RVs I like and the one I live in

Here are a few I like.










































































Here's the rig I actually fulltime in.

Update and stuff from Coffeyville, Kansas

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything to this blog as I've been getting used to working ten-hour night shifts at Amazon.com and trying to get used to this change in lifestyle for a few months. The work really isn't hard -- I'm in Receiving--and we have rubber mats to stand on and our own fans. However, I'm not used to standing for so long and by the second break, at 1:30 a.m., I'm pretty much ready to go home. But, the money is good, and it's only until the end of December. So I can usually hold out until time to go home at 3:30 a.m. Plus, all the box lifting, item sorting, and walking the long distance to the break room and back three times a night has already helped me lose six pounds in three weeks.

It's good to be living in the RV again in a beautiful area, meeting lots of new friends and reconnecting with people from last year. My friend Carol and I been doing lots of geocaching in our spare time- - have found at least twenty in the past week -- and will do more with Natalie tomorrow around Independence.

Unfortunately, my pickup decided this was the time to make its wishes known and did that with brake squealing and heavy clunking sounds from underneath. There was no way I was gong to continue driving it the three miles back from the laundromat yesterday, so used my Good Sam Emergency Road Service for a tow back to the campground. A friend here with automobile experience is going to take a look at it tomorrow. Hopefully it won't cost too much to fix - at least my fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed. In the meantime, I'm glad I've got a motorhome instead of a 5th wheel or trailer as I can put everything away and drive it in a pinch. I've also got my bike as well as friends to get rides from. It's like a small town here where everyone knows everyone else. And, people have such a wide variety of interests and talents. All it takes is a lack of shyness and the courage to actually reach out to people, so different in many ways from places I've lived before where no one talks to anyone else unless they're good friends.

Several weeks ago, before they had to leave, my friends Val and George invited me to visit the Dalton Defenders Museum here in Coffeyville, Kansas with them. So, here are some of the pictures from that trip as well as photos of the area surrounding the campground and my site here. Coffeyville Photos

We begin overtime next week, so that will add much more money to the bank account to pay off bills and more fatigue to the legs and back. However, if I can manage to get enough sleep on days off and not work too hard on those days, it will be possible to stick it out. Having been here during the winter last year, I've been making plans for weatherproofing this little RV. I bought some four-layer thermal shade fabric from Fabric Depot in Portland, Oregon for the windows. We've also arranged with farmers at a nearby Co-op to have bales of hay delivered to put around the bottoms of our rigs to keep out drafts and keep things from freezing. We'll encase them in heavy-duty plastic bags to keep out little critters wanting a nice warm bed. The carrot at the end of my time here will be several months in the Southern California desert around Blythe, as well as visiting friends and relatives in San Diego. Oh, and many paid-off bills. That will be worth the hard work and cold weather.

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

One of the interesting things I’ve found about living in my RV and traveling to various places to work for short periods of time is the necessity (and now the ability) to make good friends easily and quickly. I didn’t use to be able to do that. Not any longer, though. And that’s what makes it so hard sometimes when those friends leave after a short time.

I’ve been working with Val and George at Amazon for almost two weeks. They’re wonderful people and lots of fun to be with. They taught several of us how to play the domino game, Mexican Train, and I even won once. George is 80 years old and a real sweetheart – with a heart of gold. The work we’ve been doing isn’t hard, but it is very physically demanding, especially ten-hour shifts in the middle of the night. He hasn’t complained, but it was easy to see he was getting very tired. Heck, I’m almost twenty years younger and had a hard time.

When Val came over this afternoon to give me some “bad news,” I pretty much figured what it was. But, it wasn't exactly for the reason I thought. They need to leave tomorrow because George’s only remaining brother, of seven children, died yesterday at age 90. It’s hard to see them go after such a short time, but real-life comes first, ahead of Amazon. I wish you both well, Val and George, and will miss you both very much. Safe travels.

