Guitars! I Could Be Addicted.

     I only have four guitars, not that I'm hoarding or anything, but just like some people have an addiction with getting a tattoo right after they've gotten their last one, I sort of have that feeling when I buy a guitar. I don't usually act on that urge, but I did this time.  I have always wanted a black Fender acoustic guitar, so I bought one. It arrived in a few days, heavily wrapped and perfectly shipped, and I was so impressed with the seller that I wrote to him and told him how grateful I was. 

    Well, as you can imagine, that conversation led to him asking me how many I had, and if there was something else I wanted or needed. Need? No, I don't need another guitar. I had three, and I can only play one at a time. I told him this, but you know how they are -- he said to me, "If you only knew how many people say that to me." I can relate. I hear some of the same objectives that other insurance adjusters hear, so I can imagine that as a guitar enthusiast and salesperson, he hears just about the same things over and over again as well.

    I told him I used to own a Stella acoustic guitar from the mid-1950s, and I truly loved it. I believe it was stolen, I think it was; since I didn't give the person permission to sell it, that means it's stolen, but it was a family member who did it. It makes it worse in some ways, so I prefer not to use the word "stolen". However, that is exactly what happened to my guitar. The thing is, as I get older, I am starting to understand the depth of the behavior of one of my family members, to the point that I am no longer shocked when I find out what really happened to a number of my sentimental possessions that I have "lost" over the years.

    I told the salesman that the Stella was a beautiful instrument and I loved it. He had a few. He has a few of everything, it seems. He travels around the central part of the US, picking up guitars in various stages of repair, retuning and reworking them, and then he sells them. It's a great gift to have, and I'm thankful for people like him.  He didn't have a Stella in my price range, but he did have something unique. He had something VERY unique. It's so unique that I couldn't find it online whatsoever!

    He has (and now I have purchased) a 1930's Ercar guitar. That's what it looks like. It could also be Encan, but I don't think so. I can't find anything online about them whatsoever. The man had a video of himself playing the guitar, so I know it will be playable and not just a beautiful ornament. This guitar is handmade by a luthier. I would have loved to have his or her name, but alas, it is not to be. You can tell, however, that it is handmade, which is even more rare and wonderful.

    I've got to come up with a great name for the guitar, and I will. I named my black Fender "Cash" after Johnny Cash, as he played a black guitar. I got this one for one very specific reason; it will remind me of the guitar Eoghan MacRae plays in my books. I suppose I have a name!  MacRae!  This is the second guitar I've named for a Scot! I have Wally, or William Wallace; he's a Yamaha from the 2010-2015 era. Besides those three, I have Norman. Norman is named Norman because he was rescued from a trash bin in Norman, OK.  Norman is a 1974 model Aria.

    All of my guitars, when I receive them, go to Guitar Center to be inspected, tuned, and restrung. I was told today that MacRae will not need that; he'll come already play-ready and have been worked over by a master who has literally sold over 110,000 things online with a 97% approval rating; that's really important to me. So, yeah, I think I'm strung up for now...see what I did there? Don't fret! (Ha...I kill me) I'll be in slide heaven soon enough, and when I actually know what I'm doing, I'll smile and let them all sing one at a time. I'm absolutely never alone, and I'm never ever bored. How could I be? I have God...and yeah, I have dogs, cats, lizards, a few kids, and guitars too.

Photo Credit: The Guitar Man.

Bigger Chair - Bigger Difference.

     I sit most of the day - just standing up when I need to go to the bathroom, get something to eat, or walk around the house to get my blood flowing in all my limbs. I do a great deal of sitting; let's put it that way. Over the past year, just since I've moved to the new house (renting), I have gone through three office chairs for the same reason; I want to be comfortable. I bought a new one when I moved here, so I wouldn't have anything old really in the new place. I loved it. It was nicer, new, shiny, and all that. It was ergonomic and trendy, but there was something missing.    

    I realized just about the second I sat in it, that when I actually sat in it, the way I sit, I couldn't sit in it comfortably. Because I'd spent a good deal of money on it, and I didn't want to take it apart and send it back to Amazon (and I didn't keep the box)I decided to keep it, call it my "Jeannie" chair, and let my best friend sit in it when she comes over. I bought myself another chair. I bought myself one I can sit in and cross my legs in while I sit, because that's the way I sit.

    When I went to school, the desks weren't conducive to me sitting the way I sit, but when I went out to the bleachers to watch the boys play, I could sit with my legs crossed. I have always sat that way, and there really is no reason to stop now - except maybe it's the reason I have bad hips, I don't know. Well, anyway, the new chair was good. It was really good, and I kept it for about eight months, I think. I found myself turning in it more than I wanted, and I found myself rolling to the point of having to pull myself back to the desk, too.

