October [a number date goes here], 2000
Sooner or later time goes here
At least it feels cooler thinking of the cooler days to come.
Wednesday October 4, 2000
4:45a
I tried writting entrys a few days ago, Sunday or Monday I guess, but there's too little interest in keeping up this Journal now. I've lost something and don't know what or where I lost it.
I suppose it is partly 'cause I'm busy with work and the normal running around doing what has to be done for Mom and her house.
I did the usual grass cutting at her house Saturday. Then I spent some time on the roof, a few of the shingles were bulging up where nails were backing out. So I used two putty blades to hammer the nail down and some roofing cement to help get the shingle stuck back down too.
Then I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I went under the house to check on the furnance air filter. I dont remember the last time I was under there. Anyway I crawled around over to the far side of the furnance and checked the filter size, it was the same as the old ones out in the metal storage building. Then I went down to the hardware place by the creek to get one. They didn't have the right size, typical luck. So I drove up to Bivens and got one there, I guess it's appropriate it should have come from there anyway. I got back to her house and crawled under it again and replaced the filter. While there I started to look over the other side of the furnance, where Dad spent lots of time keeping it going, the older funrance anyway. I saw the oil filter sitting on the ground and it looked corroded. I menttioned to Mom about having Wayne come out the check the furnance and replace it, that was Sunday afternoon. She never called the oil company, said wait till it quits working before having someone come out. I just don't understand why she thinks like that. I should be fixed now before it's cold and have to do without heat. She'll think about the $50 just for them to look but the next thing she'll mention is buying a truck for me.
So anyway. The brothers are up in the New England states now on their travels. It'll probably be another month before they get here. Spend a couple or three days here and then leave again.
On well, enough of this.
Monday October 9, 2000
5:00a
I'm still hanging on. I'm back to waking up early. Have to take Mom to the doctor in Greenville this morning. Talked with the brothers last night, they're in upstate NY, it's cold and wet up there too. Tried going without the anti-axiety pills yesterday, that didn't work. It's the dread of cold and other things still in my head. Time to go warm up the truck and get on over to Mom's. Maybe I'll just take the whole day off and pay bills and stuff.
Thursday October 12, 2000
5:55a
Just another entry to note I'm still hanging on. It's only 2 1/2 months till the 21st century, no one's talking about the really change over either. I filled out some more forms for employment a couple of days this week. Dan was up in NY doing the same thing yesterday, he called Mom and asked about the right home address. It's still down in the 30s at night. I'm tired of thinking about the winter months. Everything just kind-of collapsed this year. Bye.
Monday October 16, 2000
5:55a
Oh well, another weekend gone by and nothing accomplished, not what I wanted anyway. It makes me feel bad when I can't get done what I think needs to be done. But that's the way it's been for so long now. I should go back to the nothing planned, nothing can fail plan, just let it all slide by and wait for the next collapse.
Monday October 23, 2000
5:30a
Tuesday or Wednesday of last week, one of the other lab technicians told me I had a phone call on the lab phone. It was mom. The power had gone off at her house and had been off for more than an hour. She had gotten the tank of oxygen turned on and now it was about to run out. She had never changed a tank. So I leave work and go up to her house.
She had called DM to see if he could come up, but Micky had the car. She hadn't called the power company till just before she called me either. So anyway I get the tank changed and go out to look at the line coming down from the pole to her house. A power company truck drives around the circle and I run across the backyard to wave it down up near the pecan tree. He said a squirrel probably got across the lines and he would just have to rest the fuse. It was just that circle of houses and that's why no one else had called it in. It was about lunch time by then so I just stayed there the rest of the morning.
Saturday I spent the day getting mom a new recliner chair. She had been wanting one since last year or before, I've forgotten when we moved the chairs around. I went up the furniture place last Saturday to look. I drove down to Easley to look at a couple more stores, they were the expensive places. So I get back to the Pickens store and buy one I saw there last week. I was going to let him deliver it Monday and drove back to my house. But then I got to thinking I might as well go back and get it and try to find someone on Sunday to help move the chairs around. Lucille was at Mom house then too, so we got the oldest recliner moved out onto the porch and the new one moved in. Mom can't operate it right, it's too hard for her to get it to lean all the way back. She's already pushed too hard on the lever to rise the leg part. So it's pretty much like I expected, everything I try to get done just never works out right. I was so tense about going to look at the other stores that my pulse wasn't regular. That's happened before too in recent weeks. But it goes away after a while.
