Hurricane Irene

It's one of those days...rain, winds and watching the weather news all day long.  And the dog is constantly ringing the bells we hang on the door to let us know she wants to go outside.  She's a beagle so the rain doesn't bother her.  She's made for woods and weather.  But I don't want her going out and getting wet.  Our dd decided to wait the storm out here at home, but she is so busy doing her college work.  Working full time and going to school doesn't leave her much time for socializing.

The lights have blinked off and on a few times already.  The thing about losing our electricity is  that our house is all electric so if we have no electricity, we can't flush the toilets, use the water, cook, etc.  We do have a generator, thank goodness, so if we absolutely needed to we can hook up to that. 

I went outside to move my car out from under our tree and try to 'collect' all our cats, but they must have found hiding places because none of them would come to me when I called them.  Animals are smart and are in survival mood most of the time.  They'll be okay.

We are about 18 miles from the Chesapeake Bay.  Far enough not to get flood waters, although our town does flood, but we have never had a flood problem.  Here's a picture of the street in our town that always floods:

I guess I'll probably read, eat and continue to watch tv.  I cleaned up a little yesterday, so I don't have that on my shoulders.  Hehehe.  I washed towels, too knowing we'll probably need dry towels when we have to go in and out in the rain to take the dog outside. 

 

I'll check back later if all is well!

My Baby Girl Finishes Her First 5K



Before the race



Dd ran in her first 5k today.  We are so very proud of her.  She said as she was running at times she wanted to give up, but she didn't.  She kept pushing to the finish line.  The race was to make money for the Bowie-Severna Park Pregnancy Center.  Dd raise $501.00.  Wow.  The pregnancy centers help women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy...they help women make the best decisions for them about the baby.  The centers offer free sonograms, free testing including pregnancy and std tests.  They also provide information about free government financial aid, baby clothes, diapers, blankets, toys....whatever a woman needs for her newborn.  The people who work volunteer there are truly compassionate women and men. 

Maryland Senator Ed Reilly, Pam Palumbo (founder) dd, me and dh



Dd arriving at the finish line



Here she is!

I'm Sick of "Customer Service"

     



"This is Peggy"



 Seriously, don't people today know what customer service is?  I don't know about you, but when I call a business to ask a question about their services  I'm usually more frustrated about the 'no answer' when I get off the phone and I wonder how that business thinks they give good customer service.  Here's the for instance:

Dd has a new medication that costs ALOT.  Her insurance is not so good and doesn't pay for it.  I have found a company online called RxFreeCard.  They say they have some sort of deal with pharmacies to give you a discount on your prescriptions.  Okay..sounds good to me.  However, I have called some popular pharmacies here in Maryland to ask if they accept the card.  CVS told me that they have it listed in their computer, but it is not linked with them.  Okay, so RxFreeCard says on their website that CVS accepts their card.  I called Sam's Club and they told me 'hey, if Sam's Club is listed on the RxFreeCard's website then we probably accept it."  And I called Giant in another town~~the woman who answered the phone said I'd have to bring in the card.  I told her I lived in another town, that's why I'm calling and she said I can give you the number to a Giant in your town.  Lady, that isn't the point.  I'm calling you on the phone so I don't have to drive from store to store.  OHMYGosh.  Can't these places just tell me if they accept it? 

I put in a telephone call to RxFreeCard.  I just received a call back.  The lady in charge assured me that all pharmacies accept this card even in Puerto Rico.  There are numbers on the card that the pharmacy puts into their computer.  She told me to take my prescription to the pharmacy with the card.  So, next time dd needs her prescription refilled, we are gonna try this RxFreeCard.  And we'll keep our fingers crossed that it works.

Now I'm off to Target to use my coupons. 

What a Surprise!

