My Weblog

I watched a movie last week............

An old, old movie. It was so old it starred Pat Boone! I watched The Cross and the Switchblade. And it has more or less haunted me ever since.

I have never wanted to be in a witnessing situation. It's complicated. I don't speak Elizabethan English. I pray before I read the Bible, but it makes little sense to me. I read words, just words. I could randomly read Luke 6 tomorrow morning and then listen to a sermon on Luke 6 2 hours later. And, I would end up wondering how in the world the preacher got that phenomenal idea (with which I totally agree) out of those words I read 2 hours ago. I don't read ideas, I just read words. 

Worse I have NO memory for Biblical references. Now, yes, I do remember John 3:16, I have a good idea of what's in the first few verses of Ephesians 6, and I can most likely identify verses from Hebrews 11. But, otherwise, I need a concordance (I do wish they made concordances a lot smaller and more portable). Joe had a phenomenal memory. I used to say things like "there's a verse somewhere in the Bible that talks about "suffer the little children". Where is that?" and he'd immediately give me the reference I needed. I swear, as much as I needed him for this sort of thing, I cannot imagine God needed him as much in heaven.....

Anyway, back to the movie. Dave Wilkerson (Pat Boone) gets up to preach to a bunch of New York City gang members. And he doesn't do "the Romans road". He simply tells these young hoodlums God loves them. He tells them the story of Christ's torture and subsequent death on the cross and how it was all motivated by God's love for them. And in about 7 minutes of preaching, with the help of the Holy Spirit, he sees about 1/3 of them give their hearts to the Lord.  

What has been haunting me is the idea that I CAN do that. I can tell people that God loves them. I can recount the passion of Christ. Wow! All these years I could have been telling people how much God loves them and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, led some folks to Jesus. If only I'd known...............

IT'S GETTING HARD TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE AROUND HERE.............

LAST NIGHT I DECIDED TO HAVE ONE MORE CUP OF COFFEE LATE IN THE EVENING. I TRIED TO GET HALF 'N' HALF OUT OF THE FRIDGE. BUT THE VERY LARGE DOG WAS SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN FLOOR. I COULDN'T SAFELY GET TO THE FRIDGE DOOR AND, IF I HAD, I STILL WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OPEN IT FAR ENOUGH TO REACH THE HALF 'N' HALF. WELL, I FIGURED I'D JUST WORK AROUND IT. I ALWAYS KEEP A STOCK OF EVAPORATED MILK ON HAND. I HAPPEN TO LIKE EVAPORATED MILK IN MY COFFEE AT LEAST AS WELL. I OPENED THE PANTRY, GOT OUT A CAN OF EVAPORATED MILK, AND REALIZED I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE MY ELECTRIC CAN OPENER WAS. IT WAS NOT IN IT'S USUAL PLACE.

SHE HAD MOVED IT AND IT WAS BLOCKED BY HER AND HER CHAIR. (I TOLD YOU IT'S A SMALL KITCHEN.) 

I WAS VACUUMING THE OTHER NIGHT, AND AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE DYSON JUST QUIT. I'VE CLEANED THE FILTER THAT'S IN THE BIN WHERE THE DIRT ACCUMULATES. I KNEW THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE MORE FILTER TO CLEAN. HOWEVER, I NEEDED TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO ON THE INTERNET, SEARCH OUT THE MANUAL, AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW TO DO THAT. THE ONLY THING I KNEW FOR SURE WAS THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO LAY THE MACHINE DOWN FLAT ON THE FLOOR ON ITS SIDE. I DID THAT AND HURT MY WRIST IN THE PROCESS. THEN I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO NEED MORE LIGHT. THAT MEANT TRYING TO WORK ON THE VACUUM CLEANER WITH A FLASHLIGHT. I DECIDED IT MADE AS MUCH SENSE TO WAIT TIL DAYLIGHT. BUT, YESTERDAY, WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE VACUUM, SHE'D PICKED IT UP AND STOOD IT IN PLACE. I GOT IT BACK ON THE FLOOR, BUT NOT WITHOUT PAIN. I TRIED WASHING THAT FILTER AGAIN, BUT NOT TIL AFTER I SAW THAT A NEW FILTER WILL COST $52. 

NEXT, I WILL HAVE TO TRY TO OPERATE ON THE BEATER BAR AND REMOVE THE BUSINESS END OF THE VACUUM TO SEE IF THE TUBE IS STOPPED UP. I CAN HARDLY WAIT.............

