Chasing LuLuBelle..............by Diane Ogden

Today was the day for LuluBelle to move to her new home.

 She has resided with me off and on for several years.  This past run was one year and eight months.  She isn't a trusting cat so I was never able to take her to pic her up much let crate her for a vet visit.  Although she has never been sick or even outside except the other day when she finally figure out she could jump the porch fence.  I got her back inside rather quickly though.  So no worries about catching anything.  Back to my point.
 

My daughter carried out the litter, two kitty beds, two bags of food, one gallon glass jar to mix the foods in, treats, catnip, brush, litter box, short cat tree, and some toys.  Then came time for her to pick up Lulubelle and gently put her in the carrier and take her home.  NOTSOMUCH!  (Photo is before Lulu realized what all this fuss was about!!



After about 45 minutes of chasing and hissing and water bottling as well as baby talking.  My daughter unbenounced to me asked the young couple moving in upstairs of me TODAY if he would help her.  I about fell off my mental boat/bridge etc.  So now three people are chasing this poor scared cat and the cat is winning.  When I walked back into my apartment/home all the furniture was strewn about, they had gloves on, towels in hand and the cat was still winning.  I went outside to de-stress myself.  

That is when after another twenty minutes my daughter comes walking out with LuluBelle in her carrier!  Then into the car and off to her new home.  (I am taking a deep breath as I type this) 
I said my goodbye to her and to the Grand daughter and daughter only to find out the young man that helped my daughter unbenounced to me got a serious scratch on his arm.  Once again I about fell off my emotional branch of life.   I must go tell him to doctor with Neosporin and that the cat is an indoor cat with no illness's OMG!! 

Now all I need is a loving home for Bob the "Bubby" Ogden.  I will miss him.  Just received a text photo of Lulubelle very happy in her bed on my daughter's bed.  She has waited a long time to go "home."   Happy Happy day.   So until the next fiasco, be safe, be well be happy.  LuLuBelle is!  As I am!  After today I could go for a good cigar about now.  But then I would just throw up.  Quit the smoking deal ten years ago come July 31st. 

Heil Zum Sieg........................by Diane Ogden

Today was a quiet day.  Cold as the dickens whatever the dickens means..... here in Wisconsin you never know what the next week might bring and so it is, today is was in the 50's overnight and the high was something like 62 degrees.  IN JULY!   I took Gracie dog to the Pet store for an outing as well as I needed kitty litter and some cat food that costs nearly a big bill.  No not $100 but it rang up at $70 with a $5 discount from one of the little cards you can keep on your key chain or until you get so many you just give your phone number to everybody and anybody at all checkouts.  Jeez I thought.  For litter, two bags of food, three small cartons of cat milk, catnip, two small treat bags....$70.00.....robbery I say. 

Then on the way home I decided to stop at a garage sale that wasn't in the garage but out in the cold Wisconsin air.  I didn't find much of anything except a small brass worn match box holder.  It said something German on it with a price of $2.00 so I bit and bought.  And low and behold......got home and went to see if I could find it on the Internet which I did for the most part.  I found some similar ones anyway.  Some on EBay ranged from $8.00 to $295.00.  Then I decided to see what the German words printed on it meant.  "Heil zum Sieg." 

I am from German descent and should have been able to tell what that mean just by saying it a couple times.  Heil zum Sieg.....Hail to Victory!  Hitlers insisted upon phrase to be said at all public gatherings while he persecuted millions.  I cant believe I bought that dang thing.   But then I suppose if I didn't associate it with Hitler I could consider it a good find.  We could all use a Hail to Victory every day of our lives.   Yeah, well I cant not ass-o-ciate it with donkey Hitler so I will continue to find if it has any value.  It has a name under the photo of the man who doesn't appear to be Hitler on the face of it.  I tried to get a photo of it but you must look carefully.  Used the computer camera whereas should have pulled out the canon I suppose.  Laters............

