Speaking Ron and Heather

I'm "Stomped".  Say what?  This is "Stomp", the performance group:  Stomp; Pail Drummers 

About a year after Ron's accident, our friend Chuck invited us to attend a performance.  We went.  We wore nice things, ate out beforehand, and Ron promptly slept through the whole performance.  Head injury thing; naptime comes regardless.  They were banging on trash cans, jumping up and down, and making tons of racket, and he snored away.  We tried the movies, the matinee.  Same thing.  It was a terrible movie, I wished I'd joined him. 

We say we're "Stomped" when we're utterly exhausted.  "I'm stomped tonight".  Oh, OK, go to bed! 

Today was a cold and "Oogy" day.  Cold, damp, and overcast.  UGH.  We only refer to the DAMP cold days as "Oogy".  Boy, I wonder how that will pop on the search engines!  [laugh]

We don't go, somewhere, we scur; short for scurry.  I used scurry for a while; let's scurry on out of here.  Ron thought it was a bit rodent-y, so we abbreviated to "Scur".  "Scur", on the phone, means, "I need to go; I'm going to hang up."  Ron will say it back; and then I do.  When I tell him "Scur" in person, it means "Let's go". 

People seem to LOVE hearing these definitions and then using the words BACK on us.  Kind of disconcerting; to hear Chuck say "Scur!"  [laugh] 

Today was Offday.  My next day off will be Saturday, most likely.  I meant to enjoy it.  The birdbath froze last night, and I wore my long underwear under my jeans. 

I asked God to show me what he wanted me to do; and went to bed last night.  I slept in, all the way to 7:30!  Mom used to call me her "Earlybird".  Nowadays, I'm reverting back to it!  Ron and I talked for a while, about an hour. 

I forget what I ate for breakfast; took my pills and all.  Did my God Time.  I bagged up 10 New Testaments, and 10 scripture booklets.  All in bags of candy.  I felt like I should take my handcart, with two crates; and go to the wholesale warehouse.  

I left the house around 10-something.  Ooops.  I got all the way to the bus stop before I recalled my "membership card", at home in the backpack.  No warehouse for me. 

I decided to deposit my paycheck.  Ron pays me cash after taking out my deductions; I haven't gotten a "Paycheck" in 9 and a half years.  I proved it by forgetting to sign the back of the check.  They were very nice, and took "The deposit you can eat". 

It's a small bank, based it supercenters and grocery stores.  I wandered around the grocery store.  I got some sugarfree drink mix and plenty of pop - I still have lots left.  That's unusual. 

I rolled off to the bus stop.  Rode the bus; went to my favorite Christian bookstore.  I wanted some tracts, maybe.  I had some candy just for them in my bag.  I handed that over on entry and looked around.  I found some nice Christmas tracts (don't get me wrong, Grace and Truth have great tracts, but I wanted something to use in addition to "Gifts Gifts Gifts").  Besides, I want to help their bottom line. 

I picked up a couple of blocks of tracts (if it's not Grace and Truth, I am partial to American Tract Society, they have ATS on the back of the tracts - they had great Halloween tracts) and some Scripture Candy.  I really like the Scripture Candy.  The sugarfree is DELICIOUS, generously packed at 51 items per bag (cheaper than Favorite Dollar), and the sugar candy has a great variety.  Every candy is "wrapped in a verse" printed on the clear wrapper.  I have some gum in my gum bucket (I just throw all kinds of individually wrapped gum in a Dubble Bubble bucket, with snap on lid), and some in a jar.  I had fun reading all the verses as I bagged up my candy today. 

One of the young men saw me and went in the back.  He came out holding a shoe box.  A customer asked for help, and he helped her.  He signalled me to "Stay Put".  I did.  He opened it and showed me; about 2 dozen Gideon New Testaments!  English AND Spanish! 

A quick side note: I can get a New Testament for 50 cents, in English.  I spend maybe 10 cents on a copy of "Where to Look in the New Testament", and a few more pennies on a few Grace and Truth tracts.  I have a serious tract habit.  For instance, I have "Where to look" in the front of the Bible.  Then I have a Christmas Tract marking Luke, the birth of Jesus.  I have "Debt Paid" (sin is a huge debt but Jesus pays the tab, if you let him!), in the "Romans Road" section that's underlined by the publisher.  Probably 65 cents max, each. 

