No FRY in Friday - Yesterday was WET and Cold

          I don’t know why I didn’t notice that Jenna didn’t have a hat on when we left the house.  It was drizzling.  I did have an umbrella.  But we hadn’t used it before we got on the bus.  We did when we got off. 

Wet rain fell upon the umbrella that somewhat shielded us both.  I was willing to walk her to the front doors of the school, as I knew she would be allowed in the building yesterday.  But she didn’t want to go inside.  I asked her if she would like my hat.  She said no at first but then changed her mind.  So did I.  I kept the hat and let her keep the umbrella.

It was a gamble on my part.  Last year her umbrella got stepped on and broke.  She lost my green one that I let her use.  We both got umbrellas at the beginning of this school year.  The wind tore the fabric from one of my spokes.  She misplaced hers.  We used my purple one today – despite the uncovered spoke.

I came home soaked.  Well, my hat and sweatshirt were.  When it came time to return for Jenna, both hat and sweatshirt were still wet with moisture.  I kept the hat but traded sweatshirt and pulled my long coat from its hook.

I had to let Highness out – just long enough to go to the bathroom and then I’d let him back in.  Unfortunately a back gate had been left open.  It took less than a minute for him to discover and disappear.  I couldn’t afford to look for him.  I needed to walk to the bus stop.

That was rather traumatic.  For the thunder clapped too close to the lightening flashes.  And then sky  hailed.  Frozen rain pelted at my face each time I tried to search for the bus.  I could use that umbrella now.  Highness would be getting pelted, too.  Perhaps he’d return home before we did.

    My coat was drenched as well as the bottom of my pants which are light blue, but appeared to be periwinkle below the knee where the rain and hail were biting me.  I don’t know why I kept my hands in my pocket – well, because I didn’t have gloves.  But I think the wet pockets made my hands seem even more ice cold.  The cold moisture also pierced into my shoes and made my feet wet.  But I didn’t have time to return and change my shoes.  If I missed the bus I would have to wait for the next one and school would let out before I arrived.

  

After I got off the bus, I walked up the street and passed several puddles lakes and rivers that hadn’t been there that morning.  As I made my way nearer the school, the rain eased up a bit.  I walked all the way to where her class is located and stood outside under the shelter of the brick eaves.

 She did have a hat on her head as she exited the building, but had her jacket around her waist.  Really?  We walked a few steps before she hurried to catch up with Noreen.  Her umbrella was a lot larger than mine.  They walked down the field and parted ways and then Jenna ran ahead to be with some other friends.

As we were headed up the driveway, Highness followed from behind.  At first I did not recognize that it was him.  He had a stick board in his mouth. He was even willing to play fetch.  He has NEVER been playful from the moment we got him.  I think the weather must have made him delirious or something.

The First Week of May

 

This morning we got ready

to start the day 

I grabbed a sweatshirt to

wear to the bus stop 

I could hear rain falling but

did not see at first.

The skies are grey

and cold like early March or November. 

I put my overcoat over

my sweatshirt. 

I shouldn’t have to wear

such a heavy coat

in May.

We waited for the bus.

It feels so much longer

in the rain.

I took a different route

on the return home

I didn’t have to wait at all

I did have to run

to catch a transfer bus

Fortunately the driver waited for me.

I have since returned home. 

I am dry. 

a little cold perhaps. 

I would like to return to bed.

Going . . . Going . . . I Want It Gone!!!!

The week before Easter we had a ferocious wind.  I blame it for my dry throat.  I went from sounding like Barry White to Darth Vader to null.  On Tuesday I sounded and felt like I had swallowed razor blades.

Jenna went to school on Monday but stayed home the rest of the week.  She is normally quite a horrible patient.  But she actually stayed in bed for two days – except when she was throwing up – which I never shared.  Grateful for that.  On the other hand I have a cough that Jenna doesn’t.

So we sprawled in bed all day Tuesday.  I took her to the doctor on Wednesday – though driving with her when she is ill seems to make it even worse as she gets car sick on top of whatever else she had.  She threw up just before the bus parked at the final destination.

A throat culture was given – just to rule out strep.  The doctor said she had a virus and that we would just have to wait it out.  Oh, joy.  Wish there was a medicine given to prevent strep.

Jenna fell asleep on the bus on the return home.  She slept most of the day.  We both did.

She bounced back after two days – not good enough to go to school, but certainly more energetic than staying in bed.

