Recovering Well...

It appears that I am recovering well.  As well as can be expected, I gather.  I still have a way to go but I am patient.  

I spent part of the day neatening up my computer room.  It's small so it gets messy easy.  I try to keep it neat but some days it's not all that easy.  LOL!  I get busy doing things on my computer and time just slips away.  

The Beast was in and out of the room a lot today.  He has to keep me informed of what is going on in the world.  Like I really care what the hell is going on in Iraq.  Or what Isis is planning.  If I really wanted to know, I would have nothing but news on all the time.  He just doesn't *get it*.  I listen to local news twice a day.  That is about the extent of it.  Since I have to live here, in this area, I am most concerned with what is going on locally.  He never watches local news.  He does, on occasion, turn on the weather channel but otherwise it's nothing but Fox News for him.  

Mustachio is preparing to move.  He got the keys for his new apartment today but was told they had just cleaned the carpet and to give it 24 hours.  He plans on giving it 48 hours before he moves anything in.  He is going to have the carpet cleaned in his current place so there will be no problems with getting his deposit back.  Funny thing is that the landlord has no move-in sheet on him so they really have no choice but to return the deposit.  

Love you all.  Hope your week is going well.  Tomorrow I will finally make that darn  potato soup that I have been craving.  I was just too exhausted to do it today.  ****Hugs****

Ultrasound Day...Over And Done!

I was almost late for my ultrasound this morning.  I slept thru my alarm and the Beast had totally forgotten that I had to go today.  But I made it, although I don't think I ever got dressed so fast in my life!

I would dearly love to know why the gel they squirt on you is so darn hot!  Not too hot, of course, but it is always a bit of a shock.  Unfortunately, the way I had to lay my leg was really uncomfortable but the gal knew a trick to make it less so.  I was very grateful.  From the sound of it, I think I am doing just fine but I will find out for sure tomorrow morning when I see my doctor.  This time I am putting my alarm a bit further away from me and going to bed even earlier than I did yesterday.

The smell of people burning leaves smelled like autumn in the air as I drove home.  It made me feel a bit nostalgic for those times when I was young and took such things for granted.  C'est la vie!  

My pot pie turned out great, did I tell you?  Even the Beast was happy with it and he is a real critic of pot pies.  Tomorrow is going to be my potato soup day.  I'm looking forward to that.  I've developed a real taste for some.

The Beast's *thing* didn't help him as far as his lens goes.  He's at a loss for why because his cheaper lens it worked great on.  Now he will have something to occupy his mind.  He will worry over it until he solves the problem and gets that lens adjusted right.   I suppose I should be glad but he will drive me nuts coming in and interrupting me to tell me all his thoughts on it.

Gotta get ready for bed and put my mind in the right spot so that I don't sleep thru the alarm.  It's a lot earlier (9:15am).  Love you all.  Have a fantastic day.  ***Hugs***

Early To Bed....

Tomorrow is my ultrasound appointment and I was sitting here trying to figure out whether I wanted to shower tonight or tomorrow morning.  I think morning has won out because I am tired.  If I get to bed early, I should be up early but am setting my alarm just in case.

I got my pot pie made up today and it turned out really good.  The Beast brought home some chicken for our lunch and I am starting to feel like we will be clucking soon instead of speaking...LOL!  We have been eating more chicken than any other kind of meat for our protein.  But it seems like there is more bang for your buck with chicken although the breast meat is expensive per pound, especially if you get boneless.  

I cut up some strawberries and we had strawberry shortcake for our dessert.  The Beast had only bought a pint so there's almost nothing left of those.  He really piles on the strawberries but I wasn't going to complain.  He picked up some cottage cheese the other day and I had that with some peaches for my breakfast.  Weird, I know but I just had a taste for it.  

It was another nice peaceful day.  After dinner, the Beast made himself this special ...thing...is all I can call it.  It reminds me of the start of some kind of  miter box that he will be using to adjust one of his lenses for his cameras.  He will have to use math to set it and it includes a ruler that he needs to have for the adjustment.  It's to measure the distance from the target focus area to the lens.  As long as HE understands what he is doing, I just admired it for him.  He had looked for one  online and found a couple similar in design but the least expensive was around $50. and it was just plastic covered cardboard.  What he made was wood and it cost him about $2. to make.  It took him some time since the angles had to be perfect but he's patient with something like that.  He was also very proud of it.  I just hope it does the job for him or I will never hear the end of it.

I'm off to bed.  It's still before midnight and the temperature is already down to 66.  The Beast was complaining and threatening to cut down all the trees because they are losing their leaves.  He can be so incredibly dumb at times.  His big complaint was the cherry trees dropped their leaves entirelly already.  I reminded him that  they were also the earliest to leaf and flower, too.  Men!  

Love you all.  Have a great week.  I'm going to have the Beast bring in the winter clothes from the cottage when he has a chance.  He doesn't have to do it all at once since I need to wash them as he brings them in.  That will give me a chance to start putting away the summer clothes into the bins for them, little-by-little.  ***Hugs***

Starting To Feel Like Myself.....

It was a truly nice day today.  I am starting to regain some of my stamina and endurance.  Standing up for any length of time has gotten easier.  I did more today while standing than I have done in a while.  Of course, my back hasn't bothered me as much either.  I'm still suffering somewhat from the damage done years ago in an auto accident (not my fault).  But it doesn't matter...you get older and the damage becomes more painful.  Oh well!

The weather wasn't bad although the nights are getting colder.  The peach trees are starting to drop their leaves but the pear trees are still holding on.  I enjoy the cooler nights because I can curl up under a nice warm quilt.  It will be a while before I have to take down the comforters, thank goodness.

I have to admit that I haven't made my pot pie yet although I did start the preparation.  The chicken is cooked and so are almost all the veggies except the carrots.  Those will finish cooking in the pie itself.  The broth is ready for thickening so there will be plenty of sauce.  

The Beast decided he had a taste for tacos so he made the meat up.  I decided to have a taco salad instead with plenty of tortilla chips to scoop it all up.  It was really great and hit the spot.  He found some really good salsa with big cuts of tomato in it.  Yum!

Dennis and Diane dropped by to visit and have some coffee.  I think Dennis is starting to really like both our coffee maker and the coffee.  It's Kauai coffee that my friend, Carol, has sent to us every month.  She's really a sweetie.  I miss her a lot when we don't get a chance to talk online like we normally do.  But, being in a wheelchair like she is, she ends up with some really severe problems at times.  Plus, she works with her son at his flower shop.  I gather she's talented at putting together bouquets and making flower arrangements.  Wish I had that talent.  

Poor Dennis and Diane have had some major problems with building their house.  But, thankfully, they are finally almost ready to move in.  The remaining problems are minor and there is just the granite tile to install around the fireplace wall left.  They are going out to select furniture for the house starting tomorrow.  I know they will be happy to have more room than they have in the RV.  Even with the pullouts, the lack of storage and living space has to be telling after all these years of living in it.  I'm so glad for them.  I am going to go over and see the kitchen tomorrow since I haven't seen it since all the cabinets and counter tops were installed.

I took a nap after dinner and it's the only reason I am up this late.  I'm finally starting to have a more normal sleep pattern.....I hope.  LOL!  Love you all.  Hope you are enjoying life and the weather wherever you are.  ***Hugs***

Boots, Boots And More Boots....

