My Week

I colored my hair red this Wednesday morning before work with the 6 day wash out. It wasn't real red so that package might be old.  I went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville Morris University Center MUC Meridian Ballroom on Thursday, August 23, 2012 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Rocky Horror I went to SIUE to assist the Campus Activity with the Rocky Horror Picture Show.    I didn't even need to color. I played Frank N Further since another was "Columbia-Ready".  They paid my parking and afterward gave me a card which included a gift card for Walmart.

Saturday I had breakfast at Applebees with my sons where the proceeds and servers were for the church youth group.  Then I got the cycle out for a Red Knights meeting that was NOT followed with a ride so I got in my period attire and went to the Old State Capital from 11:00 to 3PM.   I got hungry afterward so Alan and I went out for a steak at Amber Jacks.

Sunday I read the first reading at Mass.  I came home and fixed lunch and learned that my oldest son had an allergic reaction to white fish.  When I asked how long that was going on, he said for 10 years.  Huh!
I bought movie tickets online for the three of us to go see 2016.  We sat up high in the back of the theater with some members of church that were part of a 9-12 group.  Although it wasn't sold out, the theater was packed except the first row neck wrecker. What I learned was that Obama won the election on race and for others the hope of erasing racism.  He did what other blacks could not do by smiling at whites to get their vote and show he was not an angry black man.  However, his real background is more about anti-colonialism and vengeance on the occupiers.   There was no focus on his birth certificate, his SSN, or college which had distracted me and probably have merit.  Rather there was a focus on his friends, family and those who he associated with and didn't associate with.  The dream of his father was anger towards colonialism.  He forgets that America was a colony and our founding fathers created our own independence.  His founding fathers were Davis, Aires, Wright, and Said.  The audience was a demographic of middle aged white people.  Someone yelled "Romney" at the end.

After I got home, we had a nice little rain.  I used the wet car to towel down the water spots.
Alan had pointed out something about Bentley that I didn't notice.  Before he had his ear surgery, he used to howl a deep sad moan when tied up or left out of sight.  The sound was annoying but tugged at the heart strings like a cry for me.  Now that he's virtually deaf, that has stopped.  

Every Tuesday evening, at 7PM, there is a retreat ceremony at the Lincoln Tomb. Aug 28th was the last for the season so I took a group photo. 

I've decided that some tailoring in the bodice is needed in my black widow's weeds.

The new water plant that has opened in the last year gifted us with a boil order due an abnormal water pressure problem.  I had to hit the bottle. *Hic*  I had a terrible hangover.

My son had noticed something that I didn't about Bentley.  Since his surgery on his ears, he hasn't done his pitiful howl.  This means that in the past, he did this on purpose so he could get attention.

The morning walk was real short walk because Bentley did his biz and Marley picked up fresh road kill squirrel. I know it was fresh because when I released her into the back yard, she brought him in the house and I had to pick him up thru a plastic bag.  She thinks she is a mighty hunter.

My Week

As I walk the dogs, we often meet other dogs like Jackson the boxer and Foster the scottie.  As I walk along the wooden fence there is Molly the collie whom I touched through the slats of a wooden fence.  Lately, Molly hasn't come to the fence.  Instead, there is noisy pit pull running along the fence as I go by.  Peering through the slats, I can see Molly in the background too intimidated by the pit bull to come by and greet me and my dogs now.  I feel so bad for Molly because I'm sure she is having other issues beside what I see.

Well Wednesday had been Aug 15th and a Holy Day for the Assumption of Mary.  I decided to attend Mass during my lunch at the downtown cathedral.  Although it is very beautiful, the size makes the acoustics horrible.  My coworker, Michael, asked to come along.  You see, he feels he may be Catholic because he was baptized and given the last rites 3 times as a premature baby at Ravenswood Hospital with a subsequent adoption.  I explained the protocol.  He received a blessing during communion and afterward said he felt peaceful being there.  I'm glad I brought him.  Later he learned that his baptism was given by his grandmother under emergency circumstances and he would have been raised Catholic.  Now that he knows this, he wishes to honor his biological family's wish.  I told him he would need a sponsor.  He asked me.

Thursday we had a much needed rain.  I watched from my office window as the cigarette butts thrown into the street made wash line.  In the evening I went to an ABATE meeting.  I mentioned Wreaths Across America on Dec 15th and our upcoming poker run to support the event.

Friday I took off of work half a day so I could rest up before reporting for work at the beer booth at the state fair.  The morning was real busy too with technical difficulties.  Well I did take a brief nap before going to the fairgrounds. I got there early enough to get my free yardstick courtesy of the Department of Insurance.  I got my choice work assignment at Ethnic Village in the State Fair. Since I had a free pass I got there a little early to walk around and had my picture taken with the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile and had a free sample. No free samples of beer however.  

