January 25, 2019 - Msg 111531: I'm here ASA..just been busy the past few days. Yesterday I had to go into Corpus Christi to have my labs drawn and I had to complete an online adult/child/infant CPR and first aid course with the red cross to be recertified. It took hours, but was kind of fun. I still have to go for the hands-on part on Tuesday but it should only take an hour.

I am working today (yay!). It has been a week and I miss it. I will work alone tonight so might be hectic but I will be careful and not allow myself to be alone with any of the kids. I really miss the job when I have been off for awhile so I look forward to going back tonight.

Well, still no end to the furlough but we are doing ok, so far. Thank you all for your prayers!

Better go have my coffee and put together a lunch for work. Hope you all have a great day and upcoming weekend.

Boo
January 25, 2019 - Msg 111532: I have a question for you all over 50 folks. Do you find that stress hits you harder, physically, thank it used to? These days it seems that even what I would describe as low to moderate level stress seems to take a strange toll on me. I have tummy troubles and sleep issues, including waking up feeling like my body is buzzing. Weird. I try to maintain a good state of mind but I guess my subconscious is bothered.

Anyway...see ya!

Boo
January 25, 2019 - Msg 111533: Boo, in my opinion as we get older we just don’t have the patience for life’s STUPIDITY, like we did when we were younger. What we used to just shake off and move on we can no longer tolerate now....

...But as we get older we learn how to separate wheat from chaff, and sort the valuable things from the worthless...

Hope this helps...G-F
January 25, 2019 - Msg 111534: Thanks for checking in Boo. Glad that you are dealing with the furlough fiasco ok. 50 or older huh? Well I'm in my 40's and I'll admit it, but I think GF's response was dead on. I have always been a worry wart, but I think I have mellowed with age because both my faith has increased and I have learned that most of what I have worried about in the past never did happen. But I must confess I have been very nervous retiring. I will be very happy when a few months have gone by and I can see everything working like it's supposed to. I think you just need to spend more time on the porch. It's therapudic here you know. :)

Sorry to hear about your upcoming cold snap GF, BUT it sounds like you are preparing well with crockpot chili. You got Moxie man! lol

I'm watching the episode where Aunt Bee is all hostile on Andy because of Mr. Frisbee having to move. "That's a mob of women out there. You wanna be taken over by a nob of women? lol

Asa
January 25, 2019 - Msg 111535: I just stumbled across this video and had to share it. Looks like Mr. McBeevee and modern technology sent Sarah to an early retirement. :)
https://youtu.be/PuYPOC-gCGA

Asa
January 26, 2019 - Msg 111536: Yup ASA, poor Sarah was plum put out of business with the dial phone!
Funny video, especially considering today's smart phones!
Regarding citrus in AZ, are you kidding? Is the Pope Catholic? ha AZ is second only to
Florida in citrus production. WooHoo When I was growing up here we needed to go only a mile out-of-town and see orange trees as far as one could see! (=
I can recall the days when the news anchors would address the citrus growers to fire up their smudge pots
on one of our "cold" nights. There are not nearly as many groves today due to urban sprawl, but there are still quite a few.
BTW, did you ever have to work on "Evapco" units? At my cardio today I saw some HVAC guys working on one near the building!
OCD Billy Ray--let it go! ha Don't let that mailbag go to your head! :)
BOO--hopefully this deal signed today will help Bruce and your financial situation.
Regarding the stress thing, on the 1 to 10 scale, I can remember several "11s"!
When my mom was nearing the end and i was working 50 hour weeks, and I would go see and help feed her etc. True, we have no kids, but sibs would see that as a reason for me
to be expected to do more. Now I am at about a 1 level, and it is so nice! The moment I
retired, I put all the work behind me, tho I DO go and visit them during the holidays.
ALL- I gra-gee-a-ded cardio rehab today!! The ole ticker is doing well. Yippie!
Well, ya all have a nice "Church in the Wildwood" weekend.
MDC


January 26, 2019 - Msg 111537: I just got an email from Romeena.
She says hello to all, but is running to a lot of docs lately with the hearing issue and breathing problem. Hopefully she will be back on the porch soon.
Let's keep her in our prayers. Thanks
MDC
January 26, 2019 - Msg 111538: Here ya go MDC... in honor of your “Gradgeeation!” https://youtu.be/WhGooHS5z_Y G-F
January 26, 2019 - Msg 111539: Evidentially this officer did not watch the “Loaded Goat” 🐐 episode or he would have tried this harmonica.
http://abc6onyourside.com/news/offbeat/police-officer-has-funny-conversation-with-sheep-he-corralled

Guess it works tor sheep 🐑 too!...G-F

January 26, 2019 - Msg 111540: ...Just putting John 21:17 into effect....LITERALLY!
January 26, 2019 - Msg 111541: Happy Birthday "New Neighbor"!

