Bingo Didn't Help .....

It's just too quiet around here.  There was no tapping on my shoulder this morning to go outside ... no barking for morning snacks ... just the clang of the doggie door and a quiet little MEW.   I think she's just after food, but it's company, so I oblige.  She's staying in most all day now, most likely due to the heat.  We are in the mid 90's and it's HOT.

I tried to get out for a run, but I wasn't really feeling it.  I don't seem to be feeling much of anything other than heartache.  This guy squawked at me when I went by.  It seems they are all running loose now.  they have been spotted all over the neighborhood, as far as two miles away.

Just to the left of him these gorgeous flowers are blooming like crazy.  It's weird, I have never seen this hedge bloom.  I turned around and headed home.  I'm just not motivated one little bit.

Bingo time came around with more tears.  Absolutely everything reminds me of Cooper.  Don't need to leave the TV on, he's not here.  Don't need to leave the lights on, he's not here.  It just goes on and on.

It's a little better around people ... except several friends came up and hugged me, causing even more tears.  I think it's the loneliness that bothers me the most.  I have never been good at that my entire life.

I helped my Kitchen Gal with her cheesecake desserts, just trying to keep busy.  We made the biggest mess ever because she didn't cool them down in the freezer before slicing.  It looks like someone stomped through the middle of every container, but no one cares because it tastes so GOOD!

We chopped tomatoes, SLICED tomatoes, drained jalapeños, and generally made a big mess of the kitchen.  I left her to clean it up!  Since I'm not setting up the entire room any more, I headed upstairs for some popcorn and a coke.  That was dinner.  Food just doesn't sound good any more.

I was rather late getting started, but my best gal was counting for me and we talked puppies.  She just lost her two poodles about a year ago.  Lucky for her, she has four golden doodles to take their place.  

It went pretty well with 137 players, many of whom have never played before.  We still have the BIG jackpots waiting to be won.  It's weird, we have never EVER gone this long without both of them being won.  That is definitely bringing in the crowds.  

There were the usual complaints about I'M FIRST IN LINE, WHY IS SHE GETTING HER CARDS!!  My standard statement is THERE IS NO FIRST IN LINE.  Whoever gets to the door first, is first in line.  If I have people helping me set up, they can pick their cards.  You want to be first?  Come help me set up.  Besides, even if you are first, you never win, so there's that .........  No seriously, those four women who complain, never win!!

There were a few LOUD entertaining parts where the caller forgot a free number or miscalled a number.  He just broke up with his girlfriend of many years, so he got a reprieve, at least from the workers.  It's bad if you call a wrong number, because they mark them instantly.  Moans and groans ensued, followed by a whisper of BINGO.  If you have bingo, you better yell it at the top of your lungs or you will not get paid.  I paid out $250 for each of 22 games.

That was it for the night.  No flaming torches, just a few pitchforks on this night.  I caught this picture just before heading out the back door, reminding me to get my camera out when I got home.  I don't think this happens very often.

When I looked up and saw this, I pulled over and snapped a quick picture with my phone.  I don't think the moon has ever looked this close in my lifetime.  I didn't see Mercury, but the other three were very visible, in fact much brighter and closer than the picture.  By the time I got home, none of them were visible.

This was waiting for me.  She's always very quiet, and always watching me.  She's behind me as I type.  I try to pet her a lot, but it's just not the same.  

Nothing is ever going to fill the hole left by this guy.  He's after that pork on the plate, even though the exact same thing is in his dog bowl.  He didn't get but a few tiny bites from most every meal I had, and only the meat. 

Always after that ball ......... because HE pulled the pillow over it to hide it first.

Once again, thank you everyone for the kind thoughts.  I look forward to reading your comments every day.  It really does help me cope with losing my best friend in the whole wide world.  

PUPPY PRINTS

 Well here I am sitting at my computer crying once again.  I would tell you what I did yesterday, but I don't remember.  I DO remember feeling sore from the Sunday's run, so I tried to come up with something else to do.  I had nothing.

I finally posted about Cooper on Facebook, whereupon my neighbor responded with lots of pictures.  She sent these to me right away.  You see her puppy Halo and Mr. Cooper used to run around like crazy in my front yard.  