A Little OCD for Everyone

First, thank you Marcie at Ramblings for this one. I wanted to post it to Facebook along with the pictures, and this is the only way I figure out how to do that.

So, everyone, please enjoy this. And, don't forget to send it to 150 of your closest friends.

I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.



I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of Trans fats I have consumed over the years.


I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.


I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.



ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.


I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.


I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.


I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.



I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.


I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... Disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan .


I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.


AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.


If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. Tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician . . .



Oh, by the way.....

A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

Another Shot at Amazon.com – 2009

Last year I left early because walking on concrete floors ten hours a night was just too hard on my feet and legs. But, I loved being here and meeting so many great people. Plus the money was great. So, this year I decided to try again, this time in Shipping instead of Picking. I just got back from taking care of all the preliminary paperwork and drug test at the employment agency in Independence, Kansas, and am all set to begin work Monday night.

They gave all of us early birds the donut shift, which means we’ll work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday off. For me, that’s the ideal shift. And, in talking with others today, it seems that shift is also their favorite as well.

Saturday evening there’s going to be a Watermelon Social here at Walter Johnson Park, given by Express Personnel. At that time we’ll get to meet people, make arrangements for carpools, get our name badges, and so forth. Plus eat our share of more than 20 watermelons direct from a farmer's field in Independence.

I got here early in order to get settled in and hopefully get the camp site I had my eye on last year. And, I was lucky: one site by the covered area was still open.

There are two of these covered spots here; the other one is at the other end of the park, and they not only have roofs, but concrete floors, picnic tables, and electrical outlets. This is going to be great, a perfect place to sew and do other things that need more space than my motor home has. I understand they're also the place where lots of people like to hang out. Perfect. I’ve already met the couple in the RV at the other side and I think we’re going to be good friends.The man has found a direct source for straw bales, perfect for insulating the underneath of RVs during the winter and has offered to join my order with his. The farmer will deliver them here directly. Again, perfect. One of the biggest problems here last years was the extreme cold weather around November on, so I'm hoping the straw bales will help. I'm also going to get some insulating board from Home Depot and some shrink-film for the inside windows.

It’s been okay living in a house again and trying to garden. However, I knew as soon as I hooked up the pickup to tow behind the RV this morning that it’s a good thing my house lease is only until the end of the year. It’s also a good thing I didn’t sell this RV. Somehow, this lifestyle has gotten into my blood. There are so many wonderful people to become friends with, so many places to explore, so many spots to stay for a while and work, so much freedom.

Many people just don’t understand that need for freedom. Let’s face it: up until three years ago, I didn’t either. I rented and owned homes for many, many years, raised two generations of kids, and was married for a total of 36 years. However, when the empty nest raised its head, the marriage ended, and it became too expensive to continue living in San Diego, living in an RV and workamping just made too much sense.

I love this life. Who knows what will happen in the future. Perhaps if the right person came along, I might consider living with him or perhaps even getting married again. However, that isn’t high on the agenda right now. My brother and sister-in-law have invited me to park my RV by their barn in Ohio, and that is a very tempting idea, at least when the weather is decent. Like most RVers, I don’t do cold weather well, mainly because these metal boxes aren’t known for their insulation. However, I would love to be around lots of family again. So, we’ll see.

In the meantime, a new segment of this life begins Monday evening—and with it, the chance to do some major bill-paying and maybe even some saving. It will be hard work, but the rewards will more than make up for that.

Time to take a walk around the park and see who else is here.

Short and sweet

It was a long driving day today, but it seemed effortless. The weather was beautiful and, because it was Sunday, there was little traffic, even through large cities such as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis.

I left my youngest niece's place in Cincinnati, Ohio around 7:00 this morning, Eastern Time, and drove 475 miles to St. Robert, Missouri. To keep sane and rested, I stopped at every rest stop along the way to get out and stretch a bit. That helped a lot.

Tomorrow will be a fairly short trip from here, in the middle of Missouri, to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, about 200 miles.