SHE CAME HOME A WEEK OR SO AGO AND BOASTED THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN THE STORE HAD HAD THEIR HOURS CUT. SHE, HOWEVER, HAD NOT.  BUT SHE HAS BEEN HOME DAY AFTER DAY. YESTERDAY I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD BE WORKING TODAY. AND THE TRUTH SLIPPED OUT. YES, THEY DID CUT HER HOURS. I'VE BEEN IN THAT POSITION AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS. HOWEVER, SHE IS NOW MAKING, GROSS, ABOUT $220 A WEEK. AND THE FUN PART IS SHE IS LOOKING FOR A HOUSE TO BUY. (HER SAVINGS ARE VERY LIMITED--BASICALLY WHAT SHE HAS SAVED LIVING HERE AND ANY COVID MONEY SHE HAS GOTTEN.) THERE'S NOTHING LIKE LIVING IN A FANTASY WORLD..................I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT SHE IS GREATLY PISSED THAT I DON'T HAVE WIRELESS SET UP BECAUSE SHE IS USING HER PHONE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET, AND PAYING $400 A MONTH FOR THAT!

TIMES THAT TRY A WOMAN'S SOUL

EVERYTIME i THINK MAYBE I CAN FIND A LITTLE LOVE IN MY HEART FOR THIS ROOMMATE, SHE PULLS ANOTHER STUNT. LAST NIGHT, AFTER I WENT TO BED, SHE "CLEANED" MY KITCHEN. fIRST OF ALL, SHE DIDN'T "CLEAN" IT. SHE REORGANIZED IT TO SUIT HERSELF. IT IS MY KITCHEN, FOR GOODNESS SAKE. i WANT THINGS WHERE I WANT THEM AND USE THEM. SHE STASHED ALL SORTS OF THINGS IN THE MOST GOOFBALL PLACES. FOR EXAMPLE, COCONUT OIL. PRIMARILY I USE 2 TYPES OF OIL, OLIVE AND COCONUT. IN GENERAL, I REACH FOR COCONUT OIL. I DO USE OLIVE OIL IF IT'S SOMETHING I MIGHT WANT TO USE WITH GARLIC OR WITH AN ITALIAN SPICE PALATE. AND, I DO HAVE A SMALL BOTTLE OF OIL THAT IS BASICLY TASTELESS, FOR USE IN SOMETHING LIKE CHOCOLATE CAKE. WELL, IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I COULDN'T FIND MY COCONUT OIL. I ASKED HER AND IT TOOK HER 3 TRIES BEFORE SHE FOUND WHERE SHE HAD STASHED. AND WITH A WRIST THAT SCREAMS AT LIFTING 32 OUNCES OF WATER TO POUR INTO THE BERKEY, I AM NOW EXPECTED TO LIFE A 3 POUND CONTAINER DOWN FROM ABOVE MY HEAD IF I WANT TO COOK. IT'S STORED IN THE CUPBOARD THAT HOLDS PASTA, NOODLES, AND DRIED BEANS. FITS RIGHT IN, DONTCHA THINK?

I HAVE FOUR (COUNT 'EM, 1-2-3-4) DISH DRYING MATS. TWO ARE BLACK, ONE IS CHARCOAL GRAY, AND ONE IS DARK GREEN. SHE REMOVED THE DISH DRYING MAT I HAD JUST PUT OUT THERE AND PUT A BRAND NEW YELLOW AND WHITE DISHTOWEL ON THE COUNTER IN FRONT OF THE COFFEE POT. NOW, YOU KNOW SOONER OR LATER COFFEE IS GOING TO GET SPILLED ONTO MY PRETTY NEW DISHTOWEL, STAINING IT BROWN. LAST TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I WAS PRETTY SURE COFFEE STAINS WOULD NOT SHOW UP VERY WELL ON BLACK OR CHARCOAL OR EVEN DARK GREEN.

I HAVE A RUBBERMAID 1 QUART CONTAINER AND A RUBBERMAID 2 QUART CONTAINER. MY LEGS ARE STILL WEAK. IN FACT, A CLIENT CAME BY YESTERDAY AND WAS IN A TALKATIVE MOOD. WE WERE OUTSIDE AND I LITERALLY HAD TO SHOVE MY KNEE UP AGAINST THE VAN'S BUMPER BECAUSE MY LEG WAS SHAKING SO HARD. TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE TO CRISS CROSS THE KITCHEN, I WILL FILL THOSE RUBBERMAID CONTAINERS AT THE SINK AND POUR THE WATER INTO THE BERKEY. THEN I WILL FILL THE SMALL ONE AND SIT IT BY THE COFFEE POT SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO KILL MY THYROID WITH FLORIDATED WATER IN MY COFFEE OR RISK REPEATED TRIPS ACROSS THE KITCHEN. I ALSO HAPPEN TO OWN A PRETTY 1 QUART GLASS PITCHER WHICH USED TO HAVE COLD WATER IN IT IN THE FRIDGE. WELL, FIRST SHE DECIDED I DIDN'T NEED COLD WATER IN THE FRIDGE. NOW SHE'S DECIDED THAT PRETTY PITCHER SHOULD SIT OUT WITH WATER FOR COFFEE. IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MONTHS, WHEN I WAS WORKING, TO SPEND THE MONEY FOR THAT PITCHER. I DON'T WANT IT BROKEN. SHE HAS ALREADY BROKEN AN IRREPLACEABLE BOWL AND TRIED TO HIDE THAT FROM ME. I KEEP GATHERING UP DISHES, ETC., WASHING THEM AND PUTTING THEM INSIDE CUPBOARDS WHERE THEY BELONG, TRYING TO SAVE THEM. WHY WOULD I WANT THIS PITCHER SITTING OUT SUBJECTED TO EXTRA RISK WITH EVERYDAY USE BY SOMEONE TO WHOM THE PITCHER IS NOT OF ANY VALUE.