The doctor’s office contacted me on Friday to say that Jenna had strep and they would call in a prescription.  If Jenna had strep, than I probably did also.  I made an appointment for myself to see a doctor.  I chose a time when Roland could take me so that we wouldn’t have to ride the bus again.

So on the Friday before Easter, Jenna and I both started our ten day treatment with antibiotics.  Just what every child would like in his/her Easter basket, right?  Amoxillan, Penicillin, cough drops, etc.  Jenna’s prescription came in liquid form.  I, on the other hand, had cough capsules in addition to the horse pill infection fighter.

When Roland’s family arrived in town, we were still on medication.  They had come for Biff and Jeanie’s wedding. 

It was cold on the temple grounds though it didn’t start out that way.  Roland’s family, used to the Arizona weather, was freezing.  I had extra jackets.  I passed them out to some family members and stood bare armed when I got cold myself.

Bill took lots of pictures.  It was the first wedding photo with family members represented from the boys’ mom’s side of the family and their dad’s side of the family as well as my own.  The first wedding in which all three boys were in attendance.

Gradually all of the family members left except for Biff and Jeanie and Bill.  Bill led the other two around temple square and posed them and took many many pictures.  He led them around for at least two hours.

Twelve of us went to an Italian restraint downtown Salt Lake.  

There was a ceremony the following day – Saturday.  It rained.  It rained and rained and never let up.  I am certain that the rain kept several away.  I think the ceremony would have been better attended in nicer weather.  Still it was nice.  Different.  At least from my point of view.  Just isn’t what I am used to.

In the past, Jenna has always delighted in the role of “flower girl” hoping to throw flower pedals as portrayed in television and movie weddings. It isn’t typical of the “Mormon-theme” however.  But on Saturday she did get to do just that.

Jeanie and her mom bought lavender dresses for her two nieces and Jenna and Ester.  Anna wore blue.  Kayla had asked if we would watch her.  As usual, Jenna took Anna under her wing.  And Jeanie’s mom made her an honorary flower girl.

Rochelle walked beside two-year-old Ester who had absolutely no clue.  When Rochelle pulled out the flowers to toss as she moved, Ester’s first instinct was to pick them up and return them to the basket.

Ten-year-old Jenna walked with four-year-old Anna who was beaming from ear to ear – probably not fully understanding it herself, but having fun with it.  They both did.

Their bishop introduced the ring ceremony and presented ring trivia and customs.  It was interesting. 

There was a luncheon that followed.  Anna danced with Bill when he wasn’t taking pictures. 

The next day I went to Church and attempted to teach two lessons though I really didn’t have much voice.

The first was Relief Society.  I had agreed to step in for Angie as she was not feeling well.  I imagined that she might have been feeling as I had the week before Easter.

Class went really well.  Lots of participation.  I didn’t really feel I had personally taught anything. 

And then I taught the youth class for the last time.  I’ve been called to be the enrichment leader.  I can’t even imagine.

Randy stops by the house once a week – mostly to fill his belly with cereal.  Sometimes he mows the lawn.  Mostly he complains about school and math.  I understand his frustration with math.  I have never learned the language.  

The average person who takes required math course will need to understand and do math terms for just that class.  The average person will never ever need to know that stuff in real life.  The average person will never use any of that again.  So why learn it?  Randy and I both feel that it’s pointless. 

Jenna LOVES math.  I hope that she always loves math.  I don’t mind her learning the math language.  But please, don’t confuse my brain by trying to explain it to me.  You might as well be speaking Japanese or Hungarian from what I’m going to get out of it.

April was an odd month.  Mostly cold.  Colder than November was. 

My throat has stopped hurting.  But I am out of pills.  And I still have my cough.  I want it gone.  And I don’t want the sinus pains to return.  We have to move to a wetter climate with no wind.  That’s my solution.

Forecast

The weathermen said that it would snow yesterday. 

It did 

for about twelve minutes.  

Soft flurries fell lightly 

as Jenna and I crossed the street. 

Huge flakes fell quickly 

as Juan left the car. 

By the time we got Jenna to school,  

it had stopped.  

Signs of snow dusted a few lawns  

and seemingly seemed to miss others.  

How could that be

when the yards were right next door to one another? 

And yet there were patches of green 

amongst the white dusted lawns.

At 8:30 I took the umberella

and walked to a bus stop

to take a bus that I’ve been on only one time before.  