I woke up early but was still very tired.  I don't know if it's because I am not sleeping well or what.  But I had things I wanted to do so I forced myself to stay up.  I got my computer room neatened up (one of the things I wanted to do...) and then got dressed to go do some shopping.  I said I wanted to buy myself some boots and I meant to find some....or die trying!  

It's been ages since I actually went out and looked at boots.  The last time was actually with the Princess.  She bought some adorable boots then but not something I wanted to wear....LOL!  So I headed for the same shoe store and started looking around.  Holy cow!  Did they ever have boots but I almost choked on the prices of some of them.  It's been a while since I bought some in a regular shoe store so I can be forgiven for feeling that I didn't want to spend $70 on a pair of boots.  Especially some of the ones I thought I might have to settle for.  You don't mind spending the money IF it's what you want.  Then, lo-and-behold, what do my wandering eyes spy?  Just about exactly what I imagined.  A pair of flat-soled, suede boots with faux fur tops that were just adorable!  AND they are fleece-lined!  I wanted/needed warm boots and these were just about the cutest things I had seen...including the ones I looked up online.  I put on my warm winter socks to try a pair on because I intend to wear them with the boots....found the size I needed to fit properly and bought them.  All for the fantastic price of ...ta dah!.....just $30 ON SALE!!!  

I could hardly believe they would be having a sale on boots this early but I guess they mark down the ones that don't seem to be selling as well to their *target* buyers.  If I didn't have the problems with my feet, there were lots of cute and adorable boots around but I am an old person that wants warmth and comfort.  LOL!  Also inexpensive.  Found them all, wrapped into one.

Then I headed to the grocery store because I wanted to pick up some things for making homemade chicken pot pie and also some potato soup.  I'll make the pot pie tomorrow and the soup on Sunday.  It's been a while since I got this involved with making a meal that takes time.  Not since I made a roasted chicken with homemade stuffing.....LOL!  

Right now I am tired and heading for bed.  I always seem to be extra tired when I have been out and about.  My leg may be healed on the outside but I won't know about the inside until Tuesday when the doctor fills me in on what the ultrasound shows that I take on Monday.

Love you all.  Have a great weekend.  ***Hugs***

Surprise Visit From The Princess And Chewlee.....

I was at my computer when I suddenly hear *Hi Grandma!* from behind me.  It was my darling Chewlee, here with the Princess.  When I asked her why she was here, she told me that they were bringing me some medicine.  That was a puzzle since I knew they didn't have any of our medications at their house.

It turned out that the Princess brought us some Theraflu after reading my blog and thinking about the upcoming flu season.  She had gotten them CHEAP she said.  In truth, besides dropping that off, they were on their way to Chewlee's cheerleading practice.  But it was nice to see them both and the Theraflu was a welcome addition to our medicine chest.  I'll bet that I will be the only one to use it, though.  LOL!  The Beast always has to *tough* things out.

But it reminded me that I should go get my flu shot.  Either at the doctor's office or at one of the various pharmacies that offer it.  I sure as hell don't want to go through what I did three years ago.

Mustachio had a  tough physical therapy session today.  It was his assessment before he went back to work.  He actually had to pass it or he wouldn't have been able to.  Pass it he did and now he is looking forward to starting work a week from Monday.  I think that is the 8th.  He already talked to his boss after the session so they will get a truck ready for him to stock.  He is so anxious to start working again although he knows he will have a tough time to begin with.  He's been a couch potato for 8 months and has lost a lot of muscle.  Just being able to handle the 20 ft. ladder will be a real chore but his spirit is willing.  He said he will be like a *newbie* going back to work after such a long time.  But he has the skill....he just needs time to regain what he's lost in muscle mass and strength.  I wish him luck and not too much pain.

I really miss my sister, Cee.  I was thinking about all the times we got together for a day of shopping and lunch.  It was always fun.  We did it once a week.  I don't have anyone I can do that with here.  I will truly enjoy it if she does move up here next year.  All I can do is hope it's possible.

It's been really cold out at night and it doesn't look like that is going to change.  The day time temperatures have been nice, however.  I sometimes take Baron outside and let him roll around in the grass and then lay on the driveway while I just sit outside and enjoy the weather.  

The Beast has to go to the doctor's office tomorrow to find out about the new policy for getting bloodwork done.  He has to have some done before he can get one of his prescriptions renewed.  I haven't had any luck getting through to the doctor's office at all so he's going to just stop over and make an inquiry about it.  He may have to have an appointment now.  It used to be that anyone who had bloodwork orders in their file could stop in and be taken care of.  But I guess the practice has just gotten too big now.  

Love you all.  I hope you have a fantastic Friday.  The end of the work week for most people and some decent weather for most areas of the country.  Have a great weekend.  Try to do something outdoors.  We may not have many more weekends where we can.  ****Hugs****

A Very Bad Night And Most Of The Day.....

I had one of the worst nights I have ever had last night.  My allergies hit me like a ton of bricks and even the medication I had available to me didn't help.  It was awful.  I couldn't lay down without my sinus drainage choking me.  I was so damn tired that I was ready to slit my own throat.  I also started sweating like I had the flu or some such thing.  I know it was just because of  the extreme tiredness that I felt.

I even used the spray in my sinuses in an effort to stop the drainage (and I really hate using that stuff).  It DID finally work and I am not sure if I actually fell asleep or went unconscious....LOL!  But it took until almost dinner time before I was fully awake and felt like a human being again.  

The Beast made some of what we call *hamburger garbage*, which is browned ground beef with onions and green pepper that we eat in pita bread.  It tasted delicious to me.  I was hungry.  I just wish he used more green pepper in it but, hey, I didn't have to cook.

I was asleep here until just a bit ago after talking to Mustachio for a bit.  He finally found a new apartment.  Here's the strange thing....there was an old woman in the courtyard that was tooling around on her electric scooter.  She was VERY old.  He found out later that she was 90 years old.  She was apparently having a problem that he could see so he went over and asked her if she needed some help.  She did and she was very grateful.  It turned out that she was the OWNER of the building.  He was one of four people trying for the apartment and the granddaughter was the one taking applications.  The old woman came into the office and said to her, *Take HIM*, meaning Mustachio.  And that is how he ended up getting his new apartment.  All because he showed a little respect and kindness to a woman that he had no idea was anything more than a tenant.

He went to bed early and I stayed online for a bit longer before shutting down and going to bed.  I am up only because of one of those old people potty breaks that my body demanded and woke me up for....LOL.

It's very cool outside.  My weatherbug shows that it's just 57 degrees.  Damn!  Fall is in a hurry to get over and one with and I bet we have an early winter.  Sheesh.  Oh well.  At least we don't get the snow and ice that many states get.  I can be grateful for that much.  Time to get serious about getting some boots.

Love you all.  I am heading back to bed now that I can actually sleep laying down.  I wish you all a great day and sweet dreams at night.  ***Hugs***

A Semi-busy Day....

I say semi-  because I spent a lot of my day in my computer room with the door shut to deter the Beast from coming in every five minutes with more of his Fox news briefs he keeps giving me.  I get so tired of hearing it.

The rest of the time, I was out of the room, willingly, either to find him some of the coupons he needed for his trip to Publix or else helping him put the groceries away.  Surprise!  Surprise!  He didn't get a lot more than he planned on.  Oh, he did get more but not as much as he usually does.