I HAD A HEAD OF CABBAGE AND SOME GREEN ONIONS SITTING ON THE COUNTER. SHE DECIDED THEY BELONGED IN A WEST FACING WINDOWSILL. BOTH LOOK THE WORSE FOR BEING SUBJECTED TO THE HEAT AND THE SUN. SHE ALSO DECIDED TO THROW AWAY A JAR OF MY HOMECANNED BLUEBERRY JELLY. SHE FILLED THE JAR WITH WATER AND LEFT IT IN THE SINK, RUINED.

II'VE BEEN TRYING TO VACUUM SMALL PARTS OF THE HOUSE DAILY. I CAN'T DO A WHOLE LOT BECAUSE MY WRIST ACHES WITH THE PUSHING AND PULLING. I HAVE FOR NOW MORE OR LESS GIVEN UP ON THE ROOMBA. THERE IS SO MUCH DOGHAIR SHED BY HER DOG THAT I LITERALLY HAVE TO SPEND UP TO A HALF HOUR CUTTING THE HAIR OUT OF THE BEATER BRUSH AND PULLING THE FRAGMENTS OUT WITH A WIRE BRUSH. LAST NIGHT I WAS WORKING ON THE HALL, WHICH IS ABOUT 3 FEET WIDE AND 20 FEET LONG. THERE WAS SO MUCH HAIR THAT THE DYSON ANIMAL QUIT WORKING IN THE MIDST OF IT. IT HAS ONLY BEEN USED MAYBE TWICE SINCE I GOT HURT IN MID NOVEMBER. SO, IT CAN'T BE THAT THE FILTERS NEEDED CLEANED, THOUGH I'M CLEANING THEM NOW BECAUSE IT'S ALL I CAN THINK TO DO. THE LAST TIME I HAD THE DYSON WORKED ON, JUST A BASIC MAINTENANCE, IT WAS $200. LORD HELP ME...........

I COULD GO ON. IF SHE ACTUALLY CLEANED, I'D BE HAPPY. BUT I DO NOT NEED MY KITCHEN REORGANIZED TO SUIT HER! 

i TRULY DISLIKE LAZY CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE

bEFORE I START MY RANT--YOU WILL FIND THAT THESE DAYS I FREQUENTLY POST IN ALL CAPS. I'M NOT SHOUTING. IT JUST HURTS MY WRIST TO USE THE SHIFT KEY. I SCREW UP FROM TIME TO TIME OUT OF HABIT, SO YOU WILL SEE SOME LOWER CASE LETTERS. BUT, WHEN I SCREW UP, I REMEMBER THAT MY LONG-LIVED HABIT OF CAPITALIZATION, SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE, HURTS!

YOU REMEMBER THAT I HAD 2 BREAKS IN MY WATER LINE AND A "CONTINUOUS FLOW" NOTICE THAT SENT ME IN HOT PURSUIT OF A PLUMBER. WELL, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I WAS ABLE TO MUSTER ENOUGH TO PAY THE PLUMBER. BUT, I HAD A $600 WATER BILL TO DEAL WITH. LAST MONTH I CALLED THE WATER DISTRICT AND TALKED TO A GUY NAMED STEVE. I INFORMED STEVE THAT MY OUTGOING CHECK FOR $100 WAS ALREADY SET UP WITH MY BANK TO PROCESS ON THE 26TH. I ALSO COMMITTED TO SEND OUT ANOTHER $100 A MONTH TIL THE AMOUNT WAS FULL PAID, PAYMENTS TO PROCESS ON THE 26TH OF THE MONTH. HE ALSO NOTED THAT I WOULD "PAY ON THE 26TH" OF THE MONTH. WELL, MY BANK TAKES THE MONEY FROM MY ACCOUNT, BUT DOESN'T DELIVER IT TO THE WATER DISTRICT TIL THE FIRST BUSINESS DAY AFTER. SO, MY CURRENT BILL WAS INCREASED BY $38.76 FOR A "DELINQUENT PROCESSING FEE" AND "LATE CHARGES" THOUGH IT LEFT MY ACCOUNT ON THE 26TH, JUST AS PROMISED. 

