3:01 am

shoot and phooey anyway.

middle of the night awakeness.......ugh.

i've been listening to old movies with my eyelids down now for hours.  i had a really good day.  nice to say that.....a good day!

people confuse me everyday.  i called the new neighbor today to ask her about a plant nursery in Lawrenceville.......had she been there, good prices and so forth.  mid call she tells me that she would go with me but she already had a full day planned.  huh......not that she wouldn't have been welcome to come along.......but why would a person tell you they can't go before they've ever been asked?  ........figuring people out would be a full time job if a body let it.

it's just funny to me, she is always saying to stop by for tea and talk, but then she uninvites herself pre invite.  what do i know about people, not much at all it seems.  ......but off i went to do my thing.  first i went to A Clean Sweep to drop off my Hoover for repair, so far I think it might be the motor for the main brush to turn round.  but they'll tell me soon enough i reckon.  from there i headed to Randy's Plant's and Water Gardens.........a man named David came out of the store to greet me, so nice!  I gave him cuttings of the bush I needed and he got busy sleuthing.......the bush is called a Rose Creek Abelia.........and I could get one at Buck Jones Plant Nursery in Grayson, GA.  only 15 minutes from Randy's.......alrighty then.  i found the place without any problems.........i was in a part of my area i've never been before.......but like i said i nailed it!  felt so proud of little old me.  i was directed to C-4 outside.  so off i went in the mid day heat.......me and my cane toddling along........found the spot and went meandering down the building.......found lots of plants but not the one i needed.  they sent a very handsome muscular man to help me.........boy did i wish to be 21 in that moment.....kept wondering what hunky joe was doing working at a nursery instead of auditioning for movies in Hollywood.........yup, that handsome! mercy..........he was a very kind young man, picked out a lovely bush for me, one about to bloom.........it has tiny little blossoms, a butterfly bush..........he put it in the geezermobile once i paid the young lady in the office and i headed back into parts known ........that is when i stopped at a thrift store that raises money for puppies and kitties.  a furbaby thrift store.......they were celebrating their 4th anniversary in business, so to celebrate they were offering an additional 15% discount from August 1st - August 4th.  And to make it even nicer, every Friday they give a 50% discount off of shoes and purses. 

I found a pair of really cute Sonoma sandals......got them for $2.50, got a sterilite file holder for $3, a really long necklace with pretty black sparklies for $4.......found a set of pale blue drinking glasses, they were marked $4 for the set but they gave me a $2 discount off them.......some items go down in price for every week they sit on the shelf.  what else.....hmmmm.  i found a really pretty handmade twin sized white afghan.  looks and feels brand new.......it was the big purchase at $7.99.  it was nicely wrapped up and protected in this clear plastic zippered bag..........the final total with the discount was $14.38.  such a bargain ........they were happy, i was happy.  the staff was really nice, they were taking their lunch break while i was there.......and when i looked at things they insisted that i call to them to help me with my purchases.  nice ladies.........but then at the end it got a tadbit sticky.  i needed to use the loo........so i had to take my things and get to the car fairly quickly. it had started to rain......the lady told me to get my car and drive it to their door........but i knew if i had to get the car, come back, get back out and let them know i was back to get my stuff i would have wet my pants.  so instead i left with the packages under my arm and my purse and my cane and me.  sigh.......i head off to my car, three car aisles away........and pray to remain housebroken.  the rain ups its ante, and is now pouring.  i am the third car down ......as i get closer parked mini van number in the second slot starts to back up.  and then stops.  half way in and half way out.  then they creep back a bit further........not sure what the car will do next i am trying to anticipate his plan. now he sits, as soon as i start to move past him, he creeps back a bit more.  oh my goodness, i want to bop this driver on the head........i'm now getting soaked to the skin.  hair plastered to my head, still have to find a bathroom stat.......rain is raining in my eyes.......and i am mad at this unaware dude .......i walk in between car no 1 and car number 2 so i am right next to his window.  my plan is to walk in front of his vehicle since i can't go behind it.  he is too unpredictable and i don't want to get hit by his car.  he is soooooo not paying attention, pretty sure he's on his phone in a distracted driver kind of way and could just as easily hit me as not.  now he jumps as i walk by his car........i am mouthing the word IDIOT at him........and he looks confused.  not sure what i'm saying or why.......he touches his blue tooth ear piece and just because i can i say idiot again.  not that he can hear me it just helps me do something instead of wetting my pants.  ooooo am i steamed, and soaked by the rain.  he looks like he is about to say something but sees my stormy face and thinks better of it.  he now backs up properly and drives away.  still want to bean him.  ......what a big ol dummyhead.