In the meantime, I ran over to the Princess' house to give Chewlee her card from Carol.  Shame on me, I never noticed the *Do not open until Halloween* written on the back of it.  Neither did Chewlee who started ripping the card open as soon as she got her hands on it.  The card was cute and also included some puffy stickers as well as $10. which Chewlee is saving along with the money she got from her two missing front teeth.  She looks so funny and cute.  I remember my kids when it happened to them and how upset they got about eating certain foods....like apples.  LOL!

It was what I would call a Fall day today.  It never got above 75 degrees outside and that was rather late in the afternoon.  I spent a lot of the day under a nice warm blanket to keep myself warm.  I hate cold or feeling cold as many of you might know.  It makes me dread what is ahead.  I started looking at boots online but guess the only way to be sure I find some warm ones is to actually go to a shoe store and buy them.

My ultrasound for my legs takes place next Monday morning and I see the leg doctor on Tuesday morning to find out how I am doing.  Fun..fun!

My fall allergies have kicked in and I am spending a lot of time either sneezing or blowing my nose.  And that is WITH the allergies tabs.   Of course, they are OTC so I probably should talk to my doctor except he usually wants to send you to a specialist and I just want something fast, not have to wait until allergy season is almost over before I see another damn doctor.  Sheesh.

Love you all.  Hope your week hasn't been too bad so far and you have a bit of fun on Hump Day, even if it's just a laugh or two.  ***Hugs***

I Always Cry At Weddings......Even Ones On TV!

I watch some programs on occasion like *Ice Lake Rebels* and *Alaskan Bush People: Off The Grid* on Animal Planet.  Tonight there was a wedding of one of the Ice Lake Rebels....people who live on houseboats on this lake in Alaska.  His fiance spent her first winter on the houseboat and learned how rough a life it is on a lake that is frozen for 7 months of the year.  Their summer is just two months long and, let me tell you, life is tough for those people.

Anyway, they got married on tonight's episode and the whole town was there for the ceremony and reception.  The wedding was really different and a former houseboater, who was a priestess, performed the ceremony.  It was very touching and I started crying when the bride came over the small hill to the lake front site of the ceremony.

I cried at my girlfriend Jamie's wedding to the man whom she had lived with for over 30 years and was the father of all her children.  The wedding was held outside on part of their property and she had a daughter and two grandchildren that were part of the wedding party as well as my close girlfriend, Marilyn.  Jamie asked me afterward why I was crying and I told her, *I always cry at weddings*.  She just shrugged and laughed.  I was a bit embarrassed because I know a wedding is a happy event and everyone was happy to see these two loving people united in marriage...finally.

The wedding had been a surprise event that she decided to hold on the day that we girls, who have known each other for almost 50 years (at that time), get together.  We had a lot to celebrate.  We celebrated our long time friendships plus the uniting of a great couple.  It was a perfect day...great weather, great food and great friends.

Thinking back, I realized that I had always cried at weddings when I started to cry at Jamie's.  I have no real idea why but I think it was because I knew how happy the couple was and I had a lot of empathy for what they were feeling.  But crying at a TV wedding was a bit of a surprise for me.  The wedding, however, WAS a real wedding and I knew the couple from previous episodes and also knew how much they loved each other.

Another hot day today but the morning was very cold.  Another clue that autumn is closely approaching us.  Love you all.  Hope you had a great weekend and an even better week.  ***Hugs***
 

Low Blood Sugar...Not Today!

I have been doing a lot of sleeping lately and it was really bugging me.  That is, until I started having some bad low blood sugar episodes.  I realized that I had been having them for quite some time and I even knew why.  I had done a couple things wrong for a diabetic.

First of all, I was NOT eating as much as I should have.  I was taking my pills but not eating for more than an hour and then not eating much or well.  Second of all, I wasn't even checking my blood sugar levels like I should have.  That is definitely a no-no.  I should be checking it at the very least once a day.  I had really fallen down on watching my diet.  I was drinking a protein drink twice a day and not even thinking about the need for SOME carbs.  

So today, I got back into the swing of things and the difference in the way I felt was amazing.  No more just sliding along, willy-nilly.  I really MUST be conscious of my diet or run the risk of a diabetic coma.  Yes, there IS that risk from low blood sugar episodes.  I went to get my glucose tablets to keep them close to me in my computer room and what did I discover?  The Beast had thrown them out...he thought they were old and useless.  I was so mad...!  He never even thought about asking me about them....and had no idea how critical it can be to keep them handy.  

He really is just plain ignorant of what diabetes is and how deadly it can be if not kept under control.  He doesn't even know what to do if I was suddenly in a coma.  In fact, he has no idea what a coma is!  He tried to say he knows all this stuff but that's just BS.  Some of the questions I asked him, he couldn't come up with a correct answer.  I think, however, that he might actually look up some information on it now that I confronted him about it.

I know my A1C tests have all been good this past year but I was on my feet then and hadn't had this last surgery.  It's easy to let things slide when you have to depend on someone else to help take care of you.  You hate to complain or seem ungrateful.  The Beast really is clueless about being a caregiver.  I had to make myself get my own water, coffee and even remember to take my pills.  It's really because he has no real empathy for anyone but himself.  Sounds awful, I know, but it's true.  He's very much like his own father was.  And HE was a heartless bastard.  I know it's awful to speak ill of the dead but, if you knew him, you would understand how I just hate the aftermath of his treatment of his children when they were growing up.  I live with the consequences of it.

The day today was absolutely perfect today.  It smacked of Autumn weather.  Just plain beautiful.  We had the doors and windows open and a nice little breeze coming through the house.  Perfecto!
I sure hope you had similar weather to enjoy for your weekend.

Love you all.  Have some fun.  ***Hugs***

 

Memories....

I was talking to a friend of mine online tonight and we got to talking about when we were young and how different things were then compared to now.  It totally convinced me that I live in this day and age.

Here are things we remembered:  Living in a cold water flat.  That meant that ALL hot water had to be heated on your stove.  That included bath water which was poured into a *tub* that was made of metal and hung out on the porch when not in use.

Sweeping rugs with a broom because only rich people could afford a vacuum cleaner.  Also hanging out those same rugs (there were only large area rugs in most apartments because the tenant had to supply them if they wanted warmer floors in winter...LOL!) in the summer and beating the dirt out of them.

Washing clothes using a scrub board in the same metal tubs used for bathing.  Hanging clothes out on a clothesline even in winter because, of course, most people didn't have such a thing as a clothes dryer.  Heck, I remember being thrilled when we got our mangle washer.  I can't even begin to tell you how often I got my fingers caught in THAT!

Not having a telephone.  If you had one, you always had a party line.  That meant if another party was on it when you needed to make a call, you had to wait until they were done before you could place your call.

No television.   It was years before our family got a 5-inch round screen television.  AND the time that anything was on it was very limited.  Usually they all signed off around 10:30pm (after the news).  I remember the Star Spangled Banner song that played when the stations signed off.  There were only 3 stations then.  Children's television shows were limited to shortly after schools got off and there were only a couple of those.  Howdy Doody was the most popular.

There were no computers...no cell phones...no video games.  No automatic washing machines...no dryers like we have today....no electric typewriters....no special education programs (although most public schools did have a *remedial* class in it for *slow* learners).  Even airplane travel was very expensive and beyond most people's pocketbooks.  

