Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Golden Reflection



This is a little barn that Randy's grandpa made a bazillion years ago that he used to play with as a kid. Now it hides under our holly.


Today is a golden hump day!
One of those days where I wake up bright and cheerful to sunshine and pay attention to details that I would normally miss.

Not much has been going on to talk about, but things that have happened, tiny as they are have big meaning for me.


Last weekend was the Duck game of course... at T & K's.
They had one of those Subway sandwiches made for a giant and tons of finger foods. Our Ducks, now moved up to #2 in the nation won, but not without cost. Three of our best players were taken out by injury.
One hauled off field to the hospital with head injury after he was slammed in a totally illegal move. Helmet to face.
There is rumor that the gentleman who slammed him will be ejected, but that is up to the Pac 10 folk.
He seems to be okay, if you can believe what the news says, but we will see how long it takes before they allow him to play again.
If nothing else, it should prove that even with 3 of our very best taken down, we can prevail.
We have a by this week. A good thing... time for our fellows to heal.


The next day was our little N's birthday.
N is Randy's only grand daughter, who turned 4 and could not be sweeter or cuter. She sat on my lap and played with my blouse ties much of the time we were watching the game the day before.
I am completely captured by this little heart.
Her mom and I were drinking strawberry daiquiris.
Her mommy, Randy's only daughter, turned to me and said
"Yep, you're grandma... my mom hates that, but I'm okay with it!"
I appreciated that.


The birthday party was supposed to be at a Chuckie Cheese, but they were so crowded and they did not keep our reservation... so we moved it to another local pizza place where they were thrilled to put up with so many of us.


N didn't care. She was ready to play, eat and open presents!
In the end, it was a success... of course. N kept running up to me to show me her presents, and I got a great big hug when it was time to go.
Almost all the family was there. One of Randy's boys could not make it and his ex had to work. Otherwise it was the entire clan and many friends. My list of folk I know here is growing.


The last few days I have been busy doing the application thing.
Its like some wild river that never seems to reach the ocean.
Yesterday we took back the aps that I collected on Monday.
Here's one annoying thing... Monday I go to the place where the Emp. Div. sent me... with the warning that if I do not go there I can loose the benefits I've been denied and appealed. So off we go and its way out yonder in the paw paw patch at the outskirts of life here. I walk in and there is a big sign that reads:
WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!
Swell.
About that time the phone rings and its Randy's best friend, who he has been trying to get over to meet me for some time now... she's at our house. My Emp. Div. wild goose chase caused us to miss that.
Well crap!


Otherwise, everything is still sunny and warm and my spirits are high.
The only real plans we have for now are to get together with his daughter and her two kids and his son's fiancee and her daughter for the fun of it.
His son, R just reenlisted in the National Guard and has flown south to train for 9 weeks. We thought that might cheer his fiancee up.


There you have it. Family is what I am gaining now. I have a wonderful family that I treasure, but there is room here for more...
these kind and accepting people have improved my life.
I find myself here on a golden hump day, grateful and happy.


Big grins everyone!

30 comments:

  1. Between your nice big family and Randy's nice big family, you guys are indeed golden!
    Sorry about the employment runaround, though. Keep smiling :-)

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  2. That's just wrong. You're supposed to be submitting applications, and they're not taking them? No wonder people turn to crime.

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  3. laura b.-- We are! I grew up in a big family and I love having that closeness.

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  4. Michael-- I agree! I was flabberghasted.

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  5. what if an unemployed person can't afford to travel to these interviews?

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  6. billy pilgrim-- That's a very good question. Near as I know they don't give gas vouchers. But they don't tell you things.

    Wanna hear another pisser? They told me that in order to get my unemployment (as it stands) that I need to earn 4 times my weekly benefit amount to requalify. Ok. But if I work for myself, it will not count and I will be docked 25% of my benefits if caught working for myself! So I'm not supposed to babysit or take side jobs that are not through a regular company. That's bull spit! How am I supposed to live with no money?

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  7. That's a very cool little barn.

    Can you work odd jobs and be paid under the table and just not report it? How would they know? Fingers crossed that something good turns up soon.

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  8. Pac 10, huh? I prefer the Pac 6.

    You didn't miss much with the pizza party. i use that one as a "substitute swear" around the kids: Oh, Chuck E. Cheeses!

    Maybe you and Randy should go on a different sort of wild goose chase, a tastier sort. You do have a shotgun, right? I think that might be more rewarding. Apricot glaze, wild rice pilaf, baby carrots, a nice red....

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  9. Maybe you should write a book. I think you're good enough to be published. :)

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  10. secret agent woman-- It seems to me that they invite working under the radar. I don't know how anyone can survive if they don't. I just think that is a rotten stipulation. It makes more sense to me to allow people to do whatever they can to earn an income.

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  11. Cricket-- Haha! I use "cheese and rice!" said with gusto. But I'll add that one to my fake swears.

