I'm Just An Old Cowpoke

My friend Lar and I for our annual Old Time Photo in Rehoboth Beach

I'm sitting here at my iMac on this Saturday night, with the TV on waiting for the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman verdict and catching up on my horrendous backlog of e-mails.

My apologies to one and all how have sent me e-mails to my AOL address during the past month because I haven't kept up with those e-mails.  Every hear the term "life happens?"  Well folks, life is what is happening to me.  Of course the big deal was Bill and I getting married.  That took up a LOT of my attention.  Then there is always the yard work outside.  If Casa Tipton-Kelly is going to continue to be the showplace of Covington Chase, I have to devote at least two hours a day to mulching, weeding, trimming, cutting and sweating.  

A verdict in the George Zimmerman trial has just been reach!  Stay tuned.  Fifteen minutes we will know.  My prediction:  manslaughter with three years. Yes, George "I have a gun" Zimmerman will get away with murder.

Now back to our regular programming:

Last night I was talking to a new friend on FaceTime.  He asked me "How to you have time to do everything?"  Guess what folks?  I don't.  Yes, the truth is out.  I.don't.have.the.time.  So what do I do?  I just nibble away at all my activities and do the best I can, hoping I offend minimal numbers of friends and relatives by not responding on a timely basis.  Also folks remember, I'm dealing with the side effects of my prostate surgery.  I haven't written too much about those side effects for two reasons:  I don't want to bore you all and the side effects are sort of on the gross side.  Not really fodder for a family blog.  Let's just say the my normal bodily functions are not operating normally all time.  The good news is that I'm not in pain.  Discomfort? Yep but no pain.  I do have a lot more fatigue though which I attribute to the radioactivity that is going on in my prostate gland area even as I type this missive.

So how are Bill and I doing on our first week after marriage?  GREAT!  I am pleasantly surprised at Bill's demeanor since our marriage.  He is so happy. He hasn't taken his ring off since we picked it up at the Dover pawn shop.  Yes folks, I bought Bill's wedding ring at a pawn shop.  Now don't be too quick to judge, it's a beauty and exactly what I was looking for and even more, he is so happy with it.  And I am so happy for him.  

The Verdict is in!

NOT GUILTY!

George Zimmerman just got away with murder.  No more need be said.

Paying the Bills On a Rainy Friday Morning and Other Thoughts

Me paying the bills this morning via computer

Bill and I complement each other almost perfectly.  Bill is very mechanical. He can fix a broken toilet, like he just did here yesterday.  

Me?  I wouldn't know where to start.  Bill built all the additions to our house in Pennsylvania.  Me? Are you kidding?  I can hang a picture.  Beyond that, I'm not taking a chance on breaking any of my fingernails.

Now, when it comes to running the business called "Casa Tipton-Kelly, AKA our household.  That would be me.

When I first met Bill he didn't even have a checking account.  He paid what few bills he had with money orders.  Me?  I worked for a bank.  Well, I guess you can deduce that I changed those dynamics of paying bills.  That was in February of 1965 when I moved in with Bill at his garden apartment in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

Bill at his Pennsauken, NJ apartment 1964

Ever since those halcyon days of our setting up house together I have been and still am the Office Manager of this empire, which is Casa Tipton-Kelly as we often tongue in cheek call our household.  

Back in the day I didn't think too much of paying the bills, making the phone calls, making the arrangements, etc and et al.  These days?  Maybe it's me but managing the day to day operations of Casa Tipton-Kelly seem to me more onerous and annoying these days in our fairy dust sprinkled past 49 years of cohabitation.  

I just finished paying bills again this morning.  Most of my bill paying takes place via the Internet.  I try to automat bill paying as much as possible.  Of course there are always a few straggler companies, like there are people who resist modernity and insist "I don't need the Internet!"  Then there are the Amish who claim they don't need modern conveniences like automobiles but hire others to drive them to funerals and such where there isn't parking for horse drawn buggies.

Paying bills by money order

Of course there is a downside to traveling by horse drawn buggy on a highway.

Sometimes sticking to old ways doesn't always work out

So I'm on board with the Digital Age and paying my bills by computer.  By the way, what happened to the myth of "less paper."  I have more paper than ever since I pay by Internet but I digress.

So here I am on this rainy Friday morning, making good use of my house induced time and catching up on paying my bills.  NOT one of my favorite activities.  I tried to lessen the boredom by having the TV on as background wallpaper.  My "wallpaper" this morning is the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin defense lawyer closing arguments.

My "wallpaper" isn't working because I'm becoming more and more irritated listening to Mr. O'Mara's ridiculous argument that George Zimmerman was some poor schlub who was attacked by that hoodie covered bully Trayvon Martin while he was looking for a street sign and only shot Trayvon because he was "protecting himself"  when Trayvon attacked him and was trying to beat his brains out on the cement pavement.  Oh please.  But I'm getting off the subject.

I finished paying the bills.  There will be more bills tomorrow.  Never a lack of bills and pleas for money from various charities.  Now my path is clear for the rest of the day to update my blog (as I am doing now), read some of my favorite bloggers and respond in kind.  

From my very short stint at the Marriott Hotel, Lionville, PA

I am so glad I am not working this weekend.  Last night at the hotel was very, very busy.  At one time I had three phones going, guests waiting to checkin, and other guests waiting with QUESTIONS (guests always have QUESTIONS for the front desk guy or gal).  I was way behind on my laundry, dishwasher and setting out the breakfast.  Anybody who thinks I'm just another pretty face sitting behind the front desk of an upscale boutique hotel in Lewes has another think coming.  

Rain is forecast for all weekend.  I am SO GLAD I don't have to explain to guests why we dared to have rain this weekend.  I even had one guest last night ask me if the hotel could provide a pass to a local pool for her kids if they couldn't go to the beach because of the rain.  Uh......NO.  Hey Mom, you're going to have to deal with those little darlings of yours on your own.  S.O.R.R.Y.

I'm a Thug (?)

I wear a hoodie - DON'T SHOOT ME!