You would think he would know better but today, a little after 10am, our garbage was finally picked up. The Beast, thinking he was over the worst of his *face problem*, decided he would go out and return it to it's proper place close to the garage. Nope! He didn't get a quarter down the driveway when he ran back into the house swearing up a blue streak! I couldn't help it....I laughed.
It was still bright and sunny out then so he really should have known it wasn't a good idea. But you can't tell him anything. I ended up going out and bringing the garbage bin back to the house. I had to go out anyway to pick up a prescription at Walmart. I also picked up a couple of other things I wanted including some new underwear that actually fits me now. No baggy rear ends...LOL!
The bad part was that the weather started to change when I had to follow Dennis to where he dropped off the pickup that he bought at a *barn find* while he was in NY. It's a 79 Ford Bronco pickup that was worth 3 times what he paid for it *as is*. He bought it as a project and is in the process of restoring it to it's original shape. He was having the engine rebuilt and his transmission. He worked already on doing a bit of body work and will have it painted after that work is done. I gather he also is putting new windows in it. By the time he's done, he will have invested almost $10K in it and says that the people that love this truck and try to find them (not many were made) will pay $35K for it. Not a bad investment if it's true. But it keeps him occupied and it will be worth more than he's invested in it regardless. I know how meticulous he is at anything he does so he will come out ahead of it all. He already had some people make him offers for the truck just as it was when we dropped it off.
We got back to the house before the rain came down and I was a bit ticked off because I couldn't get online. So I took a nap and woke up around 8pm. I still didn't have internet until almost 10:30pm but I played my game while I waited so it was okay. We only had some soup and crackers for our late dinner since neither of us was very hungry. But, I confess.....I had come French onion dip and chips around the time I got my internet back (the storm clouds were clearing).
I finally got on FB to check out the postings and make a couple comments here and there. Then I got stuck on a site that wouldn't allow me to go back to my page so I said the hell with it and decided to do this post instead.
Dennis did come in to tease the Beast about his face (it looks awful). The vivid red will fade but then he will have small scabs on his face (the actual skin cancer sites) for a few days. I figure he will stay at home until Sunday, at least. That's when he goes to church and he will only have a small scab or two by then. But his skin will look much better. In two weeks (from yesterday), he has to go have his arms done and they are loaded! That's going to be miserable around here from what I remember the last time he had to do this to his arms. He's tried to be careful and always wear long sleeves whenever he goes out in the sun (like mowing the lawns). He hates to have to do that all the time but he hates the way his arms feel when the skin cancers start. The problem is that the shirt only helps a little. He still gets them no matter how careful he is.
I had to yell at him a bit to get him to go because he didn't realize how serious skin cancers are or that he could die from them. Neglect them and they can penetrate the muscles and get into the blood stream. He already is prone to cancer (he's had bladder and prostate cancer) so I don't understand why he wouldn't keep up with regular doctor's visit for these areas. I can't wait for him to have his colonoscopy....lol. It may seem mean but he should have one. He hasn't had one since he was a teenager. I DID tell him that it wouldn't be as bad as that one was (it was almost gruesome!). The worst part is drinking the stuff they give you to clean you out.
He will probably get angry with me if he finds out that I turned him in to the doctor about that. But the doctor was surprised that his doctor that die his surgeries didn't give him a referral for one after that. It would have been a normal thing. Now he has to wait until the Beast has his next appointment to refer him. He said he wouldn't tell him that I told him how old he was when he had one last. But he made a note in the computer to give him a referral to have it done. I know him and he will be sticking very close to a bathroom when he starts getting *ready* for it.
I have to have one again in about seven or is it eight? months. No clue really but my doctor said they would drop me a note to remind me. Since I had a couple of pre-cancerous polyps (he said they weren't really cancers, just had unusual cell changes that would probably have turned into cancer), it's better to do it yearly just in case. I agree. I don't enjoy it one bit but at least you are asleep when they do it so it's painless.
Time to get this posted. Love you all. Remember your loved ones and cherish them. Life is short and you know that either you or them won't be around forever. Be kind. ***Hugs***
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
The Beast Looks Like A Lobster.....
Wow! When the Beast came home from the dermatologist, he just looked like he had a couple red spots here and there. But, as the time went on, he turned a bright red. It was only uncomfortable for him but not painful. I asked him just where the doctor had applied the cream and he said, *All over my face and arms!* I guess! I was surprised but she said his skin cancers are so wide spread that it was necessary. He has to return in two weeks to be checked and retreated.
It was rainy and overcast all day so, when the rain had stopped, the Beast thought he was safe to go outside for a bit with Baron. Plus, he had to push the garbage bin out front. He ran back in screaming (no joke!). Even though there was no sunlight per se, the UV rays were enough to cause him a LOT of pain. He's to another 24 hours to go through this so it looks like I am the one that has to go to Walmart to pick up my prescription balance (they didn't have enough of my Neurotin when I had them refilled the other day). I also have to call my vascular doctor to find out why he didn't send in a refill for the prescription he had issued me six months ago. I'm hoping he may not think I need it any more.
I fell asleep (again) shortly after dinner and didn't wake up until 2:30am. That kind of shocked me because I didn't feel I was that tired but I think since we ate at 7:30pm that the Beast must have shut off his TV and gone to bed around 8pm. With the house so nice and quiet, it just let me sleep longer than normal. But I still have a bit of tired left in my eyes so will head for bed again as soon as I finish this.
Before we ate, the Beast took a cool shower (tepid) because he felt it might help him feel a bit better. His skin was still hot to the touch afterward but he said he DID feel better. But he looked like a freshly boiled lobster! It was too funny to look at. He's hoping he looks less like one tomorrow but I figure it will only get a bit better (I remember that from the last time he had this done).