I put my unused umberella into my backpack

before the bus arrived. 

I got off at the TRAX station

and walked to the bank

to make a deposit.   

I returned to take the train. 

Before I sat down

I removed my coat and swater. 

I put my sweater

in the backpack. 

I did not return my coat

until just before the train stopped

at the station near the main road. 

I then got off to catch another bus

and returned home. 

The entire trip took less than 50 minuts. 

I was back home at 9:22. 

The air was moist but

I never needed the umbrella.

I wished I had thought

to turn the heat down before I left. 

The hot air was blaring at me

when I walked through the door. 

I went into my room and

turned the fan on. 

This morning I actually got cold. 

I don’t know why. 

Between 3:30 and 4:00 I wrapped myself in the bedding. 

Roland lay without covers. 

Something’s wrong.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked. 

Surely if I’m cold,

he must be freezing.

“Aren’t you hot?” he asks. 

For surely if he’s hot,

I must be roasting.

And yet we lay in bed

in reverse roles. 

I was dumbfounded.

At four I got up

as the Aleve was wearing off.

I went into the main bathroom

and took a warm to hot shower. 

I could feel the warm air blowing

before the warm water poured over my body. 

And I was still cold. 

Does this mean

I’m coming down with something?

When I returned to the bed,

Roland was still without cover. 

And I was still cold. 

He did leave the house

wearing a sweater underneath his coat. 

And I am wearing a sweatshirt. 

Currently it is dark outside.

You Can’t See The Wind

You can’t see the wind

But you can hear its ferocious roar

You can see the way the wind makes trees dance

or see branches swaying

or flags flapping in the wind

Sometimes it knocks over garbage cans

and circulates debris

Fall winds rip colored leaves

from the tree and send them racing

over streets and other yards.

Spring Winds seem more fearsome somehow

They suck  up all of my energy (what little is there)

and put me in coma

I feel quite drugged when the wind is blowing.

This is what someone with Narcolepsy

 must feel like.

I heard that it is a warm wind.

I heard that it is bringing in a storm.

That’s what was said about the last two winds

powerful winds that blew the debris and made a commotion

with its  mighty threats of breaking things  

but it hasn’t stormed.

This wind sounds more serious. 

I didn’t feel this wiped out the last two months

My eye is nearly healed,

unfortunately my mind is not

and the wind isn’t helping

My mind is  like a roof that has been

ripped off by the wind

 

or neglected rag doll waiting for

someone to love the life back into me

                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                         kfralc

Not in January

 

The other day I took

off my hat and gloves

shortly after I boarded

the bus. 

I put them back on just

before I exited the bus. 

At least I thought I did.

I made my way from the

bus stop to

Jenna’s classroom. 

While I waited I once again

removed my hat and gloves –

oops - glove. 

How is it I had only

one glove on.  Why hadn’t

my hand mentioned to me

that it wasn’t covered? 

I looked around the area

where I was standing. 

I must have lost it

somewhere along the way. 

Weird.

So yesterday I kicked the

snow in a few areas where

I could see color. 

No pink glove but a lot

of fall autumn leaves.

                          Most of the trees stand

naked outlined in the snow. 

But there are actually a few with

leaves still clinging to the branches. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen

autumn leaves in January. 

Not real ones. 

And some still had their

crunch even beneath

the soggy snow. 

I find that fascinating!

kfralc

Good Luck Getting Out . . .

I don’t know which is worse – the Saturday before Christmas or the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I don’t enjoy shopping or trying things on or waiting in line or crowds or winter or parking or all the fragrances and plants which flare up my allergies.  Before I met Roland, I always had my Christmas shopping done by September –ALWAYS

And then I met a man with a sporadic income, a greedy ex-wife, and a judicial system that sucks big time – you think we would have done better at spreading things out.  But we were struggling for our needs and so wants were ALWAYS on the back burner.

I don’t know if Roland has always been procrastinastic about Christmas shopping.  As I mentioned before, he’s got a great heart.  He is always thinking of others.  But he doesn’t spend wisely for the most part.

I opted to go shopping with him and Jenna yesterday – not that I really wanted to, but I wanted to get him a winter scarf because he asked for one – not necessarily did I particularly want him to see my purchase,.  I figured I could make my purchase while he was occupied over something else.  Fat chance of that.  As though he wouldn’t have noticed me standing in line for the duration.  In order to make a purchase, one had to stand in line.  And they were all slow-moving lines.  But I never found a scarf (and I have been looking) and so a purchase wasn't even made. 

