Are You Terrified When the Phone Rings in the Middle of the Night?

When the phone rings at 3:30 in the morning, it is rarely good news. I grabbed the phone before the ringing woke up my husband.

"Hello."

"This is the alarm company for your store on Marine. There has been a report of glass breakage."

"Have the police been dispatched?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. We will be right there."

So began the comedy of errors. I flew into my office while shouting en-route, "Babe, get up. There's been a break-in." Why the alarm company called my home instead the manager's home was a mystery.

I continued to shout with the loudest voice I could "Babe! BABE!"  There was no response so I walked back to the bedroom and he was snoring peacefully.  At this point, there didn't seem to be any legitimate reason to wake him up. 

Finally, my cell booted up, I got Tim's number and called him. "The cops are on the way. There has been a break-in."

I imagined that Tim was out the door before I finished that sentence. He is only five minutes from the store. We are several hours away.

Thirty minutes later, Tim called. He said that our front glass door was completely shattered and it looked as though they tried to reach in and open the door from the inside. The second alarm and flashing lights must have scared them away. I was certainly relieved but knew the cost of the door would be a at least two thousand dollars.

It was 4:45 A.M. Hubby was resting comfortably so thought I would go back to sleep. At 5:15 A.M. the police called. 

"Why isn't someone waiting for us at the store?" The officer asked. "Aren't you the owner?"

"Yes sir, but I am not in your town. Our manager has already been there and you weren't."

"What is your manager's name?"

"Tim Chaid. No, wait a minute. That's not his name. That Tim was a friend of mine who died several years ago." The cop must have wondered what blonde bimbo was on this end of the line. I was grasping to remember Tim's name. He has been our manager for over eleven years but with stress, my brain stopped functioning. 

"It's Tim Morris. Sorry about that!"

"Is that his legal name?"

"I don't know. I assume it is." 

"Why aren't you here?" He persisted.

What Are You Addicted to and Who is Spying on You?

The addiction surprised me. I'm a city girl who has lived in a rural community for the past 50 years. However, I love the rush of the city and the opportunities it presents. But, during this time of crisis for our world, I am thrilled to be living in a small town.

So when several people recommended I start watching "Heartland" I laughed. I couldn't imagine enjoying a Canadian drama television series featuring life on a ranch. Yet.....here I am. Just finished season three and I dread the day when I finish watching season 13. Will there be a Season 14? A devoted addict.

Anyone else addicted to a series?

Are you concerned?

How to block hackers and spys

On your Facebook account you can find and block all spybot and fact checkers from accessing your account. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I blocked over 150 of them and will continue to do it regularly. Give it a try - you will probably be shocked how many there are. 

Brie loves modeling her new dresses

Banilla, anyone?

I was thrilled to spend a full week with the grands. Considering that I had seen them a month ago made it every more thrilling. 

"What kind of ice cream do you want, Brie?"

"Banilla and Rainbow Herbert, please." I asked her to repeat it only because it sounded so cute. 

Closet Organizers not required

Brie is four years old but since she was two, she has been very specific (an understatement!) about the clothes she chooses for the day. She has her closet organized and nothing is out of order in her room. When she gets ready for the day, she does not want any input from anyone else. She will make the decisions. 

This gramma was especially impressed that no matter what she tried on, if it didn't 'work' she would carefully hang it back up -- in the proper order in her closet. Everything must match, including shoes and bag. Wonder where she gets that from?

Still getting lost in parking lots

During my visit, the temperatures soared. Summer is my least favorite time of year. The heat must have affected my brain because I suggested that Brie and I go for a walk - in that heat. She wanted to go to the trails which were a few blocks away. 

The trails were shaded but after we walked about one-half mile the heat was taking its toll. Unfortunately, this crazy person didn't bring her phone on the walk (too sticky to carry) and neither one of us knew where we were.

We got off the trails and stopped the first human we encountered.  "Would you be able to tell me how to get downtown?"

 

I ignored the weird look he gave me but I was too hot and tired to admit my ignorance. When he told me how far it was I almost cried. I didn't think either one of us could make it back home in the intense heat. But we did. Brie was so sweet trying to console her gramma.

"Don't worry, Gramma. We'll figure it out. We'll be home and get cooled down soon."

Oh my, was it that obvious that a four-year old detected my panic  concern?

Two and a half hours later, we crawled into the house. My daughter shook her head and reminded me that she never allowed me to go alone to a mall. I would either lose my car or never find my way back to where we agreed to meet up.

My hubby always told me that if he ever wanted a divorce, he would drop me off at the woods and probably never see me again. 

What a Gong Show

After spending FOUR AND A HALF hours on the phone the bank representative said,

"Sorry, we have no idea what is going on. There is nothing more we can do.

"Well, what do you suggest that I do?"

"No idea. Sorry."

I wasted a full day sitting on hold and talking to people who couldn't help me. That morning when I tried to access my bank account on line, it would not open. After several attempts and then being locked out of my account, I started the phone calls. 

They told me the only way to access my account was to call the bank and do any transactions with an agent by telephone.

Frustrated, I decided to try again on Monday. 

Daddy got them new toys - What FUN 

In the meantime.....

