Volunteering for Cats' Sake

Late last year Steve saw an ad in the local paper that volunteers were needed for a local no-kill cat rescue. He thought that sounded like a good idea. So, he asked me to make the call. We went out there a couple of days later and found a beautiful ten-acre site with several buildings. Edna lives on campus and owns the land. She has lots of cats in her own abode. Cheryl is the oft on campus manager. There are somewhere around one hundred and fifty well-cared for cats. Most of these critters will have this as their permanent home for their natural lives.

All cats are tested when they come through the door for FIV and feline leukemia. Unfortunately, all too many have one or the other. FIV is not fatal, nor is it transmitted to other species or other cats unless there is a very deep bite. These cats could have a normal healthy life in a home with no other cats or other cats that also have FIV. Most of them just want lots of love and attention.

They are also wormed, given flea resistant drops on their backs, shots, spayed or neutered and adopted out if possible. The facility could use lots more help both in volunteer time and money.

Steve and I work a couple hours twice a week. I have gained so many friends among the residents…Sam, Monkey, Scarlett, Dash, Belly Button, Charlie, Ivy, Jewel, the Golden Girls (Blanche, Rose, and Sophia—no Dorothy as the only other cat in that litter was a male and became David) and, oh, so many others. Some of them will jump up on various stands at my request to get their attention. “Okay, kids, time for a little attention. Get up on your perch and I’ll do some pettin.’” And, they do. They just want love and attention. My main job is cleaning litter boxes. It is just poop, after all. Feeding. Watering. Cleaning the floors. But when these chores are done, it is time for talkin’ and scratchin’.

Some of the lucky ones will find homes. Most of the healthy kittens will go to good homes. Some of the kittens, however, have tested positive for FIV and will have to stay where they are.

Steve also does some handyman work on occasion.

It is enjoyable with great satisfaction, yet there is a note of sadness that so many have to share large rooms with all these other felines forever. Most of us who volunteer have cats of our own. Steve and I have four of ours and one foster care cat from the rescue. If I were younger and had a tad more money, there would be more. Our foster care cat came with the name Boogie. He has a mark at the end of his nose that makes him look like there’s a booger there. He was supposed to be a barn cat. HA! He meowed so much that he drove Cheryl crazy. He wasn’t meowing for a barn (which Cheryl insisted was why he made so much noise), but just to get out of there. We call him Barney. He is outside most of the day, but welcomes time in the house for his afternoon nap and comes in at night.  Barn cat, my foot.

 



"Barney" the barn cat. (HA!)



Trivia Question

Lynne and I crossed the Mason/Dixon Line twice in our travels.

Who or what is Mason Dixon?

1. The state line between Maryland and Pennsylvania
2. An (imaginary) cultural line straight across the country dividing the North from the South.
3. Charles and Jeremiah
4. An Auto Auction House off I-81 in Southern Pennsylvania
5. All of the above

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/




Much of the information is quoted or paraphrased from wikipedia

"The Mason–Dixon Line (or Mason and Dixon's Line) was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (then part of Virginia).

In popular usage, especially since the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (apparently the first official use of the term "Mason's and Dixon's Line"), the Mason–Dixon Line symbolizes a cultural boundary between the Northeastern United States and the Southern United States (Dixie) and legality of slavery as a result, although the Missouri Compromise Line had much more definitive geographic connection to slavery in the United States leading up to the Civil War. 

Maryland's charter granted the land north of the entire length of the Potomac River up to the 40th parallel. A problem arose when Charles II granted a charter for Pennsylvania. The grant defined Pennsylvania's southern border as identical to Maryland's northern border, the 40th parallel. But the terms of the grant clearly indicate that Charles II and William Penn assumed the 40th parallel would intersect the Twelve-Mile Circle around New Castle, Delaware when in fact it falls north of Philadelphia, the site of which Penn had already selected for his colony's capital city. Negotiations ensued after the problem was discovered in 1681. A compromise proposed by Charles II in 1682, which might have resolved the issue, was undermined by Penn receiving the additional grant of the 'Three Lower Counties' along Delaware Bay, which later became the Delaware Colony, a satellite of Pennsylvania. These lands had been part of Maryland's original grant.

