There Is Nothing Worse......

....than having Chewlee spend the night and ending up with a stomach ache that is exacerbated by being kicked to death while trying to sleep.  I finally picked my poor body out of bed and went into my computer room, laid down in my recliner and fell asleep.  The stomach ache came and went.  I never got my blog done yesterday (Sorry!) and was too tired to get up as early as I had hoped today.

But I have news.  Yesterday we had the strangest thing happen.  Our slow cooker (cleaned up and ready to be put away) was sitting on our cooktop.  We weren't using it (neither the cooktop nor the slow cooker) and the Beast had just pushed it back to move it out of the way while we made our dinner in the oven.

Just about the time our dinner was through, the house suddenly started to fill with smoke and there was the smell of burning wiring.  The Beast saw it was coming from the stove so he ran out into the garage and flipped off the switch that gave it power.  

It seems the back burner (with the dial clearly in the *off* position) had miraculously turned itself on to a low but still very hot position.  When the Beast had gone to the garage, I discovered it wasn't able to move (the dial) but as it was jiggled, it turned lower and lower in temperature.  It just wouldn't turn OFF.

The poor slow cooker is trashed.  When the Beast picked it up, a coil dropped out of the bottom from the area that had been *cooked*.  We had strings of plastic from the slow cooker itself and the plug which was NOT plugged into anything.

The smell of melted plastic is just awful.  Chewlee wanted to know when all the smoke was going to be OUT OF THE HOUSE!  She, of course, blamed the Beast but, when told it was really a mystery, she just gave a hmmph! and left the room.  It really IS a mystery how it turned itself on like that without anything touching the dial.  The oven was on but all the controls for that are on the opposite side and they are all *touch* controls.

But here's the weird thing.  After turning off the stove at the main box, when it was turned back on, it worked just fine.  We weren't sure we would be able to get the stuff off the stovetop but, after working on it for a while today, the Beast got it all cleaned up and it looks as good as the day we got it.  I have to admit, however, that I will be very wary of it in the future.

I've been watching the Harry Potter end series between yesterday and today.  The last three are *dark* and I didn't let Chewlee watch them because she loves the Harry Potter movies but the last three are on the sad side.  But I always like a good cry or two so that's what I've had.  I didn't mean to miss putting up my blog for yesterday but, after listening to the Beast's tirade and just plain cussing while trying to shield Chewlee from the worst of it and still be helpful, I was exhausted.  That's why both Chewlee AND I were in bed before 10pm.

Love you all.  Hope you are keeping warm and dry.  Be good.  **Wink**

A Great Day!

I sure hope you had as good a Thanksgiving as I did.  Although I got yelled at for being late (I fell back asleep and was awakened by the Beast after the Princess called), everyone was willing to wait to eat.  The turkey wasn't quite done anyway (I think the Princess may have turned down the temperature on the oven) but it was perfect!  A great golden brown but still very moist!

Her cornbread/regular dressing was incredible and I want that recipe.  Even the Beast, when he tasted it later, said the same thing.  There was cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy that was deliciously tasty, green bean casserole, cole slaw that was different from mine but very good (courtesy of Johnnycake's grandma, I believe), and the usual assortment of noshes.  I enjoyed a great cup of coffee (or three) with some Bailey's, too.  We ate until we all wanted to nap....LOL....a normal reaction to turkey dinner, I believe.

The company was great and I think we enjoyed being together.  I came home with a plate of food for the Beast which he thoroughly enjoyed (even though he didn't deserve it).  He pronounced the food excellent, too.  I came home and napped.

Chewlee had wanted to come home with me, mainly because she was bored with only adults around who weren't paying full attention to her.  But I knew, and reminded her, that there WERE going to be kids there later for her to enjoy.  The Princess had other company coming and knew the food would all be taken care of with the later bunch.  

The nut cups came out perfect although the Princess said she ran out of filling before she ran out of dough.  I told her she should have told me because I still had nuts left and could have made up more filling.  But, with what there was (around 48), there was plenty.  Especially with the pecan pie and the Butterfinger pie she had made.  I didn't eat any of that, being diabetic, but they looked wonderful.  Johnnycakes had dibs on the Butterfinger pie and the Princess said he would be able to eat it all himself since it was one of his favorites.

I left a note for Mustachio to see later on when he got online that I hoped his day was as good as mine was since he was hosting Thanksgiving at his house.  I'm sure I will be talking to him later.

The weatherman gave warnings out for us to watch for ice on the roads if we went out for Black Friday bargains tonight.  Our temperature is due to drop down into the 20's and any water would freeze.  Black ice is the most dangerous of all.  

Love you all and I really and truly hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving.  I hope you ate yourself into a stupor and brought home some good leftovers.  Everything I brought home was consumed so there's nothing left but the memories.  But at least they were good ones.  **Wink**

Crazy Four Days

Putting down a new floor in our house has made the last four days a living hell.  The day before the contractor came, the Beast and I had to move a lot of things in order to get ready to move our appliances so the wood floor could be taken up and the floor underneath prepared for the tile.

Doesn't sound like it should be all that bad except that it meant doing a load or two of wash because those appliances were also going to have to be disconnected and moved.  All the blenders the Beast has bought (yes, we own more than one) needed to be moved off the top of the fridge.  The fridge was going to have to be moved into the living room since we would need that during the three days (and even so, we have to wait 72 hours before the grout can be sealed) it would take for the flooring work to be done.

It wasn't easy working around the work being done, trying to make meals and trying to get things ready for Thanksgiving.  I had promised to make the nut cups but ended up sending the baking pans, dough and filling with the Princess because she had friends coming over that could help her make them.  I wasn't sure when I would actually get my stove back even.  As it is, we found out by accident that the water to the washing machine was *forgotten* to be turned back on.  Good thing we tried it out or I might have had a load of wash to do that was critical and ...no water.  Moving the washer out so the Beast could reach the controls wasn't easy and I wasn't much help.

After everything was back in place, then we had to put things BACK and plug things back in...like the toaster and the can opener...and a myriad of other things.  I was frantically trying to finish making the dough for the nut cups and finished that just before the Princess stopped by to pick up Chewlee.  I could then go ahead and make the sweet potato casseroles.  Yes, I ended up making two of them so the Beast could have some for himself, Dennis and Di since he bought a ham that is now in the slow cooker getting ready for them to come by tomorrow to share it with him.  He's doing that rather than being together with the rest of the family.  He can pretend it's just a regular dinner with them even though he's going to even make biscuits to go with the ham.  No, not regular biscuits...the brown and serve kind that are bigger.

Me?  I'll be at the Princess' house with family and friends.  The friends are mostly Johnnycakes and the Princess'.  Chewlee is upset that there won't be a lot of kids for her to play with but I'll be bringing her notebooks and crayons with me so she can show everyone what an artist she is.  That should keep her busy for perhaps an hour or so.  LOL!  She'll be pulling me around the house, I'm sure.  I'm hoping Tara shows up with her boys or at least Chance.  Chance is perfect for Chewlee to play with because he follows her lead and listens to all the different things she tells him they will do.  It's really kind of funny to watch them playing together.  He's such a cutie pie.

Well, now we are kind of in place again.  But we will be pulling out the appliances probably on Monday to do the sealing of the grout.  But that will be just a few hours, I hope.  And the contractor and his brother are younger and stronger than the Beast is these days.  They make things look much easier than it is if it's just the Beast and me.

Love you all.  Hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving, one and all.  Remember to reach out and touch your friends and relatives.  Tell them you love them.  Life is short.  **Wink**

There Truly Is An Art To Tilesetting

Today the contractor and his brother got to the house early and the brother worked on getting the washer and dryer out into the garage so he could finish pulling up the wood, putting down the sub-flooring and screwing it in place while the older brother worked on doing the tile setting.  I have to tell you that it's an amazing thing to watch someone that knows how to properly set tile.  As I watched, I realized that much of the *mud* they use is ultimately removed as the tile is set in place.  It is why there is no problem with grouting because there's no excess *mud* inbetween the tiles.  It allows a nice even grouting.

He had a huge level he used for the task of making sure all the tiles were laid evenly onto the sub-floor and that all the edges were even.  He was meticulous, took his time and worked methodically.  Very impressive.  My only complaint?  Oh, and Chewlee's, too.  The rapid set or whatever it was called smelled AWFUL.  It reminded me of the smell of sewage water.  It's not like the smell filled the house but if you were down near the floor, ewwww!  I hope it fades as the tiles fully set.  I'm still getting a whiff of it, now and then.

