I'll be Leaving on a Jet Plane, but before I go...look

Two of the three of us...at Tubbs Hills
Down the trails, meeting people
secret beach......Sanders Beach????...who cares
Carla..from Florida who is writing a book
another lady and her dog

What a Wonderful DAY

This is the Pub with the great sandwiches....and the cool picture out on the side wall.
Doesn't this look inviting... up close, the cool and nice sunny day
Several boaters enjoying the last of the summers offerings.
The swinging bridge, no problem...
The gals asking about the picture on the outside wall...You will have to check the side for Dogwalking Musing for the story he told....

Well, some one was on Sanders Beach today

How is that Again???

Avista is my electric/gas company.
And they sent in with their bill this
month, a yellow piece of paper.

Now, I know I am up in years, and it
maybe hard to follow spins. But
I surely feel like the pea and nutshell
effect here, in reading this paper.

I guess I should have read the bold
print at the top of the paper and let
it go at that. Because that really is
the bottom line.

"Filing will result in 0.7.% increase
for residential customers and" etc.
What I put in bold is the bottom line.

But wait, if you read the fine print below,
it tells about a sale of Centralia Power Plant,
in the year 2000. And how there has been a
rate credit in place since August of 2000. And
the proceeds will be fully refunded to customers
by Nov. 1, 2006.

You mean my bill has been cheaper for the past
6 years? News to me. How much cheaper..2 cents?
So if I understand all this pea and nutshell business,
they are trying to tell me that all of us customers,
have been getting a cheaper bill for the past 6 years.
And now our free ride is over as the discount has run
out, and we are having our bill raised up 0.70%!!

I am sooooo confused. I understand the words. I
understand the principal. But I don't remember a
rate decrease. Or do they mean they would have
raised it more, had there not been this credit? After
all, I think I remember a raise in rates within this 6
years.

And this is with them telling us for these 6 years,
to turn down your heat, be more efficient with your
gas and electric. Trade off those expensive appliances,
to make your bill cheaper. Save, save, save... for what?

We all read in the papers about the CEO getting
raises. Not the peon people type raises, but huge
raises. Heck, their bonus are more than the average
person gets a year. Way more. Not to count the
shares. And then there is the big amount of money
they give to candidate's each election. Seems the
paying out goes to everyone, BUT the customer.

And I am sure those 1700 who did without electric
last week for several days, are really love this notice.

Speed

I was downloading my virus
protection again, as I goofed
something. I couldn't believe
how fast it downloaded.

1 and half minutes... repeat..
1 and half minute.It took me two flaming
hours last time.

I was always scared the server would
dump me, or cutting off after an hour.
Which it did some times when I was
not using it.

Of course it doesn't when I forget and leave
the dang thing on.. over night.
(this is before, during dial up days)
But less than 2 minutes!!!

Oh, yea, going to like this new fast lane.

But it kinds of reminds me of life. How
we would boil things for half hour. And
now we can't wait the two minutes you
can do in a micro wave. Why is speed,
so addicting.

And we wonder why kids are the "I
want it, and want it now" generation.

Update on my blog of
August 10, 2006
Are the Sandpoint Gods Mad.

The Sandpoint City Council
is going to give the time of day to
the thought of a tunnel at their
meeting tonight ( Wed. 9-27-06)
The city council must be having a
slow meeting, to listen to a person
who doesn't live here yet, probably
isn't a property tax payer yet.

They are going to listen to a man
who is "IN THE PROCESS" of
moving here. The heck with the
last 50 years of discussion!! The
heck with the people who have
lived there all their lives or close
to it.
What part of SANDpoint didn't they get?

How Connected Are We?

With conversations with my cell phone
company today. Knowing how much we
pay each month with the combo of our
home phone. And then of course there is
my computer. I can't believe how much
we pay. And then add on the television.

I can remember way back when, that is
when they first talked about pay TV. I laughed.
I wasn't going to pay for what I got for free thru
the air. They are nuts.

Well, that was all fine and good when we lived
near a big city where an antenna brought in
about 7 or 8 channels. But now I live out
in-between mountains and yes, you can if
the leaves are just right, can get one channel
maybe two if lucky.

