Post Tornado. Skeleton Trees.
Lots of noise. A strange, continuous roaring sound to the north of our location. Sirens everywhere. No actual sighting in my town. Confirmed visuals in Coal City to the South and Frankfort to the west. And as everyone knows by now, Washington, IL, out in the middle there. It is VERY windy now. If you turn on the TV to the Bears game in Chicago, you can see that our wind is extra windy. In case we forgot that our weather patterns here in the Midwest don’t just stroll in all leisurely-like, changing over the course of a few days or even hours; but prefer to burst out of the atmosphere like fireworks in the sky. Boom, flash, done. It’s dark. It’s light. It’s dark again. One minute you are outside just milling around and taking pictures, marveling at nature in all its raw beauty, and the next minute a powerful gust of wind crackles through the high branches of your fragile, breaking trees, pushing you, the garbage cans, and one of the plastic chairs you are standing next to, across the patio, almost giving you a heart attack. I literally covered my head because I thought a limb was coming down. I know the sound. So you decide you should probably go inside and close all the windows because it was 65 degrees mere minutes ago and now its 50 with all your blinds blowing inside the windows trying to come off the hinges. I have work to start and finish because I wasted my day on all this weather and I may slip in a drink or two to count my blessings tonight with my family. Say a quick prayer, send a thought, or help if you can, for our neighbors to the south. It’s getting dark now and the weather looks like it’s staying. Good luck. Stay safe. Winter is pretty much here. Only four or five more months until it’s spring. Cold hands, warm hearts. I think we say something like that. Later.
Veterans Day
Another year to say thank you and to post my favorite picture of my dad.
To all who serve. Past, present, and future. Thank you.
Halloween. Bare Bones Style.
Not a single decoration. No scary movies. Rain all day, but so, so warm. I bought just enough candy, apparently. Thank goodness. I have about 20 pieces of chocolate left in the pot. The rush came between 5 and 7 pm. But I am happy that I get to be here tonight. Day shift is good sometimes. At least now I don’t have to de-decorate. I will update this here bloggy thing as soon as possible. Thank you to my 2 new followers and all you wonderful people out there who are still checking and reading the same old thing every day. I am funny and relevant and have things to say. I just don’t have as much time to say them anymore now that I have my new job. Soon. Soon. Tomorrow is All Saints Day. Then the Day of the Dead or All Soul’s Day. Since I am lazy, I will link all my cool past posts here, and you can be amazed and hungry for the next thing I might write. Click the holiday to read about it! In the meantime, here is a giant spider that was in our house. We have had a lot of them but this is the only picture. And it’s blurry with the eyes all flashed out. But I post it because you can clearly see how big it is. Each one of those small squares is 4 inches in area. That spider is taking charge of at least half of those inches. Now 2 inches may not seem like a lot, but this is a house spider. Wolf spiders mostly. Go get a ruler and look at 2 inches. Really look. We forget how big an inch is because it’s always portrayed so small. 2 inches of spider is just a little bit too uncomfortably big to kill with a kleenex. And there seems to be a rash of these giant mutated spiders all over the Midwest this year. We all better be careful. Focusing too much on zombies and forgetting the real, live, predator threats that crawl around our houses at night when we are all snuggled in bed. So you are welcome for that. Have a safe and happy Halloween. The dead will be rising in a few hours and I need to go get a spell casted to keep the spirits where they belong. And dinner. Later.
Serenity
Sort of for Pink October. Still getting the mammo on Thursday. Updates will be given. This picture was taken by the girl with the IPhone. All credits to her. Have a fabulous Sunday morning. Football and shopping for clothes—I need business casual for next week. No scrubs. Sad face. The administrator doesn’t like them for the managers even if you are still a nurse who will walk the floor. I will feel very lucky if I find one good outfit that I don’t feel like an alien in. And we need plant cell project supplies. It’s that time of year again in Biology class. And the boy and girl need Homecoming fancy wear. All in one afternoon? Stay tuned!
Fall Flower Close Ups For My Family On Friday
I am really working the “F” thing. Sorry for that. But I mean, what the hell. I have the pictures. Now I have to go to work but still try to stay relevant in the blogger world. If all goes according to plan, this will be my last day as a floor nurse and a PM shifter. It’s kind of slippery to slide work news in between fancy flower pictures, but, bombshell info, I will be switching to days next week and also becoming the manager of my unit. Pause for applause. Thank you. And did I mention that it’s Monday through Friday with no weekends, except for on-call every 4 weeks?? Taking the next steps in an upward position. Kind of scared actually, but I think I can do this job. And I think I can do it well. It’s a boatload more responsibility dealing with patients, families, corporate and state regulations and regulators. My new boss, who used to do the job that I will be doing, has been asking me every few days for the last few weeks if I still want to do this. Will I sign? Am I sure? Not in a negative way, but in the positive way to be sure that I don’t change my mind. How bad can it be when you have the support of the previous job holder? I type, so naively. My coworkers are already calling me boss, and I have been working on a clever post-it note system of employee relations that I want to incorporate for when I have to discipline or encourage any of my former co-workers. Everyone loves post-it notes, and wouldn’t it be less of a blow to get yelled at via post-it note? I think so. I’m going to color coordinate and everyone gets to pick their own. It’s also interactive! And that’s all there is to it right? Hahahaha. Soooo delusional. Anyway, more on that later. I will also be going back to school. Corporate has already heavily advised me that it would be a good idea. So, as usual, let’s jump in the pool, both feet forward and off the ground. No turning back, cause it’s too late when you’ve already signed on the dotted line. In even more news, I have to get my first mammogram next week. Also something I am nervous about. So, welcome again, !, and happy October. We have job news, school news and boob news. This site really has everything! Please share and share and share! Now, let’s see if any of my family still reads this. Just kidding. I’m gonna call all those crazies personally in the next hour. But in the meantime, here’s another picture. It’s orange. Later.
