Pacific Coast Rest-Stop

[Shann]

Q talked to me for about an hour today. I guess because he is in seminary he was able to get to different conferences that some people wanted to go to but couldn't so that was cool. One of the things he was really impressed with is how organized it was. He has been on eboard and been in charge of doing Relay for Life so he knows how hard it is to organize something like that.

So Allison, how did you get involved ion it, through college I'm assuming? He had an awesome time. With all the snafus he ran into getting there I was worried it might dampen his spirits a bit but he was just talking nonstop.

He was impressed that some of the people high up in Nationals knew him from the stuff at UB last year. Also a kid from California came up to him and asked him where he was from and as soon as he mentioned University of Buffalo, the kid said oh we've been praying for you. Then when he found out his name he said oh we have been praying for you by name and he went on and mentioned everything thaT THEY HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR AND HE KNEW q WAS ON THE EBOARD AND THE COLLEGE STUDENT SELECTED TO talk to the press.

I guess the night before it started, there is a meeting for those who work in InterVaristy, as well as the volunteers and they read Q's letter to everyone. I got goosebumps just thinking how God used all that and worked through so many different people and that Quinten just "happened" to bump into people who recognized his name and said they had been praying for him by name. And people would say it was just a coincidence.

I'm glad that you made it through the week Allison and hope the pain wasn't too bad.

[Rebecky]

SO I'm completely aggravated with Walmart.

I had 2 pair of blue jeans and a belt I bought that didn't fit. So I looked online to make sure you can return items at any store and not just the one you purchased it from because my friend and I were going to go today. Well you can. So we get to the walmart and the girl at the customer service desk tells me she can't accept them because there's no tags on there, I looked at her dumbfounded and said, "Well I've returned clothing without tags before and had no problem.". She looked down at the stuff and back at me and said "Well I can't accept it because there's no tag and I can't prove that what is this is what is on the receipt."

So my friend and I left, I was in tears because I felt absolutely shut down and upset because I didn't want to lose half of my Christmas money. My friend decided she was going to take me to a different walmart out of our way to see if they would return it and they did. The guy who helped us even flat out said that it sounds like the girl just didn't want to do her job. The other woman said that they get a lot of complaints about that walmart too.

Anyway, it was just crazy and upset me. I even sent a message to the corporate store complaining about the whole thing.

[Shann]

Yeah that's totally wrong. If it happens again you could always go get the same type of clothes with the tags on them and show it to the clerk before you even ask for a refund. We joke around here that to get a job at Walmart you have to take a class in Nastiness 101

[Rebecky]

Well I mean my friend even pointed out that the fabric tag was inside in the clothing that has the style number. Even the guy from the other walmart who DID help us told us that the girl just didn't want to do her job. I got online and made a complaint online.

So our outside cat came in limping on Sunday. We decided to keep him inside. We figured he just sprained or twisted his leg because there was no wounds and his leg was really swollen. He was also eating and drinking water and other than meowing in pain he acted ok.
Last night my mom went in to check on him and he was crying and squawking like crazy. She looked at his leg and he had been licking it and busted it open and tons of pus came out.

This morning he seems happy and drinking lots of water and the swelling is down on his leg now. The wound is still draining a little but he's keeping it clean. This cat just gets into so much trouble.

[Shann]

Oh the poor kitty. It sounds like he has a nasty infection and needs antibiotics. If you can't afford to take him to the vet try to clean the wound and put some neosporin on it. You may want to wrap it so he can't lick it off. He could get septic really fast and go downhill in just a few hours.

Lyd was playing with Phin, she was also a tad annoyed because he keeps chewing up her underwear and mine he leaves Chris' alone. But she picked him up and tossed him in the snowbank and when he came in he wouldn't move his back hip. Lyd felt awful I started crying and Chris checked it out. We decided to see if it got better in a little bit and within a half hour he was walking fine. Though when he is outside for more than a minute he comes in and starts limping and even dragging his foot. I think he is faking to get some extra attention because if he doesn't think I'm watching he is fine but then when he does I'm looking he starts limping again. I think part of it is the snow because I'll put my hand around his paw to warm it up and then he is fine.

There is more snow here now than there has been in a long time. When I was little I remember riding snowmobiles down to Grandma's at Thanksgiving but its been years since we had that much that early in the winter. It's perfect out for snow sports now though it is a bit chilly. It has been in the low teens.

And Barb just think if you hadn't moved when you were little you could be enjoying all of this. I mean really how often can you build a snowman in So. Ca? I hope you are getting rest and feeling better.

[deejay]

You can build a snowman in California! Just go to the mountains, or keep an eye out for events where they provide manmade snow for kids!

[Rebecky]

He has had infections in the past where he licked it to keep it clean and he was fine.

We can't take him to the vet and we don't have any neosporin (we don't keep it cause the dr told my mom a while back that most people are allergic to it) and my mom doesn't want to put anything on it for fear that he'll stop cleaning it himself and he's not doing it too much just when he needs to I guess. We've always heard that its good if they clean it themselves as long as its not too much and that if they aren't bothering to clean it then they're near death. That's what we've been told anyway.

[Sparrow]

One of our cats had something like that Becky, where her cheek swelled and then burst open with a bunch of pus. Do you have hydrogen peroxide? I think it should be safe to clean it with even if that cat licks it later, because you can gargle with it. Hope he heals on his own.

Shann, the stray black cat that we left with my nieces used to pretend to limp all the time, too. He'd limp up and hold his front paw in the air, but then once he got attention then he'd walk off just fine.