    Something I didn't want, was for my headset, which has to be a wired set, (I may get a mic so I don't have to do that) was apt to wrap around one of the arms because it sort of half way stayed in the air and half way pulled itself down. I needed a chair either without arms, or with arms that go up all the way when I need them to, especially on the side of my body where the wired headset is. It was driving me nuts!

    OK, so yesterday I got my new big, beautiful, fat, and fluffy fake leather office chair.  It holds up to 600 pounds, is 36" wide, and when I sit back in it, my feet don't touch the ground. It came in, and my daughter put it together for me. The arms lift, it's heated, it has a lumbar air pillow, and though I didn't get the one with the rolling massage balls, I could have. I probably should have, but I didn't. I told myself that I would certainly use it, and it could distract me from my actual work. I work hard -- I am basically commission-based, so I don't need distractions!

    The new chair has a natural tilt to it, so I sit in it, and my rear end is in a sort of "V" with the leg rest under my thighs being slightly higher than the last chair. It's also ergonomic, and I can feel the difference. I am absolutely relaxed, and don't want to get back up out of my chair - not always a good thing; I will admit that. I literally found myself today, while on the phone, sitting back, chillin' just relaxing, letting the person on the other side of the phone talk and complain. I typically stop them. I usually bring them back to the core of the reason I called, which is for them to pay their damage claim.

    Today, I didn't do that. I listened, and I thought silently, "What would Morgan Freeman do at this point?" I found myself nodding, listening, being polite, and taking longer, deeper breaths before speaking. I was thinking (while they were bitching), "I really love this chair. I'm so glad I bought it." Then, when they had told me for the umpteenth time that "I wasn't there", "I didn't do it", "the locate marks were off," and all of their excuses...I just smiled. They couldn't see me smile, but I had a little picture of Morgan Freeman smiling gently in my head.

    I told them I understood their frustration. I didn't agree with their reasoning, and the facts remain that they are found to be negligent and need to either pay their claim or send it to their insurance carrier, or face litigation. I was giving them a choice; people like choices. I say nicely, and in my best Morgan Freeman faux attitude, "I want to help you, I really do, but I wasn't the one out there digging in the tolerance zone with mechanized equipment without first calling 811 and having the underground facilities marked. That was you, or your crew. You are responsible, and you need to pay."

    The chair made the difference. Before the chair, I didn't let them vent. I was quick to end the complaints, and I could even be considered cold or unforgiving at times. I have two little signs pinned to the bulletin board in front of me. I made them; they are to remind me of the truth and the facts. One says, "It's not your money, be kind."  The other says, "Grace, grace, God's grace" because I am not really all that nice to people who put others in harm's way by breaking gas lines when they could have called 811 for a locate (a free service). 

    The chair is the key here - I hope I can just zen out from this point forward. I may light some incense and turn out the overhead light -- then again, I may just keep smiling, thinking about being comfortable, supported, and relaxed, and let them tell me their excuses -- but probably only for about 30-45 seconds; I can't waste too much time on one claim. I have 40 or 50 to get through each day.  Awwwww....the chair.

Photo Credit: Me

Making Plans!! (I Love to Pretend)

     I simply love to pretend. I have been a pretender all of my life, which means I have a few centuries of experience! I'm one of the best pretenders I have ever come across, so keeping it up when the rest of the world is busy being boring, depressed, and upset with life, I have created a world that I choose to live in, and I don't mind sharing if people accept me for who I am. It's a really fun place to be, really. If you haven't been on a pretend shopping spree with me, you're really missing out.

    Right now, I have a lot of pretending to do. I'm in Phase I of my house-buying experience, and that means I am fully capable of jumping off into a great pretend at any moment of the day; several times a day! I may go off to Home Depot, pretending I already own the house that I'm thinking of buying. I'll pretend to buy literally everything from the plants I put in the house, to the hinges I need for the new gate. I pretend to buy countless dollars' worth of things before I stop to ask myself just how much fake money I'll need, or if I'd be better off having it all delivered. My car couldn't possibly hold all the things I think I'm going to buy.

    I'm buying shutters for the exterior walls out front, new numbers for the address, and a cute little metal flat decor for the front of the garage.  I'm adding those cute solar lamps that line the drive, but I'll probably just line the flower beds instead. I'll also get wind chimes for the backyard, no more than two. I'll need a hot tub back there, too, and a little table to put my drinks on; you have to have that.