After catching up with a week's worth of mail, I'll pack some more things into the RV, attach the pickup to the towbar on the RV, and take off for Coffeyville, Kansas to work at Amazon.com for four months. What a life!

I've driven by many places I'd like to take more time to explore on a longer trip. For example, it would be fun to check out the St. Louis Gateway Arch as well as the confluence of the Mis sissippi and Missouri Rivers.

So many places!

Dachshund Adventures or What did I get myself into?

It's a doggie heaven here. Let's see: five female dachshunds, one male dachshund, and one huge male lab. The logistics are absolutely amazing, especially when my brother and sister-in-law go to work in the mornings. The girls get herded into the bedroom and adjoining bathroom with newspapers on the floor. There are several little ladders onto the waterbed for the little ladies to climb. The boys get to stay in the other bathroom during the day. Then when SIL gets home, the boys get to go outside first. Then they're brought back in the house and the girls get their chance. Everything is securely fenced, from the side garage door on, including one strand of very mild electric wire along the bottom to discourage digging.

The girls usually get to have the run of most of the house when people are home, and they are usually very sweet and well-behaved, especially when brother and/or SIL are home. However, Monday was "fun." They both go to work really early, so Linda left me a note explaining that the girls were in the bedroom, so after I took my shower, would I please let them back into the bedroom when I left, otherwise they have tendency to "get into trouble." Well, those girls were way too fast for me, and all of them escaped into the dining room (fenced off from the kitchen) when I opened the door. Since they'd only been around me a little the night before, I was still a stranger and they went crazy. Wouldn't stop barking, yipping, and snarling, and there's no way I was going to even try to pick any of them up.

I took my shower, to the barking chorus, and when I came out, it got even louder – fortissimo. There was absolutely no chance I was going to be able to herd them back into the bedroom. So, I finally gave up and just left the bedroom door open for them, figuring there really wasn't anything they could do in the dining room. No wires or anything to chew on, nothing to choke on, etc. I fastened the gate into the kitchen securely, at least I thought. As I left the house, I let the two boys out into the garage, and they could go from there into the fenced yard. I went back to my RV, secure in the knowledge that everything was okay.

However, I had to go back into the house for something about 30 minutes later and knew right away something wasn't quite right. I opened the door from the garage into the kitchen and was greeted by all five girls waiting for me at the door. One or more of them had managed to open the darned gate. Oh, geesh! So now I heard the reprise of the constant barking and snarling concerto. I rounded up a couple of kitchen towels, managed to get the girls back into the dining room, and tied the gate shut with the towels. Finally!

Everything was okay for the rest of the day as long as I didn't go back into the house. I did let the boys back into their bathroom, to the chorus of female voices.

The little monsters were so beautifully behaved when Linda got back--they even nuzzled my legs, licked my arms, and one even climbed into my lap. What’s that old saying – “Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths?”

Yesterday morning I made sure to get into the house while Linda was still there, and took my shower after she'd finished getting ready for work. Ah, those girls were perfect little angels. Before she left, she stuck them into the bedroom and left the boys outside. Those boys love me for some reason. I have no problems with them at all. The girls stayed in the bedroom/bathroom all day, and I used the boys' bathroom. I even managed to get some sewing done in the dining room.

Interesting critters.

Slowing Down in Amish Country

Today I discovered part of Amish Country in Central Illinois and felt myself slowing down as soon as I got off I-70 on the way to Arthur, Illinois. It wasn’t very peaceful driving north on I-57, the highway that eventually ends up in Chicago. However, when I turned onto Highway 133, my body kind of said, “okay, time to relax a little. You’ve been doing too much freeway driving yesterday and today.” So, take it easy I did.

After checking out Jurgen’s City Park where I was planning to stay overnight – water and electric hookups as well as good showers for $10 a night – I found that they now charged $20, a little out of my price range. So, I parked downtown and walked around a bit, stopping first in a gift and furniture store.