Saturday I did sleep in.  I cleared the kitchen sink and mopped floors.  Then got real hungry and everything I had to cook seemed unappealing so I hopped on the bike and went to Hardees for a turkey burger.  I thought it was unusual to have sweet pickle slices rather than dill on my burger.  My new bonnet that I got on eBay arrived.

It's nicely made but I'll need to put a comb of some sort in it so that it won't slide around.

It's going to be a very busy week:
Sunday ~ Catholic War Veterans Mass
Monday ~ VFW meeting
Tuesday ~ appointment at Nisson, Retreat at the Lincoln Tomb
Wednesday ~ Dance lessons
Thursday ~ Rocky Horror Picture Show at SIUE
Friday ~
Saturday ~ Breakfast fund raiser, Red Knights meeting, OSC, Rocky Mountain Oysters at the VFW

I picked up a Civil War style wood chair for the reenactments that folds up similar to this but without the canvas at a yard sale for $5.  She said there were 3 others like it at her mothers house she could get for me next weekend.

 

I rented the movie, Iron Lady.  There were so many flash backs and flash forwards in time that I got confused.  In addition she had dementia later in life so I think she was talking to the ghost of her husband.  I got really lost.

Then we watched the Hunger Games.  That movie reminded me of the plot from the 1973 movie, Soilent Green.

I've been having a problem with the power lock on my car so I took it to Nissan.
I needed a new battery

My Week

This week my feelings were hurt.   Here is what happened on facebook:

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Quote:   “Ray Mcdaniels:   Rose you are a fat ass fucking nut get your head out of your ass you are a no body I did some checking on your as would you like it on face book“.  {Just for sharing a related article that opposed the topic) }.

to

‎Ray Mcdaniels:

I've been mocked last week for supporting Chic-Fil-A. Now I've been mocked by you on a conservative forum. That's balance. Just as I posted a balance (yet topic related) opposing point of view. If you read it, I said it's a COPY N PASTE comment ~ not my words. If you are not interested in exposing LIES (see above), then why are you here? Damn, and I thought libs were rude. You just surpassed the emotional insult I was recovering from last week!

<><><>
Wednesday night I went to an AMVETS meeting.  I can see that Commander Huckaby thinks we should not be eating our funds without replenshiment.

Thursday evening was the opening evening of the state fair at 5PM with a parade that kicked off at 6PM.  I met my son there. Opening night there is free admission. I was surprised that there were no horses in the parade.  We shared a quesadilla.  That stand was right across from the booth selling meet parfaits.

Friday I took the afternoon off from work to prepare for a long night at the fair.  I had my oil changed on my car and took a nap.

Friday evening my son and I worked the beer booth in Ethnic Village at the state fair.  Our booth carried Guinness,  Smithwick, Amstel Light, Peroni, and a few others.   I was surpised when a man wearing a Guinness shirt requested an Amstel Light. A young couple got engaged on the skyline.  They were at the beer booth showing off the ring and he had a tee shirt with the tuxedo pattern.  He told how he had it all planned and coordinated with a walkie talkie to stop the ride for his proposal.  Awww.  Our booth closed earlier than the other beer stands with the domestic beers.  Which was good because we got to stop at the coors tent to see some of "Who's Bad" (Michael Jackson impersonator).  http://www.whosbadmusic.com/

Saturday I spent most of the time at home cleaning and cooking and sewing.

Sunday morning after church I went to the state fair.  It was veterans day at the fair so we got in free.  Instead I paid to park which was $7.  I figure they were paying to park nearly the same outside the fairgrounds and this way I'd have easy access to my car.  I found the day to be a lot like a reunion of veteran related friends.  As I told one of my coworkers, you'll never see retired state workers gathered together like you see veterans.  We tend to unite and somewhat drop our service branch, war era, and rank to celebrate our service affiliation.  We had a nice ceremony at the Lincoln stage for the veterans followed by the Coast Guard Silent Drill team who performed flawlessly. 

Here they are from 2010.  There was a flaw in this performance.


