Who You Calling Old?

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"You can tell we're getting old!" quipped the daughter of a friend (and a member of the youth group way back when I was the leader) after she and her husband spent a day hopping from one garden center to another.

I eyed her strong, willowy, not-quite-30 body, that rather unjustly, is not yet even showing signs of being pregnant and wondered.  If succumbing to the siren call of suburban landscaping marks a person as "old,"  what on Earth does that make me??

Hubby and I have drifted into the territory of going together to have blood work done at the hospital and then (as if that weren't bad enough) heading to the local diner for breakfast where we bicker over the menu.  I comfort myself with the knowledge that we haven't slipped into blue hair and velcro sneakers.  Yet.

What I want to know is when the heck did this happen?  I do know how old I am....still on the "good" side of 50, but I can see the other side from here and I don't even have to stand on my tippy-toes.  Yet, the mirror catches me by surprise.  Every. Single. Time.

Plodding into the bathroom each morning I expect to look into the mirror and see the fresh-faced, athletic, but slightly curvy 20-year-old I was when I got married looking back at me.  What I find instead is that she moved a long time ago and left no forwarding address.  The new woman staring back at me has a lot going for her, but it's going to take her a while to get it going.  Maybe you could check back around noon?

She peers at me through eyes that are simultaneously puffy, saggy, and wrinkly....and near-sighted because she left her glasses on the stand by the bed.  One eyebrow is turning gray.  Yes, only one.  Her chin has a twin and it sprouts hair like a mountain goat!  Her freckles have multiplied exponentially thanks to years of sun worship before anyone ever heard of SPF.  The gray in her hair defies all efforts to hide it and reappears two days after a $120 dye job.  Her muscles ache, her joints pop, and her ankles swell.  When she does remember to grab her glasses, they're bifocals.  To add insult to injury, when she turns on the radio for some music to cheer herself up....she has to tune in the OLDIES station to find her favorite songs.

As I stare at her in confusion (and maybe a bit of horror) she just nods and smiles like she knows something I don't.  Like maybe even though she isn't what anyone is ever going to call a hottie again, and despite all the aches and pains and inconveniences, that just maybe the best stuff is still waiting.

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Amber of Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock at a Time invites us, each Tuesday to join her in Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!  The idea, which she borrowed from Glamour Magazine, is to celebrate our little "quirks."

Hey, It's Okay....

...to have put the exercise equipment you bought at a garage sale outside under the Shadynook, because suuuuurrrrrre you're going to exercise in the backyard where your mom, the neighbors, God, and everyone else can watch for their amusement.

...to be mad at your husband for being mad at you for putting corn husks down the garbage disposal.  How were you supposed to know they'd turn into all these stringy fibers and gum the thing up?

...to carry on as bad as the kids on the bus when one of them lets fly with a big old stinker that makes everyone's eyes water.

...to encourage your dog to do something bad because it's so darn cute.

...to not know if you're just experiencing end of the year burnout or if you really don't like your job any more.

...to be more than ready to pack your bags and leave everyone and everything far behind.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday

Time to join up with Amber for a little bit of It's Okay Tuesday, the blog-hopping meme that allows us to celebrate our uniqueness.  Pop over to Amber's blog for an explanation and the "rules."  *There really aren't any.*

Hey, it's okay...

...to think the whole season ending "cliff-hanger" on How I Met Your Mother is pretty lame at this point.  After 8 years, do I even care any more?  Nope.

...to hope The Big Bang Theory never ends.  *Love me some nerds!*

...to LOVE Jon Stewart's take on the whole IRS targeting right wing groups...or groups they suspect of being right wing...or groups whose members are predominately right handed.  *Just be warned, if you watch it, Jon swears up a blue streak...which I do NOT love.*

...to not really be sure how you feel about bacon scented candles.

...to pick your favorite flavor of Tootsie Pops out of the bag before you pass them out to the kids on the bus.  *Hey, blueberry is rare and you only get a couple of them here and there.  THEY. ARE. MINE.*

...to think there is no pit in hell deep enough for Kermit Gosnell.

...to think it's pretty cool that Angelina Jolie has gone public with her double mastectomy.

...to every once in a while become that annoying woman in the checkout line who counts out the exact change.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Hodgepodge Neighborhood

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It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like YOU, so, would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor?  Truly, it is seriously gorgemous today!

