Just Along for the ride!

This week, our brand newest Grandson, Jasher Adonijah Coder was born. Monday the 24th at 6:00pm. He weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20.75 inches.
Grumpaw was proud!

 

 

I made a batch of squash relish. My first attempt. I modified three different recipes to come up with one of my own. (If you click on the highlighted words squash relish it will take you to the recipe and a picture of it!) It was very tasty all by itself. I can hardly wait to try it with beans and cornbread.

 

I was supposed to work all day, every day this week. So I set aside the plans *I* had for the week... only to be sent home twice out of three days, due to budget concerns. We are behind on several major planograms. And the boss is due in from his vacation on Monday. He is always like a grizzly with a sore foot when he gets back from vacations. He wants everything done- and perfectly- or know the reason why. And he accepts no reasons.

 

Today, Dan and I started the day by setting off flea bombs in the house. This is the hottest day we have had thus far this summer. The AC is off, windows open now, airing the place out. I am fixing to close it up and turn on the AC when I go back to town to get Daniel.

 

Mr C and Sam cut their trip short. Mr C didn't want to chance me flying down Saturday and riding back with him on Monday... and me not making it down there. He needs a relief driver along.  Since Sam has to work tomorrow evening, they left Texas today. They will be taking Miss Alana back to Claremore on their way through Tulsa. The house looks like bombs actually went off in it... Dan and I have our work cut out for us, making it a semblance of presentable before they arrive. (And I am NOT just goofing off here! I have laundry going!)

 

Ahem.

So... I guess I had better get a bit more done.

Have a blessed day!

Summer...

 This is a fairly large colander- filled with peas I picked Tuesday. Yesterday Alana and I picked ALL the peas in the garden, as the heat was starting to kill them off. The plants were then sent to the compost pile. We got two bowls the size of the colander. We also got quite a few squash. Even eating it every day, the squash are starting to stack up on us. (Perhaps I should make some squash relish?) I will have green beans coming on in another week or less.

 

 Alana helped me shell peas. I had chicken cooking on the grill, so we sat out under the shade tree in the yard and worked. I am so glad I had help in dealing with all those peas! I will have to process them today- blanch and freeze. The little pods for stir-fry, and the shelled peas for other meals.  We cooked some for supper, as well as sautéing some zucchini and yellow squash together with onions... all from our garden!

 

Alana and Tom and Sam headed off to Texas this morning. Back in November when Mr C had to put in his vacation request for the entire coming year, we had really thought Baby Coder would be here by now! And that I would be getting to go down and meet Baby as well. So far, Baby hasn't arrived though it could be any hour now.

Alana is so excited to be going to stay at her Uncle Becky's house.

 

While in San Angelo, Mr C may be helping Ben and Paula work on their house. It would be great to see them get the kitchen done.

 

Things at work didn't change much. SOS 'cannot be banned from the store'... a decision from Corporate headquarters. He did seek out a couple of the co-workers and apologize to them. I had a lot of little projects planned around the house while Mr C is gone. Instead of getting to work on them, I get to do a full 40 hour week at O'Reillys. Boss is on his vacation, and the youngster in charge wants all the planograms we are falling behind in completing, finished before HIS vacation starts. 

Dan stayed home with me, as his boss forgot about Sam and Dan needing to be off next week, and others are away. Dan will work in Sam's place on Thursday, and Sam will fly in before work on Friday.

 The garden this morning... you can see it is all tilled back up where the peas were, and where the spinach and lettuce were growing. The onions look lonely, don't they?

 

 

 

 

Quite the exciting day on the job....

If you think enraged customers and policemen are exciting.

The shop customer that really upset me a few months back (and has cussed me several times since then, simply for not being the person he wanted to speak to on the phone) came in to the store today. My nickname for this guy is Spawn of Satan. (SOS)
He began telling a customer that my boss was waiting on, that he could get the same parts for less money at Auto Zone. This is not the first time SOS has done this. Today, Boss asked SOS to please step into his office, and politely asked him to refrain from recommending other parts stores while standing in ours. (We don't go to this guy's shop and recommend his customers take their business elsewhere.)

That was all it took. SOS is a known hothead. He went off like a match set to gasoline. I was putting away freight when I heard the loud cursing coming my way. One co-worker was trying to calm SOS and get his parts to get him out of the store. SOS followed the co-worker, loudly cursing and daring the manager to step into the parking lot.