So here we sit paying big bucks to watch
15 channels even though the package is for
56. The other channels are selling channels,
sports, and religious. We don't do sports, and
we have our own church, thank you and like to
see first hand any thing we want to buy.

The cell phone is the real attachment. I personally
use mine for long distance on weekends (free minutes)
and to find my husband when we are in Costco,
Sportsman Store, Black Sheep and other big box
stores. It keeps our sanity, and stress down. After
walking the store about 8 times, the seeker is ready
to kill the seekee. Cell phone help keep the spouse
alive and in good humor.

Taking the King's cell phone away would be like
cutting his umbilical cord.

I wonder, how did I ever make it when I was in my
40's. That is just 20 years ago. No satellite TV.
No cell phones, no computers... but I seem to
do quite well.

Languages

There has been the subject of having
English for the American language.
Which in a way,is kind of oxymoron.
As we speak American not English.
And a good share of it is slang American.

Coming from a state that had several mix
languages and people, who came here to
the good old USA and went to school with
out interpreters. The adults went to night
school and learn the language. Kids learn
in school.

Over those years I never notice anyone have
great difficulties after they learn. They took the
time to learn. I give them a lot of credit for going
to classes to learn. Instead of demanding their
new homeland to bend to them.

While new residents of Italian and French were there,
the biggest percentage was Portuguese. Half
of my Portuguese friend's grandparents use both
languages heavily. I never heard any of them
complaining, about how they thought it should be
the companies, signs and etc. print everything in
their languages as well as English.

Now days, there is Spanish, German, French
taught in schools. There will have to be more
as time goes on. Vietnamese, Japanese (which
surprises me that we don't have, with the heavy
trade we do with Japan), Korean and etc.

I was talking to a friend and she said something
that makes sense to me. Why not teach sign
language in all schools. Starting at the 3rd grade.
Reinforced again in high school.

What a great idea. It is an Universal language.
If you can do sign language, you can talk to
anyone... anywhere. And then the plus, of course,
is that you could also talk to the deaf. And
the deaf could have everyone talking to them.

Just a thought.

Sunsets of September 06

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Well, maybe not that fast. And
then there is the machine's speed.
But still waaaaaaaaaaay faster than
what I am use to be. So this just might
be nice.

It will take a bit to get use to. For one,
the biggest so far, is to remember I
don't have to turn off the internet. I
have gone down to do that, so many
times. Old habits are hard to quit.

The next thing was getting my new
address out to all of those who I email.
I decided a couple of days ago, to change
my sites that I visit, to my hotmail address.
as it is such a pain to change. So that
should be easier. And I check my hotmail
more often now. After I got the blog, I would
check every other day. Before, I would be doing
good to remember to do it once a month.

So ....so far this fast lane is going pretty
good. And Phil was right. Going to site,
and have them come up in 3 seconds
instead of 3 minutes is sure nice.

I haven't downloaded anything yet. That
should be great. As I put on a new virus
protector 2 weeks ago. 2 HOURS of downloading.
That was the straw that broke the camels back
and sent me to the fast lane.

Now I will go see how fast this takes
to post.

Changing Internet Lanes

I am going to take the next step up
on Thursday. That is if the good
service installer shows up on time.
Don't you just love it. "He will be there
sometime between 8:30am and 12 noon.
I like life a little more specific. But service
people don't do specific time.

I am going to start life in the fast
lane. Internet speaking that is.
Figured I would spend the extra,
can always go back to dial up, if
it isn't worth the extra.

Which means learning some new
stuff. I hate that. I am a rut person.
I get something down pat, and I
will stick with it. Knowing the
familiar.

So if I don't post tomorrow, it is
because the Mr. Goodwrench of
the high speed internet, didn't get
it all done or what ever.

And that too will be blogable.

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing for blue collar workers.
It has to be addressed.

On the front page of our local fish wrap, is
an article addressing that very problem.

The city of Sandpoint would like IHFA
(Idaho Housing Finance Association)
and several others to join them in solving
the problem.

They are also asking a firm based in Denver,
BBC Research and Consulting,
(don't we have any Research and Consultants
here, if not in Bonner County, then at least in
Idaho? let's keep our money local) along with
BCEDC...
(Bonner County Economic Development Corp.)
will study all of this.

