TOO OLD TO LEARN NEW TRICKS?

When it comes to most technology I have to admit that I am pretty inept!

I have been able to teach myself the drawing aspect of the program used in my computer [which I'm pretty proud of] for my business and can manage some other programs, just as long as there isn't a lot of computer technology needed. I rely pretty heavily on my kids for that sort of thing.

It's the start-up needed for doing these things that confuses me and this brain refuses to absorb it! One example is that I would like to start a new blog that involves my cats blogging...you know CWB. Believe it or not I was stopped by needing a URL name...what the hell is a URL? PoD set up this one and I watched her do it but obviously went right over my head! Where does one find that list that explains all of these confusing commands and that it is written in such a way that it is understandable by inept people like me? Example...Wilma gave Blue some info on linking sites....zoom...went right over my head!

At lot of my problem is that I am afraid to try these things because every time I do try, I end up wrecking something! I have to use PoD's computer to blog on, as mine is no longer able to do so...I keep getting "Fatal Error" when I try! That happened after I tried to switch from the "old style blogger" to the "new style blogger" and all hell broke loose...lost commands that caused errors. Since then PoD has told me to leave those things alone and let her or BillyRoo do it for me!

I HATE not being able to do these things for myself...I HATE waiting for someone to help me...it grates against my "Jill" abilities not mention that everyone one else seems capable and I'm NOT! Grrrrrrr!

I guess I should be content with being able to upload a photo even though I'm clueless on how to set them up properly and not having them go all over the place! I'm lucky that I was able to post some kind of picture for my blog...but it didn't go where I wanted it to though! I wanted it to come up when I comment on blogs...just like Wilma's does! Even that's too complicated for me!

So, if someday it looks like I quit blogging...I didn't...it's because I screwed something up so badly that even my kids couldn't fix it!

UPDATES

Weather:

Its been 13 posts since I've talked about the weather and so for the 14th post I think it's safe enough to talk about it...which by the way, right now, is fantastic for me and my cats! I didn't want to jinx it by talking about it on the 13th!

The last few days the heat has dissipated and cooler weather has prevailed! We have even had some rain! I love that fact of waking up to say "brrrr...it's cold in here" and having to put on a sweater!

"Grumble, grumble"....is what you hear from the heat seeking ones now! Taking a page from the "Selfish Book" I say....who cares! At least they can put a sweater on!

All the heat ever did for me was add to my grief! Some of the medication I take, is effected by the heat and this caused me to feel sick with nothing I could do about it but suffer. Being out in the sunlight made it even worse! Either way it was stay out of the sun or suffer in the airless house...I couldn't win! I even had thoughts of moving up north if there is going to be global warming involved!

Air conditioners had problems keeping up to the heat...so BillyRoo says! His ended up not satisfying his need to be cool after long days out in the grilling sunlight [he works the oilfield]!

Around here everything else was suffering also! The leaves on the trees and bushes were starting to show signs of needing water and the greenness of the scenery was fading to yellow! The farmers in the middle of their "Haying" process were complaining about the dangers of machinery causing sparks and the possibilities of field fires was a concern! The oilfield guys liked it and hated it as the heat made them able to work but the excessive heat made the working unbearable!

This morning I awoke to being cold and walking to work I noticed that we had some rain in the early hours. Listening to the birds chirping and smelling the freshness of the morning has put a lightness to my mood and things don't seem to bad right now...it's a good T.G.I.F. day....so far!

Even my cats are happy....

Suki's Health:

I seemed to have found the solution to her problems...because there has been no puking lately! With her age [10 human yrs - 56 cats yrs] the heat might have played a big part in her illness! Although, I did change her food to suit the needs of her age. So either or both could have been the problem...I'm just happy that she's better!

I know the heat affect both of my cats! Because they were both pretty lethargic and all they wanted to do was sleep. Last night was the first time I saw any life in either animal and watching them play like they were kittens again, made my heart a whole lot lighter!

So have a Happy T.G.I.F. Day....I actually feel like working!!! ?

CRAZY?

Just finished reading "Blue's Blog" about her tendency to talk to herself while doing things and reasons why she does it...

I like to believe that we all do it to some point!

I know I have always done it!

It wasn't because I was an only child because I'm over run with siblings! My sister [the one that died] and I did a lot of things together so were constant companions and bouncing ideas off one another was a regular occurrence. But there were times when I was all alone and thoughts still ran out of my mouth! Now that she is dead I talk to her ghost and still bounce ideas off of her...so I guess that part makes me crazy!

I also like to think that it's because my brain is so full of ideas that there is no room left for the thoughts to run around in...so I talk out loud!

Many times I have been caught by my kids, especially BillyRoo, and they have asked me "who are you talking to"? That's when I blame the cats! So I guess I can't blame the kids for not answering when spoken to because of this trait of mine!