Dd's roommate told her that after this year's lease is up she will probably be moving back to NY where she is originally from and where her boyfriend lives and works.  That means that dd will have to be looking for another roommate.  We've been through this once before.  Dd couldn't find a roommate and ended up moving into someone else's space.  Now, she'll have to consider what to do.  As we were talking the other night she said she was considering moving back home.  Surprise!  I think I was stunned for a moment.  See, when dd was in this situation before I offered her two rooms here in the house and was going to put in an exterior door for her to come and go as she wanted.  She hated the idea and wouldn't even consider it.  But, dd has been through a lot of growing recently and actually I was excited about her moving home once I really thought about it.  She told me that I could cook for her so that she will eat well once again and that we could go food shopping together....hahaha!  Our basement where our son lived needs a total redo.  Dh and I talked about it after the son moved out but it takes $$ and if wasn't a priority.  Now, maybe it will be a reality.  Dd and I figured out how much she could save while living at home.  Wow!  Awsome...and she would have a great nest egg for when she'd go back out there into the world again.  Who knows?   It would be awesome, though.

There's No Place Like Home

I Didn't Realize How Much I Needed to Get Away

DD and I had our girl's weekend last Saturday.  It was wonderful!  We had a great time.  We are not the silly kind of people, well, we could be, but we weren't this weekend.  I think dd and I were both exhausted and just really needed to pamper ourselves.  Dd made all the appointments and I supplied the green stuff.  Our first stop Saturday morning was to get our nails done.  Dd took me to the salon where she gets her nails done.  She said  there was some new kind of nail polish called shellac that she wanted to try, but it ended up I got it and she didn't because my nails were longer than hers.  I have to say that this shellac stuff is fantastic!!  I have been cleaning all day in the kitchen, scrubbing things down, washing dishes and not one chip of nail polish.  I'm gonna research this stuff on the internet to see where I can buy some.  I'm sure some of the beauty supply stores carry it.  Dd not only got a manicure, she got a pedicure and eyebrows waxed. 

After our nails, our next appointment was across the street at Robert Andrews Salon and Spa..wow.  I've never been in a spa before.  It was awesome.  We went there to get facials which we never had done before.  I was kinda nervous, but I got through it.  I do not like to be out of my confort zone so I really had to talk myself through it.  However, after my facial was done, my skin felt so smooth!  I like the room they called the tranquility room.  It was dark, with quiet music playing; they had lemon water for you to drink.  I could have stayed there most of the day.  It was great!

Next was dd's hair cut.  She wanted to get her hair cut to about her chin.  I wasn't so sure whether she would like it or not.  She's never had really short hair before.  We traveled to the mall for the hair cut.  But that was after we stopped at Chick fil a for a quick bite to eat.  So after that, off to the mall.  I watched as the hair dresser cut off dd's hair, but she loved it when it was all done.  I'll admit, she does look good in that hair do.  It's easier to take care of, too.   While we were at the mall we started to go shopping at a few stores, but I'm telling ya, I was getting so tired.  I told dd that we needed to go home and take a nap and if we wanted to come backwe could.  Dd lives 2 minutes from the mall!  So, we went back to her place.  And we both took a good nice nap.  When we woke up we went out to eat at Stony River.  An expensive place to eat, but hey, one has to splurge once in awhile, right? 

After dinner back to dd's; she said she wanted to watch Harry Potter.  We have never seen any of the Harry Potter movies, so we ordered it from On Demand.  I told dd not to fall alseep through it; she said she wouldn't but I knew she would last.  She did fall asleep before it was over with.  In fact, we were both so tired that we just turned off the movie and went to bed.  I was so tired that I sleep very good.  The best sleep I had in a long time.  Then up on Sunday morning and went to church.  We stopped to get Chinese food on the way home, but they were closed, so we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. 

Back home for another nap.  Later that afternoon, I came home, but man, it was a great weekend.  I'm looking forward to the next time we can have a girl's day!