The poor Princess has to work tomorrow until 4pm IF she gets off in time.  She has a friend coming over to spend the night and help get everything ready for dinner on Thursday.  I'm going to make the dough and filling for the *family recipe* for nut cups and she's going to make them up since we won't have everything back in place and working.  I'm hoping to get my sweet potato casserole made up and ready to throw in the oven when I go over to the Princess's house on Thursday.

I couldn't believe that the Princess actually kept Chewlee home from school today because she thought they were off school.  I told her she needs to write this stuff down on a big calendar because it was only Tuesday and there was, indeed, school today.  But, when Johnnycakes dropped her off a little later, she had a fever and spent a couple hours laying down with me in my recliner.  She did feel better later and her fever seemed gone, too.  She actually even wanted food so I knew she was definitely feeling better.  For dinner, the Beast took her with him to Wendy's and the stinker had almost eaten two containers of french fries before they got back to the house.  

It's late, I'm tired and heading for bed.  Love you all.  Hope you are organized and ready for Thanksgiving dinner with family and/or friends.  I'm just hoping for a bright, sunny day even if it IS cold.  How about you?  **Wink**

A Nightmare Mess....Yuk!

Today the contractor and his helper showed up at 7am.  Like I knew he would, he remeasured the area of the floor that needed to be tiled and then figured in a couple extra square feet before he and the Beast headed off to pick up the tile and other stuff needed.  I had no idea that the tile would have a cushioned subflooring.  It had to be put down and then screwed to the floor.  All the screws had to be tightened down below the level of the subflooring so that none of the screws would act like a stone or other imperfection that will cause a tile (or three) to crack.  They must have checked and rechecked that three or four times.

I thought that was pretty cool because it also acts as an insulation and I'm all for anything that helps keep the floor warmer during the winter.  We decided (after the contractor laid it out to show us) to stagger the tile rows like brickwork.  It looks really neat and we found out that Tara did that, too, on her kitchen floor.  I really have to take a run up and see all the work she had done on the house.  I saw a picture the contractor had on his cell phone of her counter-top and splash back area.  Really nice!

You will be glad to hear that my knee seems to be getting better.  This morning I could barely walk on that leg and was using my cane to help keep pressure off it.  This evening...no cane and just a little pain.  My knee feels funny, however, and makes a crack sound every once in a while.  Since I have to see my regular doctor on Wednesday, I figure I will let him take a look at it and tell him what happened.  He may order an MRI or Xray or may just send me over to my orthopedic doctor to make sure everything is okay.  When I fell, I was more worried about my hip area than anything else even though I heard (and felt) that knee *crack*.

Back to the floor.....the subflooring is about 90% completed and he says that it will be finished and the tile down by the end of the day tomorrow.  He'll grout it on Wednesday and then we can start putting all the stuff back that is shoved into the living room area.  That includes the refrigerator but at least we could plug it in so it's keeping everything cold.  It just can't make any ice because the water line is disconnected.  The stove was just moved from the spot it usually sits and put in the area where the fridge usually goes once the subflooring was installed there.  But we can't use it because the cord won't reach the right plug.  Oh well.  At least we can use the microwave.

There's not much room to move around the living room area with the dining table, the four chairs, the etagere, the bookcase, the corner lamp we keep by the solar gauges and the fridge all pushed into the area.  I feel like an ant in an ant hill crawling through little tunnels....LOL!

The Beast has been sick now for a couple days but he's still trying to do that *macho* thing men do....at least until tonight because he had a horrible headache.  He also was suffering from some gerd from his stomach.  Lunch wasn't cooperating with his digestion.  I made him some beef noodle soup and he said that helped.  He mostly drank the broth but that was fine with me as long as he keeps everything down.

It's still staying cold out.  Going down into the 20's again tonight and probably won't get higher than 40 tomorrow.  That will be a repeat of today although it was windy and felt much colder because the humidity is kind of high.  We haven't had any real rain, just showers, but I guess that's enough to do it.  By showers, I mean enough to wet the pavement but not enough for any big puddles to form.

Chewlee's bus got here early so she was able to eat a couple hot dogs and two popsicles before her mother got here.  She's upset that I haven't gotten more pickles yet but neither the Beast or I have gotten to the store in the past two days.  I'll make the trip tomorrow since the Beast isn't feeling well and he won't want to leave during the critical laying of the tile.  The stuff the contractor bought for cementing it dries in just two hours he told us.  The grout we picked out is like the brown streaks in the tile we selected.  I think it's going to look great even next to the wood in the living room.  The tile is light because the area it's going to be put down in is on the small side so we needed to brighten it up.  Our cabinets are a medium oak color.  That made the area seem darker with the wood flooring we had down there.  What a waste of money that was.  But the Beast has to find out those things on his own.  He's always so sure he's right.

Time to get this posted since I will be going to bed earlier than normal.  I need to get up early and get dressed with the guys coming so early.  Love you all and I hope your week got off to a good start.  Stay warm and dry.  **Wink**

I Take A Fall And Yahoo Makes Me Crazy....

I should know better than to help the Beast but, hey, the guys are coming to put the tile down in the kitchen area tomorrow and there was stuff that needed doing.  So I am lifting up some minor appliances to go up on the top of the cabinets where we keep things we don't use too often and....my foot hits some piece of hard, smooth plastic and down I go!

I heard my left knee crack and I was really afraid of what THAT might mean but hit my butt down so solid and hard that I had to rock a bit to be sure I hadn't broken anything in that area.  Luckily, that seemed to be fine.  But in getting up, I was soooo worried about my knee.  But, when I finally got up to my feet, it seemed okay.  Phew!  Scary for someone my age to fall down that hard.  I lifted up the small deep fryer to the Beast and finished up sweeping the floor then was done with that.

However, after about two hours (I had taken my shower by this time), I discovered that my knee was paining me.  I am pretty sure it's nothing major but it didn't like the twist it took when I slid and fell down.  It was my right foot that slid out from under me.  But I hope that it doesn't feel any worse tomorrow than it does right now.  **Grimace**

Today, Yahoo drove me nuts.  I play Yahoo games and today they were making everyone crazy with freezing up or throwing them out of the rooms they were playing in....always at a critical moment, mind you!

Then it did it to me again!  It screwed up my password and made me change it again.  This is about the sixth or seventh time in less than two months!  I wrote them a rather nasty email and complained about how THEIR screwups at their sites were going to make me give up having anything to do with any of their sites, including their email site.  I am really more pissed about this crap from them than I can say.

I have a headache and now THIS site is starting to make me nuts.  I don't want to go into what it is doing at the moment, tyvm.  Tomorrow, if it's still doing the same thing, THEN I'll tell you.  But love you all.  Enjoy the upcoming week if you can and I hope you have the most fun-filled and food filled Thanksgiving.  **Hugs**
 

No Sleepover For Chewlee

Tomorrow is some kind of special event for Johnnycakes grandparents so he, the Princess and Chewlee are all going to church with them.  It kind of upset the Beast because Chewlee said to him, *They know where God is!*  I told him that she is just a little girl and not old enough to pick a church to worship in yet.  He just looked at me and said, *I know.  It's just......* and his voice trailed off.

Chewlee was excited to go to church with mommy and daddy so she wasn't upset about not having a sleepover.  The Princess said she really wanted to sleep in on her day off but, oh well!  While she was here, she got to go over to Sam's house to play and it turns out they were having a bunch of friends over for a dinner where everyone brought something.  A few last minute guests (like the Beast and Chewlee) were invited over even though the majority of people were Spanish.  

Chewlee was happy when she got home and said, loudly, that *she ate dinner at Sam's house and it was all Mexican food but she liked it.*  LOL!  Kids!  If she did, I hope no one told her that some of the meat she ate was goat meat.  It was young goat (3 months old this one man told the Beast) so the taste was mild.  Even the Beast ate it.  I told him I had eaten goat meat in the meat pies that the Jamaican's make and sold in this one store near our house in Sunrise.  My girlfriend, Debbie, introduced me to those.  I forget what he said he thought the meat tasted like but I told him I didn't feel it tasted like that.  But that's different taste buds for you, I guess.

Tomorrow is the last day we have to get ready for the contractor (if he shows up on Monday, that is!)  He is supposed to remove the wood flooring the Beast put down and put down tile.  It means moving the washer and dryer out of the alcove and then the stove and fridge will have to be moved, too.  We must move all of the stuff on the floor of the two pantries.  That shouldn't be all that hard because we can move some of it out into the garage and put it on the shelves there.