More overcast tomorrow since rain is still in our prediction but also a bit more heat, too. How it can do that without more sun, I have no idea but I figure they must have an idea. I just haven't stayed on the weather channel long enough to see why or how they figure that. But the Beast will more than likely stay inside all day. We have discovered that our irritating possum is back, digging into the bird feeder so he's come up with an idea how to correct the problem so he won't be able to get back up on the platform. However, he won't be able to go outside to fix it tomorrow with the restriction put on him for another 24 hours. After the hurt he experienced today, I don't think he will even be tempted....LOL!
I figure I will be busy tomorrow so I need a bit more rest for these eyes of mine. They feel a bit dry so I will put some eye drops in them before I go back to sleep. The Beast may feel he wants to cook since he will feel *house bound* and will need an outlet for his energy. I won't fight him if that's what he feels like doing. I may just make this banana cream cheese pound cake recipe that I found a recipe for online. It sounds good but I do need to pick up a few things for it at the store. tomorrow. I even need to pick up a small bottle of rum for the icing. LOL!
Love you all and I sure hope you have a great Hump Day. I will try to get this posted earlier tomorrow (today now) and I'm putting up two hints today since I forgot them yesterday. Sorry about that! Be good. Be kind. And be sure to tell those you love that you do every time you speak to them or say goodbye. Today is a given but tomorrow is only a promise. ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If you find that everything in your brown sugar box is one giant lump, place it in a ball of foil and bake it in a 350 degree oven for five minutes. It will be back to its oldl self in no time.
HINT#2: To get rid of mineral deposits and iron stains in your dishwasher, run it through an empty wash cycle using powdered lemonade mix instead of detergent. The citric acid in the mix will eliminate your problem.
It was rainy and overcast all day so, when the rain had stopped, the Beast thought he was safe to go outside for a bit with Baron. Plus, he had to push the garbage bin out front. He ran back in screaming (no joke!). Even though there was no sunlight per se, the UV rays were enough to cause him a LOT of pain. He's to another 24 hours to go through this so it looks like I am the one that has to go to Walmart to pick up my prescription balance (they didn't have enough of my Neurotin when I had them refilled the other day). I also have to call my vascular doctor to find out why he didn't send in a refill for the prescription he had issued me six months ago. I'm hoping he may not think I need it any more.
I fell asleep (again) shortly after dinner and didn't wake up until 2:30am. That kind of shocked me because I didn't feel I was that tired but I think since we ate at 7:30pm that the Beast must have shut off his TV and gone to bed around 8pm. With the house so nice and quiet, it just let me sleep longer than normal. But I still have a bit of tired left in my eyes so will head for bed again as soon as I finish this.
Before we ate, the Beast took a cool shower (tepid) because he felt it might help him feel a bit better. His skin was still hot to the touch afterward but he said he DID feel better. But he looked like a freshly boiled lobster! It was too funny to look at. He's hoping he looks less like one tomorrow but I figure it will only get a bit better (I remember that from the last time he had this done).
More overcast tomorrow since rain is still in our prediction but also a bit more heat, too. How it can do that without more sun, I have no idea but I figure they must have an idea. I just haven't stayed on the weather channel long enough to see why or how they figure that. But the Beast will more than likely stay inside all day. We have discovered that our irritating possum is back, digging into the bird feeder so he's come up with an idea how to correct the problem so he won't be able to get back up on the platform. However, he won't be able to go outside to fix it tomorrow with the restriction put on him for another 24 hours. After the hurt he experienced today, I don't think he will even be tempted....LOL!
I figure I will be busy tomorrow so I need a bit more rest for these eyes of mine. They feel a bit dry so I will put some eye drops in them before I go back to sleep. The Beast may feel he wants to cook since he will feel *house bound* and will need an outlet for his energy. I won't fight him if that's what he feels like doing. I may just make this banana cream cheese pound cake recipe that I found a recipe for online. It sounds good but I do need to pick up a few things for it at the store. tomorrow. I even need to pick up a small bottle of rum for the icing. LOL!
Love you all and I sure hope you have a great Hump Day. I will try to get this posted earlier tomorrow (today now) and I'm putting up two hints today since I forgot them yesterday. Sorry about that! Be good. Be kind. And be sure to tell those you love that you do every time you speak to them or say goodbye. Today is a given but tomorrow is only a promise. ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If you find that everything in your brown sugar box is one giant lump, place it in a ball of foil and bake it in a 350 degree oven for five minutes. It will be back to its oldl self in no time.
HINT#2: To get rid of mineral deposits and iron stains in your dishwasher, run it through an empty wash cycle using powdered lemonade mix instead of detergent. The citric acid in the mix will eliminate your problem.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Do You Remember?
Do you remember paper bags for your groceries? Using them to wrap your books? Tupperware? I sold Tupperware for a year and had a blast! Would love to have them again. Do you remember city parks? Looking forward to when they opened the pool? Having to leave the pool and come back in again? Remember the baby pool that was really just a shower and no water ever stayed?
Do you remember the kids in your neighborhood that you played with as a kid? Who kissed you the first time.....and where it happened? Did you play red rover? Handball? Remember how your parents called you when it was time to come in? Mine could lean out a window since my house was where everyone congregated.
Do you remember when computers for home use came into play? Remember the old video games? My kids built their own computers from scratch. It was amazing to me. Now they both work in the field (my boys) but different aspects.
Do you remember the huge cell phones that were the first to come out? They were HUGE. The Beast had one and I was afraid to use it. Within a few years there was an amazing change. Technology was changing the way we lived. Computers, cell phones, iPads, too many gadgets we use without thinking how amazing they are.
