Remembering…

Stayed up until almost 3:00AM and did not wake until Penny jumped in the bed with me at 11:30AM. She promptly left the room when I got up. It surprises me sometimes that such a small dog can jump as high as my mattress. My bed is the one my parents bought when they first married, so it is about fifty-five or more years old. I love it though the mattress, which is not so old, is about as hard as a rock. I want a new Serta, but it is not in my non-existent budget for now.
 
Surfed the web quite a lot today. Read some more in The Treasured One. Washed two loads of clothes. Forgot about one of them and just now put it in the dryer. I hope it gets done before I decide to call it a night.
 
One of my brother’s ponds has a drainage pipe blockage. He and Alex tried to unstop it, but they had no luck. The bad thing is that if it gets too full it might wash out the dam and the road to his house. We live on adjoining properties with about thirty acres total. Living in the country is great unless you need something from town in a hurry… in that case you are out of luck.
 
The UPS man, at least, knows where we are. My new power supply came for the computer. I haven’t put it in yet though. I am not really comfortable doing hardware work.
 
Cooked barbequed pork chops, rice, and peas for supper. The pork chops turned out really tender and good. Maybe I am getting used to cooking again. Don’t think I like it though. I do it because I should not because I want to.
 
Alex’s father called tonight. He has stopped communicating with the woman who shot herself in the stomach again… so he called me. At least this time he asked to talk to Alex, too. He rarely sees or talks to our son. I think he may decide he wants me to start seeing him again since we are both unattached, but I do not think it is happening. I really need to leave the men of my past in my past. They just are not that good for me.
 
My first husband seemed okay until after we were married when I was sixteen. He began to use drugs heavily and then began to abuse me a little. Then in the end he gave me an overdose of drugs that almost killed me. The doctors and nurses all said it was a miracle I survived. That was back in 1981 when I was first diagnosed with Schizophrenia. We divorced and I spent years putting my life back together. I have seen this man a few times, like when he walked into the convenience store I managed a few years ago, and every time he gets within yards of me my blood runs cold and stomach clenches. You do not get over being almost killed… you can forgive, but the body remembers.
 
That story reminds me of the time one of my lovers picked up a pistol and played Russian Roulette with the darn thing pointed at my head. By the third spin I was out of the bed and running away. I was only a teen, but I could not tell my parents. In fact, I only revealed it to my mom in the last year or two. She says she wishes she had known when it happened, but that would not have worked. There were too many secrets I had to keep.
 
That is enough of my past for the night. I am happy I am alive to write this today… it is a miracle and I thank God for my survival.
 
Hope you have a great Sunday…
 
Always,
Jo Ann

TGIF

Went to sleep around 2:00AM woke up at 7:00AM and drove Alex to the bus stop. Came back and crawled back into bed and slept until noon.
 
My monitor did not come on when I turned on my PC so I tried troubleshooting it and could get nothing so I called HP technical support and they helped me get it working. I do not understand what went wrong. Evidently the operating system did not load up the proper drivers. Freaky way to start off with the computer.
 
I went for a walk today and the air was nice though it was quite cold. It was beautiful outside.
 
I read pretty extensively on the web today. There is so much information out here if you know where to look and some of it is quite amazing. Of course you all know that already, but I am sometimes surprised by what the web delivers because I became a part of it back when it was text only.
 
Mom wanted me to paint some today so I did a little of that to mollify her. She gets quite irritated if I do not spend some time with her when she is painting.
 
I did not cook tonight because Mom offered to share her homemade chicken and dumplings with Alex and I. This was a real treat because she has not cooked those in a long time. I think my cooking has made her want more home prepared food again. She bought chicken and pork yesterday and I was surprised because she had basically stopped cooking.
 
We live in the same home, but our finances and food are totally separated. We even have separate refrigerators. It works pretty well this way. She is the safest roommate I can think of, because I know she would never take anything of mine nor take undue advantage of me.
 