I have a load or two of clothes I MUST do tomorrow before the washer and dryer are both detached and moved.  When the Beast goes to church tomorrow, I will start doing that and sweeping up the floor as I go.

It's 32 degrees here and supposed to get down to around 20 degrees.  Our high tomorrow?  Right around 32...LOL!  Our high all during the week is only supposed to go up 10 degrees or so.  **Sigh**  So not fun.  Oh well.  At least I have my good down coat to wear when and if I need it.

Love you all.  Like I said yesterday, I really do wish you a great week when your work week starts.  Keep warm and dry, drive carefully and keep your loved ones close.  **Wink**

The Count Starts Over Again!

I woke up this morning, very early, to a really bad attack of my IBS.  That's *Irritable Bowel Syndrome*.  It was really awful because you can't control your bowels.  I mean CAN'T!  I was so glad for underwear because it at least helped me not leave a mess along the floor.  But I had two bad episodes before my extra meds kicked in and stopped it.

I was upset because I have been taking preventative medication all along.  It had to have been because of the emotional episode and then how glad I was.  It should have settled my bowels but I guess it didn't.  I am just glad it's over now but it took the extra meds and then the long nap that followed.  

I just can't take emotional upsets these days.  I was worried about Sheepie and the Princess and how they would react together.  Then I was so grateful that it turned out well but the damage to me was done.  I need to go six months without an attack and then my IBS should....I say SHOULD...be over, according to the doctor.  Unfortunately, the longest I've gone is four months.
Now the count starts over again.

Mustachio got up early  and took a shower before he left for his brother's house.  He told me that he stayed for just a bit and then left for home.  Raven was just nasty to him for some reason.  She might actually feel badly for Buttmunch that she wasn't brought along but oh well!  He loves his brother but there was no reason to stay where she so totally told him he wasn't welcome.  Home is where the heart is in many ways.  It's your comfort zone.  He just was ready since it's been so long since he took a trip to visit anyone.  A visit of just three days was enough for this trip.

Poor Chewlee was here while I was feeling bad.  She made a bit of a mess on her *table* she uses in here (it's an empty bin) and she started to clean it off by wiping everything on the rug.  I had a fit and yelled at her about it.  She ended up leaving the room and asking the Beast if she could play a game on NickJr.  He found it for her on his computer and there she stayed until her mother came for her.  She did forgive me for yelling at her but I told her that she knows better than to do that so she is NOT to do that again.  She told me she wouldn't forget next time.

Kids!  Gotta love them.  The Beast made up a couple more pictures from the ones that Chewlee posed for.  Now he has to send for more frames so he can put them up on the wall.  I told him he should have ordered them already since he KNEW he wanted to put more up.  MEN!  They can make you crazy at times....LOL.  

Well, time to post this episode of life on the Bratfarm South.  It's just 54 degrees outside now but will be nice for sleeping.  Hope you all have a good week back at work.  Just drive carefully and keep warm and dry.  Love you all.  Be good.  **Wink**

A Major Breakthrough

Today we had a major breakthrough.  We got the Princess and Sheepie talking to each other without any ugliness occurring.  They teased each other but we ate a meal together.  Sheepie helped me make the mashed potatoes that we ate with our meatloaf.  She was surprised that I added cream cheese to it but it makes for such tasty potatoes.  I do the same thing to cauliflower when I make it mashed up.  Today we had it just nuked and, I have to tell you, I prefer it boiled.  When you nuke it, it just doesn't get all hot like it should.  Plus it stays a bit tough.  

Tomorrow I will throw the remainder of it into a pot and boil it up.  I'll serve it with the leftover meat loaf.  I also have enough mashed potatoes for a meal so I'm set.  But the best part of today was having the Princess and Sheepie talking to each other like two human beings.  Sheepie teased the Princess about being pregnant and asked what Johnnycakes was hoping for.  He wants a boy, of course and the Princess said if she DOES have a boy, then she is done with having kids.  Chewlee wants a baby sister but I told her that she will have to take whatever her mommy has.  She's been asking questions about why babies have to wear diapers and did she have to wear them when she was a baby, too?  I told her that babies just aren't big enough to go to the bathroom by themselves if she thought about it.  

There's a baby piglet on her Peppa Pig show she watches and that baby always seems to be crying.  She wanted to know why a baby cries so much.  I told her they usually only cry if they need their diaper changed, if they are hungry or if they are startled by noises around them.  She thought about it and said she hoped their baby was a good one and didn't cry all the time.  Poor thing.  She just doesn't have a clue although she's wanted a sibling forever. 

I think she will enjoy having a baby around, especially if she gets to hold it.  That will thrill her to death.

I don't think I told you about going out to dinner with Mustachio yesterday or did I?  I didn't go out to eat although I ate some of the wings and onion *needles* as they are called at the restaurant we went to.  Sheepie is thrilled that she got back into her *skinny* jeans although I wouldn't call them *skinny*.  But she looks great and not like she's anorexic.  I don't think she would look well if she was really thin.  She looks perfect at the size she is right now.

I have had a nice visit with Mustachio (although he no longer has a mustache).  He looks a bit strange to me without one even though it's been a while since he shaved it off.  Chewlee called him *Uncle Icky* after my brother, Dee.  We kind of helped that along but it doesn't apply now.  There will always only be ONE Uncle Icky.

We didn't get to see Tara while Mustachio was here, which was a shame but she is so darn busy with her business.  By the time she gets home and feeds her family, she's bushed.  There will be other times, I'm sure, now that Mustachio has a good car.  This one he doesn't have to worry about it breaking down on him like his old vehicle.  

Weather was nice today although it was overcast.  Mustachio helped his dad move Dennis' refrigerator out of the RV.  It has a leak and there's no room inside to fix it.  It had to be moved so Dennis could take care of the problem.  AT least we didn't get any rain.

Love you all.  Have a great Friday and, if you stop for a drink or three, have one for me.  **Wink**

Mustachio Arrives....

Mustachio arrived around 4pm or a bit after.  Mostly he was later than he told me because he went to see Sheepie at work.  He then came here armed with some vodka and was planning on taking us out to dinner.  However, he wasn't counting on his dad inviting Dennis and Di over for pizza from this new pizza place in town.  He and Dennis left before Mustachio got here and he arrived right around the time they got back.

Chewlee was ecstatic because she got to see Sheepie and Teach.  I was glad to see them both and, even though I ate part of a piece of pizza, I went out to dinner with them and Mustachio.  The Beast stayed here with Dennis and Di.  I wanted to catch up on what was going on with the two lovebirds and got to see a picture (or two) of Summer's new baby.  What a cutie pie he is!

We went to a local steak house south of us and ate like pigs.  Well, not quite.  Sheepie and I brought home containers of what we couldn't eat.  I didn't eat a meal (just some hot wings for me) but Sheepie didn't eat most of her meal (she ate the salad and the scrumptious hot rolls with cinnamon/honey butter).  The rest of her meal she brought home.  Sheepie looks great.  She's lost weight and, as she says, she's back into her skinny jeans again.  Teach will always be Teach.  He stays the same....LOL!

We had a good time.  When we got home, the Beast didn't spend much of his time talking to Mustachio so he came into my computer room with me.  I introduced him to my favorite program, Castle, and I think he enjoyed it.  The Princess said she was going to stop over tomorrow while Chewlee was in school to visit.  If they go somewhere, I will more than likely stay at home and let them talk.  

I gave Chewlee her Cup O' Noodles and her pickles when she got here.  She was, at first, determined to spend the night with Uncle Mustachio but I think he talked her out of it because he would be here tomorrow.  She was so upset at first that she wouldn't get much time with him.  I told her we had a lot of time with him just a couple months ago but she told me that didn't count for NOW!  

He went through all the pictures I had of Chewlee (and a couple of her and me together) and took what he wanted.  I told him about something Chewlee had done when the first pictures were made up a couple weeks ago.  I packed up a few for Auntie Buttmunch and gave the package to Chewlee to go put out in the mailbox.  She likes to do that.  However, I found out just a day or so ago that she hadn't mailed it.  She hid it instead because it had HER pictures in it.  When I found it, I was horrified and I asked her why she hadn't mailed it like she was supposed to.  That's when she told me they had HER pictures in it.  When I told her I was sending them to Auntie Buttmunch, then she said, *OH!*  So now it is in the mail and Auntie Buttmunch won't think I lied to her about sending them.  She's mad enough at me.

