Order has been restored.

The world has been righted.

ALABAMA 36 - AUBURN 0 in the Iron Bowl

'Nuff said.

Let the holidays begin....

(since they are going to whether I like it or not) Moving right along....

My daughter (A) and I are not much alike -- she's more like her Dad and paternal grandmother (but she would die if I told her that!). But tonight she reminded me of one way we are similar. She called me around 11:30 pm (12:30 her time), and said, "Mom, stop cooking and go to bed!" How did she know I was waiting on the Bourbon-Chocolate Pecan Pie to finish baking? How did I know she must be cooking something of her own? Yep! She was making cookies and mashed potato casserole -- the kind you make ahead and bake the next day.

On holidays as she was growing up, she would always be there into the wee hours as I cooked. I don't know if it was because I was working, and with two jobs and four kids I couldn't find time during normal cooking hours, or if I am just that way. Whatever the reason, one or two nights before holidays I'd be cooking up a storm until late late and she'd be right there with me. I miss those days but I'm glad she remembers.

Have a happy, happy Thanksgiving everyone! ....I'm headed for bed before I cut a slice of that pie.

It's all about how you look at it....

(at least that's what I keep telling myself)

So....yesterday concrete-floor-dude came and finished the floor. Looks good -- all the odd little bits you expect with stained concrete are there. M-the-contractor (who's here sawing and nailing away as I type) called early afternoon yesterday and said the electricians would be here, but....they didn't show. Maybe today? Who the heck knows. Floor dude wasn't supposed to come until today but he called yesterday morning asking if he could be here at noon or just after. He arrived before 11 am. It took hours to seal and do whatever else they did. But it looks good. One half is still a bit lighter but....it's all about how you look at it.

Our neighbor finished the new fence that his tree took down as it was making its way into our house. It didn't cost as much as we'd feared (he and his son and grandson did the labor), but it was still a mighty nice hunk of change -- and right here at Christmas. But....the fence and new gate look good. It's all about how you look at it.

After their long Disney World trip, the kids didn't want to make that 14 hour drive home so they decided to fly in for Christmas if they could find some decently priced fares and, believe it or not, they did. They're flying into and out of New Orleans so we'll be picking them up and dropping them off but....they'll be home for a few days. I miss them. And....of course, guess who's footing the bill for their tickets? But, much to their credit, they said they want their tickets to be their Christmas. Beleive me, it's going to be. They may get a few other small things just because I love them.

And....yesterday J arrived home in the early afternoon. Seems that the job he'd been charging his hours to has run out and there wasn't any more work right now. So, he has about another day's worth of work and then he'll be using his vacation hours until work picks up. If work picks up. He may be headed for the road again -- soon. (In case that sounds bad -- I mean he may be working contract work again.) Prayers, good thoughts and vibes are welcomed and appreciated.

So, we face Thanksgiving possibly headed for bankruptcy but determined to make it through Christmas before thinking about that little fact (me at least), and very, very thankful that tomorrow we will start moving furniture back into the new room. It's all about how you look at it.

A gift of a day!

That's what yesterday was -- a gift. No workers were scheduled to show up (well, the electricians could have dropped by but I just didn't think about that -- too much). So, with the house to myself I found myself acting and feeling almost normal. I drank my coffee before showering. (Little things like that matter to me.) Then, while showering, the thought that the doorbell might ring didn't really bother me -- at least not too much. After showering I dressed somewhat leisurly (not worring that someone was going to be on the other side of the window -- the window that still hasn't been taken out and replaced with a new one.) It felt so good to carry out my normal routine.

Then....after changing the sheets and washing a few loads of clothes, I sat in my family room and watched the episodes of Criminal Minds and The Unit that were waiting on the DVR. That felt so relaxing that I even rewatched The Jane Austen Book Club. (Also on DVR) For the last many weeks the family room has been off limits for me during the day because all that separates the family room from the rooms being rebuilt is a thin sheet of plastic covering the opening between the rooms (now that the plywood is down). It's just not comfortable for me to sit and try and read or watch tv (or even cook) when workers are a few feet away, so when I'm home during the day, I usually hide out stay in one of the back bedrooms with my laptop and whatever.