$45,000 for BBC, which will come from local
donations from the other lettered Associations.

With the city already paying out $25,000
thru a grant to Idaho Commerce and Labor.
Which I wonder why are we paying $45,000
when we are trying to get a $25,000 grant
for IC&L? But I guess that isn't for a peon
like myself to understand.

I think this is wonderful that everyone
in the city and hopefully in the county,
is on the same wagon, to get affordable
housing for those who earn less that $50,000.

But the one thing that did bother me in the
article was the mention of EAHA, which stands
for..Employer Assisted Housing Association.
Which they said "would focus solely on engaging
local employers to help establish housing for
their existing and prospective employees."

Hummm.... like the Army and Navy does? And
doesn't this smack of owing the company store?
Will there be employer's stores following behind?
All of which is deducted from their checks. And
what happens when they lose their job, for what
ever reason? Do they lose their homes/apt.?

Will this be another hammer over the employee's
head. Lost of job, lost of home?

I don't think I like the thought of that.

Maybe if the county and city, 4 years ago
decided that for every over $200,000 home
that was built, there were to be one $80,000
home built. For every over $400,000+ home
built, there be apartments with rent for $500
built.

This sounds like a lot of money being used to
just research the idea of affordable housing.
In the meantime, the lower blue collar employee,
is being priced out of town.

Why do we say those things?

Some times I say things and don't think

anything about it. But the words are no longer

in use anymore.

Steam shovels... they haven't had steam

ones for how many years???

Ice box... I still say put it in the ice box.

I have not had one, in a household that I

have lived in, for 55 years. Yet I still say it.

Also how come you never hear father-in-law

jokes?

They call it menopause... so why isn't it for

men as well? No one who has lived with a

50'ish man, can say he hasn't gone thru it.

Why is it, men can go with a woman who is

20 years or more younger and they think he

got quite a catch. But if a woman goes with

a man or God forbid marry a man 12 or more

years younger than her, all kinds of nasty

things are said?

Just a few things that bug me.... what bugs

you?

Blogging as Easy as 1-2-3

Blogging as easy as 1-2-3
This is going to be a long one

This is an excerpt from an email I sent
to Dave Olivera over a year ago.
about 2 months before I started tossing words.

I feel like I gave you an quick answer to
the reason why I don't have a blog of my own.
So thought I would explain at least a little
more than the "can't teach old dogs new tricks
and I am lazy".

One of the blogs said it would or could be
used for just general talk about a subject that
you know something about. That shoots me down
as I don't know about anything well enough to
talk intelligently about.

While I have thoughts about things from time to
time, it just isn't enough to do a daily or twice
weekly blog. And to do it right, it should be done
often. Where I would be lucky if I thought of
enough for once a month.

Working within yours ...works great for me
because, I can jump in when I feel like I have
something to add. Some times it works,
and some times it doesn't. As you can tell.

And if I have nothing to add, I can read
and keep up on what is going on. And keep
my mouth shut.

See, you and I and the rest are kind of like a partnership.
You know sometimes you need a straight man,
so you can play off it, with thoughts. Some times
with humor, some times serious. And that is
where I come in. I am one of the ones who
bounces thoughts.

I have been told that I am a female Spock, I see
things mostly as logical.
Which sometimes that is good and some times it isn't.
Being a retired nurses aide, I am a caretaker at heart.
So I see most things in a kinder and gentler side,
than some people do.

In the past, I have emailed or wrote to my friends
and family...stories of things that happen to me,
that I find humor in.

Projects that go awry. I am craft challenged.
Not laugh out loud funny but stories that
make you smile. But they don't
come fast and furious enough to do a blog
on. I have done probably 3 or 4 in the past
year or so.

So I will continue to sit on the sidelines, and
jump in when I have a thought that feels like
it can be said. And that it works within my motto....
Do no harm.... and my philosophy (being like
the sign I told you I have had for 30 years.)
"ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUDUM."
You have a great variety group of people.
It is always interesting.
And as you head towards your anniversary,
I am glad it is growing like a down hill snowball,
gathering no moss.

A little over 2 months after this was all written,
I was reading Marianne Love's Slight Detour,
late at night. And up in the corner it was saying
how easy this was.... when a moment of insanity
hit, and I clicked on the easy as 1-2-3- sign up button.
As they say the rest is history.

