Monday again..

The past 2 weeks were loud, busy, occasionally insane but great. Ben is somewhere about but not here at the house, Jake is up in Chicago with his new girlfriend and will fly out from there, and the house is quiet and I am gaining on the cleaning.
Larry and I did supper out and then went by the skating party for his grandson. I didn't skate but both my feet thought they might be able to. Larry loved seeing me so 'grinnney' watching the kids skate.
It rained in the night, enough for me to need to move the bed and hear the roof leak. It won't always be that way, I cope now and Larry does understand how much better off this 'land bound' woman is with her own bit of land and leaking roof, old house than if I was in some rented apartment.
It will take a while to get things here back in order, I need to make more space in the storage area under the house for some more of Jake's stuff and will not gain on that for a few days. My next Friday off I am committed to being the driver for a friend having surgery so the day will start early with Larry and then I will be off to pick up Darrell and to Springfield and his surgery.
So, maybe it's a good thing that Larry starts his days around 4 am all the time.. We will do early breakfast at McD's and then I will be off to Virginia, take Darrell and his car, my netbook, knitting and book to Koke Mill Medical center.
We are talking camping and Larry thinks it's warm enough to start doing the stuff with the camper to get it ready, the drains, put water in the tank and run it through to check for leaks and I will help with some, wipe down the fridge inside and we have to start with stocking the kitchen with dedicated stuff, so we will go through my camping stuff first as I know I have some of what we will want.
We aren't going far, just getting out of town, away from my heavy street traffic, his place, just away from the routine and the tv and friends. We won't do a lot, walk, talk, enjoy quality time, but it will make a nice change of scenery for us. And the pals will imagine we are having a wild time, LOL, his son calls in the late afternoon and hopes he's not interrupting anything, Larry was sitting at the kitchen table and I was dealing with the laundry here. His daughter askes if he's getting enough rest and hopes his heart is doing ok.
Really, people, get a grip, We do Not spend All our time together Tearing each others clothes off.
Not that it's not a fun idea but real life seems to get in the way, as does the dog, my job, food and sleep needs....but we smile and laugh a lot, we like that holding hands stuff and ya, that was his hand on my bum while we stood rinkside and watched the kids skate last night, and neither of us were worried about who noticed (the lighting was dim, we were at the end of the protective wall there).
I'm not going to the Celtic Women concert, we watched the dvds I own, we talked and he would go if I did the driving once we got close to Peoria, and I woke up wanting to replace the bathroom sink here more. I can buy the dvd and cd and enjoy them over and over, the dvd won't let me pull the music for my ipod so it takes both here. And I can start looking at white pedistal style bathroom sinks that would suit me.
It's funny, for several months going to that concert was so high on my list and now I am really wanting the $$ for that bathroom sink replacement. It feels good to know I make those choices for my reasons and someone supports me, listens to my reasons and lets me bounce ideas around.
He watched my recovery from this accident and saw something he wanted to know better. Now he's seeing all the bits and pieces that were not showing there at McD's and other places here about town. I saw a quiet and good mannered man who did not look at me with pity or with disgust over my awkwardness and physical challenges. Who didn't talk to me often or gawk at me like I was some side show from the circus.
Now we are learning so much more, we are both very tactile people, and we talk, we ask and we listen. We both like quiet lives and hold some people very close to our hearts but don't need loads of friends or out with people all the time.
We both try and eat sensible and listen to our medical professionals so we are able to take better care of our bodies and have better quality of life.
We don't want big vacations, huge homes or to go on a cruse and for both of us, this town is Home, we like it here and don't want to move elsewhere. He takes care of what he owns, he manages his finances carefully and practically and he's at peace with the man he's grown into.
So, here I sit, knowing despite the leaking roof, the stuff that is taking up a lot of floor space in my tiny sewing space, the mess in the living room, I really have a very good life that just keeps getting better. And when I'm ready to try that skating, Larry will be there to support me, cheer me on if I can skate, even if it's slow and awkward and hug me close, no matter what.

Weekend and weekend and days off..