The forecasters promised snowy weather like we had on Thursday and I thought that might keep many off the roads – which is usually the case.  I think when the weather is challenging for drivers is when Roland enjoys shopping the most.  But the weather was not near as bad as it had been Thursday or even December 3^rd.  Most roads were clear – can’t say the same for the parking lots however.

My main reason for going with Roland was to keep an eye on the budget.  He wanted to make purchases within the mall.  I told him NO.  I told him to drive to K-Mart where we ended up purchasing several items – but not all.

There is one purchase he had in mind that would require a specific store.  And so we ended up at the same mall as last week.  The parking lot resembled a line for hell. I told him that although the particular item we had come for really was a necessity and not just a luxury, it could wait until after Christmas.  But he was insistent as we had already driven the distance.

First off there was a line just to get in to the parking lot.  And then there was the endless searching for a parking spot – even the ones that were farthest from the mall itself.  There were several cars that were found trapped between two others (the snow must have covered the lines when they were parked) and I’ll bet the drivers of said cars were not pleased to have to wait in order to get out (I honestly don’t think a tow truck could have gotten in to tow)

 

Roland dropped Jenna and me off by one of the anchor stores and said he would go find parking.  I told him he should drive either behind the mall or over by the empty Sears.  (see this post) But it seems rare for Roland to ever take me up on my parking suggestions.  

So Jenna and I walked through the door in search of a mall directory – which I know exists as Roland had just checked it out last week.  A great mesh of mall traffic was seen.  Oh, joy to the world (that’s meant to be read in the most sarcastic way) Several stores had sent salesmen out into the mall to pass out “free” samples in order to lure potential costumers in for product.  

For the first time in my life I wasn’t targeted for my hair – but rather for my skin.  Very cute guy – heartthrob for either sex.  He gave me my sample told me how amazing it is for dry skin.  Oh, wait.  He also has something for the dark circles under my eyes.  It’s not as if he had to search for them. No one has to look hard to find my dark circles.  I look like a raccoon.  And so he waves me in to demonstrate his assortment of skin products.

  

 

Okay, I must admit I was a bit turned on that this young stud was touching my face – though I would have been fine with it if it had been Roland doing the touching.  He called me to find out where I was and I gave him directions.  When he appeared, I believed the stud was more interested in Roland than me and was hoping to demonstrate products on him as well (or maybe there was just some radar detection that lets every salesman within a million mile radius now that Roland is a pushover about buying whereas I keep the money purse under lock and key)

So after he applies the dark circle cream – which I realize won’t work over night with just one application – he had me hold out my wrist to demonstrate the marvelous face conditioner that would become “baby bottom” soft if I would but invest in the product.  But “act today I can get the eye cream as a free gift.”

The skin softener definitely made a difference.  I asked if it would work on feet.  No, that needed a different product for that.  He whipped out a tube that he could also include as a “free” gift with a purchase of whatever he had just rubbed on my wrist.

I told him that I would not be able to invest until January – if at all (I’m thinking this is my third time to the mall this year – chances are very promising that I won’t be visiting as often next year) He asked if I would I really wait until January if I was told I would only have to pay 10.00 for the whole lot?  I told him I could do ten dollars.  He said it was more than that.  BIG SURPRISE!

He asked how much I thought it cost.  He had absolutely no idea how much I hate sales tactics and guessing games.  I guessed 100.00.  He said he could give it to me for an amazing cost if I promised not to tell anyone.  Oh, give me a break.  Like I am the only potential client that anyone at the store has ever received such promise.  I wasn’t going to buy product no matter how sweet his offer.  There are still several needs above the wants.

He said he could give me everything (I think there were four or five products on the line by that time) for only 49.00.  Not happening, Joe, but thanks.  I think another salesman had called him over.  I left.  Less than two minutes later my wrist felt liked it had been dipped in acid.  Did I fail to mention I have super sensitive skin?

I do think Roland would have overspent if I hadn’t been wit him.  He would have paid mall overhead prices for one thing. But it turned out, it was I that became the guilty party.  It wasn’t on cosmetics but a new bed base as we’ve been sleeping on a broken one for some time. No more tossing and turning.  Roland and I will both sleep so much better at night.  It was actually an expensive purchase (for us) but one that will be well worth it in the long run.  I’m looking forward to when it’s delivered and set up.