In 1732 the proprietary governor of Maryland, Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, signed a provisional agreement with William Penn's sons, which drew a line somewhere in between and renounced the Calvert claim to Delaware. But later, Lord Baltimore claimed that the document he had signed did not contain the terms he had agreed to, and refused to put the agreement into effect. Beginning in the mid-1730s, violence erupted between settlers claiming various loyalties to Maryland and Pennsylvania. The border conflict would be known as Cresap's War.

The issue remained unresolved until the Crown intervened in 1760, ordering Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore to accept the 1732 agreement. Maryland's border with Delaware was to be based on the Transpeninsular Line and the Twelve-Mile Circle around New Castle. The Pennsylvania-Maryland border was defined as the line of latitude 15 miles south of the southernmost house in Philadelphia.

As part of the settlement, the Penns and Calverts commissioned the English team of Mason and Dixon to survey the newly established boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony, and parts of Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia.

After Pennsylvania abolished slavery in 1781, the western part of this line and the Ohio River became a border between slave and free states, although Delaware retained slavery until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865.

Diagram of the survey lines creating the Mason-Dixon Line and "The Wedge" Mason and Dixon's actual survey line began to the south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and extended from a benchmark east to the Delaware River and west to what was then the boundary with western Virginia.

The surveyors also fixed the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania and the approximately north–south portion of the boundary between Delaware and Maryland. Most of the Delaware–Pennsylvania boundary is an arc, and the Delaware–Maryland boundary does not run truly north-south because it was intended to bisect the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) Peninsula rather than follow a meridian.

The Maryland–Pennsylvania boundary is an east-west line with an approximate mean latitude of 39°43′20″ N (Datum WGS 84). In reality, the east-west Mason-Dixon line is not a true line in the geometric sense, but is instead a series of many adjoining lines, following a path between latitude 39°43′15″ N and 39°43′23″ N.

The surveyors also extended the boundary line to run between Pennsylvania and colonial western Virginia (which became West Virginia during the American Civil War, on June 20, 1863), though this was contrary to their original charter; this extension of the line was only confirmed later.

The Mason–Dixon Line was marked by stones every mile and "crownstones" every five miles, using stone shipped from England. The Maryland side says (M) and the Delaware and Pennsylvania sides say (P). Crownstones include the two coats-of-arms. Today, while a number of the original stones are missing or buried, many are still visible, resting on public land and protected by iron cages.

Mason and Dixon confirmed earlier survey work which delineated Delaware's southern boundary from the Atlantic Ocean to the ”Middle Point” stone (along what is today known as the Transpeninsular Line). They proceeded nearly due north from this to the Pennsylvania border.

Later the line was marked in places by additional benchmarks and survey markers. The lines have been resurveyed several times over the centuries without substantive changes to Mason and Dixon's work. The stones may be a few to a few hundred feet east or west of the point Mason and Dixon thought they were; in any event, the line drawn from stone to stone forms the legal boundary.

According to Dave Doyle at the National Geodetic Survey, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the common corner of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, at The Wedge is marked by Boundary Monument #87. The marker ”MDP Corner” dates from 1935 and is offset on purpose. Doyle said the Maryland–Pennsylvania Mason–Dixon Line is exactly: 39°43′19.92216″ N and Boundary Monument #87 is on that parallel, at:  075°47′18.93851″ W.

Visitors to the tri-point are strongly encouraged to first obtain permission from the nearest landowner, or use the path from the arc corner monument which is bordered by Delaware parkland most of the way, and Pennsylvania parkland the entire way.