Just FYI.....I happen to live in the original neighborhood.  Yep, Latrobe is the hometown of Fred Rogers.  Hang around long enough and somebody will point out his childhood home and you'll see other familiar names from the show around town, too.  Like McFeely (which was his mother's maiden name and is his middle name) and Okonak.  Someone will undoubtedly tell you to hit the local amusement park where you can ride a real trolley through and interactive, animated Neighborhood of Make-Believe.  Oh, and he's buried here, too, but nobody will tell you where....even though we know.

 

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1.  This week's Hodgepodge is Volume 123.  What's something you've done recently that was as easy as 1-2-3? 
~ Tonight's supper will fall into that category.  In honor of the beautiful weather we'll be having grilled burgers, corn on the cob, and fried zuchinni.

2.  The Wednesday Hodgepodge also happens to fall on the first day of May ...what is something you may do this month? 
~ We may go to Erie over Memorial Day weekend.  We both have family up there that we could visit and we promised the sister going on vacation with us in July that we'd visit the wineries near Erie and stock up on some of the fruit blend wines her husband likes so much.

3. The Englishman Horace Walpole is credited as saying, "The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think"  How do you see it?
~ I suppose it could be a little bit of both.  If you watch enough of the news you're bound to think we're doomed.  I think we are still in the middle, though moving more toward tragedy.  On the whole, though, I try to focus on the positive and just appreciate the wonder of God's creation.

4.  May is National Hamburger Month...how often do you eat a burger? What are your must-haves when it comes to burgers?  I assume you vegetarians won't be celebrating so tell us what you'd like instead? 
~ We're actually having burgers today!  We usually don't have them more than once a month.  I like mine with ketchup (has to be Heinz....it's a 'Burgh thing) on the bottom bun, under the burger and then cheese melted on the burger and lettuce and tomato on top.

5. Pansies, petunias, geraniums, impatiens...of the four mentioned, which is your favorite in a patio pot? Will there be pots on your patio this spring? (Or whenever spring comes to your part of the globe?) Who does the gardening at your house?
~ Yes, there will be pots!  I always have pots.  I like geraniums and impatiens.  Pansies and petunias are pretty, but they tend to get fried in our sun....there isn't a lot of shade anywhere that I put pots.

6. When did you last (literally or figuratively) shout "Mayday, Mayday!"
~ Figuratively, I'd say it was when I wiped out on the ice in the parking lot at work and couldn't get up.  It would have been literally if I'd thought of it.  That would have been really funny.

7.  Say farewell to your April in ten words or less. 
~ Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

~ The parental units are in Texas today.  They only have about another 150 miles to go to reach Houston.  They went down there for the NRA's national convention.  Megan and I both asked for Duck Commander/Duck Dynasty stuff for our gift.  We know Willie will be there because he is running for the board of directors.  Mom says she's going to get her picture with him so she can tell us "neener, neener, neener."  Thanks Mom.  Unless somebody points him out to her, she probably won't even know him if she falls over him since I don't think she's ever watched the show.

A Post About Nothing...And A Bit Of Thankfulness

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In the words of an I Can Has Cheesburger cat, "Writer's block....I has it."  I'm sitting here staring at the screen, hands on the keys....WAITING.  Waiting for what?  I don't know.  My muse to speak?  Lightning to strike?  A post to magically pop into my head?  Whatever, it's just not happening today.  So instead of an inspirational post I leave you with some funnies about writer's block and my continuing list of things I am grateful to God for.

See?  I told you.
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Yep!
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At least I've retained my sense of humor, right?  Right??

On to the counting....

61.  Good insurance and access to good health care.

62.  Sunroof open and music blasting on a warm Spring day.

63.  Lots of hours on the job for a daughter.

64.  The constant drone of lawnmowers and the smell of fresh cut onion grass.

65.  A flag, tattered and faded, but still waving proudly on the breeze.

66.  Medicine that seems to be helping...and in more than just the intended way.

67.  A hug from my mom before she left for vacation.

68.  Fuzzy socks on a cold, rainy day.

69.  A Savior who was not...bland, wimpy, or serenely untouchable...but alive and passionate and completely touchable.

70.  A phone conversation with my son!  It's a start.

 

You Can Lurk, But You Can't Hide!

The blogging experts I listened to at the Relevant Conference back in October advised against checking your blog stats daily unless of course your blog is a business.  Then you kind of need to look at stats to analyze what brings people to your blog so you can bring more people to your blog and make money.  If you blog as a ministry or just for fun as a hobby...checking your stats can start a vicious addiction.  It can get pretty demoralizing, too, if the numbers stay small.  The advice I took to heart was that if you're blogging for God, put it in God's hands.  Pray about the blog, about what you write, about who reads it....and trust Him to bring whoever needs to see it to you.  If you never know they were there, it doesn't really matter.

