The Crab Chronicles

Cold In My Head

I have no blog for today. I'm sorry. It has been a non-stop busy day, starting with Alesia's IEP meeting this morning. She is doing well, but I like having the IEP in place since she does have the learning disability.

We talked about Alesia’s college plans. The plan now is for her to get her average up so she can get the Hope scholarship. All Georgia residents with a 3.0 or better can go to a state school for free. Thanks lottery. She will likely start off at Georgia Perimeter, a two year college. If she makes good grades there she can go to University of Georgia, Georgia State, etc. in a few years, admission will not be a problem. She thinks she wants to be a vet tech. I am not sure that’s right for her. We shall see.

I am coming down with a bad cold and I feel yucko - stuffed up head, sore throat, etc.

When I heard about the shooting at Ft. Hood this afternoon I was filled with horror. My brother lived in Killeen and was posted at Ft. Hood for three years in the early 80's. He still has friends there. I left him a message to call me.

Please pray for the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy. Military families have enough hell to live through without adding this.

Halloween Recap

We’ve had a full and exhausting day. The kids and I spent a while this morning cleaning everything upstairs, and I cleaned the steps. Mike cleaned out my tub and Alesia’s bathroom toilet, which he uses. He did it cheerfully.

 

We went to lunch at Hickory House, mainly just to get out of the house. The weather was really rainy, but not a hard rain, mostly just drizzle.

 

We had to go by Publix on the way home and the kids ran in and got a dozen eggs for us. The parking lot was so full it looked like Christmas. I have never seen so many cars in there.

 

Michael went to his friend Clay’s house for a Halloween get-together, around 5. He wanted to go as a hippie, but I couldn’t him to fully buy into the look. He wouldn’t wear a headband or let me do much, beside spray his hair purple and draw a peace sign on his hand with makeup. I drew some fake whiskers on him and he let me take his photo, but then he wiped them off.

 

In honor of the occasion, I put some purple hairspray on my hair too, and wore makeup, for the first time in forever. I was going for sort of a witchy look, but I don’t think I succeeded.

 

Alesia’s friend Dillon picked her up at 7. He didn’t say anything about my purple hair. He did ask Alesia later where her dad was, and she had to admit there is no dad here. I’m not sure how much this boy really knows about Alesia. She looked beautiful. I’m not sure he considered it a “date” but she did. They went to his house to watch movies, with a group of friends. They ate pizza and watched three horror movies.

 

Lesleigh came over and helped us answer the door, and brought dinner. We had a great visit. I was amazed to see a LOT of trick or treaters. We ran out of candy and I shut off the light about 8.

 

Mike said when he got home he was really tired. He probably walked 5 miles, all over the neighborhood, from the sound of it. I hope he doesn’t get sick. He looked really peaked when he got home.

 

All in all, a good but really tiring day. Nice to get an extra hour of sleep!

      

It's so rare and delightful to see a photo of me and Alesia that I consider flattering to us both. This one would be perfect if I didn't have purple hair and green eye shadow! LOL
 
 

Day of Intrigue and Danger

I never realized until today that danger lurks all around me. No, I am not just being Halloweeny.

 

At work this morning I got a call from Mother telling me there were choppers flying up and down the creek behind our house. She called DeKalb County police and learned there was a criminal who had escaped police and they were trying to find him. The lady Mom talked to said don’t leave the house and keep the doors locked! Yikes. I called or emailed neighbors trying to warn everyone. I later learned about another criminal perhaps around our area.

 

I felt like Paulette Revere, “The criminals are coming! The criminals are coming!”

 

We are also working on a case at work that I am just learning and it involves some serious allegations of government corruption. That’s all I can say. It’s a bit like being inside a John Grisham novel. Allegations. Threats [not to me]. Wow.

 

As soon as I got home, I grabbed the kids and we left Mother to nap, locked up in the house of course.

 

The kids got new cell phones. They have never had phones before. I bought them the phones at Walmart. They have prepaid minutes on them. I told both kids they got 300 free minutes from me, but the next batch of minutes they would have to buy on their own. We had quite a discussion. The main reason for buying them phones was simply that I want them to be safe. I want to be able to reach them if necessary.

 

The day a few weeks ago when it flooded, I couldn’t get word to Michael that I was desperately trying to get home. I couldn’t make sure Alesia was safe. It was nerve-wracking. Today’s criminal at large just spurred me on to act.

 

I have said a lot of prayers for everyone’s safety. I sure hope the phones are not misused.

 

I told both kids not to ever let the phones get below 10 minutes. I also, as I said, told them they have to buy all minutes in the future – and if they don’t have the money I will buy the minutes and they will have to work them off. Alesia asked how.

 

“You will have to clean the ENTIRE house, top to bottom,” I said, smiling in a faintly sinister way, I hope…

 

I caught Michael trying to sneak and read the phone instructions tonight under the covers after he was put to bed. He got mad when I took them away, arguing he needed sleep.