One of the clerks there, non-Amish, was a very friendly youngish man who has lived there most of his life. He told me lots of interesting things about the Amish people he knows, such as how the bishops of each church group there are allowed to decide what is allowed and what isn’t. Since there are twelve bishops in the area, there are a wide variety of rules, such as these:

1) One doesn’t allow telephones that are hooked up to wires. However, since cell phones are not, he allows them to be used.

2) One person owns a motor boat. The bishop asked if it had a steering wheel or a rudder. Boats with rudders are okay; those with steering wheels are not.

3) Amish people are not allowed to own automobiles. However, one person leased one and figured it would be okay since he didn’t technically “own” it. But, several bishops decided that wasn’t right.

4) Amish are not supposed to drive cars but they can ride in them. So, a whole group will get together with a non-Amish friend with a van or large car, and the whole bunch of them take trips, such as into Mattoon to Wal-Mart.

I stopped at two fabric stores. In one of them an Amish clerk was helping several other young Amish women decide which interfacing to use when making a purse. This store carried a large amount of dark gabardine and other heavy fabrics, as well as a wide assortment of modern fabrics and supplies.

I wandered through a gift store and bought a plastic bag of blue popcorn meal – had never even heard of popcorn meal, but there are recipes on the back for pancakes, corn bread, and corn meal mush. So, I’ll try it out. They also have popcorn flour and popcorn oil.

Finally, I couldn't resist a handmade chocolate ice cream drumstick in the pharmacy with an old soda fountain.

My salesperson friend told me about a back road into Mattoon from Arthur that would avoid all the Hwy 133 traffic and give me the chance to see many Amish houses, farms, and buggies. Very wonderful drive down a one-lane paved road with cornfields on either side. I saw many large white houses and barns, none of which was hooked up to any kind of power lines. Most had buggies parked outside as well as horses in the barn area. Several families riding in horse-drawn buggies passed me, and we all waved to each other. Most of the houses had beautiful flower gardens out front.

I almost hated to get back into “normal” civilization in Mattoon, but wanted to find Wal-Mart before dark since I’m staying in their parking lot overnight. What a nice surprise to find not only a good parking spot but also a wide grassy area with lots of huge trees so I could sit in the shade and read.

I’ve been interested in Amish culture since I first began making quilts many years ago. The first ones I made were of Amish design and plain saturated colors. Of course, the quilts I saw in the gift stores today were of more modern designs since I guess they sell better. However, I still love making the older kind and hand-quilting them with intricate black patterns.

I’ve also read a wonderful book by Sue Bender, entitled Plain and Simple: A Woman’s Journey to the Amish about ten times and get more out of it each time. Sue has written other books since, but that one is my very favorite.

All in all, a very good day. I loved finally being able to see actual Amish people and their farms and houses instead of just reading about them. Tomorrow, heading into Indiana and finally to Lewisburg, Ohio.

Adventures in a Wal-Mart Parking Lot at 2:00 a.m.

While traveling, I often park at a Wal-Mart overnight and have never had any kind of problem. Good lighting, good security, and a place to buy necessities or just wander. Last night I pulled into one in Missouri that had probably the largest parking lot I've ever seen, and parked at the corner of the far end of the lot, exactly where the woman in Customer Service had told me to park. Everything was fine--until about 2:00 this morning. I awoke to find a large semi-truck parked about a car's length in front of me--with its generator going full steam. I looked outside and discovered there was an entire parking lot in which the guy could have parked his rig. Why right in front of me with that whole expanse of parking available?

Since my motorhome is so small and I wasn't towing the pickup this time, I was able to maneuver around and move as far away from the guy as I could to the other far end of the lot. But, my question is, why did I have to do that in the first place? After all, if I wanted to hear generator noise all night, I could have pulled into a Flying J or something.

