Sears' appalling service

Late Tuesday evening we came home to a refrigerator who had 'relieved herself' all over the sun room floor.

Quizzical.

Frustrating.

But we have to deal with it.

We called Sears first thing Wednesday morning to schedule a service call since we have been exemplary customers with a service agreement for over 20 years.

We set up TWO service calls and Saturday, June 20, 2009 are still waiting for a service man to come out.

They've stiffed us twice.

In the meantime, our basement ceiling below the fridge is falling down and the walls and floor are drenched...cable wires are wet....

More than likely we will need a new fridge. That's fine. We are ok with that and looking around right now. But there's a bigger looming problem. Unfortunately, we will also have to get work done on the ceiling/floor and the basement walls...and any wires and lines that may have been damaged.

We are not taking this lightly.

The dozens of people we've had to deal with at Sears Roebuck and Company have been awful.

You can tell that companies are downsizing, can not handle their load anymore and are hiring the cheapest, most ignorant employees to represent them.

Unfortunately, yet another issue which I and I alone have to deal with. Mom can help to some extent but not really. This has been bumped up to high priority pushing back the other 512 items on my 'to do' list a little further behind.

Sears thinks they can push us around. They've got another thing coming.

They have not seen or heard the last of us. They have NO idea who they are dealing with....

Treat her like a queen

I can't say it enough.

God has truly blessed me with Mom.

To still have her around alive and kicking and vibrant.

We are two kindred souls.

I tell folks 'when I grow up I wanna be like Mom.'

Dream on, they say, dream on!

She really is a piece of work, and that's a compliment.

She still has a passion for living.

A few days this week I was on furlough.

Everyone says, oh, you'll love having a few days off.

Well, no one realizes that I never get a day off. I may be off from my job, but those days are even harder. No one will ever understand the duress, stress, and overwhelming responsibility on my shoulders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

However, I can take it. I just keep repeating, "God will not give me more than I can handle. God will not give me more than I can handle."

I just wish folks stood in my shoes for a week. Actually, that would not work. They'd think I did have a cake life because most folks do not pay attention to detail as I. Most folks are much lazier than I. Most folks go through life with a selfish attitude 'what can the world do for me' rather than 'what can I do for the world.' I am tooting my horn. I am one in a million and would not trade my giving, caring, energetic, over-achieving go-getter attitude for the world!

Anyhoo, God DOES toss me signs on a daily basis showing me how lucky and blessed I am.

During my furlough days, we went on a shopping spree because Mom needed 'stuff.'

Well, what turned into a 2 hour jaunt extended into an almost 5 hour jaunt.

No rest for the weary!

Yet, we had a blast.

I have satellite radio and it's one of the best items on my car.

God opens my eyes to his blessings as Mom and I travel around from errand to errand jamming to the Siriusly Sinatra Station.

My heart bursts as I hear Mom belting out song after song after song.

Then somehow we get another burst of energy to hit the Indians game.

And they treat her like a queen.

We arrive and find the first spot to park in....

Before we even enter, we have personnel helping Mom to our seats.

Our usher, Bob, adores Mom and pampers her to no end.

If he gets a weather report that it may start raining soon, he'll help her get up the stairs and out of the rain before anyone else.

It was just a great day, a great night.

Mom deserves to be treated like a queen.

Bittersweet goodbye

Well, my best friend in the whole wide world, Craig, went back to FLA yesterday.

We have a love-hate relationship at times.

One of my worst attributes is being very judgemental (because I am always right!!).

I tell him he is so predictable. He has the same drill every day, and the same sequence of events the day he arrives in town and beyond.

However, one event that is so predictable time after time after time is when you have to say goodbye to someone.

This time, his visit went by kind of slowly, which was a blessing.

But a few days before he was set to take off, melancholy set in, the time sped up, and there was a sadness in the air even though he was still here.

These are the winding down days when I am actually as predictable as my friend.

You can never quite perfect saying goodbye.

And for me, it's never a happy series of events.

I want to spend as much time with him as I can but know he really should spend the bulk of the time with his mother, whom he will not see for, who knows how long.

Then departure day. Very predictable. I should judge myself and brow beat myself for the 'ground hog day' mentality of this particular day.

You know it's gonna come, but it's never easy.

The empty, blah feeling swarms in and you just can't shake it.

I usually get up, sing at Church and then right afterward, we'll have brunch and I'll whisk him off to the airport.

Cleveland's airport leaves a lot to be desired at this present time, and there is no place to grab a bite or visit. But I want to hold on to the moment just a bit longer so I walk inside with him and we grab a few chairs and just visit for a few minutes more.

Finally, it's that dreaded moment when he has to walk through security, which I am banned from without a ticket.

I wait. I watch. I wave.

He moves a few more people.

I wait. I watch. I wave.

Finally, he's out of sight and I must snap back into harsh reality trying to savor the sweet sendoff and rely on the enjoyable memories until, hopefully, one day we greet each other again.

