Eva’s Friends

[Callender Girl]

First off, please promise that you will not drive that fast again. No matter how well you drive, anything could be dangerous or fatal at that speed. What if some critter ran out into the road? Your kind-hearted self would have swerved to avoid it, wouldn't you? Please take better care of my special BYC friend.

Second, don't worry about conflicting advice; listen to reasonable people, then do what FEELS right for you. I eventually became the managing editor of one of the (at the time) state's largest newspapers. I started there as a Lifestyle reporter, its lowest entry-level newsroom assignment. Part of my daily job was entering obit information, which was taken by telephone from funeral directors -- neither challenging nor fun. But I worked my way up.

Enroute to that, I studied at a university but left college early, worked in the hospitality industry (everything from waiting tables to managing and owning a restaurant), went to broadcasting school (after I had already worked as a radio news director but wanted a broader range of skills), sold new and used cars, sold fine jewelry, worked as a fragrance model (one of those annoying people who try to spritz you with over-priced perfume in high-end stores) and got an AA in general studies from a community college.

When you're young, there are so many possibilities in the world. In my opinion, you can and should take advantage of as many as you find appealing. You will learn something from every path you take. You will, quite possibly and most likely, take some wrong turns along the way. But, you just might find the one, or ones, that you are truly passionate about.

Regarding the dumped ducks and gander, you are a skilled writer. Write a letter to the editor or to city officials. Or post to Facebook. You won't solve the problem, but you can make others, who might have the power or ability to correct it, aware of the situation.

Today, enjoy the countryside and the warm weather -- and everything else the day has to offer.

BTW, it's a "balmy" 30 degrees already this morning. Hurray for above-freezing temperatures that are promised for this afternoon!

 

[LaFleche]

crying tears of frustration as I try to figure out what to do with my life.

The only thing that I would recommend, is to choose something you are really interested in or even passionate about as this will help you through rough patches in life.
Maybe even combine both if possible, i.e. travel journalist (traveling, photos and writing!) just as an example.

Life will throw a lot of curve balls and having a profession that excites and satisfies you can make all the difference in overcoming hard times.

And welcome to Eva's Friends, @LaFleche!

Thank you!

 

[Evadig]

Sunday again. I've been feeling sick ever since I ate some chocolate hummus yesterday. Church this morning was almost intolerable. The pews are straight backed and the priest's homily lasted more than twenty minutes. My stomach was turning and I was praying not to feel nauseous. I am still not feeling well. Maybe I've picked up a bug?

I forgot to say last Sunday, when we were coming home from church, I chanced to look over at the dash and saw we had five miles of gas left. It was five miles to the nearest gas station, and we were going uphill. Holding our breath, we crept into the parking lot as the fuel gauge read "empty". I told my dad he is never allowed to push his luck like that again!

Friday I explored the area. I went to a couple antique stores. One was terribly disappointing - it was more crafts than anything. It did have an antique wheelchair, though! The other one had a nice looking treadle sewing machine that they said they'd sell to me for $50 (it is already priced at only $80) because they don't know if it works or not. I wish I could get it, but there's absolutely no way of getting it home unless I drove across country, which isn't going to happen. I would love to do it, but it's not possible right now.

I am enjoying the sixty degree weather here while back home my family has been dumped on with six inches of snow. I am glad I put the heaters in with Winston, Liberty, and the older hens because they will have lows of 2F. From pictures, I can see Winston's comb is healing. I wish I had known he can't handle cold weather before his lovely comb got destroyed.

I have a question. It's probably dumb, but...
How would you say, "All the music is paid elements from Canva". It just doesn't sound right, but neither does "All the music are paid elements from Canva". Thanks!

First off, please promise that you will not drive that fast again.

Please take better care of my special BYC friend.

Yes, ma'am. I will, and thank you.

Regarding the dumped ducks and gander, you are a skilled writer. Write a letter to the editor or to city officials. Or post to Facebook. You won't solve the problem, but you can make others, who might have the power or ability to correct it, aware of the situation.

There's dumped ducks everywhere here. In every pond, there's at least one. And the shelters are awful. They euthanize animals without even giving them a chance to find homes. I know they're probably overrun, but literally, they post the animal and say that if it's not adopted within a short period (like three days) it's getting put down. I guess I could write a letter, though. But can you do it anonymously or with a fake name?