WELL, APPARENTLY THAT WAS THE LAZY MAN'S WAY OUT. HE SHOULD HAVE SET UP A FORMAL PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT. HE DID NOT. SO TODAY I TALKED TO TRACY. SHE SET UP A REAL PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT. SHE ALSO WAIVED THE LATE FEES. I WILL NOW PAY $45.40 A MONTH IN ADDITION TO MY CURRENT CHARGES TIL THE BILL IS FULL PAID. ALSO THE DUE DATE WAS RESET TO THE 1ST OF EACH MONTH, AFTER MY SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK HITS MY BANK ACCOUNT. SO, AS LONG AS THEY RECEIVE THE PAYMENT ON THE 1ST, NO MORE LATE CHARGES, NO MORE DELINQUENT PROCESSING CHARGES. MISS TRACY ALSO GAVE ME HER NAME, AND OFFERED IF THERE WAS ANY GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM, I COULD CALL AND ASK FOR HER AND SHE WOULD CALL ME BACK AND SHE'D TAKE CARE OF IT.

HOORAY FOR SUCCESS (I THINK).

On the verge of "nutso"

The roommate has not gone to work in three (3) days........... VERY Limited access to the kitchen. She's been encamped there from 11AM til now (9:30PM) and will most likely continue to be there until somewhere between 2AM and 5AM.  I've managed only enough time in the kitchen today to slice up some bananas for the dehydrator along with a couple of trays of grapes. Last night to avoid my own kitchen, I bought dinner at McDonald's. Tonight I went to Panda Express. I have cleaned the kitchen sink 3 times so far today. And, no doubt I'll have to do it once more before I go to bed. I had hoped to get at least one shelf in the fridge (at least the half my stuff has been relegated to) today, but no go on that. I also hoped to get in a few swipes of the Dyson (wearing my wrist brace, of course) on the living room carpet. I did manage to pull a mountain of dog hair out of the Dyson which accumulated just from vacuuming a pathway about 3 feet wide and about 18 feet long which I did a couple days ago. I really feel that since it's her dog, either she should give him a THOROUGH brushing every day she has off or she should run the vacuum. However, I refuse to nag her about stuff she should have enough sense to figure out on her own. 

I still owe the house another 15 minutes today. I think I will work on my bathroom where no one will criticize what I'm doing. Or ask some inane question about why I'm doing it!

One of the fun things she does is adjust things to fit her specifications without ever a word about whether she should do it or even to say she has done it. For example, she broke my 4 slice toaster. I don't have the money to buy a similar toaster so I bought a cheap one. I made myself a slice of toast and adjusted the toaster the way I wanted. Since then, she keeps changing the setting--I like my toast barely toasted and she likes hers just shy of burnt to a crisp. Now, if I want toast, I have to either adjust the toaster each time, or try to scrape the "burn" off my toast. Seems to me she could get a suitably burnt piece of toast simply by leaving my setting alone and pushing a piece of bread, lightly toasted, down for another trip.

She adjusted the fridge too. I figured it out when my half and half had ice crystals in it. I commented on the fact that I'd never had ice crystals form like that before. Her response was that my half and half sits in the front of the top shelf and her milk sits in the back and she's never had ice crystals in it. Well, goody for her, but that didn't solve my problem. A couple of days later my half and half actually kind of rattled when the container was moved. You could very plainly hear that it rattled when shaken as well as feel how "crunchy" it was. I handed the container to her and asked her to shake it. About then she told me that some of the food she had in the fridge spoiled much faster than she thought it should so she changed the thermostat on the fridge. It's not her fridge and it's not her power bill!!

Anyway I am praying most desperately that she goes to work tomorrow. I have things I want to do, unsupervised!

working out--flylady's revenge

I've been trying to work out a little. When one is unable to function, the muscles waste away. Add to that a significantly reduced caloric intake (I am pretty much down to two meals a day), and an effort to rebuild what was lost is necessary. For the lower body, I've been sticking with the exercises the physical therapist advocated. I've been doing some work with a 5 pound weight--concentration curls, an exercise for the biceps and one for the triceps. I've also been doing some calisthentics as well--all upper body stuff. Today I am very sore. I did push myself last night and today I'm paying a penalty for that. The benefits will come later.