There is much that our children and grandchildren take for granted today that WE did not when we were children.  We have seen incredible things happen in our lifetimes.  Men have traveled to and walked on the moon.  We have seen the surface of Mars and other distant planets.  Things that only were dreams when we were young.  Aren't you glad to be alive in this day and age?  I know that I am.  My life is so much easier now with all these new inventions.  I wonder what our great-grandchildren will see in their lifetimes?  Space travel as easy as plane travel today?  Who knows?

I do know that Chewlee once told me that she hopes one day to go out in space to another world and she wanted me to go with her.  She was so crest-fallen when I told her that I didn't think I would be around for that or pass the physical if I was...LOL!  What a doll baby she can be.  She loves me, I think.  

A nice day today.  We are getting closer to fall all the time.  The Beast finished up the lawn today even so he felt like he accomplished something positive.  Hope you have a fantastic weekend.  Enjoy the good weather while you can.  Winter will be here before you know it.

Love you all.  ***Hugs***

The Beast.....

Thursdays are the days the Beast gets dressed up twice in one day.  He dresses up in the morning because he goes out to call on people to try to get them to come to his church.  Then, in the evening, he does it all again for his church meeting.  

The problem is that he can't seem to totally dress himself.  He either needs help buttoning the top button on his shirt or the collar buttons if his shirt has them.  He also needs me to tuck in his tie under his collar in the back.  I don't know why he can't manage it unless it's that his condition is deteriorating.  He's had a problem with his fingers since his strokes and I know he has difficulty raising his arms.  I told him he needs to give up the vanity and order (or buy) larger collar sizes but you know how that can go.

Today he tried (again) to make us steaks from the present from my girlfriend.  He did a better job this time but I had to go put salt and pepper on it.  He uses a steak sauce on his but I like mine with just salt and pepper.  He did something weird though to our spinach.  I have no idea where he got the notion but he added vinegar to it and no butter.  Yuk!  It was awful!  When he said he thought it was supposed to get vinegar in it, I told him that was turnip greens.  Men!  At least he can't ruin a nuked potato...LOL!

I talked to Carol briefly yesterday.  The poor baby has problems that have to be awful for someone who spends her days in a wheelchair where sitting hurts like hell!  I know she's 10 years older than I am and a brittle diabetic but I hate the thought that she suffers so much.  She has such a good heart.  She and I share a lot of interests in common, which we discovered as we talked over the past year or more.  She works at her son's flower shop almost daily and that is hard on her most of the time.  So I can't blame her when she isn't feeling well enough to get online to talk with me at night.  All she can think about is getting horizontal for a while and relieve the pressure on her buttocks.

Today was a folding clothes day (yes, he is still enthralled with our washer and dryer) and I finished cutting out coupons for the Beast to use.  Let's see how he does.

Love you all.  Hope you had a good *hump day*.  ***Hugs***

Mind Numbing.....

I went to see the Princess yesterday and picked up some of the inserts she gets her coupons from.  The Beast SWEARS he wants to start using them to save a few bucks here and there but I have my doubts.  I used to use them and even had a special *wallet* for them but that was when we lived in Florida.  I stopped doing it here for some reason.  I think it was because we really don't have a daily newspaper here and we never got up early enough to get the Sunday newspaper, which is where most coupons can be found.  Let me tell you, though....she had so many duplicates that my mind was going numb just trying to sort through them all and pick out the ones I will use.

Of course, there are sites online that you can get coupons from but I really never explored them.  But, since the Beast now says he will, I may go ahead and try them out.  I DO have the printer hooked up to my computer.

Gunner, unfortunately, was asleep when I got there.  He DID wake up briefly when he heard my voice (only because it was a strange voice...it's not like he recognizes it yet) but he fell right back asleep.  He is such a cutie.

I mentioned the Beast is suffering from male vanity (it's EVERY age, I swear).  He came in to tell me he had robbed me of one of my scrungies and used it on his face and arms to try to get rid of these *bumps* he had.  He swears he got rid of the ones on his forehead and some of the ones on his arms.  I will take his word for it.  He's more aware of them than I am, that's for sure.

I was filling up my pill receptacle for the week and realized that I needed to refill most of them.  I had to call and order them after the pharmacy was closed but the order does show up in the morning.  I'll go pick them up after 11am and make sure I pick up some diet soda since I drank the last one yesterday.

Love you all.  Nice time to get to sleep (it's 62 out) and will be warm tomorrow.  ***Hugs***

Men Can Be So Vain.....

Nothing really went on today except for this.....the Beast must have asked me three or four times today if his face was okay.  He kept staring at himself in the mirror to see if all the swelling was gone and he even kept putting lotion on his face.  Like he was going to get rid of all the wrinkles...LOL!

He did...as I said he would...go outside today.  He managed to cut the lawn in the back and even started on the lawn out front.  No fear of the wasps now.  He has the magic treatment.....LOL!  It would have served him right if he had disturbed another wasp's nest somewhere.

Other than his vanity kicking in today, it was a ho-hum kind of day.  I did spend time with my leg up in the air (again) but less of it than usual.  I took my shower early and even set my hair.  That's the bad part about not keeping it cut short.  All because my little doll  wants me to grow it out.  We shall see how long my resolve lasts.

Another cool night to look forward to and a warm day.  We did get a bit of rain and it was overcast later this afternoon.  It is supposed to clear up tomorrow and not be quite as warm.  

Love you all.  Hope your week is going well.  Smile a lot.  It confuses people.  ***Hugs***

The Beast Finds Relief....

Dennis came over today and told us the house SHOULD be finished and ready to move into within two weeks.  He HOPES!  LOL  When he saw the Beast's face, he made the suggestion that he try using some benadryl in case it swelled up the way it did due to an allergic reaction.  So the Beast took two and, lo and behold!  It worked!  It took the swelling right down but his wrinkles all returned....lol.

He made a joke out of it which is where the return of the wrinkles came from but he was so relieved.  At least now we know he has a minor allergic reaction to wasp venom.  Minor now, perhaps, but it could become major if it happens much more.  Knowing the Beast, he will now return outdoors to doing what he does out there because he feels he now has a *cure* for any problems with the wasps.  We shall see.

I spent a lot of the day with my leg up due to some strange pains when the leg swelled up.  I just didn't want to take any chances.   The pain was around the area that hasn't totally healed but there's no sign of infection so I have no clue what might be causing it.  Maybe just being stretched out from the swelling.  Who knows?

The Beast agreed with me that autumn is near due to the temperature this morning when I woke up.  It was a balmy 59 degrees and it was already 9:30am.  It did get up to 81, however.  Just high enough for you to feel like summer is still hanging in there.

Love you all.  Have a great week.  Drive carefully, please.  ***Hugs***

Good Day For Me...Bad Day For The Beast...

I told you about the wasp sting the Beast got on his face.  Well, it didn't go down overnight.  It got worse.  That side of his face swelled up a lot and really had the Beast upset.  And his knee that Baron hit..hard..was also bothering him.  He went and sat in the bathtub for a half hour in very hot water to try to make it feel better.  He went to bed early tonight, feeling very sorry for himself, of course!  

He spent the day working around the house.  I think he was a bit afraid to go outside for fear of running into an angry wasp.  Although he killed off the wasps around the two nests he sprayed well and then removed and crushed, who knows how many were not at the nest?  He has this idea that there are mad wasps just waiting for him....LOL!