I did have a great 'weekend' off and my Saturday and Sunday, days 1&2 of my work week were good too, and then there are 3 more days to the week, Larry's off those days, it's our small joke, he enjoys 'my' weekend, and the calendar weekend and then has 3 days off. It's my way of giving him a different way to see his life with retirement, for medical reasons far sooner than he had planned.
We had fun Thursday, with 6 for supper here, we were busy Friday and even got my plum trees pruned up. We hit McD's for my usual before work breakfast, and I had a busy but good work day and then it was supper at my house and a movie. Sunday was breakfast again at McD's, again,my usual for before work on Sunday and home. Me to rest and get off my foot, Larry to his place, long chat on the phone before I went to soak in the tub.
Boys are still in MO, not something I am happy about, reasons for that stink, and are not Jake or Ben's fault. they should be home Tuesday and Larry will get me to work if need be, I caught a ride home with friend Leta as I will NOT let Larry get up and come get me at that time of the night. I know he doesn't sleep well and he starts his days around 4 am most of the time.
I think we will be taking his camper out as soon as some place is open, set up on Wed. before I go to work and then I can come to my house, do what I need to, get Kid and head to 'camp' and then have until Friday late to break camp. Just be away, out of town and kick back, not far away and nothing exciting planned.
It will be good to have the boys and my truck home, I fret.

Life updates

Jake and Ben are in MO with my truck and might not be back until tomorrow, that guy from McDonald's has been my ride to work and home, he also was part of the help trimming the plum trees this past Friday. And he's Larry, who also likes camping, somewhere close to just get away and be lazy, flea markets and estate auctions, holding hands and cuddling up. We do a lot of laughing and talking, we are comfortable together.
He lives northeast of me, an easy walk most of the time, and has spent months biding his time, getting to know me and for me to get to a place where my life was more together than it was 6 months ago, 8 months ago...
The foot is hurting but I have worn my lower, less support boots for the past 2 shifts and run hard both shifts so I think foot and I have done ok. Foot has to get where we are using the muscles and tendons and ligaments for support instead of depending on high leather boots laced snug.
Nice to have a quiet 'after work', I will take Kid out for bathroom break, call Larry and then go see how long I can soak in the tub, with tea, book, and the phone handy.
And ya, it's nice to be keeping company with a man whose finances are stable, who takes reasonable care of himself and what he owns, who doesn't drink, smoke, do drugs, and who gets along with my dog.

Tranis and references...

Jake is on his way home on leave, catches a train in Chicago Monday morning early and I collect him in Springfield around 10:30 am. It will be so great to have him home for a bit, and for him to see that I am doing so much better than when he was home on leave in March.
And 1 of the breakfast at McDonald's gang offered me references and asked if I was in the phone book and what my last name was...his references check out very well...he did find my number in the phone, he's paid enough attention that he knows my work schedule...and we did late lunch out in Jacksonville yesterday and had a comfortable time--I probably talked too much...I hope to continue to get to know him better.
The weather has warmed up so the snow is melting some, most of my place is still huge mounds of dirty white stuff but I hope it goes off slowly as that will reduce the flooding problems for many people.
Busy Saturday, they usually are and the 2nd shift clerk managed to be ticked off at what I did--cleaning up some of the mess he made out of a shipment of labels. They are now tidy and on a cart, checked over and ready to be received once the paperwork is retrieved from the office, he put it through the door slot so I could not get them received today.
Actually, receiving freight on Saturday is part of my job duties, as it's also his, and putting away freight is part of everyone's job duties... The man likes to find reasons to be in a snit, it's a common attitude problem but it's not contagious so I don't plan to catch it, nor do I plan to let poor work habits of others change me.
I'm a little nervous about this prospective dating...not about the man but about just getting involved with anyone. I am glad he's not looking for something that moves fast, has watched me recover from this accident, has had time to watch and think and does want to get to know me better. He's talked with his daughter about it, she's comfortable with the idea of her widowed father dating..and as her husband is 1 of our maint. supervisors I expect her to have him 'check me out' some. I am ok with that too, if it was my dad, ya I would want to ask a bit and do some checking.
My neighbor north of me thinks well of the man, and if asked, will give his honest opinion of me, I mentioned it to him today..and as Steve L has been my neighbor since I moved here to this house, he's seen a side of me that others might not have seen. He is also now 1 of our maint supervisors so he would be who I would go ask if it was my well liked and respected father in law who was getting back into the dating pool. He's been widowed for about 2.5 years now...
Of course right now my world centers around Jake coming home on leave and my job, everyone who knows me or is around me is aware Jake's coming home..