I walked around to see some exhibits.  I got a clip that looks like a mini hat for $2.  I bumped into Jim and Suz laying on a Sleep Number Bed.  Ah and I traveled light so I didn't have my camera. Then I walked in the veterans parade down main street at the fair with fellow VFW members.  The Gold Star families rode on the tram in the parade and the family of SrA Bradley Smith carried a banner honoring his sacrifice.  Since the Air Force is less frequent among the Gold Star families, they noticed my AF retired cap.  I explained that I was there for their son's funeral as a member of the Patriot Guard.  I recalled the cold and snow that we endured in the flag line.  They agreed.  She told me that the Patriot Guard was the next visit after the official notification their son died and were grateful for the support. I told them of the USAF flag that flew from the window of our pick up truck.  Wow, that seems so long ago and my husband with me too.  Brad's dad had a few motorcycles including a Goldwing.   I saved a few Tootsie Rolls to fill space in my soldier's box.  After the parade me feet were really getting tired.  I had some sugar free ice cream.  Since I parked infield, I gave Gene a ride to his car.  I came home and kicked off my boots, took a aspirin, and a nap.  Then I walked the dogs.  If the weather didn't look like rain, I would rather have ridden my motorcycle in the parade.

I had mentioned to my son that I should get a giant pot to put my hose in.  Those hose reels never seem to work.  Then he mentioned the Xhose and based on the review, I ordered a 50' hose.  See more here:  http://doesitreallywork.org/x-hose-review

Tuesday, I came back from lunch and there was a big man who seemed lost as he came in the building.  I asked if I could help.  He said yes that he was looking to apply for an Occupational Therapy license.  I gave him the directions but was thinking he could hurt somebody. 

I got free tickets to see the Charlie Daniels band at the state fair.  A dinner under the tent for veterans was hosted by Humanna. Parking passes on the grounds were limited so I carpooled with Maria and Gene from the VFW.
 

My Week

I had a real nice FB chat with my soldier Saturday evening. I had adopted Doug a few years ago and he was silent then until the end of his deployment. Then I saw a hint that he was going again and re-adopted him again. We have the same birthday so I want the next box to be special. He will retire from the army shortly after he returns. God Bless Doug!

The ground is so dry and cracked that I can bury the dog turds in the cracks. I submitted a picture to the local paper where they asked Send us your 'Ugly Lawn' photos.  Posted Aug 02, 2012 @ 10:45 PM It's hot. It's dry. We have rules against using as much water as we want. As a result, your lawn is probably looking mighty sad right about now. If your front yard display is sporting a lovely shade of dead, we want to see it. Snap a photo of the brown and wilted scene right now and submit it to be included in our "Ugly Lawn" photo gallery. http://extras.sj-r.com/photo-galleries/reader/send-us-your-ugly-lawn-photos/12418/

Saturday morning I helped with the viola Days for the Military Order of the Purple Heart.  My son did this also but at a different location.

I attended a church picnic. It was so hot but later there was a breeze coming off Lake Springfield. Despite the temperature just know that I could better spend my time getting caught up sewing some neck coolers. Got home and out of the car and my glasses fogged up from the AC to the heat.

Sunday morning I woke to learn we had about 1/3 inch of rain (per snooping at the neighbor's rain gauge).  I looked at the weather report to see if I could ride the Wheezer to church since I didn't go to Mass at the parish picnic.  I figured that there would be a shortage of Communion ministers since most went to the picnic the evening before.  Sure enough, I was needed.   I picked up 3 breakfast fundraiser coupons from the youth group at Applebees on Aug 25th.

Monday evening I rode the bike to an American Legion meeting and brought all the documents for the good of the post. There was an installation of officers. Another motorcycle similar to mine, Honda Aero, pulled up in black and white contrast.

I’m out of Sentinel pills for my dogs heart worm and discovered that the company is not producing this for awhile.  Although the notice was posted in Jan 2012 and said it would last 4 months, I got on a chat and was told it is still going to be another few more months than planned.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/alternative-to-sentinel.jsp

Project Valor IT

07/09/12

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We're less than a week into the summer-long 2012 Valour-IT fundraising competition, but generous and caring Americans have already donated over $7,000 to provide laptops to severely wounded troops!

Thanks to their gifts, laptops are already flying out the door!  This week, four catastrophically-wounded heroes will receive a voice-controlled laptop that will enable them to reconnect with their world, to gain a bit more control of their environment thanks to technology and the loving hearts of donors. 

In recent months the lethality and sophistication of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) used against coalition troops in Afghanistan has markedly increased and survivors who have lost two or three limbs are not uncommon; three of the warriors who will receive Valour-IT laptops this week are triple amputees who were recently wounded in the same blast, and another wounded warrior scheduled to receive a laptop thanks to the new donations is an EOD (Explosives Ordinance Disposal) expert who lost both his arms in an IED blast.

There are currently 38 fully-vetted wounded warriors on the Valour-IT waiting list, with many more than that in the middle of the request/approval process.   Every single one of them has suffered a catastrophic injury in combat and until people started donating last week, they weren't going to receive a laptop.  