Yesterday, Leander drove up while we were eating lunch, or just finished eating. She spent the afternoon and night. Lucille came over too, she called to see if mom was alone but I told her Leander was there. Mom called back and then she came over.
Later in the afternoon, we all rode up the mountain highway and across SC 11 to look at the Autumn leaves. It was the first time mom had been out just for a ride since before February. We came back down the Pumpkintown highway and then by Lucilles house and the Midway road. Then I drove on up through town and back up Edens road. I doubt if mom would have gone anywhere if they hadn't of been there.
So that was that week, now it's put in the time for this week and see what happens next.
Friday October 27, 2000
5:15a
Daniel got here Wednesday noontime. Robert's still up in North Carolina mountains, I guess, he was on Davidson River in Pisgah outside Brevard about Sunday or Monday.
Oh well, I've got time to write some for a change and can't decide what to write about.
Work at the Power Tool Place is work, one of them can't controll his temper and it makes me tense and stressed, spend days waiting on this or that, then get a couple of tests done and then hurry up and get the answers wrote up, then it wasn't all that neccessary anyway.
The electric company is planning to do some work on the pole nearest Mom's house, the power's going to be off for some time I assume and I still haven't got an emergency generator, don't know which is worse, not have one or have one and not use it.
I'm going to upload these pages and go away again. Bye.
Saturday October 28, 2000
7:50a
Robert arrived about noontime yesterday. Mom had called early that morning to talk with him. He was in Cherokee, NC and so drove on in that morning. I saw him at her house when I went to eat lunch. Later that afternoon, I left work early, stopped by my house and then went on over to her house. Dan had gotten back by then. When I walked into the kitchen they were both in there. It was the first time in 22 years since we were in the same house at the same time.
Monday October 30, 2000
6:40a
Yesterday, Sunday October 29, 2000, in the afternoon, Daniel, Robert, Mack Trotter and I walked most of the way up Table Rock Mountain, to the overlook shelter.
Wednesday November 1, 2000
6:45a
I really didn't finish this entry, started it but couldn't decide on what to write so I went on to work.
Thursday November 2, 2000
6:15a
I don't know if I can decide what to write this morning either.
I'm going to take the afternoon off today and spend it visiting with my brothers. I don't care if I don't have any vacation time yet either, I'll just get to feeling bad and write it off as a partial sick day.
Yesterday they spent the day riding around looking for waterfalls. They went through Wahalla, Stumphouse, Whiteside, Highlands, Cashiers. We talked about riding down to Clemson today but I don't know if we'll do that, it's mostly just a place to go and see how much it's changed, it's not like it's a place with fond memories or anything.
I'm doing 5 and more cigs a day again, bought another Benson & Hedges pack last Friday evening and then again yesterday. Dan bought a car Saturday and I ended up buying his truck, got it transferred to me Tuesday morning, so that was on my mind that weekend.
I guess Mom is holding up ok. She looked tired last evening at supper time and while watching television. I guess we all should have just sat around and talked instead of doing that. It's all just part of what we've come accustomed to doing.
Time to rest some and then go on to work. Maybe I'll get in an extra hour and not have to make up so much time later.
Friday November 3, 2000
6:40a
Took the afternoon off yesterday and we drove down to Clemson and walked around the campus. It was mostly just looking at the buildings that have been constructed over the decades. Stopped at a coffee place so they could have their fix of fancy name caffine. It was just something to do, the place just has little interest to me. It was the typical thing, walk around and talk about things a long time ago.
Monday November 6, 2000
5:55a
Sunday, Leander and her family, Jackie and her family came up to Mom's for lunch and the afternoon. Daniel leaves this morning to head back to NM. Robert leaves this Saturday.
Saturday, we cleaned out the downspout drains, Robert took the covers off the footing drains and looked at them, that's the first time they've ever been off.
So it's all coming to an end this week.