To be generous, perhaps he was tired after a long day on the road and pulled in late, not realizing this little rig parked with the step lowered and the slide out perhaps had someone sleeping in it. Or, maybe he was just being rude. Sure does make me wonder, though.

Perseid Meteor Shower, August 12, 2009

No matter where I've been, I've rarely missed a Perseid Meteor Shower. So, this morning I drove west on Hwy. 60 from Bartlesville toward Pawhuska, Oklahoma around 4:45 a.m. , figuring it would be a higher elevation, away from the low fog in the valley. Found a good spot on an off-road, parked the pickup, pulled out a chair, and waited. The half-moon was really bright, but at least it moved almost directly overhead by 6:00 a.m. Looking mainly toward Orion, I saw three very bright meteors. I listened to crickets in the field, watched the pink glow of sunrise to the east, and tried to avoid bright headlights coming up the highway. The meteor shower could have been more visible, but there are more coming up soon, such as these:

ORIONIDS
Predicted Maximum: October 21 (broad and irregular)
Moon: Waxing Crescent (no interference)

WHEN TO WATCH: From about 1:00 am until twilight gets too bright, on any morning from Tuesday, October 20 through Thursday, October 22.
-----------------------
LEONIDS
Predicted Maximum: November 17, ~21:00 UT (=Nov. 17, 1:00pm PST; Nov. 17, 4:00pm EST)
Moon: New Moon (no interference)

WHEN TO WATCH: The predicted outburst, perhaps with rates of 100-500 Leonids per hour, strongly favors Asian observers, who should watch on the morning of November 18. North American observers should especially try to cover the morning of Tuesday, November 17 in case of unusual activity leading up to this peak. The Moon will be completely out of the picture and will not cause any problems.
----------------------------------------------------
GEMINIDS
Predicted Maximum: December 14, ~5:00 UT (=Dec. 13, 9pm PST; =Dec. 14, 12am EST)
Moon: New Moon (no interference)
(radiant map from IMO)

WHEN TO WATCH: The Geminids have a fairly broad maximum, so viewing should be productive throughout the entire night of December 13/14 (late Sunday evening into Monday morning). New Moon this year allows coverage of the entire night. Sunday morning, December 13 and Monday evening, December 14 could be worth watching as well.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Perseids should be visible tomorrow morning as well, so perhaps I'll try again.

Mouse update

I'd just about given up on catching the critter, especially when it maneuvered itself into the living room, chewing on the inside of the couch. Couldn't see it, of course, but heard the little chomping noises. I listlessly tossed a couple of baited traps under the couch, not expecting a thing.

I just got back from the store and heard squeaking in the kitchen. Could it be????? Ta -da! Mighty Mouse got a little too greedy and stuck to the trap with his mouth around a hunk of cheese. Just in time, too. I had visions of it scampering all over me at night since I've been sleeping in the living room while it's hot.

Ode to the kitchen mouse

Just call me the sweet little mouse feeder. Five sticky traps along the kitchen floor baseboards and one on the counter, each one with a small piece of smelly extra sharp cheddar cheese in the middle because the monster has managed to avoid all the plain, out-of-the-box traps. One tiny little mouse that's beginning to drive me crazy. I just went into the kitchen for a glass of water and noticed the cheese from one of the traps is gone. Unless there are some huge flying bugs or something . . .and then the loathsome creature proceeded to race across the kitchen floor and disappear somewhere in the laundry room. I swear it had a sneer on its ugly face and the words, "ha, ha, gotcha" coming out its horrible little mouth. Tomorrow I'm buying some regular traps. This is getting ridiculous. But funny.

Robert Burns had another idea:

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

Thinking of two old friends and celebrating their lives

This has been kind of a bittersweet day; not a particularly sad one, but making me pensive enough to head into that corner of my mind that handles grief combined with wonderful memories and thoughts.

A former college instructor and friend died the end of June, and his memorial service was held yesterday in the San Diego area. His wife had died in April and according to another friend, "Bob began to let go of life after her passing, in his own quiet, accepting, intentional way."