I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend…
 
Always,
Jo Ann

Busy, busy, busy…

Slept from 1:00AM to 8:00AM. Ate a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast. I know that is not the wisest choice, but hey, once in a while it is okay to break rules. We left the house by 8:30AM to get Alex to his orthodontist appointment at 9:00AM. They did not actually take the braces off today. They removed the wires and took impressions so his retainers could be made. He was disappointed, but it is only two weeks more.
 
Mom and I went to Publix while Alex was in his appointment. We were only supposed to look around but wound up buying a few groceries. The chicken was on sale so I bought a couple of family packs.
 
After the appointment was over Alex came and found us. We went from Publix to Wal-Mart. We shopped fast because we needed to be at Mom’s neurologist at 11:15AM. I stocked up on meat today because we have eaten all I had in the freezer. I was lucky some of the meat was marked down 30%. I bought some steaks and pork chops in family packs. It was nice having Alex along because he helped load and unload everything.
 
The appointment at the neurologist was a little disappointing because he had not read and compared the latest film to the one before. I explained to him that Mom is hallucinating quite a lot, which got me dirty looks from mother. She does not want the doctor to know she has mental malfunctions. I talked to the doctor after the appointment and he said it was my job to keep him informed. So there you are… he did say that the hallucinations could be caused by the Parkinson’s as well as the small strokes. He prescribed Darvocet and Flexeril for her pain.
 
In the truck on the way home Mom wanted to know why I had to tell the doctor, and Alex and I tried to explain that he must know what is really going on. She does not agree, but as long as I am primarily responsible for tending to her healthcare I will keep the doctors informed.
 
When we arrived back home we unloaded the groceries. Alex was kind enough to help me divide up all the meat into meal size packages. That took a while and I am so grateful he helped. Guess if I will cook for him he is more willing to help with tasks like that.
 
Mom was extremely short of breath while bringing in a few groceries so I tried to convince her to sit down a few minutes. She would not, the groceries had to be put away immediately. Sometimes I think her stubbornness is going to do her in. Alex did bring everything in for her after he realized how she was puffing.
 
I talked to one of my guy friends because he called me… but I was not thrilled. I think he calls me when he has no one else to talk to. One of my best friends also called. She might see us soon and that would be great. She has been really busy lately and we have not seen one another in a while.
 
I cooked steak, broccoli rice au gratin, and sugar snap peas for supper. I have to admit that the cooked food is much better than pre-fab stuff. I still hate cooking though. Alex enjoys the food so much it is almost worth the inconvenience.
 
I received a fraudulent email that purported to be from MSN today. I did not click the link or anything, but it was a very real looking message.  Having Outlook installed I was able to check where it really came from and it was not MSN. I called MSN and they said to disregard the message. I reported it to abuse and asked MSN support to issue a new warning. I wonder how many people were tricked into giving their personal information. I am glad I have been reading up on security…
 
Friday is almost here… Have a great day!
 
Always,
Jo Ann

Worried…

I went to bed around 1:00AM went to sleep shortly… woke up to the screeching alarm clock at 7:00AM. I took Alex to the bus stop and returned home to start working with computers.
 
Mom’s friend came for lunch and we had Pasta Con Queso and salads. I could not eat much. I think my appetite is shrinking. I hope so. I have now lost fourteen pounds since stopping the Seroquel. This is something I have really wanted to do for a while. 
 
I updated more of the files on Alex’s computer today and ran scans and defragmenter and other maintenance which he dislikes doing. I am the one who pays if something goes wrong so though he does not like me to be on his computer I feel I must take care of it.
 
I read some in my book today. I am really enjoying it.
 
Tomorrow Alex gets his braces off and Mom goes to the neurologist to find the outcome of her MRI. I have a feeling it won’t be good.
 
