Alarms at 5AM on a Saturday?

Oh yes,  Another kitty story.  

I wake up to Millie trying to nibble my arm .... but she's on the wrong side of the bed!  And next I hear my iPad falling on the floor.  And then, oh yes there is more.  And then I hear and see alarms from outside. 

My goodness.  The truck next door has a really really loud truck alarm and all the lights flash too.  It's a big pick-up.  I get up to see if it's just the one truck alarm or if other cars parked in front are screaming along with the truck.  It was like a real light show!  

Anyway, I usually get up at 5am and feed the monsters around 5:20.  BUT this morning, they wanted to make sure I got out of bed!   Not that I'm likely to forget them - Millie gets carried away with her nibbles sometimes.  All their dry food was gone too. 

They are eating me out of house and home.  Then while getting Sam's insulin shot ready, I stepped on a little orange tomato.  Now the funny is, it was in front of the stove so I know I didn't miss it last night.  So how did it escape it's little container?   Maybe a kitty snack in the middle of the night?

All's well in the house now.  Except I can't go back to sleep. 

Cowtown and Cemetery Sat Night Fun

A friend who shall remain nameless as she does not want to be identified with having so much darn fun AND spending more time with a native Texan as those unique Texasisms, slang and twang inch their way into a confirmed Yankee (hey, we all can't be perfect LOL).

I wanted Chuy's or a hamburger.  I did not bring up my favorite all time favorite best of the bunch and should be world famous Fred's Texas Cafe in Fort Worth.  She did - yes, The Yankee.  

'nuff said.  

So off to Ft Worth we go.  She drove because I wanted to have a beer or 2 with my cheeseburger.  Yes, let me be clear - when I say Hamburger I mean Cheeseburger.  Just like when I was growing up.... when I wanted to drink a Dr Pepper, I said I wanted a Coke.  That is normal natural native Texan expectation.  sigh.  this may be a looong story.

So we finally get to Fred's.  Oh yes, there's a story there too.  Waze was not quite fast enough to keep up with the driver so we missed a turn but as I stated at the time - Ft Worth is  little, we can't get lost, I grew up here and it's right over there - see the Montgomery Place that used to be Montgomery Wards where we came to shop as it was down the street from where my dad worked.  Side note :  Dad worked next to the park where there were ducks and ponds.  Now I can't remember for sure if that is the same park where the duck tried to eat my finger - yes, I still have a scar- or not.  But it is the park where we could take cardboard and slide down the hill.  We used to go eat lunch with Dad.  What a treat.

But I digress.  Fred's Texas Cafe.  We got there around 6 right before it got crowded.  We agreed to sit at the only table by the restrooms!  Yes that is really crazy but it is entertaining and we didn't have to wait.  It was too darn hot to be sitting outside.  Besides it is really loud when a band is playing.  Oh my.  I'm not sure what they put in their Cokes but it was sooo good.  And yes, this time I mean a Coca Cola not the the other native Texan drink that I no longer partake of - between the mess up with Dublin and not have real Imperial Pure Cane Sugar and working there - well, let's just leave it at I don't drink it any more.  

By the time the wonderful Fred Burger with cheese and everything and those absolutely wonderful fries came, I forgot about the beer.  Downed another Coke and cleaned my plate just like I learned to do as a little kid.  MMMMmm  good.  

So off we go back to east Texas.   mmmm did I mention how good the Fredburger was?  Somehow we got off on Lancaster (I mean, seriously, between Waze and my directions how did we end up on Lancaster) due to some laughingly funny conversation at the time.  Now, Lancaster St used to be the way we went from Hurst.  My favorite garden center Marshall Grains is there.  But it can be a scary street when you have to drive slowly to avoid all the people walking across the street when they decide they can walk whenever and whereever and at their chosen pace with their pants hanging down below their butts (like I really want to see baggy, dirty underwear - now don't get me wrong, underwear on the right guy is nice).  Oh but I digress again.  

I think this is about the time I realize the doors on this vehicle do not automatically lock like mine.  Scary.   Giggles all over again.  Seriously, only sodas were involved.  