He was 95 years old, and in those many years, he packed so much into his life. I first met him as the teacher of my Grossmont College Creative Writing class back in the late 1960s. He used to invite class members to his house where we'd each read our current writing and receive feedback. My mother also took a class with him and attended those meetings as well. His wife Delores was a beautiful woman, much younger than Bob, with long, thick, brown hair. Their house was a haven for all of us prospective writers.

Several years later, my husband, young daughter, and I moved from San Diego to Portland, Oregon and I lost track of Bob for about 35 years. When I returned to Southern California around 2003 or 2004, can't remember which right now, I visited Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in La Mesa and was promptly greeted, by name, by a fairly elderly gentleman whom I almost remembered. There was something about him that seemed familiar. Yes, that was Bob, now almost 90 years old. Still sharp as the proverbial tack. In fact, he asked how my mother was, calling her by name as well. He and his wife were among the founding members of the church, and people there held him in very high esteem. Everyone listened to his ideas and thoughts, and laughed at his marvelous jokes.

Each year the church held their annual fund-raising auction and, true to form, Bob offered the sermon of their choice --written and given by him, to the highest bidder. Someone bid $1000 for the privilege of hearing that sermon. He also wrote and published his first fiction book at around age 90. I don't remember the title, but it was a wonderfully written romance novel.

When I did my nine-month ministry internship at that church, Bob, Delores and I became quite good friends. Although it was sad to see how much Delores had aged--much faster than Bob-- it was wonderful to see how beautifully and lovingly he cared for her.

Today James Ford, in his blog "Monkey Mind, " included a special version of the hymn, "Amazing Grace, " performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama. This has been my favorite version of the song ever since I first heard it on the car radio quite a few years ago. And tonight I dedicate it to Bob and Delores Moore, two people who truly were amazing and full of grace, both to themselves and to everyone whom they touched.

I'm sure glad I kept the RV

It's too darned hot for me! 98 degrees with a heat index of 103 at 7:00 P.M. is too much. Up to now, I've been running the air conditioner in the house all day until around 10 P.M. when it finally cools off enough to sleep with just a fan. However, after getting the electric bill yesterday I decided to do something different. The RV is parked in the back yard with nothing to do, feeling a little lonely. So, I ran an extension cord into the house, turned on the air conditioning in the RV, and have been very comfortable reading Our World in Transition by Diarmuid O'Murchu and watching "Dreamgirls." This is a much smaller area to cool than the whole house so hopefully it will make for a lower electric bill. I opened all the windows in the house to take advantage of any fresh, cooler air overnight while I sleep out here tonight. Very cozy, very nice.

I'm not sure if "The Cookie Lady" will make cookies for the volunteer training in Turley tomorrow morning. She might just slice up the banana bread she made earlier this morning when it was a lot cooler. Hmm--a new name--Banana Bread Lady? Not sure about that.

The hair-raising experience

My hair-brained, one-year experiment ended this morning. I've grown my hair from very short to fairly long since last August. It grew out nice and thick and would have been okay except for a few things I've discovered about said hair. For one thing, it has a lot of natural curl, something that didn't show up when it was short. But, rather than cooperate nicely, that curl insists on doing its own thing which made for some very strange looks. And, with the 100+ degree temperatures and high humidity here lately, the extreme frizziness also showed up. I wondered why so many women here pull their hair back into ponytails. Well, now I know. It's to keep all that hair from being plastered to their necks in this damp heat. Mine was almost long enough for a ponytail but that really didn't look very good, either. Washing and drying that hair was also a full-fledged production, taking at least five minutes with a hot hair dryer to dry. When the weather is hot anyway, not a very pleasant experience. Then it wouldn't do anything but frizz out, so I ended up pulling it back behind my ears with clips. That wasn't a very good look, either.