Mom is hallucinating a lot and just really in a mess. I wish there were something I could do. I think her strokes have seriously harmed her brain. I guess the Parkinson’s disease is also at fault. I worry…
 
I hope the doctor can do something to help her. I am praying she gets better. It is really sad seeing such a vibrant being lose all her power.
 
I did not cook tonight because the meat I lay out this morning was not good once it thawed. It had been in the freezer too long. We had leftovers from lunch instead.
 
I guess I will go…
 
Night,
Jo Ann

Computer Problems and Stories

Went to bed before 1:00AM, but did not fall asleep until around 4:00AM. Got up at 7:00AM, but lay back down after Mom decided she would take Alex to the bus because I looked like a zombie. I slept until 11:00AM when my alarm went off and Mom called me.
 
Mom’s company did not come today, but is coming tomorrow. I really wanted to go to the grocery tomorrow but suppose it will wait until Thursday. I may run out of Diet Coke and Sam’s choice Decaffeinated Diet Cola… that will be a tragic event as I am quite addicted to those substances. I probably should drink more water anyway, but I do not like water.
 
I saw my counselor today. It was a very good session. We discussed several events that had been worrying me. I did not do my homework from last week, maybe I will do it before I see her next.
 
Round trip it is over 70 miles for my appointments and today I drove in the rain. That lowered my average speed to around 60mph. I usually go much faster when I am alone on the interstate. I like to drive fast… sometimes I do not even realize I am going really fast until I look at the speedometer. It has been one of my bad habits for a long time. Thank God I have not had a ticket in a while. The thing is that most of the time I just keep up with traffic. Sometimes I think of Georgia highways as Atlanta Speedway. If you go the speed limit everything out there passes you by. Most motorists seem to think that the speed limit is the suggested minimum speed. No wonder insurance in Metro Atlanta is some of the highest in the country.
 
I had to call HP technical support this evening because the fan on my computer has begun making a lot of noise at times. They are going to send me a new power supply and I get to install it. I am not a hardware expert so that should be lots of fun.
 
I did all the critical updates from Microsoft today and updated my BIOS because HP notified me there was and upgrade. Computer maintenance is becoming a bit of a chore… but better safe than sorry.
 
There was an article I read yesterday on Discovery.com that I found extremely humorous. I will include the link here: Monkeys Pay to View Sexy Photos. Makes you wonder about animal intelligence.
 
Well, hopefully I will see you again tomorrow. Enjoy your Wednesday.
 
Always,
Jo Ann

Monday, Monday… Not so BAD

Went to bed around 1:00AM and fell immediately asleep. Ignored the screeching alarm clock this morning so Mom called me at 7:10AM. I think I need a new more aggravating alarm clock. Once upon a time I owned one that sounded like a foghorn and it worked really well when set to the highest volume. Of course, it woke everyone else in the house too. If anyone knows an alarm clock model that is particularly annoying please let me know. I just incorporate the one I have into my dreams.
 
Took Alex to meet the bus without incident. Picked up the mail from Saturday while I waited.
 
Mom wanted to go to a friend’s house around 9:30AM so I transported her there. She tried on a new outfit that did not fit her friend properly and purchased it. I sat with the husband and talked about their two dogs. I love dogs and these two are really cute.
 
We stopped at Dollar General on the way home and picked up a few things. There were some cute Valentine’s items… I do not have a sweetheart, but picked up a few things anyway. Maybe someday there will be someone. I think I am mostly content to just wait for something to happen.
 
When we returned home I called a good friend of mine and left a message for her to call me back. I hoped she would, but was not sure.
 
I worked with the computer a while. I think I have become obsessed with protecting this machine from threats. I downloaded another application to keep it safe. I have found that each spyware program targets different threats… seems like they would create one blanket application. It would make more sense.
 
Tomorrow major security patches for Windows XP and Microsoft Office are being released. These updates are graded critical, so if you don’t have Automatic Update turned on you should visit Windows Update and Office Update if you have these applications installed. I wish they would patch the hole in IE 6. See I said I was getting obsessive… at least this is not a dangerous obsession.
 
