Crunch time

My entry for the frontier days T-shirt for 2010...I also have this without the writing on it. 

Well okay not really yet but this next week looks to be super busy. I am getting a lot farther in getting things done. Got the carport almost done to my satisfaction (and hopefully the city's) Though I did get a copy of the codes and so far find that a lot of them really do not fit our situation at all. Especially the one the fine is on. Soooooooo we shall see. Especially when there are several violations around us that are much larger violations and they are not touching ANY of them. Say blocked side walk, very large brush/debris pile...and there is a garage/carport thing that if they want to see dilapidated (there is apparently no such code for lean to structure and our wood shed even has metal braces on the supports) anyway I can show them this carport (and the other things) and I mean it is to the point where I am absolutely shocked to see that the person still parks their car in it. It looks to be about to cave in any moment. So anyway still going to go talk to the lawyer and see what to do from here and also have a couple of other routes we may take. We shall see. I still am saying the way they are doing this is crooked and they need to go back to using photos to show you what the violation in question is so that they can't go back later and go oh yeah we were talking about this instead or also or whatever. Or just general oh we have a complaint about this (say a building for example...but they can't even tell you which building). Yes I will continue to be miffed til this is over and then maybe still will be. 
Anyway so besides dealing with that today we went and got 3 masks for the kids for Halloween...didn't really intend to pick them up but hell we haven't even had a chance to think about it yet and I don't have a clue what I want to dress up as. I did decide I am going to lighten my hair...a lot. I finally got a box of stuff to lighten it (that supposedly even works on black hair) to a very light almost white blonde. Might have it fade into my other colors but I've been pondering over this for awhile. Another thing we picked up today was shoes. Another thing we didn't really intend to. We really went for a new toilet seat because ours has pretty much died. Got the last one they had. ....anyway I have needed shoes for awhile. I have fallen arches and a bone spur and the foot dr. informed me I need shoes with good arches...that was egads....atleast a year or more ago? Maybe two. Any shoes I've gotten for the last several years (okay as long as I can remember...it has been awhile) have been hand me downs. Except for the flats I bought to wear to my oldest's graduation. So point is first brand new pair I've bought in a long time. Nice pair of Dr. Scholl's running shoes. (Yes I am going on about a stupid pair of shoes) they were $15 but this was at a buy out store so.... Now I'm trying to break them in. Hoping they help some with the excruciating foot pain I have constantly. I am getting tired of hobbling around like an old woman when inside I feel like a more active person than that. It is annoying. 
Something that is coming up that I am looking forward to is the Frontier days thing that our city has once a year. They had gotten to where they've moved it around a lot but in 2010 I entered the T-shirt contest. (Hmmm think I will use that as my photo for this blog) I didn't win but I haven't seen anything to enter the contest for this year. Would kind of be fun. Guess I need a more simple design as well. I think the year I entered it was a wagon wheel that won with some other stuff like a boot and a cactus. I can't remember. I want to start brushing up on my art. I just wish things would slow down around me some so that my attention was not needed elsewhere constantly and I could have some quiet time to sit and draw. I did get some drawing done the other night but it was with constant interruption. 

Art and TGIF (general stuff)

 Use caution when emptying trash barrels

Well I am feeling a bit better despite some sinus pain (searing my eyes are going to pop out of my head any minute type) Went to the library today and did some printing papers off (can you hear me rubbing my hands together with the bwahahahhaahahing? ;) ) Still will have some more to print off once I get some photos taken. Will explain more on that when I can. Anyway. While we were there I picked up some books to brush up on my art skills. I don't care who you are whether you are professional, novice, beginner etc. It never hurts to go and try to pick up new skills or brush up on old ones. Never stop trying to learn something new. I did a little last night on my artrage program but my youngest kept waking up so that got pretty interrupted. *sigh* Looking forward to working on it more. Got some yard work I want to get done over the weekend. I want to make some CD's of some music I have on here to listen to while I work. May try setting up the big art table thing that hubby brought home a while back. Got plans this weekend also to get some more in depth cleaning on my house in. Was going through and making sure everything was done every night but been chaotic with my oldest home. Next week is my younger son's birthday (also the day he passed) and we make a stepping stone every year for him. This year he would have been 5 years old. So that is something we'll be doing next week on his birthday. One day I hope to have a rock garden for him to put them all in as well as some stuff like cactus and aloe plants (I have several aloe plants going now off the main plant that I bought at a yard sale one year.) Want to make a little greenhouse but not while the city is down our throats about stuff. We were going to do that somewhat with the carport. We were/(may still) remake the front porch with a cement floor. Anyway not sure what the future holds in any department right now. Just have to go along and see what happens. 

hot again

95 ...I kind of liked the low 80's mid 70's. 