So, yesterday was the first day in weeks that I've been able to use my house somewhat normally again and it felt so good! There's also more room to walk around because some of the boxes that were storing stuff waiting to be used -- have been emptied and used. Ah! So nice.

But, that was yesterday. Today's another day and once again there are trucks delivering wood and stuff, and men hammering and sawing inside and outside the house. I'm back in that back bedroom. J's work sent him on an interview at an area plant because there's no work in the office and they are trying to place people instead of laying them off. The neighbor's hammering and sawing and nailing away just outside the room I'm in as he replaces the fence that the trees took down with them when they fell. Construction's going on at two other houses that trees fell on. Roofs still being replaced down the street. You would think this was a new subdivision being built if you didn't know any better. Yes, today's another day. But, thank the good lord for days like yesterday.

Oh! The cement guy came Tuesday and restained the lighter half of the cement. Looking good. After M-the-contractor and his crew finish trimming out, cement-guy will come back and seal the floor and use a tint of some kind (if needed). And....then....I think, I think, I think, we're finished. Well, the electrician still has to come and put the breaker in the fuse box, but....we're getting close.

Minutes turn into hours....

hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. The world keeps on spinning and time keeps on clicking away. And....with Thanksgiving looming, men of various crafts are still hammering, and sawing, and digging away in and around my house. I hope we'll be back to some semblance of normal by Christmas when the kids come home. I hope.

The latest little problem to be dealt with occurred Wednesday when one of the toilets flooded over. And I mean flooded over. I was so grateful that during our last sewer/plumbing problems I'd thought to ask J where the water cut off was for the toilet. I had to use it Wednesday. There must have been two inches of water on my bathroom floor before I stop the Niagra Falls coming from the toilet. I got a week's worth of arm exercise wringing out the huge towels I frantically threw on the floor. Seeing as how we had an entire new sewer line laid last July, I just wanted to cry.

We called the plumbers and scheduled them to come with their camera to see what's up. But....fast forward to yesterday when I decided to sweep off the new patio. On one edge I saw a hole -- a deep hole. I looked down it and saw white pipe -- shattered white pipe. What's that, I asked J -- not the sewer pipe? Yep. It was the sewer pipe. The four month old sewer pipe. It seems that whoever staked for the concrete pour for the patio, drove a stake right smack dab through the sewer pipe. Oh, well. C'est la vie. I guess. At least we know what the problem was, and....the repair is on the contractor. I don't think he can do anything for the huge bruise on my backside that I got when I slipped while sopping us the flooded bathroom. It could have been worse. I can think of lots of ways it could have been worse, but I won't go into them here and now....

Today, J is trying to install one of the new bathroom vanity tops. He just told me that it wouldn't be a good idea to look now. A comment like that would normally have me rushing to look, but....these aren't normal times. Not nearly normal times. I don't want to see. I really, really, really don't want to see.

Earlier today we went to WalMart. I usually avoid WalMart because it's so crowded. No matter what day or what time of day -- it's crowded. But today it wasn't. The parking lot wasn't half full, and inside the store there were very few people. No lines at the checkout even. It was eerie. What a piss-poor time we're going through. I hate it that so many are suffering and will be suffering. I only hope we can find pleasure in simpler things. In WalMart I noticed a large display of board game -- Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Sorry, etc. What good gifts -- and they don't cost an arm and a leg -- and people actually sit and play together and relate. Not bad. Not bad at all. I think many of us are in for (or already going through) an attitude adjustment. Attitude is very important when you're going through trying times. Sometimes that's all you have to rely on. Trust me. I know.

And....a splash of Jack in your Diet Coke can help the attitude get where it should be. Trust me. I know.

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer....