They would play racehorse all over the front lawn together.  You can tell because both of them are panting for air!  

Halo loved Cooper so much that when he was let outside, he would make a beeline for my front door and peek through the window to see where Cooper was.  He would bark and cry until I went to the door and let Cooper out to play.  They were Best Buds!!

I did a couple loads of laundry and wandered around the house before deciding to do a little cleaning.  You know it's pretty bad when I drag out the vacuum cleaner.  That's when it really fell apart.  Everywhere I went on the hardwood floor, I saw Cooper's footprints from coming in every morning with wet feet.  I'm never washing these floors again so I can always have him with me.

Kitters has become a pain in the buttinsky.  I suppose she knows something is off, and she just will not leave me alone.  

She is in my face constantly, and if not, she's stalking me.  She used to stay outside most of the time.  Maybe it's just because the temps are up in the high 90's now.  She's right behind me at this moment, just like in this picture.

I finally decided to give my longarm another shot.  Did I mention the first time I tried it after the maintenance/repair, it froze up and gave me motor errors?  Pretty frustrating since I just paid a chunk to get it fixed.  I wasn't feeling like a hassle, but I turned it back on and tried to finish off the row.  Surprisingly, I got that one done.

Little did I know, that the BACK of the quilt where I had the previous problem, had wads of thread so bad that I had to take it out for several inches.  Getting the machine to go back to the exact point and restitch that section was harder than I thought.  At last I figured it was done, but when I took it off the longarm, I discovered this little section that I missed.  Oh well .. it's not all that noticeable, and it can't be fixed now.

I'm disappointed since I liked the borders on this one so much.  I'm not sure it's going to be given away.  I doubt anyone will notice since when off the frame, it took me a while to even find it.  If nothing else, it kept me occupied for a couple of hours.

An hour later, I came unglued just sitting here alone.  I called my Elks girlfriend and went over to her house for the rest of the afternoon.  Thank goodness for good friends.  

I've got Bingo tonight and another five quilts to quilt, so maybe I can keep busy enough so I don't have a meltdown.  I never imagined it would be this bad.

Trying To Cope

 Thank you everyone so very much for all the wonderful Cooper thoughts.  I just never in a million years thought it would be this bad.  I knew he was so much older than most pups, and I tried to prepare myself, but it was useless.  I just can't stop crying, I miss him so very much.

He was a huge part of my life.  I got up to let him out, to cook him breakfast, to take him for a walk outside ... he was my constant companion.  And now I don't know what to do.  I just sit there.  So my blog is going to be pretty crappy for awhile, and I apologize for that.  I just can't seem to get it together right now.

I did go out for a run to try and stop the tears.  It didn't work, but I got in a little over two miles.  

On Saturday I had a birthday/anniversary party to attend.  I should have stayed home.  As soon as I saw my bingo friends, I started sobbing.  They were very kind, and I did my best to carry on a conversation and eat the carne asada tacos that were very good.

About 80 people were there, most of whom I did not know, so I only took a couple of pictures.  These are two of the best bingo volunteers we have.

Back home I fell apart again.  It's things like shutting my bedroom door ... oh, I don't have to do that any more.  Maybe it's just my age, but nothing has ever bothered me this much in my life.  Everyone says to get another puppy, but I don't think I could go through this again.  

If you all don't mind, I will be posting a picture of him here and there.  I don't know why they can't live forever!

Kitters did her best to distract me.  In fact, she has been bothering me relentlessly all day long.  Maybe she knows.  She hasn't left my side in the last two days.  What a pain she can be when it comes to being brushed.

And of course she brought me a present.  Poor little lizards, I feel so bad for them.  I think this is number 7 that now lives out in the front yard.  I'm not sure they survive ... maybe there are 7 DEAD lizards out front.

Big sigh ... I picked up all the rugs and carpets, stashing them in the garage.  All his leashes and toys are stacked on the fireplace mantle.  If I could keep busy, I would feel better, but alas, nothing is working. 

I did drive the van ... only four cold starts to go.  And I tried to finish that same quilt, but the program screen froze up (that's what happens when you upgrade and upgrade) and I got motor errors right and left, so nothing on the longarm works.  Seems nothing is going right in my world at the moment.  