Dirty me,dirty me,I'm disgusted with myself- ain't been rockin' like I should. Will get caught up with the archives soon. Meanwhile, I hope everyone is doing ok,staying warm in this crazy Winter, and I'm sending prayers up for all of our Porch Family. Love to all!

***********
possum u.a.r.
January 26, 2019 - Msg 111542: possum, don't get all in a rush to rock. And the archives will survive if'n you don't read em. What's your hurry?

Billy Ray the Postman
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111543: Very cute video GF...several good Biblical verses there! ha
and the Heart one is a classic! It's actually more like this tho...
Cue to 1:00 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnRWHsSpB8M woohoo!
POSSUM, good to see ya! I think you should treat us all
to Waffle House. Whadda ya think?
BOO--how did the night shift go? Have you heard any more about the place's future? Hang in there and be careful.
Good Sabbath to all,
MDC


January 27, 2019 - Msg 111544:
Asa, below is a link to another oldie telephone video. This one is from 1936 about the switch over to dial telephones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaQm30DDHL8

from Poor Horatio
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111545: SHAZZAM!...I declare PH you come up with some good ones!..That’s why we NEED you on the Porch.

Any of you remember the radios we would get at the dime store that had a alligator clip that you would put on the finger stop on the phone and you could hear radio programs?

Or was it just me?....G-F
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111546: Here’s a link to what I’m talking about.
http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2016/07/get-smart-spy-pen.html
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111547: If my memory serves me, you could get it by returning 10 pop bottles for deposit on the WAY to the dime store!..
As a kid that was our source of income before we had yard mowing and snow shoveling income...lol Amen Guys?
As for you Gals it may have been something else...Except for Boo and Romeena...I KNOW they kept up with the boys!

G-F again
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111548: Good Sabbath all as we stroll down memory lane.
GF, Wow, I don't remember that little receiver and I am shocked because that stuff was right up my alley. I was big into spy kinda stuff. Remember The Man from U.N.C.L.E.? Secret Agent Man and all that kind of stuff. For sure I remember empty pop bottles. We would ride our horses all over the place, and always kept an eye out for any unbroken pop bottles that might be in the weeds off the side of the road. We had one little tiny Ma an Pa store about a half mile away. And when we would have collected enough bottles (seems like maybe once a week) we would take them in there and trade them for penny candy or maybe a bottle of pop. And I can always remember the old owner who was always behind the counter mumbling, "bottles, bottles, bottles, that's all I ever get around here". lol I'm sure we must have made him crazy.
I also remember having party lines when I was a teenager. In fact it wasn't until the year I graduated High School that Mountain Bell upgraded our network to have private lines. We were in the country though.

GF, How did the chili turn out? Has the temps taken the big dip on y'all yet? We hit 42 here yesterday. Sure felt good.

PH, So your clip was from 36. I think the one I posted was from 54. I read somewhere that dial up phones were introduced as early as 1919 I believe. So the switch over took a while. Funny, I can even remember our first phone number when I was a kid. EX3-0827. lol

Possum, Now don't go beating yourself up inside dear. Just come sit in your rocker more often. :)

MDC, For sure will keep up my prayers for our sweet Romeena. She is such a treasure.

Well better go get ready for preaching.
Prayers for all.

Asa


January 27, 2019 - Msg 111549: Sure GF, you can remember a phone number from
50 years ago, but now ya can't remember why you walked into a room! haha
ASA--did you see my question about EvapCo? Just curious, not peculiar or such. :)
I actually had a very relaxing day today.
Temp was 75, and I sat outside and read the newspaper. Yup, i still get the newspaper.
Delivered 'em when I was a kid. lol
Hey to PH, and please check in Maudie, NN, Frankie and others.
This is a checkpoint chickie. :)
Prayers for Romeena and all.
MDC
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111550: Asa, so your first exchange was EX? So was ours in Indiana. The EX stood for Export. And I also remember party lines. When we wanted to make a call, we would lift the receiver and listen for a few seconds. If we heard a dial tone, then we could dial a number. But if we heard conversation, we would hang up and then try again about 15 minutes later.
And speaking of party lines, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3UzALbrBmc

from Poor Horatio
January 27, 2019 - Msg 111551: Funny watching the old telephone video`s. Thank you all for sharing the clips. Loved the goat one also.
You all have a wonderful Sunday.
Frankie

January 28, 2019 - Msg 111552: Good Monday morning all. It used to be hard to say that not to long ago. :) Speaking of Monday GF, We are having a family get together tonight, so I won't be able to make the podcast. (I was gonna say that it conflicts with my other Club meeting, right up there at the State Capital, but that sounds a little braggadocios lol)

MDC, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't see your question on evaporative coolers. Ask it again buddy. I have worked on them plenty enough.