Barb, glad you're getting some time off! Hope you can kick the ickiness with lots of rest.

Pup, maybe it was a color version I saw before. I think it was the lizard thing and not the alien thing...

I'm a little bummed I was sick so long and now I'm having to spend all the rest of my vacation working on freelance stuff or judging the FW kids' contest. I was supposed to have all that done last week and then would have had a week and a half to just rest and work on my own writing. Such is life. At least they are fun enough projects.

I'm back to sleeping 12+ hours a day. It's frustrating to waste that much time doing nothing, but I'd still rather have than than not sleeping at all.

I'm feeling so ready to spend some time with Andy in person, but will be at least another few months before my schedule will allow that.

[Rebecky]

I think whatever happened to the kitty happened Friday or Saturday because he was fine Friday but by Sunday he was limping. That's when we brought him inside and it was Tuesday night when the wound opened and started draining. He's still doing good, actually better.

He's eating and drinking still and he's getting around. He was still limping a lot last night but this morning when I went to go see him he jumped up and walked away and was walking normally. No limp. The swelling is completely gone too. I haven't gotten a chance to see the wound so I don't know how it looks but I'm thinking he's okay.

Mom thinks we need to keep him inside now because this is his third accident in less than a year.

Fine by me, I love my kitty.

[Shann]

You can build a snowman in California! Just go to the mountains, or keep an eye out for events where they provide manmade snow for kids!

I knew someone would say that so that's why I said So Can but I suppose there are mountains there too. Basically it was my way of telling Barb I wish she still lived here. She was born about 30 miles from me but moved when she was little. She used to come back sometimes to visit close relatives but doesn't now.

Becky glad the kitty is better. I know the saliva has enzymes in it that help the healing process. I meant just to wrap it for a little while to allow the medicine to be absorbed. I'm glad she is doing better.

Our older dog Abbey has a hernia that is protruding like the size of a grapefruit. Because she is so old the vet has said that the anesthesia for surgery could kill her so we decided not to do it because of that and the money. We also need to get her groomed because since the neighbor's dog attacked her she won't let me near her with a brush. I'm sure it hurts her and she bites me. I can tell that she tried not to bite me. She has never liked her nails clipped. I have groomed her myself in the past but its so hard on both of us I've put it off. I don't have the money to get her groomed professionally. I also need someone to hold her so she won't bite me but it's hard to get others to do that at a time when I feel healthy enough to do it.

[AnneRene']

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Hi Peeps....Okay, shock or horror....mes back. Long story, short...just been overloaded with work and finances and curled up in a "not doing anything I didn't have to" mode for self preservation. HOWEVER...not keeping up on here has left a really big void in me, SO, gonna make bugging ewes all a priority for this new year. I read bits and pieces from the last 2 pages but just don't have it in me to catch up. On your kitty Beckykins....just keep a scab from forming by pulling the hair away from the wound. I've had several of mine get abcesses from critter bites (like rabbits) and the vet had me put some kind of cleanser on the would. MAYBE, BUT CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE....may have been betadine. Anyway, if you keep it open, it will eventually heal from the inside out.

Okay, I looked at the topic for this weeks writing challenge (FLAT) and all I got was how flat chested I was, growing up and my brothers teasing me...CONSTANTLY, about being bit by a mosquito. On the bright side tho...now that I am just a "tadbit" overweight...no longer a problem.

Okay...gotta go work around the house and git caught up on a few things....actually, A LOT of things, but it's all good.

Remeber....mes luvs y'all and know that E V E R Y SINGLE ONE OF EWE will have a blessed new year because our hope IS in Christ.

[Rebecky]

Well it's only about TIME you showed up, Holly!

>insert foot tapping sound here<

You left us after you said you would be around more so naturally I felt abandoned and really did think you were never coming back.

[Rebecky]

Oh yeah and back to the walmart thing...

The manager at the walmart that i had trouble with called and said they received my complaint and she wanted to know who it was that gave me the problems. I couldn't remember her name but she asked what she looked like and that narrowed it down and she knew who I was talking about. She said that she will be talking to this person and making it right. I think she made a comment about that that person should not be working in either management or in Customer Service. I think the girl will probably get fired or demoted or something. Anyway the manager that talked to me on the phone apologized profusely.

[AnneRene']

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Oh yeah and back to the walmart thing...

The manager at the walmart that i had trouble with called and said they received my complaint and she wanted to know who it was that gave me the problems. I couldn't remember her name but she asked what she looked like and that narrowed it down and she knew who I was talking about. She said that she will be talking to this person and making it right. I think she made a comment about that that person should not be working in either management or in Customer Service. I think the girl will probably get fired or demoted or something. Anyway the manager that talked to me on the phone apologized profusely.

Well, Amen on true customer service with the manager. Good public relations has been a dying art and I for one, am glad to see how the manager took the time to call you and find out who the person was that gave you a hard time. (I haven't read about what happened, so just assuming that the person in question was a snit. )

As for being upset with me....very justified....I DID say I was back for good (the last time) , but God willing and mes getting my flesh outta the mentally lethargy I've been in....I really and truly and absolutely and positively, will stay. I truly do miss all of you guys! AND...even tho you were a little upset...feels good to know how much ewes care.

K...GOTTA go get me a mocha at you know where.

[JesusPuppy]

(((BUBBLES!!!)))

I was just a little worried the aliens might have gotten you. They may not have come back for the Mayans, (them being dead and gone for so long) but hey. Glad to see you are back. Or is it you? Are you sure you are not an alien clone..?

:::Looking up research on cloning:::