I remember my Brownie camera and how incredible I thought those sepia toned pictures were. Do you remember those? Do you remember riding your bike anywhere without fear? City buses? The first time you rode a subway? Taking a train to the suburbs? Or the Bluebird buses? I rode the *L* to within a half mile of my high school. That's a city thing but even the kids in the suburbs rode the train.
Remember getting your permit to drive? Taking the driving test? Your first car? Mine was a station wagon that really belonged to my mother but I used it all the time. The car used more oil than gas but I ran errands for her and was able to use it to pick up my cousins for adventures. We had a ball cheering the car on every time it made it up to another 10 mile marker in speed. When it hit 60, we would all cheer! We would visit Crystal Lake and rent canoes. We were awful at that...LOL. I took my siblings to the zoo for picnics a lot. Never got tired of that.
Having a problem with this site so I will just say love you all and be kind to everyone. Have a great week. ***Hugs***
Do you remember the kids in your neighborhood that you played with as a kid? Who kissed you the first time.....and where it happened? Did you play red rover? Handball? Remember how your parents called you when it was time to come in? Mine could lean out a window since my house was where everyone congregated.
Do you remember when computers for home use came into play? Remember the old video games? My kids built their own computers from scratch. It was amazing to me. Now they both work in the field (my boys) but different aspects.
Do you remember the huge cell phones that were the first to come out? They were HUGE. The Beast had one and I was afraid to use it. Within a few years there was an amazing change. Technology was changing the way we lived. Computers, cell phones, iPads, too many gadgets we use without thinking how amazing they are.
I remember my Brownie camera and how incredible I thought those sepia toned pictures were. Do you remember those? Do you remember riding your bike anywhere without fear? City buses? The first time you rode a subway? Taking a train to the suburbs? Or the Bluebird buses? I rode the *L* to within a half mile of my high school. That's a city thing but even the kids in the suburbs rode the train.
Remember getting your permit to drive? Taking the driving test? Your first car? Mine was a station wagon that really belonged to my mother but I used it all the time. The car used more oil than gas but I ran errands for her and was able to use it to pick up my cousins for adventures. We had a ball cheering the car on every time it made it up to another 10 mile marker in speed. When it hit 60, we would all cheer! We would visit Crystal Lake and rent canoes. We were awful at that...LOL. I took my siblings to the zoo for picnics a lot. Never got tired of that.
Having a problem with this site so I will just say love you all and be kind to everyone. Have a great week. ***Hugs***
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Remind Me Never To......
...eat cabbage soup three days in a row. No matter how good it tastes, it has some serious gastronomical consequences. Not just gas. The gas is just a small part. It also can cause your tummy to blow up a bit and, when your bowels start moving....whoa! That and the gas you expel at the same time make you feel like you are going to end up flushing yourself down the toilet....all of you....LOL.
The Princess dropped Chewlee off for a couple hours late this afternoon and I had just laid down to take a bit of a nap. But I stayed up while she played a game of Clue on Pogo. I didn't help her at all and she finished all seven sections of the hidden object game (the last one is actually a 15 point *find the difference* picture...and that one is murder!) in less than 20 minutes. I usually take around 25 or 30, which is still not bad but she is really good at hidden object games. We also watched some of the new cartoons that are now on Nick Jr. I hadn't seen some of them before and they were kind of funny. Chewlee and I laughed at the same places, I noticed.
Chewlee asked me if I had been laying down all day and I told her I hadn't but that I had gotten a bit of a stomach ache after I ate. I didn't DARE get up because I knew I would pass gas and she would never let me hear the end of it! And there was no Baron in the room to blame it on, either...LOL. The Beast's new printer got here, of course, so he was anxious to try it out before he covered it and used up the inks in the old printer. He made me up three small pictures of Gunner that I had wanted and then he made me up a 16X20 picture for my wall. Now all I need is a frame for that one. Chewlee saw the picture of Gunner that the Beast made up for me and she said that she wanted one of him like mine for her wall in her bedroom when they moved into the new house. So the Beast made one for her even though I told him afterward that he should have waited until they got into the house because, unless the Princess frames it up right away, it will probably just get messed up in the move. He just shrugged and said he could always make up another one later on.
When Chewlee left, I could hardly wait to get in the bathroom and *let loose*. Wow...did that feel good! I will not wait that long if it happens again. It was a true *what a relief that is* moment. But at least Chewlee wasn't there to tell me how bad it stunk up the place. She can be very graphic about that kind of thing.
Another hot day tomorrow but I plan on going out early to grab up a couple of tomatoes that are ripe and check my green pepper plant. I want to make us up a nice salad for when the Beast gets home from church (and maybe some hot wings). The cabbage soup is being drained and tossed out since it doesn't freeze well at all. I tried freezing a bit of it just to check and see if I remembered it well. I did. The cabbage gets too mushy.
Love you all and I hope you have a truly great Sunday. Fall weather will be on us sooner than we think (and that makes me a bit sad) so have a bbq if you can while you have the chance. Remember to tell the ones you love that you DO while you have the chance. Things change and you may not have another chance. ***Hugs***
The Princess dropped Chewlee off for a couple hours late this afternoon and I had just laid down to take a bit of a nap. But I stayed up while she played a game of Clue on Pogo. I didn't help her at all and she finished all seven sections of the hidden object game (the last one is actually a 15 point *find the difference* picture...and that one is murder!) in less than 20 minutes. I usually take around 25 or 30, which is still not bad but she is really good at hidden object games. We also watched some of the new cartoons that are now on Nick Jr. I hadn't seen some of them before and they were kind of funny. Chewlee and I laughed at the same places, I noticed.