So we go farther down to Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery.  Now, I would expect you to ask why.  Well, I thought I could show her one of the cemeteries I go to when doing family research.  My material great-grandparents are buried there.  And several of their children (my great aunts and uncles) are also buried there.  I've been going there since I was a little kid.  I was relating the family story about how upset some of those great aunts and uncles (they were alive back then) were not happy when Oswald was buried near my great-grandparents.  So we looked for Oswald's grave first.  So even though it was late and sunset was just around the corner we stopped.  So as a spooky kind of Sat night thing that teens are prone to do... we turned in and drove through the gates (now that was funny... big beautiful gates and no corresponding attached fence!).

And we found it.  And found lots of babies buried in same general area - that is so sad because some babies weren't even given a name.  But we couldn't find my great grandparents grave.  On my iPhone, there is a picture I took of my mom when we were there about a year ago and I took the photo with the houses in back so I had a better idea of where they were buried.  But we just could not match it up.  I do know from that time that they are not buried where the office says they should be located (no, I do not believe they got up and walked over to another spot).  

This picture just does not do justice to what I saw.  The sun was reflecting off the headstone and it was so bright - it looked like it was a mirror!  

So since it was getting dark, we left.  Now I'm not afraid of cemeteries at all.  I find them peaceful and interesting.  But I really didn't want to spend the night in one either. 

So off we go heading back to the east and making sure we are locked safely inside the car.  Really, I mean living in the Dallas area and you don't know if your doors are locked or not?  Yikes!  Scary.  

A pit stop at a convenience store (darn, I didn't get the winning Lotto ticket) and we turned back to the cemetery because I forgot to check in on FourSquare and Yelp.  And funnily enough, both sites had Lee Harvey Oswald as a check-in place.  So we checked in.  

Now getting home - that was another story.  Road construction and the most poorly designed detours with even worse temporary signs were a good waste of time.  At least, we only had to enter DFW Airport and make a U turn once.  I can't imagine what it must be like for people unfamiliar with the area.   

Just remember - Fort Worth is where the West begins - and you shouldn't get lost.  And don't forget that I was born in west Texas at the now gone Carswell Air Force Base in Ft Worth.  Best darn thing that happened to that town AND me!!!

 

Little Boy Lost

A little boy was riding down the street crying for his mom.  We (my neighbor) watched him go to the end of the street and we commented because he stopped and looked both ways.  Only he didn't go anywhere but kept looking.  So we yelled to ask if he was lost and he was.  He was out riding with his teenaged brother and his brother ditched him.   He was so scared he couldn't tell us anything and he got really scared when I said I would call 911.  But we kept talking to him and how the police would help him.  So I called it in and they said to make sure that even if his family came, to keep them there until they arrived.  He didn't know where he lived nor had a phone number.

We told him stories about brothers and got him to smile and take off his helmet.  I told  him about the time my brother didn't want me to ride his bike so he loosened the thingies that hold the tires on.  So when I was riding with my sister on the back, down a hill, the tire came off and we went flying.  I don't remember any of it until I woke up at home.  A neighbor lady brought us home.  (And now my brother wonders why he is still getting payback - a sister never forgets!!!)

When the police arrived, it was an older office who was really nice and respectful and gentle with his questions.  But the poor little kid was still scared.  The supervisor drove up and he got a description of the older brother (he's my brother and his bike is orange and his name is Chris).  He told us he would go look for the brother while the office took the boy in the patrol car to find his house.   By the then little guy was ready to go home and went straight to the car.  The officer cleaned out the front seat so he could sit in front and off they went (after taking down all my information - i even had to give them my middle name after saying they could only have the initial R). 

Sucks that I won't know how that story ended up. Sure hope all the officers and firefighters and other emergency people have a quiet holiday.

UPDATE:  I wrote the ALLEN PD a note complimenting the officers.  I did get an email back thanking me for letting them know they did something right.  The lady mentioned that her job was mostly dealing with complaints so it was nice to hear something good.  She also gave me the officers names.  I still don't know the outcome and probably never will but thats ok. 