That said, I still check my stats, but not as often and not to see how many people are reading.  I just think it's fun to see where all you people come from and what brought you here.  Do you ever look just for the fun of it?

Just this week I've had visitors from:

Maryland

Iowa

Tennessee

Michigan

Georgia

Oregon

Oklahoma

Nebraska

Texas

Alaska

Alabama

Maine

Ohio

California

Virginia

New York

Arizona

and Illinois.

As well as:

Germany

Dubai

Bangkok

Australia

Netherlands

Stockholm

Wilayah Persekutuan (????)

London

Holland

Moscow

Hanoi

New Zealand

and West Bengal.

And the searches that brought them:

Okay/It's okay  (and really it is, usually)

Bored (Consider yourself lucky...if you're bored then nothing horrible is happening)

Bucket List (Good for you! Life is short, get out there and do something!)

Giraffe Neck (I happen to have a funny picture on the blog related to this.

I found it when I was looking for something else.  Why are you actually searching for giraffe neck?  

You aren't an international smuggler of rare animals are you?)

Banquet Centerpieces (Wow...you were really disappointed when you ended up here, huh?)

Irish Blessings (I don't know about blessings, but I dare you to say "Irish Wristwatch.")

Road Trip America (I must say, America was built for road trips.)

Where have you been?  (Right here.  Why, where have you been?)

Beach Bonfire (I think we could be friends.)

Have a Coke and a smile. (Love to, but I'm cutting back on the Cokes.)

Girls Who Are Gossiping. (Are you looking for dirt or have you been dished on?)

Round-faced preteen girl. (Okay, this one just scares me.)

One little aside.....someone out there in Norman, Oklahoma keeps visiting my blog.  Admit it, it's YOU, isn't it Toby?  I know you're checking up on me.  ROFLMBO!!

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Happy Valentine's Day

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Yeah.....so not really a fan of Valentine's Day.  I do give cards and a small gift to the kids, but as for the grand gesture, date-to-end-all-dates, fabulous jewelry, and other crazy hoopla.....not so much.  That doesn't mean I've never done any of that or wanted it, but I think I've grown past the insanity of the commercialized holiday.  If you really want to give me roses, do it some day it's unexpected and doesn't require taking out a loan.  A nice dinner is welcome any time, but I'd rather go when the place isn't packed to the gills and the hostess isn't timing how long it's taking you to chew because someone else is waiting for the table.

I guess my two big peeves about today are the thought that saying "I love you" because it's the expected thing to do doesn't mean much and that going broke living up to expectations is stupid.

On a smaller peeve level, I just think the whole day cheapens love and what God intended it to be.

Still, if you get all excited about it, good for you and Happy Valentine's Day!


If you don't have a sweetheart to celebrate with, here are some pick-up lines to help you meet that special someone.

One Final Hat

Last one.  Last day of school.

Finally!

A Final Hat & A Prayer Request

Today's hat is the final hat.  I work tomorrow, but I also have to go to the company Christmas party in the evening....and there isn't enough time to fix "hat-head."  Today's gem is my favorite.  It's a new one.  Notice the little white button on the side.  Push it and the hat comes to life.  The top stands straight up and then swings back and forth to the hat singing (in an elf voice) Jingle Bells and cracking jokes.

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Please pray for my son.  He's been suffering with a kidney stone for over a month.  A couple of weeks ago he ended up hospitalized because of a massive infection....and had a bad reaction to the antibiotics they gave him.  They put a stint in then.  This Tuesday they finally went in and broke up the stone with a laser, removed the original stint and put in a smaller one.  He ended up going back to the ER yesterday afternoon and being admitted.  The last we had heard the thinking was that he was having another reaction to antibiotics, but they were doing a sonogram late last night to look at his kidney.  The symptoms are scary:  high fever, vomitting, swelling, chest pains....  His wife is beside herself and convinced the doctors are all idiots and his kidney is failing.  We could use prayers for healing and also for calm and clarity.  It would be wonderful to see him out of pain for Christmas.

Elf Me!

Here's today's hat.  Appropriate, because I am

totally in elf-mode from here on out.

