I never cease to be surprised at peoples behavior. My son is working at HH Greggs in the warehouse. About a week and a half ago my son came home and told me that he and another worker carried a T.V. out and loaded it onto a ladies vehicle she thanked my son and told him she wanted to give him a tip. He told her it wasn't necessary, she insisted, flashing a pretty decent size bill, then she said, "But you have to let me put it in your pocket". Jake said he walked away and said no that's okay and just walked back in the store. He said she was really old, about your age mom. I wasn't to happy about that last comment but was really taken back by that ladies behavior. Years a go I was in a growth group (a.k.a. discipleship group or I'm not sure what else they are now called) The ages of the members varied at the time from the 70's to the 30's, our leader ended up going into a nursing home and now three of the woman, Creadith, Joan and Thelma have passed away. Two ladies Tanya and Diana have moved away and it just broke up. One of our old members who is now in her 60's just discovered she had breast cancer. When she told me I called and sent e-mails out to the other members, who I thought would want to know, because we had met for years and years, we prayed together, ate together, hugged, cried and laughed together. I wanted to let everyone know so they could pray for her. One of the ladies who I see more often than the others was absolutely not interested and when I told her the other day she really brushed it off, saying oh yeah that's sad and then changed the subject completely. I was so taken back by her response. We were all once so close. How quickly that was now dismissed. My dad is really sick, but he has always taken care of my mom. They have no bills, they have some annuities and CD's in different places and my mom will have no worries for the rest of her life, financially. As long that is, as she stays away from the wrong people. My moms job is taking care of my dad, she doesn't get out unless they can arrange for someone to stay with my dad through hospice but it's a rural county in Georgia and the hospice staff is small so it's not easy to get someone. Somehow the word of my dad's illness has gotten out and she has been getting calls from finance people in the Atlanta area (about 40 miles from where they live) wanting her to change her finances around and let them handle it since dad can't take care of anything now and they tell her she needs to change things because her life is about to change yadda yadda yadda. When she told me she was upset and not knowing what to do, I look at these guys as preditors. I get mad they are calling and one in particular keeps insisting that she let him come over to talk. I told her to tell him absolutley not, I remind her that dad has her taken care of these people don't make any commission unless they get people to let them take their finances over so they are not looking out for her, just themselves. I told her to tell them she will call the police because she has told him no many times and he is not invited and he continues to call her. If he calls back get his number and let me handle it. She is 77 and daddy made sure everything was put in a safe place for her. She's also been getting calls from a church, they visited one time but who keeps calling her so she told the caller why they weren't coming back to church, because of dad's health and now they call more frequently, not offering to help but telling mom the minister has had a vision for a new building and a new parking lot and they know it's a bad time but they would like her to contribute to his vision and how she could meet the minister at a Starbucks to talk. They've also seen her things telling ways she could save money and contribute to the vision. Argh! I hate when the people you expect the most of turn out to be so much less.
Now let me tell you about these 2 snakes I have in my house. I never wanted or thought I would have snakes, while I'm not scared of snakes, I just never really wanted them, especially in the house. Jake (my son) is always on the run between his new band and his job and I get stuck taking care of Turbo and Nitro (my son named them) and I know how people feel about snakes. But having said that....I'm so taken aback that anyone would abuse them or any other animal yet that is exactly how we got these snakes. One was put in a plastic bag and thrown in a parking lot, someone found it and took it to a vet and it had the equivalent of a broken back and had to have surgery. The second was force fed (to get bigger) by a breader and it damaged his inner muscles. They both were close to death and one alomost died twice, we had to give them antibiotics for a long time (it's easier than giving my cat a pill) they are ball pythons. In the time we've had them I've noticed alot about them. When one is losing it's skin,which they do every so often, it's my understanding it can be painful if they are having a tough time with it. They won't eat and their personality can change somewhat. I don't know much about snakes but ball pythons are pretty sweet natured, at least these are, one will wrap itself around the other snake loosing it's skin while the other slowly squeezes through the knot of the two snakes and it seems to help them get the old skin off. They are there for each other like that. When I am emptying out the clothes in the dryer I will take my sons clothes into his bedroom and if I'm humming or singing, which I do often while doing housework, the one will come out slowly and come as close to the glass as he can in my direction and lift his head. If I lift up the cover he/she will come all the way up my arm, sort of flip his tougue out and it almost feels like he's kissing me. If I lower my arm he will just slowly crawl right back into the tank. These are not big snakes, just about 2 to 3 ft. I know people don't like snakes and I told Jake not to bring these animals home and to find someone else to care for them but I have to say I think they are very very sweet and they don't ask alot. I would love to let them go into their natural habitat wherever in the world they come from but the fact is they would never survive now and breeders sometimes do horrible things to their snakes to make them bigger and more saleable so they will stay with us. But I've been pleasantly surprised by these little guys. They don't live up to their reputation. By the same token I've been unpleasantly taken aback by the actions of people lately. I don't dislike people (althought I used to say I didn't like people very much) but lately theres been alot of evidence that many are not living up to their potental to say the least. I think if anyone says anything about my having snakes in my house I will ask if they live alone and if not I will say the same thing back to them. How can you stand it, they seem a bit slimy and they give me the willies! Ha!
Now let me tell you about these 2 snakes I have in my house. I never wanted or thought I would have snakes, while I'm not scared of snakes, I just never really wanted them, especially in the house. Jake (my son) is always on the run between his new band and his job and I get stuck taking care of Turbo and Nitro (my son named them) and I know how people feel about snakes. But having said that....I'm so taken aback that anyone would abuse them or any other animal yet that is exactly how we got these snakes. One was put in a plastic bag and thrown in a parking lot, someone found it and took it to a vet and it had the equivalent of a broken back and had to have surgery. The second was force fed (to get bigger) by a breader and it damaged his inner muscles. They both were close to death and one alomost died twice, we had to give them antibiotics for a long time (it's easier than giving my cat a pill) they are ball pythons. In the time we've had them I've noticed alot about them. When one is losing it's skin,which they do every so often, it's my understanding it can be painful if they are having a tough time with it. They won't eat and their personality can change somewhat. I don't know much about snakes but ball pythons are pretty sweet natured, at least these are, one will wrap itself around the other snake loosing it's skin while the other slowly squeezes through the knot of the two snakes and it seems to help them get the old skin off. They are there for each other like that. When I am emptying out the clothes in the dryer I will take my sons clothes into his bedroom and if I'm humming or singing, which I do often while doing housework, the one will come out slowly and come as close to the glass as he can in my direction and lift his head. If I lift up the cover he/she will come all the way up my arm, sort of flip his tougue out and it almost feels like he's kissing me. If I lower my arm he will just slowly crawl right back into the tank. These are not big snakes, just about 2 to 3 ft. I know people don't like snakes and I told Jake not to bring these animals home and to find someone else to care for them but I have to say I think they are very very sweet and they don't ask alot. I would love to let them go into their natural habitat wherever in the world they come from but the fact is they would never survive now and breeders sometimes do horrible things to their snakes to make them bigger and more saleable so they will stay with us. But I've been pleasantly surprised by these little guys. They don't live up to their reputation. By the same token I've been unpleasantly taken aback by the actions of people lately. I don't dislike people (althought I used to say I didn't like people very much) but lately theres been alot of evidence that many are not living up to their potental to say the least. I think if anyone says anything about my having snakes in my house I will ask if they live alone and if not I will say the same thing back to them. How can you stand it, they seem a bit slimy and they give me the willies! Ha!