Home away from home

What I am gonna say right now may make us sound like snobs, but that's why no one should ever assume anything.

One of my 'home away from home' locations is the Terrace Club at Progressive Field.

When I tell folks we ate up there or grabbed a drink or dessert, I get these looks like, "Oh, you are one of THOSE people!"

I guess I am.

We do like to frequent the Terrace Club, especially on colder days or hotter days. It suits Mom just fine!

We were there Sunday night enjoying the Tribe -Cardinals Game.

One key giveaway that you visit someplace too much is when Mary Jo the Manager greets you as you enter, all the waiters know you by name (Mom really, I'm always invisible) and the Chefs recognize you as you saunter from buffet table to buffet table!

So be it!

Progressive Field and the Terrace Club is our home away from home and we would not have it any other way!

Just 20 minutes away

The other evening I was speaking on the phone to one of my best friends....

I say 'one of my best friends' because I don't know if I have a BF or even a BFF.

Craig and I 'argue' at times with 'creative differences' on how each of us should live our lives or dress or even eat plus a few other hot topics of discussion.

But, more often than not, the fun times and memory making moments outweigh the rocky times.

He knows more about me than anyone else in my life, which he has garnered over the last 12 years--that's how long we've been pals.

People think we're dating, including his family, but we're not.

I don't know. Many years ago, he told me I was 'not his type.' And then the more I got to know him I realized he was not quite my type and I deserved a lot better (trust me folks, I've told this to his face. This is nothing I have not said to him.)

We overlook our differences--I try to tolerate his selfishness and not venturing 'outside the box' attitude while he hopefully accepts my jealousy and 'suggestions to make his life better.'

But, he's a magnet. He keeps drawing me back. I can't cut loose. In the words of Bruce, I can't cut the ties that bind.

My life surely would be different today if this person had not come into my life 12 years ago....in many respects. Many good. Many amazing moments and trips never realized. And unfortunately, my bank account much bigger for when I helped him get through really tough times. But I keep saying, "God put this person into my life for a reason." And I believe that fact.

I could drone on forever, because I psycho-analyze myself all the time about EVERYTHING.


However, the other night, as I spoke to Craig on the phone, it was nice.

It was nice because he was just 20 minutes away. Just 20 minutes.....not 2000 miles.

He was in town visiting his Mother and was just 20 minutes away.

I can not even explain or put into words what a wonderful feeling came over me talking to him knowing he was in my neck of the woods. It was definitely a different mood than when I talk to him from FLA.


It's been nice having him around (even though we've had two doozy 'discussions' ---but distance and rum will do that!!!)....


My security blanket is about to travel the friendly skies and life will get back to normal. Who am I kidding, my life IS NEVER NORMAL!

I'll have to resort to speaking to him over the miles and pretending he is 'just 20 minutes away.'

Don't worry

My Guardian Angel always comes through in a pinch.

The fact that I have hardly accomplished anything on my New Year's Resolution List.....my Lenten Resolution List....my "it has to be done by Opening Day" List.....by my "trip to Tampa" List.....

And my real eye opener that I've failed at everything I wanted to have completed and nailed down by the time my best friend comes into town in 38 hours....


Then, what do my wondering eyes read from my Guardian Angel:


"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
--Matthew 6:27

Everything's not what it SEEms

I try very hard to give everyone, including myself, the benefit of the doubt.

As hard as it may SEEm, I attempt to put initial looks, appearances, and outward views aside without making hasty judgements.

It's hard.

But then I started thinking, folks do the same to me all the time. In fact, selfish people who are not as nice, sensitive, and caring as myself really make hasty and oftentimes WRONG judgements.


What started the ball rolling on this thought was an ER episode that came on....2 shooting victims were brought in--a young African American male and a young Caucasian male. We all know what the stereotypical views may be. However, turns out the Caucasian male was a drug dealer and his parents knew about it and said it was just a matter of time til something like this happened to him....the African American male was a star basketball player with a great future ahead of him.


It may seem silly, but I was driving to work this overcast day wearing my flashy sunglasses in my new car.

I went off on a tangent thinking anyone who saw me would think I am a stuck up, full of myself, snob or just eccentric.

OK, I will admit, I do look HOT in my new sunglasses (LOL).

However, I have very sensitive eyes. I really have to wear sunglasses all year round because of my allergies, my contacts, my 'too much computer at work' dry eyes, and sensitivity to light and wind.

Yet, I've seen folks looking at me wearing these crazy sunglasses in the pouring down rain with quizzical looks on their face.


Well, the only thing I can do is continue marching to my own drummer regardless of what others think or say......be my own person.....be the best person I can be even if 'bad people' try bringing me down or pulling me into their 'negative web' because of jealousy and their pettiness....and most importantly NOT mis-judge others because of their outward appearance, the way they act, or what they do, wear, or say!


What Would Jesus Do?