Tags: writer's block

 So, after the visit Friday of flim-flam girl, I decided I would not give her any more money, that she was indeed scaming me.  I figured it would be a long time before I asw her again, so I really was not worried about it.

Monday afternoon, sitting on the futton, beading, of course, and the door bell rings.  WOOF!  WOOF!   WOOF!  YAP!  YAP!  YAP!  Balla and Zoey go billistic each time the door bell rings.  I disengage myself from the bead tray, grab both of their collars and open the door.

At first I did not recognize her.  Her hair was down, and she was dressed differently. 

Apparently, she'd left a note under the door mat which I did not see.  She told me what it said:  she and everyone else in the house were moving that day; she was given $150.00 clothes and food.  All she needed was $30.00 and did I have $8.00.  "Not today," I told her.  She said OK, and made a face that clearly implied that was not the answer she expected.  During the conversation, she asked me to call the number on the note, to verify everything (like what?  She'd conned me out of $35.00?), and also told me undercover agents were going to go into the house--why I do not know.  And, do not care.  Anyway, she left, and if she really did move, that should be the last of her.  And, since I did not give her the $8.00, that should really be the last of her.

HURRAH!

She also told me, and I think this was Friday, that the man across the street with the Pitt Bull told her if she rang his door bell again he was going to let the Pitt answer the door.

Well, I spoke with Willie today (the Pitt Bull guy), and he told me he would never say something like that for fear someone would call the cops on him. . .

Wish I'd known that before she came back on Monday.

 This evening the door bell rang.  It was this woman who'd come to the door about 6 months ago asking for $7.50 to buy a bus ticket to Macon, GA (about 80 miles south) to see her sick Mother.

Tonight she told me she needed $15.00 to get a copy of the police report.  These teenagers shot up her truck in front of the "boarding house" "group home" she lives in.  Her young daughters were with a lady she attends church with.

I drove her to the lady's house, but not until after she took me by the house she lives in, and I saw the truck with the bullet holes:  4 in the windshield, four on the hood.

There were a couple of other teenagers at the house, and when I stopped the truck, she rolled down the window and shouted to them that she was all right.  One replied he was checking to see who had stopped.

I took her to the lady's house, and met the lady (to whom I'm known as her Angel.) and dropped her off.  I gave her $20.00.

Man, I thought MY neighborhood was rough.  She lives about 3 miles from us, and I'm here to tell you-it's   B  A   D.

So, I come home, and Bill says she was telling me a story.  I don't know.  Maybe she was.  Maybe she needed money and I'd given her money before.

Bill cannot understand why she needed the money for the police report today.

He related the story someone had given him at a gas station we stopped at on the drive back from Florida.  This guy claimed someone stole his wallet; he was a retired marine; on and on.  Bill gave him $20.00 thinking he could not have made up that story.

Then he said all the way back to Atlanta he thought about it and that the guy probably handed him a line.  

But.  He did give the guy the money.  

Maybe we both are saps.

I think next time I'll tell her I cannot help her anymore.

 So, here I am, FD&H (fat, dumb and happy), rolling along on a semi-good day.  I arrive home to this 8 1/2" x11" piece of white and yellow paper taped over the door, on the bottom of which it hand written, "CALL MY OFFICE ASAP.  CELL 000-000-0000."

wtf is this?  I call the number, a Police Officer answers, and the first questions he asks is:  "do you have a pit bull?"

If he only knew.  I am one of the few on my street who do not own a pit bull.  I nearly took his head off.

More infractions:  

Cannot have furniture meant for inside house outside house.

Cannot have tracel trailer parked in front of house unless it's in a car port.

Cannot park on grass.

Cannot have "stuff" on side of house.

He drives complaint to house for me to sign, and tells me "The Neighborhood Association" complainted.  And also about the empty house across the street from me.

Can a person blow their top after they've just blown their top all over the street?!

"That house and my house are in DIFFERENT neighborhoods.  WHAT Neighborhood Association?  WE do not have a Neighborhood Association in my neighborhood!!

Of course, this is akin to tilting at wind mills, as all these infractions are legitiment.  However, in the 18 years I've lived here, I think I've parked on the grass all of them.  We had the pop-up in the drive way 9 years.

I admit, the furniture should not be on the porch and in front of the garage door, but that's where Bill put it, and I cannot drag it away by myself.  

The ironic thing?  We can park the Travel Trailer on the side of the house!!!!  ON THE LAWN!!!  I do not understand this.

I wonder if we erect a carport can we keep the Travel Trailer in the driveway?

The least we are forced to do is pave part of the yard to allow for the 3 vehicles.  And, we have to go in front, not on the side, because the driveway has to be so many feet from the neighbors house.

Are you believing this?????????!!!!!!!

WTF?!

I know, I can hear Connie laughing now.