He cleaned the wood floors in the house and then the tile ones.  My bathroom I use all the time (it's right next to my computer room) looks so nice although it's small.  He also finally bought a rug for in there so I won't slip on the floor if I shower in there.  I had to put down a towel when Chewlee took her bath or shower in there for fear she would slip and hit her head on the tub.  He does the dumbest things at times.  He was the one who threw out the rug I had in there just because he thought moving it to clean the floor was a pain.  He didn't, however, throw out the one in the master bathroom.  He knew HE needed it.  I was just someone who benefited from HIS need.

He just HAS to do at least one deed every day.  His reluctance to go outside (because of any wasps that might be around) benefited ME because I didn't have to even think about doing the floors.  There are times I think he does  that just to keep me from using some of his *machines* he's bought over the past couple of years.  I kid you not!  We have the steam Shark that he uses on the floors and he has never let me touch it.  If I say I am going to use it, he finds a reason to delay me and then HE will do it.  I shouldn't complain.  I have to do those things in segments due to having very little endurance.  I do as much sitting down as I do standing up...LOL!

All I did today was fold some clothes the Beast washed (again, he is keeping me from using the washer now!).  Sigh!  I hope he tires of this soon just because I really would like to use the washer and try out some of the new features it has.  I finally got him to start using the liquid clothes softener at least.  That's one good thing that's come out of this.  He liked the paper sheets but we can't use them in this dryer.  It tells you that specifically in the instructions.

Our weather has cooled down quite a bit.  Today the high was 75 degrees.  We never put the AC on and it was very comfortable.  Hope you had some of the same.  Our weather tells me that autumn is close now.  Seems like summer is over too soon.

Love you all.  Have a nice Sunday.  Remember to tell those you love that you do each and every time you talk to them.  A simple *love you* means a lot.  ***Hugs***

Another Sting!!!

I have no idea why but it seems wasps don't like the Beast.  Today he was out by the cottage and got another sting.  This time it  was on his cheek!  He came in the house and was almost hysterical.  I got some ice in a rag and had him put it on his cheek for a while....until the hurt went down to something he could stand without whining.  It took about an hour.  

Later on, his cheek swelled up a bit but I am sure it will go down by tomorrow.  He went to Lowe's at one point and bought some Wasp Spray.  Then he went out by the cottage to look for a wasps nest.  He found two of them and said he was shocked at how big they were.  He said there must have been about 40 wasps around the nests.  He got all of them!  LOL.  Plus he made sure to knock down and crush the nests.  He doesn't want them back and they will usually come back to where they hatch.  

That's a little piece of trivia I found out when we lived in Sunrise, FL.  One of the pest control guys told me that to make sure we knocked down and crushed any nests we found.  He also told me that it's best to wait until the temperature drops below 70 degrees to go after wasps because they are very sluggish as the temperature goes down.

I felt bad for the Beast and wonder why it seems wasps don't like him.  Guess they heard about his reputation from someone.  Maybe Baron was complaining...LOL!  Baron has been acting like he is affection starved lately.  Affection AND attention.  It's hard for him to make the connection that the weather must be cooler for the Beast to take him in the car with him all the time.  He can't do that in this hot weather.

Poor Baron will be cold when he first leaves the house because of the AC and will go lay down in the driveway and stretch out.  After about 5 minutes, he gets up and goes to lay down in the shade under the big fir tree we have out front.  It looks like a huge, undecorated Christmas tree and he almost looks like a small dog underneath it.  LOL!

It was very warm today and, although we had originally planned to eat steaks for dinner, we decided to do that tomorrow instead.  The Beast forgot to pull the steaks out of the freezer and we didn't want to wait for them to thaw.  So the Beast made some sloppy joe instead (way more than we ever eat at one time, of course) and we probably have enough for a couple days left over.  I know what we will probably have for lunch tomorrow!  Now I wish that Sheepie and the Princess would stop by!

Love you all.  I wish you a very happy weekend.  Enjoy!  ***Hugs***

Yesterday And Today....

Yesterday the Beast decided he just HAD to use the new bbq so we ate some chicken he grilled.  It turned out great, once he put it back on the grill for a bit.  It was just a touch underdone.  He admitted he had lost his edge on making some things.  He forgot how long the chicken had to be on it.  I told him I thought he was remembering how long a boneless breast had to be on and he admitted it might be true.

Today he made us some fish sticks, browned new potatoes and asparagus for dinner.  He only made it because he didn't go to church tonight like he usually does.  It seems he was feeling rather poorly after being stung on the head by either a wasp or a yellow jacket.  He came into the house and went right to bed after it happened since it made him feel weak and dizzy.  He didn't find a stinger in his head and wouldn't let me touch it so I opt for a wasp stinging him.  We seem to have a lot of those around here.

Dinner was great on both days.  I enjoyed the fish sticks mainly because they were nice and crispy.  He needs to work on his new potato skills if he is going to cook them whole because they were  not salted enough and he admitted that.  He says next time, they will be sliced.....LOL!

I had to listen to his whining about his sting all day.  I felt sorry for him, sure, but...OMG!  why is it that men whine the way they do?  I am hoping he goes to bed early tonight although there is a football game on so I doubt that.

No rain today, thank goodness.  It's been humid enough without more of it.  I wake up with my hair soaking.  It makes me feel like I am going through the change once more.  

The Beast left the washing machine and dryer alone today, for which I am grateful.  I may actually get to use them myself by Sunday.

Love you all.  Have a fantastic Friday!  Hope it's the end of your work week.  ***Hugs***

A Big Surprise Arrives....

Today the surprise from my friend in California arrived.  Wow!  It was a load of different meats and even some dessert from a nationally known steak supplier.  There's a filet mignon, a New York strip, a sole stuffed with crab and several other things.  There's even a caramel apple tart or two.  I don't remember all the rest by heart and feel too lazy to get up and get the list.  But I was bowled over because I know how pricey these packages are.

That made the Beast think *bbq* so off he went to price and select a new one.  The one he ended up buying wasn't the Webber I thought it would be but is a nice bbq/smoker one.  It's probably got more than twice the surface of the Webber we had (it finally rusted out badly).  This one has cast iron grilles and requires *seasoning*, which he plans on doing tomorrow.  We will then use it on Friday (Thursday is his night for church).  I'm slobbering over the filet...he wants to try a NY strip.  We may change our minds (meaning he may change his...I won't) by Friday but now I am thinking baked potato (it has a shelf on it for things like that) and some corn.  Doesn't the idea make YOU hungry?

We have a gas bbq that's amazing but propane has gone sky-high after last winter's shortage and we have two 70 gal/lb (not sure which is the measure) tanks so it would be more than what this bbq cost for us to fill even one of them.  It also means no fireplace this winter.  *Sigh*  I will miss that.

Other than that for today, the Beast happily gathered up all the dirty clothes and spent it checking out the washer and dryer.  He discovered a few things he didn't know about using the steam feature and is still fascinated by the rolling clothes in the washer without an agitator.  He also found out that washing clothes in cold water results in a much longer wash cycle....also adding a second rinse.  I haven't been able to use my own washer and dryer yet.  LOL!

I ended up doing a lot of sleeping.  I swear, putting my foot up when the leg gets too swollen automatically puts me to sleep.  Of course, even in the recliner, trying to watch TV is a real chore.  I will be SO glad when this swelling stops.  Wish I could remember how long it lasted in the other leg but I guess I didn't file that away so my brain figured it wasn't important because it was so annoying at the time.  Who knows?  That is why I am up so late instead of sleeping like I should.  I'm going to play my gem game because it always makes me tired.  I just hope it works tonight.