Following The Pumpkin Truck
On my way to work. On the expressway. I’ll admit, that while I was fumbling around trying to get the picture, and driving, that it would not be good if that cardboard box thing holding all those pumpkins together just broke. Pumpkins everywhere! I don’t see how I would even avoid them really. They would just tumble out and over the side and onto the road. I’ve never hit a pumpkin or tried to run one over, but I bet that without a truck I would not have much success of keeping my vehicle intact. But you know, I still had to get the picture because I am an idiot. Happy October!
Contrails
On a perfectly clear, blue, still, Tuesday afternoon sky, in September. Last Tuesday. The 24th. I told you I was a bit behind. I have never seen them criss cross so perfectly. I even got a close up. And now, on to October.
So When You’re Near Me, Darling Can’t You Hear Me? S.O.S.
The love you gave me, nothing else can save me, S.O.S.! When you’re gone, how can I, even try, to go on?
Oh the drama. September is over. My favorite month. I’m going to bookend this month with one last post. I think I hit the significant dates though: 2, 10, 30. Hmmm. Maybe I should play the lottery. That would be a nice October. Anyway, I really am bummed that September is over because now that means we have to get ready for the long, brisk, shuffle into winter and start praying for an early spring.
There is football though. And I was contemplating just making this site a homage to football players and their personal bodies, you know, muscles, hair, bootys, etc., and of course their teams and stats and all that, blah blah, along with a feature like, “Arms Of The Week” or something along those lines, where I could feature a player of the week. Body wise, it’s still Clay Matthews for me.
But for pure NFL power, no one beats Peyton Manning.
He is my all time favorite, and he’s practically a super hero this year. I think they fixed him up with bionic parts the year before and he needed last season to reboot, like a RoboCop, except for football, where he is throwing passes like bullets. He is a man on fire. And of course I have missed every single one of his games so far due to a little thing I like to call, work. It’s all work it seems like. Except that’s not really true either. I have done lots of stuff, and this month literally feels like it flew past on fast forward, and I did not type one word about it here. Too busy living I guess.
The truth is, I feel adrift in this bloggy world. And kind of in real life. No direction. I have potential work changes on the horizon, but I really can’t say anything yet. One, because it’s all confidential and nurse-type stuff. And two, I really don’t know anything beyond a couple of interviews and the occasional reference to the job at hand.
At any rate, I will find my way. I always do. And while I’m waiting, today in particular, since I was off, I made my daughters favorite “big-pot” meal: Jambalaya. It’s a mix of many recipes and my own spin, but I try to stay as true as I can to my oldest, and best-good friend Beverly’s, original recipe that she kind of gave me many many years ago. She said it’s not really a write-down kind of thing as it is made in her family the old fashioned way. One person knows how and just makes it. She’s true blood Creole and French from the swamps of Louisiana. And when I made it for her to judge my skills, she tasted it and said, and I quote, “Hmmp. Not bad.”
I will take it. Also, I have been drinking since 2. While cooking. And listening to really really loud music. It helps while you are cutting up the 50 ingredients that this meal requires in order to be, “not bad”. My drink of choice was Redd’s Apple Ale. Here’s a pic with the chicken, because everyone likes the chicken.
This is the apple beer with the really stupid commercials where they throw an apple at someone’s head. Terrible. But soooo tasty. Seriously. I wanted Bloody Mary’s but I forgot to buy the V8 when I was at the store. And we already had the beer. FYI, if you like apple juice, you will like this beer. It tastes like alcoholic apple juice with a bit of beer flavor. I have also tried Angry Orchard apple ale, or, I think it’s called hard cider. That’s even more apple juicy and less beery. I have no picture of that one though. You will have to take my word. Not bad. See how I wrapped that right up? The BF is home now and I am cooking up a little garlic bread to go with the Jambalaya, so I need to get off this.
Oh, one more thing. Thank you loyal readers, followers, or general browsers! Whoever you are. Even though I haven’t posted but 3 little blurbs all month, I still have 10-20 people checking in and hoping for something great every day. I really don’t know how that is possible, but one of these times I hope I can deliver on this optimistic, anonymous vote of confidence. The BF is opening wine so I really really have to go.
New kind we are trying tonight. I picked it because of the 2010 year. I looked it up. It was a good year for wine in general. I will let you know. However, I probably won’t be able to post anything later due to “intake” issues, but there is always tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow. Your only a day away….Cheesy Broadway ending. Later.
So Much For Posting Every Day In September
This is my hummingbird friend that hung out with me all day yesterday. We have 4! This particular one kept sitting on the wire right over my head. It would even fly up to me when I would go in the house and then come back out. It looks like he/she is trying to wave or give me a hug. I have more and better shots. I took about 100+ pictures. I have no life. Well, I have a life, but no car. It’s being worked on, yet again. Nissan is NOT kidding when they say, “If your brake and battery lights come on at the same time, get it to a shop asap.” Lights came on; next day, no start. It’s the alternator. Thank you internet. We kind of already knew before the mechanic told us, so, it’s good and bad. Sometimes it’s beneficial to have that whole world of info at your fingertips. It doesn’t help us fix it or pay for it, but we were armed with knowledge! Knowledge is power! Anyway, I have to go to work now. The BF drove his motorcycle so I could take his car. The Maxima is supposed to be done today, but I am out of time. I will have to get it in the AM. And it’s hot hot hot. An attempt at record breaking heat is supposed to occur today, for September, in our area. It’s windy too. A smallish branch has already fallen from one of our last two trees standing. Let this be the end of trouble for this week. Everyone be careful out there.
Watch for motorcycles!!
Thank you!
just shy of pretty 