So, in sleeping on this, and thinking about it, I do not think the so-called neighborhood association complained re Bella.  I think when the Enforcement Officer came out, he heard Bella barking.  Partly because he told me my neighbor (Linda) has s Lab.  He had to be at her window to know that.  Because that was not on the complaint, and he was real quick to back down when I told him the papers I had on Bella said, "Part Greyhound, Part Black Dog."  He never asked to see the papers.

Apparently, this is a good thing, as Bill claims no knowledge of their whereabouts.

Wonderful.  Just wonderful.

 Yesterday I'm sitting here beading when the phone rang.  My former tennis team member and Mary Kay Consultant Charlene.  Damn!  Why do I pick up the phone without looking at the readout of who is calling?  Why have a cell phone if one does not take advantage?!

This woman is consummed with selling Mary Kay.  And I mean CONSUMMED.  

1.  I do not work.

2.  I play tennis nearly every day of the week.

3.  The days I do not play, I'm mostly at home.  When I do go out, I still do not wear make up.

4.  I do not "dress up" enough (3 times in the last year) to warrant buying expensive make up.

Charlene was trying to peddle "foundation", new and improved-a powder.  I explained I do not wear make up.  "This is foundation" she replied, again.  But, I do not wear make up.  It took me 15 minutes to convince her of how much I sweat on the court-she went into wearing a white hat to keep the sun off my head.  I explained I wear the hat to keep the sweat out of my face-and yes.  I wear a white hat in the summer.  blab. blab. blab.  get a *&%# clue you moron!  I do not want to buy your product!!!!!

She is going to a Mary Kay party, "Girls Night Out" and wnated me to be one of 3 guests she takes, who arrive in a limo-and if she gets 3 guests, she gets to ride in the limo.  And, the guests get all kinds of presents-yada, yada, yada.

In the first place, I do not need a "Girls Night Out".  In the second place, even if I did, I would not spend it with a bunch of women I have nothing in common with.  And, the excuse of "Meeting other women" does not fly with me.

What do I have to do to to get this woman off my back?!!!!

She asked me if I minded her continuing to phone and ask me to these things.  

Not as long as she doesn't mind my continuing to say "No."  I told her.  

That stopped her for a second.  But it was a short second.  She is relentless.  I am tired.

 Why is it the mornings I must wake early (0600-0700) I cannot/do not want to/ get up, and the days I do not have to leave the house, I'm awake at 0530?????!!!!!!!!!!

I have no place to be today, and I woke at 0530.  I thought it was later than that.  Was I pissed when I realized what time it was.  Crap.  Crap.  Carp.

I guess as long as I'm awake, I may as well do something usefull today.  Bue, I don't want to, I planned to still be asleep at this time.  Waaaa!

Yesterday I played a Match with this woman I'm not particularly fond of.  We had our first practice for our spring league before hand, she ahe was hitting very well.  I was actually excited.  We arrived at the match, and she played great.  For the first 3 games.  We were up 3-1.  Two games after that, when she missed a ball, she proclaimed, "I give up."  And, she did.  And the other team knew it.  It was horrible.  They pounded her unmercifully.  

At the end of the match, we shook hands with our opponents, and as we were collecting our things, she walked off the courts before I, and I took this opportunity to mention to them they picked on her.  One of them said, "I'm sorry."  "No you're not."  I replied.  She giggled.  Then the two of them and I spoke for a bit, more of their team showed up.  The Captain asked for names for the score card (both my partner and I were add-ons at the last minute and our names were not on the original roster.  After giving my name to the Captain, she asked if I'd been a tennis co-rdinator.  When I replied in the affirmative, she told me she was also, and gave me her name.  Turns out I know both her and her husband.  Then the team asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with them.

We went to "On the Border" (Mexican).  They ordered half a pitcher of Marguiretas and I declined, saying I had the fartest to drive.  Turns out the Waitress brought a pitcher of Marguiretas (for 3 of them), so I volunteered to help them out, hoping the food I was going to eat would off set the Tequila.  They all laughed at how difficult it was to twist my arm.

In the two hours I sat with them, I think they talked longer to me than the team I play with now has in two seasons.  I mean, the other team "talks" to me, but they have been together for a long time, and know each other's kids, grand kids, et al.

So, I am now a member of THIS team, which plays on Tuesdays.  My other team plays on Thursdays-different league.  That's at least 3 days I'll spend playing Tennis.  With my private lesson-that's 4 DAYS A WEEK I'LL BE ON THE TENNIS COURT.

YAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Do I sound excited?  You bet.

Of course, this is not all the time.  Leagues have their limit.  Seven weeks to the season.  Alto Thursday Ladies play in the Spring and Fall.  All I know about this Tuesday League is that it starts soon.  I think the same time as the Thursday League.  I'm hoping to play with them in the league I just played against them in for next season.

As I said, my Captain of this USTA League does not like me. She thinks I stink on the court.  She only added me last Tuesday for last Wednesdays match becauae she was desparate.  And, she was really desparate when she added the woman who played with me.    I won't be on the team next season.  

