Simply Norma

Today started out slow. Homemade oatmeal pancakes with stripples and fresh mango juice.

Very nice.

I decided to skip the church service and visit my elderly friend. She was very happy to see me and a friend I had taken with me. After the visit I was treated to a spaghetti lunch with pea salad and apple pie.

By the time I got home I was feeling tired. Maybe jet lag.

After sundown I went to the store to pick up more packing supplies. I had tried calling a friend of mine but his cell was disconnected so I headed over to his place – a van parked next to a storage unit. This is where he has lived for the past 3 or so years.

He has not been able to get social security disability so lives out of his van. I think he actually enjoys it now.

We shared a nice conversation and he told me he would come help tomorrow.

Then I started packing. And packing. And packing.

It seems like it never ends.

I finally stopped for the night. I have help tomorrow and I’m sure we’ll get through it all. After all, the moving company comes first thing Monday morning.

Things I had decided to take before have now gone to the Goodwill pile. So much stuff!

I’m sitting with a glass of chocolate milk trying to unwind. It’s 2 am Minnesota time.

Right now the only thing I can think of is a bed at the Hilton with nice soft down covers and a view of a full moon. After the bubble bath, of course.

At least my imagination still works.

Better try unwinding a little better as my 7 am wake up time is fast drawing near.

Back in Seattle now.

The flight was uneventful. No TSA groping me. I found a security area that does not have the new scanners. I hope that that option will always be available.

I’m starting to get paranoid. When people start allowing the government to do things they shouldn’t be doing in the name of security … Feels like the Hitler era starting again. Slowly rights are taken away.

From a religious point of view, the U S will start taking away our rights. Somehow I had imagined it was religious rights first not civil rights.

Back to normalcy, when I entered our “home” it seemed so vacant. We lived in it like this for a few weeks but leaving and then coming back gave it a real sense of vacancy.

The movers arrive Monday morning.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting my elderly friend with someone who will help her out since I’m living so far away.

I’m trying to squeeze in visits to everyone I told I’d try to see.

Wasn’t too happy when someone canceled for this evening as my time is so short. Not sure I can reschedule that visit. Oh well …

The “light” snow has started.

I think we need to re-define what the word “light” means.

The snow is coming down rather hard.

Not sure we’ll make it to our Thanksgiving gathering 2 hours away tomorrow.  Bummer.

Not sure we’ll make it anywhere tomorrow for Thanksgiving.  Perhaps a walk to Starbucks if it’s not too cold.

I’m homebound today by choice.

Of course, the area where I currently lives does require a car.  It’s not very conducive to walking.

But, I have so much to do that I decided not to worry about driving around today.

Am working on my Christmas cards, all bought at Hallmark, and hope to send a few out before I fly to Seattle on Friday.  I’m definitely not on top of my “game” for the holidays yet but it’s understandable.

Have been invited to Chicago for Christmas.  If we go, we’d have to leave on Christmas Eve and return the day after Christmas.  Fortunately, it’s only 1.5 or less flight.

Yawn.  Feeling tired now.  Maybe I’ll nap before getting back to “work.”

The Night Before Christmas Recordable Story (Hallmark)

Woke up to a temperature of 12 degrees.

Was glad that we have indoor heated parking.  When I drove Phil to work, the streets were all white.

At first, I thought the roads were icy.  Actually they are just salty.

The sun is shining now and the day is pretty.  When I look at the snow, it appears to be frozen.

Minnesotans have a quick step when they walk — from the car and quickly into the stores, coffee houses, etc.  I still haven’t seen anyone wearing a really heavy coat.

I’ve been told in time this will change.  The stores that sell coats advertise up to what temperature they will keep you warm, i.e. up to -30.

I have noticed that when we go house hunting, there are a lot of exercise “rooms.”  Most have treadmills but some have weights.  Unless one likes the snow and cold, I believe most people stay indoors.  Especially in January and February which I hear are the coldest months.

March supposedly brings the most snow.

We’ll see.

So far, my asthma has not kicked in.  It doesn’t like cold and wind and I’ve been careful to stay indoors when it happens (not frequent thus far).

Today we had a notary come and bring us the paperwork to sign for the closing of our home.  It’s actually a pre-signing since closing is not until November 30th.

The paperwork had the HUD form that shows the estimated settlement costs.

Unfortunately, the numbers did not add up.  The bottom number was correct but the numbers listed were not right.

It was frustrating as the escrow company was closed.  When I called my real estate agent, Carrie Pierce, she got on the phone right away and had someone call me who walked us through the paperwork.

Fortunately the man knew what he was talking about as the notary told us he can’t answer any questions.  He’s only here to watch us sign the paperwork.

We muddled through it and I called the real estate agent to let her know how things went.  Seems like she called the escrow company as I received a call from them apologizing for how the process went.

And they are not going to charge us for the notary.

He was a nice gentleman.  He just didn’t have any answers to our questions and didn’t seem aware of some of the processes that the state of Washington has.

But, all is good.

In the midst of a freezing ice storm, our real estate agent took us house hunting.

We now have two top choices.

I’ll look at some more tomorrow but I’m not sure they’ll top these two.

One is more contemporary and the other is more cabin-ish.  Neither is on the water but both have lots of trees and very private.

One even has a swing set (in case we have grandchildren over).

Choices, choices.

Woke to up freezing rain this morning — the worst they’ve seen.

Last weekend we had the 2nd worst snowfall.

At least we’re getting all the records out of the way.

The freezing rain should subside in a couple hours.  Then we’re off house hunting again.

Today I sent a request to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to discuss the new TSA guidelines.

I really am appalled by everything that is happening and have decided to get involved.

If people don’t write to their representatives how will they know that we are upset.

It’s time we stood up for our rights.  If we can’t defend them even by just writing letters, we have no right to them.

Dear Senator Klobuchar,

I have recently sent a note to President Obama re the recent new guidelines that TSA have adopted.

I would also like to share my concerns with you re the guidelines.

I have had 2 attempted sexual assaults in my life.

From what I am reading about the new guidelines, a TSA employee can put their hands all the way up to my crotch, feel my breasts and say “thank you for your time.”

All this in the name of national security.

I don’t understand where our rights as U.S. citizens have gone.  We should not be searched unless there is cause and it is hard for me to believe that every person (or random person) has cause for being searched in such a manner.

Nor does the new scanner that shows us basically naked a good alternative.

I have read many instances now of people who have been humiliated while going through these procedures and I do not want to be one of those people.

I would appreciate knowing your stance on this matter and the justification of why we have to submit ourselves to these types of  searches.

The country of Israel does not require their people to take off their shoes, get rid of liquid or go through these personal assaults.

Can’t the TSA be trained in like manner?

I would rather die with my rights than die being humiliated first.

Thank you for your response.

Sincerely,