So here I am about a year and half of throwing
words.

Amazingly I have kept it going each day.
Only taking a day off here and there for
holidays. No one is more amazed than I am.
But next month I am going to take a week off.

Will I suffer from withdrawals? I guess I will see.

Traveling to Tri-cities

It is Just Wrong

In the paper and on the news is about
an Elk farm that lost about dozen or so
of their elk. Seems they escaped the farm
area.

The Fish and Game are concerned that
the farm elk will get with the wild elk and
pass on some diseases.

Now I know there are some out there who
get upset with us, who rank about the rich
and their ways. And we get accused of
envy.

But I got to say, having a elk farm for the
rich (cost $5,995 and up) to hunt on, well,
it is just wrong.

Now I am not some anti-hunting person,
who thinks this is wrong.

I am a former hunter, who thinks this is
just wrong.

Hunting, to be fair, is to go out in the
animals environment, and hunt for them.
Kind of a hide and seek, so to speak,
with deadly results. I guess to be truly
fair, we would have to give animals guns
or bows and arrows.

It is bad enough that some hunters road
hunt. A true hunter, walks the woods. Climbs
the hills and over the down trees (which is why
I am a former hunter, my 28 inch legs don't do
well climbing over 34 inch or more downed trees ).
You go thru the bushes, up and down the trails,
and canyons. That is what a hunter does.

Hunting on a farm, is like shooting fish in
a barrel. Do the rich (because no middle wage,
or less can afford $5,995) have so little time,
that they have to have the so called wild life
rounded up for them? What happens if the
elk is short in the antler department? Is he
killed for dinner at the farm house? And what
about the elk the Fish and Game shot? What
happen to the meat. They can test a inch piece,
what happens to the rest? I sure hope they gave
it to the food bank or etc.

You know if these guys did walk the wilderness,
maybe they wouldn't be so uptight. But hunting
in a fenced area (I don't care if it is 200 acres)?

THIS IS JUST WRONG.

Backwards and in High Heels

American has lost one of it's
lively women. At 73,she passed
away from cancer.

I admired this lady since the 80's.
Because of her larger-than-life style. She was
lively. She got up in your face with
what she believed in.

Ann Richards was a Democratic
from Texas. And if the Democrat's
had people like Ann, they would be
a party to be reckoned with.

She lost to George Bush machine of
politics. And I am not even going to go
there.

Her white hair stacked tall, her personality
that was up in your face type of person,
who believed in the people.

Governor Richards did more for the people
than most President have done.
She brought in the first black men and women
of the Texas Rangers.
She appointed the first disabled person to
serve on the board of Human Services.
She appointed the first teacher to lead the
State Board of Education.
The first black to the University of Texas
regent.
The first crime victim to the state Criminal Justice
Board.
All of this information is from the article of 9-14-06 in
Spokesman Review. The Associated Press by Kelley Shannon.

Some of these I knew about, some I am not
really surprised about as she was just that
type of person.

We know because she is a woman, she wouldn't
follow G. Bush's steps. Politics doesn't allow that
quite yet. But if any woman could have, if the women
of American could look pass the showmanship,
and saw the force to be reckoned with...Maybe
just maybe she might have made it.

I admire woman who are forceful enough to get the
job done. This woman open the doors to blacks as well
as others. Which was no easy feat in Texas, as they still
had a lot of prejudices.

God Bless Ann Richards, may more come behind
you.

Oh, the title of this comes from Ann's remark about
women and their "can do" .....
"Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire
did, only backwards and in high heels."

Taxes...the ups and no downs.

I am still fussing about my taxes.
I don't understand.

First, they said they were going to
roll back the taxes to 2005 assesments.
Then at the last minute, the State says no.

And BAM, we have a new 2006 assessment.
I don't know what was wrong with the old 2006
assessment they sent out in August.

So here we sit. Same house. Nothing different
about it... and we have to pay on $10,000 more.
As my assessment went up $10,000+ and the
taxable went up the same. From $72,+ to now
$82,100. What the heck is with that?

How did my house increase in value in just
a month and half

Surround Sound

One of my frustrations is hearing.
I seem to have volume, but not
clarity. At least that is what I
feel anyway.