Now Chewlee wants to know why I didn't send some to Auntie Bratfink.  I told her that Auntie Bratfink could print some up for herself but Chewlee wants me to send some of the ones I have here so we will go through what I have left and send some to her.  Poor Auntie Bratfink won't know what to do with all the stuff that Chewlee sends to her....LOL!

Well, Mustachio finally went to bed and I am headed that way in a bit.  The Beast is still up watching his news shows but will probably hit the sack soon.  Love you all.  Have a great Thursday.  **Wink**

A Pleasant Day

Although it was cold last night, it was really pleasant for sleeping.  When I woke up early in the morning, I ramped up my heat tho' because my room got really cold.  I slept until around 9am then got up because I could smell fresh coffee.  LOL!  We coffee drinkers can smell that stuff a mile away!

Then the Beast reminded me that the contractor that is going to tile our floor will be starting on it soon so we need to find the tile we want to put down.  We didn't expect to find what we wanted right away but I found it at Lowe's.  Lovely tile and it's light enough to help make the area look nice and bright but not so light that every drop of anything will show.  Then what do  we find out?  It's on sale!  So the Beast, after measuring the areas involved again to make sure he gets enough tile, is going tomorrow to pick up what we need.  The contractor will bring the mastic of his choice and the Beast will go with him to pick out the grout color we want.

Then we headed home and, after a light breakfast (cereal), I watched some TV, folded some clothes and then took a nap before Chewlee got home.

Chewlee was funny because she REALLY wanted some Cup O'Noodles but her mom got there early to take her home.  Chewlee went and grabbed one and was going to take it home but her mother made her put it back because she had made some spaghetti and told Chewlee that it had plenty of noodles.  Chewlee said a reserved *Okay* so she really wasn't agreeing with her mother on it being what SHE wanted to eat but she was going to settle for it.  I told her that I would have some ready for her tomorrow when she got home.  I didn't remind her that her Uncle Mustachio would be here, too.

Well, I am tired so I am going to get to bed early tonight.  Love you all and have a great Hump Day.  **Grin**

I Never Thought......

....that there would be a day that I did NOT want one of my kids to visit.  No, let me explain.  It's not that I don't want her to visit.  I just don't want her and my son, Mustachio, to visit here TOGETHER.  Not after what happened the last time they were here together.

My daughter, Buttmunch, drank waaaaay too much because everyone was sad over the death of my young nephew, Kevin.  As some of you may recall, he was killed in a one car accident on his way to a school sport camp.  He wasn't driving either.  In fact, it was the daughter of his coach and she was not a teenager.  The weather was the problem for the most part.  It was raining hard and the car hydroplaned into a tree.  The driver was injured, Kevin was killed but three other boys in the car escaped with minor cuts and bruises.

Mustachio, Buttmunch, Marcus Aurelius and Raven drove down here to visit with Tara and give her what support they could because they loved her (they were close cousins).  Like it is with most Irish families, alcohol was involved while they talked and reminisced.  I don't know how it started but Buttmunch and Mustachio ended up in a physical altercation to which I was the primary witness.  The antagonist was Buttmunch.  I give Mustachio credit that he never once laid a hand on her.  But I can't say the same for Buttmunch.  She was really ugly in her attack on him.  I was horribly embarrassed, especially because of how little respect *I* was shown.  She would NOT stop her attacks on him and she pushed her brother so hard that he hit the wall and my DVD rack and broke the rack.  I was surprised he wasn't hurt although I doubt he would have admitted it if he was.

So, when Buttmunch found out that Mustachio was coming down to visit, she was surprised to find out that he really didn't want to bring her along.  It was HIS vacation time for one thing.  When Mustachio talked to Marcus, he found out that HE was very reluctant to have Buttmunch come to visit either.  I think that we both really felt that we didn't want them here TOGETHER...AT THE SAME TIME.  Mostly because we think it's a case of oil and water when they are together.

But, when she was told how both of the families felt about her coming, she was (obviously) hurt by it and had to find out from us WHY.  I was taken aback a bit but I told her that I felt she had more important things to do.....like find herself a job.  She keeps swearing that she has been trying but no one is hiring.  SHE thinks it's her age but I have seen the stores hiring people MY age.  The difference I think is in how they present themselves.  They are more confident than Buttmunch.  Plus, I think in her heart, Buttmunch doesn't WANT to work.  She would rather find someone to support her but no one is lined up for that.  Why SHE doesn't have the self-respect she needs in order to impress an employer, I am not certain.  But I think that is the main reason she isn't employed.  She doesn't EXPECT to be hired, so she isn't.

When I told her what I felt, she started screaming at me that I was only listening to Mustachio so I didn't know what she was or wasn't doing.  However, I think if she was really trying, she would be on the phone with me and not just calling when she's upset with Mustachio.  Not only wouldn't she let me finish a point I tried to make with her but she was SCREAMING at me at the top of her voice to the point I couldn't make out a word she was saying.  So I hung up.  I don't need to be screamed at and *he who screams the loudest is NOT the winner* if you get what I mean.  I don't think SHE does.

So I DO feel awful that I feel the way I do but I would like to enjoy a visit with my kids.  I would be constantly on edge because I wouldn't trust her not to start a fight.  Hell, even Mustachio can be annoying about not dropping a sore subject when he's told *ENOUGH*!  Oil and water.  Fire and gasoline.  Not good combinations.  What can I say?

Sorry to vent on you all but my life sure sucks lately.  It's a wonder I'm not under sedation or ready to slit my wrists.  Sheesh.

Cold weather hitting here already tonight.  The warm front headed down to somewhere familiar and didn't stick around here.  Our high tomorrow is only supposed to be in the upper 40's.  Low tonight around freezing or lower.  Brrrrrr!

Love you all.  Keep warm, dry and drive carefully for heaven's sake.  **Wink**

Yucky Day In Many Ways

It was just miserable today but quite a bit warmer than expected.  We actually got up to 62 degrees but it was overcast and rainy.  They say we may have some bad thunderstorms later tonight but it sure doesn't look like it.....yet.

Chewlee was cute today although a bit bummed out because the Beast either forgot to set his alarm or else he slept through it.  That meant they didn't go to church.  One of his church buddies came by the house afterward because he was concerned.  He was glad it was something as simple as it was.

She let me take my nap as she sat in my desk chair and watched TV.  She ate there (of course) but she was actually pretty neat.  She didn't get much on the floor this time....LOL!  It was just two pieces of the tortilla chips she was eating along with some salsa.  No, no salsa got on the floor.  Just the two pieces of chips.  I think when they fell, she had intentions of picking them up afterward but forgot.

I made my homemade chicken pot pie and it turned out sooooo good.  Chewlee was going to try it until she saw it was full of vegetables.  There was plenty of sauce but I should have used more corn starch in the sauce, I think.  The Beast (who tried all day long to talk to me) said I almost had the crust down perfect.  I did say something...I said, *I think it was just perfect!* and left him with his mouth halfway open to say something but he stopped.

He kept coming into my computer room and trying to talk to me but I didn't even turn to look at him.  I think he knew for sure how I felt but it didn't stop him.  He's totally clueless about what he MIGHT do to make me at least talk to him.  It's just not in his personality makeup.  Unfortunately, later in the evening...after Chewlee had gone home...I was forced to talk to him to find out if he had a spare keyboard stashed anywhere since mine seemed to have stopped working.  I wasn't sure if it was my keyboard or something in my computer.

It was something in my computer because we actually tried four different keyboards and none of them would work.  So I did a complete scan and then ran my Intel Toolbox (I have a special hard drive...solid state).  When I plugged in the keyboard that the Beast had gone outside to the cottage to get, it worked.  When he saw I was using it, I wish you could have seen his face.  It was like...*I didn't mean for you to KEEP it!* But he stopped himself from saying anything.  Twit that *I* am, I got my original keyboard, plugged IT in and then returned his keyboard to him with a *Here's  your keyboard.  I saw the look on your face so I knew it meant something very special to  you so I couldn't keep it!*  I turned away, walked into my room and closed the door.

A bit later, he came in and said, *I really just couldn't believe you would WANT to keep using it since it doesn't look like it's really any good.*  So I just said to him, *Beast...it's a very nice Microsoft keyboard.  Keep it.*  He left.  Took him a while to decide what he was going to say to try to make me think it WASN'T important to him.  I know what it was.  It was HIS.  Period.