Well Today has actually been a bit better. Called to try and find out more on my situation with the city but couldn't get a hold of one person though I did finally get a copy of the ordinances that regard my situation and after examining them I think we may have a case. I will decide after next week and I will be talking to a lawyer to see what they think. Really it all comes down to can we afford it and what the lawyer says. Not sure yet. Anyway just want them to leave us alone until we can get this place paid off and get moved out of city limits. Hubby wants to actually sue for harassment and I'm not sure if we'll go that far but we'll see. There are some under-workings I don't want to put here yet. Will later maybe as things take more shape. There are several problems with their complaints. 

Anyway enough said in that area. In other news my oldest has things fairly straightened out with her SSI and it appears that they are in fact going to go ahead and pursue a fraud investigation on the payee that kept all her money. They had an appt. this week and never showed. Plus they've been bragging about blowing money lately. Anyway so hopefully that gets all taken care of. She is apartment hunting right now in hopes of finding something soon. 

I will try and post something on actual news stories instead of personal life stuff soon. Lots of tension at home due to so much going on in our personal lives and this is how I vent ....though while I'm trying to type I keep getting interrupted constantly. Had some kind of illness go through seems like flu. Made me want to do nothing but sleep yesterday and I still feel a bit off today. Hard sneezing and such the day before that. My son seems to have it today and my youngest is acting as though she doesn't feel good and is feeling a bit warm. 

Too much to do and not enough time to do it. 

Moving right along

Woke up today sneezing my head off which is how I went to bed last night as well. Starting to think it may be a tad more than allergies which sucks since my body is fighting off plenty of other things right now. Plus last night my youngest poked me in the eyeball. I swear she has dead on aim for my eyes even when asleep. Anyway yesterday was fairly productive. My friends came over with a trailer and managed to catch my husband home (He's been gone like the last 3 days most of the day out with his Mom til late) so we got all the wood pile loaded, a lazy susan cabinet, and some other stuff and then they left and dropped that off and came back and we gave them the swimming pool which we can't really put up due to the freakish zoning laws regarding if you have a house on the corner. Anyway hubby left after that and I went and was moving totes that we keep food in (extra dried goods) and found that a lid was not put back down on one. (I'm still going to say it was when my second oldest was looking for a bag of sugar to refill the container and didn't put the lid back on right) anyway so the mice got in and of course ruined a whole totes worth of food. I was not impressed. There were still a bunch of mice in the tote I guess they figured they had it made so I showed the neighborhood cat who thinks he lives here and he went to work. I wish I would have recorded this. The first several he ate after he caught and I'd close the lid so the rest couldn't escape. Then he actually would catch two at a time in his mouth. He got full I guess and the next thing he did was off the wall crazy for me. He decided he still needed to catch all the mice in the tote but wasn't hungry so he'd catch them kill them pretty much instantly and then set them in a pile and go back for more. I knew there were a lot around due to the drought and looking for water though here in the last few weeks we've started getting some rain but I'm starting to think something is up because people have been noticing mice, spiders, and scorpions and such on the increase. They are coming up like crazy (mice for us and some spiders no scorpions though knock on wood) We set poison in the shed where the cats can't get it in hopes of killing any that try to nest in there and will be setting traps as well. Anyway our next thing is to mow and weed eat again and try to finish getting the wood shed torn down. I repainted the trim and stuff around  the windows on one side of the house and painted the posts and front piece on the front porch. Wound up realizing later I didn't take anything down for dinner so just did leftovers and wound up not eating anything myself til later that night I went ahead and made some sausage and waffles. Hubby had made it in around 9 or so again. We were told yesterday about a prospective thing that could help a lot. Some place that will help you one time with repairing anything your house needs and if they can't fix it up then they will tear it down and build you a new one. Would be awesome and very helpful if that pans out. Trying to find out more about it. My oldest is trying to find a place of their own and get on her own feet. She may have found a place just waiting on her check now so she can pay first month's rent. I was having weird dreams last night. Something about Washington which I need to tell my friend about. Was struggling to remember this morning. Anyway I need to try to get myself moving to make it through the day. Hopefully my stomach settles and my sinus medicine I am going to take works but doesn't kick my arse too badly. 