The King's has been going for
quite some time. But he has
a good excuse. He works with
engines. Big engines. Mostly
diesel.

I don't have that excuse. And there
are some my age who are getting
hard of hearing. And my kids accused
me of having selective hearing. At which
I smile, because I know that to be true.
Most mothers do. Your brain separates
the sound of children fighting from the
sound of the child being seriously hurt.

And the sharp sound of MOM, will bring
most mothers out of it. We get so intune
with it, that we, as elders, can still be
brought to attention by it in a store, by
a child's voice.

Just like your right arm comes up like a
bus signal arm, in front of the person next to
you, (even though they are not a child) when
you throw on the brakes in an emergency.

Because of our hearing is getting worse,
we opted for surround sound. Giving us a
speaker on the table beside us.

Now most get it for the effect. But to be honest
with you, we now can hear better, and people
coming into our house, won't winch at the
loudness of our TV.

Only down side we have found is, of course
the ads, which I swear is at least 24% higher
than the shows.

I know, I know... they told us we would go
deaf by 50, because of us listening to that
rock and roll music.

UPDATE ON YESTERDAY'S POST.
To quote Sally Fields....
"They love me, they really do love me..".
THANKS, to you all who commented.

Comments

Where have all the flowers gone,
long time ago...

Where have all the comments gone,
no one has the words to say.

I haven't gotten a comment for quite
some time. All of this month.. which
isn't that long yet, but also in August.
And my numbers are down too. 112,
for a week that use to be 140 to 170.
With an average of 14 to 16 a day.
Guess everyone was on vacation.

I thought I really get the dandier up,
with my snow pictures of last weekend.
I put them up because we were having
90's and muggy. Figured the pictures
would cool everything off...

It is still fun, even if I am not in the
best of moods, so I will trudge on,
with my 14 a day base. So hang
in there folks, the best is yet to come.

I just don't know when it will be.

Some Days are Roses, some are thorns.

Some days are roses, some days
are thorns...

I have found I can write up a champion
post if I have something of humor. Some
thing that tickles my fancy. Or something
that I can just find flat out, funny. And a lot
of them are where I have done something
dumb.

I have found I can post some pretty long
ones if I am upset about something. Or
the injustice of people or something.

But I find it hard to post when I am sad.
And when life is not fair.

Watching from the Wings.....

The voice on the other end was
unadulterated Joy..

I PASSED..Nana,. I PASSED.
I GOT MY LICENSE!!

My grandson yesterday,
got his driver's license.
It has been a long haul.

Months of classes and
driving with a teacher.
Then the permit to drive
with an adult over 25 for
4 months.

Then the Driver's license
written test. After the
second try there was a
slap of hands at the
office from the tester.

Then the driving test.
Nerves, and strange town,
led to a failed test. He was
harder on himself, more than
any of us adult could have been.
Which we weren't. We had all
failed at something, at one time
or another.

A day of practice. To calm the
nerves. As his mother knew he
could do it. She felt comfortable
with his driving. (that isn't easy).
A good day of visiting and driving.
Visiting old places for Mom. Great
time for the son to see where she lived.

Unbelieving of where, and how far out
of town she had lived. How far away her
friends that she rode bike or walked to
visit. (he hates living out of town)

Him telling her, she must have liked her
friends more than he did his, as he didn't
think he would walk that far. It was a good
day, especially in the days of mom's and teens.

But this was the day. One more
drive thru the town, to get comfortable
with the area. And then the test.

As time went by, Mom felt better.
It is a half an hour test. The longer
they were gone, the better chance of
passing. As the car drove back into
the office parking lot, the face told it
all. Got the license and back home,
with a call to me.

One more step and then it is time to
trust this boy and the Lord, that he, too,
will be a good driver, and live to tell his
child, how he did with his driving lessons.

Oh, the tester? Old school teacher. That
Mom use to have in high school. He is retired.
She told him, he found a new way to torture
kids... testing drivers. They both laughted.
And no, no special treatment. After all this
is the same tester, who fail the grandson
the first time.

He is growing up so fast. Hunts and fishes
with his grandfather, now a license, and
next is a job. He can hardly wait.

As his mother, grandfather and I sit in
the wings of his life and watch him grow.

