Rain--Cars---and Dogs (well one dog)

Hello Sweet Things,

I am feeling decidedly “House Bound”, Joe agreed with me that I do need some sort of vehicle if I suddenly need to just get out, so to reputable rental agency we went and I’m now set up with “a car”, it’s tiny, it cost the least to rent, it gets good gas mileage, it’s clean and it runs. Is it my style??? Nooooooo, but one needs to do what one must.

I’ve been in touch with my caregivers at my country house, they are doing fine, Buddy the dog is doing fine, the house and land is doing fine, no flooding, no land slides, it is hard to get around, the roads are icy, but carefully passable. Once things dry out they can assess what might need to be worked on that might have been damaged by all the snowy weather.

My services for Jury Duty was not needed, I’m free for another year, although the idea of serving on a jury would have been an interesting distraction after all the sad news about Japan, the destruction by our own storms, the loss of the Beautiful Elizabeth Taylor and the interesting Geraldine Ferrao and my “headaches” in finding a car I really like. Poohh!!

Hunting for a new car with Joe is proving to be informative as well as frustrating, and after comparisons with Popular Mechanics, Consumer Reports April issue, talking to the various sales personnel with a “laser-like” questionnaire, I currently am looking at the Elantra, although I was tempted to purchase a brand new 2010 VW Jetta that has sat at this dealer ship like a “Garage Queen” as Joe refers to it.

According to the sales person it was a special order exterior and interior in a Cream color, but when it was delivered the purchaser never picked it up, even though they had put a sizable down on it. A mystery. But Joe suspects it might have been for someone in an illegal business. Of course he is entitled to be suspicious. Although he is pushing me to look at the Dodge Challenger---why a muscle car? It’s a “guy thing” I think.

However Joe, rightly, insisted testing other makes, but there was something about this car, well I did test a few more, but when I went back this last Sunday to test the Jetta again it had been sold. Oh well it wasn’t meant to be.

And right now there maybe delays in getting whatever car I choose because of the situation in Japan, it only emphasizes the idea that too much outside of the U.S. the manufacturing of necessary parts can cripple our nations economy, it would be in the U.S.’s best interest to set up factories here to back up those in Japan or not be dependent on what Japan or any other foreign country manufactures that is necessary to the product. Globalization has its limitations when one sees how a crisis of such proportions can damage our financial structure. By bringing it back to the U.S. we’ll be adding jobs to the job market. I wonder if “they” will see that.

Several of my blog followers have asked how I’m doing after my accident, I still occasionally have slight headaches, the ringing in the ears is gone, my back sometimes doesn’t want to do what I would like it to do, had more X-rays, but my Doctor thinks it’s more muscle stress than anything and has recommended a massage therapist. I tried one that was recommended to me, oh it was heavenly! I am definitely going back for another, and maybe another.

I’ve been going to the gym, being careful on the type of workouts I do to make sure I don’t strain something, swimming has been very good for my cardio, being in the water is just so relaxing, an “out of body” experience for me.

The Headaches will eventually fade away, but they seem to appear when I’m under stress, I hope they do not become a permanent thing.

And Stress appears to be on the menu for now, work mostly. Too many things in upheaval. The Middle East, the horrible devastation in Japan, it is affecting us in oil and gas as well as the economy. We are watching the Japan Market right now; it is a very serious roller coaster. The very serious trouble with their nuclear energy plants, we’ve been following the updates on the reactors and it’s frightening. Those 50 brave souls staying on, risking their lives for everyone else.

Yoshi is raising funds to help out with the survivors, Joe and I have contributed as well as quiet a number of staff. I can’t imagine the sorrow, fear and deprivation that they are going through, my heart goes out to them as it does to the Haitian survivors. Each day that I listen to the news, it’s horrible and I read in the New York Times the horror stories and tremendous personal family loss of the survivors, it’s heartbreaking, my prayers go out to all the people of Japan.