Thursday November 16, 2000
6:22a
Ten days have passed, I thought or felt like it might have been longer. There's lots I could write about, what we did, how the visit went, and other things. But it's the same ole story, the early morning time passes and all I get done are the grooming, eating, and news site rituals. I did get a couple of emails out this week, but they were short. Then it's off to work, can't seem to get much done there either, least not as much as I think should get done. After work it's drive back home, clean up, get the extra heat started and then over to mom's house for the evening. You get the idea ... it's the ole familar story of feeling like I need to be in 3 or 4 places at the same time.
Daniel drove through some snow in Texas on the way back to New Mexico. He's called a couple of times since then. I took Robert over to the airport in mom's car Saturday afternoon. That's sort-of a tradition, if someone has to go to the airport it's done in mom's car. He was to have left that morning, but the travel agent scheduled a weekday only flight. He walked around a lot while waiting, he doesn't like being in closed up places much. So I waited with him, saw him get on the plane, and waited around till it took off too. It was a midsize plane, two rows of seats only. Anyway he called Sunday and didn't have any problems on the way back.
So that's it. Things are getting back to the every day routines. The family reunion is history now.
Sunday November 19, 2000
10:52a
I'm over at Mom's today, actually moved some of my stuff over yesterday afternoon. It looked like it might sleet/snow/rain so I just planned on staying last night.
I was mostly cold drizzling rain till about 9:45 or so, then it started to snow with the rain. The showers are moving NE and that's the way the front stretchs. I was awake about my usual 5:00. Made my coffee and checked the weather site early this morning. It was in the single digits in ID Falls and still is, I guess Frances is cold today. The only 50s and above are below the Flordia panhandle. The whole temperature map is blue and purple.
I guess I'll stay here again tonight, may just stay here all week. There's only 3 work days this week anyway. The temperatures are going to be in the 40s for highs and 20s and 30s for lows. Maybe it'll be good for me to just stay here.
Robert sent email yesterday and I checked for it last night here. He said all the people in the office wore green t-shirts on Monday for his return celebration. Daniel sent some more wheel parts and they got here Friday. Robert already got the stuff he sent back from here too.
It's starting to snow harder now. Some is sticking to the grass and srubbs too. It's still above freezing and is suppose to stay in the upper 30s today.
I peeled potatos this morning, they're potato salad now. At least I'm getting to do some little something here for a change.
Later.
Thursday November 23, 2000
5:30a
Still over at Mom's house. It's in the upper 30s on the back porch, cloudy, some lights on down at the Pittmans, the Hunt's heat pump is running. I've already made coffee and sat out on the porch and smoked a cig. Woke up at 4:20. So this is how Thanksgiving Day is starting.
I think it was in 1987 when I started to leave the old ThoughtSmithing booklets laying around at different places. That was about when I left the first one on some driftwood down at Hilton Head Island. A lady from Minnesota called me, said she and her husband had found it and wanted to know what to do with it, keep it or leave it somewhere else. And that's how that project got started.
Yesterday afternoon at work, most everyone had already taken the day off or left. One young man who use to work there came in to talk with Lawrence, just a visit I guess. It was the Sam I had heard them talk about the past few months. So anyway, we get introduced and he asked if I was the Jerry Hughes who wrote poetry and left them to be found by others. Yeah. He had picked one up about 4 years ago, on the West face below the towers. It's only the second time I had any feedback from that long term project. I've forgotten the number I've left out, about 100, two responses out of all of them in 13 years.
It's been about 10 degrees below normal for November. I need to get the storm windows back up on the bedroom windows. I'll try and get that done today. It was suppose to be clear and sunny but I guess I'll have to do it in the cloudy cold.
I still haven't got an emergency generator. Everytime I see something about winter storms coming this way I know I should have already had one.
I did leave work early too yesterday and went over to my house. It was 50 in the kitchen, 54 in my den space, 40 in the living room. It looks like 600 watts isn't enough to keep up with the heat lost on these cold days. I haven't let the fan heaters run while I'm not there this year. I did that last year but I just think of them being something else that can go wrong this year.
So anyway, it's day one of the 2000 Thanksgiving Day holiday. Later.