A "crownstone" boundary monument on the Mason-Dixon Line. These markers were originally placed at every 5th mile along the line, oriented with family coats of arms facing the state that they represented. The coat of arms of Maryland's founding Calvert family is shown. On the other side are the arms of William Penn.

In April 1765, Mason and Dixon began their survey of the more famous Maryland-Pennsylvania line. They were commissioned to run it for a distance of five degrees of longitude west from the Delaware River, fixing the western boundary of Pennsylvania. However, in October 1767, at Dunkard Creek near Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, nearly 244 miles (393 km) west of the Delaware, a group of Native Americans forced them to quit their progress."

The Pennsylvania/Maryland border has been surveyed many more times:  1784, 1849, 1900 with results almost identical.

And, yes, there is an auto auction house just north of THE line in southern Pennsylvania named Mason/Dixon.

So, the answer is 5.  All of the above.

L&M Trip--Day 7--Heading for Dover and Annapolis, But Trenton instead

Day 7—Our Plans Changed once again

We left that horrible hotel. Our plans for the day were to head to Dover, Delaware and then to Annapolis, Maryland. We got on the Jersey Turnpike. Traffic was unreal. Was this normal? Or was it a result of Irene? Or the holiday weekend? Don’t know. But after traveling at slower than snail speed, we decided to venture in a different direction. Oh, look, there’s I-195 which will eventually take us to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Hooray!

Our initial plans were to head south to Dover and Annapolis, head west to West Virginia.  Spend one to three days there and head south on I-77 heading toward North Carolina.  We wanted to stop at the Latta Plantation, perhaps also visit Charotte, and go to an Eastern Star meeting in either WV or NC. And then head home.

We had seen the potential of Lee’s path the evening before. If we continued in the way we planned, we probably would be driving in the rain for at least a couple of days. We would have to watch this carefully. Lynne—first your mother-in-law, Irene messes with us; and then your Dad, Lee is making us change our plans. Should I leave you home next time!

We somehow made a wrong turn and Voile, we ended up near the Trenton, New Jersey capitol. Wow! Lost two; picked up one. (Details of the capitol in a separate posting).

Since it was Sunday, we were not sure of the specifics as to time, etc. Got to a great parking place in front. Lynne calls this “princess parking.” Sign said tours started at noon. It was ten of. Great. This is the first capitol that we not only had to go through metal detectors, but also had to show our ID’s which were recorded in a log. After we got inside, a nice young man named James was there to give tours. Since we were the only two, we had a private tour which included both the House and the Senate Chambers, the Governor’s Reception room and the rotunda. He stamped my book. As we were leaving, two young men came in who also had books to be stamped. They had started on their pilgrimage earlier this year and were already up to six. They had another trip planned in October in which they would visit four more. Ten in a year…I am so envious. It has taken lots of years to get to twenty. If they keep up this pace, they will beat me out by next year or the following. However, my true feelings are that I was pleased to see young people that wanted to see democracy at its best. Civics is just not taught these days. Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wants this changed, and I hope the legislation named for her passes in all states. Her parents brought her to all the capitols west of the Mississippi one summer. There’s a lot to see and learn at them.

We spent the night in Winchester, Virginia at a Quality Inn which turned out to be clean and quiet, shampoo and soap and no burned gunk from a microwave plate, priced reasonably. We had stopped early which was good. As we were registering, a call came in for eighteen linemen and other crew members. Irene, again! It looked as though the motels at this exit were soon to be full, but we had stopped early enough for it not to be a problem for us. This is now a week after Irene blew through, and there were still problems.

We ate once again at Cracker Barrel—three nights out of five. Steve does not seem to like it too much, and I love it. Lynne likes it too, so we were happy campers.

Number 19--Harrisburg, PA

http://www.pacapitol.com/

between Commonwealth Avenue and Third Avenue

Harrisburg, PA

1-800-868-7672



The Keystone State

http://www.legis.pa.us/

Senate: 60

House/ Assembly: 203

Architect: East Wing—Thomas C. Celli, Main Building-- Joseph Huston (1866-1940), who envisioned the building as a “Palace of Art.”