Just before bed, Alesia was furious the phone wasn’t fully charged when she opened the package. I tried to explain about having to charge electronic devices. Didn’t help.

See why I’ve avoided this step for so long?!

 

 

BTW, Mother did a great post here on her blog. Check it out. 

Highlands Sunday

 
I tried to post last night but the computer went wonky and I just went to bed, I was so tired. here's another try:

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

Lovely day – not as cold and windy as yesterday, just cool. I went to the Scottish Highland Games with Michael, my friend John and his son Reese, and Mike’s buddy Colton. Alesia went shopping with Lesleigh instead, to get some new jeans.

 

We had a great time. I didn’t check in at the clan Henderson tent, or the other clans I belong to. I just didn’t want to get into a genealogy discussion, since I am a woman and my kids are adopted. If you are not male and don’t have the clan name, you aren’t too valued, is the feeling I’ve gotten. I sent all my Henderson family stuff to the head of clan Henderson years ago and was told they weren’t interested in anything except males bearing the family name. It’s too bad, but I can’t argue with a patrilineal clan arrangement that’s been going on for hundreds of years. I just choose to not fool with all the genealogy folderol.

 

The boys enjoyed everything. Michael got mad because I wouldn’t let him buy a knife. I am OK with him having a knife, but not some cheap $4 piece of crap knife. Bruce got him a really nice knife a year or two ago.

 

I was proud of myself for doing a lot of walking around and not getting overly tired. I didn’t care for all the mud in the fields where the booths were set up, but I didn’t fall, thank goodness. I didn't overeat, but I was tempted..

 

We watched bagpipers, sporting events [beefy men wearing kilts throwing heavy things], shopped, ate lunch, and walked around. It was enough. The photo above shows some of the dancers walking towards the pipers, which is sort of cool.

 

We came home and all the boys jumped on the trampoline for a while, then Colton and John and Reese went home and Granny napped. When she awoke, we went to Kroger for a few odds and ends.

 

Michael informed me late this afternoon that one of the brackets is off his braces, so I have to try and get that fixed tomorrow at the orthodontist, leaving no time to get to the post office, I don’t think. So be it. I will set a goal for myself of getting all the raffle prizes mailed out by the end of the week…

 

 
 
 

Back to Jail

I finally, reluctantly, had to return to the Gwinnett County jail this morning. This was worse than last time, when I couldn’t find the building. There are a lot of huge forbidding buildings surrounded by concertina wire in Gwinnett County.

 

I live in DeKalb County, where the jail is more obvious.

 

When I tried to go in, the huge, beefy guard standing just inside the door barked at me in a deep booming voice, “WHY are you HERE?!”

 

I was so startled I almost couldn’t think why. “I’m picking up a hearing transcript,” I replied, feeling like a ninny. The Great and Powerful Oz has spoken! said a little voice in my head...

 

I put my car keys and wallet into the little bowl to go thru the x-ray machine and he peered at the wallet and said “You can’t come in here with that!”

 

I was puzzled. They had let me in with the wallet the last time.

 

“I, uh, brought it last time?!” I said.

 

“You CANNOT BRING THAT LITTLE PURSE IN HERE!” he roared.

 

Now I was getting mad. “It’s not a purse, it’s a wallet,” I said firmly. “You CAN’T bring it in!” he fairly snarled. The Great and Powerful Oz has spoken! said a little voice in my head...

 

Then I remembered my motto: It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dawg. I wanted to slap him. Big bully.

 

I turned on my heels, embarrassed, because now there was a long line of people waiting to get in, including a nervous looking priest.

 

I had spent 20 minute trying to find a parking place in the overcrowded lot, and I had to park a loooooong way from the door. I trudged back to the car in the light rain. I dug my debit card and driver’s license out of my wallet and put it in my purse, on the floor of the car, thinking, I must be mad, leaving my purse in a car right outside the JAIL. I turned and plodded all the way back to the door.

 

This time I got in, and all the way up to the clerk’s office, after traversing a very long corridor and waiting 10 minutes for the world’s slowest elevator. “We don’t take debit cards. It’s $5 cash,” said the lady. “There’s an ATM in the lobby,” she added. She was actually a nice older lady. I almost cried. I told her about the ogre at the x-ray machine. She shook her head. “You never know who’s down there. Try the ATM.”

 

I went back down to the ATM. I had to spend 20 more minutes trying in vain to get some money out of the weirdest little ATM I’ve ever seen. It made strange noises like an old dialup computer connection and kept telling me TRANSACTION CANNOT BE PROCESSED. Grrr.

 

I trudged back out to the car, in the rain, and got the money out of my wallet, leaving the wallet in the car, once again.