You know that feeling when you want a distraction ... to go somewhere ... but you can't think of any place to go?  That's me right now.  

Thank you again everyone for your kind words ... they mean so very much to me!!  I'll try to get my act together!!!

MR. COOPER

The love of my life .... Mr. Cooper .... who stuck around with me longer than any husband ever did.  He was the sweetest boy ever, following me everywhere, from Alaska to Maine and back.  I could not have asked for a better partner in crime.   

He absolutely LOVED those little green and yellow balls, rolling it to you with his nose so you would roll it back to him.  He was a quite the expressive little guy.

I was able to get him in to see the best Vet in the county, who said the instant he saw him, that Cooper was in heart failure.  I became completely undone.  I don't know what I'm going to do without him.  I cannot even begin to describe the heartache.  

Thank you for all the heartfelt words ... I appreciate it so very much!!

Rest in peace my little boy ... I will miss you more than words can ever say.

MR. COOPER (COOP)

10/24/2009 - 6/12/2026

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I'm Devastated

 I lost my sweet little Cooper Boy late yesterday.  

IT WAS NOT A CHICKEN DINNER DAY!

These mornings in Central California are coming fast and furious.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm not the least bit busy or if I'm TOO busy!!  No rain here, that's the sprinklers that are straining to do their job and keep the lawn acceptably green.  In a neighborhood of fancy houses, you have to keep up with the Jones' lawn.  

It wasn't fancy when I bought this house, in fact every one on the block was in bankruptcy, so we all got REALLY good deals.  Keeping up appearances is important I suppose, so I do my best.  Just don't look over the fence in the back yard!

Doesn't she look weird?  Truly, especially since losing all that winter coat, she is not the prettiest one on the block. She is VERY appreciative of everything I do for her though.  She's waiting for her morning scrub with the brush, purring up a storm.

Breakfast was unusual for me.  I don't even remember the last time I cooked an omelette.  This one is stuffed with cheese and those OH-SO-TASTY tomatoes I snagged at the lodge.  It was delicious with a capital D!!  That's Cooper's little share on the left.

Since my Trustee meeting wasn't until 6:00, I decided to try for a re-smog on the van.  I had good thoughts going in since I was sure it was NOT in regen mode, as evidenced by the 6% particulates in the filter.  These people are just the nicest EVER.  We discussed the whole thing, and they were more than happy to show me how to come up with the info on MY code reader.  

The problems were INSTANT!  Both HIS reader and MINE said this was a GAS engine.  Are you kidding me?  How could that be??  It's a DIESEL.  The very nice guy went and got his OWN reader from his truck and tried it.  NOPE ... they all say it's a gas engine.  WHAT THE BLEEP?????

His reader said it STILL had that stupid PERMANENT CODE and NOTHING will clear it, therefore it will NOT pass smog.  He asked if I ever had a check engine light.  Not that I remember, just one that said I was low on oil, because of course there's no way to CHECK the oil except when it tells you on the dash to ADD OIL.  By now I'm as mad as I've probably been my entire life.  This is ridiculous!!  I'll just drive it until I get a ticket.

Here's the thing ... you have to do all that crazy driving, using up pricey fuel, to get the MILEAGE on it,  which is over 300 miles, THEN you have to let it sit overnight.  When the engine is cold, you start it up and let it come to temperature.  FIFTEEN TIMES!!!!!  Is that the stupidest thing you've ever heard of?  

He showed me how to use my code reader to go through all the sections, and there it was.  I've already done that TEN times and I have FIVE TIMES TO GO!  Nothing else will get rid of that code.  

Here's the best part ..... if you try to DELETE THAT CODE, it will start completely over again and you have to go through all the driving and cold starts from scratch.  I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life!!!  I had to laugh or I would have cried!!

There's nothing like starting off your day in a great mood to be SLAPPED DOWN like a mosquito!!  At this point, I wish I had never bought this van, because I live in California where they have STUPID RULES!!!!

Once back home, I tried to change my frame of mind, but it was't happening.  Even putting the last border on this quilt didn't help.  When finished, this one will be auctioned off at the Veterans Dinner.

