Today is hubby’s birthday!  It was always a story that was told every Thanksgiving, that his father picked a dandelion on hubby’s birthday.  Now, dandelions are not real prevalent in Michigan in late November.

Since we’ve moved a tad south of there, thank God!, it’s the red bud that is blooming.

Gotta love spring blooming trees that bloom in November….makes me think spring is just around the corner!

And a big Happy Birthday to Mark!!!!

While I will not be buying your book, my dear Sarah, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join our Bunco group sometime!  I know you’d love it….but better yet, you will fit right in!

It’s a bunch of zany gals that don’t have to have a reason to laugh and carry on….the funny thing is if someone would stand outside and listen to the loud laughter (usually over nothing!), they would swear it’s a bunch of drunks.  But there is no liquor….if there was, we’d probably all be curled up on the floor asleep!

Please consider this an open invitation to attend…just contact me and I’ll tell you where and when!

At least that’s how I like to think of it!

Things have been testy around the house since the bionic man got a new knee.  Seems like we’ve had lots of repairmen, which ultimately leads to lots of barking.  Derby, our found on the streets of Nashville dog, absolutely cannot help himself when it comes to barking.  It’s uncontrollable….I would say in the next 72 hours, he will be wearing his bark collar again.

An interesting tidbit happened when Insight was supposedly installing phone service a week ago. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT PHONE SERVICE IS STILL NOT WORKING RIGHT!  I was out running errands, actually getting away from barking dogs, when the Insight guy showed up.  Hubby was in computer room.  The phone rang and it was Insight wondering if someone was here because no one was answering the door.  Normally, the dogs are barking like crazy and the noise level is deafening.

Hubby goes to the door, and lo and behold, there’s the Insight guy, and the dogs are just laying around snoozing.

Then I came home!  Everytime the repairman came into the house, the dogs went bonkers.  So I’ve decided it’s me they are protecting.  Even the repairman said they didn’t bark when he would go in and out of the house till I came home.

Had to have a new toilet…hubby insisted on a super flusher.  When someone calls, on my cell, not the house phone, because that phone drops calls! (typed very sarcastically!) I go to the bathroom and flush, just so they can hear it! We are so proud of our super flusher!

Yesterday was “my life in the fast lane”.  Have had a rough few days with no sleep, friend had a MAJOR heart attack, another friend was thrown from a horse a air lifted to Vanderbilt, Derby barfing and choking because he had eaten a plastic Pepsi cap (I guess once a street dog, always a street dog).  I treated myself to a Pedicure and it was so relaxing!  Then I took Sofi to get her anal glands squeezed.

Folks, it just doesn’t get better than this!

Tuesday (and this is Saturday) Mark got a new knee; it’s getting more and more colorful!  Came home Thursday and trotted him off to rehab on Friday morning.

Coloring goes pretty much around the whole knee….wowee!  Or maybe I should say owie!

Staples come out Nov. 3 and yes, there will be documentation of that too; most likely video!  He wondered if I would be able to watch them remove the staples…my answer was “if I can watch them remove staples (that were a lot bigger) from Amy’s head from Chiari surgery, I was pretty sure this wouldn’t bother me.”

For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how I was receiving voice mails on my cell phone when it was sitting right next to me!  This has been going on for about a week now.

Lo and behold, there’s a tiny button on the side of the iphone that if it gets moved, mutes your phone from ringing, buzzing, and any other noise it should make!

But I’m really proud that I got it figured out…of course, I had to call my phone 6 times before I realized I better check the internet manual on that.

LMAO!

OK, readers, it’s Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday is new knee day for hubby.

He’s already commented a couple of times what a long week-end this will be; add the cold, crappy weather that is predicted, and it will be even longer.

I’m trying to play cruise director in making plans that will keep him busy.  So far, we’re going to the noon matinee to see The Informant. 

Am entertaining any and all suggestions in keeping him busy….but it cannot involve very much walking!

I’m so fortunate to have health insurance…..some would call it good health insurance.

However, today I received a letter from the insurance company stating that the drug I take for acid reflux is now going to be re-classified and will have a high cost…oh, wait, “cost may increase” are the actual words.  How absolutely dumb do they think we are!  May increase means will increase!