Building Completed: Dedicated 1906 (previous building burned); East wing 1987

Capitols located: Harrisburg third city (Philadelphia, Lancaster)

Style: American Renaissance—original building, 620X254 feet; east wing—“post modern”

The Rotunda/Dome/Dome topper: Five story, 272-foot, 52 million-pound dome inspired by Michelangelo’s design for St. Peter’s Basilica is faced with Vermont granite; the roof is composed of pea-green glazed terra cotta tiles. Commonwealth, a gilded bronze 14’6” “Miss Penn,” holds a garlanded mace in her left hand (symbol of statehood) and the right hand held in a benediction manner. Grand staircase is patterned after the Paris Opera House.

Art: Both the Senate and House have huge beautiful murals on the walls of their chambers…lot of historic events. House corridor has paintings of religious groups that founded Pennsylvania; the Senate corridor is line with fourteen paintings showing Pennsylvania’s industry and transportation. There are statues in marble and bronze throughout. Battle flags are housed near the rotunda.

And to me, the most impressive are the stained glass windows that line the side walls of the Senate (10) and House Chambers (14) each weighing 200 pounds, framed in gold leaf, depicting themes, attributes, and values.

Quarter:  Commonwealth "Miss Penn" and keystone superimposed over  image of state outline.

Liberty Bell—Each state and most territories have been gifted at least one replica of the liberty bell. Missouri seems to have two—one of which is located at the Harry S Truman Library (#54) in Independence, MO, given by the city of Annecy-le-Vieux to the city of Independence. My guess would be that this choice was made as Truman was President at the time of the gifting. The second one was given to the State of Missouri and resides on capitol grounds (#20).

http://www.libertybellmuseum.com/exhibits/statebells/index.htm

The fifty five full-sized replicas were cast in 1950 by the Paccard Foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, France and shipped as gifts to states and territories. They were funded by a savings bond drive. In thanks for America’s help in World War II.

In some states, the replica bells are located outside on the grounds of the capitol; some states have located them in other prestigious places such as state historical societies; some states don’t seem to have a clue where it is.

Pennsylvania is unique in that it has THE original liberty bell. It has a replica at the State Museum across the street from the Capitol Building first used at the New York World’s Fair in 1965. The Paccard Foundry reproduction (#4) is found in Allentown at the Zion Reformed Church (Liberty Bell Shrine). It was closed by the time of the day that we reached it. During time of War, bells are often recast for bullets and other munitions. To protect the bells of Philadelphia, the bells were brought by wagon train to Bethlehem and then to The Zion [German] Reformed Church in present day Allentown (then known as Northampton).  This Church, therefore, was the place the original had been secreted behind a false wall when the British took over Philadelphia during the War for our Independence.  The original returned to Philly in 1778.

Tours: Self Guided. Guided every half-hour M-F 8:30 am –4:30 pm, weekends/most holidays: four offered-- every two hours starting at 9am – 3pm (to make advance reservation: 1-800-Tour-N-PA or 717-787-6810.

Cornerstone—The facility was so huge that I did not find the cornerstone.

Getting there: I-81 Front Street Exit in Harrisburg. The ride to the Harrisburg capitol is picturesque and beautiful along the Susquehanna River. There is nothing between the Front Street road (one way in-bound) and the north side of the river. Easy in and easy out.

Parking: Yuk! Difficult! Metered street parking. $.25 for ten minutes. Two hours limit. Parking closest to the Capitol is reserved for State employees. There are some parking garages which I did not investigate. For parking “opportunities” http://www.harrisburgparking.org/.