This morning I thought long and hard---for about five minutes. I thought about getting it cut in kind of a bob, chin length. But, a little experimenting at the mirror convinced me that a fat-looking face wouldn't be the best look. Hmmm. I called and made an appointment and they were able to help me right away. I didn't know how short to get it cut until the stylist had shampooed it---ahhh, that felt so wonderful!

I asked her to cut it short and showed her a picture. She cut off what looked like a pound of hair, letting it all fall around the chair onto the floor. As usual, she tried to doctor the now-short hair up with "product," otherwise known as gel. Although I'd asked her to just leave it wet, she wanted to show me how cool it would look gelled up into spikes. Geesh! But, the cut was good. I paid and tipped her, then drove home and washed all the stuff out. Blew it dry in 30 seconds, and voila, no more straggling frizz. An actual style. In a week it will be grown out just about right.

Sorry Lou, I tried. Maybe again when the weather isn't quite so hot and humid.

Early Morning Oklahoma, July 2009

Early this morning, it was cool outside, overcast, with a little heaviness in the air. According to the weather forecast, the humidity was about 93% with a slight chance of a thunderstorm. A slight breeze whispered through the leaves of the elm tree sheltering the front porch. Because of some painful blisters on my heels, caused by taking a long walk in bad shoes over the weekend, wearing shoes would have been torture. So, no bike ride or walk today. Instead, I pulled out a folding chair and a book, and settled down to watch and hear the neighborhood wake up.

Crickets provided a steady background rhythm to various bird songs and whistles, as did the noise of drivers heading to work in their cars and trucks on the nearby main street. Hammering sounds somewhere down the street, along with the constant screech of a powerful saw. The hoo—whee—hoo—hoo—hoo of an owl in another yard that continued for more than ten minutes at regular intervals.

I watched a squirrel race up to the perfect spot where a large branch joined the trunk of another tree. It perched there a minute, crunching its way into some kind of nut, then, startled in some way, raced down the trunk onto the grass and scampered quickly across the street to another more welcoming tree in another yard. Small black birds scratched and dug their way along the grass, searching for morning vittles, then all flew away as one.

Across the alleyway, a neighbor’s old Cadillac, black on the bottom and white on top, like an old saddle shoe, rested on its laurels---and a couple of soft tires, perhaps remembering better days and long, luxurious travels.

It looked like it was trying to remove itself from the sight next door—metal springs from a teenage daughter’s old daybed propped against the garage, along with lidless plastic trashcans sprawled awaiting a new fill-up. Considering how quickly the ivy grows here, they’ll probably disappear soon.

In my yard, orange trumpet flowers overflowed the fence. A young boy and his almost-teenage sister pedaled their red bikes down the street. They turned the corner and dogs began barking: “Hey, take us with you! We’re bored in this yard.”

The breeze picked up, rustling the leaves a little more. I felt a few tiny drops of rain, remembered the book I hadn’t yet opened, and decided it was time to go back into the house.

The cool morning turned into a hot day with no thunderstorm. I should take more time to appreciate these breaks from heat and humidity.

If you thought you understood the world we live in, think again . . .

I've been reading a rather chilling yet darkly comic novel by British writer Ben Elton, entitled "Blind Faith." Taking place about 100 years in the future, after the Great Flood caused by global warming, the story concerns a world "where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where 'sharing' is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion. . .it imagines a post-apocalyptic society where religious intolerance combines with a sex-obsessed, utterly egocentric culture. In this world, nakedness is modesty, independent thought subversive, and ignorance is wisdom."

It feels a bit strange to be reading this book while at the same time writing for Facebook and blogging, two of the things most prized, in fact, necessary and ordered by law in this new society. For example, here's a short passage I just read, a conversation between Trafford and Cassius, two rebels against the system, regarding books:

"'Almost anything that we might wish to read could be located on the net instantly and traced straight back to us. The internet was supposed to liberate knowledge but in fact it buried it, first under a vast sewer of ignorance, laziness, bigotry, superstition and filth and then beneath the cloak of police surveillance. Now, as you know, cyberspace exists exclusively to promote commerce, gossip and pornography. And, of course, to hunt down sedition. Only paper is safe. Books are the key. A book cannot be accessed from afar, you have to hold it, you have to read it."