Chewlee asked me if I had been laying down all day and I told her I hadn't but that I had gotten a bit of a stomach ache after I ate. I didn't DARE get up because I knew I would pass gas and she would never let me hear the end of it! And there was no Baron in the room to blame it on, either...LOL. The Beast's new printer got here, of course, so he was anxious to try it out before he covered it and used up the inks in the old printer. He made me up three small pictures of Gunner that I had wanted and then he made me up a 16X20 picture for my wall. Now all I need is a frame for that one. Chewlee saw the picture of Gunner that the Beast made up for me and she said that she wanted one of him like mine for her wall in her bedroom when they moved into the new house. So the Beast made one for her even though I told him afterward that he should have waited until they got into the house because, unless the Princess frames it up right away, it will probably just get messed up in the move. He just shrugged and said he could always make up another one later on.
When Chewlee left, I could hardly wait to get in the bathroom and *let loose*. Wow...did that feel good! I will not wait that long if it happens again. It was a true *what a relief that is* moment. But at least Chewlee wasn't there to tell me how bad it stunk up the place. She can be very graphic about that kind of thing.
Another hot day tomorrow but I plan on going out early to grab up a couple of tomatoes that are ripe and check my green pepper plant. I want to make us up a nice salad for when the Beast gets home from church (and maybe some hot wings). The cabbage soup is being drained and tossed out since it doesn't freeze well at all. I tried freezing a bit of it just to check and see if I remembered it well. I did. The cabbage gets too mushy.
Love you all and I hope you have a truly great Sunday. Fall weather will be on us sooner than we think (and that makes me a bit sad) so have a bbq if you can while you have the chance. Remember to tell the ones you love that you DO while you have the chance. Things change and you may not have another chance. ***Hugs***
Friday, August 14, 2015
Kids Here Are Back In School......
I don't know about these kids being so excited to be back in school. I both loved it and hated it. I got to see almost all the kids I went to school with all summer long since I went to one of the city neighborhood schools. What I did love was learning new things and not having to do so much housework while school was in during the week. Weekends were a different story but that's not what this is about.
Chewlee and Chance were both excited about being back in school. Chewlee may not have been quite as excited since she started a new school so it means making new friends. But Chance will be getting to see friends from school last year and some new ones, too. They both love learning new things also so it will be good for them. I haven't heard how their first and second days of school was for them and am anxious to hear all about that.
I notified *the girls* (we are all old broads now...lol) that I would be there in October for our luncheon get-together. Two of the girls already emailed me that they would be there too and that they were so glad I would be there. Health problems (mostly surgeries) kept me from the last three so I am truly happy to make it this time. There was one back in late June but I didn't make that one because of my emergency surgery that started out as my appendix but ended up having a section of dead colon removed, too. I had to have a colonoscopy and both my surgeons would not clear me to fly up for that one.
Sister Cee has to have a colonoscopy (I don't know if she's got that one scheduled yet or not) but I offered to be the one to drive her there and bring her home. I know she dreads it even though the worst part of it is drinking that crap they make you drink to clean you out. That's miserable but the actual colonoscopy is a snap. I have to check with her to see if she's made that appointment yet.
The Beast and I talked about replacing his printer....the one he uses to make up photographs, which is a specialty printer. The one he has is getting old and he's got two weddings he will be photographing coming up (for his church). The specialty inks for that (and the papers) are quite expensive and we noticed that it seems to be taking longer for them to print out now. The worst thing for him would be to lose that printer while he was doing up pictures for those weddings. He found a better model printer on Amazon and a much, much lower price than he had to pay for his 12 years ago. But it seems everything in that category has come down in price and even the inks are cheaper now. So, I encouraged him to go ahead and get a new printer while they were on sale (and have a big rebate, too). He then went out and bought a stand for it (the printer comes tomorrow via UPS) that also neatly holds all the various papers plus his disks he puts all the pictures on and the holders for them. That whole area looks much neater now and will be easier for him to use, too.
I told him I want him to make up a couple pictures for me to send to my family. He says he will but he was puzzled why I wanted the ones I do. I told him I had heard the complaints about him and his pictures that no one sees unless they come to our house. No one can print out the pictures I have sent via email...not ones good for framing. Most of the ones I want printed up I will just bring with me when I go to Chicago in October. I only have to mail out one, actually. That's the one for Bratfink since I won't get to see her. I have a lot of *my* family here now. Seems strange to me still....LOL.
I woke up a bit ago and decided I had better do this post before I head back to bed. I'm tired and I was up helping the Beast quite a bit to get his area fixed up for the new printer. He'll be futzing with that for a couple hours tomorrow once it gets here. It means I will be making dinner for us because he will be too excited to think about eating. He's like that when he gets a new *toy*. Since we will be gone about a week, I have to think about getting a couple new outfits and I have to check and see what sweaters I still have that fit me. It will definitely be cool while we are up there. Knowing the Beast, with the leaves turning colors, he will probably be heading for the forests to take some *significant images*. It's a gruesome trip up there and back (Chicago area) and will take us 12 hours so we are leaving out of here VERY early in the morning. We want to be able to get my rental car and not have to drive in the dark. We will be dealing with shorter days and the time change, too. It will NOT be fun mostly because the Beast doesn't like to share driving.
Oh well. Love you all. Is it just me or has summer just zipped by? I don't feel I have done much in the way of *summer* things this year. Guess I haven't. And I so wanted to try S'more's at least once this summer. Can you believe I have never had one? How did that happen? LOL! ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If your household scissors are getting dull, sharpen them back up by cutting through several layers of aluminum foil at one time. It's that easy!
