The Last Day of the Year 2023

 I cannot believe that I have not posted anything since my birthday in February.

A whole 10 months ago. 

And I feel bad about that. So much has happened this year. Why, if I would have just posted once a week, I could've had a better record of my year. 

For there is no reason to post daily, because no one reads blogs anymore. And of course, it is best to go along with whatever the crowd is doing. 

Me... I am not part of the crowd. Never have been, never will be. I think I recognized that a few years ago. Especially not a part of any internet crews. And that is fine. I don't have a problem with that. I am a strange chick, lol.

But, the issue is, this blog has been a good record of the going-ons in my life. Just today, while discussing a blanket with a former coworker (hint: "former" is an interesting word here... hmm), I was able to just come on this blog and pull some photos for her. I pulled them in under a minute... Why? Because I could search the whole LadyLee blog... some 17-18 years in length... and pull pictures. That is why it is so important to keep and not delete. And I should've been thinking about that all year long. And I regret not posting something once a week. Just that much stuff goes on. I have just that many pictures and stories. 

So I like to just do a freestyle stream-of-consciousness post of what is on my mind this last day of the year in 2023. 

One really important and huge turning point in my life was that I started a new job in April of this year. 

I was comfortable at my old job. It was a comfortable job. There is nothing like going to work day after day on a government job, and I can depend on that pay check. I make three times the salary I made when I first started there close to 22 years ago. I was comfortable. 

The new job isn't a huge change. It is still a government job in the same department, but it is a reassignment. My headquarters is up in Maryland somewhere. My supervisor is up there, too. I am a full time remote worker now. This was not a hard transition, as I'd been working from home for all of covid. I had to transform a bedroom I don't use (except for storage), to an office. That was interesting.

This new job is a writing job. And I do a TON of reading. Not the nice fiction reading I like, but hardcore scientific reading. I thought my dream was to have such a job, but lawd have mercy, it is all more difficult than I could ever imagine. But my supervisor says I am doing a good job. That was good to hear. 

The most challenging part of this is working from home, and just having to pretty much having to police myself. I work on being really honest with myself, and evaluating and critiquing my day. I told someone that 4 out of 5 days of my workweek are pretty good. But that ONE day... is just an off day. I may not get as much accomplished as I like. Someone may call and I may yack on the phone. I may want to stop and watch something on television. I may wake up late. Any little thing like that will throw me off. 

I tell you there is one thing I really like to do... when there is a staff meeting, and I don't have to worry about participating and just listening, It is a joy for whoever is in charge of the meeting say...

"We are waiting for 300 people to log on to this meeting, then we can get started..."

That means cameras and microphones are off. And I use that time to work on some simple project, like cleaning out the refrigerator, or cleaning out my spice cabinet. Or even folding a load of laundry. I can clean up the kitchen. Anything like that. Those meetings are usually an hour long. 

Of course I have a pen and pad nearby, just in case I need to scratch out a few notes and shoot an email to another employee later about the matter. But as far as I am concerned, that time is for home projects. 

There has been a time or two where I will take my laptop across the hall to my spare bedroom and lay across the bed and listen to a meeting. 

But I think I do good overall. I want to get it down to one slow day for every ten days. I will get down to that. But for now, I meet all my deadlines. I have a meeting with my supervisor every 2 weeks. That is a good 30 minute talk. And I am working harder to just hold myself accountable. It is just too doggone easy to goof off. 

I think the hardest part for me is that I miss my old coworkers. I don't think I realized how important it is to SEE people and talk to them. I don't think it bothered me too much during the pandemic, but it bothers me now because I am home alone AND I am looking and talking to people on the computer who I do not know. You gotta realize, I had been at my old workplace for over twenty years. I made friends there. I was familiar with my coworkers and they were familiar with me. So this is something that I have just had to cope with. Do I want to go back to my old job? Heck no. I just want to adjust to the changes. 

I find I do best from a mental standpoint when I am intentional about getting out of the house at least twice during the week and at least once on the weekends. I have to see and interact with people. This don't feel too important because I am a loner, but I appreciate my friends, and people in general even more. 