The following scene from the movie, elf,

is totally on the mark...the next

four days I will be running on 

faith (of course)

sugar

and 

caffeine!

Throwing Myself a Pity Party

Something my son said over the weekend has stuck in my mind.  And my craw.  It's made me mad (because it's not the first time he's said something unthinking that has really hurt).  It's made me sad (because there's a lot more truth to it than I want to think about).

The whole family went out to our favorite pizza place for lunch on Saturday.  My husband has a bit of trouble hearing conversation in crowd situations and rather than try, he tends to zone out and people watch or if there is a television he will watch it whether he can hear it or not.  It's frustrating any time, more than a little annoying, and a lot lonely if you're out alone with him.  It's hard not to take it personally that he'd rather watch what's going on at the next table than try to talk with you.

Anyway, the hubs and I ended up in a typical conversation for that setting.  Me trying to get through to him, him not hearing and getting it all confused, me getting a little irritated.....and suddenly I realized my son was laughing.  Not with us, but at us.  He looked across at his wife and said, "Mom and Pops are getting old.  It's like listening to your grandparents."  Her grandparents are in their 70's.  I'm not even 47 yet (I have two weeks yet!).  When he caught on that I was just a tad miffed, sonny boy tried to cover by saying he said we were like watching an old comedy show.  He said no such thing!  And like that would make it any better??

I moved on from it.  I did.  But today has it all coming back to haunt me.  It's a beautiful, gorgeous, summer day out there and I've been stuck just puttering around doing things myself, because.....the hubs?  He went outside for maybe 45 minutes before lunch.  Came in and grabbed something and ate in front of the television.  Never asked or gave me a chance to make lunch for the two of us.  Once he finished eating he said he was stretching out across the bed for half an hour.  Two and a half hours later he got up, ate something else, looked out the window and said he'd go out at 5:00 when it might be cooler.  He went back in the bedroom.  I suggested he watch television in the livingroom with me.  He said the fan was blowing in there (there's a fan out here, too) and that's the last I've seen of him.  He's asleep again. 

I don't know if he is playing with depression again or it's something physically wrong.  What I know is it's getting old.  I try to do everything I'm supposed to do to be a good Christian wife, but our relationship hasn't been a priority for him in years.  Time for me is always second on his list of things to do and I'm struggling here.  We have very few friends and do little with them or with our families, because I can't make plans due to the amount of time he spends at work (and we won't talk about the times I do make plans...with his okay...only to have him say at the last minute that he can't make it or doesn't want to). 

I got married right after I turned 20.....way too young in hindsight.  I had no clue.  He didn't either.  I've spent my whole adult life being someone's wife and mother and doing everything everyone else wanted or expected me to do.  I lost me and now that the nest is nearly empty and there is time for doing things....there's no one to do it with.  And I know what you're going to say....go do things on my own.  I do some things, but I have to watch.  The hubs may not want to do much, but he doesn't like it when I have too much fun without him, either.  Our marriage nearly ended over my youth ministry work.  I loved it and tried everything I could to involve and include him.  He balked and resented every minute of it.  I'm afraid to really love doing anything again unless he'll do it right along with me.

I have been praying for years and I know I'm supposed to trust God, but if my dear husband isn't willing or wanting to change....  I'm only in my 40s.  I don't want to be considered old and boring.  I want to live!  I want to have adventures!


**UPDATE**  When Tim got up, finally, he got the message in no uncertain terms that I am not a happy camper.  Something I said must have made a dent or maybe even he realizes that a 6-hour "nap" is not normal.  Whatever, he pretty much begged me to go have dinner with him and then we took a little bit of a drive....and when we got home he got in the pool with me (he hates swimming) and then sat out on the swing for a while.  We talked.  I told him it was all a START, but things are going to have to change on a permanent basis.  He promised to call the doctor tomorrow for an appointment.  Like I said, it's a start.  If he wants to convince me he's serious he's going to have to actually follow through on what the doctor tells him.  He's notoriously bad about that.

BOOO-OOORRRR-ED!

Blame it on the ADD or whatever, but much like the kids I have a low boredom threshold.  Most days I do okay because I like reading or getting on the computer enough to keep myself occupied and at least slightly amused.  Other days, like today, nothing holds my interest and I feel restless, antsy, and unsettled....like I should be doing something important but I can't even find something stupid to do.

