Um…like three hours later

I closed my eyes earlier and was asleep immediately. I slept all the way through until, at 3 pm, I awoke because I thought I heard someone calling my name. I literally heard someone say “Kathy” and thought someone was at my door or something. That wasn’t the case however so unless Baxter or Simon have mastered the English language, it must have been a remnant of the dream.

The only thing I remember about the dream is that I was walking through a corridor, holding McDonald’s for people at work, and something was following me in the shadows. I was trying to hurry but whatever was back there kept gaining anyway. Probably residue from last night’s escapade.

I promise not to be as careless with my safety from now on. I will even buy a gun if that will keep me alive and healthy. I get so focused on one thing – like Baxter peeing – that I forget to pay attention to my own safety. Poor Baxter – he did get to releave himself but I pulled him very quickly back home and he was not happy with me. I gave him a rub down when we got inside just in case the harness had hurt him from being pulled so hard. Ugh.

Well, I need to go so this will be the last post until Saturday because I work a 12 hr day tomorrow. Be safe and remember, its a jungle out there!

Dialup vs Verizon

I’ve reordered dialup for my home. It will take a few days for them to get the account set up but then I expect to be in full swing Internet wise. I guess I’m a “slowsky” like in the commercial. While I’d love faster service and the ability to listen to “utube”, it does me no good when it keeps locking up anyway.

I was stupid for buying into the hype about Verizon’s dsl service. It is going to be a costly mistake since Verizon will bill me whatever the fee was for ending my contract early.

It is almost 1pm and I need to get some food – I’m starving. I’ve been thinking about work and going to five 8-hr days as soon as I can. I don’t want to have to go in at 10:30 am or stay till 3 am anymore – would rather do straight 3-11pm’s. Then if I need or want to get a second job to help with moving, I can find something in the morning hours. Why can’t I just win the lotto?

Right now I feel like taking a nap. Maybe it is from being hungry or from the nice hot shower I took earlier but I am very sleepy. Haven’t felt right all day but can’t describe what is wrong either. I’m very tired and have a headache. All I can think about is sleep – I think I’m just going to close my eyes for a moment….

Nervous Nellie

As the clock struck 1 am last night, Baxter informed me that he needed to go outside to relieve himself. Wanting to save my carpet from the inevitable golden shower if I refused, I decided it best to comply.

We stayed on our property – in the light – as I had promised my son I would from now on when out late at night. However, as we were winding down our little excursion, a red station wagon passed us very slowly, and then came to a stop in the middle of the street about a quarter of a block in front of me. I immediately knew something was not friendly about the vehicle. It pulled into our parking lot, successfully putting itself between our destination and us.

A black man dressed all in black, emerged from the passenger side of the vehicle. He tried to blend into the shadows as he nonchalantly made his way directly toward us. I knew I was looking at a robbery waiting to happen so I did whatever scared woman does, I took out my cell phone and called…my son in Iowa.

Wayne raked me over the coals for being out that late unarmed and for not calling the police. What, he demanded, could he do if the guy attacked me? He knew my address of course but not the number to the local police department so he’d have to waste time finding it while I could be stabbed to death. He was right of course.

I had considered calling work but didn’t want to over react. The guy might just be out for a walk and the driver didn’t feel like walking so he stayed with the car…

Obviously, in the light of day it sounds stupid, but I was tired and nothing thinking rationally at 1 am. I was more worried about appearing as a nervous Nellie to my coworkers then of being robbed…or worse. Today I chided myself for being so stupid – can’t tell you how many callers, especially women, who do exactly what I did and then the son who lives in New York or Michigan is trying to get us to help his mom before it is too late. The delay is incredible and I can understand why the son gets so upset. We always hang up the phone and say, “Why didn’t the mom just call 911?” – now I understand better why.

However, in my defense, I expected the guy would see me on my cell phone and decide the odds were good I was talking to the police – which is what happened. The guy ran back to the car and it sped away, running the stop sign as it went.

I admit I was foolish to think, in this neighborhood, that I would be safe walking my dog at one in the morning. From now on we will stay in our backyard which is securely fenced when nature beckons to Baxter that late.

Victim of Progress

An opalescent moon shimmered against the twinkling field of stars – though the man in the moon hid his face from me. I could easily pick out familiar constellations – the dipper, Orion’s belt, the three sisters. When I move back to Iowa I am buying a good telescope.

In the park two silent sentries stand their posts waiting for children that will never materialize. They long for one more brisk game of basketball – one more victorious yell from someone who slammed a dunk and hung on the sentry’s rim in jubilation. But the basketball court will remain as silent and deserted as the swings hanging close by.

As I walked under the jungle gym, I wondered how many children had climbed its rungs over the years? How many hung upside down imitating monkeys in trees? This jungle gym is as old as my son…so I’m sure it has seen its share of children come and go.

The park is the center of a legal battle raging in the courts right now. No matter which side wins, the park itself will soon be history, another emotionless victim of progress.