NOT A FUN WAY TO SPEND HALF A DAY

I'm sure I've had worse days, but I can't think of many right now. I made a nice slow start this morning, and after coffee and basic e mail, headed towards town on Harley Too. Coming around a curve at one of my shortcuts his front foot (wheel) twisted it's ankle. I made it to Lavana's and skipped the bank in the hope of nursing him home. I no sooner made the left turn at the stop light onto the main road when about 10 meters(yards) along, just before the right turn at the newspaper office than everything went really wrong. The front fork broke at the wheel and I was trapped where I sat by the handle bars with no way to move. I couldn't even get to my cell phone which was in my bag hanging inside the handlebars and trapped. After a very few minutes some stopped and asked if I needed help (duh). Both nice men pulled the handlebars/fork off me and helped me up onto the sidewalk. As the sun was directly overhead it was impossible to see the screen on the cell phone so I dialed the only number I could remember by heart and got hold of Striar. Not that he could be of much help as he was in Safed on a bus and the connection was so bad he could hardly hear me. I was starting to feel a little dizzy and it was getting hard to stand so I decided to try and move the wreckage of the fork so I could swivel the seat around and sit on it. I was having trouble with that and as there were 3 young gals hitch hiking right near me, I asked them for help. After we finally had me seated, it turned out that one of the gals was from New Hampshire. Old home week! They were so sweet and solicitous. I finally got hold of Lavana and she called Shmaryah, who showed up 3 minutes after Moshe (the first one who stopped to help) who had come back to see if there was anything more he could help with. While all this was going on, an ambulance arrived. Someone had called them about an accident involving a scooter. Sheesh. They were very sweet and canceled the call so I wouldn't be charged. They sent an ICU ambulance for crying out loud! Ophir was with Shmaryah and the 3 of them got the ruins into Moshe's car and Shmaryah drove me. He had to go into the house to get the wheely because I can't walk that far anymore.
I climbed wearily into bed after 2 hours in the noon sun, and have been sipping water ever since.Teadrinker called and started laughing while I was telling her all this, which set me off. I guess the mental picture of me sitting there trapped by the handlebars is pretty funny. My arms ache and Harley Too is dead. I'm not going to worry about that today. Sunday is time enough and I do have the car and my collection of wheelies.
And Thank G-d I live in Kiryat Shmonah. Aside from those mentioned, several others also stopped and offered help.
Yes, I'm sure I've had worse days, but this one is right up there with them.

