Home Now But Exhausted

What should have been a nine hour drive last Thursday took 11 hours. Ditto for the return trip - after a side trip to Mt. Pleasant and Ionia!

Add four days at my cousins where my Dad had temper tantrums and took his frustrations out on me - because he was NOT the center of everyone's world - and I am one totally exhausted, angry woman.

Best to get a few days rest before I do anything else. Came home to Sweetie being sick, having dizzy spells and nausea so I have to drag him to the doc's tomorrow. Maybe we ought to both check into the local hospital for some R&R. God, what a crazy thought.

Talk to you all later, Treesong

Flag Raising & Other Projects

Part of the family gathered here on Father's Day and worked together to install my Dad's flagpole. Now he's able to sit in his chair and view the American, Norwegian and U.S. Coast Guard flags fluttering overhead.

We picked up two cords of firewood last night and today we're after two more. If nothing else, we'll be warm this winter.

The blueberry bushes are loaded so it looks like another bumper crop this season. Can barely wait as we're down to four quarts in the freezer.

Tomorrow I drive Dad to Lapeer, MI. to visit with his 92-year-old sister who flew in Sunday from Sarasota. In honor of his visit he shaved his beard (she hates beards!) so for the first time in 20 years he has 5 o'clock shadow every day!

My eldest son has loaned us his ATV so Sweetie can drive it through the swampy area that borders the west edge of our land. He wants to check out the timber and see what if anything has been discarded in that area. Spring or fall would have been a better time to do there would be less underbrush so I expect a bug-bitten, scratched up man to emerge.

The cabbage and onions we planted in our garden are doing well but so are the weeds. Maybe when I return from downstate Sweetie will have run the tiller between the rows. Maybe.

Well, I'm tired and have lots to do before we leave tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone. Have no idea when we're returning as Dad says this is his last trip downstate. Treesong

BP's Hayward Demoted

"A day after he was grilled by Congress, BP chief executive Tony Hayward is being demoted. According to Britain's Sky News, BP Managing Director Bob Dudley will take over day-to-day oversight of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill while BP's chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg (he of the "small people" comment) will assume major PR duties. (Yes, you read that right — the BP executive who famously expressed his compassion for "the small people" will be tasked with enhancing the company's public image.)"

And now us "small people" are left to wonder why the major moron's still around. Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot that those at the top retain their positions longest despite their idiocy.

Pondering

Maybe because my father's mental state is deteriorating; maybe because my youngest granddaughter is realizing people don't live forever; maybe because another friend has died; or maybe because it just seems there's never an end to the pain and suffering and work and disappointment and stupidity of people - I find my wishing I could stop the clock. Just for a day so we could all look around us and take notice of the things that are truly important.

Enough of this "reality" TV crap and texting and accumulating "friends" on Facebook and My Space and imitating morons paraded across magazine pages and videos.

Is it my age or disability or the fact that I'm no longer a member of the rat race that leaves me wondering what all the clamor's about?

Just what the hell's wrong with walking through the woods admiring the new growth on pine trees and watching squirrels scamper through the underbrush?

And why obsess over seeing your reflection in the kitchen floor because you've bought a mop that squirts cleaner on the floor?

I'd like to wring the necks of people who think "if you're not busy you're boring." They are so "busy" they miss most of their surroundings and have panic attacks if they're without their Ipod, cell phone or antidepressant.

This weekend the summer round of parades and fireworks begins. Thousands of people will crowd the streets, litter the landscape, flaunt their cleavage and hind ends, and obssess about how much beer they have in the cooler so they can gossip while people watching. The marching bands, revevved up engines and booming car audio systems will drown out any quiet while people "have a good time." Big damn deal.

We'll stay here or wander down to a deserted beach with Dad in tow and Sunday - Father's Day - hope his family has sufficiently recovered from their hangovers. As even my non-drinking sister said, "Don't get things going too early. We'll probably be tired." Yeah, and by the time they arrive Dad said he'll be ready for his nap.

Sometimes I think the pine trees can't grow fast enough but then I'm reminded that my memory is fading too. Maybe next year I won't even care.

Another New Neighbor & More Trees

Forty-three acres north of the DNR boat landing road sold last year to a couple from Lubbock, TX. They spent big bucks building a long winding drive into the place and parked an old travel trailer on the property.

Yesterday I saw three pickups parked there and men building a gate. When I got home I told Sweetie, "Let's take a ride and introduce ourselves."

NICE neighbors. Nice, nice neighbors!!!! Couple in their mid 50's who will retire in two years and build a Golden Eagle log home. Sweetie asked about their gate and the man said, "Seems everyone thinks they can run all over here with their four wheelers and wreck things."