HINT#2: It's hard to get bits of lint and hair out of Velcro....unless you have some duct tape. Firmly press it into each side of the Velcro several times to easily clean it.
Chewlee and Chance were both excited about being back in school. Chewlee may not have been quite as excited since she started a new school so it means making new friends. But Chance will be getting to see friends from school last year and some new ones, too. They both love learning new things also so it will be good for them. I haven't heard how their first and second days of school was for them and am anxious to hear all about that.
I notified *the girls* (we are all old broads now...lol) that I would be there in October for our luncheon get-together. Two of the girls already emailed me that they would be there too and that they were so glad I would be there. Health problems (mostly surgeries) kept me from the last three so I am truly happy to make it this time. There was one back in late June but I didn't make that one because of my emergency surgery that started out as my appendix but ended up having a section of dead colon removed, too. I had to have a colonoscopy and both my surgeons would not clear me to fly up for that one.
Sister Cee has to have a colonoscopy (I don't know if she's got that one scheduled yet or not) but I offered to be the one to drive her there and bring her home. I know she dreads it even though the worst part of it is drinking that crap they make you drink to clean you out. That's miserable but the actual colonoscopy is a snap. I have to check with her to see if she's made that appointment yet.
The Beast and I talked about replacing his printer....the one he uses to make up photographs, which is a specialty printer. The one he has is getting old and he's got two weddings he will be photographing coming up (for his church). The specialty inks for that (and the papers) are quite expensive and we noticed that it seems to be taking longer for them to print out now. The worst thing for him would be to lose that printer while he was doing up pictures for those weddings. He found a better model printer on Amazon and a much, much lower price than he had to pay for his 12 years ago. But it seems everything in that category has come down in price and even the inks are cheaper now. So, I encouraged him to go ahead and get a new printer while they were on sale (and have a big rebate, too). He then went out and bought a stand for it (the printer comes tomorrow via UPS) that also neatly holds all the various papers plus his disks he puts all the pictures on and the holders for them. That whole area looks much neater now and will be easier for him to use, too.
I told him I want him to make up a couple pictures for me to send to my family. He says he will but he was puzzled why I wanted the ones I do. I told him I had heard the complaints about him and his pictures that no one sees unless they come to our house. No one can print out the pictures I have sent via email...not ones good for framing. Most of the ones I want printed up I will just bring with me when I go to Chicago in October. I only have to mail out one, actually. That's the one for Bratfink since I won't get to see her. I have a lot of *my* family here now. Seems strange to me still....LOL.
I woke up a bit ago and decided I had better do this post before I head back to bed. I'm tired and I was up helping the Beast quite a bit to get his area fixed up for the new printer. He'll be futzing with that for a couple hours tomorrow once it gets here. It means I will be making dinner for us because he will be too excited to think about eating. He's like that when he gets a new *toy*. Since we will be gone about a week, I have to think about getting a couple new outfits and I have to check and see what sweaters I still have that fit me. It will definitely be cool while we are up there. Knowing the Beast, with the leaves turning colors, he will probably be heading for the forests to take some *significant images*. It's a gruesome trip up there and back (Chicago area) and will take us 12 hours so we are leaving out of here VERY early in the morning. We want to be able to get my rental car and not have to drive in the dark. We will be dealing with shorter days and the time change, too. It will NOT be fun mostly because the Beast doesn't like to share driving.
Oh well. Love you all. Is it just me or has summer just zipped by? I don't feel I have done much in the way of *summer* things this year. Guess I haven't. And I so wanted to try S'more's at least once this summer. Can you believe I have never had one? How did that happen? LOL! ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If your household scissors are getting dull, sharpen them back up by cutting through several layers of aluminum foil at one time. It's that easy!
HINT#2: It's hard to get bits of lint and hair out of Velcro....unless you have some duct tape. Firmly press it into each side of the Velcro several times to easily clean it.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Coffee, Coffee....And More Coffee
I mentioned the other day that the Beast had bought some Guatemalan coffee from Amazon that we hadn't tried yet (but we now have). I was pretty sure that he ordered it because it was cheaper than either of the other two that he had ordered prior to that (which, in truth, were not bad). Turns out that was part of the picture. The other was that he thought we should kind of move up the ladder of various different coffee brands to see if there was anything that we might like as well as we did the Kauai coffee that my BFF, Carol, got us *hooked* on.
I laughed and told him that what might happen was that we would forget just how good the Kauai coffee was but I doubt we would find one that had just the blend that we liked about it. That's when he surprised me and pulled out a big container of the Kauai coffee beans (a vacuum container) and said, *That's why I saved this for us so, if we think we might have found one, we can make some of the *good* stuff and compare it.*
We made a pot of the Guatemalan coffee today and I have to say it was okay but nothing to write home about. It was supposed to be a dark roast but was actually NOT as far as my taste buds could say. I usually like a dark roast since it has flavor (that's when you are using the stuff sold in cans that you buy at the stores). This was on the weak side as far as taste goes so I told the Beast to put another scoop of coffee in it when he makes it next time (I'll remember to do that if I make the next pot). So then the UPS guy shows up here with a box from Amazon addressed to ME. The Beast brought it in to me and made a joke about me constantly ordering things and here was ANOTHER box for me. Since I almost never buy anything, I just shot him *the look* and proceeded to open it. The Beast asked me what it was and when I told him I had no idea since I hadn't ordered anything, he stayed to see what it was. Well, it was a bag of Kauai coffee but with no packing slip inside but I KNEW where it had come from. I handed it to the Beast and he laughed and said we would surely have enough now to go a long way into testing other varieties for a while.
