Over Hill and Under Dale…

Tracy and I are soon driving to my sister’s house for Memorial Day today. Charlie’s grilling burgers so you know they are going to be good. His secret is Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. He lets the ground hamburger marinate over night in that sauce. Tracy is also fretting about what to wear. She has already tried on 3 tops.

“What sandals do I wear?” She just asked me walking into the computer room with a few pair dangling from her fingertips.   .

I just chuckled and told her she looked beautiful in anything she wears. That was not what she wanted to hear.

I expect for there to be a lot of people in attendance. My social anxieties are already working on me overtime. Many butterflies are fluttering in my stomach.

Sometimes it is the Little Things that Matter the Most…

“Are you and Tracy up and dressed?” Charlie asked me over our cellphones around noon. “I’ve got a special treat I want to bring you two for lunch.”

“We’re up and going Charlie,” I replied, glad to hear his voice.

“I’ve got two plates of the best chargrilled chicken wraps that you have ever eaten!” Charlie, the feeder, said.

This got me excited and Tracy quickly got in the bathroom to fix her hair and put on a little makeup. She was making herself presentable as she so often says.

Charlie finally arrived and said the food was payment for fixing Janice’s computer. The wraps were unbelievably tasty. I loved the addition of jalapeños amidst a smoky Southwest sauce. The chicken breast strips were chargrilled to perfection and were accompanied by ample portions of pepper jack cheese. Even the wrap was chargrilled on both sides.

“Call me back on my cellphone and tell me what y’all think,” Charlie told us in parting.

(Days like today it is hard to write while other days it just flows effortlessly.I guess the old prime motivator upstairs is acting on shaky ground today.)

Supper, Tracy, and Janice…

I’ve got mom’s recipe chili bubbling away on the stove. The house smells wonderful. Tracy should be home in about 30 minutes. Charlie also called me this afternoon and said Janice’s computer is acting up. I’ve already got a good idea of what’s going on and I haven’t even seen it yet. I will have to walk Janice through the process of removing the programs she doesn’t use and thus de-clogging Windows 10’s registry. She probably has forty programs and background processes that open on start up whereas I only have ten. My computer would run rings around hers as well. Charlie is so miserly that he buys Janice the cheapest computers except for the laptop he buys her every few years.

“Can I come pick you up in a little while?” Charlie asked. “Her computer is stalling.”

Charlie rolls into town around seven getting home from work.

“Sure,” I replied. “I hope I can fix Janice’s computer.”

Lord knows, Charlies done enough for me over the years. I am thinking of giving Janice one of my decent spare computers.

The only other thing I did today besides straightening up the house and getting lunch and supper started was to buy two surge protectors for my father’s TV and computer. He thought those little power strips were surge protectors. I woefully shook my head. It is getting that time of the year where we get to experience frequent electrical storms as my grandmother would call them. I wanted to get dad protected. His TV is especially sensitive to power surges and outages. 

What’s a Little Bit of Sushi Between Friends?

Tracy and I were spontaneous for a late lunch/early dinner and I drove us to Sushi Huku Japanese restaurant. It is on the west side of Atlanta and about an hour’s drive away. They are supposed to have the best sushi in Atlanta. My ex-wife loved to go there for dinner and I did as well. I thought I would start a new tradition. Tracy thought it was wonderful as well. We both got sampler bento boxes with all different kinds of fried Japanese delicacies. I asked for sweet tea as is common in the South and my waitress brought out hot green tea in a dainty cup. I smiled. We also got to showoff our chopstick prowess. Tracy can thread a needle with chopsticks.

What are your thoughts on sushi or eating raw fish? It is definitely an acquired taste. I especially enjoy the varieties of tuna and I ate some sea urchin roe today as well. I keep wanting to put it on a saltine cracker like we always did “fishing food” like sardines and those little fish steaks in the South. 

Tracy was talking and lamenting on the drive home that she didn’t have enough purses to match her wardrobe. Well, it was just my luck that I turned on the TV when we got home and it was tuned to QVC and they were showcasing purses. I snuck in the computer room, browsed to QVC.com, and ordered Tracy an expensive navy blue purse or tote as they called it. It is going to be a neat surprise for her later next week. You’ve got to take care of your woman folk and spoil them sometimes.

Now, I feel my day is done and I am going to spend the rest of the evening sequestered in my computer room. Tracy’s got her laptop out and is watching TV in the den which is her usual modus operandi. 

Bah! Humbug!

I just don’t feel much like writing a blog post today. Do you ever feel that way about your own blog? Nothing’s wrong. I am just caught in some kind of writer’s malaise. I was going to write about how I am getting all these links from porn sites. I wonder what that is all about? If they are looking for naked pictures and/or erotic blog posts, then they are going to be sorely disappointed. A thousand visits and not one comment? Makes me think some kind of shenanigan is going on.

Tracy will be home soon and I have some spaghetti and meat sauce bubbling away gently on the stove. I assume you can guess what we are having for supper? We haven’t had spaghetti in awhile so I decided that would be our meal. A quick run to Kroger gathered all the ingredients.