i put my stuff in my car, grab a navy blue hoodie i keep in the car and head to the goodwill as quickly as i can for a slow walking girl with a cane.......had to get all the way through the store to the very back and just barely made it.  but i did make it........hate that gotta go now feeling when the bathroom is not close and convenient.  can't believe that woman at the furbaby thrift store didn't allow me to use their employee bathroom.  so unkind.  bathrooms should always be a basic civil right for all.......still all things considered i'm lucky to have curly hair these days, my hair pretty much looks the same way wet as dry.  i walked by the shoes on my way to the front and a little boy asked me if i was going to look for a pair of shoes.  i said maybe, and he said maybe he would too.  a cute little guy of say ten.  i love random conversations like this while i'm out and about.  i did find a pair of soft black flats with a cute leather detail across the front of the shoe.......on top of the slim leather strap are these little gold thingies that make the shoes cute.  i walked over to the kids shoe area and there he was trying on tennis shoes.  such a grown up little boy......wanting to make small talk with another shopper.  what a cutie!  i said nice shoes, and he said, i think so too!  got a pair of black suede like flats for $6.36.  done and done.  then i headed towards home and tried to think what to do for dinner.  in the end i stopped at publix and got some chicken tenders, some fresh veggies, bread and eggs and sigh.....a slice of chocolate cake.  it was one of those days where i never had lunch and now i was going by their bakery dept with a big case of tummy rumblies.  felt guilty and got it anyway. 

a young man named brandon helped me with my purchases. when i got to my feet i was sooo stiff, shivery and sore, but still in a good mood. i was going to get home before six when it usually hits me full blast, the symptoms i mean.  he asked if i should get back on the cart and ride it right up next to my car door.  i said no, i needed to move to walk the stiffness off.  yes it hurts like heck but it's the way it is these days.  my hips and back and legs hurting like the devil, my hands are so cold.  i tell him i am freezing and he looks so surprised.  it's very steamy and humid after the rain showers on this early august day.  but i reach out to put my fingers on the top of his hand and he says you're like ice.  yeah, i agree....i am like ice.  he wants to know more about what is wrong with me so i give him a five cent tour, but not enough to scare him from wanting to grow up.  he shares that his mom has diabetes and neuropathy in her feet and so forth.  he wishes that he could make her well and wishes that i could feel better.  what a kind hearted young man!

i pull my mail out of the mailbox, head into my garage........turn the oven on before i unload to heat up those chicken tenders......feed the kitties and once my items are put away i get into dry warm cozy pj's........and warm cozy slippers.  i made a delicious six inch warm chicken sub, added some harvest snaps.......and fruit.  then later i had that cake.  fought like the dickens to stay awake long enough to get into bed.........but i've been fighting to get to sleep for real for hours.  so often after going out like today i get wired and tired.  eventually i'll conk out, just wish it could be sooner than later.

it was a good day.  got to talk to mostly real nice folks, find some bargains and enjoy a day so much that i felt almost like a real girl there for awhile.  wish i had a picture of hunky joe at that plant nursery........he reminded me of the actor who played Thor in that action adventure movie Sam took me to......reminded me that i used to be a girl.......lol!!!!!!!!  i told bruce and he laughed so hard, he said maybe he likes a girl your age........oh bruce, you so funny!  if a "girl my age" were to hit on a hunky joe that young i should be arrested and put in a box with one dryed out peanut butter sandwich.  girl indeed......i'm 106 compared to that young healthy young man and i know it....but i couldn't help but admire not only his gorgeousness.......but his kindness.  he laughed so easily as we  walked along and told me i was really something..........i knew he meant it in a good way.  i told him i was having the best day out. having a mini expedition in a part of town where i'd never been, i managed to find exactly what i needed to fill in the big gap in my back hedge of butterfly bushes.  right now it looks like i'm missing one of the hedges front teeth if you will......a big ol hole that needs to be filled with a fresh pretty replacement plant. 

despite the challenges of being out i was sooooo happy to be out and doing stuff.  felt refreshed and good overall.  that sense of well being when you have a goooooooood day.  the only thing i didn't get handled was to go to home depot to get a replacement door bell.  this time i actually brought a piece of the one i have to try to make sure i get the same size.  i need the new doorbell to cover the exisisting hole in my wall where it goes. 

but enough of all that......it's now a few minutes before 4 am. i'm going to look for a doris day movie via youtube and try to catch some zzzzzz's.   hugs to me and hugs to the world at large.  bruce says he can put my two new plants in the ground late afternoon on Sunday, hope he really can!  either way it'll work out....it always does.

praying for you......as always.