Well - the tech had me send two test emails to Dad that did go through and he should be seeing ok. I'm supposed to call Dad, send another email - see if he can read the two test ones from today and the one I'll send him while we're on the phone. If he can't see any of them - there is a problem with his unit......
Just when I thought things couldn't get more interesting - I got a letter from the IRS this week that they audited my 2009 return and I owe money. The worksheet they sent showed a large amount of money that is what I thought I owed them - and since I tend to multi-task when reading my mail - I read it when I'm using my bathroom facilities - I about had a heart attack and fell off my toilet. Ok too much information probably. Something said to turn the sheet over and the highlighted dollar amount was a lot less at least. The kicker is, in 2010 Mike and I filed our returns electronically for the first time - the day before he went into the hospital for the last time. We filed on 4.13.10. Do you think I can find that folder form 2009 - of course not. I see my folder for 2011, 2010 but not 2009 and I had to have had my 2009 folder with me when doing my 2010 returns because I always look at the prior year to make sure I am completing the current year's form correctly......... Say a prayer for me on this one.
Dad was able to come up yesterday, see some of the outcome of my major decluttering and go through some of my uncle's things (Mom's brother). He also got to meet Cruz and thought she was pretty cute.
Today would have been Mom's 88th birthday and tomorrow is one year since she passed. I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. I thought the first year Mike was gone went fast but this one really went fast. I'm not overly sad today because I know Mom is in a better place and not in pain - and I'll see her again someday - but it does bug me somewhat that Mike isn't here to be with me...... Trust me, when I get to Heaven I'm going to schedule some one-on-one time with God and ask Him what his thoughts were with having Mike and Mom both leave me in a little over a year. Evidently He sees something in me that I haven't found yet to be able to deal with all this and go on with my life - it's really a struggle sometimes when everything depends on me now. Bug God is good and showing me friends that I can reach out to when I need help.
Cruz is still having fun chewing. I'm not sure if I shared the next two pictures in my last blog - I know I posted one on Facebook. Came home from work one day and the curtains on my doors to my solarium were torn down and shredded. The curtain rod bent to pooey. I loved having those curtains there to block people from seeing into my cluttered solarium - maybe Cruz thinks I need to declutter that room next and that's why she exposed it to the whole, free world....... Little turd.
Because Butler has woken me up at 3:00 Wednesday and Thursday morning - my days this week kind of float together. I think the following pictures were when I came home Friday after work. Cruz had de-gutted the cute little pillow I found at WalMart that I thought she'd enjoy having in her crate with her - guess not.
I'm amazed at all the stuffing that came out of that little pillow - the pillow "skin" is below. Such a pretty pillow - such a cruel fate..............
So this picture is trying to show how much Cruz has bent the frame at the bottom of her crate where the little dealie is to hook the "floor" to her crate into her crate. She has bent the frame so much, it's hard for me to get the little hook thing to hook properly. So yesterday morning before Dad came and I wanted to run an errand I thought - I'll get some of Mike's zip ties and zip tie the crate together by the hook dealie. I used four of the really tiny zip ties and cut the long end off so Cruz wouldn't be tempted to chew on it. Came home and all four zip ties were GONE! I about died because my first thought was she ate them, they would get caught in her tummy and off to the emergency animal hospital we'd be going in a day or so. When she came out of her crate to go potty I found two of the four zip ties. Last night I found the third one and thank the good Lord today I found the fourth zip tie. I have now used Duct Tape to tape the crate together by the hookie dealie.
The reason I haven't changed my Church Chuckle lately is because the little daily calendar I get them from is in the lower drawer of my night stand that Cruz lays against - check out my two goobers laying on the floor. And yes - Butler does have his Speedo on in the picture - but it's not Duct taped to him. Of course this is the side of the bed I sleep on and getting out of bed can be quite challenging at times not wanting to step on Cruz...........
Last night we had a ladies night out with gals from church. We ate at a restaurant on the south side that was really good - and when I went to the restroom I tried to leave the restroom by walking into the supply closet. Why they have those two doors so close to each other I have no idea..... :) We then ended up at our pastor and wife's house to play games, gab and eat dessert. What a fun time.
Oh ya - and while we were standing in the parking lot of the restaurant after eating and waiting for our pastor's wife to leave before we all descended on her house - the SUV we were standing next to made a "huffing" noise one of my friends thought. Long story short - out comes a guy asking if we were trying to steal his dog (he was laughing when he said this) - hence the huffing noise. He chatted with us for a few moments about taking his other dog to doggie camp and the dog would be there for like four months or something. The guy was kind of cute (brown eyes) and I found myself doing something I have never, ever done before. I checked for a wedding ring - nope no ring. We get to our pastor's house and my one friend said unfortunately the guy looked 35ish and would be too young for me. I just looked at her and said that meant he was "trainable" and would be around to take care of me in my old age. bahahahaha
And on that note - the guy that sent me a real email on OurTime.com that sounded like a decent match that I replied to - still waiting to hear from him again................
After church I went to the mall to see if I could find at least one pair of shoes to replace the two pairs Cruz chewed on Monday. Of course I couldn't find anything I liked - why would I be able to do that - it's me looking for something. So the quest for shoes continues.
When I got home this is how Cruz's crate was after I got her out of it. See how far she had scootched the bottom dealie out of it? You'll see something light blue at the back of the crate - that's her Kong wubba toy that supposedly can't be destroyed, along with a long grey thing - a stuffingless toy - and in the right corner is Hedgie - her hedge hog stuffed toy that for some reason she hasn't degutted yet.
Today when I got to church the daughter of the couple that were greeters had something to give me - check out her picture below - it's so AWESOME! Heather said Victoria had been working on this all week because Rigo (Victoria's dad) was going to come over to see if he couldn't figure out how to build a stand for Uncle's Fort Bloomfield sign that's now on my enclosed back porch. Victoria was going to get to come with her dad to meet Cruz and this is what she drew to give me. Evidently Victoria thinks I need to wear bright lipstick - that cracked me up :)
Last Saturday afternoon my niece and sister-in-law made some bags online. I had a $10 off coupon for Groupon or Living Social and used it to buy three "grocery" bags from InkGarden. I didn't need three bags so Chrissy got to make a bag and Marcia got to make a bag. We ordered the bags after 4:00 pm last Saturday and I got them yesterday in the mail! Below is my bag. I was so glad the first bag I opened - all three bags were packaged individually in the box - was my bag so I have no idea how Chrissy and Marcia's bags turned out but I'm sure they are just as nifty as mine.
Next Sunday after church Chrissy and I are going to a concealed weapons class in Urbandale - another Groupon / Living Social / and/or Deal Chicken we both bought....................