I even argue with myself and win all of my fights...so how bad can that be?

So why should one worry about what others might think when one is caught doing this?

I, for one, don't! I stopped caring a long time ago about what everyone might think about anything...after all who are they to judge me or me to judge them!

At least I didn't have an imaginary friend....to me that would be crazy!

I'm now yelling at myself to get some work done as were are busy, busy, busy...no time to be talking to the imaginary people out there reading this.....

GOOD NEWS ? OR POSSIBLY BAD ?

The good news is that the "For Sale" sign is down from the neighbors place!

The bad news might be that they found work here and plan to stay!

I'm hoping for the first scenario...I think that they hated it here too much to want to stay!

AND.....THEY STRUCK AGAIN LAST NIGHT!

I peg this attack on the teenage neighbor....and 3 of his friends!

Around 11:30pm, I was startled by this banging on my front door! I was watching an action type movie at the time [BillyRoo had gone to bed] and thought it was the movie until I heard it again...only louder! I went to see what was up and found no one! I went to the back door thinking that they might have gone around after receiving no answer. Still no one! Thinking not much of it, I went back to watching the movie. A few minutes later it happened again...this time a lot louder like someone was trying to get in! This scared the hell out of my cats! Thumber ran for cover and Suki's hair stood up on her back and she growled! I have never seen her do this before and that scared me!

I ran up the stairs to get BillyRoo as I wasn't facing what might be out there alone! Waking him up we both looked outside and around the place...NO ONE! He even checked out his car to make sure that someone didn't fool with it. Thankfully nothing happened to it!

Looking down the street to downtown we saw 4 guys walking away from this area. They were too far away to make out who they were but at that distance I was still able to make out that they were teenagers. I can't prove that they did it but it seemed too much of a coincidence that they just happened to be there after what had just happened?

It seems bad to blame it on the neighbor's kid...but seeing as I haven't made any other enemies in town...it makes me wonder?

I got BillyRoos camera from him and decided to stay up and try to catch them trying to do it again. I even changed into black clothing so I could hide in the dark!

Seeing them walking downtown reminded me that I had a business down there and thinking of the damage that they could be doing to it made me go and check it out!

Could have been a stupid move on my part! Thankfully it wasn't and all was well...I don't think they know I own a business down there...unless someone told them...which I doubt!

Anyways...I tried to stay up but I figured they were going to someone else's place to party and wouldn't be back until the early morning hours....

I woke up at 6:00 am this morning and the first thing I did was check the front door.

I GOT CARROTED!

YUP...Carroted!

I guess they couldn't find any eggs to throw and someone must have not wanted their vegetables because I found cooked [sliced up] carrots on the screen door, on the front of the house and on the grass and sidewalk!

Kind of made me laugh!

Eggs would have been a mess to clean up whereas carrots could be eaten by the birds or the roaming rabbits! I guess I could thank them for feeding the animals/birds but no sense on rubbing salt into their wounds.

I remember playing "Knock-A-Door Ginger" when I was a kid and I guess I could write that off as a harmless prank but I am pretty sure we didn't do it to scare the hell out of someone...or maybe we did scare someone that badly? So I'll write that prank off as "turn-about being fair play"!

I never, ever "Egged" anyone!

But I will leave this incident alone....

It had been too quiet lately and just gives more reasons to wonder....

What's NEXT......?

BUILDING PROJECT... MY GIFT TO MY GRAND KIDS...

I love artwork that is called "Trump O Leil"....translation: "To fool the eye". I prefer large wall murals that make you think you could walk right into them.

This is what I had planned for my painting of the kids room, play area and stairwell.

The building progress took quite a long time and the kids had to live with sleeping in one room downstairs while it was being done. PoD was working nights at the local mart and I babysat [Trebor works out of town] the kids while she was out. We both worked during the day at my business so the evening work was taking it's toll on the both of us! While I babysat I spent most of the time painting upstairs...thankfully the kids didn't need constant attention. While I was painting the kids weren't able to see my work until I had progressed far enough for them to get the idea of what I was doing.

All of this sounds so easy to say but the building took about 8 months to complete [remember...we did this part-time because of our work schedule] and painting took about 16 months! The kids were able to move into their rooms after I had finished painting them but still had to be careful and not play upstairs until I was done.

I think it was well worth it!

The kids got their own rooms, platform beds with a "safe" stairway to access them, cubby space under their stairs for toys, a desk that had a built-in cubbies & shelves for nick-knacks and lots of closet space/dressers for their clothes.

They just love their rooms! All of their friends want to come over and play in them because the theme takes them back in time....

I started with JD's room first and used one style and changed the style when I did AJ's. Both have a huge tree and flowers in their room. The play area has a smaller tree with a "Koi Pond" and a place to hang their own artwork/school stuff. PoD and the kids both share the storage space with a place they can put their books in.