After the LSU/BAMA game, as J and I were standing in line at Subway ordering a couple of $5 footlongs, J leaned over and asked me if I heard what music was playing. I listened closely and, sure 'nuff, the strains of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer wafted through the air (I guess I'd been too occupied appreciating the smell of fresh-baked bread to notice). Rudolf was followed by Jingle Bells and the other music de rigueur to the season. (Okay, I probably didn't use that word correctly, but....for some reason....it just begged to be used and I was too lazy to look it up.) But, I've just got to ask, "Isn't it a little too early for Christmas?" I mean, I know merchants are worried, but....let's get through Thanksgiving.

And speaking of Thanksgiving -- has it snuck up on anybody else? Everywhere I went last week people were complaining asking about Thanksgiving plans. I gotta tell you, it surprised the heck out of me. I guess I've been sleep-walking through my days (and many nights), and just let it sneek up on me. Our plans, before Gustav's visit, were to spend Thanksgiving in Raleigh with our NC kids. That ain't gonna happen now. We'll hopefully be easing into the newly finished rooms around Thanksgiving Day. I hated to put off plans to visit the kids but they're coming in for Christmas so....it's all good.

And speaking of the LSU/BAMA game -- BAMA won in overtime. Exciting game -- in many ways. It's always interesting when J's wearing crimson and white (BAMA's colors) and I'm wearing purple and gold (LSU's colors). People stare and often ask what happened. I usually tell them that I thought he was rich. I am so conflicted at that game. I was born and bred a BAMA fan but since my paperwork's from LSU I'm officially a Tiger fan. Don't tell anyone around here but....by the end of the game I was willing BAMA to win and keep their unbeaten record. Of course that means Florida's going to whip their butt in the SEC championship but, again, it's all good. (I can just slip my purple and gold back on....)

That's about all that's going on around here. I had to go back to the dentist last week to have new impressions made. My dentist is a perfectionist and wasn't happy with any of the upteen impressions he already had, but....it's all good. I think the only worker person scheduled to show up today is M-the-contractor stopping by to install the new master bathroom window. I won't shower until he's been here and left. The electrician's got to make another visit, then floor dude will return and see about tweaking the concrete stain, then someone will trim windows and doors, and then....I think it'll be over (unless frickin' Paloma -- or whoever the hell she is -- makes it into the Gulf and heads our way. But, I refuse to think about that right now.) So, it's all good. It's all good. It's all good. etc.... Except when it's not.

Voting....

I was prepared for l-o-n-g lines but it didn't take me but 20 minutes or so. I'll remember this the next time I'm tempted to take advantage of early voting. I tried to early vote last week and after waiting over an hour and a half (with at least another hour to go) I had to leave for an appointment. ....Truth be told, it was a hair appointment (is that horrible of me?). While in that early voting line I made a couple of friends -- a nice Vietnamese man and a nice "Joe the Plumber" type man.

The Vietnames man helped the time go faster by relating his story. He's been in America for 35 years but vividly remembers growing up in Vietnam. One of the most poignant things for me was when he talked about how on a visit back to Vietnam he and his mom had walked by their old house. Apparently the house had been taken away from his famiy and given to another famiy. He told how odd it was seeing another family living in the house he remembered so well. I mentioned how a Canadian friend of mine had an international lawyer working on resolving her family's property in former East Germany. He said it would mean a lot to his mom to have it back but that he wouldn't feel right about kicking out people who had been living there for so many years. The situations we can find ourselves in.

At one point he asked why we had the electorial college. The explainations I and Joe-the-plumber-type man gave him didn't enlighten him. "Then the people don't really elect the president," he said. "Well, yes and no," we both said. The situations we can find ourselves in.

As I'm typing this, Senator Obama has been declared the next president of the United States. I saw the Afro-American reporter at the Ebenezer Baptist church (I think that's where he is) reporting and his hand holding the microphone was trembling. I cannot begin to imagine what this must mean to him. I have tears in my own eyes and hope in my heart that this wonderful nation will indeed find its way once again.