When major turns in my life occur, I think about what happened spiritually to lead to it. I had not been praying for a new job but I clearly remember praying about my career in general. 

"Lord, I need to think about my career and how I want to land my plane, end my career..."

And in January, one of my coworkers sent me a job announcement, asking if she should apply for it. I said, sure, sounds good. Do you mind if I apply for it too? She said sure. And I did. 

We both got the job. Along with another person in my group.

So you know me... I got to wondering how this happen. I remember asking my coworker what she'd been praying about. Because I wasn't praying about it. 

"Did God do a 2 for 1 special? Can that happen?" 

Of course he can. And then again, there was no formula for these types of things. 

"I just be tryna figure stuff out."

(I know I got on her last nerve).

It was just one of those "And suddenlys" in my life. I wasn't really happy in my old position at all. And I had purposed in 2022 to apply for at least a position per year, as a way to just keep my CV/resume current.  I tend to try to wrap my finite logic mind around things, and there is no need to do that. Count those good things as blessings, and as the start of new chapters in my life. 

So I have spent this time just working to get adjusted. For some odd reason, this caused me to lose interest in things that I like to do, like writing and crocheting. This was the first year that I didn't crochet that much. I think I made 3 adult blankets and one baby blanket. That is a little short of my usual. And I didn't write much at all this year... maybe two short stories. I think two stories were published, but I haven't even kept up with that like I should. Ugh. 

So...

2024 is going to be a year of getting back to doing more of what I like to do, in the midst of adjusting to my new work position. I turn 54 this year, and I am looking forward to that. My motto for 2024 is 

Be Intentional... On Purpose

I will be intentional concerning my prayers and goals. I will be intentional concerning my family and friends. I will just be intentional... on purpose. 

Leaving 2023 behind, but carrying the lessons learned into a New Year.

I can't wait to see what the year 2024 brings. 

Ice Cream Man! (No, Amazon Man!)

This has to be the truest thing I've seen this year.  I myself have found myself opening my Amazon app and seeing where my package is and when it will hit my doorstep.  Yes indeed it is the adult version of the ice cream truck. It is BETTER than the ice cream truck. 

But my biggest reason for eyeing my app for the arrival time is that I live in the hood, and you need to damn near catch the package before it hits the porch. I have not had anything stolen, but when I walk the neighborhood, I always come across Amazon boxes that have been hastily ripped open, and  their contents removed.

And the gentrifiers whine on the neighbor app about stuff being stolen off their porch. And the thieves have even been robbing the robot delivery systems that roll around. I haven't seen one of those yet, but they are being tested in one of the enclaves around these parts.

And another thing... half the vehicles going up and down my street during the day are Amazon and UPS trucks. It is always interesting to hear some loud booming bass and to look out the window only to see it is coming from Amazon trucks. 

O_o. 

And when I am out walking, I count no less than 5 trucks on my path. Ugh.

I tell you what... Jeff Bezos is a genius. He is making money hand over fist. Wish I had such ideas. We've all probably had them, but they have been flighty and unnoticed. They have most likely come and gone, and disappeared like puffs of smoke in the wind.

I saw some of his interviews from 20 years ago.

He had vision. Vision of something big.

And maybe it was a vision of people getting excited and clamoring for the services he provided.  Much like how kids hear the ice cream man coming and even chase down the ice cream truck.

 I myself have stood in line around the ice cream man's window on a hot summer's day with my coins clutched in my sweaty hand, eyeing the pictures of sweet treats plastered on the side of the white van. 

(My favorite treats were the orange pushup, the ice cream drumstick, the lemon bomb pop and the red white and blue bomb pops. Back in the '70s the bomb pops were 35 cents. They are $2 now!)

And here we stand now, with just about anything our heart's desire literally delivered to our house at our demand. Sometimes within a couple of hours after ordering.

Hmm....

Here's my question.  Who's gonna come up with a vision bigger than Amazon? 