Second, don't worry about conflicting advice; listen to reasonable people, then do what FEELS right for you.

The only thing that I would recommend, is to choose something you are really interested in or even passionate about as this will help you through rough patches in life.

Thank you both. The thing is, I don't even know what I want to do. I have lots of interests, and am tolerably good at some things, but when I consider doing them every day for the next x amount of years, my interest quickly fades away.

I applied for another dispatch job with the sheriff's office and will take the test tomorrow. I would like to work in emergency services, but not sure I'm up to it mentally.

Maybe even combine both if possible, i.e. travel journalist (traveling, photos and writing!) just as an example.

I like this!

Lots of pictures tonight...

The most friendly coot on the lake; I named it Gloria. She likes mixed vegetables.

Interior of church

An oversized pinecone - it is more than six inches tall!

A 1940s sewing machine I'm contemplating buying

Sewing by the lake in the sun

A man on a horse in a residential neighborhood

A seagull in midflight

Dumped ducks at the city lake

White pelicans at the same lake - these birds are huge!

B-17 "Flying Fortress" bomber

P-51 "Mustang" fighter

Several landscape photos:

 

[Callender Girl]

All the photos are great, as always!

Sorry you're not feeling well. I LOVE hummus, but I don't think I even want to try chocolate hummus. Roasted pine nut is my favorite flavor.

Yes, your dad was cutting it mighty close on the gas. Several years ago, I was driving my then-fairly new car from Grand Marais, MN to Ely. I rarely let the tank get below one-quarter, but I could see from the map (yeah, pretty old school, huh?) that there were several little towns in between. What I didn't know was that NONE of them had gas stations. I learned that my car will go at least 10 miles past where the dashboard tells me I have NO miles left. I have never in my life been so happy to see a Clark station!!

When I can't figure out or remember certain grammar rules, I sometimes add words. For example: "All the music PIECES are paid elements from Canva" eliminates the problem, for me at least Or, "All the music is paid CONTENT from Canva."

I'm not saying you shouldn't plan for the future, but if you find something your enjoy and are good at, don't worry about whether you will still feel that way several years down the road. The world changes so quickly that whatever you choose may evolve and remain challenging for you, or it might put you on the path to something else.

BTW, @LaFleche had an excellent suggestion!

Dispatch might be interesting and is certainly useful. But, I agree with you it would likely be mentally draining. If that's the route you choose, make sure you incorporate some sort of major stress relief into your life. I am intrigued by cops and criminals, and I covered a number of murder trials as a journalist. Witnessing so much pain and suffering can easily take a toll if you aren't aware and careful. After one incredibly bloody and disgusting day of testimony and graphic photos, I went back to the office and EXPLODED at my boss for something stupid he said. Fortunately, we both realized I was reacting more to my day in court than to him.

Sad about the ducks and other shelter pets. I have been trying to rehome the adult cats that were dumped here last spring; they antagonize and irritate my 16-year-old cat, Ziva. She deserves peace and quiet in her golden years.

I've tried several rescue groups -- all have more cats than they know what to do with -- and thought I'd found a solution with the Animal Rescue League, which has a barn cat program. I described each cat's personality and was told not to even bother submitting a relinquishment form for Jinx because he's too wild and they wouldn't accept him. I'm running out of options.

Enjoy your weather! It's minus 5 right now and is going to get colder. Brrrrr!!!

 

[Evadig]

Short post and hardly any pictures today - I've been at the house and not doing much. I don't even remember what I did Monday, but Tuesday, I took the Criticall Exam to become a dispatcher. I think I did pretty good, but I haven't heard back from them yet (not surprised by that though).

I also sat out on the dock and fed the ducks. Unfortunately, I haven't heard back from the waterfowl refuge. There are so many ducks, and I cannot save them all. I have been told these ducks have been living on the lake for over a year now - there are raccoons but really no other predators, and there are fish in the water. So they will just have to stay here, and I will have to hope for the best.