 

What’s unique:

• T. Roosevelt called it “the handsomest Capitol I ever saw!”
• 

  Pennsylvania has more printed material about the capitol than any other building I have visited.
• One pamphlet lists the 67 counties and from whence their names were derived.
• Three hundred seventy-seven Moravian mosaic picture floor tiles representing 254 scenes—artifacts, animals, birds, fish, insects, industries, workers, Civil war soldiers, buildings, and the keystone. Designed by Henry Chapman Mercer of Bucks County. Chronological order.
• The only place in the western hemisphere to have marble from the French Pyrenees Mountains.
• The fountain at its east wing entrance  (Pennsylvania War Veterans’ Memorial Fountain).
• 
  

  
  

   Soldiers Grove, a tree-lined approach, named in honor of war veterans.
• We missed this: Pennsylvania Medal of Honor Memorial—the names of each Pennsylvania recipient carved in granite and placed in an arc of a particular war or conflict. The arcs form a timeline dating from the Civil War.

The docent gave us wise advice to start with the fourth floor galleries for both houses as there was a press conference/protest for some potential legislation that filled the rotunda under the beautiful dome. It was good advice as we saw these places before the crowd let loose.

Both chambers were awesome from the gallery.

Quarter:

Commonwealth statue, state outline, keystone
Caption: "Virtue, Liberty, Independence"









Information drawn from various pamphlets and personal observation.  Pamphlets produced by Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee

L&M Trip--Day 8--Quartermaster Museum and Petersburg Battle Field

Day 8—Heading South

Leaving Winchester area, we headed across I-66, into US17 South and finally into I-95. Since Lee really changed our plans, we decided that there must some neat things to see and/do heading south on the “freeway.” Lynne was a navy wife and spent much time on the West Coast. She, therefore, calls these big ol’ highways “the freeway.” Freeway is not a word that is used for the highway system in the East very often, especially since many of the roads are tollroads (which, of course, negates the word “free”way.) They are highways, turnpikes or Interstates. I found it really funny when Tomasina Tom Tom gave us directions to the very expensive New Jersey Turnpike and said some to the effect of “take the freeway…” Lady, it ain’t FREE!

We had picked up a bunch of pamphlets, brochures and maps on our journey. We saw that Ft. Lee had a Quartermasters’ Museum and a Military Women’s Museum. This looked like something that we would both like to see. Off the highway, several miles to the east, is Ft. Lee which is a military installation. One needs to present a picture ID at the front gate. We stopped, presented our IDs and were directed to the museums which are housed in buildings next to each other.

We both thought that we would like to see the women’s first. But Alas, Alack! It was closed. (Sunday of Labor Day weekend.)

No admission fee, but donations welcome.

Tuesday – Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed on Sundays and Mondays and Federal Holidays.

Some seasonal hours

804-734-4327

U.S. Army Women's Museum

2100 "A" Avenue

Fort Lee, VA 23801

Email: leeeAWMWeb@conus.army.mil

http://www.awm.lee.army.mil

But, there was a great artillery piece in front of the building showing women at the beginning of WWII in their skirted uniforms operating the piece. It was decided that women could be used in areas other than “women’s jobs” if needed. They did not continue the artillery for women in this war, but it opened doors for later women.

We went next door to the Quartermasters’. Very few people there. Did not see any staff and the gift shop was closed.

No admission fee, but suggested $5.00 donation—honor system box at entrance.

Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Weekends, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day

US Army Quartermaster Museum

1201 22nd Street, Ft. Lee, VA 23801

leeeqmmuseum@conus.army.mil

804-734-4203

http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil

Lynne and I both thought this was a really great museum and spent a great deal of time in it. It was organized/separated into various collections: heraldic devices and insignias, foods, clothing items, equipment and personal items (toothbrushes, etc.) weapons, artwork, vehicles (horse-drawn wagons through Humvees), planes—including aerial delivery & field services, petroleum and water, mortuary services, Quartermaster Medal of Honor recipients.