PH, I remember when I got a little older and became interested in girls, I would call them up (sometimes they would even call me) and we would chat for quite a spell. And not just chit chat, but deep meaningful conversation. (ME:You hang up, HER: No, you hang up first, ME: No, I called you so you hang up first. HER: I hung up first last time. ME: But I hung up first two time before that. OLD MAN JOHNSONWHO LIVED DOWN THE STREET: WHY DON'T YOU BOTH HANG UP, I NEED THE TO USE THE DA#@ PHONE!) Boy, he sure was mean. :)

Well my Son in Law called me yesterday with an electrical problem at his house and asked if I could come over this morning and troubleshoot it. So I'm off to see what's up. I hope I remember how to use my meter GF. LOL

Asa
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111553: Asa...Now you are getting the meaning of Retirement! This is what people do when they know you ar retired....
They dial (Not using a Party Line) 1-800 “CALL THE MAN!”..Yep, it’s FUN DAY!..It’s our calling 😇

I will pass on your your absence to the podcasters, but you MAY have to explain your absence to Sarah our “Miss Mayberry” because she keeps track of these things ya know!

G-F....p.s. Remember to switch back from Ohm’s Ω to Voltage ⚡️ Buddy! 😮🤭🤫
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111554: Amen GF. Glad I can help them out. It was a very simple fix. There was a tripped breaker on a panel they didn't even know existed. They have only been in the house a short while, so are still trying to find things. It's a bigger home with 4 sub-panels in it. At least now they know 4 panels. lol My son in law felt pretty foolish, but I patted him on the back and said "don't feel bad, that's why I'm here". lol He's has a good sense of humor. And tell Miss Mayberry I will miss her chatting tonight. She seems like such a sweet angel.

I was watching that flick that PH linked and got quite a chuckle out of one of the Ladies in the "brainstorming roundtable" talking about one of her customers. She called her "a new bride who was talkative and emotional". lol So funny. And the gal who was writing all the ideas down should get an A in penmanship. She shore wrote purty. :)

Asa
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111555: Yes, G-F, I certainly gathered my share of pop bottles on the way to the store. :)

Funny story about the phone conversation, ASA! Here is what one was like for me in my young years (the conversation was ALWAYS between myself and my best friend Cinthia who recently passed): ME: What is your mom fixing for dinner? HER: I think a meat patty! Meat patties, meat patties! I hate meat patties! Everytime I come home from school all she can say is, "Do you want a meat patty?"! ME: Mine too! Gross!" HER: "Did you see how Becky was acting in homemaking? She has that baton stuck so far up her b*tt I don't know how she can walk! ME: I know! She is so stuck up! HER: Girl, I can't believe we left that horrible mess of goopy fudge in the sink in homemaking! Miss Taylor is going to kill us!...Hey, I gotta go, The Brady Bunch is on. I can't get through the day without seeing a Brady! ME: Me too!! Talk to you after. (actual conversation from from 1975, with actual quotes). lol

What time is the podcast? Maybe I will be able to put it on at work tonight and listen while I work.

I am missing Romeena. Prayers for her.

Better git!

Boo


January 28, 2019 - Msg 111556: Boo..Podcast is 7:00 CT Here is the link http://imayberry.com/podcasts/live/ G-F
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111557: O.K. I just stumbled across this filmstrip showing our Mayberry phone operator Sarah in training. Enjoy. :)

https://youtu.be/QQbwRYCYJzI

Asa
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111558: GF--I hope you are bracing for the storm that is suppose to put Ohio in the 'big freeze.'
Keep warm buddy. more later.
MDC
January 28, 2019 - Msg 111559: Number Pell-eze... (:
January 29, 2019 - Msg 111560: Me and my friends used to look for pop bottles when we were young. Used to have it figured out how many we need to find so we could all have a candy bar. I remember when we would go out looking we would always find just enough. That sure brings back memories walking to the store.

Big get well wish`s for Romeena.
Frankie
January 29, 2019 - Msg 111561: I am curious about gas prices in your areas.
Here right now it is about 2.49 a gallon, but I have heard that some places are actually 1.49!
ASA--I had asked if you ever worked on EvapCo units?
There is a big one near the building where I did my rehab.
I was wondering if the leg wraps have helped Debbi? Sure hope so. Been praying for her.