    Inside, I'll likely use Express Flooring, but since I'm at Home Depot, I'll check the prices for slate tile for the kitchen and dining areas, as well as the bathrooms, and the vinyl planks for the living room, hall, and bedrooms. I think I can get the materials much cheaper at Express, but we'll see what it all comes to when we get closer to the actual date! Too happy to play. So many options! That's the fun part.

    I'm picking out paint, picking out cleaning products, curtains, and plants. I'm choosing countertops, cabinet pulls, and hinges, but I don't think I'll replace the actual cabinets. I don't mind the ones that are there; they just need sprucing. The backsplash isn't what I want now, so it will need to be changed eventually, too; that's not a priority. Another non-priority is the shower door in the master bath. I will, however, want French-style sliding doors and probably new windows. I hear that being older, I may get discounts! Ooooo... aww!

    Then there are fix-it things like the gate needs replacing, the concrete needs filling in (driveway), and I may want to do a bit of landscaping, but not before I call 811! I know the rules. I have a tree that needs to be removed, which is a concern if the house I'm looking at is the one I'll end up with. No trees closer than 20 feet. It's only a myrtle, but it will need to be pulled up and placed further away from the house. No roots in my toilet, thank you.

    I don't have to pretend to buy a new HVAC system, a new roof, or a garage door. Those things will be fixed and/or perfected before I move in; the flooring will be either paid for by the owners or I'll pay less and do it myself. I haven't decided, and I won't, not until I have saved what I need and have a bit more leverage than what I have now.  One thing I will buy, and probably rather quickly, is a bird bath but instead of filling it with water, I'll fill it with seeds and let the birds gather to eat. If God fills it up with water, I'll watch them play in it.

    I'll hang a "Beware of Dog" sign on the fence, and a "Beware of Owner" sign on the door - No welcome mat - sorry, it may says "HOME" or something, but I don't really have too many guests; just a few and they are always treated like or better than family. Fun times are ahead -- in the meantime, I have appliances to look at, sinks, faucets, hoses, lighting fixtures, sconces, and more -- lots more. Aisles and aisles more! (and that's just Home Depot. Hobby Lobby, Ashley Furniture, Living Spaces, Home Goods, and @Home will all get a visit! I may even sneak into Bed Bath and Beyond, you just never know!)

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com 

Starting the House Hunt!

     Phase I of the house hunting has begun in full swing. I'm looking on Zillow and Motovo to find the houses that (a) fit in the budget, (b) have the aesthetic look I am hoping for, (c) have enough space for both Laura and I to have our own bedrooms and an office space for each of us, and (d) is in a good safe neighborhood; one I can live in for the rest of my life. I don't want to move again. I am OK living in a smaller space. I don't need a lot of big rooms or fancy amenities. I have always considered myself to be a cave-dog, not a show dog.

    This particular house is in a city a bit west of where I live. It's a much much smaller city than mine, but it has access to all the places I may (or may not) want to go. There is a hospital within two miles of the house. There are at least three or four shopping strip malls within the same distance, and yes, there are at least two Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy stores in this city! That is a must. It also has, of course, a Sonic drive-in, a Walmart Super Center, and a neighborhood store. There are dozens of churches, schools, and various activities to enjoy as well.

    I currently live in the middle of the urban and suburban areas of the city. There are over 500,000 people living within a 10-mile radius of me. I don't like that. The city I will move to has just under 23,000 people, and it is about 22.9 square miles vs. 621 square miles of the city I currently live in. Nice change! I am genuinely looking forward to doing nothing, going nowhere, and just chillin' in my backyard listening to cicadas while soaking in the hot tub...year round.

    There is a good dentist; his family is full of teeth-docs, and I trust the brand. There is a good vet for dogs and cats, and even a skating rink, but no, you won't catch me going in it, or even around it. Nope. Not gonna happen. I will make it to Ollie's discount store. Yes, I will do that. I went today and pretended I had the house. I pretended to buy all the necessary supplies to clean, tape off, and paint the house, except for the paint itself. I'll pretend to do that at Home Depot when I buy the little paint gun to paint the walls faster.

    I'll have to invest about $6000 in the house as soon as I sign the papers, if I get this one. It will need new floors, new fence slats, and some tiling replaced in the bathrooms. I may also consider getting a walk-in tub instead of what's there now. I want them to handle a few tasks in the closing negotiations. Additionally, I may include the flooring, HVAC, and roof replacements in the mix, but I'm willing to offer $15,000 more to ensure everything is done correctly. Then, if they say yes to that, I'll only have very few things to repair. Nothing that would stop me from moving in before completing those tasks.

