That's a good explanation for most of it. But my mom's only about 800ft higher up than I am, has a shorter cold season than I do, doesn't have the desiccating winds that I do, & she just can't grow anything, really, except for weeds. She even killed a cactus garden I'd put in for her. 2 years ago I went to her house & planted 2 roses for her. They bloomed magnificently all season. I had planted them & mulched them exactly how I would do my own at home. They survived the winter no problems. THEN she started to fiddlefart with them. She thought they were dead because it was mid March & didn't see any leaves. No, she wasn't going to see any leaves.. it was still winter & I had about 6" of mulch around the canes! She dug one up, then saw all the baby leaves & green canes, so tried to re-plant it. Didn't plant it deep enough I guess as she says that it's not green this year. The one she left alone is sending out new canes & is leafed out pretty well. She picked up 3 more roses a couple of days ago and planted them. Not sure if she planted them deep enough to survive the winter. I just hate having to drive 1100 miles just to plant a damned rose for her. LOL!! 13 hour drive one way.

It really is amazing how the ocean effects the weather here so much. Where I am, our winter lows are much colder than surrounding beach cities. We get frost in winter and the others rarely do. You know it's cold when common old sword fern freezes. Our summer highs are also a LOT hotter and more humid than the other beach cities. I still don't comprehend why that is, and never will.

The chain nurseries here sell lilacs, and dogwoods, too. I've yet to see either of them bloom here. Many people that I know have bought both and were majorly bummed.

A 13 hour drive to plant 2 roses ??? YIKES !!!

zuzu said:Does anyone else here get seasick while pruning roses? The hybrid teas are okay because they have thick stems that don't sway in the breeze after you cut off the end of the cane, but the others send me running inside for a Dramamine pill.

Are you sure you have't been drinking Zuzu?

Sometimes I haven't been drinking.

Wine and roses, they do go together.

Indeed !
Just ask Jack Lemon and Lee Remick.
(Remember that scene from the movie when he flipped out in the greenhouse ? )

Well, I am back home from my adventures at the oral surgen today having an absessed tooth pulled. It started swelling yesterday, was worse today. I look like a lopsided chipmonk with the left side of my face puffed out like chipmonk cheeks, ha-ha. Then of course I had to stop at the drug store and get my two scripts filled. I have Amoxicillin which I have to take three times a day for a week to take care of any infection left. Then he gave me tylenol with codine for the pain. No pain yet as my cheek, lip and gum are numb yet from the thousands of novocaine shots he gave me. It really wasn't too bad at the office. I looked in the phone book, found an oral surgen right here in town. The guy was really great, put me as much at ease as possible for being a nervous wreck to get tooth pulled. I asked right away for laughing gas, was happy to have it as it gets rid of the scardy nerves.

I probably won't be much good for too much the rest of the day. As long as I can sleep tonight though I figgure I will be fine.

Yay!! I was just in the dental chair last Saturday for a crown & 2 fillings. That needle friggin' HURTS. OMG, has to be in the top 15 most painful things I've ever had done. I can't imagine having more than 1 shot at a time. Make sure you keep your keys locked up w/the Tylenol3s.. one and one time only have I ever taken one of those & I hallucinated SOO badly. I was just a teenager, my father (a Vietnam medic) gave me one for .. uh.. that time of the month. Was in bed watching mushrooms growing on the ceiling. Had to pee, went to the bathroom, started screaming that a lion was charging in to eat me. REALLY bad trip. Swore never again to take any kind of drug (and yes, this was an actual Tylenol3.. he is prescribed this for his back injury from Vietnam). That was 24 years ago and never touched any kind of drug that wasn't prescribed to me (and most prescribed I won't take, either!). I have to go back in on the 7th for my permanent crown. I'm going to ask for the nitrous oxide first. Should be OK, then. Only problem is that, when drunk, I'm a "happy drunk" (I giggle for HOURS). No idea what laughing gas would do for me then. But at least it's a beautiful day!

Most dentists won't give the nitrious oxicide as you have to be special trained. Oral surgens do.

I don't like to take drugs in fact I really DON"T want to take these pain meds. But I got the script filled in case it was so bad I couldn't stand it. I will probably just take an advil later and see if that works instead. As of now still numb but not as much as before.

My dentist suggested that when I come in for my crown to get NO2. That's why I'm going to try it. Last year I had a procedure done & the doc prescribed vicodin. I've taken vicodin before a long time ago, but it didn't help. Come to find out I'm allergic to it. No wonder it didn't work before. Oops. Demerol.. ah now that's good stuff. :D But Aleve is da bomb.

Poor Rita!

Only I look even funnier as only the left side is chubby cheeked. The numness and novocaine seems to have worn off and it really hurts like a son of a b---h!

Rita - I feel your pain. I really do. Back in '03 I had all 4 wisdoms pulled at the same time. Honestly tried to commit suicide by OD'ing on hydrocodine. Didn't work. Was in terrible pain for 3 days, but I went to work the 2nd day after the teeth pulled. DH actually refused to sleep with me! It was one of the worst 2 weeks of my life.

Been moving fresh mulch (guy on the block next to mine mulched up a pine tree, a crabapple, a willow, a juniper, & a silver maple). Going to get the last of it today. Moved about 4 cubic yards (not a heck of a lot). But it's making my van smell like Christmas!

Not going to be able to sleep like this. Oh well. At least I know it has to get better. Honestly, it didn't hurt any were near as bad before with just the infection. But it had to be drained and the tooth was bad so had to come out. It would only have gotten worse. One of those things that don't just fix themselves.

I thought I was going to eat rice for dinner (soft) but they told me not too as the rice grains are small and could get stuck. Well any food could get stuck. Like the girl told me I could eat meat if I cut it small. You got to be kidding right? No way could I chew on meat right now. Might try the rice anyway. Or soup. I have some soup.

be careful of soup. You don't want ANYTHING to get stuck in that hole where the tooth was. You're better off with mashed potatoes or pasta. Do you have a plunger syringe (needleless syringe)? That way you can flush out the hole so food doesn't get trapped in there & decay.

Ok, no soup or rice. I have cans of beef and chicken broth both and I will just have some of that later. I don't even feel like having anything now.

Hoping you heal and feel better soon!

Rita, try fruit popsicles and jello.

,,,or macaroni and cheese !

Ice cream?