And that brings me to the Trustee meeting.  I'm already in a terrible mood, right?  I didn't find out until 30 minutes before, that only two of us trustees would be present.  Everyone is at the County Fair.  NO trustee meeting ensued.  I was okay with that, when the only other guy that showed up bought me a glass of wine.  

At this point, it's pretty much us older conservative members against them.  They want to spend every dime while we are trying to keep the lodge afloat.  It's too bad it has come to this.  I suppose it happens to all groups sooner or later, but this group was the best for so long, it's hard to see it at this point.

It didn't help that the only other two people who agree with us were not in attendance either.  And so after sitting at the bar having that small glass of wine on an empty stomach, I became nauseous enough with a splitting headache, that I walked out and drove home.  I found out later that meant they could not carry out any business without a quorum either.  

I think the Universe is trying to tell me something.  I need to go on a trip and drive the you-know-what out of that van so the BAD CODE will go away!!  

So there is NO winner winner chicken dinner for me.  I had a few crackers before hitting the hay with Mr. Cooper.  This morning I'm off for a haircut before attending the Flag Ceremony and having dinner with friends. I'm sure that will improve my attitude tremendously!!

A LONG WORK DAY

 It is morning once again accompanied by 70 degrees of hot air.  It's going to be a scorching 92 degrees today.  I know it's not as hot as Arizona, but it's HOT for here.  Nevertheless, I'm happy to wake up with Mr. Cooper every morning.  The alternative isn't good at all.

There's a sliver of a moon still hanging out in the sky.  Late at night the planets are almost brighter than the moon.  If I could stay awake long enough, I'd take some photos of the stars!

Wednesday was a recover-from-bingo day, as usual.  I just could not seem to get moving.  Maybe it was looking at this guy that kept me yawning all morning long.  He sleeps so soundly that sometimes I can pick him up and put him down without disturbing him at all.  

On the other hand, I try to stand up ever so slowly and sneak out of the house before he wakes up.  He's such a SWEET BOY!

This one ruins it every time.  She's a very light sleeper and instantly meows the news throughout the house.  Once awake, she heads for the arm of the couch where she begs for brushing.  I'm not sure if it's because she's shedding so much fur or whether she just wants attention.  Lucky for me, there have been no more gophers or lizards running rampant throughout my house.

In no time I was off to accounting business.  I never should have given my email address to the head Accountant at their main office.  DING DING means I have several hours of brain crushing computer work to do.

On this day it involved the State Franchise Tax Board.  Nothing on their website is easy to navigate and nothing fits into their little boxes according to their parameters.  It finally involved changing the company name.  

At long last I completed that one, before getting a text message that the gal I recommended to actually do all this work so I didn't have to ..... could not come in on this day.  UGH!!  I was not expecting that.  It seems her granddaughter was showing her pigs at the County Fair.  I can't complain because I've been there showing cattle, and kids need someone around to cheer them on.  She won SECOND place, so congrats to her!!!

In the meantime, I spent three MORE hours paying bills.  It was a slow process.  I haven't had to do this in several months now and it took some work to remember how to print checks.  You have to hit that print button FIVE times!!  I got it done for the most part, but I left the recording and filing to her.  At long last I was headed home.

Not that I did anything when I got there.  I was exhausted, brain dead, and I couldn't stop yawning.  I looked at the longarm all set up and said NOPE ... not today.  I thought about vacuuming the house and said NOPE ... not today.  I crashed on the couch.

Dinner was ever SO exciting!  I had a lovely pork loin to prepare, but it just seemed like too much work, so I scrounged in the freezer until I found this.  Truly, this stuff is awful and no relation to the REAL Mac & Cheese that you make from scratch.  Not even CLOSE!  

But it was food ... so I ate as much as I could stomach.  The 100% real cheese was good ... it was all the other stuff in there that was terrible!!

Not a very exciting day to say the least.  Tonight is a trustee meeting at the lodge (not looking forward to that), tomorrow is the flag ceremony and dinner (I've been invited to be a date for the night so I couldn't turn that down), followed by an exclusive 80th birthday party on Saturday.  This is WAY too much activity for me!!  

Here's hoping the weather guessers are wrong and we have a lovely day in sunny California.

Ciao ... Adios ... Au Revoir ... see ya later alligator!!