    This house is about 50 years old. It's solid, but you know, older houses have issues. The inspector will charge about $1000 to go over it, and I want them to do that. I want them to get on their hands and knees and look at literally every single thing, so I don't have to. The house is on the corner, it has a larger yard for the dogs, and I've seen a few of the neighbors. They liked me, I liked them. We'll see if it works out.

    My new realtor is a cutie. He is the son of the pastor of a small church in the area. His wife and he are super sweet, and he's going to try and get my lender to do a sooner close than March or April. I told him I want to save money to do what I want, but he's young and will likely try to get everything done. He'll ask the sellers to take $15,000 more, fix the roof and HVAC, and remove all the flooring, which will save me money when my guys come in to replace it. I can live on concrete for a month if I need to, but I'd rather have it installed before we go into it.

    Phase II is when I make all the plans to save, so I can pay for everything before we make the purchase. If I were to get this house, I would need $6000 down, $1000 for an inspection, and an additional $1000 for miscellaneous, unforeseen expenses. I'd want the flooring paid for, which for this house, will be heavy-duty vinyl laminate throughout the house, no carpet, so at 1150 sf living space, that's another $2500 for the laminate and $5000 for the labor. Fence repairs: $250, painting: $300, and various other expenses, including a fridge and stove, total $1500.  

    It will be January before I'll have that, so I'm good with moving in around the first of the year, but if this house is sold, it's sold. I'm good. God knows I want to move into a good house, so He'll make it happen. What's keeping folks from buying this one is the fact that it's been empty for a year, there's still some trash that has to be removed, the HVAC isn't new, and will likely need to be replaced, and the roof, though only 3 years old, was damaged in a windstorm and will need repaired.

    I'm OK with all of the above because it has what I need, it's the right place, the right price, and I like it. If it gets sold before I can get it, there will always be another one. I've found a good realtor, and I'm making plans. That's the important part.  I'll rattle off a few things I love about it, so you'll know I'm not just saying it needs fixing. I really do like it.

• Corner lot with larger front and back yards, only one neighbor to the side and one in the back.
• Red brick with white trim. I would buy black shutters.
• A place for my flag already!
• The door is really pretty and painted teal on the outside.
• Two hall closets.  I love that.
• There is a foyer; you don't walk straight into the living space.
• The kitchen is wide and long, with ample space.
• The dining room would be used as an extension of the kitchen. We don't sit at the table to eat, but it's a nice and cozy spot that would be perfect for a small bistro table, just in case we do sit down together.
• The garage was divided (professionally), and there is a larger space for Laura to have her office and gym.
• The master is on the side with the traffic, so Laura doesn't have to hear it. 
• The yard is good, fenced, and the fence is tall.
• The faucet in the kitchen is really nice - love it.
• The garage is good-sized for one car, which is exactly what we have, so I'm good with that.
• The shower in the master bath is nice, smaller, but tiled.
• The windows are not bad, but will likely be replaced soon. They are larger and there are several. I love windows and light.

    The things that will be replaced will be done so either before we move in, or soon after. I'll live with the kitchen cabinets for a year or so before I replace them. They are dated, but they are good. I hope we get it - but like I said, it's not up to me. I pray about everything.  I like the street name too, I won't say it, but it's a name, not a number. I like names better.

    

    The mortgage guy, Josh, will call me on Monday and we'll talk, but I also want the interest rates to go down. I am paying off the last two things I didn't know I owed, so I can boost my credit a bit. I'm really glad I checked. I had no idea I owed those two things - if you haven't done so, go check your credit records. They had so many things on mine that were either incorrect, outdated, or disputed. I'm glad I checked.

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

Like a Dummy ! (I Fell for a Scam)

     I won't make any excuses. I do know better. If something is too good to be true, it probably is, but in my defense, I've seen these types of things in the past, and they were real.  I have been shopping online for a guitar, and I finally bought one through eBay. When you do anything online, the internet talks to itself, coming up with really cool (and not so cool) things that either match what you're looking at or are related to it. Today was no different, and yes, I fell for it. I'm a dummy.

    I was on Facebook when a post from a well-known company caught my attention - they were giving away a certain model of guitar to make room for the newer model. I thought, "OK, it's legit" because it had the logo of a well-known company, and they do sell an enormous amount of guitars worldwide. They could, if they wanted to, sell off the latest model for next to nothing and get you to send them shipping money. It wasn't beyond the pale of what could happen; except it was NOT a real offer. It was a scam.

    After thinking about it for a minute, but not verifying online, I paid the $14.87 for shipping after "qualifying," and yes, I knew that the qualifying thing was a rouse; everyone qualifies. They just need information for their books. I gave false answers because my age and household size are no one's business. The fact that I talk about it all the time is one thing,  but to answer the question on a form is another. I'm old, and I have a kid still living with me, but she's a roommate, so I can't spank her anymore.