Love you all.  Hope you are having a good week.  ***Hugs***

Delivery Day!

The Beast and I were up bright and early in anticipation (hope) of being either the first or second delivery of the day for the men delivering our new washer and dryer.  Did I mention that the Princess called and wanted our old washer?  Yep, surprised me too because I thought she had a fairly new set.  However, she informed me that they had bought it when they lived in this one apartment and paid $50 for it.  She said it was a 15 year old washer and do NOT let the men haul it away.  After a bit of discussion, Johnnycakes came over to pick it up when he woke up (he works the late shift) along with his neighbor.

Turns out, we WERE the first delivery of the day.  The Beast's cell phone rang and he got a big smile on his face before he even answered it.  He told the men to *come on down!*  LOL!  They were fast and thorough in the installation and test runs of both appliances.  They both worked and were level (important more for the washer than the dryer but...hey!  thorough is thorough).  The Beast really hadn't thought they would be since the salesperson at Lowe's told him they wouldn't install unless he had a new cord for the dryer AND new hoses for the washer.   Our hoses were damn near new since we replaced them a couple months ago.  The Beast balked  at spending the money for a new cord for the dryer until he saw what condition our old one was in.  He didn't remember if he had replaced that one, too.

However, once he moved out the dryer and checked on it, he had gone back to Lowe's and bought a new one.  The old one just didn't look good to him.  These guys didn't even bat an eye or act like that mattered to them at all.  They came in and had every intention of getting them ready for use as quickly as they could.  They were very nice and courteous.  Baron, when he had made his appearance when the men got to the house, did rattle them at first.  He IS a big dog and looks like he could rip an arm off.  Baron took one long look at them then turned and went to lay down again.  LOL!  Super watch dog, huh?

The Beast went nuts after the men left and started checking all over the house for things to wash.  He gathered up a towel, some rags and his underwear from the last two days.  Into the washer they went and he used the Speedy Wash setting.  He and I were amazed because the clothes really rolled well for a washer without a built-in agitator like we were used to seeing.  It has a bunch of water jets built into the washer that keeps the clothes moving as well or better than an agitator.  The clothes, after the spin they got, seemed barely damp when we took them out to put into the dryer.  The timer said it would take 52 minutes when it was set but the clothes were dry in 30!  Amazing.

Oh, get this!  When the washer was done, it played a little tune!  I kid you not.  I had read it did that in the instruction book but hearing it was still startling.  Cute, but startling.  The Beast then went to Walmart to pick up some HE clothes soap since that is what it said had to be used.  He also picked up some liquid clothes softener (lavendar and chamomile..nice) because they said not to use the softener sheets in the dryer.  It leaves some kind of film on the electronics after a while and, lord knows, I sure don't want that to happen.  The washer and dryer both are like smart phones.  Touch here and there to get it going.  

Oh and here's another feature these both have.  You can attach your phone (with charging cord) to them if there's a problem.  It diagnoses the problem and calls the factory.  If it needs a part, that information is relayed and the company sends out a repairman along with the part.  Amazing.  There's no search for a qualified company in your area and making a phone call to schedule a serviceman to come and figure out the problem and, perhaps, not having the needed part on his truck.  I like that part since I always seem to end up being the one that has to do that.

I wish you could see the size of the liquid detergent the Beast bought.  Even the softener size surprised me.  I laughed and asked him exactly how many dirty clothes did he expect us to have in the next month or so?  He just shot me a look and said, *Oh?  They aren't that big!*  Of course not.  And I am six years old.  Sheesh!

Love you all.  Hope you had a great day at work.  If not, oh well!  Sometimes we all have bad days.  I wish you a better day tomorrow!  ***Hugs***

The Chore Of Getting Ready....

When the Beast got home from church, he changed into his working clothes to pull out the washer and dryer.  No one at church needed a washer so it will be hauled away tomorrow along with the  dryer.

So the Beast pulls out the washer and dryer.  I suddenly hear a lot of swearing and the Beast asks me to give him a hand.  It all had to do with the dryer vent.  I'm not sure yet it he replaced it or not since the vent door had been full of lint that had hardened over time and didn't allow the door to open properly.  This looked like it was new but....it turned out to be too short to go through the wall AND allow for the vent that extends to the dryer to be attached.  You know what I mean...that flex material.  Ut oh!  

So now what?  I guess it means another trip to Lowe's to try to find one the same diameter but a bit longer.  The washer was easy.  Just detach the hoses from the washer so they are ready to connect to the new washer.  I guess he also has detached the drain hose so that is ready, too.  At the moment, he is staring at the vent coming thru the wall like he can will it to grow just a couple inches more.  I know soon he will come into my computer room to complain he has to make yet another trip to Lowe's.  So NOT funny! 

My mistake.  He actually made the vent work although he's not happy with it.  It will do as far as I can see.  Everything is ready.  I just hope that the men come early so they get the equipment out of my hallway and the new appliances in place.

Just a little drizzle today but there were some boomers in the distance.  We will probably be hit by the storms later on this evening.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

Somehow, It Just Figures.....

Just when we thought we would have a little more spendable income, the dryer dies on us.  The Beast did everything he could to see if he could get it running or figure out what was wrong with it.  He even got online to see what comments might lead him to the problem and what did he find?  Our dryer apparently has outlasted most of the dryers of that particular line by four years.  *Sigh*  Are we lucky or unlucky?

So he goes to Lowe's to look at what they have available and he finds an LG on sale.  VERY much on sale so he comes home to look up the specs on it to see what features it has.  Nice!  Very nice dryer.  Even has the steam feature on it to freshen AND sanitize.  (It also has a special shelf for putting things like luggage, backpacks, etc. to kill off any bedbugs that might have been picked up in your travels...yuk!)  Not a feature I hope we ever need for that!

So he ends up buying the dryer, which has a HUGE tub in it so that you can easily dry a king-size comforter in it with ease.  We tried to get hold of Sheepie since she is always saying not to buy anything big there without letting her know so we can get her discount.  I had tried calling her but she doesn't even have her voicemail set up so I couldn't reach her.  The Beast decided just to buy it rather than keep trying since it was the last one left.

He then read the reviews on the washing machine.  The lifetime of that was a bit longer than the dryer but he and I talked about it and decided to go for the matching washer to our LG dryer.  It, too, was on sale but....I got hold of Sheepie this time.  So the Beast ran over to her apartment and picked her up.  He ended up not only getting the sale price on it but an extra 10% since it was the last day of the sale PLUS Sheepie's 10% discount as an employee.  Both will be delivered on Monday so the Beast is going to disconnect them tomorrow evening.  He's also going to check at his church to see if someone needs the washer.  If they do, we will keep it.  If not, we will let the men that deliver the new appliances just cart them away.  When we bought our stove, one of the men we discovered, kept it and sold it on Ebay for a quick $100.  Ditto a fridge we replaced.  At least HE had to clean that one....LOL!  I told him we should do that  for the washer but he didn't want to have to keep it in the garage while we waited for someone to buy it.  Oh well!

But what ticks me off is the timing of all this.  Not that having to replace an appliance of any kind is ever *timely*, so-to-speak.  But it would be nice to be able to have some extra income for a change.  It seems like every month there is some insurance due or taxes...something!  At least this washer is also reputed to be able to hold a king size comforter, too.  Not that we have a king size one but it means our queen sized ones will easily wash without making the washer dance around.  We did find one piece of advice in the reviews....it was to make sure the washer was level or we would have the machine shutting off if it got out of balance.  If it's level, it doesn't do that.  Nice to know.