There is also a section dedicated to our various American flags—Betsy Ross (13 stars), Star Spangled Banner (15 stars and 15 stripes) and many new flags as a new state/star was added. A new star is added July 4 after a new state has entered the union. For instance, Alaska and Hawaii both became states in 1959. Alaska, number forty-nine in January, got her star July 4, 1959; Hawaii, number fifty in December, got her star July 4, 1960. As an amateur vexologist, I was happy as a pig in mud.

A temporary exhibit running through this fall (no exact date given)

"Blades: Centuries of Swords, Bayonets, and Bolos", chronicles the evolution of mankind's oldest hand-to-hand weapons. The exhibit contains over fifty edged weapons from the museum's collection dating from the 18th century and includes swords and bayonets used by the American and British Armies during the American Revolution, Civil War-era swords, both Union and Confederate, along with bolos and machetes developed by the U.S. Army for use as tools and as weapons. Quoted from the US Army Quartermaster Museum website.

Chronologically:

• There was a mission statement for each time period. It started in the American Revolution with only three bullet points. The bullet points grew to a rather long list.

• Official rations were also listed by time period. This list, too, grew from both quantity and quality.

One of the exhibits that we really liked was on the aerial “drops.” The types of material used for crating included bamboo. The type and size of the crates were amazing…up to five ton. How does something like that even get off the ground and fly! And how does something that big gets placed where it should land! Another amazing thing is that live animals are airlifted and dropped. There was a small crate with a model calf (made of plastic or something like that), but it did show us that this was/is done.

Research in their archives can be done by appointment.

PETERSBURG BATTLEFIELD

www.npca.org/Parks

www.nps.gov/pete/

Petersburg National Battlefield Park is located in south-central Virginia approximately 25 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The park encompasses a large area with battlefield sites and visitor centers located in Dinwiddie, Hopewell and Prince George Counties. 

We had seen the brown sign for the Petersburg Battlefield. We are both Civil War re.enactors and thought this would be an interesting visit. We thought we have to get back on the “freeway,” but it turned out that we could turn in the opposite direction and go about one half mile. I had planned to use my NPS pass. But, as it turned out, they were not charging a fee for the day. IRENE, again! She had knocked down many trees, and the paths and trails were closed. Only Battery 5 and the Dictator was available for visitors to the park.



There is a seventeen minute film about the seize at Petersburg. There is a kind of moat around the theater. It contains dirt, sand and after-battle debris—cannon, canteens, cards, testaments, clothing. Presently accurately. There were two rangers…one whose name was that of two Presidents. I made that comment. He said his middle name was Davis (like Jefferson Davis). Perfect for a ranger in a southern historic Civil War site.

We hiked down to the Dictator. I talked to Ranger President Names about the Dictator. He suggested that the original dictator probably had many sister dictators. The Dictator was a sea mortar of the First Connecticut Heavy Artillery. It was used mostly at Fort Stedman throughout the seize. One story says that it had been put on a railroad car and run up and down the line, shooting cannonballs as it traveled. Some eye witnesses said that members of the 1st Connecticut Heavies chalked addresses in Richmond or other messages on the cannonballs before shooting them.

It was also suggested that perhaps the real/original the Dictator may have melted down during World War I for other armament. However, at the entrance to the State Capitol in Hartford, there are two sea mortars that look like the Dictator. Hartford claims one is the original piece used by the First Connecticut HA. So, like the old TV show “To Tell the Truth,” where (or who) is the REAL Dictator!!!



Munition storage for the Dictator



 

The 1st Connecticut HA began as the Fourth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry (militia). Henry Birge was its Major. His uncle was the Governor [Buckingham]. When it reorganized into the heavies, Henry resigned as he had been offered the job of Colonel for the Thirteen Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, which he accepted. My great grandfather, Samuel Pyatt, was in this unit. Birge turned out to be a pretty decent officer and not just a political appointment.

The First Connecticut Heavies lost during service 2 Officers and 49 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 172 Enlisted men by disease. Total 227, a decent record.