Oh my. I cannot wait to see!

I wish it was me!! 

It's Shoe Time!

So I am just looking through my camera roll on my phone and pulling random pictures. Some of them I do not know why I took them, but some I do.

I have been looking at shoes recently.

I really want these shoes for some reason.

I don't like colorful shoes at all, but for some reason, I like these. Maybe I just need to change it up. They are only $80 so maybe I will gift them to myself for with my birthday money in February. 

For the past 15 years or so, I have been buying the same white and blue Nike Air Monarchs. They work really well for walking. I bought the 2 new pairs below because my latest pair is yucky and dirty from walking in them so much. 

I walked 4 miles on Sunday in the black and white pair and it went pretty well. I am saving the white pair for when I have to go somewhere.

I made the awful mistake of buying a couple of pair of $17 Avia sneakers from Walmart back in October. They are made comfortable, but they have zero arch support and my right foot started turning slightly inward at the ankle. Gave me a hip issue for a minute. I bought some arch supports for them, but I just don't want to chance it. There is nothing worse than being miles from home and being in pain and have to make it back home. Yikes.

However, I know that I'm not ready for $200 and $300 sneakers yet... and I probably never will be! 

Wear Your Masks!

Right now, with all this going back and forth about whether making it a requirement to wear masks, it is best just to have some masks. I have the surgical ones and the cloth ones that I can insert some paper towels or a piece of HVAC cloth (my preference).

But a young lady has taken to making masks a fashion statement.

Oh yes. That is fly. Some LV, baby. And it has some native American appeal, don't you think? It is wonderful, indeed a sight to behold.

But tell me something...

How in the world is anyone suppose to breathe through all that leather???

Because that ain't cloth.

We can't all be that fashionable.

Better to be safe. Do yourself a favor... do us ALL a favor, and wear your masks!

Next Level Oils at the Black People's Wal-mart

So I was walking around the Wal-mart...

Let me be more specific: I was walking around the BLACK people's Wal-mart, and I saw some interesting things.

Things I thought I would see more at the White People's Wal-mart. This makes me think that gentrification is creeping up on this particular eastside black area.

I was in an area near the gentrified east-side, but just outside of it, in East Decatur. But I think it is the Wal-mart that the toney folk in the gentrified east side head to. It's the nearest one to those overpriced neighborhoods.

I was looking to buy some vegetable or corn oil. I occasionally fry food. Heavens no it's not a daily thing I do (I would pass out from all the grease).  So I may need some vegetable oil every couple of months or so. So purchasing vegetable or corn oil is a simple enough task.

But I saw some products that made me go... hmmmm.

Duck fat!!!

Um... what's this for? Do you fry with it? What do you do with duck fat?

And why is it so expensive?

I'm not even looking it up. Nope. Not buying it either.

And look at this:  avocado and coconut oil.

This actually looks like it can be useful. I may look it up. I don't remember the price, but it was expensive.


Pure tallow!

Isn't that beef fat? Nope. Won't be using that. Bet it is GREAT for frying. But the cholesterol. LAWD!

(There is some Ghee lurking in these pictures. I LOVE ghee. I think it is clarified butter. Whatever it is... loved-ed it!)

Next up: Thrive.

Now I had to look at this a little closer. The can is pretty enough. A closer look at the container revealed that it was "culinary algae oil".

**crickets**

What the world?

I had to look at it twice.

I am sure it is good for you... I hope it is. But let's just say that I won't chance it. One of ya'll try it and let me know how it is.

Plus it's too expensive. It better be good. That is all.

Last but not least: flax, hemp and pumpkin seed oil.

Now, these may not be too bad. I am sure they may be good sprinkled on salad. Not sure what other use for them would be good. I am sure there are many.

But alas, it's too expensive. I will have to let that go.

I think I ended up getting the generic vegetable oil. It was $2 and some change.

And that's what I will stick with.

I was just shocked to see these items in the black people's Wal-Mart.

