She's A Nut

It was the Friday after Thanksgving. LSU was playing some people were predicting that Arkansas would stage an upset. Naturally the residents and day participants alike had to watch the game. By five o'clock the game was in the third quarter. LSU was leading 21 to 17 when Mr. Bobs family came to pick him up. He complained bitterly that they were taking him away from the game. I told him that he would be home soon and then he could finish the game. All movement in the hall stopped and everyone within ear shot turned to stare at me. Who was this unfeeling, uncultured philistine in their midst and how had she come to be there? I felt compelled to explain so I said; "My comment just goes to show how much I care about football which is really not at all." Their shock and silence deepened then one of the nursed began to laugh and she explained to everyone at large, "She is a nut but she is a nice nut."


RW

You Think I Would Go Out There?!!

My sister came to visit me yesterday on her vacation. She is staying for a long weekend. When I got up this morning I saw her drinking from a bottle of Coke. You went out and bought a coke last night? I was a little surprised since she arrived late and she doesn't know the area at all. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "I lay here last night listening to the sirens go by and then the helicopters flew over. Then more sirens went by. I kept waiting for the guys with the blazing guns to come bursting in. You couldn't pay me to go out there at night! You must be awfully bored when you come to visit me. It's an exciting day if a police car pulls into the parking lot of my apartment complex."

LOL, I never heard anything at all. I guess I have become used to the sounds of the city.

RW

So, as I was leaving work today a friend walked out with me. She commented on what a rough day it had been and observed that she thought we both probably felt like we had been run over and dragged a block by a street car and how bad that would be and all. I observed that we would probably feel much better if we had been run over and dragged by a street car. She looked at me like I was crazy so I elaborated. If we had been run over we would be unconscious I said. She began to see the light, "and we would wake up in the hospital", she said. And we would have good drugs and people would feel sorry for us, I pointed out. Which no is doing now and we wouldn't have to come to work tomorrow, she said. We walked toward our cars; "The street cars run every 15 minutes." she joked. Then as we headed our separate ways, she said,"see you tomorrow." Tomorrow", I agreed.

RW

Happy Birthday to ME!!

So today was my birthday and I had a lot of fun. I slept in late and started my morning with a leisurely espresso with lots of foam just the way I like it. Later I roused myself and drove on around to the seminary where I met with friends and had lunch. Later we played a rousing round of frisbee golf. Actually it was my first ever game of frisbee golf but I enjoyed it so much that now I think I will by some golfing discs for myself. It was fun and my knee got a good but gentle workout chasing around after that errant disc. I completed my day with a photo safari and a dinner of pancakes at IHOP. Fortunately for me that is not the end of my birthday. This weekend I get to go camping with my sister. I am looking forward to that a lot. I plan to play in the water, Ride my bike and take more pictures. For now I leave you with a song that has become a birthday tradition in my family. I hope you like it.

RW

Things That Go Bang in the Evening

I had a major test to take tonight. I was really freaked out about it actually because the instructor gave us TWO hours to complete the test. I studied like crazy for that test because I figured the length of time given to take it must indicate how tough it was going to be. It had discussion, multiple choice and true/false. It was an online test.

I was deep in the middle of the test and I was rushing because there was a storm happening outside, I was afraid that I would lose my internet connection and fail the test, when thunder shook my apartment. I heard a horrendous crash from the kitchen. I tried to think what could have broken.The teapot I got from grandmother? Or perhaps it was the bread dipping dish I bought last year on vacation in Virginia. It hangs on my wall and I really love that dish because of it's unusual finish. I ran into the room to check it out. The light fixture had fallen from the ceiling and shattered. The floor was covered in glass shards both large and small. I left the mess to clean up after I finished the test.

It seems that I may have been over anxious about the test. I think I did alright although I suspect that the personal mission statement I submitted is not long enough and I may lose points there. Ironically, the other test I took this morning was only 30 minutes long. I had studied for it and it was open book. I was not worried. I should have been apparently. Oh Well. Tomorrow is another day.

RW

Raccoon Rescue Lady

This morning, I discovered to my chagrin that I have a reputation in the neighborhood. I am the raccoon rescue lady. I was sound asleep in bed when an insistent pounding started at my front door. It took a while to wake up and by the time I got there, my visitor was gone. Just as well I thought but since I was up I might as well stay up. So I began watering my plants and making a pot of coffee, morning things. So when the knocking started again, I was able to open the door in fairly short order. A woman and her son were standing on my doorstep. "I heard that you are the raccoon rescue lady", she said. "A raccoon needs to be rescued. Lord, I am so scared to go near that raccoon!" And so saying they led me down the street to a nearby apartment building where there was indeed a raccoon trapped in the dumpster. They agreed to supply the chair since they didn't have a step stool and cautiously I lowered it down next to the raccoon. He climbed out and wandered away with an exhausted stagger after about 10 minutes. The boy was thrilled and his mother relieved that she would not have to hear about it anymore. He asked me why I helped them rescue the raccoon, so I explained to him that God cares about every part of his creation. That meant animals as well as people. If we trust God, He will be there to take care of us.

I am glad that I was able to help but I sure hope that I am not called upon to perform many more rescues!

RW

Anger

I am a roiling, seething, cauldron of anger today. I have been for the last week and it is directly attributable to my job. I am a driver at a retirement home and that alone is a fairly stressful job. My official title is driver/activities. That means that I get to drive the bus and the car and be on call whenever someone needs a ride anywhere or an errand done. It also means that I get to ride herd on the day care participants. When I was first hired, I was really excited. I planned all these really great activities but I soon realized that I could not do them because I never knew when I would be called out to drive and there was no one to take over for me if I left. So I pretty much settled for the path of least resistance in order to meet as many obligations as I could. I used to have this job all to myself and some days I hardly knew if I was coming or going. When I was driving, I wasn't taking care of my other responsibilities but since driving is my first job it is also my first priority. My job also includes being responsible for fueling, cleaning and maintaining the company vehicles. These duties often got pushed aside or put on a back burner till I could get to them. Then I got help. I was really pretty excited at first. I thought that now I would have time to really do my job correctly and when I am on campus I would be there to assist with day care participants. I was a little jealous that she was going to have the time to plan the fun activities that I never could but that was ok. Now reality has set in and I find that I have even less time than ever before. Now I have even less time than ever before to perform the duties related to driving because the activities department believes that with two personnel there is no reason we should not both be on campus at all times unless I actually have to take someone home or to the doctor. Now I am being told when to take care of my duties and what to do after I have done them by people who don't have a clue about what my duties actually are.  I used to be able to eat alone and even study or read my Bible on my break and get my head on straight after tense or stressful mornings. Today, I walked into work and prepared to go straight out and fuel the bus but my helper informed me that I couldn't do that because she had to prepare the craft that I was going to help the people work on while she helped set up for the party. I stood there serving the people their breakfasts and wishing for some adult conversation that had some basis in reality when it hit me that I was the one who got up and dressed in a uniform so I could drive myself to this place. It was my own fault that I am here and so I have decided that something must change. I am not sure whether that means I will end up looking for a new job or what but I do know that change is going to happen. Tomorrow we are shorthanded again so that will not be the day to do anything but starting Monday, my first loyalty will be to the driving portion of my job. After that, I will do all that I reasonably can. We will see if that is enough. I don't really want to have to find another job. I have been happy here for the most part and the pay is good. The people are really funny when I am able to enjoy them.

RW