Told him, "You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until , hunting season, blueberry season and camping season." The company he bought from had forewarned him so, like us, he plans to post his land. The low life here will be real happy about another "city slicker" keeping them off land they've always abused.

Brings a smile to my face.

Until he retires, they spend their vacation and sick time here. On this trip they discovered that the nursery stock 6' pines and maples they planted last year, had been pushed/pulled down. Rope and bungie cords were left behind, along with beer cans, of course.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

The previous night, I had tied orange flagging tape around 4' stakes and walked to the area where Harley Man's junk WAS stored on our land. You may recall our lot line runs through the 34' side of his outbuilding. Same idiot who hung Harley and Budweiser banners on the fence. Anyway, I'm out there hammering stakes in the ground to mark where I'll plant more trees. He's inside, with the windows open, cussing a blue streak about me "blocking" his view and still complaining that we installed pig fence.

I went home and told Sweetie, "I think we'll need to plant more trees back there."

New Part Time Neighbor

Awhile ago 34 acres next door to us sold. About two months ago a driveway was cut into the property and we were blessed with four dump truck loads of free topsoil. We've been wondering when the guy would show up so we could welcome him to the neighborhood. Ha, ha.

This evening we drove by and saw a car, screen room and small travel trailer parked at the end of his drive. After visiting the DNR boat landing we turned into his drive.

No one around but the bonfire was going full blast.

I kid you not!!!!

If it creeps beyond the 3 foot diameter sand base we're toast. We've been over there twice since and still no one there. You know me, I got pissed and started kicking dirt on the fire. Sweetie joined in and watered it down ah naturally.

Maybe, maybe he'll get the hint. Our garden hose is aimed in the direction of his campground. I don't think I'll sleep well tonight.

A Visit From the DEQ

Handsome, polite man with a business card in his hand knocked on the door today.

Hello, I'm so and so from the Michigan DEQ, he said. Had a complaint that you were building a road across a wetland. I've already checked out the area and closed the file. Appears to me you were brushing your property line.

Sweetie and I smiled at him, at one another and said to ourselves: "The assholes are at it again."

Tomorrow, we'll keep working on our deck repair and bathroom remodel. No comments to any of the neighbors; no confrontations. Just add this little stunt to our notebook and bide our time.

One day the fencing will be finished; the gates will be installed and locked; the solar lights and game cameras will be positioned and the entire 1320 feet will be brushed.

And one or more of these dumb asses is gonna screw up big time.

Rain, Paperwork and Confusion

We're getting a good soaker here today which means another delay in our bathroom remodel project. So I made a pot of chili and curled up on the sofa to read.

A few minutes later Sweetie arrives from the doctor's office where he had his stitches removed. He gave Dad a huge stack of mail from his Post Office box and the fun began. Rather Dad's confusion did.

He made his usual comments about all the solicitations and junk mail and then took out his check book and started writing. I decided to move to the table and offer to help write out checks. Good thing I did as he'd made out one to Direct TV and was looking for the envelope. He had received one of their huge postcard advertisements, not a bill.

Things deteriorated from there as he insisted on sending a "change of address" to every envelope that he received with a yellow mail forwarding sticker. Try as we might we couldn't convince him that his change of address had been filed and these bills had just crossed in the mail. When my youngest sister called he sat in his chair to talk to her and I sorted through everything, stuffed checks in envelopes, stamped them all, attached his address labels. When he completed his call I showed him the stack of mail and said I'd walk to the mailbox with it. One bill was mailed while six stamped were wasted and the junk mail was stuffed in my pocket.

Later, I gathered up the garbage cans to dump them all in the kitchen can. Heard a rattle in his can and discovered he'd thrown away a bottle of pills! Now we have to figure out how to keep him from gathering up the garbage or go through it again once it's in the large cans in the garage. When he takes his nap we're going through his pill minder and his pill bag.

Next I called his doctor's office to change an appointment due to his up comping trip to see his sister. I was told he'd called them yesterday and cancelled all upcoming visits and said he didn't need a doctor anymore.

According to the calendar where all his appointments are listed, one appointment was for his pacemaker check via the phone line. I called them to see if he'd cancelled that and was told he'd called but was so confused he hung up. Good thing I called them too because instead of a phone line appointment he has his annual checkup in Marquette on June 9th.

No wonder I'm feel like I've been through the mill today!

Dad's Been On the Phone

He's had phone-itis today and no matter who he calls he always asks: "Say, do you need any toilet paper?"

After the third call I said we don't want the whole Upper Peninsula coming to our house in search of TP. He said, "Don't worry, most of them will starve before they get here."

Hmmm.