There were several customers in the store as this tirade went on and on, and on. They looked at me and wondered if they should be leaving until this was resolved.

Suggestions were made as to the manager's parental units morals. It was also suggested the manager copulates with his parental unit, while also performing impossible acts with himself, and possibly upon same gender ethnic persons anatomy. With quite a number of times demanding that our sovereign deity cast the manager into the lake of fire.

This went on and on. The boss failed to respond to the taunts, threats, and suggestions. Just as the police were pulling into the parking lot, SOS stormed out the door. The police detained him and spoke to him, as well as sending officers inside to speak to the boss.

It was pretty scary. I locked the driver's back entrance, since SOS frequently comes into the store through that door rather than the front door.

I had to write a statement of what I saw for our company files, to be sent to headquarters.
SOS will no longer be served by our store personnel. The Bosses supervisor called and spoke to me and my other co-workers who witnessed this. The decision is being made to swear out a trespass warrant against this guy and keep him off the property.

So... hope tomorrow is not as exciting!

A Sense of Community....

Daniel and Samuel are now SEVENTEEN! We celebrated their birthday yesterday. First off, Tom and I took them to Cabelas and turned them loose. Daniel chose a new hat, a nice survival/orienteering compass, and a tactical lightweight flashlight. Sam chose a mummy style sleeping bag, and a very nice pair of leather gloves.

Later in the day, we went to a birthday party in their honor, held by their co-workers from The Wooden Spoon in Gentry, out at the Mennonite School.
Wow.

Can I repeat that?
Wow.
There must have been 60 people show up. Not all were co-workers, but they all knew Daniel and Sam. They played volleyball, since rain had eliminated softball as an option. One of their former co-workers now works at the bank... she came. As did a former co-worker who brought along her reason for quitting- a precious little baby boy.
Happy birthday was sung to each of the boys in turn. Then supper was blessed and served- grilled hamburgers, chips, watermelon, and TWO kinds of home made ice cream!

It was pretty close to the largest birthday party I have ever been to. Most of the community know the boys, and a fair number know me from O'Reillys.
The boys have  reputations as hard working, honest, and smart young men. They are not only known from The Wooden Spoon, but from working with our neighbors. Both boys have helped one neighbor on a regular basis. He has introduced them to his friends, and sponsored them into the Tired Iron of the Ozarks Tractor Club. Another neighbor complimented Tom on the boys when they have gone over, unasked, and helped him as he worked to repair the fence along the front of his place.
Happy Birthday, boys!

 

completly annoyed with the catch-22

When I started back at  my job, it was with the understanding that I could take unpaid time off to go on vacation with Tom, and Tom gets five weeks a year. It was a caveat of my returning to this job  that I would be taking time off at the end of April for my MILs birthday party in Ohio, in June for the birth of my grandbaby, in August for a family gathering, and a couple of times in the fall.

I discovered that I couldn't get off in June, as 'everyone else' had their paid vacations due then. So I set up for the first week of July to go see the new grandbaby. Made plans with other family members regarding transportation of grandchildren to various states. Then I get "bumped"... I can't take the entire week off, another co-worker had made plans for part of that week and his plans couldn't be changed. So I shortened my planned stay in Texas.

This morning, the boss calls me into the office and said I CANNOT take a week off. In fact, I CANNOT take ANY time off, other than my scheduled 2 days a week, because I haven't "been back with the company for a year yet" ... and I "already took my week of vacation, even though I wasn't supposed to get one."

WHAT? He had said No problem with me taking time off, just put it on the calendar! Then, Well, you can't take off this week or that week- with explanation. Now it is I cannot take off any time until next year. I am livid.

And I can't quit. If I quit, then we can't go anywhere at all. My income makes the difference. The catch-22.

Now I get to call my kids/ grandkids and tell them I have to change our plans yet again. (Some of which would not of been made in the first place if the boss had not given tacit consent.) I will have to try to fly down and meet the new baby... and fly back to AR a day later. Flying space available... so I am not only at the bosses mercy, but the airlines as well.

Thanks for listening to my raging.

Perking right along...

The garden is beautiful!

This is the backside of our well pump house. I have been fairly careful to avoid it being in pictures on the blog, as it was an eyesore junk heap of old bicycles, torn up tomato cages, scrap metal, wood and broken flower pots.