 

This time, I had to dodge prisoners in orange jumpsuits swabbing the marble floors with mops. For once in my life I was glad to be fat and grey haired. I shuddered to think of Alesia in there amongst the janitorial criminals.

 

I got the DVD of the court hearing. By the time I finally got in my car to leave, I was sweating buckets.

 

I got back to the office and it took a while to calm down.

 

Later this afternoon I tried to play the DVD on my computer and it wouldn’t work. Lord knows why. I brought it home to try.

 

Nothing else noteworthy happened all day. Thanks be to God.

Newsflashes

I finally took the plunge and put internet access on my kids’ computer yesterday. They share a computer that stays in the family room, in clear view. Alesia is a junior in high school and Michael is in middle school, so they need internet access to do reports for school. I warned them if I see anything inappropriate on there, they will lose computer privileges for a month. We also loaded on anti-virus and Malware software, in hopes of preventing issues. 

 

Alesia is already mad at me because I gave her a lecture about safe internet use. I try to remember, she's a teenager. Being pissed off at mom is perfectly normal...

 

 

We are in a weird weather state. I went to bed with the air on, because it gets hot and stuffy upstairs, then early this morning I turned on the heat so we wouldn’t freeze getting out of the shower. Mother went to bed with heat on, then got up in the night and turned on the air.

 

Michael had to write a skit about an explorer, for social studies class. I explained to him what a skit IS, and how to write dialogue, etc. and to his credit, he did a pretty good job of it. I cleaned it up a little and typed it for him last night, but I was really proud of how well he did that exercise. I told him this morning I am proud of how well he is doing. Kids need to hear positive reinforcement as much as possible.

 

I looked at my melon patch yesterday and wanted to cry. All my melons were black, from the excessive rain. No melons for us to eat. Back to the compost heap for winter…

In order to learn exactly why my daughter makes hair and makeup choices, I have discovered OK magazine. Back issues are kept in the kitchen at work. I was flipping through it today while I ate my sandwich at lunch and had several “Aha!” moments. Now I know why Alesia went ape recently when my cousin sent a box of clothes and it included a plaid shirt. I’ve never seen her so excited over a piece of clothing. Now I know all the chic vampires wear plaid. I also learned that blue eye shadow is like, totally cool again! One of the makeup models had her hair in two Swiss Miss type braids, and Alesia has started braiding her hair a lot. Now it all makes sense.

 

I encourage her to wear braids and bright blue eye shadow and plaid shirts because I like any look that makes her less beautiful, if you get my drift. Then I don’t worry about keeping the shotgun by the door.

Gone to Jail!

My internet was screwed up last night and I didn't get to post, so this morning it will be The World's Fastest Post Before Breakfast! I know you, my faithful readers, have to know my situation.

Here's the Good News:

The rain has moved away from us for a few days! YAY! Yesterday it turned sunny and hot [mid 80's] and we started drying out. That was a huge blessing, even though the kids said the back yard was a field of mud.

The Bad News:

We discovered a water stain in the ceiling of our family room. I am not even sure what type of repairman to call to fix it - a roofer?! Clearly our roof was not protecting us properly from the monsoons.

The Odd News:

I had to go to JAIL yesterday. Yes, as part of being a paralegal, one occasionally has to go to jail. I needed a criminal hearing transcript. I went to three different buildings to find the clerk who could help me, finally ending in the Gwinnett County Jail.

I am used to going through a metal detector to get into a courthouse. However, this one made me leave my purse in the car! I was only allowed to carry the wallet, cell phone, and keys. Then, when I found out from a surly female guard where I needed to go, she wouldn't let me go without surrendering my keys and cell phone. WTF?! I was nonplussed. I felt naked without my cell phone, and I don't use it to do anything but make calls! Then I had to fill out a form. I was told I would have to return in a week or so and pick up the report. Oh joy.

Years ago I had to go to the DeKalb County jail, and get a prisoner released. He was a client of ours. He had been arrested for possessing crack, which is what caused the auto accident which landed him as our client [through the insurance company]. His clothes had been stolen. I took him new clothes, right down to undies, shoes and socks. I then drove him to the downtown Salvation Army. He was a nice kid from a good family but they disowned him because of the drugs. I and my assistant had worked hard to send him books to read in jail, get him released, and get him to the Salvation Army. They helped him get a job and a place to live. He promptly turned his life around, got married, found God, and started working. Next thing we know, his wife is pregnant. He sends the attorney I worked for a message and said if the baby was a girl, he was going to name it after HER, the Attorney!!! She didn't do anything. Really ticked me off. But I digress.

That's all the news and bitter recollections of jail I can offer at this time. More later...

SPARE CHANGE?!