Nails Came With Good Listening..............by Diane Ogden

The man that does my nails is Billy.  He is from Viet Nam and on occasion he tells me some amazing stories.  I blogged about the time he told me about the ghosts in the trees tops.  There were so many killed in the war that on certain lands where fighting was dense, the tree tops are full of spirits.  Must be that some don't know how to move onto the light or how to move on period.  Billy was a person with the ability to see those passed on young men who fought that war and died.  And he was only a young boy scared of trees from then on. Who wouldn't be if they saw a bunch of white misty soldiers hanging around in the tree tops.  The young boy is trying to walk home and suddenly he see's aboritions.  No not abortions....I just cant spell it so sound it out thanks. 

  
Today we were laughing about a lady who comes to his business and drinks too much and doesn't make good decisions regarding much of anything.  She brings a flask of vodka everywhere she goes.  Worse yet she is a small town school bus driver.  I swear I about fell off my swivel chair.  And yes I may do some turning donkey (ass) in.  Billy is a good businessman and farmer and felt he probably shouldn't have discussed a client, which he never does any other time. 

After he confessed to not usually discussing clients, we moved onto me telling a couple stories.  Nothing serious until I inquired about whether someone should co-sign for another when the person is truly in need of help.  Billy sat up stiff, rolled his chair back, then forth, then said, "In VietNam there are Two Important Life Rules.  One is never to introduce a love to anyone because you will be the fault person when it doesn't work out.  And Two is to never co-sign for anyone for anything.  Like those were Viet Nam Laws. I am talking stiff laws not to be broken.

An interesting and informative day so far. 
Leaving me with a bitch of a decision.  I bet you get it?  No not whether to carry a flask of vodka and drive a school bus, as that was not me!! No, it was whether to break one of those VietNam Laws or not. Yet still not as bad as the vodka toting client who loaned the man $30,000 to become part of a business that wasn't even his, for her only to find out he gave her bogus contracts printed off the internet and she bought it hook line and sinker and lost him and her $30,000.00 and said bogus business.  My life is good.  Laters.............  
photo from: www.travel.nationalgeographic.com 

Me and a Tree!........................by Diane Ogden

       When people are packed up by moving companies they are not allowed to  have their plants packed up. Obviously!  Sooo, I got the tree from my clients home and I couldn't be happier considering large tree's in nice pots cost a considerable amount of money.  The drawback is the availability of transporting such a large item without an open top truck.  I have a truck with a moon-roof, but not a tree-roof for sure.  That was not going to deter me from getting my tree home!  I called the lady upstairs and asked to borrow her heavier than cement dolly.  No clue how I got that "piggy" into my back seat floor but I did.  I was born with determination which is the only reason I am still alive for sure.  Back to the tree.  My work helper carried it down a flight of stairs and around the yard to my truck with no tree-roof.  She weighs a whole 115 lbs. We viewed the situation and decided to put the pot in through the side door, then I held it while she ran around to the back and slid it to the farthest part of the truck with no tree-roof.

At that time I got into my truck with no tree-roof hole, and sat among the leaves all about my head and shoulders! 

And then I drove home.  I figured I could slide it out the back and onto the ground or dolly.  Notsomuch.  I couldn't even budge it.  I texted my trusted neighbor friend upstairs on first floor.  She said, "Give me two minutes!"  She who weighs probably 90 lbs. lifted that almost 7' tree out of the truck and that is when it started to tip over and out of the pot.  Except I caught it.  She sat it down on the dolly leaning the weak side against the back, as she crouched down in the center of the branches holding them in place.  It was a sight.  Then into the elevator!  A must see!

Then out and down the hall into my abode where she tied it to the upstairs second floor neighbors dolly.

 

It shall sit in the sun room until my daughter comes this week and moves her belongings out to her new home. At that time, the tree and me will find a permanent place for it.  I just hope Bob Ogden (the cat) doesn't try to climb it. omg.  If that happens the dolly will fall on Bob Ogden and kill him and I wont have half the problems I do now from rescuing him.  Okay I don't mean it.  Sort of. 