Friday November 24, 2000
8:30a
Another 4:00 and 5:30 morning. It's already started raining so it'll be a cold wet weekend till Sunday afternoon.
I've done the usual morning things. The news on the internet is boring, the weather site is not as boring, the talking point and message boards are almost boring.
I fixed a fried egg with cheese on toast, times 2, this morning. That was mostly just to eat what's here I guess.
The election glitch is still attracting the hypeing up attention of the news media. I haven't seen any new suggestions of how to fix that hidden Y2K problem. Gore has the national popular vote and leading in electorial votes, they should just divide up the Flordia, New Mexico and Oregan votes according to their popular vote and let that decide. But who ever listens to a nobody like me?
One day this week, I took my Pickens Business History program, data files and picture files to give to Jamie at work. I've been showing him how to set it up on their machine and how to use it. I've sort-of gotten interested in working on that again. It needs a lot of work though, mostly putting together the business site histories. Anyway he mentioned it to someone else who use to work there and he wanted a copy also.
I washed clothes yesterday morning, won't have to do that tomorrow. Went over to my house yesterday too. I let the heaters run most of the day, then turned them off the last time I was over there. It's probably cold in the house again now.
I'll go find something else to do now.
Back already. I put the storm windows up on mom's bedroom and the front bedroom, yesterday, a traditional thing to do on Thanksgiving Day I suppose. I started to pick at the tinting on the new-old truck windows. It was a cellophane type film. I stood out there in front of the carport and pulled and peeled it off the two door windows. The glue had a strong chemical oder. I went over to my house and started using alcohol to clean that off. It would make it turn to a rubbery type flakes. Spent any hour doing that and it only took a few minutes to peel the film off. So anyway, I don't feel closed in when driving the truck now, and can see how to back up at night too.
Saturday November 25, 2000
9:00a
The weather is cold and wet today. The 10 day forcast for zip 29602, Greenville, at the weather.com site is prediciting low 10s and below for next Sunday and Monday, below freezing for 2 or 3 days. We haven't had that kind of cold in 4 or 5 years and even then it was in January and February. It's going to be a long cold wet Winter. I'm just not prepared for that kind of cold.
DM came up to see Mom yesterday afternoon. Everything is about the same with him and his family. Mickey and Linda had gone to Seneca to do after Thanksgiving shopping, some Big Lot store over there. Dennis is to start working a store in Willimton NC next week, I think. Linda's husband John survived the Clemson Carolina came.
The message board at cnn.com about the election is the most active I've ever seen for a message board. 450,000+ messages. I was reading some yesterday and got to noticing the during the few seconds it takes for the next group of message to download, another 3 or 4 new messages have been added.
Well, I've been up since 5:15 or so already, done most of the usual morning stuff. Mom's been up, got her breakfast and is back in her room resting again. That's what she normally does every morning. The wind is blowing and the vents on the roof have started squeaking. It's to wet and cold to do anything.
So much for another morning at the kitchen table computer center.
Thursday November 30, 2000
4:35a
Yesterday morning when I checked email, the mailer hung up on me twice, or the mail server wasn't responding. So anyway, I think whatever mail there was got lost that time. I usually checked email first after getting logged on, I'll just have to start the web browser and check news first to make sure the connection is good.
The computer gremlins and demons have been more active recently anyway. I was over at my house some this weekend and did a bit of programming on the Pickens Business History program and the computer just re-booted itself. I didn't loose anything though. Then on Tuesday morning the computer I use at work took a hard crash. The man who works on them was in the lab yesterday and talked about one of the RAM chips having a bad bit. He had 5 computers to do down this week too, all in one part of the building. There was a storm over the weekend and he thinks that was what did it. He had mentioned that once before too. I had noticed that Wordpad was messing up some last week too. It would start printing the funny looking characters after I used the arrow keys. I would have to delete the whole line to get it back right. So the gremlins and demons are making up for the non-Y2K event that was suppose to have happened the first of the year.
This week I've been waking up early, 3:30 this morning. I do wish I could sleep for 8 straight hours, but my mind just won't let me once I wake up.