I know it's hard to think of making a huge contribution to a charity these days, but think about this. Do you have a jar with spare change in it on your dresser? I keep a glass on my dresser and I empty my spare change into it every night. I probably have $10 in there. I am going to take all that change in a bag to Kroger this weekend and put it in the machine that gives you money for change, and send the amount to the Antares Foundation. It's not helping me on my dresser, and Antares will use it to better the lifes of orphans. It doesn't matter if it's $100 or $2 - they can use any amount. Plus, if you send your spare change, you could win one of our terrific raffle prizes! What better use could there be for spare change?!

Here Comes the Sun!

Made it into work and the SUN is shining, Hallelujah!

I had to go to the bank and the post office this morning and the roads were deserted. I walked into the bank and I was the only person in there. Ditto for the post office. That was weird.

I talked to my cousin Lesleigh, who lives closer into town in an area called Buckhead. She said the flooding was so bad down there she couldn't leave the apartment and was home from work. When she was going home late yesterday afternoon her car conked out and she had to wait and wait for a tow truck and finally got home after almost 2 hours. Yikes. I am just glad she was safe.

Bruce called last night to make sure we were OK, and I told him Michael had been in a high good humor yesterday afternoon, despite having to walk partway home in the rain. Bruce laughed. "Dee, he's a BOY. At his age I would've been looking for a BOAT." That's true. Thank God Michael isn't as wild as his uncle used to be.

My kids are home from school. Alesia knocked on my door at 6:30 this morning and asked if she had to go to school. I said "No, didn't you see the note I put on the bathroom mirror?" No, she had not. I stupidly put it on the big mirror, not the makeup mirror. She heard about the school closings on the radio but didn't believe the radio! Mother and I explained that the radio is accurate about school closings.

Better get some work done. Just wanted everyone to know we are OK down here, although I pray for the families of folks who have died in this mess.

Flooded Atlanta

UPDATE: 11:21 p.m. - The DeKalb County schools are closed tomorrow so my kids get a day off. So be it. I would worry too much if they were at school. Tomorrow the chance of rain is only 60%! That's an improvement!

Here's more about the situation - 

UPDATE 6:11 p.m. Flood waters are receding and rain has stopped! YAY! PRAYER WORKS!!

Dee

4:30 p.m. Every once in a while life spins out of control. My town is under water. My backyard has a river running through it, and that ain't just a movie!

I am praying the water won't come in our house and praying we won't lose power. Y'all pray too, PLEASE!! Schools are closed all around us. People have died.

It took me almost an hour to get to Michael's school to pick him up, because the water was just torrential. Felt like a monsoon.

>> BREAKING GOOD NEWS! Alesia got a 99 on her Algebra II test!! YAY!! Happy news!!<<

When I finally got to the neighborhood Michael was halfway home, head down, trudging through the rain, which had slacked off by then. We had to turn around and take an alternate route home, because the creek was over its banks and my poor neighbors B&D, their house was sitting in a pond.

I couldn't get in my driveway, so I parked in front of the neighbor's house and Michael and I hiked through a foot of moving, muddy water.

I have tried to take photos but they didn't show up through the window.

PRAY this mess won't come in my house, please!!

Soggy Saturday

The kids are downstairs watching Inspector Gadget, but I cannot join them. I loathe Inspector Gadget. Love Matthew Broderick as Ferris, hate him as Gadget.

We have had a very soggy day, and I am just thankful there was no lake in the back yard. The rain was incessant. It rained steadily from very early this morning until around 2. Things are drying out. Today we had 100% chance of rain. Tomorrow, a mere 70% or something like that.

I picked up Michael from a sleepover this morning and he looked like death on a cracker. He explained he had been awake all night long playing games on the computer. He couldn't find anywhere comfortable to sleep - that was his excuse anyway. After initially fussing, he finally went to sleep in his bed and got about 4 hours.

Jim, the man who fixed my computer brought it back today, and I am thrilled to be able to access the internet again.  He was able to save all my data, which was wonderful. I am finally going to put internet access on the kids' computer downstairs, but with a parental control of some sort. I told Jim to just pick out a good one and load it on there for us. He said he would research it. Most of his clients are small businesses, I think.

We have done very little today except watch the rain, nap, and nosh. I picked up Greek food for lunch, and we woke Michael up to eat, around 3. He has stayed up since, which is good, because I want him to sleep tonight.

I have been doing a lot more reading lately, since I've been without the computer to entertain me. I love Greg Iles' books, and the newest one, The Devil's Punchbowl, is excellent. Like all his books, it's hard to put down. If you hit a rainy day and need a good book, get it.

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A congratulatory shout out goes to the University of Georgia men's golf team. My cousin's youngest child plays on there, Rob Bennett, a gentleman and a scholar as well as an athlete. I remember him as an energetic little guy running around my parents' pool in Augusta. Now he's a junior in college. Lord, I feel old! The Golf Dawgs are playing in the Illini Invitational this weekend. Go Dawgs!