    Five seconds after I hit the send button, my phone pings. It's the bank. They detected fraudulent activity. They called me about 4 minutes later to ask if I had made the purchase. I told the truth, yes, I had, but I didn't want it to go through if it was fraud.  The man explained that since I agreed to the purchase, it couldn't be considered fraud, but I should monitor future transactions, as they might attempt to charge it again. OK, I can do that. Then it bothered me; why had I been so dumb? I could have checked first before buying the thing. I knew better, but since it was just $14.87, I figured it was no big deal.

    Listen, if it's too good to be true, it's not real.  I don't have to get a new card, but I'm going to on Monday. I'm going to go into the bank and get a new card just in case. I don't have to, but it's better than wondering if these jerks will try to do it again a month later, two months...I'm just going to get a new card. I looked at my transactions, and the bank didn't let that one go through. That's good. I really like those people. It's actually a credit union, not a bank, but I like them. They've always had my back.

    It's really sad how other people use and abuse folks. They literally sit around and design websites and social media tactics to steal from others. You know they aren't saved. They don't have Christ, and that's the worst of it. These people may get my money - some did in the past. I have Jesus in my soul, in my heart, my mind, my life. I'm the true winner here. I will send up a prayer for these morons, hoping they can stop their corruptness long enough to listen to the truth, because it really does matter. There will come a day that each of us dies - I want them to see Jesus with a smile on His face when it's their time to die. 

    My word of wisdom for the day is "VERIFY".  Just do a quick Google search if you think something seems a little too good. I may be a good thing, it may be real, but it could also be a lie. You don't need to go through the trouble or the hassle. It's not fun. I wish I could say this is the only time this has happened to me, but it's not. I have always been a bit too trusting. I need to work on that, which is the saddest part of all.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest.com 

Ebay! (I Had Forgotten About Them)

     I used to be addicted to buying things on eBay. That was until I found Amazon! You can't really buy used guitars on Amazon, so I hit up Facebook Marketplace instead.  For about a month, I was looking up several vintage black Fender guitars because that's what I wanted. I love the white ones too, and I may end up doing that, but for now, I'm buying a solid black one. I wanted a vintage guitar because I wanted the thing to have a past. I wanted to learn from it, and to listen to it as much as it learned to listen to me.

    I know, that's silly of me. I realize that, but it's my world, my fantasy, my guitar, and therefore, my decision. I went on Marketplace, and while there were plenty of guitars for sale, including vintage ones, I noticed a shortage of black Fender acoustic guitars. There were a few, though, and I wrote to the owners asking questions. Mostly, I looked at where they were living (the owners) and tried to see myself driving that far for a $100 guitar. I had set my price in my head, knowing what they go for on Marketplace and at garage sales.

    Garage sales are NOT the best places to look for a guitar, or even to hope to find one. If you do, it's unlikely to be the black Fender, and if it is, they typically think it is far more valuable than I do. I'm not a master. No, I'm more of what YouTube guitar trainer Tony Polecastro would call a "Dabbler". I don't want to be a dabbler anymore. I want to be a player. I have determined in my head and my heart that I will be a player, and I will start that practice almost immediately. I have to wait until tomorrow because it's getting late; otherwise, it would be immediate.

    So, on Marketplace, I found three (3) good candidates I was very interested in. All of them needed to be restrung, which I expected. All of them were more than 20 miles from my house, with one being 100 miles away. That one was last on my list. The first one was sold almost as soon as I had arranged to meet the woman. She texted to say it had sold. OK, there's always number 2...until nope, it sold too. He mentioned taking less, which made me wonder why I often give people what they ask. I do. I see the price and I pay it if it's a good price. 

    Well, I was about to close Marketplace down when an ad popped up on my other screen for eBay - and you wouldn't believe what was on it! Of course, you would believe it, because the internet speaks to everything and everyone. If I'm looking up guitars on Marketplace, a signal goes out to all the places that sell guitars, I'm sure. Anyway, eBay advertised a black Fender and it's used. I won't buy a new guitar. I looked, and they had a lot of them! They had a multitude of them - so many, I was able to set my price and look at just the ones that fit my budget (plus shipping).

    I tried to sign in, but it had been too long and my password no longer worked. I had to call their customer service to verify my identity since I had changed my phone number. By the time I finished dealing with them, I was ready to get on the thing and buy myself a guitar and be done with it. I was pretty happy that they wanted to verify who I was. I appreciate all the safety regs, but c'mon! They didn't like any of my password choices until I added a special character, along with the obligatory capital letters, lower-case letters, and at least one number! Done!