BOO--I bet you are happy to have Bruce back to work! Let's hope the yahoos in DC can get it all worked out. Or as Barney would say, "They oughta fire the lot of 'em!" Andy: Barn, did it ever occur to you the WE are on the payroll?" :)

Sometimes my mom would catch us listening in on our party line.
It really was two old ladies talking about their ailments
(and other 'things') if you catch my drift. I can still hear
my mom,"PUT DOWN THAT PHONE RIGHT NOW!" HA

So sorry to hear about the Houston shoot out tonight.
Lord Jesus be with us.

APB FOR BIG MAUDE. Hope all is OK.

MDC

January 29, 2019 - Msg 111562: Good morning all.
Hey Frankie, good to see you. I guess that pop bottle collecting was something all us kids of the 60's did. I was trying to think of when they switched over to plastic and did away with the bottles. I know you can still get coke in glass bottles, but only in collector sets I believe. My Wife is a collector (or was) and we have quite a few different sets. Anytime we would drive to Southern Cal. we would have to stop in Vegas so she could visit the Coke store and buy something.

MDC, Yea, Evap. coolers are big here. Especially in larger buildings. They are limited in how effective they are, but do a pretty decent job until the end of July or so when we start getting those tropical storms move in. When the humidity starts going up, they start being very effective. Thank you for the prayers for Debbie my friend. Very much appreciated. She has not yet tried out the wraps, but I know they will be a big help to her. Thank you again for sending them. Our gas here is right around $2.50 a ding also. I remember working at a service station in High School and the highest we ever got for self serve regular was 32.9 cents a gallon. If there was a price war going on, it got as low as 24.9 cents a gallon. Seems like it had been in that range for years. Then in 1973, the oil embargo hit. Every station in the area in one afternoon raised their price to 35.9. My boss called me and told me to leave ours at 32.9 until we closed that night. Wow, talk about busy. We had cars backed up out into the street lined up to get gas. Everyone was just fuming about all the other stations raising the price, and praising me for not (like I had anything to do with it). I didn't have the heart to tell them it was gonna change at the end of the day.

The episode Man in a Hurry that you referenced MDC, is so darn good in so many ways. The part when he is trying to place a call but the sisters have the line tied up talking about their feet falling asleep, and the total exasperation by Mr. Tucker is just about as good as it gets. Mayberry at its best. lol

GF, How did the podcast go? I missed y'all. Did Boo make it? Are you dealing with the cold ok? I am reading about those temperatures back there. No fun at all. I hope you kicked up the chili a few notches to combat the cold buddy.

I am sure worried about our dear Romeena. I do hope she is ok. I miss her wit and wisdom. My prayers for her.

Well off to do my exercises. I have not done any for several days. Dirty, dirty me! I'm ashamed of myself.

Prayers for all.

Asa


January 29, 2019 - Msg 111563: Asa..I told the gang you were probably out to the hardware store buying that screw you’ve been needing for so long.
I did give a shout out for Boo but I don’t think she was watching....

The REALLY COLD temps start tonight, so I do need to get some errands done today....G-F
January 29, 2019 - Msg 111564: Good evening porch family. Checking in from the cold Northeast Tennessee end of our porch .

Hope everyone is staying warm tonight. I have been busy with first one thing and then the other the past couple weeks. Work has been busy .

I have been enjoying the podcast on Monday night and looking forward to the meet up in July in Mt. Airy.

Praying for Romeena . I hope she is ok and able to come rock with us soon.

Please say a prayer for Mr. Maude . He lost his job the week of Thanksgiving after 36 years. , both he and the pharmacy manager were let go. There was and probably still is an employee who was stealing from the cash register and the pharmacy . The loss prevention people came in and investigated for about a 6 month period and determined that he and the pharmacy manger were somehow at fault and let them both go. The pharmacy manager is 63 and Mr. Maude just turned 60. They were the oldest pharmacist in the district and both at the top of the psy scale. The girl who they believe was stealing (but loss prevention could not prove it 100%) still has her job. He is looking for another job but there are no openings in our area for retail pharmacists. Thanks for your prayers . I had not said anything til now but wanted to let my porch friends know .

Guess I better get some things done before work tomorrow.
Prayers and blessings to all
Big Maude







January 29, 2019 - Msg 111565: Yes indeed Big Maude, prayers for sure.
I am so sorry that that happened. Very strange on
'Loss Prevention's' part. Sure hope and pray that all works out soon.