Is this beginning to sound just a little too close to home for comfort?

Who Gets the Other Cat?

I’ve been reading a short book this morning, The Girls with Grandmother Faces by Frances Weaver. She writes about making the most of the second half of life. In her chapter called “Sisters,” she writes a little about sibling rivalry among her and her sisters and how they became best friends later in life. I loved this particular story:

The ultimate sibling rivalry/cooperation story, as far as I’m concerned, starred Mary Marn and me. The big interest in our lives focused under our grandmother’s back porch. The cat and her litter of four kittens lived there. Each day we checked to see if their eyes had opened yet. Each one of us had our chosen kitten.

“This was 1934, pre-penicillin days. My appendix ruptured. I was one sick little girl. Dad came home from the hospital realizing he had to prepare his other daughters for any eventuality—in those days, a ruptured appendix was generally fatal. After a tearful discussion of ‘Franny might die . . .’five-year-old Mary wiped her eyes and asked, ‘Who gets the other cat?'

I grew up with two younger brothers and no sisters, but I did raise two daughters. They're four years apart and were never the best of friends as kids. As adults they've discovered a love for each other that makes me extremely happy. However, there were some times . . .! Here's one of them.

The oldest had discovered my IBM Selectric typewriter that I used in my home business, and she did a pretty decent job of learning how to use it. One of the "best" things she did was prepare a very official looking document (at least for a 10-year-old) that "proved" her little sister had been adopted. Since little sister was just learning how to read, you can probably imagine her "concern" about that up-to-then unknown discovery. I'm not sure how long it took for her to figure out the whole thing was a hoax, but the oldest really had her going for a while.

Captain EO - Michael Jackson at Disneyland

There's been so much coverage of Michael Jackson in the few days since his death, I hesitate to add more to the mix. However, I'd like to share one personal remembrance of him.

In 1989, our son was just a baby and his sisters were teenagers. Although MTV was at its best, I remember being so busy most of the time I didn't pay much attention to all the performers and stars. For Christmas that year, we drove from Portland to San Diego to visit my mother whom we hadn't seen for a while. We all went to Disneyland, one of her favorite places, and she insisted we see "Captain EO" with her. That ride/exhibit just blew me away it was so good. She loved it because she's been a dance teacher her whole life and knew extraordinary talent when she saw it. Although Disneyland replaced the exhibit several years later, it was fun to see this extremely talented singer/dancer at his best.

Here's an article about the exhibit and a short clip of "We're Are Here to Change the World." Just click on either the words in red or the picture to the left.

A Hot Day With Tom Lehrer

A heat index here of 109 degrees today and for probably the rest of the week makes sticking around inside with the air conditioning blasting almost a necessity for a weather wuss like me. For the winter version of "wussiness," you might check out my blog from Nov. 30, 2008,"Confessions of Southern California Wuss,"


Since we're both transplanted creatures from Southern California now in Oklahoma, my friend Crystal and I have been finding things to do inside. One of those things has been finding videos of lots of "classic" weird songs, such as "Purple People Eater," "They're Coming to Take Me Away," and many more like them. I love them all and can probably remember the words to most of them, or at least a good percentage.

But, this afternoon it struck me alongside the head like a sloppy V-8 commercial: How could I forget the incomparable Tom Lehrer? In fact, I "discovered" him many years ago on Dr. Demento. Here are just a few. Enjoy.











The Elements
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PeLVEq6sGU

National Brotherhood Week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlJ8ZCs4jY

The Vatican Rag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f72CTDe4-0
















Poisoning Pigeons in the Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY

We Will All Go Together When We Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv6mPgtay6E