'm up there so maybe I can post a few more England entries!  Ok - must go...

Caltrans and Hooky Thursday

I know, I know - here I was talking about being more consistent in my entries and I haven't posted since Monday.  So I do have another story about the Caltrans signs...

On Tuesday morning, I left about 5 minutes later - and the Caltrans sign said the same thing...  20 minutes to the 57 freeway.  And this time is was much closer!  It took about 25 minutes in comparison to the 40 minutes from the day before.  Of course, I also got off the freeway - took surface streets through Tustin and then got back on the freeway.  The sign failed to mention that you had to do that!  I do hear, though, that the signs are actually pretty accurate in the South Bay area.

Let's see what else has been going on this week - after being sick over the weekend - was feeling better on Monday and Tuesday and then my allergies decided to make an attack on Tuesday night (all night long) and Wednesday, which was miserable.  Luckily I was feeling better on 'Hooky Thursday' and I went to Disneyland.  Had several friends that I got to hang out with at the Park.  Spent the morning with Bettina and the kids and then the girls had lunch at the Blue Bayou - which was very nice - only the second time I've ever been there and the food was yummy!  Then spent the afternoon and evening with Jan and her crew - and we had a blast - enjoyed multiple visits to the various mountains of Disneyland - Thunder, Space and the Matterhorn and we were supplied with snacks from Aunt Beav's Pantry!  Doesn't get much better than that.  Tonight I had multiple obligations - none of which I attended and ended up doing some shopping and just relaxing at home because tomorrow Lynne and I are off to a Puppet Festival in Manhattan Beach - eww... and I may be able to test the Caltrans signs myself in the South Bay! :)  Enough for now - Goodnight!

Rte 57 - 20 minutes and Rte 91 - 27 minutes

Every morning when I get on the freeway to go to work - I drive past one of the those CalTrans electronic billboards - the ones that usually say - Click It or Ticket - or - Don't Drink and Drive - or - Hands Free It's the Law.  Anyway... it always gives the time it should take to get to the 57 and 91 freeways.  Usually it says Rte 57 - 14 minutes.  I've always wanted to stay on the 5 freeway to see if it is really correct - and always think that one of these days I'm just going to do the drive to see.  Well, since I was on my way to Whittier this morning - this was the day!  This morning I left a little late, so it said Rte 57 - 20 minutes and Rte 91 - 27 minutes.  That was at 8:06am.  So I was feeling pretty confident that I would make it to the office early.  Then I hit it - traffic - unbelievable traffic through Tustin - it was a day that I wished I drove an automatic!  As I'm crawling through Tustin - I glance at the clock and think - nope - it sure isn't correct.  I finally saw another sign at 8:42am (do the math) that said Rte 57 - 5 minutes and Rte 91 - 11 minutes.  By this time - the traffic had dissipated - but I discovered that the only way to make it in those times was to drive 80 mph!  Apparently, CalTrans advocates speeding - nice!  I did end up getting to the office on time - was even able to stop at Fresh and Easy to get some water - forgot to bring any and didn't want to be without it - especially since I'm still trying to get over my cold.  So the moral of the story is - unlike the Happiest Place on Earth that is actually pretty accurate in their wait time estimates - CalTrans is lousy at it!

The day went well - the folks in the office were very nice - I go back tomorrow to work some more with them. I did see an interesting sight on the way home - it was a Winchell's Donut shop!  I had to look twice to see if it was actually open - I haven't seen one of those in a long time - I almost had to stop in just for old times sake!

Please Consult Your Own Physician

Am trying to get back into being consistent with the blog - but am going to play the sick card for yesterday.  Stayed home sick from my Saturday activities - and it wasn't even the kind of sick where I sat and watched TV or read a book - it was the kind of sick that I slept all day long.  Am feeling better now - but am also a believer - in Zicam.  Have you ever tried it?  I am definitely a convert.  I was first introduced to it in England - caught a cold on the second to last day and the nurse practitioner on the trip gave it to me.  So I went out and got some and I'll tell you - it worked.  May not sound like it since I was in bed all day yesterday - but I'm convinced that it would have been worse than it was if I hadn't been taking the Zicam.  I use the cotton swabs you put in your nose - which is a stretch for me - I don't like putting stuff in my nose and I especially don't like spraying stuff in my nose - but this is a gel on a cotton swab - so that's ok - I know, TMI - but I'm very excited about the product.  I first started feeling lousy on Thursday night and have been taking it since them - and like I said - I truly feel that it has reduced my symptoms.  Enough of Elizabeth's non scientific medical advise.  Please consult your own physician before starting any medical treatment (thought I needed a disclaimer)! :)