ARMED FORCES DAY - FLAG RETIREMENT

Yesterday was Armed Forces Day and the DAR & SAR held a Flag Retirement Ceremony along with the Scouts.  It was hot and windy.  As in I got a wind burn.  Sun screen doesn't help with that.

 Nice ceremony.  The Celine high school choir was there to sing and they did well - the wind did not drown them out. 

I'm sad the picture of the Buffalo Boys didn't come out very well.  They were both very nice.  The tall one received 3 purple hearts but only wears 2 of them.  Why?  Because even though his arm was injured, the soldier next to him lost a leg, therefore, to him, his arm injury wasn't worth was much as the lost leg.  Now that's a real sense of humility.

 

Special attention was given to a Tuskegee Airman, Buffalo Boys, a Pearl Harbor Survivor and VietNam veterans.  

Homer was part of the Tuskegee Airmen unit. He is a very sweet and gracious man and I think he really enjoyed the ceremony.  Several men had their pictures taken with him.  

One member from each branch was represented. It gets a little personal when you see real live people regardless of their age.  Emotional but not too emotional.  One woman had her father, husband, sons and grandsons & granddaughters in the military at one time or another. 

A tattered flag must be cut in 4 pieces but the blue area with stars can not be cut.  Each piece is rolled up tight and tied.  Then one by one, the pieces go into the fire while Taps is playing.  

 Everyone should go to at least one of these ceremonies.  It isn't publicized enough but probably because there would be protesters that don't recognize that because of those who served, they have the freedom to protest. 

 

I am so glad I went (I'm a DAR member and we had several DAR chapters there).  It means a lot to me.  I like our country even though it isn't perfect, it is ours.    

Change in the Air

Well, I don't mind change for the good of things...but....gee Blogger - get a grip!

The yard is doing great, even the weeds are doing good.  I have a neighbor that wants to live in a forest and now that I've adjusted that side of the yard with shade loving plants, they decide to trim their trees.  I don't mean trim, I mean T R I M.  Well, I can say that I bet the crape myrtle does much better this year.  We don't have large yard so the 12 or so trees is just overkill (ok ok so I mean over shade).  There is moss growing on their side and this is TEXAS with HEAT and they use water as if there was no tomorrow.  They water in the winter.  Well, not this winter since we are still in Stage 3 of water restictions and I was watching this time.  Really, several winters they watered 3 times a week just like they do in summer (yes 3 times a week is too much even here) and when I said something, they claimed their controller had problems.   hmmmm controller problems for 3 winters?   NOT

I'm in the back yard most of the time if I go outside.  So I missed a drug bust/sting/thingy on Friday night.  Apparently, there were tons of police cars in the front.  Dang it!  I could have watched live stuff happening.  I've known there was surveillance going on for a while (another neighbor is with a federal law enforcement agency and I'm sure she wasn't supposed to tell us).  Our neighborhood is soooo boring.

My furry children are doing ok as long as you think Sam terrorizing Millie is ok.  Poor Sam, I try not to keep yelling at him but he has to learn to leave her alone.  She bit the S**T out of my arm the other night when I turned over in my sleep.  I admit I must have startled her and she thought it was Sam trying to get her again.  This diabetes thing is really tiresome and I hate to see Sam acting out when he's not feeling well.  He thinks he must be near me all the time and he is taking over all her hiding places.

Yes, that is paint.  And I made him move after his tail swished over the paint.  He thinks I'm mean.

The Real Spring

We had rain over the weekend but not the storms.  Just a few thunders and no hail.  And that's always a good thing.

The backyard is looking pretty good.  That is the Texas Bird of Paradise with the Oleander in the background.

Some iris' in the side yard.  I sure wish they bloomed more.

The rain always lets me know if the oleander needs some more trimming!  If it doesn't get trimmed then the mower guys get head whacked!

 

 

 The Leaning Tree Rose... the wind got it before the rain so it needs to be staked again.  The trunk (like the Texas Bird of Paradise) is very weak.