I'm also hoping to play with them for Winter USTA, as my ALTA team does not play USTA.  In the summer ALTA Senior Ladies plays on the same day as Weekday USTA, and I realized a long time ago I cannot do that anymore.  For one, by the time I have to leave for the ALTA match (it's in the evening, USTA in the mornings), I'm already at home, on the couch vegging and do not want to get dressed again and go out, especially in the summer here when it's just at hot in the evenings at the middle of the day.  

 When I went to the Dr a week ago, she said the one thing I was always thankful was not one of my problems:  loose weight of I shall develop Diabeties.  Today I had a sandwich of Genoa Salami and Boar's Head Beef Baloney on Green Leaf lettuce.  With pickles.  I wasn't bad.  In fact, I had a second sandwich.  Dr. Gregory told me to do this when I work BikeFlorida next month, and I decided it wasn't to soon to begin.  I am slowly eliminiting bread (already done so);  potatoes-have not had any all week; rice-had chinese food last sunday, and none since; pasta-last time I had any was Wednesday when I made home made Chicken soup for Bill because he was home sick, and I used Wheat Pasta.  Could not tell the difference.

I knew there would be a catalyst that would make me get serious about losing weight, but had no idea it would be this.  I am really rattled.  There's a whole bag of Peppermint Patties in the freezer, and I won't have even one.  Dr. Gregory says if I lose 10 pounds I will not have to worry about the Diabeties.  But, I am not going to stop there.  The Xenical is helping, according to their scale, I've lost 3 pounds, but I also went to the office the day after the recorded weight to give blood, and I was 2 pounds less.  BUT.  My pants are fitting better.  A pair of sweat pants that have been just a tad too short in the crotch now feel well.

I'm hoping by the ride (30 Mar to 4 Apr) I'll fit into at least one size smaller jeans.  That will mean my shorts will fit.  Of course, with my luck, the weather will be cool and I'll spend the whole week in sweats!

I'm waffling between using the cot or fulton in the back of the truck.  I do have clearance when I sit on the cot, but not that much.  Plus, with my knee, it's difficult to get onto the cot.  It's going to be hard enough getting into the back of the pick up as it is.  Getting up on the cot is added annoyance I do not need.  I think it will be better if I put the cot on the other side of the truck.  I just reallized I can do that.  Altho, I am considering the fulton along with the foan and self-inflating mattress.  

When the guys installed the cap on the pick up, they also put 3 cigarette lighter plugs in the back that run directly off the battery.  Along with charging cell phones, I can bring my laptop.  I probably won't be able to log on, but I can still play my games and keep up with my stuff.  And, who knows, I might be someplace where I can poach someones wireless connection.  

I still have a lot to get before the ride:  Coffee Pots; a wrench incase the nozzle is off the outside water (I'm hoping to work a deal with the shower guys-water for coffee); paper towels; assorted Teas; and Hot Chocolate.  And, I'm sure there are other things I need. 

I'm going nuts.  It'll be better once I get everything and get there.  This is a strange ride this year.  We do not move until Tuesday.  Sunday is actually registration day, and they have a 10 mile loop.  Monday they ride about 35 miles and return to camp.  So, I won't have to tear down Monday morning after coffee-just do laundry.  And, I wish I'd get more reservations!!!  I have not counted, but i only have a handful of towels reserved, and maybe 4 chairs.  Come on, people!

 Today Bill and I painted the ramp of the Haulmark Trailer.  We also put together a shelving unit, and now the brewers, two of the cambros, and the turkey cookers are stacked there.  We figured out how to section off and pack the trailer; that is a big relief.  Now I just have to figure out what to do with the spare tire.  It's a full sized tire and there is no good place to put it.  I'm hoping it can be mounted on the "V" in the front of the trailer.  It'll be out of the way and within easy reach if I need it.  I just do not have any idea how I'd jack the trailer up to change a tire.

My registrations are trickling in.  I hope they pick up in the next few weeks.  I'm only taking 40 chairs.  I figure that's enough.  Of course, if suddenly 40 riders want to reserve a chair in the new few weeks, I guess I'll take more.  

Post 16 things about you.

1.  I look younger than my age.

2.  Girls have always liked me, although I've never liked them that way.

3.  I always played with boys when young; baseball, making forts, cowboys and indians.

4.  I never played with dolls.

5.  Out of 3 girls, I'm the only one who inherited my father's naturally curly hair, and yes, I hate it.

6.  Married twice-second time is the charm.

7.  I'm allergic to dogs (have 2), cats (have 5), dust mites, mold, pecan wood.  Take Zyrtec.

8.  Never thought I'd date a RedNeck let alone marry one.

9.  I like grits and corn bread.

10.  Hate "bar-b-que".

11.  I saved the live of two drowning adults-in two separate incidents.

12.  I first began beading in the late '60's.  Picked it up again around 1990/91.

13.  I'm a Tatter, getting to be a lost art in most of the country.

14.  I've made my own pocketbooks since I was 13.  Without a pattern.

15.  I come from a long line of people who make their living with their hands.

16.  I hate Brown.