Grant believed correctly that Petersburg was the key to capturing Richmond. He had hoped for a short battle, but it turned into a verrrrrry long seize. Lots of historical moments came out of the seize. I will post in blogs as time goes on.

 

We did a bit of shopping…books mostly, a hat for Steve, some patches.

We stopped at the North Carolina welcome station.

Then we headed south. Selma, NC looked like a good place to stop. I had been looking at signs for JRs for yeaaaaaaaaaaaaars. We found that there were a great many motels there. We were fairly early. None of the motels looked promising in that there were no cars in any of the parking lots. We decided to stay at a beautiful new Days Inn in Selma, North Carolina. It was reasonable, all amenities, including a free hot breakfast and no gunky microwave plate.

We went to eat, and saw that the motels were then filling up. Better sign. We decided to mosey through JRs…books, dolls, Christmas decorations, tobacco products, linens. A wonderful place. It was to close at 9:00. At 8:30, they started telling us to get the heck out. Well, not exactly in those words, but we got the meaning. Bought books. Wow what a surprise.

 

L&M Trip--Day 6--Looking for My Mother, Looking for a place to stay for the night

Day 6

We stayed with Uncle and Aunt till about noon. Then we headed back to central Connecticut. At this point, the day turned bad or at least funky. My mother had taken a fall a few weeks ago and now has a compressed disk which was giving her a lot of pain. I had not originally thought about stopping to see anyone, but thought it might behoove me to stop to see her. Tried her land line; tried her cell. No answer. This made me rather nervous. I then called my sister, who thought that she might be at the Senior Center which is a normal haunt for her. Drove to her apartment building. No answer. She has a friend with whom she is out quite often. My only problem is that I did not know her last name.

Stopped at the local Walmart where my niece works. It is near my mother’s apartment. Got good directions to the Senior Center. Drove there. Wondered around. No one knew my mother. She usually goes for lunch, but the lunch room was closed and locked. The other people there apparently don’t go for lunch, but for later in the afternoon activities. Now what! Went back to her apartment building and rang her bell again. No answer. Rang the office. No answer.

Sitting in the parking lot trying to figure out what to do next when Lynne saw a car pull up in front of the door. I looked back. It was her friend. Charged to the car. My mother has NEVER had bed hair, NEVER. She got out of the car with bed hair. I knew something was wrong. She had gone to the hospital for a procedure on her back which kind of glues the disk together and was still a tad groggy. When she realized I was there, she dismissed her friend. Lynne and I helped up to her apartment. She seemed happy to see us. Sat in the living room for a short while, and she wanted to retire to bed. She wanted us to stay for a while. As it turns out, she was supposed to have someone with her for the first twenty-four hours. She had lied to them at the hospital and said she had someone. Lynne and I offered to stay locally, but she said no.

After some more time, she said less than tactfully, “You people can leave now.” I cracked up. She is very stubborn and independent…almost 91. And I guess very tired by now by this time of the day.

We left with the idea we would stay at a motel for the night. No evergreens scheduled. We drove all the way to Fishkill, New York. Ended up at Extended Stay America—horrible night. Stupid dog barked next dog half the night. This is one of the worst places I have eveeeeeeer stayed. Rugs in corridors were stained, no shampoo or other regular amenity-type products. And the plate from the microwave was on the counter, with burned on crusty gunk. And that stupid dog. Sounded like a puppy or Chihuahua, probably in a cage as the sound did not move. Bark, bark, bark. Bark, bark, bark. For hours. At one point, other larger dogs (German shepherds—not caged…the sound moved all over) who joined in the fray of confusion and noise. Apparently, several people complained, because we could hear people slamming doors, etc. And eventually everything was quiet. I think they were tossed out. AND IT WAS OVERPRICED—very expensive. Again, Irene was the cause of our current problem. Because so many trucks and linemen were in the area, using all available rooms, they would not give AAA or AARP discounts. THE PLACE WAS OVERPRICED (guess I already mentioned that)!

Not our best day!

