Just a few things I'm finding I'm not taking for granted today...my roof, my walls, my windows. The only water in my house is right where it's supposed to be. My air conditioning works. I have ice. I even have ice cream. I can have a shower and shampoo. All the pills that I have to take every day are right where they're supposed to be. My kitties are well fed and happy. I got mail today. It was a bill, but it was delivered in a timely manner. My electricity is on, the stove works and we had some wonderful shrimp for dinner. We may not have anymore for quite some time as it appears the shrimp fishermen took a real heavy hit. A lot of the boats are sitting on the hill above the bay as opposed to being in the bay. I have a nice clean bed to sleep in, if I ever get there. We topped off the gas tank alittle while ago....two dollars and ninety-seven cents a gallon...it'll be more by morning. My bank is open, all the stores in town are open, I have job and next week I'll get paid again. I had a water delivery today...my computer works...I can watch TV, although I not sure how longer I can bear to watch. All the people I care anything at all about are accounted for and safe. I'll get up in the morning and have my coffee and feed the birds and the kitties and get dressed and go to work. Although, I think maybe I'll go by the shelter at the old Church St School and see if anybody staying there needs some thing to be grateful for.

It is simply a part of our everyday work routine. The PA system announces the statement "We have a Code Adam." Details follow giving the age and description of the child"s clothing and sometimes where he was last seen. Over the years, we have developed a rather efficient system for searching. Quite simply, you stop whatever you are doing and start walking the floor and looking for the child. Very shortly, you are joined by your associates. We kind of form a line as we spread out over the store. This allows us to see at least one other associate and direct line of sight down each aisle of the store. Very often the PA announces "Cancel code Adam", before you even get out of your own department. Most lost children are found before they know they are lost. Some time back, I started looking at my watch as I started to look. Most children are found within thirty seconds. A minute is a long code. One that lasts longer than that usually finds people having their privacy in the restrooms shockingly violated. The doors are blocked, allowing no one to leave the building. And we are by that time in the garden center, the automotive bays and on the front sidewalks. Nothing escapes scrutiny. We look in plastic containers on the shelves and in customers carts. We look under clothing racks. We look anywhere that a child could possibly be. In short, we find that kid in nothing flat!
So Friday when our PA system announced that we have a code Adam ( a three year-old girl wearing green shorts a white shirt and white shoes), I looked first at my watch and then at the children in my immediate area before I started down the aisle. I walked across the front looking down all the long aisles that go almost to the back of the building, then down one of those long aisles to look in aisles that are at a ninety degree angle, all the way to the back of the building and through the toy department, back through sporting goods to hardware and health and beauty aids. I looked at my watch...three minutes. Damn, Where is she?!!! The building was silent. Most our of customers understand what going on at a time like this and everybody is waiting to hear those three words..."Cancel code Adam". Okay,on to housewears, seach the plastic containers and trash cans. Four minutes and twenty seconds.
Now I can see the panic on the faces of my associates. I know they must see it on mine. So I turned to the garden center. "Did you guys look under the plant stands". "Yes", but we looked again anyway. I'm back through the door to search the pet department again. Five minutes and thirty seconds. SHE MUST BE SOMEWHERE!!! THINK!! Where could a three year old hide if she wanted to? Nothing came to mind. Okay, could she possibly be in the stock room...lots of places to hide there. So I started that way. Just as I reached the doors to the stock room, the PA came to life and pronounced relief. Six minutes and forty-two seconds. Only a mother's heart knows what an eternity six minutes and forty-two seconds is.
I had customers waiting so I went to serve them, but later when I had time, I went to the service desk to inquire where she was finally found. I COULD NOT BELIEVE what they told me. It seems the mother thought she might have gone back to the car and maybe she should go look there. Associates who were on the front walk and in the parking lot reported that the woman went to a car opened the door, got in and drove away. They did not report seeing the child.
We assume the child was in fact in the car and we did call the police to inquire if we should take any further action.
SIX MINUTES AND FORTY-TWO SECONDS! Does this woman have any idea of the panic she caused? Does she care? Would it really have been SO difficult for her to just turn and wave to the associates outside to let them know all was well?
But to other parents, you need not worry. If your child gets lost in our store, we will make every effort to return said child as quickly as possible. I do know how quickly it can happen. Just one moment when your attention is diverted and your little one is out of sight. It happened to me once. My child required thirteen stitches in is forehead and still has the scar. The one that is an almost perfect match for the one he gave his brother.