And back up to present...

 Garden spider ...one of several

Well things are definitely changing rapidly. Really a bit too rapidly at the moment. I went through and unlocked my blogs so those are open again. My mom is off and on. I have to go in with her to the dr. next week. Kind of nervous about that but she has been sleeping almost constantly, no facial expressions really at all when she speaks to anyone and when she is talking to people she tends to close her eyes and nod off while sitting up. She may have one awake chipper day in there every now and then but mostly is pretty out of it all the time. The nurses are getting concerned again. I've found my stroke seems to have affected my right side which I believe is the side it affected last time as well. It is affecting my gait and I am having a bit of a limp. (Before I used a cane for a long time...may have to dig it back out for the bad days but hopefully not) It is making my hip and knee on that side hurt from the change too. Still trucking along. We got hit with a fine and a court date and the city is being unrelenting on attacking us. At this moment waiting on a couple of things to see if they will either A. reduce the fine or B. do away with it if we agree to spend the 250 on a dumpster or something and basically do away with pretty much everything. Still disagreeing with what they are doing entirely but doing it anyway to appease them and then when the house is paid off we want to get the hell out (which is probably what they are pushing for honestly and we'd oblige but we don't have the money to do it) We've all ready lost money in this. The time and effort on the chickens, the wood shed we have to tear down, etc. I do have suggestions for them. I sent it in to the countywide and they mistakenly re-posted my original post but said they would post the new letter next time. Basically I believe that they should follow in Shawnee's foot steps and put their ordinances online on their city website. I think this would help a lot of people. I also believe they should go back to presenting photos of said violations so that 1. You know exactly what they complaint is about ...they can't be all vague and 2. They can't change the nature of the complaint later. I also agree with what was said that if they are going to start wanting to upholding the ordinances that basically they themselves have ignored for years and years then don't sit there and pick out certain houses to hit make it the same (equal) for everyone. They are picking on things (like my wood shed) that have been there since before I owned this house. The wood shed alone has been there AT LEAST 15 years that I know of. Plus the wood shed was not on the notice but that is what we are getting fined for. I don't think that is right. It was something we were told about via phone later and we were complying. We have a friend who may loan us a trailor this weekend to remove the shed and anything else. I am doing the yard work and stuff post stroke but of course they don't care (or maybe they think I am making that shit up I dunno) but I injured myself with glass trying to pull the big pieces out of a broken pane and putting them in a box so the trash men wouldn't hurt themselves. I have about a 2 1/2 maybe? (I dunno) inch cut on my inner thigh and then the other day I was out using the weedwhacker. It has a touchy trigger and it had hit a large rock funny (again my stroke is affecting my right side and I am right handed so not really that steady anyway) and it bounced up and hit both legs. I am fairly cut up. Went in and got on antibiotics for it as with the lupus I don't heal like I should and there is some worry of infection. Was told I need to take it easy but really I can't. This stuff has to get done. My husband mowed and he is the one that watches Abby while I go out and do this. I caught a bit of weird reaction from the Mayor for that as he had assumed my husband was the one doing the stuff. Anyway I need to go weed eat and I am so tired. I can't sleep really anymore and my hip is killing me. The dr. gave me something for nerves/stress with everything going on. Trying to not take any and I haven't yet but maybe Monday. Guess I am worried about side effects plus if it makes me drowsy I can't work and I have to. I really don't have time to rest mostly though I do sleep in the mornings because that is the only time I can really drift off. The stress of the deal with my Mom is getting me. My oldest is back home temporarily til she can get an apartment and gets her money. She basically had moved in with someone I thought was a friend. Someone I still kept at somewhat of a distance because we don't seem to be on the same page with a lot of stuff but still. I'd known this person since middle school and she wound up being far more two faced than I could ever imagine. Turns out SHE was the one who called DHS and stirred up trouble when there was none. She was also doing a thing where she would lie to me about my oldest and then lie to my oldest about me I guess trying to keep us apart not realizing we'd talk and put two and two together and she played it up good. I actually even bought some of it for awhile. She pretty much took my oldest for everything she had and was belittling her health issues saying I put all that in her head. (Um Hello the dr referred her to a gastro dr. for a reason and they have to have a reason or insurance will not allow the referral) Anyway the ex friend caused the health issues to become worse in some ways (Pushing milk on her which I told her she should have flat out refused) but was telling her that it was all in her head etc that she couldn't drink it....she is lactose intolerant and also soon to be tested for other stomach issues. She went back to throwing up every day after that. Since she's been here she's seen the dr and is doing better. She also found out about another issue (incident) health related) that occured or well she knew but rather confirmed it that should have been checked out at an ER but the friend refused to take her and also gave her a hard time about going the one time she did. She also had her thinking she had a ride to the gastro and waited til the day of to tell her she wasn't taking her so that she didn't have another ride. Then telling her she didn't need it. She had waited a year for that appt. Then as of right now she has kept her money. She also told her she put her on her two year lease and it increased her rent and so she owed her more. (She isn't on a lease) So anyway she got screwed all the way around though learned a valuable life lesson even if it was learned the hard way and seems to be back on track. Just gotta wait til she gets her money again but in the meantime is looking at apartments and such and getting her health care lined out. I learned something as well.... that the friend was not any kind of a friend at all. I've had a lot of other friends saying told ya so. LOL I knew to keep her at arms length but apparently that was too close still. Anyway she is out of our lives so far other than the stories I imagine she continues to tell other people but really who gives a flip unless it starts to affect us in which case...um yeah. We'll see. Anyway a lot of weight on the shoulders right now. Dealing though. Just taking things day by day. Wishing I could escape into my day dreams. Would be nice. 

