Thursday Tune Up

Naw. It wasn't for my car--

Eventho it could use an oil change for sure--plus a good wash I digress.

This tune up was for my heart. It was a six month check up with my cardiologist, Dr. Sara. I'll be honest, I was a little scared. Why?

Because Dr. Sara was going to review my ECHO (an ultrasound of my heart). When I took the ECHO, I was so under stress professionally, which slid off into my school work. I didn't have any solace. I just knew Dr. Sara would tell me my heart's lining had gotten thicker. This concerned her in my last appointment and was due to blood pressure. This go-round she was happy because it was back to normal. My EKG was 'clear' and no change to meds I take.

I had mitral valve replacement surgery caused by the disease endocarditis. A valve I never knew existed literally got feasted on by a disease I never heard of. What basically happened, bacteria from an infection landed in my valve and clustered. They decided my valve was tasty and dug in. A piece of the cluster broke off and journeyed to my brain. The neuro-doctor said I had a stroke that wasn't a stroke--basically my brain burped.

Well, it burped enough because my speech was effected for about a week. Slurred. Missed words, even tho I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't.

Now almost five years later, I got this exam thing down pat. EKG and ECHO are more than just alphabet letters. I check my own coumadin level. When the scar itches, I just scratch and pretty much forget who may be looking. I remember what it was like when it hurt to move an inch in bed, due to my breastbone healing and weeks it took to sleep on something else than just my back.

I don't see Dr. Sara again until July. She's a nice lady, looks like younger Susan Lucci. I don't want to see her any sooner than July, unless we're both eating pie at Celebrity Bakery. Dr. Sara's parting words to me were: "I don't know what you're doing, just keep doing it."

Yes, indeed--that's the kinda tune up I like!

I am blessed.

Like Before

Horses, a dog, corn fields and my orange car. Iowa. Screams IOWA, huh? You may need to click on it, to biggify it. Well, maybe all except the orange car aka my Pumpkin. This was snapped at a chum's house. They have 5 acres of mowable yard, the rest somebody farms on. They live on a gravel road. I'd forgotten how tricky gravel can be--if you go a bit too fast--trust me.

Iowa. This is the first visit, since my dad's passing in 2001, that the visit home felt different. It felt good. See, even tho Iowa was my home, I had no home to go to. My dad wasn't there to great me with his infamous King Edward cigar in his mouth. Would be an emotional roller coaster, the few times I did go back to Iowa. A classmate, who lives in Iowa, still says it's sometimes hard for her to come to our hometown, because her parents are gone too. I thought I was alone--yet more and more adult children, more so those who have moved away, experience this. I still have friends and other family---however it just wasn't the same.

This trip tho--I didn't feel all the emotion. Sure, I cried when I headed out to the cemetery to see my parents' graves. I told them I still wanted to make them so proud. Outside of that--I felt closure. All was OK.

In fact, I had the BEST time in Iowa, I'd had in a long, long time. I was asked if I would ever move back. I don't know. Being there, did feel right. Maybe because all the classmates, back for the reunion, knew me 'before'. Knew me from the first. And I liked that.

Lots to ponder as I drove south on I-35 and smiled when I finally saw this sign:

Would I move back? No clue.

I do know, I have lunch tomorrow with a classmate who's lived in Dallas, maybe just a bit longer than I have. We hadn't seen each other in a few years until this past weekend. Sadly he's now a widower. Our Saturday night chat was filled with sweetness, fun, and laughs.

Just like I remember.

Just like before.

Rain Over

Where I lived, didn't have a whole bunch of it-yet enough to get a good soak. Even looks like the sun is trying to make one more stand today.

And it's 5:21 pm as I script this, so the sun will be for just a short while. I am so glad, that in a few months the sun will stick around longer than 6pm.

Today was one of those eye open kinda days. First I spent time at a car dealership, which I do loathe, yet the guy I worked with was nice. Plus I didn't feel that smarmy car dealer yuck. Alas, he did laugh at my want to put just 20 bucks down--hey, he asked. I didn't leave there with a new car, or in my case, I already have a 2006 HHR, which is my Pumpkin, and I wanted a newer HHR--in this case, BlueBerry. Upside down, I would so be--I may have to hold off for a couple more months--like my birthday--which is April...the BEST month of the year-more to put down. Stay tuned.