INSULTED

I don't think I've ever been so insulted in my life. Sharon, the guy who owns the store next to Lavana actually had the nerve to insult me to my back yesterday. I was on Harley Too inside the flower store. He came up behind me and said that my hair reminds him of Bill Clinton's. He's lucky to be alive after that. After I growled that Clinton should be so lucky to have hair like mine I tore strips off him for daring to compare by beautiful streaked gray hair to Slick's. Just having us in the same sentence was enough to set me off. Poor Sharon now knows why I was so insulted by what he meant as a compliment. He got chapter and verse on why both Clintons are beneath contempt.
I was already in a rage to start with. I'd gotten an e mail from my son telling me that they'd gone to visit the Wicked Step Mother Of Evility and that she'd given them things that had belonged to MY mother and grandmother. How dare she? It's not enough that she swindled my brother and me out of a major part of our inheritance by getting Dad to sign a new trust agreement and will while he was suffering from the aftermath of hip surgery, and filing a completely wrong inventory of his estate with the probate court in an effort to deceive us, now she's giving things that by any logic (and were not included in the fraudulent inventory) should be mine, or my brother's to someone else. The up side is that she gave them to him. I would have left them to him in any case or to my brother. The up side of that is that my son's sister didn't get her greedy hands on them. If I despised her(the Wicked Stepmother of Evility) before, it's nothing compared to what I feel about her now. Had she given those things to Irit, I would have swum over there and strangled her myself, and enjoyed every minute of it. Just the thought of feeling her scrawny neck between my hands is comforting.
I was on my way to get some forms from the phone company and saw my insurance agent who told me that he had a check for me from the insurance company. Of course I flew up to his office and got there just as he did even though I had to go the long way on Harley, and took the check straight to the bank to cash it. The difference between compulsory insurance for the jeep and Focus came just as I was getting hysterical about not having enough dosh to buy cigarettes to get through until today when our benefits are paid. Talk about the nick of time. Now I'm ok with cigarettes for a whole week! And I'll be able to fill the car later today.
I finally got a dose of sense and cancelled the automatic payments on the utilities for the flower store. When I told Lavana I was going to she had the nerve to tell me that she told me to do that ages ago. She didn't and I didn't do it because I'm liable for the payments in any event and don't trust her to keep them up to date. She's going to have to pay me back for the ones I've already made from the holiday business in two weeks.
She simply refuses to understand that a business that doesn't take in enough to pay one monthly utility bill, never mind the rent has no business opening it's door in the morning and is looking for anyway she can find to keep it going. The excuses she gives are just not right. The business is not failing because she doesn't have the right things to sell or because the phone number wasn't in the local phone book. Or for any of the many other excuses she can come up with. I'm just thankful that I'll be out of it on the 19th of next month and will be able to put the whole disastrous excursion into the hell that was being sucked in by those two behind me and start climbing out of that bottomless pit.
For some reason I'm feeling quite chipper this morning. I don't know why, but I am going to try and keep the feeling going for as long as I can today. It's been a long time since I've felt this cheerful and I don't really care that I don't know the reason, if there is one. I'm just thankful that I'm feeling this good!

A VERY BAD MORNING

Nothing, I repeat nothing is more frustrating than a computer that refuses to connect to the interweb. It is just about the most annoying thing that can happen first thing in the morning. It screws up my whole day. I’m bad enough in the morning anyway, but no connectivity is enough to send me on a rampage.

It all started yesterday when I got home from town in 90+ degree heat to discover no electrickery in the house. No biggie in and of itself, but, that brings with it no air conditioner, no propellers, no TV, no lights, no phones (except for mobiles) and no computers. First order of business was to move the fridge away from the door to the hall to check the fuse box. All the switches were up. Then of course the fridge had to be pushed back to its place blocking that door. Next order of business was to check for power company vehicles outside. No such vehicles, but there were three guys wearing power company hard hats at a building across the way. Ok, I’m no mathematical genius, but even I can add that up and get the right answer! The next order of business was to open the shutters in my room as wide as they’d go, and settle in with a book. I drifted off to sleep and was rudely awakened by our drug addict neighbor playing ‘bang the fence’ loudly with his sister’s kids right outside my window. He also had to yell at anyone who walked by that there was no power and that it would come back at 1500. That would have been no big deal except he has one of those high pitched whiny drug addict voices that makes you wish for chalk screeching on a blackboard. Thankfully he was wrong by an hour. The power came back at 1400 which sent me on a clock resetting mission, and an e mail check. No interweb on the big computer, so it was off to unplug the WIFI thing, restart the computer, and re do the whole thing three more times before giving up. None of my usual tricks worked and I figured that maybe it would sort itself by morning, but, that was asking too much, wasn’t it?

I got Peg out; coffee made, and then started my jack in the box imitation with the WIFI thing. No joy with this or the lap top. Moving right along to the last step, I called the geek and he’ll be over later. Nice. Later. How am I supposed to start the day without e mail? That was solved by deciding to write this post on Word. I’ll copy and paste it to post later. My dear geek said “later” which is not exactly an accurate time reference. I have to make a quick run into town, pick up a few things, or wait for him and hope that he’ll get here before everything closes. That is not a decision I should be making this early on a no e mail morning. I just can’t wake up properly when my morning routine is disrupted.