Bad dog, bad dog...

Kid tore up his bed that lived in his doghouse. The fabric bed was out in the snow, the green stuffing is everywhere--obviously a bored and Bad dog today while I was at work. There will be NO new bed for that kid..at least not for a while...
Work was ok, got done everything I needed to do, some of the inventory counting that is running behind (normal) and had a good day. Foot would not agree but we know foot is whiney and complains a lot.
House is peaceful, just the dog, birds, tv and me. Not much good but am watching Murder she wrote re-runs, thinking I want the house warmer, that there's not much really good to snack on and that it's great to have no other humans in the house when I get home from work.
I did watch a cute, funny movie last night, Smooch, and it was fun, I would have liked it better with no commercials but at least Halmark does movies I can enjoy.
I've been back at work over 4 months now, been picking up the pieces from this accident and what it's done to my life and making some progress. And weekend breakfast is usually at McDonalds, see the same guys there most weekends, they have watched me go from the walker and to the cane and back to work..don't really know them but they are part of that emotional support I have had with this long and hard healing.
There's not any way I can explain how much I hurt after work some shifts, or how hard it gets to just do my job and not sit and bawl.
And I come home to that bad dog,who is beside himself excited to have me home..he knew I was not happy with what he had done, but gee, Mommy's home..look, look Mommy, see how high I can jump, look, look Mommy, I am wagging my tail so fast and hard I'm almost bend double...
It's a good world, got some solid friends, got my feet on solid ground, and I live in my own place, where I'm in charge of my own life. I am able to support myself and my pets, and have a few 'goodies' in life.
And today someone asked if I was in the phone book, not quite the same as asking for my phone number but it gave me a lift.....even if the phone doesn't ring...it's a female thing...

Time to 'clean house'

The storm has come and gone, it's bitter cold outside but the roads are safe to drive..I am going to get Ben's gal-pal safely to her home in Rushville..he can go too if he wants. He can stay there if he wants--but I will have at least 1 less human in this house before noon..
I might end up being called in so will have to get the humans up and moving soon...and they are not morning people..too bad...she needs to get home and I need fewer humans in this small house before my attitude gets Nasty.
I so want to be living alone, Ben out and just people who visit and for short visits. I have plenty of 'social' at work..and I have friends, and the internet. I don't need humans living here with me.
I also do not need phone calls from creditors looking for other people, but it happens. Does let me know that person has unpaid bills that they are not being responsible for. And I am not responsible for so not my problem. I have plenty of my own problems and responsibilities here.
I do have the heat turned down, lower than I am comfortable with but not willing to heat or feed those adults staying here more than I have to...but I do understand she needed to deal with her car, they were at the store Saturday when car developed problems and it could be the timing belt. Car could not be moved and she needed here to get it to shop. And then the storm came in, so can't blame anyone for the tiny house with too many humans problem. It just happened..but I can get her safely home this am, I can get house a bit more tidy, my x-box back in my room, the son can tidy up what mess/disorder he is responsible for and maybe I will like my day off tomorrow..
It's a small paycheck due to the day off sick last week, and the next 1 will be short unless I am called in today, I only worked 4+ hours yesterday, but at least I did work those hours. I could have stayed longer but the computer there was being 'glitchie' so that made receiving a battle and most of maint had called in so not much demand for parts from supply..time to pack it up, lock the door, turn in the keys and get home...
I need to motivate me and then the humans in the living room...it's almost 9 already and I need to Rushville and back before noon..