I will never stay in one of these places again.

Lynne and Molly's Trip--Day 5--Day in Court and Uncle Ken/Aunt Maurine

We rose early. Pam made us homemade bran muffins. Were they ever good! Moist and ever so good!

Driving to Bantam, we wanted to get to the courthouse early. Neither one of us had any idea of what was going to happen or how it worked. Those sleazy tenants showed up with her five month old baby. They still do not think they owe me any money. When they moved in, the husband had gone back to the Marine Corps to help with family finances. The younger woman was with a male “friend.” He did not seem like just a “friend.” Within a few months, we heard the Marine was being divorced by the po’ white trash that she turned out to be while the husband was (as my real estate agent said) “getting his back end shot off in Afghanistan.” It appears that she was pregnant. Close friend, I guess, as the husband had been gone much too long to father the kid. She brought her mama, who was also a tenant. The lessee already had six kids and at least one of those minor kids had kid(s) herself. The crossing guard near my house said that seventeen people lived in there. It’s tough to be a landlord long distance.

We had decided that she brought the baby to get sympathy from the judge. He was a very good baby, but who brings their five month old to court.

The docket was presented. We were #23 out of twenty-nine docket participants. We were to have a magistrate and meet in judge’s quarters. The magistrate was an old dude. He really intimidated me. He explained that each case would take a half an hour…that’s fourteen and a half hours. We’d better talk to each other and see if we could reach a compromise. Well, it turned out that when they did the roll call, half of the plaintiffs or defendants did no show, so that would be an automatic judgment. In some cases, it appeared that neither appeared. We got to “know” some really nice people including the tattoo lady, Victoria (whose plaintiff did not show). All cases were supposed to be done by 1:00 with a one-hour lunch break and a new magistrate. By the time everything shook out, only #23, 26 and 29 were left.

We finally got our turn. Lynne and I sat on one side of the table. The po’ white trash with baby in tow on the other. I had all my documentation. She had one piece of paper which she claimed prevented her from getting a mortgage. She may have tried to get a mortgage with her first two purchase agreements (but I doubt it), but the last purchase agreement did not even include her name. The deed recorded at the town did not list her name either but her aunt and someone I did not know (never saw the name before). The magistrate, who by now was probably tired and hungry, ended the hearing with “by mail!”

In order words, my judgment. He has forty-five days to decide. This is now day ten or so. We have heard nothing. I really felt with all my documentation that it was a Daryl Dawkins slam dunk, but I guess not. I can’t believe that it was not settled.

After we left court, we headed out to eastern Connecticut to see Lynne’s family. We stopped at a friend’s off of Route 44 to pick up the most delicious beef jerky in the world (I don’t usually like jerky, but this is, oh so good). Then we stopped at Bob’s in Avon to pick up a UCONN hat for me and Boston Red Sox shirt for Lynne’s daughter.

We arrived at Uncle Ken’s and Aunt (this is New England…the word is pronounced au-nt not ant) Maurine’s. They have adopted me into the family. They have five married children and lots of grandchildren (lots of cousins for Lynne). We arrived late afternoon. Three of their children, spouses and one granddaughter came and threw us a picnic. Their hospitality is amazing. Some of them are vegan; others love cheeseburgers. We spent the night with them. Lynne and Uncle and Aunt stayed up to one-ish. I had gone to bed around eleven.

Irene is still moving in and out of my life.  Cousins Robin and Russ in eastern Connecticut had just gotten power back.  Sheryl and Bart of northeastern Connecticut still had not power.  They brought their laundry to use Mom's equipent during the picnic.  The were the first leave.  Dave, the perpetual clown, said after Sheryl and Bart left something about the wet clothes in the washing machine.  Of course, there were none, but it made a couple of the group jump to the conclusion that Sheryl had left them behind.  The family really pulls together.  Sheryl brought lots of coolers.  And everyone else brought ice for her to take home.

I love Lynne's extended family.