I am getting pickier about my kitchen sink. I cannot even guess exactly what the roommate does in there, but every time I go into the kitchen, there is a collection of water spots like I've never seen before.  I've been wiping things down pretty much several times a day if the roommate is home. To the best of my knowledge, she NEVER does. I know one should be careful with words like "never" and "always", but I'm pretty observant. I'm sure I'd have noticed if I happened on a shiny sink anytime in the last month and a half.

Honestly, this woman is driving me batty. While I'm waiting for dishes to fill the dishwasher, she hand washes her dishes. And the level on the bottle of dawn is going down, down, down. Then, to make me even less happy, she leaves whatever she has washed sitting on the counters, the table, and the stove rather than putting things away. My mind says "clean dishes are to be kept in a cabinet and dirty dishes at least go in the sink, or, even better, in the dishwasher". She has gathered up stuff and just shoved it somewhere and then lies telling me she didn't do it. For example, I had a container in which I corraled the dishwashing detergent, my veggie brush, and my round foam brush which I use for canning jars and coffee cups. After asking about it and the lie, I spent $20 to replace these items. After I'd had the replacements for a couple of weeks, I found the container and the missing implements shoved ALL the way to the very back of the cabinet under the sink, so that was $20 wasted.

I have a big bulky wooden cutting board. It has an out of the way home. No, we can't put that thing out of the way where it belongs. She dictated it should take up permanent residence next to the sink, under a flexible silicone cutting board. Day before yesterday, while she was at work, the container  with implements moved into its original spot. This necessitated the big wooden cutting board be moved back to where it belongs. So glad to have that thing tucked out of the way. 

She "chains" the door to the garage open. I needed to store some flour in a glass jar. I knew I could do a better job of it if I used my canning funnel which was in my canner in the garage. However, the door to the garage had this "chain" across it, tied off to the door of the freezer compartment of my fridge. No available exit to the garage. So, i had to just go ahead and try my best to pour the flour into the jar without the funnel. This, of course, gave me an extra mess to clean. 

Some years I'll have A drink. Last year and so far this year, not the case. I know she is drinking. I can smell it the moment I push the kitchen door open and "intrude" on "her space". I found out the other day she is stashing bottles of booze in the garage............ She drinks enough that I can still smell it in the morning after she has supposedly brushed her teeth. I pray real hard that she won't burn the place down.

She has a BIG HAIRY dog. She will not run the vacuum. Nor will she brush the @#$% dog without prompting. And when she does brush the dog, I am sure she brushes nothing but his back. The @#$% dog sheds hair from his entire body! And leaves single hairs as well as clumps of hair all over the carpet. The woman won't even pick up the clumps...........

I could go on and on. Better I don't. I know that according to the Bible, I'm supposed to love her. I just don't know how to get there.

 

It still works..............

I feel estranged from my own kitchen. I've told you for years how tiny my kitchen is. And so, when the roommate headquarters in that kitchen, together with her large dog, there's no room for me. And, if she's home, she's in the kitchen. That means that, with her alone, about half the kitchen is unreachable. You can't go there without permission. And then there's the large dog. He's in the middle of what's left in the kitchen. But, I was desperate the other night. I needed something from the kitchen.

She was watching something on youtube on her ipad. I stood there for less than a minute and heard "the f word" seven times. I was offended. I don't use that kind of language and I hate hearing it in my own kitchen. I was about to spew a sarcastic rebuke (in that she claims to be a Christian). I stopped and prayed instead. Within seconds, she changes the channel she is watching. No more "f word". Yep, prayer still works. 

I USED TO HAVE A KITCHEN..........

NOW, IT SEEMS, I DON'T. THE ROOMMATE HAS TAKEN IT OVER. IT'S A TINY ROOM. IN FACT, IF YOU'VE HUNG AROUND HERE FOR A WHILE, YOU'VE HEARD ME COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW SMALL IT IS. WELL, IT'S GOTTEN MUCH SMALLER THE PAST MONTH OR SO. sHE GOES OUT THERE AND PLANTS HERSELF IN THE ONLY AVAILABLE CHAIR. BUT, FIRST, SHE CLOSES THE DOOR FROM THE DINING ROOM. NEXT, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S WINTER AND THE HEAT IS ON, SHE PROPS OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE GARAGE, MAKING THE KITCHEN THE COLDEST ROOM IN THE HOUSE. ONCE SHE IS ESCONCED OUT THERE, I AM DOOMED TO EATING WHATEVER I CAN GET TO. LAST NIGHT, DINNER WAS A CARTON OF GREEK YOGURT. TONIGHT'S DINNER WAS RAMEN. (SURE GLAD I BOUGHT A LOT OF THAT DURING THE LAST KROGER BOX SALE.) HER CHAIR BLOCKS SEVERAL CUPBOARDS AS WELL AS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO GET TO MOST OF THE OPEN SHELVES ON WHICH STAPLES ARE STORED. 