    I told myself the $33.70 shipping cost was fine since the item comes strung, cleaned, and with a case. I bought it for $109 and it will be brought to my house! The person I bought it from owns a store that sells a wide variety of items. He has sold over 118,000 items and has a 97% positive rating. I'm going to trust him. I don't know him, but he and his wife are in the little picture on the site, and they're smiling. I know...that's not a good reason to trust him. I trust the 97% positive rating for over 118,000 items sold. That's what I trust. Trust but verify! (Ronald Reagan)

    So, now I have a new black Fender guitar coming to me. I've looked it up on the Fender Serial Number site, and it was made in 2024. It was made in China, and has one sizeable scratch on the side, but I'm OK with that. I'll consider it a war scar, and we'll be good. I needed to come up with a good name for him; all of my guitars are male. If you don't agree or like that, you don't have to; you're free to call your guitar whatever you wish. I have decided to call this one "Cash" for Johnny Cash. He played the same type of guitar back then, and I really like that man's music.

    I wanted an older guitar, one that had a history. This one was either bought, not used, or damaged and not bought. I don't know which. He ended up either at a wholesaler or a clearance sale, probably. He was sold to me by a guy who sells just about everything he can find from estate sales, garage sales, clearing houses, etc. I hope he finds joy living with me. I know I will give him a good home. I said earlier I won't buy a new guitar. This one hasn't been "owned" before; it was just bought and possibly played with a bit. However, since it was picked up and resold wholesale, I managed to get a great deal. The same style, color, and model newly purchased is $210. I feel good about my $109 (plus shipping).

    Here's what Cash looks like. He arrives in a few days. I'm pretty happy about it.

Snakes! Snakes! More Snakes!

     Again, if you know me, you know I like snakes. I don't like them all, of course. I only like the ones I can handle that won't squeeze or bite me. I'm a big ball python fan, and I happened to be in the right place but at the wrong time today.  Laura and I went to Exotic Pets in OKC to get crickets for the lizards, and there they were, about 20 full-grown, previously used as breeders ball pythons. They were all various sizes, but mostly fully grown to about six feet or so, and they were priced out of this world cheap! $25 per snake. Yes, that's it, only $25 per snake.

    One or two of them were slightly brown or a light golden color. The bulk of them were exactly like every other ball I've ever had, and there were darker ones as well. I preferred the golden, Laura liked it, and the darker. I really love the balls with "alien head" patterns; those are my favorite. Well, I say we were in the right place, but we had just purchased two agama lizards, which will be delivered to us tomorrow, so our last tank is being occupied. We could have bought a snake, but then we'd have had to purchase another tank. I think we have enough lamps, bulbs, hides, and foliage to create another enclosure (or fifteen), but we didn't have the tank! Oh...well, maybe next time.

    I've given up my snakes in the past because I simply can't feed live animals to them. I don't mind if they are trained to have frozen or thawed food, but I can't bear to buy them mice and/or rats knowing they're going to be eaten. I just can't do it. I mean, if Laura thought she could, I think we've been through it before. We end up with 11 mice, 4 rats, and really hungry snakes. If they'd just eat the veggies...if they would just eat kale! 

    Well, anyway, we chose not to get one and bid them all farewell. Rose was interested in them; she went with us to the pet store. She thought they were interesting, but I think she prefers them to be in their tanks, too. I'll grab a snake  out of the cage and wrap it around my arm and work, but these snakes would have taken a while to get to know. They were already fully grown. You can't expect them to just love you the moment you bring them into the house. Speaking of being in my house, my bestie doesn't like them, and would prefer that they live in other people's houses as well - so there's that.

    If I could get someone to come in once a week and feed them without me seeing, hearing, or knowing about the live rat or mice -- I'd be OK, but I just can't. I know my limits. I can't even use glue boards to catch them; I have to use live traps, and then I threaten to keep them when I catch them. That's when they start to complain and protest, so I end up putting them back outside to survive another day. It is what it is - I'm too soft.

Photo Credit: Zen Habitats. 

Because I'm Extra. Firemen it is!

     I had to call into work today and say I would be a couple of hours late. I actually let one of the managers know last night, but followed up with the hard, cold facts of it all this morning. When you're throwing a party and invite three of Oklahoma City's bravest to your home to check out your AC before it erupts into a full-blown fire hazard, you just don't have the strength or energy to show up to work on time - even if you work from home. It's just a fact.