Today I sat down to get some computer work done and instead watched a 1944 movie featuring the Navy. Then I locked myself out of the house and went to town. I did not cook the potatoes all the way at dinner; therefore, they are nearly inedible. On the bright side, I bought a 1950s dress which was clearly handmade by some bright amateur seamstress many years ago. It only cost twenty-five dollars! I also bought a magnet and a book for my sister.

I'd like to ask that if by any chance you comment on my youtube channel, please only leave generic messages. My family does not know I'm on BYC, and I would prefer that they don't find out (at least for now). Thank you for understanding .

Yes, your dad was cutting it mighty close on the gas. Several years ago, I was driving my then-fairly new car from Grand Marais, MN to Ely. I rarely let the tank get below one-quarter, but I could see from the map (yeah, pretty old school, huh?) that there were several little towns in between. What I didn't know was that NONE of them had gas stations. I learned that my car will go at least 10 miles past where the dashboard tells me I have NO miles left. I have never in my life been so happy to see a Clark station!!

This is good to know! I don't remember using maps, but I know we must have because we didn't get an iphone until I was twelve.

When I can't figure out or remember certain grammar rules, I sometimes add words. For example: "All the music PIECES are paid elements from Canva" eliminates the problem, for me at least Or, "All the music is paid CONTENT from Canva."

Thank you, this is helpful!

Dispatch might be interesting and is certainly useful. But, I agree with you it would likely be mentally draining. If that's the route you choose, make sure you incorporate some sort of major stress relief into your life. I am intrigued by cops and criminals, and I covered a number of murder trials as a journalist. Witnessing so much pain and suffering can easily take a toll if you aren't aware and careful.

I have to admit, while I love police and would like to work with them, the main reason I'm applying for dispatch positions is because it seems to be one of the only jobs that pays fairly well, trains you without experience, and is not retail, babysitting, etc. - in short, appears to be one of the only civilian jobs in my reach.

It is not my dream job. I would prefer to be a police officer over dispatch because there is nothing worse for me than something bad happening and not being able to physically help. And also if you make a mistake the responding officer might get killed. I could not live with that. So I almost hope I do not get the job.

I cannot be a police officer because I cannot handle even a roomful of children. That is why I am not attempting to be a teacher.

I am going to apply for the Coast Guard when I get my affairs in order, which means putting on some weight and, unfortunately, rehoming most of my chickens. If the military does not work - my mom always says to have a Plan B - I guess I will go back to school and get my masters so I can teach either English as a Second Language or Montessori. I might do better with those schools...

described each cat's personality and was told not to even bother submitting a relinquishment form for Jinx because he's too wild and they wouldn't accept him. I'm running out of options.

They will not even accept him for a barn cat program But he is not even interacting with people! I hope you are able to find a good home for him.

I have messed up my keyboard someway and all the character keys will not type what I want. Like, the semicolon key now types Ñ or ñ. The question mark key now types - or _. I do not know how to get it back to normal . Only the period and comma buttons work as they ought.

This post turned into a much longer one than I anticipated!

The 50s dress - the polka dots make it hard to view on the screen! Now that I looked at again, I see some repairs need to be made where some seams have come out, but nothing I can't handle.

I really liked the neck bow.

The book, copyright 1937, although the girl in the picture looks more dressed for the 20s.

The magnet for my sis
I did not know Route 66 goes all the way into Illinois!

I though this ad was kind of funny and also very true!

Winter back home:

Some pictures of the sunrise this morning:

 

[Callender Girl]

Sounds like you're finding pleasant ways to spend your days. And, if the ducks have been living on the pond for a year, they have developed at least some survival skills.

January has been fairly challenging for me. Yesterday, I had to AGAIN deal with the insurance company and the dealership that is supposed to be fixing my car. This nonsense has been going on for almost six weeks.

I've also had issues with the bathroom plumbing, the cats and the furnace and an inflamed tendon in my left (dominant, of course!) hand. My computer has also been doing some weird things, but it's been further down on the priority list than the aforementioned items.

Some of my chickens are getting frostbitten points on their combs, likely from sticking their entire heads into the waterers when it's minus-14 degrees. But one girl, who apparently damaged her own comb, was then picked on by the others, and it looked like a bloodbath (she's a pure white Sapphire Splash, so the red dramatically showed up). I put a cat carrier in their coop and let her recover overnight. Alice seemed okay yesterday but with much less comb.