The furnace has been running for a hour now. It hasn't been doing that and it's not that cold outside either. I've checked the thermostat and it's set near 70, Mom doesn't normally leave it that high overnight. I don't think she's been up this morning so maybe it's been like that all night. I've turned it back down to 65. I hope nothing is going wrong with the heat. The man has already been out once to check it. She had noticed extra fumes occassionally and that's what he checked on that time. He cleaned the nossle and that was all.
It's things like that that I get concerned about, all the what ifs this or that goes wrong. So now it's 20 after 5 and I've not got nearly as much done as I thought I would with the extra early wake up.
Saturday December 2, 2000
4:10p
It's cloudy this afternoon, cold of course. It was drizzling some this morning but the clouds broke up a little and now they're overcast. The local weather forcast is for snow tomorrow, probably begin ... some time, I don't know.
I got the usual Saturday morning stuff done. I got up about 4:30, stayed here till 7:00 or so and then went over to my house to get the hangers and clothes pins and the laundry bag. I turned the heat on over there and then left to go wash clothes. I drove all the way down to the building by the creek, just had turned into to it. That's when I remembered the soap powder that I had forgotten. So I drove all the way back to my house and got that and then back to the clothes washing place by the creek.
After I got that done, I went back to my house and sat around some. Actually walked up to where the salt lick is, it had been a long time since I was there. There were no signs of deer or squirrels eating on it. So I guess they're all gone for the season. The neighbors had to cut there trees and that's probably what has kept them away.
I got groceries after lunch. Then sat in the den and watch one of them stupid movies for the kids, power rangers. It's just to sell their toys for the spend money season.
Yesterday at work was not good. I didn't get anything done. I was trying to write up some modal testing I had started weeks ago. But now I just don't know what to write. I always end up writing too much, more like a few pages out of a textbook. And then I really don't say much. So I spent the day fretting about not getting anything done.
Winnie asked who's TK. Teen Spirit. I really don't know who he is. I started this to email back to her. So I guess she'll be reading it here instead, or also.
"Who's TK?" she asks, and I've never known the answer.
Teen Spirit. Youth World's Soul. Tommy O'Kellea. The Kid. Peter Pan in Never Never Land. Everyone's Happy Thought. One of the Wee People of Eire Land. Lord of the Dance. River Dance. Celebrator of Life and Living. River Rider and Trail Walker. Yale Glee Club. Millenium Party Spirit. He's deep within the eyes of homeless, street, throw away kids. Dream Catcher. Star Gazer. Wind through a forest. Waves on a beach. Drums in Africa.
B
So there it is. That's as far as I got with who TK is. Still don't know. ... Oh yeah, Hi Winnie. ;)
Mom's doing some cooking this afternoon. Something to go with the fried chickend I got at Ingles last night.
Tuesday December 12, 2000
7:40p
Last week I just felt bad all the time. The anxiety and tense muscles came back. It's the usual thing, thinking too much about things. I started taking the pills again Sunday. So at least I think I'm doing better now.
Work is still slow. There's nothing really to work on so I'm just finding things to piddle at. Stuff that probable won't lead anywhere.
The lab group had a lunch yesterday. I took cookies. There were sandwiches, crackers, cake, soda and the like. Tomorrow is the departments' lunch so I'll eat there again.
Christmas is approaching. The 'twixt and 'tween days follow that. The last days of the 20th Century. The real new millenium eve. And it all looks too much like nothing special will happen. No profound pondering. No going anywhere or doing anything special. Just another holiday season to get through.
In the mornings I can't seem to get much done. I wake up early, walk softly around the kitchen. Sit out on the porch and smoke. Do the usual internet and email. Then it's time to start getting ready for work. It's just not like being over at my house. I could get most of that stuff done and then lay back down and rest some before leaving.
It's mostly just bad news all around. Never any happy thoughts. .... Oh well, I'm not going there. Bye.
Sunday December 18, 2000
1:00p
It was raining yesterday. Today it's clear, windy and cold. One of the roof vents is squeeking and I need to go up into the attic and oil them all.
Not much has changed. Mom's having a bad day, she's been in bed, it's the usual. She fixed Christmas cards for the grandkids and great grandkids yesterday. I took them up to the post office that morning. She had more activity Friday, or yesterday. Bob brought up a ham, he and Edna are going to Colorado again this year. One of the deacons came by too. Lucell called and they talked. Then Leandar and her family came up last evening too. They sat at the kitchen table and ate pizza which they went down to the pizza place and got. It always seems like that, days and weeks with nothing much if any thing, then everything happens the same day.