Please be careful all of you in the path of this polar vortex storm. I have heard reports of 50 below wind chills! That's dang cold!
TAGS tonight was Rafe Hollister Sings. He sure had a purdy singin'voice. :) I often wondered if that was someone else's voice dubbed in, but i think I heard Andy say one time that all singers' voices were the actual person's, but they did it in a studio, and dubbed it in.
God's blessings upon all,
MDC
January 29, 2019 - Msg 111566: Thanks for trying, guys, but I was busy at work and couldn't tune in to the podcast, unfortunately.

Oh my goodness, Maude, that is just awful. I think it is really heartless thing for a company to lay off someone your husband's age who will be retirement age soon. Very upsetting. I will pray for him, I really feel for (and for you).

Yes Asa, I am happy Bruce will be getting paid this week, supposedly but we are hoping another furlough isn't just up ahead. I go for my job interview tomorrow and my boss at the rehab facility texted me today to tell me another nurse quit so I will be able to get more hours. I am very concerned that the facility will close soon. I learned last night that they owe an astronomical amount to the bank and are trying to find someone to buy the place for that amount. I just don't see it, since the place is in such deplorable shape. I guess we will see.

You who know something about plumbing might enjoy this story..in the nurse's office we have three sinks. One is cemented-in to keep the gas fumes from overtaking us! One is about half filled with nasty sewer water. They couldn't fix it because they cant afford plumbers and use the maintenance guys to try and fix things. So, instead of smelling the horrible stench, I covered the sink with trash bags and taped them in place (2 months ago). The third sink started running only hot water from both taps about 2 months ago...really hot water. I have no idea why but get this: Last night I went to the employee washroom after someone had just been in there and flushed and when I sat on the john I immediately noticed warmth coming up from the water...I was confused until I figured out that for some crazy reason, when you flush the toilet it fills with VERY hot water. I just shook my head. That place needs to be bulldozed.

Speaking of warmth, I hope everyone is staying warm enough in these cold temps. It is only going to be in the 30s here so we don't have anything to worry about but I am concerned for those in colder climates!

I completed my class at the red cross today, got out, went to start my car and the battery was dead. It did finally start but I have to get a new battery tomorrow. The funny thing is that across town at approx. the same time, Bruce's battery was doing the same thing. Ha! Poor Bruce.

I tell you one thing..I can no longer get on my knees and do CPR for long. Ouch! I could do one round then had to place my resus. dummy on the table! Getting old isn't for sissies, as I think Romeena stated. Hope she is doing ok.

I had better get going. Sean is hear wanting to visit with me. Stay warm!

Boo
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111567: Hey Boo...Some people pay good money for that!..Think They call that a 🚽 “Bedit” ....That happens when the balancing valves and cartridges in the sinks fail.I had a REAL PROBLEM with that at one of my Elderly Hi-Rise buildings.I even had it break the toilet tanks because of the temperature....

Well...As REV would say...Dang Cold here, but at least I’m NOT up in people’s attics thawing out frozen pipes..
Do I get a Amen Asa?...

MDC...So your are saying as a kid you found why people’s feet fall asleep? OR about 🦅🦅 & 🐝 🐝’s?...Lol

Maude, That is just Crazy!...And that person is STILL working!?...

G-Freezing
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111568: Good morning all.
Mercy sakes GF, I am hearing about those temps this morning y'all are dealing with and I feel for you. Yep, I hated the weather extremes back in my working days. Brings out the worse in man and equipment. Don't miss that a-tall. Sounds like a good day to plug in some TAGS and anchor down the wheeler. 10-4 buddy?

Big Maude, I am so sorry to hear of your hubby's situation. That's terrible. You guys are for sure in our prayers.

Boo, As GF said, I also have seen the hot toilet water syndrome. HTS is what I would call it. lol Very frustrating to track down when you have a building with a lot of fixtures. I sure do hope the new job comes in for you. I just replaced both batteries in my vehicles last month.

I e-mailed Romeena yesterday and she responded. She has been very busy with Doctor appointments trying to get her 02 issues resolved. But she sounds in good spirits other than that. She assured me she is fine though. Please keep her in your prayers.

MDC, I had no idea that Arizona was such a citrus producing mecca. There was some large orange and lemon orchards near my Uncles house. And the smell of those combined with the ocean breeze that would gently drift in, law, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

I am watching TAGS on TVLAND as I am writing this (The education of E. Bass) and I am just appalled at the editing they do to these episodes in order to stick in more commercials. They completely cut out the line where Barney is talking about the Diner only giving you two wings, and from a chicken that's done a lot of flying. Shameful. Thank goodness for the DVD's. I have noticed another thing they do is slightly speed up the speed of the show, again so they can get in more commercials. Vey annoying.