It only took an hour on the phone with the cable people to get them to send a techie to replace the old modem, but after repeated threats to go over to their competitors with all of my cable stuff which includes my TVs, a phone line, Striar's phone, and Orna's TV, they decided that it might be wise to send someone. He just left and I managed to get the dialer downloaded. The WIFI can wait until Sunday when my geek will have more time. I'm happy as long as I have the basics on one computer.

I'M BORING

That title reminds me of the time my then husband (English was not his best language) said that to me and I almost fell over from laughing so hard. Try explaining the difference between bored and boring to someone who is struggling to learn the language! He did get it in the end. Thing is, if he was feeling like I have been lately he was correct the first time. I've been boring myself to tears lately. My thoughts are on one track lately and that is dead boring. I'm going to have to find a way to break out of the cycle before it becomes permanent.
I can't seem to get my mind off the mess I've made for myself financially. If only one of the people who owes me money would pay me back, I'd be just fine, but that isn't likely to happen any time soon. Lavana's debt keeps climbing, but that will be over in less than a month because the lease will be over next month and I won't have to carry the utilities on the flower shop any more. Never mind what she owes on the lease; just getting rid of the utilities will help. Striar owes me a couple hundred that I could use to fill the Focus's tank, but beyond that it's not much help. Shmaryah still owes me around 3000 for a few minor things that would be very nice to sort, but won't solve much. The biggies are Lavana and Bat Chen. Bat Chen is a lost cause at around 13,000 and Lavana is up to around 18,000. Either one of them paying up would solve most of the problem.
See why I'm boring myself to tears? All that just goes round and round in my head. Oh, and there's the 30,000 air conditioner guy who with interest and other stuff is up to owing 60,000 by now. He'd for sure sort things if only someone could get to his stash or his daughter. My lawyer has all the time in the world with that case. I'd better call him today and try to get a little fire lit under him.
We are heading straight into a monster heat wave. The temperatures are supposed to soar today and stay up there until next week.
I have a few things to do in town this morning so I'd better get to it before the heat goes up too high. Then, I'll come home and try to find a project that will take my mind off myself and relieve the boredom that has become my mind.

FUNNY GIMP STRIKES AGAIN

I do have my moments, Oh, do I ever! My upstairs neighbor-the one who didn't so much as recognize my existence for 5 years is now acting like my best buddy from the days of the Palmach! I think that he has the mistaken idea that if he's nice to me I'll actually let him get away with all the semi illegal stuff he's done lately. That's ok. He can think what he wants, but the day will come when he loses all access to both the front and back gardens, not to mention the thing he built on the roof of my shelter without a building permit. Yesterday he took a sledge hammer to the corner of the retaining wall that made getting his scooter onto the path very hard for him. When I got on Harley to go into town I said that we'd need a traffic light there soon and he cracked up. I never suspected that he might have a sense of humor and I just love making sour pusses laugh out loud.
I went into town and had a go at Lavana. She really has to start paying me back. I told her that I'm not putting up with it any more. All those little bills keep adding up and she knows how crazed unpaid bills make me and that I will pay them simply because I hold the lease and will end up paying them sooner or later. Right now they are nickel and diming me to death. I told her to have at least 200 for me by morning. She'd better. Of course, I do have one card to hold over her. She's going to want me to transfer the till to her son soon, but it will cost her. It might also be time to start a rumor or two... Enough is enough. After that, I went grocery shopping with a plan to use their delivery service. Of course their van broke down, so I had to schlep it all home on Harley Too. Danny was home so he dragged it all inside for me. I got most of it put away and collapsed into bed for a rest and a read.
The guy from upstairs (my new best friend) decided to work on the gate he put up to block me from going into the back garden and made much noise until 2100.
Right. It's almost 0900 and time to get my stiff joints in gear (don't even think it, Bruce!)