That's the big news of the day.  No storms today, thank goodness and it only hit 86 today for our high.  50% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow so we will probably get at least one.  Hope it's over quickly.  

Love you all.  Have a great Sunday.  ***Hugs***

Grandparent's Day At Chewlee's School

It was kind of fun to go to Chewlee's school and see all the grandparents that came to the school to meet the teachers, have a snack with the kids and then head for the library to see what books were on sale for the kids.

The snacks were as they always are....chilled water, sprite and cookies.  Nothing earthshaking but the kids took their grandparents to where the snacks were located in the hallways and then it was back to the classroom where their snacks were waiting at their desks.  Chewlee's teacher was taking pictures of each of the grandparents along with the grandchild on her tablet.  Chewlee had to introduce us to her friends that she talked about.  The Beast had his camera and took a couple cute pictures of Chewlee with a couple of her friends.  When we got home later, he made up copies of the pictures for Chewlee so she could give them to her friends on Monday.

When we went to the library, it wasn't long before the Beast had to excuse himself and head out to the car because he said he was feeling very dizzy.  That left me with Chewlee while she looked all over for a book.  She finally found what she wanted....a diary.  I think the only reason she wanted it was because it had a lock and key.  I tried to explain to her what a diary was for but I don't know if she really understood.  But, after about a half hour, we finally made it to the counter where I paid for her choice and we finally were able to leave.

I had to stop and rest on our way back to the car since I had been on my feet for so long in the crush of the library.  The fresh air was also a welcome thing.  I showed Chewlee how her lock opened and then closed it for her.  I was so grateful to get back to the car and head for home!  

Chewlee surprised me by her snacks.  She did, of course, want some salsa and chips but she also ate some of my shrimp salad when she saw me eating some.  I told her that I had a bowl of it set aside for her mother and to try to remind me when Grandpa took her home later.  (She did!)  She also had a couple of the banana popsicles that the Beast had secreted in the freezer out in the garage.  Ha!  Like he could hide something like that from Chewlee for long!  LOL.  He knows she always checks the freezer in the house but had no idea that she also checked the freezer out in the garage.

She wasn't happy when she finally went home with the Beast.  He wanted to take some pictures of Gunner for Auntie Em who asked him to send her some so she could see him.  He IS the newest member of their family and she is 93 now and not in good health.  She is no longer able to walk and her Parkinson's is very bad.  We don't think she will last too much longer.  The world will be a sadder place without her.

When the Beast took Chewlee home, I was exhausted.  I took a short nap and never heard the Beast return home.  He hadn't taken any pictures of Gunner because Gunner had fallen asleep.  He had been out with the Princess while she had taken the opportunity to do her shopping.  She has become a fantastic couponer and is spending less and less on things like toilet paper, paper towels, baby diapers and other essentials.  I was both surprised and proud of her for that.

The Beast made dinner while I slept and woke me up to eat.  He had made some breaded codfish (the fillets were beautiful and vacuum packed) but wasn't happy with the breading he used.  I thought it was okay, just not what we were used to when I did it.  He made some scalloped potatoes and a side dish of sliced apples that were very tasty.  After dinner, I was online for a bit then found myself so tired that I went back to bed and fell asleep until 4am.  LOL!  I hadn't slept more than four hours the night before grandparent's day at Chewlee's school so I really needed the sleep.

It had started storming shortly after the Beast went to the Princess' house and it stormed off and on all night.  I DID hear the thunder but no lightning, thank goodness, so we didn't lose power but I did lose my internet for a few hours (which is why I gave in to the need for sleep).  I hope today is a better day because I want to finish up the wash today without worrying about problems with a storm.

Love you all.  Hope you have a great weekend.  Fall is fast approaching regardless of the heat we all seem to be enjoying.  Soon we will have the cooler weather hitting us and all the trees will be changing into their fall colors.  Sigh.  As much as I love that, I think summer doesn't last long enough.  What do you think?  ***Hugs***

My First Really Great Day In A Long Time.....

I am so happy I don't even know where to start.  Okay, I woke up feeling great.  My leg is still swollen but it's not uncomfortable like it has been.  I decided to make my shrimp salad and added the fake crab to it for a bit more zip (especially since the Beast bought some and had opened it so it needed to be used).  I was up and down, back and forth and still felt good.

I folded some clothes and put them away.  I even ate lunch with the Beast instead of at my desk.  That alone should let you know how good I felt.

I played my game on my computer and went to my favorite game site to meet up with my friend, Carol.  We chatted about this and that, including a dish she is going to make for Sheepie.  She had to write down the colors and is going to send me pictures on Sunday so I can see what kind she has in mind to make her.

Mustachio and Buttmunch went on a road trip to the south KY city where Buttmunch stayed for a few months.  They want her to talk to a group of women staying at their shelter.  It's one  for abused women.  Mustachio, as a man, isn't welcome but he said he can find something to occupy himself while she is there.  They checked into a motel tonight and she will go to meet with the women tomorrow.  Mustachio will see what museums or other amusements there are available or else he will go meet some of the locals at a nearby bar.  When I cautioned him about driving after drinking, he laughed and said, *Don't worry, Mom.  A cab ride is a hell of a lot cheaper than bail and a lawyer...LOL.  I've learned that at this point in my life.*  They will head back up to Louisville on Saturday morning.  

I was kind of glad that Mustachio was making the trip.  He's been pretty much housebound during all this time he's been trying to recover from the broken wrist he got slipping on the ice while he was working.  I'm sure he COULD have gotten out except he was in so much pain for so long.  Now that he's recovering the feeling in his hand, he's more relaxed and I think it's a good thing that he gets out of his apartment for a while.  

I gave my granddaughter, Sheepie, a call to let her know that I had made the shrimp (seafood) salad so she can come over tomorrow to get some for her lunch.  I'll make sure to give some to the Princess tomorrow, too.  BTW, I am NOT a fan of imitation crab.  When my sister, Cee, and I use to make it, we always used real crabmeat in it.

Tomorrow is Grandparent's Day at Chewlee's school and the Beast and I will both be going this year.  Chewlee will love that her Papa is there.  We get a snack (juice, a drink and cookies) and then we visit the library to view all the books on sale (for the grandkids, of course!) and we will be buying one for Chewlee, I'm sure!  LOL!

I need to jump in the shower and set my hair for tomorrow.  Love you all.  Hope you had a great day.  Tomorrow is Friday and the end of the (normal) work week.  Have a great weekend.  ***Hugs***

Rain, Rain And More Rain....

I ran over to the Princess' house today (okay, I took the car) to pick up the slip I needed in order to visit Chewlee's school on Grandparent's visiting day.  Believe it or not, this year the Beast decided he is going to come with me.  That will tickle Chewlee and make her feel special.  He didn't go with me for the last two visits.  But he did go for the one when Chewlee was in kindergarten.  I couldn't go then because I was recuperating from my first leg surgery.  It really hit me that time is just whizzing by these days.  I sucks to get old and have that happen.

When I got there, I thought Gunner was sleeping because the house was so quiet but he was hiding in his bounce seat in the living room and I didn't see him until I was leaving.  I didn't want to bother him if he was sleeping but I sure would have picked him up if I had known he was just being quiet.  Chewlee was bouncing him slowly to keep him quiet and it told me she does love her little brother to help out like she was.  I talked to him a little bit and tickled his belly.  It made me realize that he is slimming down a bit because of his pushing himself up on his legs at times.  He is such a little cutie pie!