Girls Day Saturday

Dd has decided, that instead of going to Atlantic City, we will stay around town and do girl things.  She has made appointments for us to have our nails done, to get facials and she is getting her hair cut.  Our appointments will take most of the day as we are going from shop to shop.  I'm excited, but a little anxious at the same time as this is all new to me.  I don't really know what to expect.  Then we will probably get some dinner somewhere.  I'm leaving dh at home with the cats and the dog.  Hehehe. 

This week been busy..the weather's been great.  However, it's gonna start getting hot, a real heat wave, they say.

So we shall see!

Long John Silvers...food poisoned

This is one of my favorite places to eat.  I love the fish and hush puppies.  The fries they can keep, but it's a treat when we eat there.  Last night we didn't get out of the car dealership until after 10pm and we hadn't eaten dinner so since we were near a LJS, dh decided to drive to my favorite place.  The food tasted okay, but doesn't it always even when it's poisoned.

I woke up this morning with tummy grumbles, so I ran to the bathroom.  Let's just say it was not  a very good morning.  I'm  a big baby when I get sick.  And especially when I get poisoned.  Dh had to go to work this morning and he said he was sick, too.  Not the upset stomach kind, but nonetheless, he was sick.  Makes you not want to eat there again, which I probably won't now. 

I have not been out of bed today except to make some chicken noodle soup and crackers.  I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

My Purple Car and My New Blue Car

Today was the last straw.  I just couldn't take it anymore.  Here's the story:  as I have blogged before, my car was back in the shop having engine #2 put in it, under warranty, of course.  Yesterday the service writer called the house for which I answered the phone.  He told me that the engine was put into the car, but it was making a noise.  they were trying to find out where the noise was coming from.  Today, he called again.  I asked him whats up with the car.  He told me the noise in the car disappeared.  He then turned around and called my dh.  The service writer told my husband that they had to replace the manifold and it was gonna cost us $175.  Well, I paid for the entire engine so why do I have to pay for another manifold??  When dd came home from work there was a battle on the homefront.  I won't tell ya what I said, but I had him take me out to buy a car.  I had it.  I need a car I can depend on.  I wanted to trade the Purple car in, but dd said he wants to keep it; he'll drive it to work.  Crazy. 

So this is what my new car looks like:



So at a time in our lives when we are suppose to be conserving money for retirement, we are stuck with six years of car payments.  Honestly, if I had anything worth selling I'd be at the pawn shop.  I'm sick of being in debt. 

Actually, I think my whole life needs an overhaul.  Changing is so hard, though. *sigh*

Atlantic City, New Jersey

I have some money that my dad left me when he passed away.  I have tucked it away for retirement, but dd needed a new bedroom set last year when she moved.  The poor girl was still sleeping in the bed we bought her when she was seven years old.  Can you imagine being 24 years old and still sleeping in your childhood bed?  Well, I decided to give dd some money for her to pick out an adult bedroom set. She had fun shopping and chose beautiful furniture from Ikea.  Dd and I have never done anything really mom/daughter girlfriend getaways, so I decided to take some of that money and take dd some place special, just the two of us.  I asked her where she wanted to go and she said Atlantic City.  Of all places she picks..LOL..we do not gamble, so it's kinda weird she wanted to go there.  She wants to go to the beach and have a feeling of being rich. I've been on the internet checking out hotels and I found one, Trump Towers that advertised rooms for $49.00.  I was excited until I called them.  The lady at the Towers told me that the $49.00 was for the city view.  If I wanted the water view it was another $20.  Well, okay, that's fine...what a great price until she asked me what days I was coming in.  I told her and she said, oh, it's a different price for Friday and Saturday.  Okay, I asked how much.  It's $189 for Friday night and $218 for Saturday night.  Then add on the 14% tax and other tax such as occupancy tax and some other taxes I never heard of and we are well over $500.  How disappointing. 

Now we are trying to figure out another interesting place to go.  We were thinking about Bethany Beach...I'm gonna research that a little.  I hope we come up with something good!