Frankie Flint, I just saw an ad for those GraniteRock pans. I think you said you bought one a while back. Do you like it? Is it as good as advertised?

Well off to do my exercises.

Prayers for all.

Asa
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111569: Oh great, so we might be in for broken toilets at the facility. I think I will keep my distance from that one. G-F, you would want a bidet that used water as hot as this because you would end up with a 2nd degree fanny burn!

Asa, I remember you saying that you replaced both batteries recently. Crazy. Thank you so much for the report on Romeena, bless her heart. Hope she the issue is soon resolved or improved.

Had to get Erin from school again. She has had panic attacks 6 days out of ten. I called her doctor yesterday and he wants to see her tomorrow. We cant keep doing this. I am really at a loss and hate so much to have to medicate her more. I have been getting reports from her teacher about what a sweet, smart girl she is and that she has a wonderful work ethic. Everyone at the school is very concerned and supportive but this thing is just snowballing! It really hurts because she has dropped out of everything that she was so interested in.

Well, time to go get ready for my interview. It sounds like I already have the job and this is mostly to meet the nurses and get the details. The nurse administrator is a very sweet elderly lady who said, "We will see you tomorrow and get you subbing, sweetheart". I thought that was nice.

Later!

Boo
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111570: LOL!!! I meant to say you WOULDNT want water as hot as that, G-F. I am sure you wouldn't want a burn.

Boo
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111571: Well I dunno Boo. GF is a pretty tough cookie. He ain't scared of a little hot water. lol

I am sorry to read that Erin is struggling like that. I sure hope they can get her feeling better. And I am glad about you job situation Boo. I hope it's a good fit for you.

Asa

January 30, 2019 - Msg 111572: Boo...Puts a whole new meaning to “Hot Cross Buns”... tehehaha!....
With the -degree temps we are having it may not be too bad of a idea....G-Frozen
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111573: Well, good afternoon, porch! Sorry I've been absent so much, but I know you understand. Mostly, I've just been very busy with doc appointments and such, but part of it was just me, tucked in and dealing with the issue of losing my son. I can't say I've been in deep grief, because as I've told you, this was a long time coming, and a lot of grieving had already been done. I think I've just been tucked in here in a safe place, going over old memories and thanking God for the wonderful years we had with him before he got so sick. He was a good and special man, I miss him terribly, but I will see him again.

Boo, that place sounds just horrible, and I'll be glad to see you find something else and get out of there. I don't know how they've avoided being shut down. Where is OSHA at a time like this?

I'm so sorry that Erin is having to deal with those panic attacks. I have never had one, but they look awful when a patient is experiencing one. Now, this is strictly a shot in the dark, but I have to ask. Has anyone ever put a Holter monitor on her to try to catch what her heart is doing during one of those spells? I have to ask, because of something that happened to me about three weeks ago. Robbi was here, had undressed to take a shower. I heard a sound from outside, knew it was the sump pump gagging on a piece of debris, so I jumped up, pulled off my O2, and went outside to unplug the silly thing. It was cold, hard wind blowing, and raining. I was trying to avoid stepping in puddles or tripping over surfaced tree roots (there are several, they're big and they're pretty, but they'll trip you). I unplugged the pump and started back for the house, and suddenly my world went crazy. I could hardly stay on my feet, I was gasping for breath, shaking all over, and felt terrified. I made it into the house, Robbi had thrown a robe on and was coming after me, and when she got to the living room I yelled at her to call 911. I could feel my heart jumping around like a rabbit in my chest. I grabbed my O2 and started inhaling it, sprawled in my chair and very quickly started to settle down. She hung up the phone, I got quieter, and all was well.

So, what had happened? O2 shortage, yes, but I can usually tolerate that for a little while, just feel short of breath. Adrenaline surge, with concern for a $200 pump, cold, wet, and dodging little stumps? Yes. Or - did all of that bring on A-fib, which exacerbated everything else and culminated in what felt like, and according to Robbi, looked like a panic attack? This week my pacer doc "interrogated" my pacer, and found an episode where the time seemed to coincide, and I had about a ten-minute run of A-fib, which is long for me. Which came first - the A-fib, making everything else worse, or did the O2 shortage cause me to flip in to A-fib? We may never know, but it does make me wonder about what's going on with Erin.

