The Blackburn Digest

Honestly, I had a well-organized plan-of-attack when I got up on Tuesday morning! The was a lot to do, but I had a handle on it!

Tom III needed a new Rx filled (following Monday’s fairly brutal oral surgery) and the “forever” Rx (Prednisone drops since he’s had the corneal transplants) - #1 . . . Go to Walgreen’s. Thomas IV was planning to come down from Austin this afternoon, which meant Shannon might come over to spend time with her brother. Dinner for hungry “kids” and sore-mouthed husband was no problem - MommaCat’s Onion & Potato Soup to the rescue! However, that led to - #2. . . Go to HEB for chips, dips, snacks and garlic bread. Fur-kid Sundance needed a refill of the Prenisone emulsion which has kept him alive for over a year, so - #3. . . drive to the Northeast side of town and pick up his Rx! While “in the area”, I thought I would - #4 . . .check out Monarch Collectibles for half-inch scale wallpaper (for the Romantic Bedroom workshop). There was more on the list, but. . . . . .

Quickly, now - what movie is that phrase taken from? It came to mind yesterday when the clerk at JoAnn’s Fabrics asked, “Is your hand really supposed to be yellow and green?!” (If I hadn’t been wearing the splint, she could have seen the blue and purple parts. LOL!) The swelling in the thumb has gone down a bit, but it’s still stiff and it still throbs. No mini-ing for the moment!

We interrupt this transmission for a bird-tally : 8:50 AM - There are three blue jays and a woodpecker out on the feeders!!

We named our youngest “Fur Kid” Diva, because of the incredibly loud voice she used to announce that she was lost and frightened outside of my former office in Leon Valley. (She employed the same volume to state her distaste for the cat carrier I placed her in until I could bring her home - she “almost” got on everyone’s nerves enough to get me out of work early that day!)

As she has grown in size and agility, she has also exibited uncanny (uncatly?) abilities in “breaking and entering” (opening closed doors), “aerial maneuvers” (leaping amazingly high and changing direction while in flight) and “criminal activity” (locating the most important object in a given room and creatively attacking it!) These antics have led to my nickname for this adorable fur-ball: “Diva Devil”!

I cannot believe I haven’t accomplished a single thing since 6 AM except breathing!! Maybe I am just too much a retirement newbie, or maybe it’s that genetic quirk which constantly nags at me to be “doing something” (cleaning, building, organizing - something tangible!). There’s a little, hyperactive gerbil running around and around on a wheel inside of me. Whenever I am inactive, unproductive, or just plain want to be lazy, the gerbil starts his revolutions and produces guilt!

Guilt, of course, makes me look for excuses. Unfortunately, there aren’t any:-( Yes, I have been waiting since 7 AM for UPS to deliver the last half of son Thomas’ new computer system, but that doesn’t hold up as an excuse! “I can’t go out and plant the pansies and primroses - I won’t hear the doorbell.” That doesn’t work - A) I would hear the truck and B) I could put an “I’m in the back yard” note on the front door! “I can’t vacuum up all the cat fluff - I won’t hear the doorbell.” Well, that doesn’t work either - a KNOCK LOUDLY note on the door would solve that! “I can’t get my errands run.” Gee, this would be a great excuse. . but I have none which need to be run!