Anyway, I am not as hurt as I was yesterday since, like I said, it was something I already knew.  It was just awful when and HOW he decided to say it out loud.  I'm sure Chewlee is very confused.  I just hope that she eventually stops thinking about it or asking questions.  She once asked me, *Do  you love him, Grandma?*  I told her that we had been married many, many years and had lots of kids together so what did she think?  She just thought about it for a minute and nodded her head and kept dressing her doll.  That was the end of that.

It's actually 70 degrees right now.  *Shock!*  It's warmer now than it was at 2pm.  I guess that must mean we have some kind of warm front moving in.  I'll have to watch the Weather Channel for an update on what THAT means!

Love you all.  Hope you have a good week ahead of you.  Drive safely and keep warm and dry.  **Wink**

 

It's Finally Out In The Open. Ouch!

You know, even when you KNOW something, to actually find out it's been said out loud hurts.  I'm speaking about the Beast, of course.  Today he told Chewlee that he hated me and he wasn't kidding.

First of all, I was horrified that he would say that to her.  She's a child and she loves me, of that I am certain.  Here's what happened.

The Beast said the other day that he wanted to start making up a weekly menu again.  It's been years since we did that but, hey, I was willing.  He said we needed to start eating healthier.  That means more veggies and even salads at times.  I had found a couple recipes for different ways to prepare spaghetti (with a cheesy sauce) and a pot pie that you use crescent roll dough for the crust.  I found another recipe for a tuna salad that was different (using pasta and an olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing).  

I don't know about you but I DO get tired of the same things, made the same way time-after -time.  After I made up the menu for the next eight days (it included meatloaf and mashed potatoes...YUM!), I went over the new recipes and wrote down the ingredients that we didn't have on hand.  When I went to the store, I bought only the things on my list with the exception of five items.  One was a pumpkin pie from the bakery and another was some chopped steaks for an additional meal.

When I got home and we started bringing in the groceries and unpacking them, the Beast unpacked a few things he had no idea why I bought them and he hit the roof, calling me incompetent to shop for groceries...we were just two people and half of what I bought we would end up throwing out, etc., etc.  

Now, as you know, my son Mustachio is coming to visit.  He isn't coming on Monday, however, I just found out.  More than likely, it will be Wednesday or Thursday before he shows up.  My son is 5'10" or 5'11" tall (I forget for sure which it is), weighs in at 180+ lbs and its mostly muscle from the very physical work he does nowadays.  Some of which includes hauling around 20ft extension ladders.  Needless-to-say, he eats a LOT.  You have to in order to maintain that muscle and for the energy needed to work as hard and as many hours as he does.  My meals were planned with that in mind.

BUT...back to the Beast.  He didn't even want to listen to what I had to say.  He just went on and on about how stupid I was and how recklessly I was spending money.  This is from the man that spends an average of $50-60 a DAY and most of it is on crap food.  Sweets.  Donuts.  Candy.  I spent $178. for what will be more than a week's worth of groceries and includes a couple (I admit it) kind of exotic recipes.  There WILL be leftovers on a couple items (my meatloaf for one) but it won't go to waste.  I also promised  Mustachio some split pea soup and none of that will go to waste.

I bought some frozen vegetables to add to our diet over canned vegetables.  I have two pints of cherry tomatoes.  One is for the tuna salad recipe, the other is for my regular salads.  I like them better than cut up tomatoes in my salad.  Even the Beast does.  I admit that I will have green onions left over from three of the recipes I am planning on making but I love using them in many things I make.  I'm just not about to buy them and let them rot in the crisper.  Know what I mean?

I have never seen the Beast so hateful.  No, I take that back.  I have.  It's just been a long time and I think it's more because I am becoming more and more mobile and doing more things that used to fall mostly on his shoulders.  Instead of being grateful, he's apparently threatened by it.  That's why he's calling me such ugly names.  He thinks if he calls me stupid, dumb, etc. often enough, I will start to believe it.  LOL!  That will NEVER happen.  I'm wise to that shit.

The Beast has always been concerned about what other people think of him.  To the point that he has become a clothes horse for church and whenever he is with the people from it.  He obsesses over what Chewlee wears there and how she behaves.  He's embarrassed and upset that I will NOT go with him.  It's primarily because regardless of how many times he attends, it has NOT touched his heart.  His behavior with me is ugly and non-Christian.  I know the only reason he goes is because he is so afraid of dying.  AND...as he said more than once....what IF there IS a God?  Well, buddy, I have never doubted there is a God and you will have to answer for the way you treated me, the things you did to me AND the way you treated your own children.  You do not have a good heart.  Period.

It's a sad state of affairs, don't you think?  I'm living in a house without love.  It makes me grateful for Chewlee, whom I know loves me.  My son, Mustachio, assures me that HE loves me, too.  My youngest son, Marcus Aurelius, always tells me he loves me.  I consider that a good start even if they don't buy me Mother's Day gifts, birthday gifts or Christmas presents.  I'm used to that.  The Princess and Tara are good about such things and I know for sure that Tara loves me.  The Princess may not give me the hugs like Tara but I think I can count her among those that love me.

Now don't think this is going to upset me enough to derail me.  It DOES hurt to know for SURE that he doesn't love me so there's no hope to heal this relationship.  I will just have to wait for him to die before I can really be happy.  Awful thought, isn't it?

Love you all.  Kiss and hug those you love and let them know how you feel.  It's important, trust me.  **Wink**

I Seldom Write Three Blogs In One Day....

I know, I know......how often do I even write TWO blogs on the same day.  I don't think I have EVER written three blogs in one day.  Oh well.  Once in a blue moon, perhaps?  So today was different.  Chewlee was in a good mood.  It seems regardless of her behavior all week, because she kept her cards almost always in the Green column, she got to select a prize from the Treasure Chest today.  Go figure!

She was hungry when she got here.  The first thing she really wanted was a Cup O Soup but we were out of them.  So she settled for hot dogs....four of them.  Plus she got six...count them...six pickles because they were small.  She made a joke and said she was going to turn into a cucumber and then I was going to turn her into a pickle!  LOL!

We ate some salsa and chips (it was HOT salsa) so she ran and got some water.  She told me that drinking water was healthy then wanted to know what else was healthy.  I said the normal things you would say and she added *breathing*.  I told her, yes, breathing was definitely on the list for things that you need to BE healthy.  She can be weird at times.

We didn't get to read her story today so I told her to pack that in with her sleepover stuff and we would read it tomorrow.  She had plans on reading it on her way home (for the first read) but I know her mother wouldn't have turned on the light for her to do that since they live less than five minutes from us.

The garage door is just wonderful.  I told you this one is both stronger and insulated.  The Beast likes it because the windows on it are on the upper section so someone can't look in and see him if he's working in the garage.  I laughed and said, *It's not like you run around here naked or even in your underwear so what would they be looking at?  What would you be concerned about  someone seeing?*

The door fits great and it's so quiet opening and closing compared to the old one.  The Beast made a joke about our getting it *the hard way*.  I just smiled because I know that he hated the old door and would have eventually replaced it.   But I am a bit ashamed that it was ME that caused us to HAVE to get it.  It's so embarrassing.

My son, Mustachio, almost begged off from coming down to visit because he has this friend that gets panic attacks.  He wants to be there for her if it happens.  I told him that was no excuse.  His phone would work here, too.  Plus, it's not like it would cost him a lot of money to drive down here then up to his brother's house and home again.  A tank and a half of gas perhaps?  And gas has gone down quite a bit now.  It's only running around $3. a gallon (and you can find it for less in some areas).  Plus, he will be fed and housed for free so what's the problem.  He said I was evil but he loved me for that.  I just brought up the obvious.  I told him family visits should never be cancelled for no good reason.  So he said he was going to think it over but I am pretty sure he will make the trip down.  Besides, as I told him, Chewlee was excited about seeing him again.

Love you all.  Have a fantastic weekend even if the weather sucks.  Just dress properly for it.  **Wink**

Just Thinking.....

I've been sitting here looking at the small pictures that I have of Chewlee.  Some of them I haven't shared with you.  I was thinking how many different moods she has and realizing that she is showing a lot of the personality that she will carry into adulthood.  Which means she will have some rough roads ahead of her.  She can be ornery, opinionated, stubborn in her beliefs and she is a definite chatty Cathy type.  But she can also be charming, sweet and loving.  She doesn't have a mean bone in her body and she likes people regardless of their race, religion or opinions on other things.  She has no idea what politics are yet so who knows where that will end up?

She accepts everyone until they hurt her.  Then that is the only reason she may or may not continue to play with or like them.  But she also forgives easily.  Being very much like her in that way, I know that she will be disappointed with people later on in life.  Not everyone has such forgiving hearts.  