The docs are starting to confer with each other, and my cardiologist took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes, and said, "There's a piece of this puzzle missing, and we're going to find it." He's turned now to my meds. Has canceled three of them, ordered three new ones, so we'll see what that does.

Meantime, last night I went to the women's dinner at church. About a hundred of us there, the entertainment was LaDonna Gatlin, the little sister of the Gatlin brothers. She's an amazing singer, piano player, and Christian speaker, and will hold your interest for sure. She took a story about a miserable weekend while traveling - lost keys, lost wallet, lost luggage, dead battery in a rental car, etc., and showed how God had solved each problem for her along the way, step by step, and got her home safely. She's funny, friendly, and we all totally enjoyed her. My friend of over 40 years, LaRue, picked me up and dropped me at the door of the fellowship hall, so my exertion was kept to a bare minimum. I tolerated it well, and came home a happy camper.

Maude, that is distinctly rotten, the way your husband was treated by his employer. The woman who was kept working, and is quite likely the actual guilty party, will now be too smart to steal anything, so that misleads everyone. Very poor job of handling a very delicate situation. Prayers for you and your husband, my friend, including one that the real guilty party will be discovered, very soon.

Well, guess I'll go scare up some supper. I have a little ground beef and a little Italian sausage in there, fried up with some onions. Now I'm going to add a can of diced tomatoes and a can of chili, heat it all together and put it over a bed of rice, with some shredded cheese on top. Or maybe over a little pile of Fritos. Either way, it's quick, easy, uses up leftovers, and good. Can't beat that.

Thanks to all of you who have expressed concern. It means so much when someone cares. Blessings for one and all, please, Lord. --Romeena
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111574: Now, don't you wish I'd stayed in my little hidey-hole? --Romeena
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111575: Welcome back Romeena. I as have all us porchesters missed you . We do understand and you will continue to be in our prayers . We all love you !
Big Maude
January 30, 2019 - Msg 111576: I was amazed that they shut down so many mail carriers today. Glad of it, I wish they'd shut down more, but so be it. I work in administration and wanted to just stay home, but I reckon if our employees carrying the mailbags can work, I can manage to walk in from the parking lot.

Gas prices....I filled up Monday night at 1.80. 5 miles away it was 2.09. It's not uncommon for there to be a 30 cent a gallon difference in fairly close stations. I'd like to ask Wally why.

Billy Ray the Postman
January 31, 2019 - Msg 111577: Good to see you Romeena!
Big Maude so sorry to hear what happened to your husband. I worked in retail for over 35 years and some of the Loss Prevention was good and others really needed more training. That should have never happened. So sorry for you and Mr. Maude.
Asa, I have not received my granite rock pan yet. I called them the other day and the lady said they were on back order. Maybe two more weeks. She said they had a big run on them in December and ran out. She did give me a extra five dollar discount for the inconvenience. They will charge me when it is shipped out. I have been seeing the commercials on tv also.
Frankie

January 31, 2019 - Msg 111578:
ROMEENA---So glad to have you back in your rocker.
My goodness you have been thru the ringer and then some. You did not mention what the EMTs dedected, if anything. My guess tho (thru some experience) is that your shortness of breath caused the heart to trip into a-fib. Before my surgery, if I laid on my back too long I got very short of breath and would start to panic, and would have to sit up immediately. it even happened one time when I was having an echocardiogram done. I think it would be very wise to check out Erin's heart. She could be going into short bursts of a-fib or the like.
Another thing tho may be sinuses. Several years ago my sinus problem was so bad that I would have really crazy bizarre dreams, and I would wake up from those in a panic. An allergist prescribed
two nasal antihistamines, and i have been fine ever since. (Meaning no weird dreams)
BILLY Ray--I am glad that the Postman's code does not include having to deliver
in -50 F weather. A little snow and sleet maybe, but this is just plum crazy stuff.
ASA--Arizona is known for 5 "Cs" -- Cattle, Cotton, Climate, Copper, and Citrus.
Got five minutes to learn the five "Cs"? :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ8FAzBZRpc
Now you know the 'rest of the story.' ha
BOO--what would happen to the kids if it closes? Go to another facility?
Please check out Erin's heart (as RO says) or even sinuses (as I say), before more meds. That's my humble opinion.
PRAYERS FOR ALL,
MDC
January 31, 2019 - Msg 111579: Good morning all.
Yay, Romeena is back! So good to see you gal. We all love you dearly and pray for your health issues to improve.

Frankie, that was good of them to knock $5.00 off your bill. I am interested to see if they work as advertised, especially how well they endure.

Boo, a lot of good medical advice you are getting for Erin. I do hope and pray they can find the cause and treat it suitably. So did you get the job?