While I was on the phone, my friend popped in to say "Hi."  While there, her dog thought carpet was a good place to throw up. TWICE. And Mister is a big dog - need I say more?

While talking to the bank, I had no idea what my friend was doing in my living room for 30 minutes. During one of my minutes on hold, I found her on her knees, shampooing my carpet and attempting to get the stain out. 

At the same time, the new yard man showed up to mow the lawn. I heard the commotion outside, and asked the agent to hold a minute while I checked it out.

"There is no way I can bring that lawn mower up those stairs to your yard."

My friend started arguing with him that every other lawn guy has done it.

"But their machines probably didn't weigh 200 pounds."

Before the lawn guy could continue to protest, my friend started to maneuver the lawn mower by herself. Between the two of them, they lifted it up the three steps.

Now......what happens next week? Hopefully, he will bring a smaller one.

FINALLY....resolution - kinda

Monday morning I called the bank. Their technical department had figured it out. There had been malicious and suspicious activity between my internet provider and my bank. All clients using that provider were locked out of their bank accounts. 

That was a week ago. Still no resolution. At least they know what is going on - want to bet on how long it will take to resolve?

Patience is a virtue -- taking time to watch the clouds move in the sky with your grand daughter puts everything into perspective

This has been a Fly on the Wall monthly post. Check out my fellow bloggers posts to see what they have been up to and enjoy the humor.

Baking In A Tornado                  https://www.BakingInATornado.com

Never Ever Give Up Hope             https://batteredhope.blogspot.com

Menopausal Mother                   http://www.menopausalmom.com/

 

You Should Be Afraid of Hand Sanitizers. Do You Know Why?

Is Your Hand Sanitizer Killing You? 

We often use the phrase, "what you don't know won't hurt you" but when it comes to your health, the opposite is true.  

No one wants to believe that the food supplements/vitamins they are taking could harm them, especially if they have been recommended by a health care professional. But, unfortunately, there are more supplements on the market that can harm you, then there are those that can help you.

Five Things to do Every Day to Keep Stress Away

In our current climate it’s rarer to find someone who isn’t feeling stressed than it is to find someone who is.

Just about everyone you meet is working long hours, concerned about their finances, or struggling with a difficult relationship or personal issue. Whatever the issue, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that most people can benefit from making more of an effort to relieve stress throughout the day.

Whether you’re going through a particularly difficult time and need some extra positivity or are just trying to feel your best, listed below are five things you should be doing on a daily basis to relax and keep stress away.

The Problem with Stress

While occasional (or acute) stress is not a problem -- in fact, it’s healthy -- chronic stress wreaks havoc on just about every system in your body. Chronic stress contributes to a variety of health issues, including the following:

What Kind of Friend Are You?

I wrote this to a special friend on her birthday yesterday. It occurred to me that some of you may have a friend like this and want to share it with them as well.

Thank God for friends of all types, sizes, and colors. I’ve had big friends and little friends (some of them have four legs), old friends and young friends, and fair-weather friends who are only there for the ride.

Some of my friends have been there for decades. Some are online friends who I may never meet in person but are friends, none the less.

Keeping Your Cool In The Summer Heat

The only way I know how to keep my cool in the summer heat is to stay indoors. My hubby convinced me to move to the North West Coast thirty-five years ago and claimed: "It never gets hot." I learned quickly that he is a liar. We moved from the Mid West where summers are hot and humid. I hated it and still do.  And now I live in it. Hubby hates it as much as I do so I can't get mad at him! Except he gets to work in AC all day.

As hot as it is, we are thankful there are no raging forest fires this year and I pray it stays that way. But the lawns are parched and the timber looks scary - dusty and dry.

However.......I am thrilled to have a hot and beautiful summer for the grands. I was able to spend a week with them after not seeing them for seven months.

How to Laugh in the Middle of a Crisis

Remember when life was this carefree?

I have been able to avoid using hand sanitizer for years. Now, in 2020, it is becoming mandatory. This is becoming more difficult when some stores and banks want to infect you with it before you enter their store. 

Entering the grocery store yesterday I forgot to bring my Basic H natural wipes with me while lining up and sure enough, they required me to have a shot of the sanitizer. Thinking quickly, I said, "Sorry, but I am allergic to most ingredients in hand sanitizer."

What I wanted to say was, "Over my screaming and kicking body will you put that on my skin."  

The doorman said, "No problem." He handed me a yucky wet cloth drenched in bleach. I thought I was going to throw up. What could I say now?  Without wanting to cause a scene, I barely touched the cloth while getting a lecture on how we all must do our part to stay safe. Biting my tongue I smiled and immediately texted my friend while walking into the store. I knew this would make her day. She laughed so hard we both peed a little. 

I will never forget my pure and safe wipes again. If you don't know why hand sanitizers are destroying our immune systems and it is only getting worse, click here. 

Do You Allow Current Events to Affect Your Life?

Change is either something we embrace or try to ignore. In light of current events, major changes are affecting all of our lives in a variety of ways. Some of them make us angry. Some make us roll our eyes in frustration. But, none of us can deny that our lives have been influenced in some way.