How Long Do You Keep a Piece of Paper

Our office owns radar trucks which we loan out. Well one is getting ready to leave the country and they have asked for the original bill of sale. On a truck bought in 2000. Really? Who keeps a bill of sale from 11 years ago? So I am diligently trying to track it down. Our records don't go back that far. The state only requires things to be held for seven years and if I kept every invoice for everything that every grant has ever bought I would be like one of those hoarders on tv with a narrow path to get anywhere. I certainly couldn't find ONE piece of paper.

So they may just have to go with the fact that yes we bought this truck in 2000 and believe that we paid for it.

Weather Report

So you remember how last week I was ragging on my neighbor for not taking down the Christmas decorations since we had been having lovely weather in the 80's? Over the weekend, our temperatures took a nosedive and we barely made 40 degrees on Sunday. I drove by some people trying to plant new bushes and thought they were all going to die. I know it is said that never trust the weather in Oklahoma because it will change on you instantly and man is that true. I'm hoping that we get some rain with this cold because we need to get out of a drought. When it warms up again we'll start having the grass fires that are absolutely horrible and fast moving with all the cedar trees and dry grass.

Interview Time

Whitney had her scholarship interview yesterday. We had to go shopping since she was to wear "professional" dress. Whitney lives in jeans and shorts so she had nothing super nice to be professional. So we bought a beautiful dress, had it altered (since everything is too long) and got a new pair of shoes. I thought she looked like a young woman on her way to work at a lawyer's office by the time we were done. My little baby looks so grown up. We'll hear about the results in a couple of weeks.

A Cruise Ship Going Too Fast?

I just read an article about a woman suing Carnival Cruises for going too fast in the water and making her sick. Really? Those ships can't rip out 90 mph. Perhaps you were just seasick. It can happen to anyone even if you don't think you would be.

Carnival Cruiseline which has the pleasure of being sued

Another frivolous lawsuit brought to you by the people of America.

The car accident that won't go away

Last April I was in a car accident. It was the other driver's fault (he made an "illegal lane change" according to the police report). My car suffered $12,000 in damage (it was less than a year old). Whitney and I rode in the ambulance to the hospital as a precaution. She was very upset (it was on her side of the car).

My car is fixed (although there seems to be a rattle that I can't identify). Whitney is fully recovered from her nerves. We've settled her claim. However, I still have back problems. I've never had back issues before. I consider myself a healthy woman. But I just couldn't get over the back pain. I kept thinking that it was nothing. Finally after a couple of months I went to the doctor who said I probably had soft tissue damage and that I should go to physical therapy. OK, so I did that. And after a couple of months it did feel better, however not 100% all the time. Which it should I think. So I went to a back specialist. And now after xraying my back, he has diagnosed it as a T12 compression fracture. I've been walking around for eleven months with a broken back. No wonder I'm in pain. So now I have to go to physical therapy twice a week 45 minutes from my house because that is where the doctor thinks the best back PT is. And go back to the doctor in May.

My car when brand new

I hope that this therapy works and my back heals fully. I'm not enjoying the pain. I'm not enjoying having to change my lifestyle for this.

Christmas in March

This is one of the first houses in our neighborhood. They still have their Christmas decorations up on the house. I would give them some slack if we lived somewhere that had six feet of snow. However we live in Oklahoma. The weather has been beautiful with temperatures in the 70's for the last couple of weeks. The trees have all bloomed. The tulips and daffodils have come up. So take down the wreaths and lights.

Five Question Friday

1. Have you ever testified in court? For what?

No I have never been to court at all. I'm sure I would do well in whatever kind of testimony I would have to give. But I hope that it never gets to that.

2. Do you still have your wedding dress?

Yes it is under my bed in a huge box. In a box wrapped in blue acid free paper. And my daughter has said that there is no way she would ever wear the dress so I have no idea why I am still keeping it.

3. Is there a special place you like to go when you're happy, sad, stressed, etc.?

I enjoy my quiet time taking a bath. Not getting in the tub, just listening to the water running in the tub. I have always enjoyed that sound, sort of like a babbling brook in my own house.

4. If you have kids, do they sleep with you? If you don't have kids...will you let your kids sleep with you when/if you have them?

In 18 years, my daughter has slept one night in my bed. Only because we found out she was allergic to cats and had swollen up that I was afraid for her to sleep away from me. And my husband was out of town that night. She has always had her own room.
5. Do you watch late night TV?

I usually watch the news before going to bed. I used to watch David Letterman every night through the Top 10 list, but I haven't turned the tv on in the bedroom for months. I usually have to do physical therapy every night before I go to bed, so that has taken up my late night time.