Wow Billy, hard to imagine such a wide difference in gas prices in your area. We do have one retailer here (they are a chain of convenience stores) that are always a few cents cheaper than anyone else. But they also have a reputation for having some pretty bad fuel. Numerous complaints from folks who have had fuel pump, fuel injector, fuel filter, carburetor issues because of their fuel. So I never buy my gas there.

MDC, Copper is big here also. In fact not all that far from Salt Lake is the largest open copper mine in the U.S. I believe.

GF, I hope you are surviving that miserable cold snap buddy. I do hope the chili is holding out for you.

Well prayers for all for a safe and sane day.

Asa
January 31, 2019 - Msg 111580: It’s a Sunny -5 here today, but the bright side, the Indians have the the trucks packed and are heading to go see MDC at Goodyear!...MDC..Look Out for the Big “C” on the truck instead of “Chief Wahoo” since they retired him last season.

❄️⛄️..No 🙅🏼‍♂️ Frozen pipes Asa 🤞🏻...Looks like my efforts insulating my pipes has worked!...I took extra caution when I did that and it payed off!....A ounce of preventative is better than a pound of cure as they say...Amen Asa? A GOOD Maintenance Man’s Mantra..10-4?

G-Frozen
January 31, 2019 - Msg 111581: Asa, I will keep you posted once I receive the pan`s.

Should be getting some good stormes this weekend. It was so beautiful out today.

The Dr. came to the house to check up on Mom today and was happy how she looked. Not sure if she will ever get back to where she was but I am so blessed just to have her. The Dr. will come back in about three months to check in on her again. And if we need her sooner she said no problem just give her a call. I am so glad Mom has such a good Dr.
Frankie
February 01, 2019 - Msg 111582: That is great service Frankie! So glad that your mom can stay at the house. Any rain there? We expect some here on
Friday.
BOO--any word on the new job?
ASA--yes those orange blossoms are pretty cool aroma in the air.
I indeed bet you are happy to not have to trudge thru the
snow, etc to get to work. Good on you.
Tonite's tags was the Colonel's elixer ep.
BEE: What time do the Indians eat supper?
Colonel: Er, a ...6:30, seven.
That line always cracks me up!
GF--Speaking of Indians, yup, the teams will soon be here.
Too bad they caved to the PC movement tho.
Hello February, hello base-a-ball! :)

May the Good Lord bless all!
MDC

February 01, 2019 - Msg 111583: Good morning all.
Hey GF, Glad to hear that you are surviving that cold and your being proactive is paying off. Yes indeed, we have been able to see first hand the importance of bud nipping. lol

MDC, Yes sir, I do not miss having to deal with the snow and cold. One of the constant things I had to deal with was wind. Our main facility was close to the mouth of a canyon. And just about every morning, there would be what they called canyon, or drainage winds come whipping out of there. Anywhere from 20 to 40 MPH. And boy, about 3 or 4 times a year we would get these "canyon wind events" that was pure misery. That is when there is a high pressure in Wyoming and a low pressure grade down in Southern Utah or Nevada, that high pressure tries to drain down into the low pressure, with most of it trying to come down through those canyons. Then we would get hurricane strength winds. Really bad at the mouth of those canyons. And you can imagine, a 90 MPH wind with a 5 degree temperature, and 9 times out of 10 we would lose power to boot. Well lets just say it made for a long miserable day. No sir, I don't miss that a-tall! Ain't if funny how one line in TAGS can just clutch ya, like you mentioned. Barneys line of "I just don't happen to like my main dish to be concealed in a heavy sauce" is one of my favorites. Cracks me up every time. I remember right after Don Knotts passed away, someone was interviewing his Daughter, Karen, asking her what it was like living with Don. I was really wowed as she told the story of how he would lock himself in his bedroom with that weeks script, and she could hear him through the door as he read his lines. She said he would repeat the same line over and over, again and again, in many different ways, until he got it the way he wanted it. Vey interesting to hear stories like that.

Thanks Frankie, I am interested in how the pan performs. Glad you have such a good Doctor for your Mom. And I will say it again, I am glad your Mom has you to tend to her. Way to many older folks are ignored by their families. I have a neighbor who is currently serving a Ministry in an assisted living center, and he talks about the large number of residents there who never get visits from family. Just breaks my heart to hear that.

Boo, Hopefully you got the job. How did Erins appointment go?

Well I am off to do my grocery shopping. I am going today instead on tomorrow because it is supposed to rain tomorrow. And being retired, I can go any dang time I please. lol

Prayers for all.

Asa