Also, the rain made me jot more notes of the writing project I put myself on. Excites me. Two novellas, with three short stories each. Christian based. One novella, historical fiction back in olden, olden times, where the Bible is being my main guide and Jesus appears a time or two. The second novella is set in modern day. The beauty of it, one story is finished as I work on a second, and have notes for the others. Pretty psyched.

Folks have asked WHERE this Christian interest came from. Trust me, it was NEVER on my to-do list. I thought being a star writer of future Penthouse Fantasy magazines would be ticket out from Iowa. Well, that never happened, plus I never did submit anything to them. Anyway, the feeling hit around the beginning of 2006. Actually read a piece I was working on to my writers' group. Not quite done, yet I wanted their feedback. It winded me so to read it and I kinda flubbed over words than normal. Thought I was just nervous---I was, since I'd never written anything like this. Well, two days later I landed in the hospital for three weeks. Yea, for the whole mitral valve replacement surgery thing. Yea, talk about detour.

And to sell my homemade pies. The idea of being able to make this finally happen is on paper. Not quite one of Oprah's favorite things, yet I hope a handful of folks would be interested. Goal is to ship for arrival by Valentine's Day weekend. All transactions would be done thru Pay Pal. I feel good about this too.

So yep, an eye opening kinda day. Sun still tries to show itself, while I now feel some of my bubblegum inner self trying to emerge. So we'll let Bobby Sherman tell " Little Woman" to come on down from her cloud and leave her world behind...

Naw. I'm busy.

Wednesday Road Trip

I go to Wal-mart. And I know not everybody does, but I do. There are locations I like better than others. Tonight I journeyed to the one I like best. The problem is, this Wal-mart is by the apartment where I use to live. It's the Wal-mart, where I frequented, especially the day I was sprung from the hospital, almost four years.

Yep, the day Movie Man picked me up and I inhaled my fresh air for the first time in three weeks, and we headed to this location to get my meds and groceries. That was the day, plus a couple others, I drove the little cart in the Wal-mart. Ran over everything-people and shelves as we made our way to the pharmacy. Yes, people did laughed.

To get to the point, today I drove a good 15 miles--(more miles when I drove back to my house) to get to this Wal-mart. Sure, I have one just down the road from my house--NO. Then one, right by work-MAYBE. So, knew I had gas in my Pumpkin so off to the Wal-mart I LIKE, I zipped. The speed limit is 70 mph, so there in now time. The speed limit also prevented my Blue Bell Butter Pecan Ice Cream to melt....

I digress.

The point is, this Wal-mart has been remodeled. I LIKED it before it got gussied up. Now I LIKE it even more! Clean, wide aisles, bright and just inviting. I told the cashier, I didn't live in that part of town anymore, but this was my favorite Wal-mart, and I had to visit it. She smiled and said, "It is very pretty, isn't it?"

So if you will excuse me, I have ice cream to savor --and yes, I drank ALL my water today--and my ponder of the next 'roll back' to the old neighborhood...

Monday Madness

You head out the door to your Pumpkin to drive to work. You really didn't want to go anyway, because you've been pretty much awake since 3:45 that morning. Due to having to make a potty run, and not quite falling back asleep. You ease closer to your Pumpkin and you see it. A flat. You call your boss to inform her you'll be at Shawshank as soon as you get someone to change it. You're usually a strong Chaka Khan I'm every kinda woman, however mechanics, of any kind, are your not your thing. This morning, you are a damsel in distress. You're just glad you're distressing in your drive way. Anyway, the second you hang up with your boss, the lights flicker and off goes your electricity. This is 7:45 am. You're afraid you missed the electric bill disconnect bill, when you're usually so good about. :) You realize your Pumpkin still has some warranty, so you call Road Side Assistance. You're told it would be 40 minutes. They lied. The guy didn't show until about 9:30ish--due to being with the last customer. He wasn't bad looking, so you overlook it. After her fixes your tire, he tells you three times however if you have any trouble, just give him a call. Maybe the guy was being nice. You get to work after a stop at 7-11 for a white cupcake cappuccino--you're kinda ticked because the pumpkin latte was replaced with french vanilla. So you get to work by 10:45. You know you should stay to make up time. You leave at your usual 4:30. Oh well. There's trash to put by the curb, salad to eat, cats to pet, Young and the Restless to watch because Lilly now knows Billy is Chloe's baby Daddy, and poor forgetful Mrs. C has been kidnapped, Jill thinks the DNA results she's told are true, and.....well, there's just things you need to do.