    Okay, now I'm hungry! I see Canadian geese all the time. Hummmm...

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  12. branwynne-- Wow. Thanks! I've thought about it, but I have a good friend who is ten times the writer that I am and he has been having a tough time selling his book. It is a scary prospect to me.

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  13. Those kind people have improved your life, but I think you have also improved theirs. Kids can be good judges of character and N seems to have judged yours quite well.

    I hope the job wars work out for you. It can be frustrating and I'm glad to hear you're keeping yourself happy in the interim.

    Your Ducks won and my Bucs won. It was a good weekend for us both. And while I'm at it, yay for giant Subway sandwiches, or any giant sandwiches for that matter. Yum.

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  14. Cube-- Yay for your Bucs!

    It was a great weekend... glad it was for you too.

    That sandwich was huge... and came with a big tray of everything they offer to add as toppings. T said there was no sandwich left, but he made a heck of a chef salad with the left over toppings.

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  15. Sounds yummy to me either way.

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  16. Cube-- Me too. And as much as I truly hate to admit it, your Yankees are doing so well! No offense, but being a Red Sox fan, I'll be rooting for the Rangers. YOu understand I'm sure. ;-) Tell Mr. Cube that I feel his pain. Hee hee.

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  17. Cheers to Golden Hump Day, and I hope that your luck with finding a job turns for the better soon. Enjoy that family and take care.

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  18. I read this and didn't comment. Oops. Sounds nice to have an expanded family, grandma.

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  19. You root for whomever you want. Happily, we can agree to disagree.

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  20. Shife-- Cheers to you too! Give Tank a good pat and that boy of yours a hug for me. Enjoy.

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  21. Cube-- That's just one of many things I like about you.

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  22. You quit a secure job before securing another job in an iffy economy. It was your dumb choice to do that, therefore you do not deserve unemployment, deal with it.

    That is how it works in this country, you can't just up and quit a job because you want to move, and you can't expect to get unemployment until you find a job until you do, if you do at all.

    Any idiot knows that. Give it up and take whatever work you can find.

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  23. BBC-- I might agree with you if moving here was about getting a job.

    This was a careful decision. These were the things we considered:

    We could have continued our long distance relationship, but it was expensive financially, dangerous to drive in bad weather and ate a great deal of time we could be enjoying each others company.

    My home up there had three times the utility bill that this much larger and far nicer home has. We save money by my moving here.

    The school district had another loss of funds in the millions and we were told that hours would be cut, people would lose jobs. So, no you are incorrect, my job was not secure. I had in the past suffered hours cuts. I am a year to year contractor, there is no promise of employment at the end of any school year.

    The last time I collected was in 1983, in California who has different rules.

    I have always worked at whatever job I can find as long as its honest work.

    I disagree, in poor economic times, folk often take a risk and relocate hoping that job prospects will be better. You may recall a thing called "the dust bowl".

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  24. Ducks look really good, especially with the Alabama and Ohio State losses. I'd love to see a championship between them and Boise. It would be something like 55 - 50, I think. In any case, BC is hideous this year, so I need someone else to root for (not that I'll quit being an Eagles fan, but to finish in the top spot, I mean.)

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  25. Yikes! Billy the Bitter is back and he's as full of piss and vinegar as ever.

    In my opinion, by giving him a point-by-point refutation of his comment you're being too nice to him. If it were me, I'd give him the same two barrels that he so often gives you.

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  26. Suldog-- Yay! Jump on the Duck bandwagon for a time. I agree 100% about a national play off between the Ducks and Boise... that should be quite a game that can go either way. However, we Ducks don't count on it... there are half of the games left. There could be injuries, others are beginning to catch on to our tactics and finding ways to counter them. Its not over until that fat lady stops screeching.

    Saturday morning I crawled over the man to get to the remote to watch your Eagles and it was a good game. I really thought they had it there a few times.

    Yeah, those Badgers were the day's heroes as far as I was concerned.

    The Pack 10 is now led by both Oregon teams... Ducks and Beavers. So this year our civil war will be for pack dominance. If you can catch it, do... because the emotions will be high and it's up at the Beaver's home. Anything can happen and I have to admit to a strong admiration for Jaquiz Rogers!

    Thursday evening the entire nation can watch the Ducks at Autzen play the Trojans... and that is always an interesting game. USC may not be able to play for the Roses this year, but they have not laid down to die. They are hitting it hard.

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  27. Cube-- I am sure that you are right.
    I do not know why he is so against the idea that love can work out, but that is just how he is. I seem to offend him by being happy here.

    Who knew I had that kind of power?

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  28. You know me...I'm a sucker for love and romance, so I'm totally rooting for you. I'm sure everything will be so much better in a few months.

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  29. I can't believe you are bothering to defend yourself. You don't need to, you know.

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