I sat down and sent my BFF, Carol, a thank you email and told her she shouldn't be doing this since I knew she had to be financially helping out her son during the slow months for the flower shop. You help your kids out first of all (you sure don't want them moving back home with you, do you? LOL!) I didn't say that in my email because I know that wasn't on her mind...but it DOES occur to every parent, I know. I love her to death but I hate for her to keep on sending me these things because I worry about her and her hubby hurting financially when I know she is helping out her sons when they need a help.
Since her son lives in San Francisco, where everything is truly expensive, that could be a BIG financial strain on anyone. If the shop has NO sales in a week's time, for instance, then there's also the issue of all the flowers and greens that have to be replaced. That could be an awful burden. Plus she just sent me a nice check for my belated birthday present that helped me buy a few new clothes that I needed. I appreciated that beyond even being able to put into words. I know that the son that lives in Hawaii doesn't need any help right now because he finally had all the condos rented out so that strain was gone. But the flower shop is a horse of a different color entirely.
I kid her about getting us *hooked* on Kauai coffee and she calls herself our *dealer*. I do truly love the coffee but that's one item she doesn't have to keep buying for us. If and when the Beast decides that it is our true coffee of choice, he will break down and buy it for us (at least, I sure hope so). It's just that he has never really tried a lot of different coffees...and I don't mean Hills Bros., Maxwell House, etc. He's tried enough of those, for sure. But the Kauai coffee was his first venture into a truly different type of coffee. He said he knows when I am not happy with the coffee that is being made because I start drinking my cinnamon tea. I really hadn't noticed doing that because I just would get a taste for the cinnamon tea so wouldn't drink any more coffee. I would just stick with the tea until bedtime. He may be right about that. I just never made the same connection. I do know that today I had only three cups of coffee and not my usual 8-10 cups. He may just have to start noticing when I do that, too!
I had a bit of a stomach ache today but knew that was because I didn't have anything to eat until this afternoon when my stomach finally told me it was empty and was yelling, *Feed me! Feed me!* I was busy working on some crocheting I was trying out (a new pattern) and didn't notice the time. When I finally ate, the tummy ache wasn't any better but I think I OVER-ate then. No happy medium for me. Duh!
It's cooling down at night now with the cool front that's kind of stalled over the Ohio valley area. So now I am wearing warmer jammies to bed so I can sleep with my lighter cover and not end up curled into a ball to keep warm. I know...I am weird but that's me! It's at least part of me...lol.
Tomorrow our high is supposed to be around 90 and each day after a bit hotter. But, each night is supposed to be getting cooler. Very strange weather for us indeed. I sure hope that we don't get an early fall this year. I feel like we've barely had any summer. An early fall would mean an early winter. I do NOT want that to happen. I just HATE the cold.
Love you all. I'm going to head for bed now. I hope you all have a great Friday. TGIF and all that. Drive carefully. If you see someone without a smile, be sure to give them one of yours. It will add a lift to your day and theirs, too! ***Hugs***
I laughed and told him that what might happen was that we would forget just how good the Kauai coffee was but I doubt we would find one that had just the blend that we liked about it. That's when he surprised me and pulled out a big container of the Kauai coffee beans (a vacuum container) and said, *That's why I saved this for us so, if we think we might have found one, we can make some of the *good* stuff and compare it.*
We made a pot of the Guatemalan coffee today and I have to say it was okay but nothing to write home about. It was supposed to be a dark roast but was actually NOT as far as my taste buds could say. I usually like a dark roast since it has flavor (that's when you are using the stuff sold in cans that you buy at the stores). This was on the weak side as far as taste goes so I told the Beast to put another scoop of coffee in it when he makes it next time (I'll remember to do that if I make the next pot). So then the UPS guy shows up here with a box from Amazon addressed to ME. The Beast brought it in to me and made a joke about me constantly ordering things and here was ANOTHER box for me. Since I almost never buy anything, I just shot him *the look* and proceeded to open it. The Beast asked me what it was and when I told him I had no idea since I hadn't ordered anything, he stayed to see what it was. Well, it was a bag of Kauai coffee but with no packing slip inside but I KNEW where it had come from. I handed it to the Beast and he laughed and said we would surely have enough now to go a long way into testing other varieties for a while.
I sat down and sent my BFF, Carol, a thank you email and told her she shouldn't be doing this since I knew she had to be financially helping out her son during the slow months for the flower shop. You help your kids out first of all (you sure don't want them moving back home with you, do you? LOL!) I didn't say that in my email because I know that wasn't on her mind...but it DOES occur to every parent, I know. I love her to death but I hate for her to keep on sending me these things because I worry about her and her hubby hurting financially when I know she is helping out her sons when they need a help.
Since her son lives in San Francisco, where everything is truly expensive, that could be a BIG financial strain on anyone. If the shop has NO sales in a week's time, for instance, then there's also the issue of all the flowers and greens that have to be replaced. That could be an awful burden. Plus she just sent me a nice check for my belated birthday present that helped me buy a few new clothes that I needed. I appreciated that beyond even being able to put into words. I know that the son that lives in Hawaii doesn't need any help right now because he finally had all the condos rented out so that strain was gone. But the flower shop is a horse of a different color entirely.
I kid her about getting us *hooked* on Kauai coffee and she calls herself our *dealer*. I do truly love the coffee but that's one item she doesn't have to keep buying for us. If and when the Beast decides that it is our true coffee of choice, he will break down and buy it for us (at least, I sure hope so). It's just that he has never really tried a lot of different coffees...and I don't mean Hills Bros., Maxwell House, etc. He's tried enough of those, for sure. But the Kauai coffee was his first venture into a truly different type of coffee. He said he knows when I am not happy with the coffee that is being made because I start drinking my cinnamon tea. I really hadn't noticed doing that because I just would get a taste for the cinnamon tea so wouldn't drink any more coffee. I would just stick with the tea until bedtime. He may be right about that. I just never made the same connection. I do know that today I had only three cups of coffee and not my usual 8-10 cups. He may just have to start noticing when I do that, too!