    I was sleeping at 10:43 p.m., which is what I do at that time, when my daughter came into my room to tell me that the hallway ceiling was leaking. Earlier in the day, we didn't know that the water we saw on the floor in the hall was coming from the ceiling, and I spanked the dog, my dog, for peeing in the house. You can now tell me just how terrible I am. I know, and she knows, and she got the biggest apology for it, and I gave her ice cream. She's good. We're good.

    The ceiling in the hall was bulging and threatening to pop. Just like you see in the movies! I decided to NOT pop it, because you know the mess that would have been all over my floors. I, instead, called the Oklahoma City Fire department non-emergency line (which is the police line, and they transfer you) so they could come check it out and make sure we weren't asking for trouble. 

    So, around 11:05 p.m., three really handsome men, all built like the burliest of burls you've ever seen (two bald, one not the least bit bald) came pulling around the corner with sirens and lights - I didn't know they did that for non-emergencies. They came in and got straight to work. Turns out neither Laura nor I knew where the breaker box is in our house - we found it, and no, it's not in a normal place. Yes, these men laughed, but they were looking too!!

    They turned off the AC breaker and the unit, and then crawled into the attic access, which, by the way, is located in the main bathroom. See, I live in an extra house too! They crawled up there and found that the original unit, a 3-year-old unit, had not been installed properly. It was just a little off, and over time, with vibration and such, it moved a little from where the drain hole was and was collecting in the platform above the bathroom and hall. So nice.

    They wanted to know if I had a pie pan or some strong aluminum to bend into a makeshift drain assist, something that would hold until the AC guy could come to fix it permanently. I did. I had one, but I had to dump the pie into another pan. I asked, but they're not allowed (or supposed) to take food from people they don't know -- their parents would be proud. They said the pie looked amazing and appreciated the aroma of baby back ribs I had been cooking overnight in the crockpot. One of the men took a look!

    They fixed the problem, loved on the dogs, said their goodbyes, and I went to sleep with the AC being temporarily repaired. I hadn't really noticed that during the day, it had gone from 69 to 74 in the house, I should have noticed that.  They fixed it, and I slept well. The AC guy came by today too, but I'm not gonna lie, he couldn't hold a candle to any of the firemen...nope. He's a nice guy, but he's old enough to be my dad, I think. He was pretty old -- but very good at his job. 

    So, I sent photos to my boss of the firefighters at my house and the blaring red and blue lights outside my house. I told him I'll be sleeping in and not to expect me until 9:30 this morning. I will say, my dreams were rather nice -- rather nice indeed!  I love a good-looking cop, but give me a firefighter every time. 

Photo Credit: Me!!

    

Goodbye Big Lots - Hello Ollie's!

     If you have hung out with me for any time whatsoever, you'll know I love a good bargain. The only thing about bargains that I love more than shopping for them, is shopping for them in a big wonderfully open and spacious store that is literally all about the price of whatever it is you may be hunkering to buy that you would have bought at Big Lots, with the possible exception of clothes. However, they may not have a clothes section, but Ollie's does have a book section! I was forever in that today.

    I drove to Yukon, Oklahoma, a place I have been to at least a million times. It's on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, and if you drive just over the big metal bridge at Overholser, you can be in Canadian County, which then takes you straight into Yukon. It's accessible from the north, the west, and the south from Oklahoma City.

    My favorite way to get to Yukon, has always been on 39th Expressway, because you go through Bethany first. I'm from Bethany, so that makes me smile a little. I wish I could live in Bethany now, but the area has taken a beating in the past 50 years or so, and even with the commerce and the great (2) colleges that are situated in Bethany, Oklahoma, it's still not that safe in terms of walking the streets. Not like it used to be. That's where I literally walked from 2212 N. Mueller to 3500 N. Mueller from the age of 4 to about my 18th year when I got a car.

    Yukon (and West OKC) have an Ollie's and I am just too delighted! It's a messy Big Lots. Sort of like a better thriftstore than Goodwill, but it's not a donation place. All the merchandise is new, and could have been overstock from another store. It's usually generic or average, but we need so much of it. I'll give you an example of what I bought today. It was my first time in the store, so I had no idea what to expect. I should have videoed.

    I bought a little rug for my cat to sleep on. He sleeps on top of a table in my office so he can keep an eye on the neighbors. He's a creeper, really, but they don't realize he has fantasies about them. They often wave to him! The little "rag" rug has a lot of color and you've seen them everywhere. In Dollar General, they are $6.00, which isn't bad. It's 2' x 3' and really nice. I got it for $2.99 at Ollie's.  I bought an Anchor brand 9x9 cake pan. It was $4.99, whereas online it was $15.  C'mon, I'm just getting started. 