Work is the same. Not accomplishing much. Just pushing buttons on one of the test equipment. I caught the accelerometer cable with my foot yesterday and broke it. So I spent that day finding out how to get another one. It feels like I don't remember anything about mechanical engineering, as if I ever did. I'm only good at working on stuff I don't know anything about. Just stumble around till something starts to work.
There was a news item earlier this week. It was about a group of old veterans bringing back a ship from Europe. DM read something in a magazine and called up here last evening too. Wanted me to look at a website they have about the trip across the Atlantic. I went there this morning. It's got pictures and the ship's log entries.
I guess I should try to relax some. And send out some email.
Sunday December 24, 2000
7:00p
It's going to strange days ahead.
It's Christmas Eve 2000, the last of the 20th Century, 1900s, and it's going to be here at the old house. The same for Christmas Day, the 'twixt and 'tween days, New Year's Eve and Day .... It's all going to be too much like nothing's changed.
I had thought that I would get out and do something special for the real New Millenium and those last 'twixt and 'tween days. But it just aint going to happen.
I went over to my house and did some cleaning, dusting and sweeping. Turned the water back on too. Ran the heaters most of the day. Took a bath over there too. Cut my hair.
At least it was sunny and warm (50ish) today, that made it pleasant to get out.
I have thought whether or not I can keep up Journal entries anymore. There's just no moods to write anything and not much time either.
I clean out the gutters at Mom's house. There was one icecycle, about a foot long, on the front. It fell today, the gutter had rusted out there anyway.
So the Vatican Midnight Mass is over already. I've forgotten to check any website out too and Christmas started in the West Pacific about 7 this morning I think.
Oh well, I'll get this posted and send out some email. Bye.
Monday December 25, 2000
4:00p
We had the usual morning, except me already being over here. Fixed the sausage and eggs mixed together and toast. Then we sat in the living room and opened the presents. I got the coat she had been wanting me to have for a few years. I got her the bed gown she mentioned. Also got her some wooden tray stands to, that was the suprise gift.
Jackie and her family gave mom a puzzle, house shoes, mints, cards. Frances sent out a calander. Micky and DM got her a nice metal and glass basket thing with lotion, dish cloths.
Frances and Daniel called about 11:00. It snowed out there. Leander called later too, about 12:00, she and Susan are staying there. I guess DM and his family are haveing their traditional gettogether.
I went over to my house this morning and started the heat and water heater. Then I went back this afternoon and cleaned up. Otherwise it was just sitting in the cold house over there.
I guess that's enough for the Christmas Day entry. Bye
Wednesday December 27, 2000
6:15a
I'm still here. Hanging on. Whatever.
Sunday December 31, 2000
5:40a
Hours left, started yesterday morning about 7, just like last year, the new year and now the new millenium has been moving around the planet.
And I haven't done anything to celebrate it, not even these last 'twixt and 'tween days of the 20th century. It's all just another time of year.
Uncle DM had adominal pains since Thanksgiving. He'd also had a hernia for years too. It finally got strangulated and he finally went, or got took, to the hospital. They did the surgery on Friday afternoon, late. Everything went as well as could be expected, I guess. He's still on an IV and not allowed to eat anything yet. He just waited to long to see about it all and now it will take longer to recover from it all.
I suppose with all the ailing family member it's appropriate that this year, this century, this millenium end this way.
I've just been doing the new normal routines. I've started sleeping on the floor in the front bedroom. That has seem to help my back and regularity too. I guess over the years of sleeping on my couch with the plywood and foam, that's the way my system has got use too.
It's been in the thirtys for highs for days and weeks now. That's unusal for this part of the world. Especially after the recent mild winters. There werent any clouds yesterday or Friday afternoon, so seeing the sun makes it more bareeable. The mid states have had it rough, ice and power outages for days, going on weeks I guess. I still dread when that happens here, if it does.
So ... happy new year, century, millenium everyone. {Sort-of Scrooginly mumbled.}