I am becoming aggressive about SPAM. I keep adding email to my blocked senders list. I hope this will ease the influx.
 
I cooked tonight. Pork chops and chicken and rice. Alex will hardly eat vegetables so I kinda cheat on that.
 
Washed a load of white clothes today. I like to wash all whites in hot water, but Mom told me the other day that they had developed a detergent that did whites just as well in cold water. The implication was that I should start using this product, but I am not buying that it works just as good as Tide with Bleach in hot water. I like what I use and do not think I am switching. Mom hates to use anything that uses hot water. For years the hot water was not even hooked up to the washer, but I finally convinced her that some things come cleaner in hot. That is my experience anyway. When I move out I always get to do things my way and when I come back to her house I try to incorporate some of the innovations.
 
My friend called and we talked a while. She really wants me to start going to church again and I promised to think about it. I just wonder if I want to go to the church I currently belong to or not. I am undecided. Church is a big decision.
 
I have not done my homework for my counselor and I see her tomorrow so I have to get my butt in gear.
 
Well, I better go…
 
Have a good Tuesday,
Jo Ann

Getting Ready…

Went to bed at about 3:00AM and woke up briefly to eat at 10:00AM. Mom called me at noon and I stayed up the rest of the day. I note this information daily because being up in the daytime for considerable amounts of time is new after three years of sleeping problems. I probably should not stay up so late on weekends and mess up my patterns, but I am not convinced it won’t be okay.
 
I vacuumed the house today. Mom is having company on Tuesday and I wanted everything to look nice. She cannot vacuum anymore because the Kirby is too heavy.
 
I loaded some more music onto the computer. I have forty hours of play time on here now. At present I have Media Player set to random so that I get a diverse selection. I like having the ability to listen to music much like would be on a radio station without any commercials nor any songs I dislike. I have always wanted something like this… computers are amazing.
 
I have not read much today in my book. I have been surfing the web and reading a lot that way.
 
I start some web courses soon and imagine those will keep me quite busy. I think these courses will greatly enhance my computer literacy. Although I have learned much on my own over the years I am still learning XP having only gotten this computer in August.
 
I did not cook tonight because the meat did not thaw completely. I had Lean Cuisine for supper. I fall back on that whenever I want something easy. Tomorrow night I will cook.
 
Journal Prompt from Just Journal for Fun Volume 1 a self-published book by me:
 
Remember "please" is a magical word.
 
All mothers teach their children to say please as a polite way to request things. Sometimes as we grow older we become less inclined to use such courtesy, but please can greatly facilitate social situations. People are more apt to be agreeable when they are treated with such respect.
 
Probably there is more I could say on this subject, but it is getting late. I will let you go.
 
Always,
Jo Ann

Something to Remember…

All of us are creative as human beings… but sometimes we forget this. In an effort to enrich our lives I thought I would post these… 
 
Creative Affirmations 
 
I am a brilliant and successful artist.
 
I am allowed to nurture my artist.
 
I am confident and competent in my creative work.
 
I am tolerant of the ambiguity in problems.
 
I am willing to be of service through my creativity.
 
I am willing to create.
 
I am willing to experience my creative energy.
 
I am willing to learn to let myself create.
 
I am willing to use my creative talents.
 
I begin every task by thinking of new and better ways to accomplish it.
 
I consider many possible solutions from many diverse sources.
 
I deserve a rewarding creative life.
 
I have a constant flow of new and interesting ideas.
 
I have an adventurous mind and see new experiences regularly.
 
I have an unusual ability to reach creative decisions and to find creative solutions for problems.
 
I have rich creative talents.
 
I have the courage and self-confidence necessary to put my solutions into practice.
 
I have the strength and persistence necessary to work ideas through to solutions.
 
I maintain a complexity of outlook on life.
 