To those of you who wish to help you can make donations through these organizations:
Americares.org this goes to medicine and medical supplies
Savethechildren.org donations go to help the youngest victims
Globalgiving.org this goes towards relief and emergency services
And you can contact your local Red Cross to see how they are accepting donations for their international branch.

I am so relived my assistant is back, she’d been very ill with that horrible flu that flattens you for weeks; she is proving to be invaluable, running interference for me when she sees I’m developing another headache, gets me coffee, tea or aspirin with barely a whisper from me, she even used her lunch hour to put together a first aid kit, with alka seltzer, band aids, antibiotic cream, Tums, and other necessary nostrums and aids for the ill. Definitely a Team Player, there are some classes and seminars that are coming up that I’d like her to go to, they will increase her value, to the point that I might lose her but she seems to want to stay and learn as much as she can and move up on her own merits. She will go far.

I have a rant that I’m going to post later but right now I’m going to hold off on it, “ranting” requires getting my blood up and doing that right now will bring on a headache.

On the Home Front, Heather, Lillian’s great-grand daughter has a little guest, a 4 legged guest, and after last night I know a permanent 4 legged guest. Heather was walking to catch her bus from the campus a couple of weeks ago, when she saw these 4 boys tormenting a small Chihuahua type dog, running up to them and scooping up the dog she demanded to know which one was the owner. None of them owned up to it. She went up and down the houses and few apartments in the area, no one knew the dog, it’s collar was missing, she told the boys that she was going to take the dog to a vet and get it checked out to see if it had a chip and if she saw them tormenting another animal she was going to call the police.

The next day she took it the a vet to see if it was chipped, no chip, then she took a picture of it and posted the flyers in the area where the dog had been found and even a little further out. She’d been calling the animal shelters and mailing flyers to them as well, out of all of this she got one call from a lady who asked if she could come by and see the dog last night.

Both Heather and Lillian had grown fond of the little beastie, even I have been charmed by it, but if this was the owner, they had no choice, they were going to have to surrender the dog; I was there last night when the lady came by with her husband or boyfriend in tow. The woman looked scared and the man looked vile, not a “nice” person. The little thing seemed to know the lady as she picked it up and it gave happy little licks to her cheek, suddenly she put the dog into Heather’s arms and asked her what she was going to do with the dog, Heather said that she and her grandma had become fond of it and if no owner was found they would keep it.

I saw the lady give a little sad smile and said that it wasn’t her dog and said to Heather “Take good care of Baby” she and the man left Lillian’s house, I stood at the door and before I closed it I saw him give the woman a shove snarling at her “You’re smart, now no dog! Don’t think about asking for it back! Stay here, don’t move! I’ll get the car!” He wasn’t aware that I had heard him or saw what he’d done, his tone made me mad and as soon as he was out of sight I went to her and gave her my business card telling her “Call or e-mail me if you’re in trouble or need help” she gave me a look and I said “My boy friend is a police officer if you need help we can help you get to a safe place, now hide that card.” She nodded and looked relieved.

Just in time she tucked the card away before he drove up, he growled at me and demanded to know why I was there and I said “I just wanted to keep her company while you got your car; some times it’s not safe no matter where you are.” He gave an angry nod at me as she got into the car then drove off breaking rubber. At that moment I wanted my Beretta, I felt he was one scum bag the world would be better off without.

I returned to Heather and Lillian, who was stretched out on the couch with the little beast on her lap. Heather asked me what that was all about, I said “That, I think, was the owner, she gave up the dog once she knew it was safe, I think she even told you it’s name, Baby” with that the little thing stood up and wagged it little tail.

So with Mocha Almond ice cream we celebrated a new member to the family and a happy ending to the little one’s tale (or is it ‘tail’) of woe. Would that there were more happy endings like that.

Until later Sweet Things, I will keep you informed of my car hunt, although I’m getting quite use to the routine I’ve developed, but the freedom that an automobile can bring cannot be denied.

Kisses.