But I love this little girl with all my heart.  She can frustrate me at times but that's just a momentary thing.  She loves cats more than dogs and I think it's that independence that appeals to her as much as their nutty personalities.  She has a tender heart, too.  She hates to see even insects that are injured.  She loves butterflies but isn't sure she likes when they are caterpillars as much as she did when she was younger.  She will touch them and even let them crawl on her....for a few minutes.  But it's not her favorite stage of butterfly at all.  Her very favorite insect is a ladybug.  I know that later on, she will be trying to catch and keep lightning bugs because all kids go through that stage.  

She's terrified of fire ants and hasn't yet learned to identify them so  that she knows which ants do NOT bite.  She was bitten by fire ants and don't we all remember THAT when it happens to us?  I remember fire ants being in a plant we got once from a private laboratory that was developing designer orange trees.  As I went to pull the plant out of the container it was in to plant it in our yard, they ran up my arm.  Luckily, I was kneeling next to our pool and I plunged my arm into it to drown the suckers as I swiped them off my arm.  I was stung a lot and I hated those ugly postules you get from their bite.  I am NOT fond of fire ants at all.

I once took Chewlee around our yard and put down fire ant bait around every single ant hill I found.  I'm sure some of them were not fire ants but I wanted Chewlee to know that I wouldn't tolerate their being in MY yard!  But she is still very careful of ANY ant hill.  She assumes they are all fire ant hills until it's proven otherwise.  Actually, fire ants make much larger hills than regular ants so it's a fair bet you can tell which is which.  Being in the South, it's fire ant heaven so you fight the good fight to get rid of them from YOUR property at least.  That's about the best you can hope for if they don't take the bait down to the nursery level for the queen.

I'm waiting for Chewlee to be dropped off by the school bus.  Every day is a surprise with her and I wait to see what she has in store for me today.  We will read another book for her special reading project that the school has.  It's the one that is monitored and she gets questioned on each and every book after she has read them.  There are only three questions, I believe and she is graded on her responses.  The questions relate to her understanding of what she has read.

I thought it was kind of funny how difficult it was for her to pronounce *foal*.  I have no idea why it was so difficult for her.  I made her write it and pronounce it several times before we read the book the last two times.  I mean before SHE read the book.  I don't read them to her but I do help her sound out some of the words she has a problem with.  She actually reads much better than she believes she can.  She surprises me at times even.  She also gets very animated while reading and gives the proper emphasis where it's required.  It's cute to listen to for me.  But then, I am much more patient and have less things that require my attention now that we are retired.

Anyway, I just felt like sharing my thoughts with you.  Hope you have had a great Friday.  **Wink**  Love you all.

A Surprise!

We got a phone call from the contractor that is going to install the new garage door.  He has the door and said he can be here in an hour (which is almost over) to install the door.  The Beast told him to *come on down!*  We both got dressed quickly so that we are ready for him when he gets here.  He'll have to come into the house to get paid, which is why I got dressed.  I write out all the checks because my handwriting is much more legible than the Beast's.

So we should have a garage door and a normal looking house shortly.  Phew!  I think even the dog will be glad things are pretty much back to normal.  LOL!  More later......

The Beast And His Bloody Nose

First of all, NO, I did not punch him.  He gets these on occasion for no apparent reason.  He DID go to a doctor about it at one time but it seems his very old broken nose (probably from his father), gave the doctor a fit.  He said the only real thing he could do for that would be to re-break it and then he could probably fix the problem by cauterizing the areas where this is occurring.

He started having it happen to him last night just before he went to bed.  He was lucky it didn't start bleeding during the night like it often does.  Just my luck, he would choke on it dripping down his throat.  I've been falling asleep in my recliner so I wouldn't be there to save him.  Tonight, at church, just before he was to lead a group reading, his nose started to bleed and he quickly asked another member to replace him and he (and Chewlee) came home early.  It bled the whole time he was coming home.  Luckily, he carries a clean rag in the car so he was able to keep the blood off his good clothes.

He told me that Chewlee was just wonderful all during the time they were at church.  She behaved herself and was listening to all that was said.  She even asked a couple questions on the way home that showed him she was listening.  Of course, they were kid type questions but even so.....

It's only a few more days before Mustachio comes and Chewlee was upset that she wouldn't be able to stay overnight with him here.  When I asked her where she would sleep, she said, *In my bed!*  I told her that was where Mustachio would be sleeping.  She then told me, *Well, I think if he sleeps on one side and I sleep in the middle then you can sleep on the other end!*  Simple for her but I laughed and told her we couldn't do that.  So then she was all set to make a bed on the floor in my computer room for her and I to sleep in.  But I told her that was not going to happen this time.  She was disappointed but I told her she could visit with him after gymnastics even if Mommy didn't work because she would want to visit with him while he was here.

I started to plan out our meals for next week so that the Beast will stop his daily runs to Walmart.  He spends a lot of money on junk items and just doesn't eat right.  It's an easy habit to fall into but, if I plan out our meals and the ingredients needed, he can shop for just what we need.  Either that or *I* will do it.  I really don't care.  He started doing it back when I had my surgeries and I wasn't able to.  It took me a long time to recover from that and I'm only back in the swing of things for the past six months or so.  However, it's tough for him to give it up because it makes him feel in control of things.  Oh yes.  Just what he needs.  NOT!  He is absolutely the worst person in the world to *be in control*.  A good example.  Guess what his latest acquisition is for us?  That sandwich maker they advertise on TV.  The breakfast sandwich appliance for making your own *favorite breakfast sandwich* at home.  Meaning the one made by Burger King or McD's.  We needed that like a hole in the head.  AND...it's been used ONCE in the week or so that we've had it.  <<<BANG,BANG,BANG>>>  That's me banging my head on a wall.  Sheesh.

It's colder than hell here.  Strange saying since hell is supposed to be hot.  But we also say *hotter than hell*, too, don't we?  We are strange people.  LOL!

Love you all.  Keep warm and dry.  Stay out of the wind.  Use a cream on your face.  Be good and have a fantastic Friday.  **Wink**

The Beast Makes Changes...

The Beast decided that we should wait to install the tile flooring until AFTER the new garage door is installed.  So he called the contractor early (around 6:30am...turnabout is fair play *wink*) and told him that he had decided to wait until that was done.  The reason is because that way the tiles don't have to be carried in through the house or any other materials that will be needed.  Also, once the wood flooring is started to be torn out, that doesn't have to be carried through the house, either.  

Once the door is installed, then the contractor can come and go through the garage and store anything he needs to in the garage.  It made sense to the contractor so we won't see him again until next week after Tuesday, the 19th.  The Beast hopes he will find the tile he wants before the contractor starts.  He's trying to find something similar to the tile we had in our house in Port Charlotte, which we loved.  We will probably hit a couple of the tile stores around us this weekend.

I've been exceptionally tired today.  Mostly because the cold makes me curl up into a ball under  a comforter with some hot coffee.  I WAS going to have hot chocolate (doesn't that evoke some nice thoughts?) but we didn't have any in the house.  We do now but I just want to sleep at this point.  

After the Beast called the contractor, know what we both did?  LOL...we headed right back to bed for a couple hours.

Love you all.  Hope you are keeping nice and warm.  **Wink**

The Contractor Shows Up....YAY!

I almost couldn't believe it when the contractor showed up today.  When I got out of bed the second time, he was off purchasing some supplies.  That kind of got to me because he had been here, had seen it and yet had to go buy supplies?  Sheesh.  He should have come with some of what he needed.  But that's just my way of thinking.

Anyway, it looks like he did a fairly nice job of it.  At least now the door can be installed.  He did run out of aluminum siding pieces to finish up the job but he'll get that done tomorrow and start on the job of tiling the kitchen and dining area.  The Beast is tired of fighting trying to keep these floors nice and clean AND shiny.  This way we will only have the living room area and our bedroom to worry about.

Dennis came over early and he and the Beast ran over to Hardee's for the biscuits and gravy breakfast to bring back here to eat.  It was nice and hot and had lots of sausage in it for a change.  All three of us ate it and it worked for me.  I didn't have to cook.  LOL!

Oh yes, I have two more pictures of Chewlee for you from the other day.  I mentioned she had posed for the Beast (willingly, of course) and the pictures turned out great.  He sent me two of the pictures (the ones he printed up to frame).  I have the head shot in MY computer room and the other one is out on THE WALL.  That made Chewlee very happy.  She noticed the one of her I have and looked at it for a long time.  Then she asked me why I had THAT one on my wall.  I told her it was because I liked it.  She just smiled, gave me a hug and sat down to watch TV until her mother came to get her.  She had hoped that she would have time for a Cup O' Soup but it was not to be.  The Princess came to soon.