 

Laters..............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack or Joe, Joe or Jack?.........by Diane Ogden

 

 

Okay so one of these is Jack Nicholson and the other is my Dad Joe barely out of the anesthesia after a kidney surgery.  I just had to  document this somewhere for future giggles.  Dad is gone now after cancer took over his body.  Been 13 months but I have many pictures to remind me how funny he could be.   We as people are way too dang serious way too dang much of the time.  Including myself. 
Haven't been blogging much lately because I have been way too serious about this serious life.
Working on finding my sense of humor that got run over by a truck, stepped on with stiletto's, shot at, chit on, and then buried alive,  but it "aint" dead, just crawlin' its way back out.  Laters......

photo from:www.dreamstime.com

I Saw Elvis outside the Grocery Store Today........by Diane Ogden

I always try to go shopping before noon on Sunday to miss the rush.  The rush of the church goer's of all colors and faiths.  The non white church goer's are fun and enjoyable because they dress for Jesus!  From the babies to big boys, all decked out in the finest colors, materials, hats, bows, ties, and best of all shoes shined to the moon and back.  But I still try to beat even that rush.  And I am talking a rush of all meanings because they make me happy too. 

Today was an odd day.  I should have checked the moon and such because while walking thru the store I noticed people's faces.  Not that I never notice faces but today was totally unusual.  If I had ever wanted to be able to pull out my camera it was today.  But who can do that in the middle of the store, go to shooting pics of people that know what your doing!!  Why?  Because to day was face making day.  I saw one man with his face so scrunched up while he was self checking out I actually couldn't read it.  His face that is.  He was mad, confused, sick, frustrated, and looked like Jack Nicholson after a few too many and without the smiley smirk. 

Then there were the little old ladies that looked so lost I wondered how they would find their way home.  Or even outta there.

 So right away I prayed that wont happen to me. 

Children were making sounds that were not human.  One father was pushing a cart with a seat for his 8-9 year old son.  He was driving that thing like a maniac.  Or least a race car driver......weaving in and out of other carts.  After he passed another man pushing his son appropriately toward me I pretended I had a steering wheel in my hand and I was swerving around like the man and boy with the kid carrier cart.  He laughed at me and probably went home and told his wife he saw a crazy lady at the store driving her cart like a race car.  Naw he knew I was mocking the racer man.  Jerk he was for sure.  The faces were unsure, sad, insecure, mad, sick, and just plain ornery too.   Only a few smiled today. 

Next time I am going later so I can see the other color folks cause they are always happy.  Even though they are louder than loud, holler at their youngen's all through the store,  park right in front for an hour waiting for each other, but all in all they "is" happy. 

 

Okay so I am finished shopping and still upset I couldn't pull out my camera when I walk outside toward my new used vehicle.  And low and Lord behold, there he was in living God color sitting right next to my new used truckie, in his big old truck with sideburns the size of Texas and fat and low as old Mexico!  Oh and black as the ace of spades.  His hair that is.  Big hair, tall hair.  O M G I would have given a weeks wages to have been able to pull out my camera on this one.  Elvis was sitting ten feet from my being and I couldn't get a photo.  My mind raced as to how I could sneak one in.  Wasn't a way!  He was a big one too....a big Elvis.  Big truck, big hair, big man, big!  It was at that point I knew there had to be astral things going on up there.  Seriously what would a man that looked like that do for a living?   Dentist - notsomuch.  Nurse - no, no, no.  Computer tech - NO WAY!  Dancer - hum maybe, "Elvis the Pelvis."   Salesman - notachance.  Farmer - Could be.  Construction - possibly but nawh.  Bartender!  Bingo betcha. Or a Bouncer, that's it!  Whatever, he knew I was starring at him and he never smiled or flinched.  He was parked in HANDICAPPED.  Maybe not a bouncer or maybe an illegal one.

 I may have to invest in a mini camera so I can catch some of these amazing shots.  This photo was the closest one I could find to what he looked like.  Only FULLER sideburns. Made my day I tell ya.  I needed a laugh and I got one or more. Maybe this was one of those "You had to be there ones."