WITH DIFFICULTY, IF HER DOG ISN'T OUT THERE WITH HER, I CAN REACH THE STOVE, THE FRIDGE AND THE FUNKY LITTLE PANTRY. THE COUNTERTOPS ARE CLUTTERED WITH 'STUFF'. FOR SOME REASON, WE MUST HAVE TWO OPEN ROLLS OF PAPER TOWELS. (IN 7 WEEKS SHE HAS USED MORE PAPER TOWELS THAN I WOULD ORDINARILY USE IN 4 OR 5 MONTHS.) WHY SOME THINGS HAVE TO SIT OUT I DON'T KNOW. BUT A CLEAN & CLEAR COUNTERTOP IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. SHE HAS FINALLY STOPPED LEAVING CLEAN AND DIRTY DISHES MIXED TOGETHER ALL OVER THE COUNTERS AND HAS STOPPED USING THE DISHWASHER AS A DRYING RACK WHEN THERE IS A PERFECTLY GOOD DRYING MAT ON THE COUNTER. MOST OF THE FRIDGE IS CLUTTERED WITH 10'S OF TINY CONTAINERS FROM THE GROCERY DELI COUNTER WITH ONE OR MAYBE TWO BITES OF FOOD IN THEM. IN FACT, MY FRUIT IS PART OF WHAT HAS TO SIT OUT ON THE COUNTER AND A HEAD OF MY CABBAGE IS RELEGATED TO THE PATIO.  INSIDE THE CUPBOARD UNDER THE SINK THERE IS A TOWEL RACK. DOES SHE USE IT? OH NO, NOW WE HAVE TOWELS HANGING OVER THE DOORS TO THE CUPBOARDS.

ONCE I HAD TWO BATHROOMS. NOW THE DOOR TO THE HALL BATH IS KEPT CLOSED AT ALL TIMES AGAINST INTRUDERS. (DON'T TELL ON ME BUT I SOMETIMES HAVE TO SNEAK IN FOR KLEENEX WHICH ARE STORED UNDER THE SINK IN THERE.) 

SEVEN WEEKS AGO I ASKED HER TO BRUSH HER DOG WHO IS SHEDDING CLUMPS OF HAIR EVERYWHERE. SHE HAD THE DAY OFF AGAIN TODAY. DID SHE BRUSH THE DOG? NO, OF COURSE NOT, EVEN THOUGH I MADE THAT REQUEST AGAIN THIS PAST WEEKEND.

SHE HAS FINALLY STARTED GIVING SOME INDICATION SHE IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE, GLORY BE TO GOD. HOWEVER, SHE'S GOING ABOUT IT IN AN IDIOTIC WAY. SHE TELLS ME SHE EARNS $10 AN HOUR AND SHE WORKS 28 HOURS A WEEK, GROSS. $280 A WEEK X 4 WEEKS IN A MONTH = 1120. SHE HAS BEEN LOOKING AT HOUSES RENTING FOR $910 A MONTH UP TO $1150! HOW DOES SHE IMAGINE SHE IS GOING TO PAY THAT RENT?

I REALLY WANT HER GONE SO I CAN START TO HAVE A LIFE AGAIN. MY LIFE, MY RULES, MY KITCHEN, MY BATHROOM, MY FRESHLY VACUUMED CARPET SANS CLUMPS OF DOG HAIR. PLEASE PRAY WITH ME THAT SHE MOVES OUT SOON. TOMORROW I AM INSTIGATING A PER NIGHT FEE OF $15 FOR HER, HER DOG, OR HER STUFF..............

MY NEW CAREER PATH

iT OCCURS TO ME THAT I MAY BE ON THE ROAD TO A NDW CAREER IN METEOROLOGY. oNE THING FOR SURE--I'LL BE INFALLIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO PREDICTING INCREASED HUMIDITY/PRECIPITATION. FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS WE'VE HAD PRECIPITATION IN SOME FORM AS WELL AS OVERCAST SKIES. MY WHOLE BODY SEEMS TO BE ONE FULL-FLEDGED WEATHER PREDICTOR. mY HIPS HURT--I WAS ENTHRONED THE OTHER NIGHT ON MY GREAT WHITE THRONE WHEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT MY HIPS--BOTH OF THEM--ACHED JUST SITTING THERE. SINCE THEN, THE KNEES HAVE BEEN MAKING NOISE, AND, OF COURSE MY RIGHT WRIST IS SCREAMIN'. i AM PRETTY MUCH WEARING THE WRIST BRACE 24/7, EXCEPT WHEN I HAVE TO ENCOUNTER WATER. IT PROBABLY HELPS, BUT I'D PROBABLY NEED TO GO WITHOUT IT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME TO KNOW THAT FOR SURE. I'M NOT MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THE POTENTIAL AFTERMATH OF GOING WITHOUT IT JUST YET. AND FOR A DAY OR TWO I'VE BECOME CONSCIOUS, TOO CONSCIOUS. OF THE MUSCLE THAT RUNS ALONG THE BOTTOM OF MY LEFT BUTT CHEEK.

