Dreaming Tuscany in Marianna, Arkansas

I watched Under The Tuscan Sun last night after Sydney went to bed. Ahhhhh what a refreshingly good movie, very calming and uplifting. I like near the end when her friend points out that all she wanted was there, she just did not see it for herself.

After the movie and knitting (12:30am) I jumped into the jacuzzi, I had turned the heat up a few hours prior since my neck was sore from being so upset earlier in the day. I was reaching for the controls when a man caught my eye walking on the main street that I can see from my back yard. He disappeared in front of my neighbors house. I repositioned myself to see if he was going to reemerge on the other side. He did and started to walk down my street. He stopped at my neighbors fence and looked around. I sat still and made no noise till he walked up my neighbors driveway and went to reach for his passenger side truck door. I yelled out at that moment," Get away from my neighbors truck door". The man with all his nerve just casually walked away. I dashed out of the water into the house and called the police. I gave a description and told them what street he was headed down and of his long coat and beanie he was waring. I dressed and toweled off my hair, called my neighbor and waited outside for a patrol car to come by. A green SUV showed up and a young cop walked up my driveway. He said the streets were clear and he must have ditched into some bushes or lived near-by. I told him I thought it was a man who lived in a house three doors down on the next street. The young cop said that HIS patrol car that he was driving was broken into last night also sitting in his driveway. How funny I thought. He told me the story how he had forgotten a can of snuff and when he went out there there they were, 3 boys all under the age of 18 came from the neighboring town of Helena some 17 miles away. He laughed and said that the mother of the 16 year old boy in the get-a-way car persisted that her son was a good boy and couldn't be involved. She later brought back the officers belongings in a box after she went through her sons car, right down to a 50 cent can opener.

We chatted some more on the drug man Archie across the street. I asked him what was going to be done about him, "Probably nothing" he claimed. heavy sigh on my part. Then we talked about the new 1. billion dollar new fire station. He said that over 100 thousand dollars came up missing from that project. Someone has pocketed the money he said. I told him it was the mayor, I did not vote for him in the last election and then they had to have another vote when neither of the 3 candidates got a 50% vote. He came out by a hair so the city is screwed for a few more years.

Bluesville

I have allot to be thankful for and just cannot see it just yet through the bag of fresh miniature blueberry bagels and a tub of Philly Triple Berries and Cream Swirl cream cheese that sit before me.

Cindy Lou Who has attacked yet ANOTHER computer cord which accounts for me not posting as of late. I made my way to Wally World as I dropped the pooch off at the vet today. She got her first shots, heart worm check, and to be spayed. I told the secretary I thought she was about 10 months old and the vet confirmed it by saying he thought she was either 9 or 10 months old from the looks of her teeth. I hope that she (the dog) is thinking," Damn, if I chew another cord what else is she going to do to me?!" I pick her up on Friday, that will give her time to contemplate on the subject a bit.
I also went into the attic and got all the old baby clothes down that were stored in large Totes. I took some to the consignment shop in a nearby town and got about 50 more hangers from them. I used them up and had not even gotten through the 1st tote yet. I will take them in to the store when I pick up pooch on Friday.
I also stopped into the optical shop and paid my $60.00 for the doctor to tell me I needed reading glasses. He said I would not have to go back to waring full blown prescriptions like before. Oh Thank You Oh Thank You!!!! I do not like waring sun glasses either because the pressure behind the ears causes me to have great headaches.
hummmmm, what else? Oh yeah, I stopped into the local newspaper shop to place an ad, in hopes that I might be able to return to work soon if I find a sitter.
Even though I am officially still an employee I had a random drug screen at 9am this morning. Sydney went with me. I arrived at 9:03. We sat in the large waiting area reading Veggie Tales and looking at pictures in a children's Bible as an elderly man sat to our right and an elderly woman who sat kitty corner across the room and a t.v on a Little Rock morning talk show. The man was called in the forbidden door way, Sydney then sat down with a book to the elderly woman and proceeded to show her that the pea was a pirate. She said he is so full of energy. After the book reading Sydney crawled under the wooden chairs calling them a cave, a woman and her teenage granddaughter arrived and sat 2 seats away. We then began to play Ninja and Karate chopped each other giving out a high-yaw on each consecutive blow. He layed on the ground and I pulled his leg towards me as he slid across the highly polished wooden planked floor, he laughed and was having a good time. By them a couple and their 12ish year old son walked in. It was now about 9:40 and I had to pee bad. The old man finally walked out and the elderly woman was called in. As the door was still opened a woman with a lab coat on looked at me and said," This is a clinic could you keep him quiet, he has not been quiet since he has been here". I thought to myself since YOU HAVE BEEN HERE! and that is why I am still sitting here looking through yellow colored glasses cause YOU could not get here on time. I have to admit I threw in that bitch word in a few times too. Just as fast as the door closed the door re-opened calling my name by a woman in a pair of scrubs. She said," How are you?" "Pissed Off", I replied. "That woman in the lab coat cannot expect to keep a 4 year old still for 45 minutes, she must not have any kids". I sat at the table. "Well this is a clinic and there are sick people here he needs to be quiet." She was obviously sick with a head cold. (I thought) No wonder the test could not be done the day before, she was out sick herself. Sydney sat on the floor to my left saying,"Mommy mommy mommy", between what the nurse was telling me in one ear and Sydney fueling the fire in the other ear I looked at Sydney and slapped his mouth, I said," Sit there and shut-up and be miserable like they want you to be." The nurse jumped in surprise but after she heard what I said she never said another word to me other than ,"sign and initial this." I knew that she knew I WAS RIGHT! I apologized to Sydney for slapping him and he said he loved me. And of course I then cried over it and still am. Kids need to be kids and too many people want them to be on mood altering drugs because the adults cannot deal with the noise. Sure some kids do need to be medicated (and I say that hesitantly), to be a happy, healthy child with enthusiasm, to take on the most scariest of all monsters in the closet- well- that is being a child. It is what we dream of awaiting our little bundles of joy, but the older people are just plain old bonkers theses days! Life has left them pinching their butt cheeks so hard it has affected their brains. How sad. Still to this day nothing is better than the laughter of a child, it is what poems and dreams are made of.