Spanish is harder.  I have not yet translated "Where to Look" into Spanish.  I need to do this.  If someone is willing; I would be happy to email it to you; and then you can email it back, and I'll print them up and have them copied.  I do have plenty of tracts, thanks to Grace and Truth, again.  I ask them for assorted Spanish Adult; and they send 'em.  People enjoy them.  I was able to get some New Testaments for about a dollar each

[I just checked the custard, it looks deliciously unfinished]

I got the New Testaments for about a dollar each; that's as cheaply as possible.  [side note, World Missionary Press has Spanish language Scripture booklets for free, I use a lot of them.  It only costs them 4 cents to print each booklet.]  I can get the G&T tracts for a few pennies per Bible.  Romans Road, in my current Bibles, are underlined.   I will need to get more Spanish language New Testaments at some future point; I can still get some (new types) from Biblica for about a dollar each.  Not bad; but I'm not sure what else I get in the Bible.  I love the Bibles that have "extras"; or rather extra$! 

So, I'm delighted that some of my new, New Testaments are Spanish Gideon versions; they have all the helps inside already, they are free, and they are "cute".  Upon receipt of my "goodie box" I immediately began screeching for joy and jumping up and down. 

The employees chuckled at me; and I told them "This is 'toning it down'".  One customer gave me the fish-eye until I told her "I love getting more Bibles to hand out". 

I happily rolled off to a new office supply store.  I can check some statistics; and I know a lot of you readers are international.  At the office supply store, they sell all kinds of office supplies, and also do publishing and printing jobs for anyone.  That's where I do my "Where to looks".   I turn them in, the masters and all; and they get me good-looking tracts.  They run about 10 cents each. 

I turned in my "basic pack" - the masters, and a few finished tracts.  I explained what I wanted and she nodded wisely.  You know it's me when share this: I then told her "They go in these!" and handed her a New Testament in a bag of candy. 

I left, and went by a takeout place Ron likes.  I called him and asked if he wanted anything.  The handcart and I caught the intention of the bum guard; the security guard hired to run off unsavory people who might scare the customers.  Apparently I fit the bill.  He began idling and glaring at me as I chatted to Ron. 

Ron didn't want anything, but I was in the store by then.  I gave her a bag of candy.  Poor baby thought I was SELLING them!  She didn't know I'd probably pay someone to take it, if they'd read the booklet! 

I had to call Ron; I had cut him off abruptly and I could tell I'd hurt his feelings.  I ask God for Good Communication everyday, more often than that actually.  I called him and explained I had to go; the bum runner.  OK!  He was a lot happier when he hung up. 

I went to Starbucks.  I got a steamer with eggnog syrup.  It was really good, but {whisper] not as good as the other store!  I read my romance novel for a while and headed off to get my tracts. 

I got the tracts, and went to the bus stop.  It's a little before 2 PM.  I got home around 3 and read for a little while.  Ron was napping.  He just loves to sleep with a loud radio or talking book shouting in his ear.  His Dad was the same way!    I am SO glad we have separate bedrooms when he does that! 

I took a nap around 4, and slept until 5.  I accidentally hit myself and woke myself up.  Not sure how I did that, but it was a soft blow.  To the face!   [shrug] 

This morning I was kind of mixed, I still am, I think.  This level of fatigue says "mood" and not "ill".  Probably a little depressed.  I feel pretty overwhelmed right now; a lot of things to do and no energy to do them! 

I figure God had me do the important stuff (handing out almost 20 items) already.  I got "my" New Testaments.  I actually have obtained quite a few used Bibles.  If it's readable, I'll hand it out. 

I decided I wanted some custard; desperately.  I have milk; I have splenda, I have eggs.  Sounds like custard to me!  I got manic for cookbooks a while back; and have about 15 (after paring down).  I have an old paperback copy of "Joy of Cooking".  I found a good basic recipe:
Oven at 300 degrees
3 cups milk
3/4 cup splenda (well, they said sugar)
1/4 t nutmeg (not in the recipe but I love nutmeg)
1 t vanilla
2 whole eggs, and 3 egg yolks, beaten

I mixed everything up and poured it into custard cups (I normally use them for pumpkin pudding).  I have 2 large portions, and 2 small ones (4 Cups total).  I found a couple of oven-safe dishes, and put about 1 inch of hot water into each.  I put the filled custard cups into the water-filled-pans, and put them into the oven. 

Since it's going to freeze tonight, Ron is happy to have me using the oven.  Sounds like dinner to me. 

Tonight I will eat, take my pills; shower.  Figure out what I want to wear tomorrow and put it out, do my God Time.  If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll do up some Bibles and candy for tomorrow.  It should be busy. 

Oh, I forgot to mention, we're getting a new vending machine tomorrow.  That's the wierd thing about the State program; the machines belong to the State.  New ones arrive and old friends depart at the whim of our "Consultant".  He's eager to get rid of our refrigerators because they are "old". 

We tell him, they work fine.  We LIKE them.  Nope.  At the whim.  [laugh] 

He also has his eye on 2 snack machines, the coffee machine, and seems inclined to let us "keep" the "Oldest soda machine in the program".  Hey, that rascal made enough to cover one of my paychecks, last month! 

He is bringing a fancy new bottled soda machine.  OK. 

I hope it has a manual.