MY LEGS ARE ALSO A PROBLEM. THE LEG MUSCLES ARE VERY WEAK. I AM WORKING ON THAT. I DO HAVE SOME EXERCISES I GOT FROM THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND I AM ON TOP OF THOSE. THE ACTUAL SITE OF THE LEG INJURY IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IF I AM ON MY FEET FOR "LONG", MY LEG MUSCLES START TO QUIVER AND SHAKE AND I BEGIN TO FEEL UNSTABLE. i STARTED WITH TRYING TO BE UPRIGHT FOR 5 MINUTES AT A TIME. TODAY I'M WORKING ON 14 MINUTES AT A TIME. AND SO, I AM ABLE TO DO A LITTLE AROUND HERE. I HAVE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT AND UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF MUSCLE MASS. MEALS ARE NOT REGULAR AROUND HERE. NOR ARE THEY GENEROUS IN AMOUNTS IF YOU GET ONE. I HAVE STARTED TO TRY TO DO SOME VERY LIMITED COOKING ON MY OWN. I MADE A BOX CAKE THE OTHER DAY AND GIVEN THE LIMITS ON HOW LONG I CAN BE ON MY FEET, IT TOOK ME ALL DAY. HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN THE SOURCE OF ABOUT 6 "MEALS" OVER THE LAST 3 DAYS. SURE GLAD I MADE THAT.............

i HAVE TAKEN OVER DOING THE DISHES. iT SEEMS THE ROOMIE HAS AN AVERSION TO RUNNING THE DISHWASHER. RATHER, SHE'S BEEN USING IT AS A DRYING RACK FOR SOME HAND-WASHED DISHES. tHE WHOLE MATTER OF DISHES HAS BEEN VERY CONFUSING. THERE HAVE BEEN CLEAN DISHES RANDOMLY IN THE DISHWASHER, IN BOTH OF THE DOUBLE SINKS, AND ALL OVER THE COUNTER TOPS. IT SEEMS, FURTHER, THAT SHE CAN DIG IN THE CUPBOARDS AND PULL ALL SORTS OF THINGS FROM THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACES, BUT SHE DOES NOT EXHIBIT THE ABILITY TO PUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM. iN FACT, IT SEEMS TO BE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO JUST DECORATE THE COUNTERTOPS WITH HER DISCOVERIES. SO, I WOULD WANDER INTO THE KITCHEN IN HOPES OF EATING SOMETHING THAT REQUIRED A BOWL AND NOT KNOW IF THOSE ON DISPLAY WERE CLEAN (WHO KEEPS CLEAN DISHES ON THE COUNTERTOP?). ALSO NO WAY OF DETERMINING THE STATUS OF THOSE ITEMS IN THE SINK OR THE DISHWASHER. AND SO, AS MY LEGS HAVE GOTTEN STRONGER, IF A DISH/POT/PAN IS VISIBLE, I HAVE COME TO TREAT IT AS DIRTY. I TREAT WHATEVER IS NOT IN A CUPBOARD AS DIRTY, WASH IT, AND PUT IT AWAY. PROBLEM IS GETTING SOLVED A LITTLE AT A TIME. 

WHERE I WAS RAISED, IF YOU DID DISHES AFTER DINNER, YOU'D DARN WELL BETTER WIPE DOWN THE STOVE TOP, THE COUNTERTOPS AND THE SINKS WHEN YOU WERE DONE. i GUARANTEE YOU MY MOTHER WAS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ADBOUT MAKING SURE YOU'D DONE IT ALL. AND WOE BE UNTO YOU IF SHE DISCOVERED YOU'D NOT DONE IT "RIGHT". wELL, THE ROOMIE, WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN RAISED BY A GERMAN MOTHER, WAS APPARENTLY NEVER TRAINED IN THOSE NICETIES. FOR A GOOD TWO WEEKS AFTER I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE KITCHEN, I OBSERVED THE SAME CRUMBS AND GREASE SPLATTERS ON MY STOVE TOP. I GOT THAT CLEANED UP AS WELL. 

