And so it begins

Senile dementia can be FUN!



I normally use my debit card...oh...somewhere in the neighborhood of...4-6 times a week, maybe. And I've had this same debit card...with the same PIN number... for...lessee...about 4 years, now.

Now, there are times that I use the debit as a credit card, eliminating the need for a PIN number. But those times are few...like maybe once a week.

So let's say I use the card as a debit (and using the PIN) approximately 5 times a week. For the last 4 years.

After the first few times I used my card, I'd managed to memorize the PIN. So that means I've entered the SAME PIN number...from memory...well over 1000 times.

Until today.

I had to run into work (on my day off, no less) for a very impotent...ah...I mean important meeting. After said very impotent...dammit...important meeting, I ran to Wal Mart (gawd forgive me) to pick up a couple things.

The nice cashier totaled up my items, I slid my card though the card-slider-thingy and...........stood there like a deer caught in the head lights.

My PIN number had been completely erased from my memory. Nothing. Zip. Nada. It was like an alien abduction...without the anal probe part.

Nothing came to me. Well...except for my password at work...my phone number...even my damn social security number.

But no PIN.

Just a big, fat blank spot where that little tidbit of info shoulda been.

It was eliminated from my memory so completely, I thought maybe I'd had a stroke.

Nothing...I mean nothing came to me. I think there might have been a 7...and maybe a 5...in my PIN. But I sure as hell wouldn't swear to it.

I can't even begin to tell you how flustered I was. And still am, for that matter.

Thankfully the cashier, who appeared to be about the same age as me, stopped me from trying to enter the wrong number a third time, and told me to just run it through as a credit card. She went on to explain that fucking (my terminology, not hers) the number up a third time renders the whole damn card useless for 24 hours...a security thing, I guess.

After a trip to the bank and the embarrassment of explaining what had happened, the nice little cashier had my PIN number reset. She asked me if I had a number in mind that I wanted to use for the new PIN and I immediately told her "absolutely".

I know it's suggested that you don't use familiar numbers...like birthdays...for PIN numbers. But I did.

I figure if I manage to forget my own damn birthday, da Zigster might as well slap a diaper on my ass and take me to the home.

Storms, shootin irons, salons, squirrels and...uh....

...sparkly!

It's been a week of "s's" here at the River Rat Retreat.


Ok, so the storm was last week. It's called poetic license here, people...work with me, k?


On Friday, I went from a blowsy blonde to a bombshell (again with the poetic license) brunette in the blink of an eye. Ok, so it took my stylist a little longer than that. My hair hasn't been this dark in...well...forever. I'm not even sure if it's close to my "real" hair color...haven't seen it in...oh...40 odd years. But she asked me if I wanted to go "drastic" and I said "Go for it, honey!" I love the change. Da Zigster, however, does not. He'll hafta live with it.


On Saturday, Ziggy and I went gun shoppin. We're now the proud owners (or will be as soon as the background check clears) of a Mossberg Model 50420 shotgun. Kinda impressive lookin, ain't it?
We'd originally thought we'd get a handgun of some kind, but after thinkin about it a bit, we decided that since it's basically for personal protection here at home, we'd go with something with a little more...ah...ooomph. We'll save the handgun for when Illinois finally passes some kind of concealed-carry legislation. And, yea...I'll carry it.
While I'm at it, I'll throw in a plug for American Firearms and Ammo Supply in Peoria. Can't say enough nice things about the salesmen there. They were professional, knowledgeable and weren't at all pushy.


I won't, however, be using the Mossberg on Marilyn, our blonde squirrel.


Here's the "sparkly" part. On Sunday, we took the boat up river to Henry and had a late lunch at the marina. The weather was absolutely gorgeous...sunny...80 degrees or so and clear as a bell. The kinda day that makes ya glad to be alive, ya know?


Here's Cap'n Ziggy...captaining. heh I know. No "s". Sue me.

My own, private LOLCats

For the lova gawd! Put some PANTS on!


I tink I need a chirp...eh...chire....er...chiropractor.

You made it, baby!

Da Zigster always said he wanted to live long enough to become a curmudgeon. Looks like he made it. Today's his birthday, and it's a "big" one.

Happy Birthday, honey...I love you, you old curmudgeon.

And to celebrate the big day? We took a nice boat ride, followed by a seafood boil with some corn on da cob. Dessert? Why, Key Lime cheesecake...what else?? YUM!

Hey...we couldn't do anything too exciting, ya know...the old guy might not be able to take it. heh