Though the Valour-IT mission has expanded in recent years, recipients like the four described above are the core of Valour-IT's mission--the wounded warriors for whom it has the most impact: severely wounded heroes who need a voice-controlled laptop to regain some independence and reconnect with their world.  As IEDs have grown more sophisticated and successful in Afghanistan, the need for Valour-IT's fundamental benefit to the wounded has ramped up significantly.  

Project Valour-IT is more powerful than words can truly explain.  A wounded warrior who is coping with the catastrophic rearrangement of his body and his psyche needs the familiar reassurance of doing something he could do before--surfing the web, controlling a piece of his environment, and reconnecting with his support system.  Putting a voice-controlled laptop in front of a wounded hero gives him back a piece of his life and hope for the future that he WILL do what he did before, even if he has to do a it a bit differently, now.

Words are vital--they soothe the battered heart and soul... but Valour-IT goes further.  It's not just warm feelings and needed reassurance of support; it's a powerful tool handed to a hero by dozens of Americans who gave what they could, did what they could when they could do nothing else.   It's a physical proof of two things: "We're here for you, and you are still a part of our world."

Please give what you can by clicking a "Donate" button, do what you can by emailing a friend or sharing it on Facebook with a  personal comment.  Together we can reach out to these heroes at the most difficult times in their lives, offering them a true hand up to the new life they are struggling to construct. 

They have sacrificed pieces of themselves for us.  Can we sacrifice a couple of dollars for them?

My Week

Thursday I went to a volunteer appreciation event at the Vachel Lindsey home. Abraham and Mary was there and so were the Lincoln Troubadours.  We were invited for an ice cream social but I noticed they were charging for ice cream.  That's because the social was open to  tourists.  Volunteers didn't have to buy ice cream.

Well a few weeks ago, I participated in the American Legion Riders Legacy poker run on one of the hottest days. Last Saturday, this ride aired on TV's Cruizin' Illinois. I'm interviewed at about the one minute mark.
 http://www.wics.com/citv/players/clips/vid_130.shtml

Friday, Michael brought in super size birthday cookie to share at work for his birthday on Saturday. Way rich. After work, I attended a PGR flag line for a WW2 veteran in Virden after work. I left 15 minutes before the end of the visitation as it was starting to get dark and I had sunglasses.

Saturday I volunteered at the Old State Capitol.  Next to our Civil War medical encampment days in June, we had the largest turn out.  I gave 2 tours and I really enjoyed the girl scouts because I was a scout myself.  I encouraged the girls to join the Air Force when they grow up.  I even got to meet President Lincoln in his summer linen frock.  Yes, I had to stand on a step to square the picture off a bit.  On the way home from the Old State Capitol, I stopped at Schnucks to get a bottle of Absolute Vodka for a coworker because she hinted....darn near complained ...that her kids problems would make her birthday seem so unimportant.    I didn't want her to get skunked of her one and only desire for her birthday. And the attention I got in Shnucks in my period costume after volunteer duty at the Old State Capitol like this.  She wasn't home so I slipped the bottle in the door.  She didn't know who left it.  I was the vodka fairy. 



Last Friday, my coworker was somewhat dissolutioned by her family leaning on her so close to her birthday and all she said she wanted was a bottle of Vodka.  She must have forgot that she mentioned this to me because I slipped a bottle of Absolute in her doorway on Saturday.

 Sunday I went to church.  I had planned to attend the ABATE Downed Rider Benefit in Athens  but between a headache and my son coming over to do laundry I opted for quality time at home. 

After he left, I put a button hole in a civil war skirt and hemmed it up for my height.

Tuesday evening after work I visited Frank Farley at Memorial Medical Hospital.  He belongs to the VFW and is a WW2 veteran.  He's been going down hill in health and I'm afraid he'll never go home to living alone and will now need assisted living.  He asked about the place I stayed when I had my motorcycle accident.  I told them that the therapy was very good but if you need help, expect long delays after ringing the buzzer.



Frank Farley and Me

 

After leaving him I stopped to get some chicken strips at Burger King.  I was admiring the bacon topped ice cream sundae but not this time.  I made it over to the Lincoln Tomb for the retreat ceremony.  Someone from Ohio was presented the US flag that had flown over the tomb the week before.  I had worn my new day dress which is more fitting for me after having it shortened.  I remembered everything but couldn't find my boots.  Fortunately my dress was long enough to cover my sandals.  How farby I felt.





The Lincoln Tomb

On the way home, I saw that they were harvesting corn!  Heck this is early.  You would think it was October.
I attended a meeting for state employees’ union. The governor plans to put everyone back 2 pay grades while all the legislators got an 11% increase last year. It’s going to get ugly.

After work I stopped by to get my Chic-Fil-A.