Maybe these things are just a sign that the Wal-mart, and the area, may be changing.

Come Get Him... or Her (Rusty Dusty)

My garage is on the side rear of my house. And when I leave in the morning, I back out of the driveway sharp enough to make sure I stare at the garage to make sure I have let the garage door down.

There have been quite a few days when I haven't done this, and I turn around and go back home to make sure. Thank goodness I live only 5 miles from work. There is nothing worse than spending all day wondering Did I let the garage door down?

One day earlier this month, I was performing this daily necessary ritual, when I saw something on my front porch.

My first thought was OH NO, BIG MITCH GOT OUT!!!

But further inspection revealed it to be another Tuxedo cat.

I have seen him quite a few times walking around my backyard. He was even asleep on my front porch a couple of times. He is a rusty dusty looking thing in need of a good bath. He looks like an owl.

He looks nothing like BIG MITCH.

Mitch keep his body clean. His tuxedo is not rusty dusty like his cousin who hangs out around my house. Nope. His whites are bleachy white and his coat is shiny and black.

Whoever cat that is, though... ya'll need to come get him... or her.

Of Moons and Fish Heads

I usually include my pics like this in my Friday Freestyles, but not today. I just want to post my favorite pics on a Thursday!

The super, blood, or rare moon.So I was leaving home to go to the gym on Wednesday morning and I saw the moon.

It was 6:00 am. And I wondering "What is wrong with the sun?"  

LOL. 

It was the moon. And I always hear about how there will be a super moon, etc., but I am never outside to see it. (And I really don't care).   

But it was cool to see it. Scared me for a split second, but I recovered.

Fish head. So I went to the dentist yesterday. I needed to have a couple of cavities filled. I have always had good teeth, but lately... sigh. 

Anyway, my favorite fresh fish house, Fulton Bay Seafood, is down that way. I have been going there since the age of 8 years old. So it is a long long time neighborhood spot. It is only open Wednesday through Saturday, so I thought I would go get some rainbow trout.  They had some already cleaned, so I picked one. It had the head on it, but I thought surely they would throw that away. 

Sigh.

They didn't. So when I unwrapped the butcher paper., that fish head was there.

The fish looks... frightened. So sad.

Just what do you do with  a fish head? I didn't think it was a good idea to fry it up with the butterflied part.

So I just wrapped it up good and saved it for the next day...

...so I could take it to work and throw it into the trash cans out by the workplace picnic tables. 

There was no way I was putting it in MY trasch  can. Yeah, I know that's jacked up. But whatever.

I fried my fish, though. And it was FIRE!!!

I can't wait for my next dentist appointment in 6 months so I can get another piece of fish!

LOL

In Bloom (Too Early)

So...

I was backing out of the driveway this morning, and I saw this.

These are the stairs to my front porch, and the plants on the side.

Those shoots came up in one week, and they are in full bloom.

How beautiful.

And it is only February. 

These usually bloom in mid-March.

I wonder what's up with that?

I think it is because of our unusual weather patterns as of late. We've had a couple of 75-80 degree weather, and I think that was just enough time to cause the early bloom.

This climate change is a trip.

Oh... I forgot. According to some folks, there's no such thing as climate change. 

I beg to differ... 

The flowers in my yard tell a different story...

A Most Interesting Letter

So look what I got in the mail...

Humph.

This type of thing happens from time to time, especially since a bunch of improvements are being made to my neighborhood. I have even been working out in my yard before, and thirsty people have driven up wanting to know if I want to sell my house.

Um, no.

And looking at the letter above...

Dude, you are writing out notes on yellow lined notebook paper. They have a company, and I blotted out that information. I'm not sure I should take anyone seriously who doesn't take the time to type out a letter on company letterhead.

One word: Suspect.

This may be aimed at some of the more dilapidated houses in the neighborhood. I'm not sure.

At any rate, I'll be throwing this letter in the trash.

On Tenacity

When I saw this picture, I thought of one thing: tenacity.

Tenacity is that "doggonnedness". It's the heart to get things done by any means necessary, even when it gets hard.