Last couple of months

Well as you can probably tell I've disabled parts of my blog and I will re-enable them soon but there has been a lot going on. I think the stress of too many events are what have led to health issues becoming compounded and I have suffered my 3rd stroke. To recap  in a very short time period we lost my father in law, my oldest moved out on not so great terms, my mother went in to the hospital with serious health issues (almost lost her...again) ...later we've found out she had a TIA (ministroke) herself as well as confusion leading to taking some medications wrong and her kidneys are now showing a lot of damage. I believe they said her liver is too. All of which (well the kidneys, liver, and stroke) can be complications of the immune diseases we both have. Anyway so we were putting a lot of time into taking care of her (and trying to get more help in for her so that she has the help she needs and doesn't have to go to a home and we still have our hands free when we need it) ...oh and she also had a second incident but thankfully that was under the watchful eye of her home health nurse... and someone (lets just say due to the nature of complaints they sort of told on themselves...might not have been them directly but possibly things they were saying to other people....) anyway we had DHS called so had an investigation which is always fun. House needed some cleaning due to too much going on to keep things up so did that and we have been cleared as the other allegations were unsubstantial. Then the same time the city starts to harass us again and we had to give up our chickens though they could not specify what the actual complaint was and we were compliant with the ordinances. Just were told it is higher ups complaining. Soooooo to sate them they are gone and we took care of some other stuff around here. We've decided we want to move as soon as we can. Which this house gets paid off in about a year from now and we can start thinking more about it then. As for myself after all of this I'd been over doing things anyway and then I was having some stomach pain and thought it was due to over exertion and then later one night it become quite a lot like labor contractions. It was several minutes apart and very painful. (and no I am not....I had a tubal after my last one) anyway...so I went to bed anyway and woke up around 4am and didn't feel good so I went into the bathroom and wound up throwing up. Just once but it stopped the cramping pain and then I felt better and I decided to stay there long enough to make sure I was really okay and then suddenly everything started tingling and went numb, I had no muscle control, and everything went white. I thought it was one of those weird moments I get every now and then and that it would go away in a few seconds. It didn't and I realized something was very wrong and I stumbled out feeling my way through the house to the bedroom. (My second oldest was asleep and never heard me trying to call for help...also apparently I was very quiet. I thought I was yelling but I couldn't really speak.) I managed to make my way to the bedroom and get my husband to call 911 and I have no idea how but I found myself back in the bathroom. After about 10 min. or so my vision began to return though it took a bit longer for muscle movement (or control of rather I could move but it was like trying to move a limb that had been asleep and was floppy) Took forever for ambulance to get there but they finally did and then went to hospital while he tried to get my youngest ready and get up there. Hospital service sucked by the way. They were mainly focused on me throwing up which I was trying to tell them that part didn't worry me so much as the blindness and numbness etc. They handed me 5 pills that were to dissolve under my tongue for nausea, cramping and all and sent me out of the room on my own even though I could barely walk and hadn't stuck the pills under my tongue yet. They told me because I have lupus they weren't going to test me for anything and that it was likely related to my lupus. My dr. is not impressed as I had a follow up appointment with her. Though she is having me referred to an RA dr. (Rheumatologist for autoimmune diseases) which most drs are surprised that I haven't been going to any way and a GI dr (Gastrointestional for the Crohn's that runs so heavily through the family as I am very likely to have it and it needs to be monitored) and she also says if I have another that I am going to need MRI's. I really hate it. Though thankfully this one did not leave me using a cane as my last one did. I had to use the cane for about 2 years or so.  Right now my abdomen is absolutely numb.Yet I still have pain on my sides and such and have a bit of infection going so I'm on antibiotics for that. Apparently it may take a short while for those symptoms to go away as well as some others I am having. I hate being down. Things need to slow down. I am anxious to feel like myself again. I am also tired a lot right now. More so than I should be and I think also wanting to sleep so I don't feel the discomfort. Other things seem to be falling in line but then some feel off or out of place. Kids are doing online schooling which they so far love. It gives us flexibility with appts too. You have to check in daily and you have to keep your grades up and also they will show you in percentages how much work you have done and how much they'd like to see you have done each week. Both are learning different languages too which is kinda cool. (Part of college bound courses) Anyway that is why I've not been blogging lately. Also on a completely unrelated note my birthday is this month. Another year older. Might go the county fair but I don't know yet. I think that would be the most we do if anything. Give me some peace and quiet (well okay peace and my music) and some time to draw and I will be happy. 

