Just for Stoney.....

Tonight, there's gonna be a jailbreak
Somewhere in this town.....

Okay, that part was for Stoney. :-D

Yep, we had a prison break right in my very own house.

Prisoner #060106, a/k/a Maddox the Mad Mutt, sneaked out as an older female warden was rolling the garbage bin back into the exercise yard. Luckily the youngest warden of the clan was there to assist.

The prisoner made it no further than a block and a half up the street, at which point, Young Warden yelled out, "Dammit Maddox, get over here. Come here! HERE! HERE!" Maddox, sensing his doom, caved in returned to the guard, who was able to collar him (literally) and return him to his rather spacious cell. I have since learned that he yelled it so loudly that a neighbor a block away heard him. He said Maddox sort of looked at him like, "Oh. OH! You are being serious, huh? Okay....." and then came back.

Fred the Dachshund is said to be baking him a cake with a file. And rumor has it that Maia the Husky was giving him breakout tips over a purloined cell phone. Fred, thanks for the cake, but Big Mama is confiscating the file.... and her phone!!!

Well, plans have changed.

I had planned to participate in this year's "Liberty Idol." Auditions began last weekend, and continue through the first Saturday in May. I had last weekend (and I just forgot it), this weekend, and that weekend in May (out of town next weekend).

But ya know..... I'm just not feeling it. I have a few songs in mind, but I'm honestly not feeling the pull to it like I was a few weeks ago. Maybe it's just realizing that I have other things to do on the weekends, or just wanting to devote energies elsewhere this summer. I'm honestly not enthused enough to want it this year.

So best of luck to all the contestants! Maybe see ya next year!

A wonderful opportunity!

Earlier this week, the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure called me, inquiring if I would be interested in joining the Race Committee. Sure, why not, I thought, and signed up to be at tonight's kickoff meeting.

It has been a very long time since I have volunteered in any capacity outside of my church. I was so involved with community service in high school and college, and couldn't imagine not doing something like that as an adult. I mean, for criminy's sake, I was a member of a service fraternity in college!!!! But soon work, life, stress, you name it -- it all came along and suddenly there was no time for my community. My church got my volunteer energy -- not that there's anything wrong with that, but the community at large could have used me too.

One of my resolutions was to do some community service again, but I was thinking of volunteering at the animal shelter once a month or something like that. So finally the time has come. It's a good opportunity to help, and it's certainly a cause about which I am passionate.

I was thinking this was going to be something like a "volunteer opportunity fair" -- you know, go in, see what volunteer ideas are available, go in and sign up for 2 or 3 little things ..... you know, like helping on team registration day. Or "hey, I'll help with promotions!"

Oh no. Oh no. This was a meeting for people who are going to be COORDINATORS and CHAIRPEOPLE. So guess what? I signed up to be "Sleep In For The Cure" coordinator. I will help promote this event (for people who want to contribute and get some tangible item but who have NO intention of getting up that early to actually walk or run!), buy the prizes, etc.

I'm actually kind of psyched about this whole thing. It's not only about time I stepped back into volunteering, it's time I got out and networked again. I haven't done much of that since I left ol' FD nearly 14 years ago. I'm looking forward to what I can do to help the cause along!

Stop! Idol Time....

Quick note: the fingers are much better. The pinky still hurts under running water, and is a bit tender, but so far no blistering. AHHHH!!!

It's time again for "Liberty Idol," our hometown singing competition. I am planning to go for it this year. In an earlier blogpost about Dan Fogelberg's death, I mentioned that I wanted to audition to "Hard to Say," but I'm thinking a different song. I've been leaning all this week to "I Feel The Earth Move" (Carole King). No matter what happens, I'm going to try and go as old-school as I can and as often as possible!

We'll see what happens!

A quick kitchen-related PSA and medical rant.

Never ever lift off a Saran Wrap plastic cover with your dominant hand and pull in the opposite direction (e.g., with your right hand and pulling right-to-left).

Signed,
The Girl with 3 Steam-Burned Fingers Which Are Hurting Like A Mofo

Yes, dear friends, I was stupid enough to do that this early afternoon. I was heating a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave, when I went to do a quick stir. It all happened in maybe 2 seconds, but I knew from the first one that it wasn't going to be good.

By the time I walked Maddox a little later, the pain wasn't any better and the inflammation hadn't lessened. That was having sprayed it with Bactine and put some Noxzema on it. So I stopped at CVS on the walk and got this gel stuff with lidocaine, just for burns. I also got some tubular gauze, which is now wrapped around my fingers, and covered in medical tape. There are also these little rubber gizmos to put on my fingers for handwashing or showering. Little finger condoms (for real!).

So why didn't I haul myself in for medical care? Lack of urgent care facilities in our county -- plain and simple. On our insurance plan, the co-pay for an office visit and urgent care is the same ($20). The co-pay for the ER is six times that cost and a little more ($125). No way am I spending that much for a co-pay, but I also wasn't going to drive to Greenville just for urgent care. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Urgent care for my county: what a concept that would be.

EDIT: Well. I just found out there's an urgent care facility in Clemson. Had I known that four hours ago, my happy butt would have gone!!! Making a note for the future.....