THE BEST DAY

A while back someone somewhere (on the TV, I think) asked "Which one day of your life would you like to relive?" I haven't been able to shake that question from my mind and keep running around after it at the oddest moments. I take it to mean relive exactly as it was, not relive it to change it. My problem is that there are two days that fit.
One is a specific day and there are very specific reasons for wanting to relive it. The other is a generic day from a certain time period.
I have actually enjoyed rummaging around in my memory for those days. It's one way to relive them. Obviously, the only way, unless a magical miracle happens.
Chronologically, the first day I would chose to go back to would be just about any summer day between my junior and senior years in high school. That was an almost perfect summer spent with Alice, and the Perrottas either at the marina, on Birch Island, or Mere Point, mostly on the Bay in the boats. That last summer before the last year of school was as perfect as a summer can be. I'm thankful that I had those days and even more thankful that I can remember them and relive them in my mind.
The other day I would like to relive is my wedding day. It was such a happy day with the whole family-aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Just having everyone there and happy for that one day (never mind that I knew it was a mistake even then) puts it right up there in The Great Days category. I wouldn't change one thing about that day. Not even the groom. We were all so happy and the odd things that happened made it even more wonderful. The same couple that saved my parent's wedding ended up saving mine. How could it have been otherwise? To this day I am glad that I gave up control of the whole thing to my mother on condition that there be as much purple as possible. The caterer even got in purple table cloths just for me, and the flowers were mostly purple. It was over the flowers that it hit me: that day was more for my mom than me, so I let her run with it and it was perfect. Oh, yes, I'd go back and live that day again just to be with everyone there again.
Overall, I've had a great life and there are a very few things I go back and change. But those are not among them.

SO MUCH FOR THAT

I just love these early morning excursions to nowhere. Shmaryah can't go today because the electric company is suing him for electric theft, and he has to either go to court or the police this morning. I know that are after him, but something is very fishy about this not going to Tiberius. If I can figure out a way to get there by myself I just might go and find out what he's trying to hide.
Today is the Primaries in the Likud and after getting phone calls every single day for the last month from them to be sure to vote, I'll trundle on out again at around 1100 and get that over with. At least there won't be any more of those 'don't forget to vote' phone calls during the news until next time around! Today is just for the chairman. The Knesset list primaries will be held at another time. So, as it's not even 0800 yet, I think I'll go back to bed and hope that the quads across the way will be quiet for once. Their father built them a playhouse in the corner of their yard closest to my bedroom. The quads are noisy at best and I hope the playhouse will lose it's attraction for them soon. Stray neighborhood cats have been using it for shelter and quite possibly as a litter box as well.