I had a bit of a stomach ache today but knew that was because I didn't have anything to eat until this afternoon when my stomach finally told me it was empty and was yelling, *Feed me! Feed me!* I was busy working on some crocheting I was trying out (a new pattern) and didn't notice the time. When I finally ate, the tummy ache wasn't any better but I think I OVER-ate then. No happy medium for me. Duh!
It's cooling down at night now with the cool front that's kind of stalled over the Ohio valley area. So now I am wearing warmer jammies to bed so I can sleep with my lighter cover and not end up curled into a ball to keep warm. I know...I am weird but that's me! It's at least part of me...lol.
Tomorrow our high is supposed to be around 90 and each day after a bit hotter. But, each night is supposed to be getting cooler. Very strange weather for us indeed. I sure hope that we don't get an early fall this year. I feel like we've barely had any summer. An early fall would mean an early winter. I do NOT want that to happen. I just HATE the cold.
Love you all. I'm going to head for bed now. I hope you all have a great Friday. TGIF and all that. Drive carefully. If you see someone without a smile, be sure to give them one of yours. It will add a lift to your day and theirs, too! ***Hugs***
Making Plans.....
Today I told the Beast that I wanted to go to Chicago for the reunion with the girls that I hung out with during HS (and for a while after we graduated). One of the girls has been my closest friend for all these many years. I've been through the four times she was widowed (the last time she was just forty) and her current marriage which has lasted longest of all the others combined. She had married older men. Two were murdered, one died of natural causes and the fourth, the one she truly loved, had a heart attack. It was so sad. But, when she married her current husband, he was much closer in age to her and they have been a happy match.
Christina is the type of friend that you can go without talking to or even seeing but, when you meet up again, it's as if we were just together last week. She has the funniest laugh and I love it. I just wish her current hubby, we'll call him Denny, was healthier. He has gained a LOT of weight over the years and he is an uncontrolled diabetic (Type 1). He also now has a problem with atrial fibrulation (but does not have a bad heart valve). It just seems he gets worse and worse. Even with a LOT of insulin, his blood sugar reading is seldom below 500 and that is horrible! It is slowly killing him so Christina will probably be widowed again. She is now 70 years old but, if you met her, you wouldn't believe it. She not only looks good but she is also very vibrant and active. She never had any children so she is the *neat* auntie to her nieces and nephews.
She came from a truly poor family and is one of eight children. She lost one of her sisters a couple years ago to cancer and she is the one that spent the last couple of weeks with her sister before she died. It was truly sad. One day I must tell you her history. It's extremely interesting. She has been married to a doctor, a mobster, a movie extra, a pie king (his family is one that is well-known in the midwest and is the husband she loved the most, I believe) and her current husband, Denny, was a car salesman (top seller at all the different dealers he worked for) and....get this...he's extremely dyslexic and can't read). She actually filled out all his forms for him when he had a sale. But they made a good living from it and she sold most of her jewelry from her husbands and they bought a house that they've owned now for over 30 years. It still looks like new, inside and out.
Anyway, the Beast wants to drive up to Chicago and then rent a car for me so I can get around without asking someone to pick me up or bring me back to where I am staying. I have to call my former sister-in-law to find out if I can stay with her again. I love her to death and we girls (my sisters and I) decided after the divorce that she would remain part of our family and we would disown our brother if we had to. She is the sister of our hearts. We also encouraged her to date the man she is now married to. We love him a lot and he's been wonderful to her and the kids. They have also done a LOT of traveling in other countries. Life is good for them. My brother was a real jerk.
The Beast wants to go to visit his sister and brother that live up there. His brother has MS that manifested itself when he was in his early 20's and married just a few years. His wife, thankfully, has a wonderful (and high paying) job. Since his brother is mostly confined to a wheelchair (he has good times and bad) and shakes a lot at times, he hasn't been able to work since shortly after the MS showed up in him. I gather the kind he has is genetic and there are others in the family that have had it. The really sad thing is that he is a very talented artist. I am amazed at some of the things he has built (models of old sailing ships he made by hand) and the paintings and drawings he's also done. It's incredible because of the way he shakes but....when he concentrates, that seems to disappear like magic. From what I've read, that seems to be something that is not unusual for MS victims.
His sister is the one that lost her husband to cancer. Not unexpected because it's something that's rampant in his father's family. His father and a couple uncles died from various forms. The family was even studied by some university because they felt it was genetic. Her husband was only in his late 40's. The Beast and his sister are 19 years apart in age. She recently sold her home in Bolingbrook (5 bedrooms and she never had any kids!) and bought a condo in a town called Downers Grove. It's where she grew up so she was happy to be back in a familiar place although Bolingbrook isn't far away.
If I stay with my sister-in-law, she lives further south in a really nice area. She has a house with a heated pool, two stories and I just love it. She deserved something really nice and a husband that adores her.
I can hardly wait until tomorrow to call my gf's and let them know I will be coming. I already have the notice that Jamie sent out to all of us and know where we will be meeting. I can hardly wait now! We all get a bit wild and crazy when we get together and the years just fall away! I haven't seen any of the girls for three years now. It will be wonderful to see them all. We normally meet up in late June (and they did but I had just had my surgery and the doctors wouldn't clear me to fly). But they decided that, since we are all getting to be old broads now, we should meet together more often. We've already lost a few of the girls that were part of our crowd. We are down to almost the core group of us that have been meeting yearly since our 25th reunion....and that was over 25 years ago!