It is something that I wish I had more of. I look at myself and my accomplishments, and I have accomplished many things which take much tenacity, but in my heart of hearts, there's so much more I want to do. I spend so much time thinking of my dreams and purposes. I want to harness the tenacity it took to obtain my beloved degrees and put it all towards my imagination and all that I dream to do. All the obstacles in the way be damn. As the caption to the picture says.. "Don't let anything hold you back."

It's interesting that the older I get, the more I think of such things. 

And I think that's a move in the right direction.

All Humans Until...

This perfectly sums up life as we know it right now:

Yes. I do believe all bases have been covered with that little cartoon.

Blank Space

Everyday I walk into the kitchen and look at blank space.

That is the place where my microwave use to be. There was a lightning storm in it, and I decided to unplug it. There is no need to burn the house down when I'm simply trying to reheat a bowl of collard greens, you see.

But there's that blank space.  And it's been that way for the past month.

I'm not whining about it. I just want the same microwave that I had. It was a good one, lasting close to 10 years. I don't use a microwave as much as most people do, but I liked having it around. I found the one I like, but the place (where I bought the last one) is out of them.

"They are on order."

There were none in the warehouse.

I've gone back some three times, the last being over the Memorial Day weekend. It's a good 25 miles away, and I said that if I happen to be down that way, I'd look in.

Not only do they not have the microwaves. They aren't even in the warehouse. They are still waiting on them from China, I suppose.

Which leads me to one conclusion. 

I love my blank space.

I have figured out how to heat up my food on the stove. I have a convection countertop oven that I rarely use, so I have figured all that out. 

There is no need for the microwave.  And sense I can't get the very one I want, why don't I just not get one at all?

Yes.  That's the answer.

My food tastes better if I don't zap it anyways. And I can't remember the last time I've had one of those microwave dinners that require a microwave. I don't eat hot pockets, etc. I eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. I like a lot of raw stuff.

And like I said, it's been a month. So why in the world should I even buy a new microwave? Hmm.

I'll revisit this high class problem at the end ot the year.

For now...

I will stare at the... blank space.

Close Encounter of the Worst Kind (Can You Imagine?)

So uh...

What would you do if you walked out the house and saw THIS:

*crickets*

It would take a moment to register with me. I see myself blinking twice. The question "What the hell is THAT?" would not come out of my mouth, but it would fly lightning speed through my mind.

And then I'd scream so hard that I would faint. But not before taking my tail back in the house and closing the door. Closing the door hard!

Ain't that some craziness?  I thought  it was a small child at first. It even looks like it has on a pair of pants.

That's a close encounter of the worst kind.

Don't worry. That is a flying fox that is native to Austrailia. And it's a herbivore/nectiavore. That means no meat. They like nectar and they are good for pollinating stuff. (You  know I had to go read  about them).

But still...

I'm just glad that they are not indigenous to the USA.  Could you imagine a whole flock of those suckers flying over your head?

Got doggitt!!  That looks like something out of Jurassic Park. What the heck?  Can you imagine?

Not I.  No way. I don't even want to go to the zoo and see that.

And I live a mile from my city zoo. Every once in awhile, something gets loose. A snake, an owl...

But I would have to relocate if the flying foxes get loose (if they even have them).  And when they find them, then, and only then, could I move back home.

Only then.

E's of Leadership

One of the security guards went to a talk and brought this back. I think it is useful, whether we are leaders or not.

Good stuff indeed.

An Oldgirl's New Glasses!

Look what I got!

 

Some new glasses.

And it's about time. My old ones were all scratched up and falling all apart. It just did not make a bit of sense. I was waiting around to see how all my other medical bills fell before I purchased some new glasses. That means it was just low on my list.

But I finally got some.

And look at this:

Clip-on shades!

GLORY!

That's that new age technology. They clip on by magnets. Ain't that something?

Now I can look coooooool... All the time.  When the sun is shining. When it's dark. Cooool.

