Says Me

I found the coolest website: 29-Day Giving Challenge.

Give one thing away each day for 29 days. Why? Because to see the world change, we have to do something to change the world.

Your 29 gifts can be anything -- material objects, money, your time, smiles or kind thoughts.

Wow. This is something I really want to do. I initially thought that I needed to come up with a list of ideas to get going. But I've decided to plunge in and start right now.

I am giving you the same Challenge. Let's live with less by giving more.

Mom said something yesterday that absolutely devastated me.

She admitted to the pain doctor that she has to sit "just so" when driving because sometimes her ankle hurts if she pulls back a certain way, making it hard to move her foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal.

While she was getting her shot, I sat in the waiting room and wept. I tried our doctor's office, but knew the answering service would be on. I knew that if I left a message she would surely call me back while we were still together and how would I explain that to mom?

So I wrote a note to the pain doctor. I asked her to tell our doctor what mom said. I told her that she drives a 26-mile round trip to work four days a week. That her "confession" scared me.

The day we take away my mom's car keys is the day I might as well kill her.

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ~ James 1:3, NLT

This was the Bible verse of the day from K-Love this morning. Whew, this was an endurance growing day.

Mom got her shot today. I think we were both really worked up with negative expectations over what the experience would be like. In the end, she said the idea of it was worse than the shot itself.

She's feeling some relief already. She's supposed to be on "bed rest" today and very low key tomorrow. I told her that even though she is feeling good that there are reasons she's supposed to take it easy, even if she's feeling better. Fingers crossed that she does what she is supposed to do.

OK, something to share that drives me nuts regardless of my mental state. After the appointment we had some lunch, then came to hang out at my house for a while. As I am unlocking my door, she says that she noticed the clothes I'd thrown in the (outdoor) trash can, had pulled them out and put them in her car.

What??

"Well, I'll wash them and donate them to the shelter."

At which point I tell her that even I can tell the difference between clothing appropriate to give away and those that are stained, worn, yicky items.

The truth is, my mom can't throw away anything. No, really. I'll post pictures some day. Truthfully, I'd already thrown two used pee pads (complete with poop) on top of the clothes and she still dug them out.

I told her that is why I don't like her around when I clean. She thinks everything can be used again. EVERYTHING.

Three nights this week there has been someone I've thought about that I've heard from the next day.

First, we had a huge fire at a local university Tuesday night. It made me think of a friend who graduated from there that I haven't heard from in a while. There was an email at work the next morning.

Wednesday night I thought about a former co-worker and wondered to myself how her babies were doing. I even thought, Oh, they're not babies any more, they're little girls now. Yesterday morning at work was an email link to view a slide show of the two girls.

Last night on the way home, I thought how interesting it was that I'd heard from these folks after thinking of them. I thought to myself, Who would I like to hear from tomorrow? I thought about a couple of people, then decided that I really wanted to hear from someone I'd sent an email to on Wednesday. An old classmate. I let him know our 25th high school reunion is scheduled for October. Things were really awkward between us last time we talked and I seriously thought I wouldn't hear back from him.

But in my email this morning? Yep, he wrote back.

Man, I need to seriously decide who I'd like to hear from tomorrow!!

OK, pray-ers. I need your good ju-ju tomorrow.

My friend gets her port for chemo in.

Mom gets the epidural pain blocker for her spinal stenosis.

Thanks.

So, as I mentioned earlier, a piece of my stimulus package is being used for some pest control.

My neighbor Terminex-ed recently and I have had a huge swarm of roaches move in. I can flip on the light switch and six or eight (that I can see) will scatter. These dudes are large and brave.

Monday night I heard a strange clacking on Gigi's dry dog food dish. When I flipped the light on, there was a roach carrying off a piece of her kibble. A large piece of kibble.

It eventually dropped it and ran, but that's when I knew my little spray bottle wasn't going to make much headway...

A cool website: How I Spent My Stimulus

In January, Congress approved $152 billion in economic stimulus checks for millions of American households, intended to boost the economy and avert a recession. Just how this money will be spent remains to be seen. We hope this website helps shed some light on where the stimulus money is going.

Mine came today. Originally it was earmarked towards credit card debt, but instead is being used for some necessities:

67,500 mile check-up for my car ($88)
Pest Control visit ($65)
License renewal ($54.30)
Summer Spanish class ($95)
New dusk to dawn light ($250)

Turns out the stimulus came in the nick of time!

Would y'all do me a favor? My movie friend Jeff is at it again. I received this email today:

"Roger Clemens continues to deny he has ever used steroids or human growth hormone. But this weekend he placed third in the Kentucky Derby." -- Jay Leno