Okay, here are the latest pictures taken:

The top one is hanging in my computer room.  She looks like such an angel, doesn't she?  I wish!

She didn't get a smiley face today.  Her big problem is talking.  She can talk and talk and usually does it when she shouldn't.  That's how she gets into trouble.  Ah, what can you do except tell her that she needs to learn when she should and shouldn't be talking in class.  The classrooms are small and so are the classes so you can't get away with anything.  I told her I thought she was smarter than that.  She just got this sheepish grin on her face and then told me that she really WAS trying to be good.

The Beast wasn't feeling good so he went to bed very early for him.  It was shortly after 8:30pm.  That guarantees that he will be up early again.  I'm doing the wash because they will be disconnecting the washer and dryer and we won't be able to use them for a day or two.  I have the last load in the dryer as we speak and will be going to hang up what needs hanging up (it's a dark load, if you get what I mean).  It's got mostly pants and dark shirts in it plus a shitload of the Beast's dark socks.  I have no idea how he came to have so many of his dark socks in the wash since I do that at least once a week.  I swear he had them hidden somewhere.  Of course, there are times HE does a load of wash and I think he may have washed and dried them but never mated them up and just left them at the bottom of the basket.  It's a puzzle.

It's getting colder than hell right now and will be all week long.  Tomorrow our high is only supposed to be in the forties.  I made the Beast bring in our winter coats and jackets.  I already have my gloves and even my two hats for the worst weather.  I did mention I am a wimp, right?  I would rather hibernate during the winter than have to be out in it.  Brrrr!  And I think this spell of 20 degree nights has winter written all over it!

Well, love you all and I hope you have a great Hump Day.  Every time I use that phrase, I think of the commercial with the camel asking everyone in the office if they know what day it is.  Cracks me up every time I see it.  Be good and drive carefully.  **Wink**

It's Monday And Guess What?

The contractor didn't show up....of course!  He had called yesterday and said he was going to be here *around* noon.  Noon came and went.  He finally called around 3pm or so and gave the Beast some lame ass excuse.  I told the Beast last week that he should find another contractor but he likes the quality of the work he did on Tara's house so he's not quite ready to call it quits.  The bad part of it is that our garage door should be here and the guy ready to install it next Monday.  I have no idea how long it's going to take to fix the framework of the garage but it had BETTER be ready for when the guy who is going to install the garage door shows up.  OR ELSE!

 Chewlee took some more pictures for the Beast today and they turned out just great!  In fact, he's already printed out another 16x20 that is destined for *the wall*.  When Chewlee is in the right mood, she takes some really good pictures.  I love it when she has a natural smile and not one she forces herself to make.  You can tell the difference BIG TIME!  I was really a bit surprised that she was willing to take some pictures today since she wasn't feeling all that well when she got here.  Her appetite came back with a bang once she was here, however.  I think it might actually be some kind of sympathy sickness due to the Princess' pregnancy.

Yes, now that the Princess has posted about her pregnancy on Facebook so the friends and most of the relatives know, I can mention it here on my blog.  I think she's due in June sometime but I have to ask her again.  I know where Chewlee gets her chatterbox tendencies from because the Princess, once she gets started, can keep talking until your mind reels and you forget what you want to tell or ask her.  I almost think I should just ask Chewlee because she can be a wealth of information at times.  However, her only realization of months is how long until her next birthday....LOL!

It's supposed to be in the 20's at night for the next week and the Beast is really worried about our pipes in the garage freezing since we have no door.  The nice thing about the new door is that it is insulated, did I mention that at all?  Anyway, he and Dennis went to Lowe's to get some plywood  to cover the garage door opening.  IF the contractor shows up tomorrow (pardon me if I am not a believer), they arranged it so that the sheet closest to the area that needs repair can be easily removed.   But at least now he's not worried about the pipes freezing.  It's just the night that worries him.  After the repair is made (if it is...!), the plywood that was removed can easily be put back up in under five minutes.  That's the beauty of owning a nail gun...LOL !

I  told you what our nights are going to be like and I have already put the baseboard heater on high to warm up my bedroom.  Oh, not TOO warm and it will be turned down to low when it's bedtime and I have climbed under the warm blankets.  I like to breathe in cooler air when I am sleeping but I really do miss my electric blanket.  That's something else I have to try to find out in the cottage...LOL !  I know, I know...I'm a wimp.  But you love me anyway, right?

Love  you all and I hope your work week goes well and you keep warm and cozy.  Drive carefully.  The life you save just might be your own!  **Wink**

A Very Peaceful Sunday Here But Cold !

I have to admit to having a really nice and peaceful Sunday.  The Beast had no church or function to attend so he spent the morning trying out making crust for a pie from scratch.  It didn't turn out well for him but I did tell him what he could do the next time it happened to him.  I think he almost debated re-rolling it out and using the idea but decided the hell with it.  It was only the two of us and I certainly would forgive the imperfection of it all.  Let me put it this way....the top crust mostly sat on top and couldn't connect to the bottom.  But the pie turned out great.  He made a cherry pie and we ate it warm with ice cream.  Delicious!

Dennis came over to borrow our dolly and it had a flat tire so the two of them messed with it to find the leak and try to repair it.  I don't know what they ended up doing because it was really a leak in the way the tire sealed around the rim.  But he used it for whatever it was he needed it for and then brought it back.  I think the Beast is just going to try to replace the whole thing...rim and tire because it's been so useful.  We actually have used it a lot even though we originally bought it just to move from Margate to Port Charlotte and then here to Alabama.

I napped a couple times mainly because I can't sit back in my recliner without falling asleep...LOL.  I showered and blew my hair dry.  I don't know why I bother.  It doesn't seem to want to go into any style at all.  I end up brushing it the way I've worn my hair for years and years.  I really get tired of it but, hey!  what can I say?  It does what it wants.  Do you have that problem?

I wish I had hair like my sisters.  Theirs seems to grow so fast and it's thicker than mine.  I've been told by stylists that I have lots of hair but it's baby fine.  I'd give that up in a heart beat.  Now that it's turned so grey at the roots, it makes my hair look even thinner than I feel it is.  Yes, I am still a bit vain.  Don't we all wish we were beautiful?  I've even been dreaming about that *face lift* that Debbie Boone advertises.  A girlfriend of mine from high school (one of the girls from my yearly reunion) got a Life Style Lift and she looks GORGEOUS!  I kid you not.  She looks like she's in her 30's.  But she was always such a cutie.  

I played a couple games on my computer, including one that I own and I really, really want to see the end of this adventure.  I'm almost there on it.  I feel kind of stupid to want to see the conclusion of a GAME but it's actually been kind of a neat adventure along the way.  Like I said, I'm almost at the conclusion now and I guess I'm going to have to get the next one after this build and see what that one is like.

I also finally got the date that Mustachio will be here for his visit.  He's coming on Monday, the 18th.  He'll stay for a couple days then hit his brother's house up in Nashville before he heads home.  I'm kind of excited about it and I know Chewlee will be, too.  She remembers our trip up to visit him and knows that is her uncle.  She loves relatives.  It helps that they love her.  No kid can be given too much love.

The day turned out nicer than it started out to be.  It warmed up enough that I just threw on a sweatshirt.  I realized that I can't find any of my sweat outfits.  I must have those packed away in a container out in the cottage.  I'm going to have to go out there and bring them in.  I'll definitely need them for the weather we have headed our way.....it's called WINTER.  LOL!

Love you all.  Hope you had a wonderful weekend and an even better week.  **Wink**

Chewlee Comes Prepared And I Miss Bratfink.....Wah!

Bratfink has been spending more of her time tweeting (I think that's what it's called) and reading these days.  That means she hasn't been on an IM with me at all lately and I really miss her.  I pissed her off one night but I think she forgave me because we DID talk at least once after that.  I've been trying really hard to make sure I put the right *sign* up on my IM so there are no more mistakes about whether or not I am here to talk to.  But that's just because she got mad about me not putting the right one up.  But, I don't blame her for doing more reading.  I should be reading more of the books I've downloaded onto my Nook, too.  However, when Chewlee is here without her Ipad or her Leap Frog, guess what she is playing with?  You got it!  She is reading the books I downloaded for her.  She really, really wants to be able to read anything she picks up that is a book.  Well, she's trying.  Of course, when she IS on my Nook, I'm constantly barraged with her spelling out words that she either can't sound out right or she doesn't recognize...yet!