Maybe those have been out for awhile, and I just haven't caught on. It takes me a minute, you know.

I decided this time to go to a highly optomertrist off of Angie's List, and I am glad I did. I usually go to one of the big box discount type eyeglass places, but the last eye exam didn't go quite well. My lupus affects my eyes (not that much, but enough to notice), and the doggone doctor was looking at me like I was crazy when I told him this after he asked me why one of my eyes was "dirty". Humph. Pissed me off.

But this guy was on point, and knew what to look for and asked all the right questions, and he answered all my questions on a level where I could understand. So it looks like this Oldgirl has a trusty eye doctor!

I find when I go to a private eye establishment, the prices are sky high (and rightfully so). Those glasses cost about $600, and I normally pay around $375-$400. I have progressive invisible trifocals, ultra thin lenses, transitions and all that jazz, so my glasses are pretty expensive. They have lasted from 3 to 7 years, so that's not all that bad.

But these new glasses are the best I've ever had. Hands down.

Now, I want an extra pair of glasses, but I don't want to pay that much for them. 

So in comes the chicken... One of my favorite chickens, blogger Serenity_23... She has been ordering her glasses online for years, and she loves them.

So I asked her to order some for me.

But not the ones she has on, man! LadyLee is NOT that fashionable. I am not fashionable AT ALL.

Can you imagine me walking around sporting some marine blue glasses??? HA HA HA!

Uh... no.

(And she is wearing that good MAC make-up. No wonder she likes that stuff. It looks a mite bit different from my trusty Wal-mart make-up. Me and her... we are gonna have to have a discussion about that. Yes indeed.)

Bump that. Just order me some basic glasses, ma'am. Please and thank you.

This chicken was having problems, though. I thought I was gonna have to snap on her. She set up an account for me and kept it moving. I needed her to go further than that.

In my minds eye, I saw her ordering my glasses, me giving her a credit card number, and my glasses sitting in my hand. The end.

We didn't do that. There was a whole bunch of discussion. Finally, there was a happy medium. I wanted to just test how much the glasses would be, and it looks like she figured that I could get what I want for around $250. If I leave off the transitions, I can get them for around $150. And that's a decent price.

I still have to lift my fingers and type in a credit card number.

Chicken, you coulda hooked that up too. Humph.

Seriously, thanks chicken. Thanks for helping me out.  I owe you a favor :)

Wild Animals in the 'Hood

Look at what I saw when I was leaving for work the other morning:

A rabbit!

A fat one at that!

I wonder where he came from. There is a rabbit hole in my front yard. (I thought it was a snake hole until I saw one come out of it last year. I was thinking about filling it up with some dirt, but decided against if for some reason. (Might have been a snake hole afterall.

Some years ago, there was a turkey in my neighbor's backyard.

Not sure where he came from. I live downtown, so he has to be lost.

I also live a little over a mile from the Atlanta Zoo.

I don't think I will worry about this issue until I see a giraffe or gorilla or elephant prancing around my back yard.

Until then, let the rabbits and turkeys have their fun.

A Tale of Nut Butters

Someone asked me where I get almond butter. I think it is available wherever peanut butter is available, but I wouldn't know. Why? Because I get the fresh ground.

That's what I like. There's nothing added- no sugar, no preservatives, no stuff I can't pronounce. And it's organic.

That above is $6.99 a pound. I buy 2 or three dollars worth and that lasts me a couple of weeks. Not bad.

Fresh ground peanut butter is also available.

I rarely purchase that. I like the taste of almond butter better.

Now I saw something super interesting the other day at a natural foods store.

Here's a photo. It is a bit fuzzy, as I was sneaking to take the picture.

Can you see that? Macadamian nut butter.

I bet that is something good.

But uh... check out the price. If you can't read it, then that might be a good thing.

$28 for a small jar. $44 for a large jar.

I had to look twice, as I thought I'd moved the decimal point. Maybe the prices were $2.80 and $4.40 for the small and large jars respectively.

No. I was reading the prices right.