Cue up Chaka Khan.

$1.52

Is what I paid per gallon to pump gas into my Pumpkin. Was it that long ago, the cheapest was $3.85? My car was more on "E" than I realized because 15 gallons fill 'er up went in for 23 bucks.

For about a second--and I repeat--second--I thought, "Hmm, I could almost drove the 750 miles, all up I-35 (except for the last 35 miles), to visit family and friends, for that price." Then a clip of Northern air blew through me. Then the radio person told me it would be about 27 degress tonight in Dallas. Well, Dallasites call that 'bitter cold'. So reality hits how the Northern air in Iowa would be colder. Plus the temparture of 27 degress might be considered 'balmy.' And, ya know, I'd have to pull out my winter coat out of neccesity. Pesky little frostbite thing. But that's the not the biggest worry.

Where IS my winter coat? Why worry about since the weather will close to 60 in a couple days? So, no Iowa in Winter. Catch me maybe Spring...after the final snow. Maybe.

Sorry family and chums.

The Chevy HHR SisterHood

Sat at a stop sign. Coulda made it. Plenty of time.

However, I chose to wait for a Sunburst Orange Metallic Chevy HHR to cross my path. It was if my car’s twin sauntered toward me. I smiled.

OK-yea, sure-I thought this car was something the Munters would own or The Addams Family would present to Cousin It. Those thoughts were SO last week! This car belongs to me (and the bank!)

Did some research. Chevy modeled the car after their ’49 Suburban and the SSR (Super Sport Roadster). Found out the HHR, in HHR, stands for Heritage High Roof-not something cool like: Highway Huggin’ Roadster.

The Sunburst Orange Metallic Chevy HHR inched closer. My smiled widened. My window was down to catch an uncommon cool Dallas Summer breeze. Plus from the CD, Tina Turner was asking me What's Love Got to Do With It? I knew the other driver saw me wait, watch and smile. Sure enough, a woman was behind the well. We both waved.

Yep, Love has alot to do with it.

Indeed, part of a SisterHood.

Chevy Chit Chat...

As I coasted to a red light and began the search for my Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits CD, I noticed the car stopped beside me. Twas a Black Chevy HHR LT, the same model I have—and a woman sat strong behind the wheel. I rolled down my window and told her I was checking out her car. Didn’t tell her that even tho her chariot was quite sharp, doused in black, mine, with its Citrus Sunburst, aka orange, pigment sparkled more on this Dallas afternoon.

During that red light, we discussed gas mileage, space to carry her three grandbabies and whatever else we could fit in there, the articles about the HHR’s high rankings, and the fact we both didn’t fall in love at first sight with it-however look at us now! After our Chevy Chit Chat we wished each other a great night, rolled up the windows, and hit the gas as the light turned green. .

And the Doobie Brothers? They poured a little ‘Blackwater’ in the car as I zipped on to my next destination.

Car Update

I will miss my little Grandy Am, red duct tape and all....however I'm still in the fruit world. I now own a Chevy HHR. Looks like a big 'ol orange in my drive way. Great gas mileage. Reminds of a hearse--yet it's all mine---well, mine and the bank's!

It's funny--years ago--I was about 10 or 11, my mom and I were in a shoe store. She liked this one pair and I thought them ugly. Different sort of look than I usually went for. Mom said that's what made em cool--they were different. I look at this car the same way. To me its ugly, yet it's so different it makes it cool. After that day of shopping, I wound up buying those shoes. And I recall girls in my grade school really liked them.

And today, my car purchase reminds me of my mom, who passed away in 1971. The memory makes me smile, because I know her hand was in this car purchase. Today is her 80th birthday.

Now I need to finish today's episode of Young and the Restless-get rid of Chloe...now!

I am blessed.