I Was Just Thinking

Posted on August 19, 2014August 19, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I still haven’t felt up to going out and about much which is a big reason I haven’t posted much this summer. I think in addition to “feeling poorly” that I’ve also been a little “down in the dumps”. I’ve been lazy. But I admit I perked up when my last two posts of Buddy got some attention. I thought sure I’d neglected things for so long that no one would be paying any attention.

That got me thinking about things that have been in the news lately. First of all was the Robin Williams Suicide. So so sad. Of course it brought out all of the well meaning people who want to use Robin’s death as a call to arms to prevent other suicides. I guess if it helps save someone else then that’s ok. But I feel more for the man and all the demons he has battled. I think his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s may have been the last straw. He just didn’t have it in him to keep fighting. RIP Robin Williams. You have earned a rest.

And what’s up with Ferguson, Missouri? I missed the beginning of this disaster. I just turned on the news one night and thought I was watching riots in a 3rd world country, not right here in the good old US of A. Are we back to the Civil Rights days? I gather that a white police officer shot and killed a black teenager. The police officer is on paid suspension while his world is exploding. No matter what I read I can’t get a handle on what happened here. A call for a sick person and a call for a robbery. Someone says Brown (the teenager) attacked the officer but another account says the officer was in his cruiser when he fired the first shot. The teenager was unarmed. He was shot 6 times. It sounds terrible. It is tragic. But haven’t we gotten past the riots and looting? Black or white, that doesn’t help anyone.

Is the Market Basket saga news to anyone besides people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire? A family owned business fired it CEO and almost all of the employees of it’s chain of grocery stores (Market Basket) walk off the job. The chain is losing tens of thousands of dollars while this dispute rages but the rift in the family is so bitter that they can’t come to any agreement. I think they are in the 5th week of this battle. The ousted CEO has offered to buy the chain of stores but no one can come to an agreement and the strike goes on. I don’t know the inner dynamics but from the outside looking in it seems we have a case of biting the nose off to spite the face. No matter what, the family is not going to let the ousted cousin win. They’d rather bankrupt the business.

What a sad, sad state of affairs. 🙁

Still Alive

Posted on July 26, 2014July 26, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Hi everyone. I’m still alive and kicking. I think I hit the “painful” stage of the shingles. The more the rash heals (its almost gone) the more I have the “phantom” pains. They are like they are buried deep and the “cramp” starts in the lower abdomen and runs around my side to my lower back. One friend of mine said they sound like contractions. Since I’ve never given birth I can’t speak to that. Some are fairly mild but then one will hit that doubles me over and takes my breath away. Also can’t stand my clothes rubbing on my waistline. The doctor took pity on me and gave me lidocane patches. They help some but don’t eliminate it completely.

But speaking of doctors, mine is doing something that really concerns me. Her office has been making appointments for me without asking me first. Last week it was with the physical therapist who had the good sense to call me. PT is on the agenda and we found a time that worked.

Yesterday I got a letter telling me they made an appointment for me with an eye specialist. I already had my annual eye exam and the specialist they made it with is terrible. I went to him once and will never go back again. Of course it’s the weekend so I can’t make my feelings known until Monday. Maybe that’s a good thing because right now I’d probably yell at them. I think they are being very presumptuous. I need to nip this trend right now!

I am not senile and I am quite capable of handling my own appointments. I could understand the PT. My doctor told me they would be calling but this eye exam…not gonna happen.

Well a friend of mine had a birthday this week so I’m going to try to have a nice lunch with her. Fingers crossed my aches and pains behave.

Sunday Morning Thoughts

Posted on June 22, 2014June 22, 2014 by Dusty Roads

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning. I had big plans but am I out there “getting it done”? No I just dragged my sorry butt out of bed. It’s not that I wasn’t awake early. I was awake at my normal time and even if I hadn’t been within 15 minutes of my “normal time” my fuzzy back-up alarm arrived.

No, I spent half the morning in bed because I guess I over-did it yesterday. My left hip and my lower back are dictating my activities today.

So Rocky’s persistence and 3 extra strength Aleve got me moving a little. After a hot shower I felt a little better or maybe it’s the pain killer kicking in. Buddy arrived right on schedule to get his morning blow dry. One of these days I’ll have to set the camera up on the tripod and take a picture of this. I’ve never had a cat that liked a blow dryer so much. Even when I had a Persian who was blow-dried every six weeks all his life, he merely tolerated it.

So then I log onto Facebook and what do I see…a whale breaching on the Captain John FB page….from the 9 am trip yesterday. I can’t seem to pick the right trip at all!

With such a late start I think I’ll concentrate on some housework while I work out a plan B. So I’m doing laundry and pretty proud of that. There is a painful obstacle between me and the laundry room. Stairs. I remember being able to run up and down them with no problem. That was before this “Hip thing” which only seems to be getting worse. Oh well, there are many people who are worse off than me so I’ll just limp my way through it.

Then I plan to mop the kitchen floor. Actually I scrub it on my knees so with the hip acting up, that should be interesting. Once that’s all done I’ll make a quick trip to the grocery store and then I’ll be free to go looking for something interesting to share with you.

You see I’m always thinking of what might interest you. I’m still trying to keep up these pages in spite of work getting in the way.

