The Barbie stands came today. Now I’m just waiting on the diet pills and books as well as the various samples I’m expecting. The stands are cute and they’ll make displaying the Barbies a lot easier than before when I had to lean them up against things.

The day after I heard that loud bang I went out and checked and found that the arm of the mini flag was still sticking straight up, so as Tom said, it was probably a dust devil I heard.

Signing up for all these online things is also asking to be harassed! Every day now we’re back to the sales calls and spam. I have to start giving the ones that require phone numbers a bogus number.

I talked to Paula whose latest story is that she was broke and still intends to send the money and form on the first when she gets her check. Other than that, Miguel’s at her place, even though he’s not supposed to be. Both of them would be in trouble if their POs found out. She’s been beating on him, she tells me, and is taking domestic violence classes, anger management classes, and who knows what else. I know she sees a therapist. One who chides her for not having a job and collecting off the state.

I always believed Paula could work. If she can keep a schedule and do all the community service she’s done, then she should be able to hold a job, but like me, she needs to work independently because of her temper. She doesn’t get along with people any better than I do. Perhaps she’s even worse at that.

I knew her mother was a wacko, but even so, I was surprised to learn she never had any dolls of any kind as a child. So, at 36 years of age, she shall get her first Barbie. Three of them.

We discussed a whole new fencing idea that I like way better. Instead of doing a wire fence on the property’s perimeter, we decided we want to do a block wall around the house. We won’t get too close to the house, though, so we don’t cause that same echo effect that will enhance sounds like in Phoenix. Because blocks aren’t too cheap, we’ll probably mix things in with it like maybe wood or iron rails. For practice, Tom’s going to replace the plastic skirting with blocks. Another reason we want to do this is to keep snakes away from the house and cars. It’s just too easy to end up getting struck before we have a chance to even realize the snake is there. The block wall has to extend down into the ground a foot or so, so rodents and rabbits won’t be digging holes under it for snakes to go through. I just hope this is something we can actually do sooner or later and not always something we just talk about.

Since Monday seems to be the day I get mail from Mary, I’m going to make Tuesdays my mailing day.