Duh Duh Duh Another One Bites the Dust

Well another babysitter(4Th one including my daughter) that I had hired just recently has decided this is not what she wants to do. I was late getting in and had to go travel another 45 minutes to go get Sydney because she traveled to West Memphis to see her family and then she wants to charge me for it? I DON'T THINK SO. Since banks are closed Monday due to Presidents Day I thought I would be nice and give her her money yesterday since she could do her banking ahead of time. Today I walk in and she hands me back part of the money and said," I cannot watch him Sunday night, I have a interview to see if I can get a job 8am Monday". ( I get in around 10am) I felt my head start to heat up instantly and wondered if she could see the vapors coming out of my ears. I wanted to ask her if we did not agree yesterday that she would watch him for the weekend? But I just thought let the 20 year old kid go, I have had enough. So as of Sunday I no longer have a job since I am not able to take my son with me on my trips.
On the brighter side I got in the mail yesterday my National Registry Exam certificate for passing the EMT test. Nicely embossed paper with calligraphy writing on it and two wallet cards to carry in my purse. It took 6 weeks to get it. I could work now but..............no sitter, and the shifts are 24 hours long.
Well unless I find something real quick I will be joining the ranks of the unemployed next week. Say a quick prayer for us will you?

State Farm Insurance and Your Sign

How absolutely ludicrous in a news report moment I heard yesterday. State Farm Insurance Company is looking at the stars to determine your accident rate!!!! Not your birthday but your astrological sign! Leo's have a lead foot, Caprocorn and Aries have the least accidents while Virgo having the most accidents. If that is the case I am a Virgo and should have a rap sheet, but I do not and then it dawned on me T A W A N D A !!!! I do not have my insurance with this company but with the other "Farm" one. But if I did I would want my insurance card to read TAWANDA! Now for those who have no earthly idea what I am talking about have not watched a great classic chix fick movie called; Fried Green Tomamotes. Click on this for a good laugh.

3 Mexicans and a Pick'em up Truck

It was bad on the Memphis Bridge this morning! I do not think I went from East Memphis to West Memphis without seeing an accident at EVERY overpass, on/off ramp, or bridge. It's time for Memphis to play with the big cities and invest in equipment that is equiped to handle the icy conditions that we get every year.
When the road crews arrived it consisted of three Mexicans on the back of a pick up truck with their shovels sprinkling on the sand, yes it was followed by the salt truck; but it was a 3 hours late and several accidents later.
Arkansas is no better; I don't think they even have the shovels

Sick Soft Cheeks

Sydney has a full blown head cold. I feel for the little man. 2 grapefruits that he happily downed topped with sugar, chicken noodle soup, juice, and yogurt were the only things he wanted to eat today. Not even the chocolate cake I made enticed him. I had given him a warm bubble bath this morning in hopes that the heat would help his sinuses. It didn't but it gave us a few quiet moments together until I had to wash his hair.
Around 3 pm this afternoon he was getting crabby, obviously the sleepies were setting in. I held him in my arms as though he were a baby again. I put my cheek to his baby soft peach face and slightly rubbed my cheek against his. He didn't object. I rocked him for a moment, he sang me the Barney song, then he was gone to his room. I heard him walk into my room. I walked in behind him to see that he had climbed onto my bed and under his Sponge Bob blanket that he carried in there with him. He said," Mommy I'm sleepy come lay down with Sydney".
Thank You Lord for my son, I love him very much.