Laters......

photos from: roogirl.com    and   crownsmusical.eventbrite.com   and my personal web cam

 

Shawn Christian of DOOL's ......by Diane Ogden

I have been watching Days Of Our Live's for thirty some years... Could be more but I'm not sayin'.  I enjoy it because it makes my life look more wonderful than it is.  Although myself and the soap opera do have several things in common such as, marriages, (mine have been kept to a minimum of 3.5 not counting affairs) children, (oh yes!) Grandchildren, (oh yes!)  prison time, (well not me anyway thank God and myself) and no murders or kidnapping or buried alive chit!  And no blackmailing that I can recall.  Just kidding.  So what's my point?  Every evening when I watch Shawn Christian on DOOL I miss my son who could be his twin or at least his brother by appearance.  It is uncanny.  My son is Kyle Cody Ogden who moved to Los Angeles about eleven years ago per the advice of The Rock Agency of Madison, Wisconsin.  And yes he ended up living in his car for a time.  Broke his leg "WINNING" a bull riding contest.  Thank the Lord and his girlfriend at the time for nursing him back to health.  The next girlfriend obligingly took the cat I quilted him into taking to Cali with him considering he had taken on that responsibility.  (O M G What was I thinking??)  Cat got sick and cost a half a mill.  He also took his snake Jake along who got stuck up and under his truck cab frame that had to be taken apart at which time Jake got injured, had to go to Veterinarian at a $1,500 charge.   Up and coming actors cant Veterinarian charges and Veterinarian  wouldn't set up payment arrangements  nor give the pet snake back.  Good girlfriend at the time stepped up and visited Veterinarian as a stranger pretending to want to adopt said snake.  Vet let her adopt and home Jake came. A WIN! Then he and his girlfriend found a Chihuahua dog!  Peanut! They tried to find its owner to no avail. Cody rode his bike while Peanut rode in Cody's backpack.  When the man woman relationship went south she kept the cat and Peanut.  Thank God again. Then his truck died.  Cody is a carpenter who owns his own business called Helpful Hands Handyman Service, therefore having no truck is a disaster.  (Before he left Wisconsin he was hit by an undercover police officer and an ATT Phone Truck.  Yup sandwiched in his vehicle between them on an icy bridge.  The undercover cop didn't even give true information at the site.  Then the City and ATT brought in fancy schmancy big corporate attorneys.  There we sat like hicks from Hicksville with our one attorney against a room full of pretty blue suits and intimidating tall men who won. Well they gave Cody less than what his medical bills came to so his credit went to poop.($14,000 of which attorney got $8,000) And after the decision they all laughed and shook hands just like it was a football or baseball game.  It was. Except Cody has lifelong rotor cuff pain.  Sound like a soap opera? Oh yes and I have surely left things out on purpose.  I shared that story because that is why he couldn't go buy a truck. Medical bills killed his credit.  At this time my Father passed away and knowing Cody's plight he left his old truck to my son who truly needed it.  There was another reason my Father did this.  He told me a story about how his Grandpa Joseph Heiny gave him a car when Dad was around 18.  He told me he didn't really appreciate it like he should have and had regretful feelings about that fact until he was 86.  I believe giving Cody the 1998 truck with 60,000 miles on it (in 2012) was Dad's way of making KARMA right with his Grandfather back in 1944. Now...where was I?  Oh yes, Shawn Christian and Cody Ogden - brothers??  Maybe I will have to write the writers of DOOL's and or Ellen DeGeneres.  Oprah isn't up there doing favors anymore.   Cody goes to acting class every week.  Does auditions.  Has been an extra in a few movies, done a few small commercials...but hey time to move on up to the East Side!  Let me know what you think?   Maybe I should move to L.A. and become his agent.  Mother's get the job done for sure!

  Betcha cant tell which is Shawn Christian and which is Cody Ogden! Heads up DOOL!!