Ah, Lennie. Go in peace. We will miss you.

There was a news story tonight that really ticks me off. It seems there is at least one merchant in Baghdad's theives market selling stolen US uniforms. Remind me why our soldiers don't take back our uniforms and shoot the son-of-a-bitch who's selling them to terrorists.

I have a new hair-do. It's only slightly different from the style I've had for some time now. It's a get-out-of-the-shower-quick-blow-dry-brush-in-place-and-go hairdo. I had to go to the store where I work for some shopping today (after my haircut), and while I was dressed pretty much the same way I dress when I go to work, everybody I saw today wanted to know why I was dressed-up. Only one person actually said"hey, new hair-do!". I find this to be very strange. Makes me wonder what they would say if I showed up naked tomorrow. Nah..just a thought,very fleeting thought.

Just a short note to wish a happy new year to all. I am somewhat amused to report that all is well and on schedule here in the boonies. It seems our small-ville powers that be decided midnight was just to late in day to have any kind of celebration.....SO... we were treated to our fireworks display quite promptly at 7:00 P. M. Oh yes, just as David and I are about to sit down for a lovely dinner, we heard something that surely rivaled the bombing of Baghdad. Obviously shaken by this, I went outside to see where all the firing was coming from and /or hitting. I soon discovered that bombs were not being dropped; it was only the local fireworks display. I admit it, I forgot...you see when you live here you have to get all activities that require you to actually be outside of your home completed in a manner that allows everyone to be home and tucked in bed by eight o'clock in the evening. Apparently the only exception to this rule is for those of us who actually have jobs which may in some way require us to serve our fellow Smallvilians ( oh yes, you know who we are...nurses, cops, firemen, employees of the largest retail company in the universe). On behalf of all of us, I wish you a happy new year. Go...Party..Have fun...Enjoy...We'll be here when you get back.

There was a story in our local newspaper yesterday regarding a two year old who was missing. It seems she was riding with her father when he decided to stop and visit with a friend who was stopped by the side of the road. About an hour later, he discovered she was missing. Local law enforcement was called; people all over the county dropped what they were doing and went to join the search. Almost two hours later, she was found, asleep, unharmed, not a hundred yards from where she was last seen. Her mother gave this statement to the newspaper"God really does answer prayers". Now, my question is.....Would it not have been much better if this father had given some thought to his child's welfare instead of leaving her well being up to God and the people who did care enough about his child to drop all their affairs and rush to her aid? Some people just should not have children. This man is surely one of them.

Yesterday was a very good day. I had a visit with my sister-in-law, whom I had not seen since 1989. I was somewhat corcerned that we would shed a lot of tears as this was our first visit since my husband (her brother) died. We laughed, talked about old times, told a lot of stories about their childhood, and grandparents and other silly stuff. The only sad thing we talked about was the fire that ravaged "our" mountain last week. She lives a lot closer now as she has moved to Florida, so we'll see each other a lot more often now. I'm sure at some point, we'll spend a Sunday afternoon looking at pictures and talking about how we miss him, but this visit was fun
Today was not so good. I received word that an old friend is fighting for his life.

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I'm using the term "baby steps" because I'm really learning as I go. Stacy has given me instructions and I'm following them very carefully. I do hope I'm not screwing up the whole internet! At the moment, I seem to be completely without a thing to say, except that I'm thrilled because I think i've got this right so far. Happy Halloween!!! Play nice, see you later.