The small is no more than 8 ounces. The large looks like a 12 ounce jar.

I tell you what... I will let ya'll fool with that. You let me know how it is.

For now, I will just stick with my almond butter.

That's good enough for me.

Some Things Shouldn't be so... Blue

So... I was walking around Tarjay last week and I came across this:

O_O

Really... Blue cake.

*silence*

Man, really?

Let me tell ya'll something. If I EVER come to ya'll's house and you try to offer me some blue cake...

I will politely say "No thank you. I will have a piece of bread. Thank you.

I remember eating the blue jolly ranchers when I was a child. They turned my lips and tongue blue.

Yes, blue dye does that to you and I.

I would imagine eating blue cake would not only turn my lips and tongue blue, but also my throat and stomach... and everything else.

So uh, I don't think I will try that. I can understand the cake right next to it, the multicolored cake.

But blue cake... Maybe this is as common as red velvet cake (and that is something I don't like because it is so... red), but blue cake...

I'm just not ready for that one yet.

But I'll let you go get that... Let me know how it is!

Mice Tales, Part II

Click here for Mice Tales, Part I

Last week, I posted about a problem I had with mice some 20 years ago while living in a neighborhood less than a mile from my current residence. Thankfully, I haven't had any problems since then. But my best friend had a problem.

This wouldn't normally bother me, but it did this day. This had to be some 13 years ago. I was living in New Orleans at the time, and I would come home to Atlanta, a six hour drive away, to visit during time off. And during this time, I would sleep over at different friends houses just so I could get to hang out with everyone.

This one particular evening, the evening before I was to return to New Orleans, I'd planned on spending the night with my best friend LadyTee. I arrived at her place pretty late in the evening, around 10 at night. She'd already had the sofa made up for me, and we were sitting up watching television and talking.

"Uh, we saw a mouse in the kitchen last night," LadyTee said.
"What?!"
"A mouse."

And she went on to describe what happened. I think she cut on the light and there it was staring at her.

I immediately shuddered, thinking about my run-ins with the mice in my old place. "I can't stay here. Not with no mice."
"It's alright," she said. "I'm just letting you know, just in case you hear something."

O_O

"And I ain't worried about it. I got a trick for his ass."

I don't know what she meant. I didn't even ask, because I was sure I didn't want to know.

I decided instead to get up and go get some of those humane mouse traps that were useful in my own mouse issues. So I left her house and headed for the local Wal-mart. She lived in a neighborhood in the southern suburbs, and it's really dark out there with lots of woods. I had to take back roads to get to the Wal-mart.

And that's when I was spotted by the police.

I noticed in my rear view mirror that a cop was following me. He didn't have his lights on but he was following me.

Eventually he turned his lights on.

Do you think I stopped?

Nope. Not on no dark back roads. I am not a black male, but I'm still black. And one thing you don't do, especially in Georgia, is stop for the police in remote areas. He could've been a fake cop. Or worse, a dirty cop. I wanted no parts of that.

So I slowed way down. And I didn't stop until I reached the Wal-mart parking lot. Up near the front entrance.

The cop walked to my car, hand on his holstered gun. I let down my window.

"You didn't stop back there," he said.

"No I didn't. I was looking for a well lighted area. Sorry."

"You have out of state plates," he said. "Texas."

"That is because this is a rental car."

"Did you dump trash back there on the back road? Some trash bags."

I just looked at him. There was NO way I was going to be jumping out of my car dumping trash on a back road. No way.

"No I did not," I replied.

"We just had a report of someone dumping trash," he said. "That's why I stopped you."

"Sir," I said. "My friend has a mouse in the house. I was just coming up to Wal-Mart to get some mouse traps and some peanut butter. I am spending the night at her house, and I need to leave early in the morning. I just want to get some sleep without having to worry about a mouse."

He just stared at me.

"That's all I was trying to do," I said.

With that, he told me to have a good evening. I think he could see the fright in my eyes. This Oldgirl was not out illegally dumping trash. This Oldgirl was afraid of a mouse.