So hot we're on fire

 View of the smoke from the fires SW of Tecumseh 

Unfortunately we still are having a lot of hot spots and such. Over the last few days Oklahoma has had more than it's share of wildfires  and several were out of control. They couldn't receive help from outside states because they have their own emergencies going on and are unable to help. One thing I think a lot of people discovered during this was that the news channels just aren't covering it. I've heard a LOT of frustration coming from people who wanted to know what was going on currently, families that are displaced and don't know if their homes are okay or if they can go to check on them, etc. One thing I did find though was a good place to keep up with it a bit better than what the media offered. Online scanner Just follow the link and click on the county that you want to listen to. I've found a lot of times the media portrays it as the fires are out or the area is safe to go back to but the scanner says otherwise. Firemen are still battling hot spots and flare ups and are exhausted. The families posting in the comments on facebook are saying the same thing that the media may report an area as being safe to return to but when they try to go in to check on their homes etc it is actually not safe to go to or you can't even get to it because of road closings. The night before last the smell of smoke was so thick it was difficult to breathe and we are actually not that close to the Cleveland Co. fire. Smoke could be smelled by my friends who live a lot farther away as well. It has now set off my allergies pretty severe and I am having trouble today. Can't breathe, runny nose, coughing, sneezing. (Soon to go pick up some medicine) The fire fighters are in need of gatoraid and water still as well as nutritious snacks that are quick/easy to eat and yet the news channels aren't saying much except on facebook it seems though there are plenty of pages and people who are keeping the support going strong thankfully. (Contact your local red cross or community action centers to see where you can donate money, water, gatoraide, food, and other supplies I may try and post a list of needed supplies and some donation spots in my next blog) We will continually be in danger of fire until the drought is relieved some by rain. That is another thing something a lot of people don't think about is some of the local lakes are so low that people can't even put their boats in or get to them. There is water rationing in several communities including my own. We are on level 2 so far. (Watering on Mon or Tues depending on house number..odd or even...and only for 4 hours on those days.) We may soon hit level 3 which decreases it to two hours. I think after that there is no outdoor watering. The lake levels are dropping rapidly and usage is going up. OG&E has also put the request out that people try to keep their electric usage to more of a minimum and has stated that they are likely to break megawatt usage soon. Conserve electric There aren't many chances for rain coming up and the ones that are in the future are very small. We topped several records for heat and have been running between 105-110 (with a few 111 to 113 days in there) When we had a cool front come through and it got down to 85 one night I was surprised to find I actually got cold. I am curious what our winter holds for us. Some are forecasting a colder wetter than normal winter...I still kind of think it will be like last winter. Warmer than usual and very dry. Hoping I am wrong. While warm winters feel nice they don't make for good summers. Don't want dry either. We need the moisture as does most of the US. drought monitor.
On a brighter note I thought watching NASA land the Curiosity on Mars was actually pretty interesting. Seeing the scientists broke a lot of ideals of what a scientist looks like which I also thought was cool. :) I think it brought back an interest in NASA a bit too which was kinda cool as well. I know I've never seen so much excitement packed into one room. :) Anyway off for now but may continue this later.