Megan isn't any help....she is sending status updates to Facebook about her own levels of boredom.  And Tim?  Forget that.  He is still not bounced back from the kidney stone business (the stint doesn't come out till Thursday) and anyway....it's a Sunday so he is belly-up across our bed snoring and grumbling like a magnitude 6 earthquake watching a movie with his eyes shut.

So, how bored am I?

I'm as bored as Michael Vick at a PETA convention.

I'm so bored folding laundry is beginning to sound fun.

I'm so bored I put socks on the dog's feet just to watch him forget how to walk.

I'm so bored I'm watching Jello gel.

I'm so bored I made popcorn and went outside to watch the grass grow. (Not really.  It's waaaaay too hot.)

I'm so bored I drew crossed eyes and moustaches on everyone in the Sunday paper.

I'm so bored I'm on a spinny chair.....now you see me.....now you don't......now you see me.....now you don't.....

I'm so bored I alphabetized the refrigerator magnets.

I'm so bored I checked my MySpace profile.  Talk about a no-man's land.  Sheesh....I expected to see tumbleweeds blow by.

I'm as bored as a bald man's hairdryer.

I'm so bored I'm thinking up ways to say how bored I am.

I guess I have to get over it, though.  We promised to go visit my classmate "P", whom I mentioned in yesterday's post and he's asked me to bring him a big plate of fried zucchini.  Somebody has to fry it.  And somebody has to figure out the new deep fryer first.  And somebody has an hour to get it done.

Doin' My Happy Dance!

I am now officially a fan of Monday!  I was checking the Toby Keith fan site to see if they were ever going to sell VIP tickets for his Pittsburgh concert since it was announced over the weekend that general ticket sales start this Saturday....and you know what I found?  YES, those much coveted VIP tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon!

(I will be indisposed and non-communicative at that time as I will be huddled over the keyboard hoping to nab those tickets!  However, should I snag them you will no doubt hear me yelling wherever you are.)

I also discovered that I am the featured fan on the web site.  I'm taking that as a sign.  LOL

On with the celebrating!

Judgement Day 2011

Unless you live under a rock, you know that there are those among us who believe the world as we know it is going to come to a screeching halt today, that you had better be ready to meet your maker because the day is upon us.

I am NOT one of those people.  I believe that day is coming, but not today.  It can't.....I have stuff in the cupboard that doesn't expire until 2013.  But seriously, the Bible tells us we cannot know the hour or the day.  We are just to live our lives so as to be prepared at all times to face the One who created us.

So, if like me you're not busy getting ready to meet Jesus today and find this whole business of everyone predicting Armageddon every time you turn around kind of funny (in a sad way).....you'll probably find this amusing just like I did.

Ain't It the Truth?

Day 25:   A song that makes you laugh.  First of all, may I just say, "Day 25?!  Holy cow this month has flown by!!"  Now, on to the song challenge.  Today's song does make me laugh, but not as much as the video for it.  Lucky for you we live in the age of YouTube so I can share it with you.  Brad Paisley is a genius at musical comedy and whoever creates his videos is very talented.  So, sit back and enjoy, it's kind of a mini-movie.  See how many famous faces you can spot...not counting Brad's own face.




day 25 – a song that makes you laugh
day 26 – a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 – a song that you wish you could play
day 28 – a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 – a song from your childhood
day 30 – your favorite song at this time last year

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Easter morning...

30 Day Challenge, Day 24: The Learning Curve

Sharing my "wealth" of wisdom here today is the challenge, so here are some things I've learned....