I play with partial, incomplete and sometimes foolish ideas.
 
I recognize the task of making mistakes but learn from my failures.
 
I spend ten minutes each morning and evening, thinking over problems.
 
I treat each new problem I encounter as a new door to be opened, and an opportunity to be creative.
 
I trust my feelings and unconscious thoughts.
 
 My creativity always leads me to truth and love.
 
My creativity heals myself and others.
 
My creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness.
 
Through the use of a few simple tools, my creativity will flourish.

Lazy Saturday

Went to sleep around 1:30AM woke up to the screeching alarm at 10:00AM. Really wanted to crawl back in bed, but I stayed up.
 
Did some more computer maintenance and downloaded some software from: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/offers/default.aspx?displaylang=en
 
 
I did not know that Microsoft offered so many free things. I was pleased.
 
No cooking tonight. Mostly just did not feel like doing it and too I was not very hungry.
 
I read some, and saved some media files I had downloaded last week.
 
Mom is hurting extremely bad so she has taken her pain medicine and gone to bed.
 
Alex has played his new game virtually all day long. Not unusual when he acquires a new one.
 
I do not have a lot to say today… Guess I will let you go…
 
Always,
Jo Ann

Changes…

I went to sleep after 1:00AM and awoke at 7:00AM. I kept Alex home again because he had to go for an x-ray of his neck. He has been experiencing a lot of pain there. Seems neck problems are a theme around here just now.
 
Mom’s test yesterday went well. We should know the results next Thursday when she has an appointment with her neurologist. He called her in some pain medicine, but she took it once and it made her nauseous so she is refusing to take it now. I am concerned that she is sleeping very little and in a lot of pain.
 
Alex received a new prescription for his acne cream and orders for his x-ray. I tried to get his doctor to give him a flu shot, but I think he forgot. I made an appointment for the shot today… I just hope he avoids the flu for two more weeks.
 
My guy friends have all deserted me, and I have basically decided that it is a case of good riddance. I need to move on and quit living in the past where men are concerned.
 
We had a bit of a crisis here last night. I upset everyone and was severely chastised. I almost thought I was going to have to leave here forever. That would not be good because I know of nowhere I can go. My life is tenuous here. Alex gave me the third degree and I really had no choice but to listen. He pointed out some changes that I need to make.
 
This afternoon we went for Alex’s x-ray and dropped by SAM’s Club to exchange a game he bought yesterday. Someone had broken into the box and stolen the CD key. He could not even load the game onto the computer. When I went to get the new copy I found many of the boxes had been tampered with. I reported it to a manager… I hope they will do something about it.
 
Warning: Always check software boxes for tampering. Alex says there is a booming business in selling CD keys. He gets more software than I do and knows more about such things.
 
I finished reading Magic Seeds today. I found the book very slow. I think the almost exclusively male outlook of it may have been part of the problem.
 
I started reading The Treasured One  Book Two of The Dreamers by David & Leigh Eddings. This is a joy after so slow a novel. I loved the first book in the series which I read last year, and this one looks to be just as good.
 
I have removed some email addresses from my address book today. It is a step toward never resuming contact with those men who have so disappointed me. I have not the heart to block their addresses though. If they contact me so be it, but I will not communicate with them first.
 
Did some maintenance on the computer today. Ran spyware and virus scans. I do these often because I find it easier to prevent the problem than fix it later. Alex thinks I am overprotective, but this machine means a lot to me. It is one of my major outlets to the outside world.
 
We had pork chops, broccoli, and rice for supper. I let Alex clean the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. This irks him about as much as it does me.
 
I am very tired this evening, but it feels very good to write. I usually stay up late on Friday night, but may turn in early tonight. I am sure I could use the rest.
 
I am taking some free courses from HP to sharpen my computer skills. Most things I know already but one good piece of information could make the whole course worthwhile.
 
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend…
 
Always,
Jo Ann