I AM ALSO MAINTAINING MY OWN LAUNDRY. I WOULD DO HERS IF I KNEW WHERE IT WAS, BUT I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT SHE DOES WITH IT, SO I WASH MY OWN AND THAT'S THAT. I HAVE NOTICED WE DO NOT ASK FOR GUIDANCE ON EQUIPMENT. THUS ABOUT 5 X AS MUCH DETERGENT AS IS ADVISED IS USED ON EVERY LOAD SHE DOES. I HAD A STASH OF EXTRA DETERGENT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE.

I TOLD YOU THERE WERE PLUMBING PROBLEMS, RIGHT? i ENDED UP WITH THE CONTENTS OF ONE SIDE OF THE MASTER BEDROOM CLOSET PILED ON MY BED. FURTHER, THE BOTTOM SHELF OF THE LINEN CLOSET WERE PILED ON A FOOTSTOOL AND SHOVED INTO THE DOORWAY OF MY ROOM. i HAVE MANAGED TO CLEAR HALF OF THE BED--ENOUGH FOR ME TO SLEEP ON. I HAVE BEEN LEFT TO HAANDLE IT ALL ON MY OWN. NOW I AM STARTING ON THE PILE OF STUFF ON THE FOOTSTOOL IN HOPES THAT ONE DAY SOON I CAN GET IT OUT OF MY ROOM AND MAYBE EVEN CLOSE THE DOOR. NEXT, I'LL SEE ABOUT FINISHING THE TREASURE HUNT FOR MY WHOLE BED.

THE ROOMMATE IS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE ON THE 31ST. PLEASE PRAY THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT RANCOR. I WANT MY SPACE BACK. 

OWIE, OWIE, OWIE!

mY WRIST HURTS. IT WAS REALLY PAINFUL LAST NIGHT AND ONLY A LITTLE BETTER NOW. tHAT'S THE BAD NEWS. mY ANKLES LOOK LIKE MY ANKLES. tHE SWELLING HAS GONE WAY DOWN. THE SKIN ON MY FEET, ANKLES, AND LOWER CALVES IS PRETTY WRECKED. I SUPPOSE THAT'S THE RESULT OF ALL THE SWELLING. iT'S DRIED, CRACKING, AND PEELING. IT'S ALSO SENSITIVE. TOUCHING IT IS ALMOST LIKE A BURNING SENSATION. IT'S ALSO DISCOLORED. MY LOWER CALVES ARE RED. BUT NOT AS RED AND NOT AS MUCH OF IT IS RED AS A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT.

i HAVE NOT WATCHED ANY OF THE INAUGURATION. mY OWN SILENT PROTEST. i ADMIT I AM BATTLING FEAR. FEAR NOT SO MUCH FOR MYSELF BUT FEAR FOR OUR BELOVED COUNTRY. i THINK THAT BEFORE TRUMP, I SPENT THE BULK OF 8 YEARS, WAKING UP AFRAID. AND, THEN, FOR FOUR YEARS, I SLEPT FAIRLY COMFORTABLY. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO EVER PARTICIPATE IN A MARCH FOR LIFE PROTEST WOULD WORK TO PROTECT ME JUST AS HE WORKED TO PROTECT THE UNBORN. I REMEMBER OUR GROUP FEAR WHEN NORTH KOREA WAS CARRYING ON, TESTING MISSILES OVER JAPAPN, ETC. AND THEN MY PRESIDENT MET WITH THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER, AND NOTHING MORE WAS HEARD FROM NORTH KOREA UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AS MY PRESIDENT WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE OFFICE. I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN PAY NORTH KOREA 100 BILLION IN CASH TO JUST HATE US AND CALL US NAMES INSTEAD OF BUILDING NUKES. hEY, FOR A WHILE IT WORKED WITH IRAN..............NOW NEWS HAS IT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS HOPING TO RE-UP THAT 18O BILLION DEAL WITH IRAN..............

I DO NOT SEE GOOD THINGS COMING FOR THE GOOD OLE USA ANYTIME SOON. NOR DO I SEE GOOD THINGS COMING FOR THE CHURCH. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A REVIVAL WHICH IS GOOD IN GOD'S EYES.  BUT, THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE GREAT DAMAGE TO OUR FREEDOM TO WORSHIP AND I BELIEVE THEY WILL WORK ON THAT EVEN HARDER. THEY ARE NOW TRYING TO EQUATE TRUMP VOTERS WITH THE 9/11 TERRORISTS. AND, SINCE HIS BASE CONSISTED OF A LARGE NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS AND PRO-LIFE CATHOLICS, I'M PRETTY SURE THE CHURCH IS GOING TO BE UNDER FULL SCALE ATTACK. 

 

tHIS WAS WRITTEN ON 1/20 AND NEVER PUBLISHED.