• When you are home alone, the phone will ring or someone will come to the door the minute you enter the bathroom.
• Jehovah's Witnesses don't like it when you share your beliefs back.  It gets rid of them very quickly.  Mormons, on the other hand, will sit down and chat.
• How messy the house is is directly proportional to how much company is coming (and how soon).
• How terrible I look is directly proportional to how many people I know and run into when I am out.  I never run into anyone I know when I look fabulous, but let me go to Wal-mart in sweats with my hair sticking up and my whole graduating class is bound to be there.  Even if it's 3:00 AM.
• Two male dogs in the house is not the best idea.
• Women are more skilled at driving school buses than men. 
• The kid with the most morning gas will always be the one right behind the bus driver.
• No amount of tomato sauce and cheese makes eggplant taste good.
• Teenage boys are easier to raise than teenage girls.
• A workaholic boyfriend is going to be a workaholic husband.
• The day you sing really loud or have a conversation with yourself when the bus is empty....is the day some kid will act up and your boss will pull the video tape to review.
• Gray hair happens.
• Women's feet are getting bigger.  It used to be sizes 7 & 8 that were always sold out, now it's 9 & 10.
• Your kids never think it's as important as you do.  Doesn't matter what "it" is.
• Cars always need gas on the crappiest weather days.
• The missing shipment, refund check, etc. will arrive right after you send that nasty e-mail or blow your stack at the customer service rep on the phone.
• The most heated arguments are always the ones in which you discover just how wrong you can be.
• Not all brides are beautiful and not all babies are cute.
• If you have a teenage daughter you might as well adjust to being treated like you are the stupidest person on the planet.  How you manage to walk around without a helmet and someone nearby to wipe the drool off your chin is a mystery. 
• April showers do not bring May flowers.  They bring MUD, which will be tracked into your house by spouses, children, pets, stray neighbors, the Avon Lady, and anyone else that feels like it.
• The better something tastes, the worse it is for you.
• Dressing room mirrors make everything look bigger.
• Dishes do not wash themselves.  Laundry doesn't fold itself.  Damn.
• Sneakers, underwear, dairy products, ripe fruit, strippers.....not everything gets better with age.
• You should laugh as much as you can, love as much as you can, and live as much as you can, because there will always be something you should be doing and someone will always have more than you or be better at something than you.  Don't waste time fretting about it.

Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26: Your Dream Wedding
Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in
Day 28: Something that stresses you out
Day 29: 3 Wishes
Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge

30 Day Challenge: Smile!

The Day 6 Challenge isn't much of a challenge...Post a picture of something that makes you smile.  I chose the dogs in their Halloween costumes.  Don't they look thrilled?  If you can't tell, the big guy is a squirrel (admittedly looking a little roadkill-ish) and the poodle is a bumble bee.

Day 7: Favorite movies
Day 8: A place you've traveled to
Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend
Day 10: Something you're afraid of
Day 11: Favorite tv shows
Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without
Day 13: Goals
Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?
Day 15: Bible verse
Day 16: Dream house
Day 17: Something you're looking forward to
Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat
Day 19: Something you miss
Day 20: Nicknames
Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?
Day 22: What's in your purse?
Day 23: Favorite Movie
Day 24: Something you've learned
Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26: Your Dream Wedding
Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in
Day 28: Something that stresses you out
Day 29: 3 Wishes
Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge

Brown Chicken, Brown Cow

Just because it's funny....

Thar She Blows!

A cold has hit our house.  Tim and I had been lucky this winter until now.  I have been blowing my nose non-stop since 3:00 this morning.  How, I ask, if your sinus cavity is about the size of your fist, is it possible to have that much snot in your head??

I am thinking this is an invention with merit.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

There's something strange in the neighborhood!  Actually, it's at the daycare where Megan is working.  They stay open until 11:00 for parents who work afternoon shifts or go to night school.  For the last 2-3 weeks Megan has been working the late shift.  She's only been there alone once.  Usually, there are two of them there.

The one time Megan worked alone I picked her up and helped her clean up so we could get out of there.  She went on and on about how the place creeped her out at night and how everyone who works there thinks the place is haunted.  I kind of pooh-pooh'ed it figuring everyone's imaginations were working overtime.  Any big building is kind of creepy at night when it's dimly lit and no one else is around.

Last night Megan called a little before 11:00 in a panic.  She had been sitting in the office working on the computer.  The other girl was leaning in the doorway talking to her.  Suddenly, a can of Lysol that was sitting on a shelf HURLED ACROSS THE ROOM!  A little bit after that they were again together when the water jug on the water cooler suddenly shot up and flew across the room.

Following all of that, Megan (and it amazes me she did this) went and used the restroom alone even though she has always said that is the creepiest place in the whole building.  Well, she took care of business quickly and opened the door to wash her hands.  While she was washing her hands a can of red paint fell and splattered on the floor.  Apparently there was no place for it to fall from and the only thing up above was an air vent.

The girls called the owner and she sent her husband down.  He said he expected to come and be able to explain it all away, but even he ended up rattled.  He was going to stay after the girls left to see if anything else happened.  I really hope he can find an explanation, because right now Megan says she will not work nights there for any reason. 

I don't believe in ghosts (at least not as the wandering souls of the dead) but I do think there are things we can't explain.   I admit, I'd be totally creeped out if it had happened to me.

How would you react to something like that?

GAME DAY!!!

Game day for my beloved Steelers!

Step 1 on the "Stairway to Seven"

Buh-bye, Ravens!



LET'S GO

STEELERS!