I think I am Beginning to get it Now

Some one dear to me has lost a
friend. Immediate, no good byes.
Just here one day, gone the next.
And very tragically ...

As we talked about this, it brought
up memories of a friend of mine who
I lost several years ago. Talked one
minute... 30 minutes later a train takes
her life.

We talked about how to get thru it.
And part of our feelings of such depth
of grieving. Both of these people in
our lives were co workers. So we were
close but not really close close. Meaning
we didn't go shopping together, family
picnic and etc.

But there was a closeness in our other
world. Our jobs. Being we are at our jobs
almost half of our days or even more, deducting
sleep, you have a closeness like family.

So when a person is out of your life at a snap
of God's fingers, so to speak, it opens so many
doors.

Trying to understand why. Trying to adjust to
the emptiness. You have, your up in your face
grieving, unbelieving and then, accepting grieving.

But later comes the total emptiness. The hole
that person leaves in your life. At first we thought
it was the lack of saying good bye. The lack of
closure, that was getting us. But even that didn't
seem like it covered it. Her's of this week,
nor mine of about 5 years ago.

And as I was doing my weekend house work
and being alone in the house and in my thoughts,
it dawn on me... I think I might get it now... Maybe.

Maybe it is how fragile we are as humans on this
earth. How quickly we see, feel, lose, some one
close. No good byes, here.... gone... And how it
could happen to us.

All of us humans live life, taking for granted,
our immortality. We will do this tomorrow. Taking
for granted we will be here tomorrow. And when
we lose someone, here, ..... seconds, hours, or
a day later... without warning... gone. Our
subconscious breaks down, and we don't understand.
We are only left with this feeling. Unexplainable feeling.

My next thoughts are.... now maybe, just maybe
I can understand the surviving (?) arm services
personal, who go over to where ever we send them.
With buddies who have gone thru hell of boot camp,
training, go there, and is a flash of a bomb, or a
gun shot, their buddy is gone. A lot of times more
than one buddy. There is a feeling inside
that can't be explained, can't be shown, hardly talked
about.......... that only ...only.... a fellow soldier
understands. They can't explain it to their mothers,
fathers, brothers or sisters..... and only the people
who have been over there...understand the hurtful,
hollow feeling. And that is what my close-to-my
heart friend and I feel on a far smaller scale.

Time will soften it, but never erase it.

(Even with the lost of an icon, Steve Irwin.
The Crocodile man)
It is part of our lives gone, be it some one close
or an icon the hollowness is there.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Start Your Engines

Ladies and Gentlemen???
Start your engines, because
we start with the heavy elections
coming your way.

Today, we have the
school levy up here in Bonner
County.

But we also have the fall elections.
Which is starting to rev up the engines
of politics.

Democrats pounding their drums.
Come one, come all, let's beat the
war drums down. No more Iraq,
bring our troops home. Get rid
of the Republican warmongers.Our economy is in the toilet.

Republicans shouting to the high
lands, the Democrats don't know
what they are talking about. We have
to maintain the stead line. Don't let
the Democrats take you down the line
with lies and false ideas. Our ecomony
is doing great.

Come vote for us, we are the best,
says all the parties. Be it local, or
be it state or be it national. The
elections are heating up. The serious
election signs are coming up in droves.

My advice???...look ..listen.. and for
God sakes... vote. Vote with your mind
and your heart. I don't care who you
vote for.......But VOTE!!

Summer is going, going, and looks what is coming...

Labor Day Past

Labor Day has always meant the
end of the summer. Mostly in the
past as the kids headed back to school.

So we would go fishing for the last time
of the year. Camp out for the last of summer.
And of course, cookouts over the
last weekend.

Even in later years, after the kids left,
we still had the end of summer bar-b-que.
for friends and family. But now the family is
scattered and so are friends. So now we just
go fishing.

But I have fond memories of camping by the
river (which now is a resort) miles from every
where. Getting up to the sunlight and fishing.
Telling stories around the campfire at night.

It was nice to hear a few years ago, to hear
my now adult son, tell about how it was the
best of times.

Happy Labor Day Friends.... the wordtosser
is taking the 3 days off for the end of summer.
Enjoy the weekend. Be back Tuesday.