I chuckled at the Craigslist ad!

The polka dot dress is lovely. I used to have a vintage plaid with a similar bow at the neck.

And, no need to worry about me leaving messages on your YouTube channel. I rarely check out YouTube and have never left a message there.

I agree with your mom about always having a Plan B. Or, in my case, Plans C, D, E, etc. No matter what you choose, you are allowed to change your mind later if you want or need to do so.

 

[Evadig]

I was too tired to write Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Today my dad took a day off work and we went down to see the ocean and the USS Iowa (BB-61). We weren't able to see much of the ocean because we were too rushed for time - we wanted to get onto the Iowa as soon as it opened (as it was, we were a half hour late).

The Iowa is the lead battleship of her class, and also was the fleet flagship, which meant she hosted a lot of very important officers during the War, as well as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Her commander throughout the War was Captain John McCrea. He had a dog, named Victory, Vicky for short, who was ship mascot and morale officer.

On 19 April 1989, there was an explosion inside her Turret Two gun, killing forty-nine of the crew.

The Iowa served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War before being decommissioned.

You probably did not come here to read a history of the USS Iowa, but I could not help myself! The tour was nice but ongoing repairs and upkeep, while important, also made fifty percent of the battleship off limits. The ticket price, unfortunately, did not reflect that! Signage was also lacking and we weren't always sure what we were looking at. So the USS Iowa gets 10/10 stars as a battleship but only 6/10 as a museum.

We finished with the battleship early (because the lower decks were all closed off - we usually take all day visiting them!) and were preparing to go back to the ocean when my dad unexpectedly got called into work, which was three hours away! Thankfully, traffic wasn't too bad.

January has been fairly challenging for me. Yesterday, I had to AGAIN deal with the insurance company and the dealership that is supposed to be fixing my car. This nonsense has been going on for almost six weeks.

I've also had issues with the bathroom plumbing, the cats and the furnace and an inflamed tendon in my left (dominant, of course!) hand. My computer has also been doing some weird things, but it's been further down on the priority list than the aforementioned items.

I'll say a prayer for you! Hopefully things have cleared up a bit in the last week?

Oh yes. I passed the Criticall exam to become a dispatcher and was placed in the third round of candidates. They have until July to give me an interview, otherwise I get dropped from the list and have to reapply. But at least I passed!

USS Iowa

The beach

Fog in the valley of the San Bernadino Mountains

A Chinook

Sunset

Rainy day on the lake

An 1860s pump organ at an antique store - we are trying to figure out if we can get it home in one piece so we can buy it! It is in wonderful condition.

A nativity scene at church

A helicopter, don't remember what kind

 

[Callender Girl]

Sorry I didn't write sooner; my sister has been visiting this week and we ALWAYS find plenty to do. I usually enlist her help in chores that are better done with two people, and encourages me to spend too much time and too much money shopping.

Thanks for the background on my state's namesake battleship. I enjoy a good history lesson Sounds like you're pretty familiar with ships and museums. Too bad your dad got called away to work.

Congratulations on passing the exam and accomplishing the first step on a possible journey. I took a little step yesterday and finally applied for a new passport; mine expired decades ago.

The pump organ is a beauty. Have you figured out a way to get it home? More than once, I've been states away when I spotted something I really wanted at an antique shop and couldn't come up with a reasonable plan to bring it home. My Jim was an historic tinsmith, and we once found an incredible hand-made tin bathtub -- that we had to leave in Wisconsin.

I think the prayer you said worked; I got my car back yesterday! And, in likely recognition for all the annoyances and delays they put me through, the bill was only for parts. Labor was free.

Hope you get another chance to see more of the ocean!

 

[LaFleche]

I agree with your mom about always having a Plan B. Or, in my case, Plans C, D, E, etc. No matter what you choose, you are allowed to change your mind later if you want or need to do so.

This exactly!

 

[LaFleche]

I passed the Criticall exam to become a dispatcher and was placed in the third round of candidates. They have until July to give me an interview, otherwise I get dropped from the list and have to reapply. But at least I passed!

Congratulations! Well done!

And let me add that your photographic skills are impressive too!