    I bought a great recipe book (with pictures) for people with diabetes. I don't have it, but I don't want it either, so eating healthy makes sense. It lists for $24.99, and it was $4.99 there. It may be older, I don't know, but it's fantastic!  I bought a big silicone spoon and a spatula, both for $2.99. I really needed it, but I just hadn't gone out of my way to get it. I got it. I bought a Martha Stewart heavy-duty loaf pan for $2.99 - no, I'm not kidding. 

    There was one thing I saw, but didn't buy, thinking, "No, I'm not buying that," even though I sort of wanted to. It was ORANGE creampop flavored Cap'n Crunch. That is not a lie; I had to do a double-take. I may post it. It's too crazy. The place has rugs, towels, plates, books, school supplies, Halloween stuff, and so much more. Of course, there are food things, makeup, and toiletries. There is really just about anything you'll find at Big Lots. I saw full-sized sheet sets for $12, and I'll go back for that!

    I'll end up going as often as I went to Big Lots, which was at least two times a week. I'm thinking Yukon now, instead of El Reno, but I haven't ruled either out. I think Yukon could be more beneficial since it's closer for my best friend to drive to see me, and it has more horse boarding opportunities for Laura. For me, it's close to hospitals and food shopping (even though I do my grocery shopping through the Kroger app). I will stop by to pick up something now and again.

    Ollie's, if you have one, is a good thing. I hope you find as much joy in these places as I do. I met a great couple who have grandkids and English Bulldogs. We talked for about five or six minutes while waiting for the cashier; they were nice. That's another thing I love about all of Oklahoma - we are talkers. We don't really care if we don't know you; we'll still chat.  By the way, I'll know you're not from here if you think you can still drive over the big metal bridge. 😆

Bilbo on his new rag rug.  He's a 20-pound cat.

This is some crazy...  I took both photos.

The Little Black Book (In The Dark)

     This is how it starts. I'll be working from home on my computer, rather than in the office, which is located in the same space. When I'm at the home computer, I'm home, and when I'm on the office computer, I'm in the office. The two spaces meet in the middle and form an "L" shape. I have one chair that rolls around on a big, thin rug-mat. I can, and I do, morph from being at home to being in the office within a fraction of a second - several times a day.

    Oftentimes, while at home, I am watching murder shows, thinking about the cases and the responders, the killers, the victims, the villagers, communities, and those who are connected to the event. I sometimes, when I am in the office, decide to move a person who has either annoyed me, or who has refused to do their social and civic duty, from being just a person I must speak with during working hours, to the vats in my brain that contain the upcoming victims and/or "bad actors" in the next novel...or three.

    Sometimes, when I am watching murder shows or parts of crime shows, a particular scene will catch my attention, and I start rewriting it in my head, hoping to predict a different outcome or imagining how my version would unfold on screen. (I watch monitors, not televisions) Sometimes, I find myself writing notes as I watch, fully expecting to write about it later, but I inevitably end up changing key and minor details to create a new story altogether. 

    I did that yesterday. I got so involved in the new story that I stopped watching the one I was watching and decided to write the synopsis for mine. I'm currently writing the 7th installment of the Nick Posh Thriller series, but I'm already preparing to start work on the next book. I expect to finish this one by the end of September or early October. I have the bones of it written and have to flesh it out in my head over the next few weeks. Then, when the time comes, I'll pour myself into it and get it out of my head and into the little notebook I just bought to contain my thoughts.

    I bought two little black books, which are about the same size as the notebooks I use to write down my thoughts in the Posh books. I purposely chose the color black because the book will be dark. In fact, I'm titling it "In the Dark," and it will be a darker sort of story, not a mystery. It will showcase a few crimes and go through the daily events, routines, and history of a couple of responders, retired police who had to give up their needling cold case only to have it surface again. They come back out of retirement to help the rookie do the best job he can do.

    It's a good book already, and I haven't written it. I like some of the meat of it, though. I like the man in the freezer. I like that he wasn't murdered but kept because he was loved. I like a lot of things about it. No, I'm not worried about someone stealing my story - There are too many to choose from that have very similar beginnings, middles, and ends. No two stories, fiction or true, are alike. They can't be. They have different motives, reasoning, characters, involvement, timelines, spatial differences, and more. 

    Yep, the books are bought. I'm already scribbling in one of them. I won't title the second one just yet, but it will be similar to the first, showcasing the responders, those connected, and the impact of the murder or crime on everyone. It's never been about the crime to me, but the aftermath. That's where the intrigue comes in. Anyone can murder - it's the details that make the story, and depending on what or how you write those details, makes it a good story or not.

Photo Credit: Me.