I bought the traps and we set them up. I still slept pretty light that evening.

Nothing was caught in the traps. Not sure how I felt about that. All I know I was getting away from there and making the drive back to New Orleans. I hoped she worked it all out.

A few days later I talked to LadyTee. "Did you catch that mouse? He still roaming around?"

"No babes," she said. "I think we got rid of it. I came up with a foolproof method."

"How?"

"This is what I did," she said. "I bought a can of beef stew. Then I mixed in some of that D-Con rat poison.

And then I put it in an aluminum pie plate and placed in the back yard, way back there by all them bushes over by the fence."

"Alright," I said. I had no idea where she was going with that.

"Then I went on back to house and went to bed."

"Uh, alright," I said again.

"When I woke up the next morning, I looked out the kitchen window, and that pie plate was gleaming in the sunlight.  Sun was just reflecting off it. Those mice and rats had licked the plate clean."

"What?"

"Yeah, girl," she continued. "I fixed them rodents. Teach 'em not to mess with me."

"Uh, but, what if a dog or cat got hold of that stew," I asked.

"That's not my problem," she said. "Dog or cat shouldn't have been in my yard. I'm trying to kill some mice here. They should've stayed out of my yard."

O_o.

Her unorthodox methods seem to work.  She didn't have any more mice problems for the couple of years she lived in that house.

We still talk about that 'til this day, the aluminum pie pan licked clean and gleaming in the morning sunlight. It was sort of a badge of honor for LadyTee. She is still proud of her ingenious master plan.

I just found it funny.

I'm not sure I would do the same. Too many stray cats running around my house.

I will let the cats do the dirty work of catching the mice.

That's one heck of a mouse tale.

I am so glad I don't have many to tell. 

Ten Tuesday Thoughts

1. I am loving the cool fall days. It's a big change from all the heat or summer. My electric bill is nice and low. And a bonus- no monsoon rains!! Glory!

2. I have reached the 5000 mile mark on Lucy Junior.  I drove that in only a little over 6 months, which is odd, as I usually only drive no more than 6500 miles a year. I think it was all of those doctor appointments way out in the southern 'burbs. That's a lot of driving, even for me.

3. Good movie:

It's a zombie movie. Scared me so bad that I missed a crochet stitch. Sigh. Odd, because zombies move slow in all the movies I have seen. These were moving very fast. My goodness. As you can see in the poster, they will climb each other to get at what they want to get at. It was some pure craziness.  

4. Another good movie

 If you see it, see it in 3D Imax. My goodness. It felt like I was floating in space right along with Oldgirl.  Interestingly, I went to church on last Wednesday morning and the minister talked about it for 10 minutes. He pulled a whole spiritual principle out of the movie. Had me a little O_o at first, but man, it made plenty good sense. If I could figure out how to post it as a food for thought, I sure will.

5. This year marks 15 years since I received my Ph.D.  It doesn't feel like it was that long ago. But I understood through that experience that all the things we go through in life are temporary. It may be painful, but it is temporary. Everything has an expiration date. Even our lives.

6. Book I am reading right now:
   

This is a very good book. This man has some very good ideas about creation, Noah's ark, the pyramids, Atlantis, Angels, Jesus, and much much more. Very enlightening read. I am learning a lot. And that's a good thing.

7. Quote of the day:  "All change begins with a decision. And a decision means that you cut off all other options."  

8. Another Quote: "Challenges come in life. Everyone has them. The important thing is how you respond to those challenges. For the way you respond to those challenges show who you truly are."  Just heard that one while sitting here watching from T.D. Jakes program..

9.  It is going to rain tomorrow. That means I need to get out here and cut the grass. Sigh. I think I will do the front yard today and the back yard tomorrow.

10. Favorite morning drink: The juice of a ripe lemon in 50 ounces of water. It takes me an hour to drink that, and I am running to the bathroom every 15 minutes, but I feel so much better during the day when I do. I am more likely to not become dehydrated, and It helps to start the day off right!