Friday the 13th, Full Moon or Poltergeists?

Posted on June 14, 2014June 14, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Yesterday was Friday the 13th and they say there was a full moon too. I couldn’t tell you because it was raining. I guess I better plan to live a while longer. The next time we have a full moon on a Friday the 13th it will be 2049. I’ll only be 98. I can live that long.

So full moons bring out the “crazies” and Friday the 13th is bad luck, right? Then today must have been a doozie!

I was working from home today. For once it was kind of quiet. I provide support to 3 real estate agents. One is a big producer. The 2nd one is new and is still very lightly loaded for work and one is just starting a new territory so not much going on there. My busy agent took the day off so I was using the quiet time to catch up on paperwork.

I was just updating the computer when I found myself in the dark (or maybe gloom). The lights went out but not all of them. The Cable box went dark but the computer was still working, Rocky’s heat lamp was still on but the ceiling fan shut off??? I checked the circuit breakers. All fine. I flicked them off and back on just in case. Nothing. My neighbors were all fine. Then everything came back on except the desk lamp. That bulb was black but even a new bulb could not get the light back on. Another lamp bites the dust.

Back in business I became aware of a persistent squeaking noise. I thought it might be the ceiling fan so I shut it off. Still squeaking. I looked outside (my slider was open) but it wasn’t coming from outside. The weird part was that there was nothing where the sound was coming from.

I turned switches on and off and wandered from living room to bedroom to bathroom and back. I checked the refrigerator and the fan over the stove. The sound only got louder. It was starting to bother the cats now as well as me. They were pacing. What could it be?

Finally I started picking up cat toys in the area where the sound was the loudest and that’s when I found it. One of the battery operated cat toys would not shut off. I dug the sound box out of the mouse and tried to smash it with a hammer. It just squeaked louder; now more like a squeal. I finally pried the battery compartment open but it still wouldn’t shut off. I eventually silenced it by cutting the wires to the battery. Now I know what Silence is Golden really means!

So was it Friday the 13th vibes, the full moon or did I have a poltergeist visit yesterday?

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

Posted on May 31, 2014May 31, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I want to thank a talented young woman who writes the blog Its My Life http://kelseyrexroad8494.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. If you are a young woman who likes fashion and makeup you must check out her blog. She will provide you with tips and reviews that are perfect for the up and coming fashionista. I was one of 4 nominees and I can’t thank her enough for her kind comments. This is what she said: This is not a beauty blog, but I love seeing the pictures that are constantly being posted, they are beautiful. I love photography, so this blog is one of my faves, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

So glad you like them! The photos are my favorite part too. 🙂

Now for the rules:

Rules

Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you
List the rules and display the award
Share seven facts about yourself
Nominate fifteen other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated
Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you

Let’s see, 7 facts about myself????

I’m more than a cat lover. I love all animals.
I believe life is an adventure so the rough spots along the way are there to give you a challenge and make you stronger to enjoy the good times.
I love to travel. Although I am trying to visit all 50 states I also want to go to Costa Rica, Galapagos, Australia, Africa and Egypt. (And that’s just for starters.)
This blog started out as a travel blog but has evolved to so much more.
The blogging experience has introduced me to so many wonderful people (virtually) and enriched my life. (This is a totally unexpected benefit)
I am blessed with 2 brothers, a sister and my mother for family. (And more nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and extended family)
Growing up in the Adirondacks my family said we weren’t “hillbillies’ , we were “ridgerunners”

The hardest part of these awards are the nominations. I work full time , write this blog, manage dustyroadsphotos.com and dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com and dustyroadsphotos.etsy.com . So that doesn’t leave a great deal of time to explore other blogs. Many of the blogs I do follow are photography blogs. But so much for excuses. I won’t have 15 blogs but the ones I will recommend are wonderful and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

My nominees for the Most Inspiring Blogger Award are as follows:

Learn More every Day written by my virtual friend Patty. Patty shares photos, travels and the highs and lows of life. She has overcome sadness and moved forward with grace and strength. She is an inspiration so this award seems a perfect fit. http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/every-city-usa
One of the first blogs I followed and one of my first supporters who has stood by me through thick and thin is Homestead Ramblings. http://homesteadramblings.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/ezra-meeker-and-the-oregon-trail . Her posts are full of history, family, pictures, foster pets, biblical insights. Her stories often have a moral and are often presented with gentle humor.
A Budding Photographer who works really hard at his craft is my friend JR. He has shown up in some of my posts. He has a blog too, a photography blog. You should check out his work. http://www.jrstjeanphotography.com
Another Photographer’s blog that I enjoy not just for his fabulous nature photos but also because of the witty stories he tells about each picture is http://phillanoue.com.
Places Unknown is another photography blog. The owner travels often and takes wonderful travel photography. He even has a Mystery Location on Fridays. Fun! http://placesunknown.com
Do you like ruins, vampires, the Emerald Isle and all things Celtic? Then you will love the ruin hunter, Ed Mooney’s photo blog http://edmooneyphoto.wordpress.com
And last but not least is a blog about one of my favorite states, Maine. http://mainerchick.com has posted stories about Maine weather, restaurant reviews . poems and more. You never know what you’ll get from this versatile writer.