MY NEW BEST FRIEND

My upstairs neighbor; the one who tried to stop me from moving here way back when has become downright garrulous. He's gone from totally ignoring me to never going by without saying something. Suspicious to say the least. Last week he took over my side garden and built himself a path to the back garden around my storage shack and said something about buying a scooter.
Yesterday as I came home from the mail boxes, his son came out of one of the paths between the houses on a brand new 4 wheeled scooter complete with sun roof and he was waiting by my ramp, all puffed up and proud looking. He told me to tell him "Mabrouk" which is sort of Arabic for congratulations which I did. He then proceeded to tell that he paid 20.000 for it. The fun part was watching him try to get it around the retaining wall onto the new path. The guy across the way had to come out and give scooter driving advice, as if he actually has more than 6 months experience. Aside from saying that it would be a tight fit, all I had to say was to please not scrape the paint on my rail! He's gone a built a shack for it in the back garden and must have run a power line down to it. Not exactly legal. But so what? His other son has the department that deals that at city hall in his pocket. It's all fine and well for now, but what will happen when they get too old to walk down the stairs and around the building? My other question is 'will he let his wife drive it, or will he chauffeur her around himself?' He did buy the double one. The cynic in me can't help but wonder if he thinks my connections at the scooter place will be of use to him. I'm pretty sure he heard the conversation I had with the scooter repair guy last time he was here and that whoever delivered it mentioned me too. It took a while back when I bought Harley Ben David, but I finally got that scooter place where I want them and Yefim didn't charge me for his last visit here. Whatever. After 5 years of pretending that I don't exist, he's suddenly gone all talkative. Could be that he knows that if I want to I could make his life miserable over my side garden and the porch he built illegally on the roof of my shelter. That's ok because the day will come when tat all gets straightened out. In the mean time, I'll just be nice.
Shmaryah and I are supposed to go to Tiberius today to close the tax stuff. I just hope he's ready this time.
Think I'll ever learn to at least open my mail? Yesterday I got a call from my bank asking if I'd gotten my new credit card. That sent me on a search and seizure mission that eventually turned up the card, but no code so they'll have to send another one. If I'd only opened the mail instead of tossing it on the 'later' pile, I would have saved myself much frustration. I'm sure that code is around here someplace but it has yet to turn up. Um, I take that back. I think I found it! No, I take THAT back. I didn't. Oh, well. I'd best get dressed and head out.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Shmaryah and I were supposed to go to Tiberius this morning to close my files and open his with tax people. For a change I remembered, got up in plenty of time and got to the store to pick him up. This time he claims to have forgotten! Oh well, we'll try again on Tuesday.
I really want those files closed, and I can't do it without transferring everything to him. 0730 is not my favorite time to go out in the morning, hells, I'm rarely awake most days much before then, never mind out.
I was nice and lazy yesterday and read and slept the day away.
I've been feeling a bit more chipper the last few days and that's good, I think. Less morbid thoughts, and I'm trying to get myself to start to finish few projects at Gimp House. In one of my crazed rages of frustration, I tossed a pile or two or three of books all over the floor in the shelter. I really should get into gear and straighten that mess out.
There's also a pile of papers I need to go through, but I'm not looking forward to the attendant pain that will accompany both those projects. I think I'll just leave it for tomorrow. I have to go to a Brit later today. Orna's grandson's Brit is at 1600 today, and my life won't be worth a thing if I don't show up.
She's considering quitting her job to take care of the kid. It won't surprise me if she does. They are all staying at her place for now and if I know her, she's doing all the new baby stuff. I just don't get these Israeli mother/grandmothers. It's like no one ever had a baby before and the new mothers can't handle it without Mommy. Of course this new mommy is spoiled rotten and it's no wonder what with *her* mother telling everyone how hard it is for her. Excuse me, but no one pampered her when she had her kids. She was on her own and if she'll let Taliyah, I bet she'll manage too. Oh well, thankfully it's not my problem. All I have to do is show up at the Brit on time and make the appropriate noises. That can't be too hard can it?

IGNORE THAT CRIPPLE BEHIND THE CURTAIN

I'm just in one of those moods these days; feeling sorry for myself and angry at myself all at the same time. I really don't have all that much to whinge about. I'm still here-against all the odds and I've been in much worse financial shape than I'm in now, so why am I whining about a situation that is all my fault? Most likely because I can. And there's a little bit of anger at supposed friends who I let take advantage of me when I knew better. I've been over this with myself before and I don't do it in order to 'buy' friends. It's simply because I have a hard time seeing them going without when I can indulge myself. It really is that simple and it's going to get even simpler from now on. No more. I've worked damn hard all my life (ok, only since I was 10 and put to work in the family business) and I came by my disability benefits honorably. I went from work to hospital with a stroke and things just went downhill from there until I was eligible for what I get today. And I paid into the national insurance system from the first day I arrived here. So there. I don't know how much longer I'll be here (none of us does) but I intend to stay as long as I can. I still have some unfinished things to do and if I'm given the time, I fully intend to do them. When I'm done, I'll go happily. But until then, I'll just try to get the important things done and be thankful for every minute I'm still here. I've had a damn good run and done a few somewhat important things, and can only hope and pray that I'll have time to get a few more done.
So, don't take my whinging too seriously. I don't.