Today Chewlee showed up with a shopping bag full of things for her to use today and tonight for her sleepover.  Even though there's no church tomorrow because of the special meeting today, she wanted a sleepover.  So, she is staying over.  She brought her pajamas, her blankey, her favorite stuffed kitty, a book for me to read to her (I will make her read it to me, instead), her Lady Bug night light and even a soft blanket for me.  She just felt *I* needed a special blanket to take to bed with me when we go to sleep tonight.

Since I have been going to bed earlier (around Midnight, to be honest) because I am trying to get into a more normal (whatever that is!) sleep schedule, I will more than likely go to bed with her much earlier than normal tonight.  That is why I am doing this blog up early for you all to read later.  

Chewlee has been wonderful so far all the time she's been here.  She's done what she has been told (put her crayons and markers up, put your cup on the sink, pick up your boots and stack them by the door....those kind of things) and she's been very polite.  When I complimented her on it, she smiled and said she was doing it because she wanted to but  would I please tell her mommy that?  That made me laugh and I wonder what it was the Princess said to her that brought this about.  Whatever it was, it worked.  I'll be happy to tell the Princess all about it.  LOL!

The Beast is still gone to his special meeting of his church.  He called me earlier during their lunch break to make sure I had fed Baron.  However, Baron can be bad about eating or doing anything when the Beast is gone.  He even called Dennis to take Baron out to see if he might be more amenable to taking a dump with HIM around instead of me.  No such luck.  He's been picking at his food and won't eat it until the Beast is home or he's totally STARVED.  Sheesh!  Talk about *man's best friend!*.....he sure is.

It's cold here.  Our high was only 55 and it was in the 20's this morning so winter is right around the corner.  I expect the Beast to be home within the hour.  He's sneaky and won't call me when he's on his way home.  I don't know what he thinks he's going to catch me doing.  I have no real life except for the occasional trip to the store or a visit to Tara's or the Princess' homes.  Oh, plus Tara occasionally takes me out to lunch.  I'm not counting dinner out with Dennis and Di the other day.  Those times are few and far between.  That was our first time since they bought the lots and built their barn.

The contractor that is supposed to repair the garage still hasn't made it here.  His calls, at 6am mind you, have said he was sick.  He claims he will be here on Monday.  We shall see.

Love you all.  Have a great Sunday.  Keep warm, dry and safe.  **Wink**

Looking Forward To My Saturday Without The Beast...

Tomorrow the Beast makes his trip to Birmingham for some special meeting of his church.  He has to leave early in order to make it and get one of the Handicapped parking spots, which are limited.  Of course.  He also likes to stop at McD's if he can to have the pancake breakfast.  They do have a good one he says.  I don't know.  I'm not into pancakes.  That's why I can't blame Chewlee for how she feels about them.  She told me this:  *That's just hot bread, Grandma!*  What can you say?

The Beast picked up some chicken wingettes for me to make and some hot sauce since I love mine with hot sauce.  I just don't like them *buffalo style* where they are breaded and then drowned in hot sauce.  I DO like the wings that are breaded and have the hot spices in the breading like KFC makes them.  But I have no idea how to do that so I will just oven bake them and then drown them in sauce....LOL!  I just wish I could get Chewlee to eat them (without the sauce) but she won't touch chicken with bones so I will make her some nuggets I have in the freezer.  We will enjoy ourselves.  I might even make us some pudding.  I think I have some butterscotch in the pantry.  Grin!

My son, Mustachio, may be coming down here to visit.  He says he is taking a *road trip* and will stop at his brother's in Nashville where they will meet up with some friends from when they were kids.  Many a time did Messiah spend hours and hours playing the games all the boys got involved in.   He also lived with us when his nutty mother threw him out and was totally pissed off that we took him in.  She really was nuts.  We kept him safe and allowed him to go to school, have food, a place to shower and to sleep.  She was nutty enough to complain to the cops about it and the cops laughed.  One of our best friends was the local chief of police.  

His sister, Athena, contacted Mustachio through his Facebook page.  She lives in Nashville now with her husband and her brother, Messiah, lives nearby.  They are planning on meeting for dinner.  Afterward, Mustachio will head down to our house to spend a couple days.  It's not a bad trip and he wants to show off his car that he bought a few months back.  I'm just glad she is happy and so is her brother.  What happened with their mother, I have no idea.  I am just glad they survived her.

It was just 32 degrees when I woke up early this morning and checked (around 7 am).  When I finally got out of bed at 9:30am, it was just 35 degrees.  More of that tonight and tomorrow.  But it did get up into the lower 60's and sunny today.  Chewlee was happy when she got here.  She ran in, told me she got a smiley face, she listened to her teacher and behaved herself all day long.  It made me laugh but I was glad she was happy.  We cuddled together and watched cartoons.  She ate her cup of noodles (and half of mine!), drank her milk and then complained about being cold.  Of course she was cold.  Our milk was VERY cold (and tasty that way).

When her mother came to pick her up, she ran out eagerly to get into the warmed up car.  Her last words to me were that she would see me tomorrow.  When she finds out the Beast is gone, I just KNOW she is going to want to *entertain* me.  LOL!  She was telling me tonight that she wanted to have a party and that *I* was going to buy all the food for it.  She then proceeded to name at least a dozen or more kids that she wanted to invite!  She thinks I am made of money.

Oh well.  Love you all.  Stay warm and drive carefully while doing your shopping and other reasons for being out and about.  We MAY be hit by a winter storm, including snow, around Tuesday of next week.  I hope not.  It's too early for snow as far as I am concerned.  What do you think?  **Wink**

A Better Evening.... And A Serious Warning....

I have to admit my evening was better although I missed having Chewlee here.  I guess the Princess had a schedule change and felt that she didn't have to tell me about it because she was going to be here when Chewlee got off the bus and that meant another day off for us.  However, Chewlee had to go to the bathroom, ran in here asking me if she could have a pickle ...QUICK! because mommy was there waiting for her.  I yelled out to the Princess to bring our slow cooker home to us and she said she would once it was clean since she had used it and hadn't cleaned it yet.  I just laughed because it figured!

Then the Beast asked me to peel some potatoes for him so he could make potato pancakes (do you hear that, Tara and the Princess?  We have leftovers.)  It seems that Dennis brought over some potatoes so the Beast could make his potato pancakes because he had never had them and was eager to try them.  Di said she would bring some pork chops over as well as both applesauce and sour cream (she likes them both and Dennis wasn't sure which he would try/like).  So I peeled the potatoes and even got his onions ready for him.

OH OH...gotta tell you what went on while the Beast let me rest.  Because I found some corn muffin mix that expired a year ago (and made them before I found that out), he went through our most stuffed pantry and checked out the dates on all the products in them.  When he showed me the pantry after he had gone through it and thrown out all the expired stuff, you wouldn't have believed the difference!  It was incredible.  He even found something that expired 7...yes, 7 years ago.

Now I know that it often says *best if used by...* because that means it will have the best taste, texture, etc. and you have to use your head when getting rid of many things.  But the muffins turned out rather flat and hard so.....take it from there.  There were a few things the Beast threw out that I wouldn't have but...hey, he did the work so take it from there.  I wasn't going to argue with him after the fact.  The deed was done and the stuff thrown out.  But...a few things that he discovered were past their expired date were things he had bought fairly recently.  Which tells us that some stores are a bit dishonest and are putting them out in the hopes it isn't discovered or that it's used up right away so it can't be told by taste, texture or whatever.

So, do yourself a favor....go through your own pantry and check out what the expiration dates are.  But, remember, vegetables will still be good after their *best if used by ..* dates.  Just put them up front so you use them up first.  It's just like canning.  You use up the oldest dates first.  Then rotate them forward.  

Back when we had kids living with us, nothing lasted long in our house so there was no need to check things like that.  But we are *empty nesters* now and that no longer applies.  We stock up on things and assume we are getting fresh stuff, including canned goods.  How wrong we were.  Don't fall into the same trap.

After Dennis and Di left, I headed in here to do up this blog.  How long before my meds kick in, I have no idea but that will determine when I finally go to bed.

Meantime, love you all and I hope you had a great Hump Day and an even better Thursday.  Just remember tomorrow is Friday and the end of the workweek for most people.  The rest of you?  Well, just try to get through it.  **Wink**