Go to Bed, Judy.

And to think that I had such high hopes for this week...

I spent the morning with a scraper in one hand, and a squirt bottle of water mixed with fabric softener in the other.

All morning I squirted and scraped, squirted and scraped.

I've come to the conclusion that those fuzzy bits of wallpaper that refuse to come off must have entered into a legally binding agreement to never, Never, NEVER let go of that wall.

This bathroom is small - teeny, tiny even - and I am not. I can say with confidence that I have never had my head wedged behind the underside of a toilet in my life, until this morning. And, I have no plans to do it again. Well, except for tomorrow, because I've yet to remove it all.

I am sure that professionals were hired to hang the wallpaper in the first place. I'm also sure when they left they said (what am i saying.., there could be no 'they', I barely fit in that bathroom.., more than one person - never!) okay, now back to what 'they' said, "There is NO WAY that this paper is EVER coming off those walls. I used superduper glue on it, and reinforced every last seam with doublesuperduper glue. It ain't goin' nowheres."

Several months back, I said "Way" and easily pealed off the 'paper' part of the wallpaper. It's the flippinrippindangfangrottenzargbargadingdong GLUEY stuff that will not be removed.

That was my morning.

In the afternoon I went with my dad to the nursing home. Mom was in a very good mood when we got there. We went to Bingo, because it is Friday and Friday is Bingo day. I won a game for mom, and her prize was a "Barney" that sang the Barney song. I'm sure you know that song, so I will not repeat it here. The game my mom was playing was of her own making. I believe it was called "Guess how many poker chips I can put in my mouth".

Have I mentioned here before that nursing homes are like Facebook for old people? My dad faithfully reads the board and finds many of his old friends and neighbors. An old friend of his from high school has been there for a few weeks. This is really helpful, as she can fill in the blanks about what my mom is up to when we aren't there. Apparently, mom is rolling around the hallways, dressed and ready for the day at 6:00 AM. No wonder she seems tired in the afternoon. It's also helpful to know that those with their minds still sound are pleased with the care they receive at this nursing home.

Today, the nursing home, and the entire town it is in, and even a five mile radius around it smelled like onions. REALLY REALLY strong smelling onions. Unpleasantly strong. Mixed with the normal everyday nursing home smells, this was most unpleasant.

By the time I returned home, THGGM was home too. His newest hobby is playing with his new leaf blower. He is good at it, too. Before the sunset and even after he loaded up trash cans with leaves and carted them off to the leaf dump.

As if it were planned for my personal benefit, the leaf dump is right next to a thrift store, so I got to go from the tantalizing smells of onion/nursing home to that of old clothes and mildew. I prefer the smell of old clothes, if someone were to inquire.

I found the book "All in the Family" by Edwin O'Connor, which I intend to read after I finish "The Edge of Sadness". I've been looking for an advent 'something' to have for Jonge and Famke, and I found a really nice 'something' like that. And, Christmas ornaments of a Dutch couple who will look lovely, somewhere. www.simplythrift.blogspot.com

When we got home THGGM went outside to blow more leaves around in the dark and I settled down under a quilt to watch the news. Does anyone else who lives around here think that it is bizarre how much news coverage the suspected norovirus at Hope College is getting? It's the stomach flu for goodness sake. Students found gathering on campus will be drug out and shot? Okay, well not quite that extreme but pretty close. I find this appalling. Let's pause and think of all of the ILLEGAL activities people get away with and NOTHING happens to them. But, if you gather on campus with your not sick friends and you are also not sick you will still be drug out and shot - or whatever - they would not actually say what would happen. How is this news? And, if you made it to college, would you not be insulted to be told that you should wash your hands after you use the bathroom? Wow. I went to kindergarten knowing that, and if I ever noticed that someone did not wash their hands, I never forgot it. Never. I can still tell you who did not, and I was five.

As I left the nursing home this afternoon, my mom threw the Barney at me. When I picked it up it started singing, "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family..."

The irony was not lost on me.