CYCLES

Things really do go in cycles, or maybe that should be in circles. I've been feeling like I've been going in circles around myself. I no sooner get one issue sorted than another pops up.If I were a dog (does being a bitch count?) I'd say that I've been chasing my tail for the last several months. Actually what I'm chasing is people who owe me money so I can pay back other people I owe money to.
I thought I had made it clear to Lavana that day I was in the grocery store that I couldn't help her out any more and that she would have to start paying me back for the bills I'm still paying because the freaking lease is in my name. She owes me close to 2000 just on those things alone. I can't carry those bills any longer, and she called the other day to beg me to give her a check that she could clear with her black market pal. Sorry, but that just isn't going to happen. I stupidly let her talk me into doing that twice and I'm still paying off one of them and she's paying off the other at usurious interest rates. Striar owes me 300 and Orna owes me around 700. If one or the other or preferably both pay me back this coming week, I'll be ok, but I doubt that either will. Striar just doesn't have it and Orna will play the new grandkid card. I'm getting tired of it all and know that I have to put an end to it all, before it puts an end to me. Lavana and Orna both have family here and Striar and I don't have anyone else to turn to. Enough already.
This subject depressed me so, I think I'll just get Peg in and go out for my Friday run into town.

HE DID IT AGAIN

Even before I got around to checking if Shmaryah sorted that ticket I got for speeding in the car I've never driven, a parking ticket for the same car arrived. He's so not going to get a year to sort it and if one more arrives, the car goes. We are up to the magic number of three tickets. The first was a parking ticket at the airport that still hasn't been paid, the second, the infamous speeding ticket, and now another parking ticket. They all go against my drivers license and that really makes me angry. If I'm going to have tickets against my license I want to earn them myself. To date I don't have even one of my own. I only have his and it's getting tiring. He will be my first stop when I go out.
The building I live in has pretty much turned into granny central. All the women who live in it are grannys. Orna joined the club yesterday with a brand new grandson!
I slept on and off most of the day yesterday and in spite of my afternoon snooze fell asleep well before 0100. I guess I really was tired. I was so tired that I forgot to call my geek and tell him about the glitches in the new computer. I will do that within the next hour. Before I go to Shmaryah even. My next task is to try and print a few of the latest picture of Adee Polly. I want a nice big one of her on the motorcycle! it's so good to know that she's being brought up properly from such a young age.
I think I'll take a shot at that now. I know it's not rocket science, but I seem to always have trouble with picture printing.

TIRED? WHO ME?

Today I was only out for about half the time I'm usually out, and I almost fell asleep on Harley Too. So, I came home. And for my next trick I will post a picture of the first lesson my granddaughter got in The Important Things in Life, and then I will go rest.

DEMONSTRATIONS R US

As planned Rivkah and I left late Saturday night and missed all the traffic. We got to her place at around 0100 and fell into bed. I was on the road to Jerusalem at 0640 and got to the right place (Prime Ministers office) by 0745. It was kind of like a school reunion and we set up right at the gates to the entrance of Olmert's office. The cops were out in force to augment the usual shoo shoo types who guard the place. Until I showed up they were letting demonstrators in to use the bathroom with armed escorts. The minute I showed up in a dress no less, they stopped that. I amazed that their memory was that good; maybe they have a list. Back in '99 I took over the Finance Ministry building by threatening to pee on guard's feet if he didn't let me in. He let me in and I refused to come out. The rest came in to join me and the building was ours. I guess they weren't taking any chances with the PM's building. By around 1400 I needed more water and the 16 liter and a half bottles I'd brought for the demo were long gone, so somehow I managed to get to my car (more on that at A Gimp's View) and left for home at 1500. The city was one giant traffic jam because the demonstrators blocked the main entrance/ exit to Jerusalem. It took over an hour and a half to get out and I was home at 2006, just in time to watch the news. Striar called to ask what I was wearing, and said that he saw me on the TV. By the time the main news started they had the road block footage and went with that. I was asleep by 2200. Things were only partially solved by last night so I might be going back for a much bigger demonstration soon. I hope things don't get to that point, but they probably will. That's what happens when the government is nothing more than a bunch of thugs. If they thing the '99 demonstration was wild, they ain't seen nothing yet. And you'd better believe I'm up for it.
And now for an update at A Gimp's View.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