 

I got my strong young men to clean it up for me. Not a single snake was uncovered, though a few spiders were displaced. I have a bit of grey paint left from painting the screen door frame last summer, so my plan is to paint the yellow and brown side. The other three sides are already grey. I have no idea why they left this side unpainted, but it has been so since we moved in almost 9 tears ago. (Nine years is a long time to rent a place.) Every time I have suggested making it more homey, I have been met with the fact it is a rental and we could move any time, why bother? I finally just began fixing things up as I would like them, I don't care if we DO move soon. What if we DON'T move? I could of been enjoying this place a lot more for the past near-decade.

 

Anyway... I am still considering: shall I get a lattice and climbing roses to plant along this side? It faces west and only gets about 4 hours of sun a day, before trees on the western edge of the property shade it again. Or plant irises, which my Mom has offered to me. Or maybe cannas? Perhaps paint a trompe l'oeil of garden flowers and do a rock garden with annuals or something. (We certainly have PLENTY of rocks!)

 

I have landscaping weed proof fabric available. I have just been sitting out on my bench and gazing at it, waiting for inspiration to strike while the weedy overgrowth dies from the Round Up sprayed on it.

 

Mr C is supposed to go to Texas in another 10 days or so... hoping to see the soon-to-be born baby of Ben and Paula. Since I have to stay home and work, I am thinking I could take on a little project. If you have any ideas to suggest, let me know!





Proof that you cannot be startled to death...

ME!
I get to work really early. This morning as I walked in the door, I was met by the dangerously leaning pallet of doom. Some (expletive deleted) person at the warehouse did the worst job I have ever seen at stacking a pallet. It literally was falling over- held up by nothing more than a bit of tape, a layer of shrink wrap, and some good imagination. Not sure how the driver managed to get it in the door without it falling on him. Anyway, being at the store that early- I decided it was in my best safety interests to find other things to do than check in the freight; at least until other people arrived.

I began stocking shelves. I quickly realized I had left my box knife out in the car, and was just headed out the door to get it. I had the door opening, when there came a knock. One of my other co-workers (Chad) sometimes arrives a little early.
But no, it wasn't my co-worker.
It was a Mexican guy who works at one of the nearby garages. I wouldn't mention that he was Mexican, except that he spoke very little English and my little bit of Spanish doesn't cover car parts. He just walked right in! He pointed at the item he needed, and tried to give me a wad of cash to cover it. I had to use a co-workers register numbers to even get into a screen that would allow a sale. the guy didn't have enough money... so I took back the part and he took back the money and left. Whew! I was having trouble making him understand that *I* do not have authority to let him into the building, much less sell him merchandise an hour before the store is supposed to open!

I scurried on out to the car and got my box knife, securely locked the door, and went back to stocking shelves. I thought I heard someone pounding on the door again- but continued working in the back room. As I came out of the storage area with my hands full- THERE is my co-worker Chad! I about passed out from being startled, but I didn't die. I was thinking there for a moment my heart had actually stopped beating!

Chad had indeed arrived early, to find our Mexican customer once again pounding on the back door and demanding entrance. He dealt with the guy, selling him the part and getting him on his way. Having seen my car, but not me, Chad had come looking for me.
He took pictures of the leaning tower of freight, then helped me down stack it so that I could get busy getting it checked in.

I said the guy from the shop had better not be getting into the habit of thinking I am going to open the door and let him in at the crap of dawn every morning. He WAS asking what time I usually arrived to work!

Junish!

My how the months are passing!
This past weekend I was able to attend my son and DIL's baby shower in San Angelo. I got to fly out on Saturday... but there were no flights available to return. My Mom and Ralph kindly said they would drive me back to Arkansas if I got to fly in for the party. So my visit was short, but I did get to see my kids! We left San Angelo Sunday, for Ft Worth, then drove on to Arkansas Monday.

Paula is 37 weeks along now! So we could have the new grandbaby any time. Mr C and the Individuals are headed to San Angelo the last week of June. I can't get time off until July... so I will hold down the house and garden, dog, and job.

My "babies" will be 17 in less than 2 weeks. Eleven more days! Their co-workers are throwing them a party at their (private) school. They will have a cookout, and play softball. I'm pretty sure it is their first non-family party. They already have their birthday gifts from Mr C and myself. Sam wanted a dressy hat, and Daniel wanted a mechanical metronome for his guitar. (I also got them the latest Piano Guys CD)
(If you click on the highlighted words, it will take you to see pictures!)

Hope you have a blessed day! Thanks for reading!