Oh, but the best part is: “talk to you Dr. about taking the generic equivalent of this drug may help lower the cost.”

For heavens sake, I AM TAKING THE FRIGGIN’ GENERIC DRUG!  ]

Apparently, health insurance companies, (Humana, are you listening), think the public has never heard of google. Just google “generic protonix” and see what comes up…..pantoprazole 40 mg. tablets!  By the way, I switched to this generic just a few years ago because my health insurance company insisted it would be cheaper because it’s a generic.

Sheesh….and those of you thinking you are against a government run health  insurance program, especially if you live in KY and only have the option of 2-3 health insurance companies to begin with, don’t let me find out you sign up for Medicare/Medicaid Part A – Z!  Because guess what?  That is a government run program.

UPDATE:  I called and spoke with a Humana pharmacist….guess, what!  I’m already taking the generic!!!  So I asked the pharmacist, “Well, then what would be the generic for the generic?”   There is no generic for a generic…..just a higher co-pay!!!  Sure hope the White House picks up on this blog!

Since we all live in a world of dings, buzzers, and other noise makers, I wish someone would come up with a waste basket that says “empty me, empty me, empty me”.

If my washing machine makes noises when it’s done, the dryer buzzes when it’s done, the timer on the stove let’s me know when the time is up, my refrigerator lets me know if the door is open, the car says “door ajar”,….it just makes sense that someone could invent a waste basket that tells you “I’m full”!

While traveling the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico, we drove past this cemetery.  I stomped on the brakes and said “gotta get a picture of this”…..Mark will love it….it’s a Sons of Anarchy grave. (At least that’s what I named it)

Gayla (L), me (middle), Pat, (L)  – The 3 Stoogettes waiting for boarding at Nashville airport.  Didn’t realize we stopped in Kansas City…so I called Mark to tell him we got on the wrong plane and we were at the Kansas City airport.  He didn’t think it was nearly as funny as we did.

Because of my previous travels and barfing, Pat’s husband bought me a bag full of barf bags with Puke University on them.  And they came with a wet nap to wipe off my mouth.  Do I have the best friends or what?  And I’m extremely happy to report I DID NOT BARF!  It’s amazing how much more enjoyable travling is when you don’t barf!!!

These were a couple of alpacas that were at the festival.  They have the sweetest looking faces and are so very soft. If you’ve never knitted with alpaca yarn, please do.  It’s a dream to work with and you have the nicest fabric when you are done. (knitted fabric, garment, whatever you want to call it).  At one point I told people that we were renting a convertible to drive home to bring the alpaca in!  And her name would have been Nola!

This picture doesn’t do itself justice!  This was the most gorgeous weaving I saw.  Probably because I loved the colors, etc. Hubby didn’t think I should pay $1500 for it, altho’ she said make me an offer around $1000!   Makes me think a loom may be in my future!  Wish I got “cheese” checks twice a month. LOL

This is the stash I ended up purchasing; some yarn, some batts for spinning, and some sock yarn, etc.  Now to get it knitted!

Only disappointment I had was so many of the vendors DID NOT take Visa.  I think most people do not travel with a lot of cash!  I wish I had known this….because I would have helped the economy a lot more than I did.  Perhaps the powers that organize this, could someone how provide that with their vendor fee.  It was disappointing to get to the check out and hear, “sorry we don’t take credit cards.”  My answer was “sorry, I don’t travel with a lot of cash.”

Weather was beautiful!!!  I could live in that area!!!  And I think in my next life I will!!!!!

 Hotel provided Indian dancing in the evening around a bon fire….another disappointment.  We walked over to the fire pit to watch, not taking our purses (money)…just took cameras.  And then we hear there’s a $10 donation (fee) to take pictures.  And they passed a basket around at the end to collect money for watching.  Too bad the hotel didn’t let you know this before hand….all they say is “there’s Indian dancing around the firepit at 7:30 p.m.” 

Headed back to Albuquerque to catch our flight home….a lady that was obviously in a BIG hurry to get her luggage….ran it across my big toe, breaking it!

On Tuesday, the brusing was as dark as the toe nail polish….used the wonder “drug” arnica and the bruising is almost gone today, Friday.