The Princess was a bit annoyed that I didn't bring some of my shrimp salad with me but I told her we had eaten it all.  However, the Beast bought me more macaroni so I could make more.  I'll be making that tomorrow and I told her I would call her to let her know when it was made and see if she wants me to put some aside for her.  I should probably do the same for Sheepie and give her a call, too.  It's one way to get her to come visit....LOL!

I was even thinking of making some more potato salad but will have to have the Beast pick me up some potatoes.  I looked and we don't have enough here but I have everything else I need.  I guess you can tell when I seem to be recovering nicely because I am more into making things for us to eat.  

The Beast has been buying a lot of different skillet dinners and trying those out.  So far, we really haven't had any bad ones.  He made us this Nacho skillet dinner that was different although I found it seemed to have a bit more cumin and a strong chili powder flavor than I liked.  It was okay but not one of my favorites.  I should probably look and see what else he has in store for us to try.  I know part of it is that you don't need to use much hamburger to make them so it becomes a cheap meal.  Especially because we always have leftovers so we get two meals out of it....LOL.

It cracks me up that both Sheepie and the Princess always check the fridge to see what we have as far as leftovers go.  Sometimes, I am very, very grateful that they do it since I tend to make much more than we will eat.  The Beast does the same thing for certain types of meals...like chili or spaghetti.

It rained here...hard!  And several times.  It started pouring when I left the Princess' house but was fairly gentle at our house.  Weird since we live just a little over a mile apart.  Less if you figure as the crow flies.  My Weatherbug says we are going to have more thunderstorms tonight so I want to get this finished and posted before that happens.  i always lose my internet during those.

Hope you all had better weather (unless, of course, you need the rain!) and have good weather tomorrow.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

 

Physical Therapy On Our Own

We found out yesterday that our hospital actually offers a kind of gym/physical therapy to the public without doctor's orders or insurance being involved.  It's not too pricey (we qualify for $30 a month each for two people).  It's pricier for people who aren't suffering from any kind of problem.  They do help people lose weight, build up muscle and endurance like a normal gym center.  They have all the different machines plus a pool, hot tub and a sauna (one for each sex).  We get a cheaper rate per month since the Beast is suffering from severe foot dragging due to his strokes and I had major surgery on my leg that has left it weak.  

No contract is involved and there are therapists there that will keep an eye on you and help you if necessary.  That includes making sure you don't overdo anything and cause yourself a problem.  We figured that going three days a week is probably about all we could take.  And the hospital is in front of the facility if  we have a problem.  I don't mean it's attached or anything but it's close.

We had no idea about this service being available.  It was a friend of the Beast's (from his church) that told him about it.  He decided to take a ride and see if he could find it.  When he did, he took a tour and was very happy with all he saw.  He brought home a flyer for Dennis who was complaining that he needed some kind of PT to strengthen his back and stomach muscles after losing his kidney earlier this year.

The Beast wanted to go right away and told me to grab my bathing suit.  I had to tell him I didn't think it a good idea because I was at the tail end of an IBS attack.  I am very close to the bathroom when I am in my computer room and that really helps when this happens.  I would hate to be out in public or in a pool and suddenly have my bowels start spewing out everything.  I told him I would go when I knew this was over.  I woke up a bit ago (I  WILL be going back to bed soon) but I know the IBS attack is now over.

We are under a storm advisory for the next six or seven days.  Yeah, they are saying it's going to be both hot and possibly thunderstorms every day..  I sure hate that but what can you do?  I hope you are having better weather...

Love you all.  Drive carefully.  ***Hugs***

 

PIG OUT DAY....LOL

One of the things all of my siblings have in common is we love our own cooking (and the cooking of most others...LOL),  We all love food.  My mother was a good cook and she taught us well.  She also was always open to trying the dishes of other cultures and we learned to be open to trying the various foods of different nationalities.  Oh yes!

But I digress.  I told you I made some shrimp salad yesterday.  Things like that are always better the next day when all the flavors meld together.  Yum!  That's applicable to my shrimp salad and I had a bowl of it for my lunch.  After that, it was like that was all I wanted to eat.  Good thing I had a bit of variety because I DID eat some waffles for breakfast.  But, it was like I couldn't get enough of my salad.  I kid you not!

I ended up eating three big bowls of it from lunchtime to just a few minutes ago.  I bet I put on a pound or two just because of that....LOL!

It was really hot, hot, hot today.  The last time I looked,  around 2 or so, it was 94 degrees.  It was bright and sunny, too.  I mentioned in my earlier blog that the Beast kept going outside to do the edging work that needed doing.  He kept coming back into the house every 10 minutes or so and stayed inside for at least a half hour then out he went again.  I think he managed to get the fenced back yard area done but I'm not sure of that.  I only looked out the back door at what I could see.  I wasn't going out into that heat and humidity!  I'll check early tomorrow when it's still fairly cool.  It's 73 degrees out right now and going down into the upper 60's.  As soon as I finish this blog, I am heading for bed.  

I just did a few things today.  I figured that it's a holiday so I took it easy.  I was going to do some wash but my dryer started acting up.  I have to find out who takes care of repairs around here and give them a call tomorrow.  I'm not ready to buy a new dryer...tyvm.  It's a lot cheaper to repair, I'm sure.

Love you all.  Hope you had a great holiday weekend.  ***Hugs***

Bad Weather Sunday

Bad weather here means no post unless I stay up until the front passes (if it does..) or we get a small break in the weather at least.  Unfortunately, I fell asleep so......

I did go to the store yesterday to buy some elbow macaroni, canned shrimp, celery and more mayonnaise so I could make some shrimp salad for us.  I  finished it before the Beast got home from church but it still hadn't gotten cold enough to enjoy.  We decided to give it an hour although it's actually best the next day when all the flavors have blended well.  It still tasted wonderful.

The rest of the day, I spent playing my Jewel Quest 2 game off and on.  We had only one short power failure and the rest of the day was just nasty.  The kind of day I hate....overcast, dismal and humid in between rains.

Today is a LOT nicer....clear skies, sunny and hotter than hell...ROFLMAO!  It's 92 outside and even Baron just runs outside to pee and hurries back to be let inside the house where the AC is on.  It's so funny to watch!

The Beast went outside with his baseball hat on to try to do the edging (it needs it but I know better than to try to talk him out of it on such a hot day).  That's a real futile effort.  The heat drove him in faster than I could have.

Oh, a little funny to share.  The Beast's friend from church, Jason, has a young teenage daughter that normally lives with her mother (his first wife) in Michigan.  But she spends as much time down here with her father, step mother and step siblings as she can.  The mother finally decided she might as well stay with them all the time so she told him to come get her and she would sign over full custody to him so as to keep the disruption to a minimum.  She hadn't been here for several months so one of the things she asked her father when they were headed back down here was, *Is Mr. Beast still alive???*  ROFLMAO!  The Beast didn't think he looked THAT old!  When he told me, I couldn't help it...I laughed out loud without thinking.  He got this terrible look on his face but didn't say a word.  I smiled for a couple hours just thinking about how it looked to a young teenager.

Love you all.  Hope you are having a fantastic Labor Day holiday.  Some of you will be having tomorrow off, too, I understand.  Enjoy!  ***Hugs***