So today I was tired and my head is still swimming a bit but I did make it to church - went to the modern service and it was so cute to see this older woman - probably in her 80's - swaying to the beat of the praise songs.  That seemed to start a trend for me - I also volunteered this afternoon to go to the Nursing Home to play music for the service we do there once a month.  And it is such a treat to be able to bring a little joy to them - and they are so appreciative that we come and worship with them.  I did realize though that if I'm going to play my guitar all weekend for Emmaus in a month - I better start practicing and building up my calluses!  

I think that's about it for now - tomorrow I go out to our Whittier office for two days - so we will see what interesting things happen there - or on the road!

It Actually Said 'Don't Walk'

Thought I would share a few observations I’ve made while driving…

May I just say – if you are going to drive like a jerk – do you really want to put Jesus stickers all over your car?   I know that I’m an assertive bordering on aggressive driver – so I don’t like to advertise that I should have grace and mercy while driving.  Now, having said that, I do try to be a better egg when I have passengers in the car.  Just so you don’t think I’m a total lunatic while driving!

And I was always under the impression that when the light turns red – you were supposed to stop.  I saw two different people this morning run the same left turn red at the same intersection at two different times.  Maybe they were confusing it with the right turn which I think is an optional stop when the light is red.

And since when does putting your signal on give you automatic right into that lane – shouldn’t you check to make sure a car isn’t there?!  Of course you also have the people that put their signal on, are clear to move and then don’t change lanes – until you get up near them, though, and then they decide to move – practically cutting you off.  I don’t know which is worse!

Coming in to the parking lot at work, I found it amusing to see a woman in her car holding her cell phone to her ear – what a great example for this company!  Even better is seeing the security people driving around in their golf carts holding their phones up.  Classic!  I’m thinking they need to start doing what I’ve seen quite a few people doing nowadays.  They must have their phone on speaker – so they don’t hold the phone up to their ear – but they hold it up to their mouth instead to talk into it – is that illegal?  Has anyone actually read the code to find out what it actually says?  I’m thinking that isn’t the intent of the law – but I also thought that you were supposed to stop at a red light!  What do I know?!

Two more just fascinating (at least to me) sightings…

I was driving along the other day and at a pedestrian crosswalk – the box didn’t have the red hand – it actually said ‘Don’t Walk’ – have you seen any of those lately?

But the best was this morning as I was driving in – I saw this guy with his hand outside of his car window and it looked like he was holding a cigarette – but his hand looked really weird.  As I drove by – he was holding a cigarette – but he had a plastic glove just on the hand that was holding the cigarette – and all I could think was – you protect your hand from the cigarette but you will put it into your mouth and inhale?  Crazy!

I Need To Carry A Blog Journal As Well

So I keep a book in my car that I take into the doctor's office, or the dentist - or the lab when I take my mom for blood work - just so I have something to read in those places.  I even read it when I'm in the drive thru at my In N Out - they are painfully slow...  Anyway...  I pulled it out this morning to take into the dentist - good thing, too, I sat and waited for 45 minutes!  I noticed that there were 2 bookmarks in it - but one of them wasn't a bookmark - it actually was a note of things I wanted to blog about the last time I was reading the book - which was when I went to urgent care for my toenail!  I will often do that - make notes about things to blog - there is such a note sitting next to my computer right now - one of these days I'll put all the stories together in an entry.  So I was thinking that I carry around a prayer journal for prayer requests - maybe I need to carry a blog journal as well!  How crazy is that?!  Whatever works.

It Is The First Of October

Just a quick hit tonight - am tired and want to go to bed...

But what is up with the heat - must be that global warming thing!  I went to visit my mom today at noon and one of the office buildings by her place said 104!  Crazy - it is the first of October!

And my mom, God Bless Her, told me yesterday on the phone that she needed her summer things since it was going to start getting hotter.  Of course, when I got there today - she was wearing long underwear, corduroy pants and another pair of pants - no wonder she is hot!  She then decided it would be too hot to wear all of those pants outside - so she started to take them all off - which was good since I wanted to take them and wash them - but then I had to remind her three times about the new pants she decided to wear - God Bless Her again!

Anyway - enough for now - goodnight - pleasant dreams and stay cool!