I call this project my "Castle in the Air"....The tour starts at the downstairs entrance way...

The next ones are of the stairwell and storage space to the right...

Maxi just had to get into the shot...he too missed being able to come upstairs to hang out. These shots are of the entrance way to the play area and the kids rooms....

The first bedroom is JD's...he is a "Harry Potter" fan and the add-in's are just stickers that he can move around in his room. He has since changed his obsession to "Ninja Turtles"....

These ones are of AJ's room...her's had to be more girly so I change the wall design and added more flowers. JD wanted flowers too so I added just a few around the tree...I didn't want him hating me when he got older or have his friends call him "girly"....

All in all I think we made a nice area for thee kids to spend time.

If they don't like the upstairs [which is not the case] it's still a great resale addition to the house, not to mention a great time spent with my daughter and a learning experience for all!

Do I want to do it again.....NO!

It took too much out of me and I did it just for my kids!

More Building/Painting Photos...

PoD did all of the crack filling [Trebor helped a bit] and priming after our building was done. Both kids were asked what color they wanted to see in their room. JD picked blue and AJ wanted a hot pink. This was going to be the color painted on the platform beds, stairway, cubby holes under the stairs and their desk area. Notice the storage hole access in JD's closet space and what it looks like after I finished doing my painting.

This is JD's room before painting: PoD and Trebor were pretty tired after all of the building and they lost all of their energy to finish the crack filling properly...but that didn't matter as I was planning something very special for the kid's rooms. I have photos of the blue color being added to his room but they also show my special idea and I want it to be a surprize for the next blog.

These next photos are of AJ's room. Her room also has a storage access door and we hid it by recessing her dresser into this hole. Her dresser is moveable and can be removed to access this storage space. Putting it in the wall also gave her more floor space. PoD painted AJ's side and I painted JD's side.

This photo is of their play area

BUILDING PROJECT....

PHOTOS

These ones are of both rooms and new stairwell. The stair well was enclosed in and the platform included in it was made to house the kid's TV, VCR and video games. We also added another shelf above it to hold PoD's 3-D puzzles when they're completed.

The right side of the stair well is for storage and a place for her books. The left side is the kids play area and seating for the TV, etc.

This was also my first time installing doors. The doors were recovered from the old farm house where PoD grew up in and were a perfect size for the kids room. Due to the door's old hardware [knob] AJ's door opens the wrong way for my plan for her room...but "oh well"...it still works!

SOME OF MY JILL ABILITIES.... and I have been training PoD to use hers!

When PoD & Trebor moved to Dodge they bought Wilma and Puffy Kracker's old house. This one of the oldest homes in Dodge but in good structural shape with a large backyard for her kids to be safe in.

One late August evening in 2004 PoD had expressed the possibility of having two rooms upstairs for the kids bedrooms.

As it was the kids slept downstairs in separate rooms and PoD & Trebor slept upstairs, which consisted of 1 bedroom, an exposed toilet/sink, a double closet and all was accessed by an open stairwell with a rickety rail surrounding it. All of those things were not great for two active and curious kids.

Still fresh from her "Intruder Nightmare" she wanted sleep on the main floor and be able to hear any noise so she could protect her kids when Trebor is not home!

I used to be a set designer/builder for our theatre group and figured if I could do that why not for real in PoD's place.

So I came up with a brilliant idea that involved our splitting up the main bedroom into two rooms with platform beds accessed by stairs that housed storage space, with a work/play station under the platform and outside of their rooms I would create a play area/TV stand by enclosing the stairwell for safety reasons. Pod also would get a place for her books, 3-D puzzles and tote container storage.

Sounds massive doesn't it...well it was!

So in early Nov., PoD and Trebor removed the toilet, sink and gutted the whole upstairs so all we had left was and empty hole that looked like this....

Our first major chore was to supply heat to both rooms. The drawback was there was only one vent but thankfully it was in the middle of the room. With some heavy thinking I came up with an idea about having the vents located under the bottom step of the kid's stairway to their platform beds. So with some measuring, cutting and fudging we ended up with something that looked like this....

We were lucky that the windows were centered in the main bedroom so each kid got their own window.

Next came the division of the room into two rooms. This included the building of the platform beds. It sounds easy to say it but it was harder to put up!

Remember...measure twice...cut once!

Here are some photos to show the progress....

Take note of some of the photos have "Orbs" in them. To those of you who think they are "dust motes"...how come there aren't millions of them because it was pretty dusty up there...that's where we did all of the sawing!

The whole time we were building I had this feeling that we were being watched and sometimes I felt these were childish like spirits! I always felt they were happy with what we were doing. It did make me feel uncomfortable at the time!

Will be sending more pictures on the building process....

Got to get to work....