Time to close this for now and get some sleep. I love you all dearly and hope to see my siblings while I am in Chicago and maybe even a cousin or two. Be good. Be kind. Remember that everyone has their own kind of troubles that they are bearing so kindness goes a long way and costs you nothing! ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If you find sitting at your desk is causing lower back pain, try slightly elevating your feet. An old phone book is perfect for the job. (Unless it's one of the small ones that many areas have...like our area. *Sigh*) But a nice thick book works, too. I sometimes use a nice firm pillow.
HINT#2: Making turmeric....a Southeast Asia relative to the ginger root...part of your diet can pay off in many different ways. It reduces cholesterol, and lab tests have indicated that it may also inhibit tumors. It's also a natural antibacterial agent and helps detoxify the liver. You can mix the powder into drinks or baked goods, or even sprinkle it on ice cream!
Christina is the type of friend that you can go without talking to or even seeing but, when you meet up again, it's as if we were just together last week. She has the funniest laugh and I love it. I just wish her current hubby, we'll call him Denny, was healthier. He has gained a LOT of weight over the years and he is an uncontrolled diabetic (Type 1). He also now has a problem with atrial fibrulation (but does not have a bad heart valve). It just seems he gets worse and worse. Even with a LOT of insulin, his blood sugar reading is seldom below 500 and that is horrible! It is slowly killing him so Christina will probably be widowed again. She is now 70 years old but, if you met her, you wouldn't believe it. She not only looks good but she is also very vibrant and active. She never had any children so she is the *neat* auntie to her nieces and nephews.
She came from a truly poor family and is one of eight children. She lost one of her sisters a couple years ago to cancer and she is the one that spent the last couple of weeks with her sister before she died. It was truly sad. One day I must tell you her history. It's extremely interesting. She has been married to a doctor, a mobster, a movie extra, a pie king (his family is one that is well-known in the midwest and is the husband she loved the most, I believe) and her current husband, Denny, was a car salesman (top seller at all the different dealers he worked for) and....get this...he's extremely dyslexic and can't read). She actually filled out all his forms for him when he had a sale. But they made a good living from it and she sold most of her jewelry from her husbands and they bought a house that they've owned now for over 30 years. It still looks like new, inside and out.
Anyway, the Beast wants to drive up to Chicago and then rent a car for me so I can get around without asking someone to pick me up or bring me back to where I am staying. I have to call my former sister-in-law to find out if I can stay with her again. I love her to death and we girls (my sisters and I) decided after the divorce that she would remain part of our family and we would disown our brother if we had to. She is the sister of our hearts. We also encouraged her to date the man she is now married to. We love him a lot and he's been wonderful to her and the kids. They have also done a LOT of traveling in other countries. Life is good for them. My brother was a real jerk.
The Beast wants to go to visit his sister and brother that live up there. His brother has MS that manifested itself when he was in his early 20's and married just a few years. His wife, thankfully, has a wonderful (and high paying) job. Since his brother is mostly confined to a wheelchair (he has good times and bad) and shakes a lot at times, he hasn't been able to work since shortly after the MS showed up in him. I gather the kind he has is genetic and there are others in the family that have had it. The really sad thing is that he is a very talented artist. I am amazed at some of the things he has built (models of old sailing ships he made by hand) and the paintings and drawings he's also done. It's incredible because of the way he shakes but....when he concentrates, that seems to disappear like magic. From what I've read, that seems to be something that is not unusual for MS victims.
His sister is the one that lost her husband to cancer. Not unexpected because it's something that's rampant in his father's family. His father and a couple uncles died from various forms. The family was even studied by some university because they felt it was genetic. Her husband was only in his late 40's. The Beast and his sister are 19 years apart in age. She recently sold her home in Bolingbrook (5 bedrooms and she never had any kids!) and bought a condo in a town called Downers Grove. It's where she grew up so she was happy to be back in a familiar place although Bolingbrook isn't far away.
If I stay with my sister-in-law, she lives further south in a really nice area. She has a house with a heated pool, two stories and I just love it. She deserved something really nice and a husband that adores her.
I can hardly wait until tomorrow to call my gf's and let them know I will be coming. I already have the notice that Jamie sent out to all of us and know where we will be meeting. I can hardly wait now! We all get a bit wild and crazy when we get together and the years just fall away! I haven't seen any of the girls for three years now. It will be wonderful to see them all. We normally meet up in late June (and they did but I had just had my surgery and the doctors wouldn't clear me to fly). But they decided that, since we are all getting to be old broads now, we should meet together more often. We've already lost a few of the girls that were part of our crowd. We are down to almost the core group of us that have been meeting yearly since our 25th reunion....and that was over 25 years ago!
Time to close this for now and get some sleep. I love you all dearly and hope to see my siblings while I am in Chicago and maybe even a cousin or two. Be good. Be kind. Remember that everyone has their own kind of troubles that they are bearing so kindness goes a long way and costs you nothing! ***Hugs***
HINT#1: If you find sitting at your desk is causing lower back pain, try slightly elevating your feet. An old phone book is perfect for the job. (Unless it's one of the small ones that many areas have...like our area. *Sigh*) But a nice thick book works, too. I sometimes use a nice firm pillow.
HINT#2: Making turmeric....a Southeast Asia relative to the ginger root...part of your diet can pay off in many different ways. It reduces cholesterol, and lab tests have indicated that it may also inhibit tumors. It's also a natural antibacterial agent and helps detoxify the liver. You can mix the powder into drinks or baked goods, or even sprinkle it on ice cream!
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