Once upon a long time ago I had a vanity plate in Maine-GOLAN and I brought them with me when I came here. They were stolen years ago. When Aron moved to Maine he got the same plate and kept them too. Now that he has Florida plates he doesn't exactly need it anymore, so he sent it to me with the other grandmother who just came back from a visit over there. Adee Polly's grandfather brought it and a CD of baby pictures to me last night. I'm going to put the plate in the rear window right under my Maine Guide sticker. The Maniac drives again!
Rivkah and I have been having a lovely lazy weekend and after a nap this afternoon I'll be ready to drive her home. On the way to get her, I got lucky and caught Orna just as she got home from work, and begged her to clean up the mess from Striar's visit. All I wanted her to do was clear all the junk off the bed in the guest room, take out the trash and do a quick mop on the floor. Needless to say she did much more than that and we arrived at a squeaky clean Gimp House. She won't have much to do when Rivkah leaves. She's a clean freak and loves to play in/with water. We're planning to leave very late in the hopes of missing the worst of the southbound end of weekend traffic. On the way up here there was a huge jam caused by an accident. It took us over an hour to clear the accident site, and I had a huge semi trying to climb into my tail pipe. That is so annoying. But we finally shook him and made good time the rest of the way.
I made a quick run into town for the local papers, to take out the money I owed the insurance company, and give it to the agent, then came home to laze around the house. I tried to take advantage of the lazy day and burn a DVD or two, but the freaking program isn't working. I'll have to play around with it next week. One way or another I will get it to work.

BIG DRIVING DAY!

I had planned on going to visit my friend in Mode'in over the weekend, but then she told me that her air conditioner isn't working, soooooooooo, the obvious solution to that is to go get her, bring her here, then take her home Saturday night. Somehow she managed to total her brand new Toyota, so she's without a car. And I'm in the mood for a nice long drive with Don McClean! I've gotten just about everything sorted that needed sorting to date, so, I'm a free gimp! I've even gotten the new new computer with the hard drive that replaced the other new defective one up to speed including e mail in both directions. Now, that is a major accomplishment. Even got the new USB hub stuck in the front of the computer functioning. The only thing left to sort is that freaking memory stick thing that simply refuses to work.
I'm actually feeling quite chipper for a change.
Yesterday I was rummaging around You Tube looking for clips of some old favorite songs and entirely by accident stumbled across Pete Seeger doing Jenny Jenkins. Many long years ago when I was but a wee lass, my favorite baby sitter used to sing it me, usually after much pestering. Several years ago I found the lyrics, printed them out and mailed them to her with a letter that included my e mail addy, by snail mail. She sent me a mail right away and we write sporadically; mostly because I'm crap. So, of course, I sent her the link to the song on You Tube.
It really is odd the memories that hang around forever in the mind. She was one of the best things in my childhood and it was wonderful stopping to see her last year on the way out of Maine. She went to Italy once and brought me a marble egg that someone stole years ago. She also gave me what is still my favorite perfume for a birthday, and it was to their house that I went every Christmas morning. Her mother had the coolest pottery water jug that was always in the fridge. It was round with a really neat cork stopper and her Christmas cookies were the best in the world. They lived in one of the best houses on the street, all different levels and a dream of a library/office room. Just thinking of all that brings a nostalgic smile to my face. I was really lucky to have grown up where and I did.