The Shiny Luster of Work Has Woefully Worn Off…

The alarm went off extremely glaringly this morning jolting both Tracy and I awake. I was having the most wonderful dream about Maggie and mom. Maggie would always greet my mother very differently than Charlie and dad. It would be this very, very high pitched squeal of joy. I wonder if Maggie ever worries what happened to her?

“Oh, I don’t want to go to work,” Tracy then whined pitifully. “I wish I could stay home with you all day.”

I put my head on her shoulder as I told her she was lucky to get a lunch break. It broke up the monotony of the day.

“We are getting lasagna to-go from Johnny’s New York Style Pizzeria for lunch,” I told her, hoping to bolster her spirits somewhat.

She said that sounded wonderful and told me thank you.

“Get some of that wonderful garlic bread they have as well,” Tracy urged me.

“I am also getting us a salad with blue cheese dressing.”

“I’ll see you in about four hours,” Tracy then told me and shut the front door behind her.

My Girl is Amiss…

“Do you want to meet us over at the pond and do some fishing?” my father asked me this morning. “I am going to grill hotdogs and hamburgers again. Your brother and sister are bringing the grandkids.”

“Sure,” I replied excitedly after asking for the rendezvous time. “I will meet you there at noon Central time.”

Tracy was still in bed late this morning and it worried me. I thought maybe she was feeling ill. She’s not one to linger in slumber like that.

“It’s just been a tough week of work and I am tired,” she told me. “You go have some fun with your family.”

I felt like the Lone Ranger without Tonto. Usually, Tracy is chomping at the bit at such ventures.

Just a Simple Meal…

Dad baked a delicious ham today. He told me a secret for his delicious ham was Coca-Cola poured into the baking pan. I know it sounds gross, but it is delicious. Tracy and I were invited over tonight to eat ham and tomato sandwiches. Sandwiches just taste better when someone else makes them. Dad prepared a fine three sandwiches for us to eat.

“What are these green things on my plate?” Tracy whispered to me at one point.

“That’s pickled okra,” I replied. “Beware as it is very spicy.”

Tracy wrinkled her nose as she often does at something distasteful to her. I laughed and popped an okra in my mouth before taking a bite of my sandwich. I assured her they were delicious, but she didn’t feel that adventurous tonight.

Now It’s Time For My Pet Peeve…

Tracy likes to fall asleep to the drone of the television in the bedroom which aggravates me. I have to wait until she is sound asleep before I turn off the television or she will huffily turn it back on to my great consternation. I can’t sleep until it is quiet, dark, and cool in the bedroom.

Cocktail Hour…

“We won’t stay long,” I told Tracy after driving to my father’s house.

Dad had cooked corned beef hash and a big pan of Mexican cornbread for us.

“Hey Mr. John!” Tracy said as my father opened the backdoor.

Dad gave her a big hug as she stepped into the kitchen.

We sat down for a few moments and dad actually turned off the television so we could talk. Dad wanted to know all about Tracy’s class she is taking.

I was hungry so we bid my father goodbye. Our parting words were that my father said he was now going to have cocktail hour now that his good deeds were done.

“For Christ’s sake don’t drink and drive,” I told him. “Call me if you need a ride.”

The hash was delicious on this very chilly evening, btw. Tracy enjoyed hers as well.

Welcome Home Sweet Darlin’ of Mine…

Maggie and I were anxiously waiting in the window for Tracy to get home this evening. Maggie yelped and got so excited at her arrival. It was almost contagious. I wanted to yelp, bark as well, and wag my tail.

“How was your day, Sweetheart?” I asked her when she sat down in the den and took her purse off her shoulder.

“I’ve had a helluva day,” she told me. “A couple brought their Labrador retriever in for grooming. I cut one toenail too close to the “quick” and the dog liked to have never quit bleeding. I felt terrible!”

“Shit happens!” was my best reply.

“Are you hungry?” I then asked her very inquisitively.

“I am absolutely famished and starving!” she replied.

“I am going to treat us tonight and get us some barbecue pork sandwiches from Roger’s Barbecue,” I told her.

I went and called in our order and left to drive across the Chattahoochee and pick up our sandwiches. The lady with the wonky glass eye was there to greet me. I try not to stare, but it’s hard.

Charlie’s Got Gas!

Tracy and I were sitting in the den last night when a car pulled up. I was reading a book (Twilight Series) and Tracy was doing needlepoint while the television incessantly droned on. Maggie went absolutely nuts and bonkers so that meant it was either my father or Charlie or both. It was Charlie.

“Come on and ride with me to go get some gas,” Charlie said, feeling lonesome. “Then we will get us a drink off the dollar menu at McDonald’s.”

Charlie said hello to Tracy and turned his attentions to Maggie. Maggie was in ecstasy as Charlie rubbed and petted her. 

“Let me get my coat,” I said, jumping at this chance to spend some time with my friend.

I grabbed my coat off the bed in the computer room and headed to the front door.

“We’ll only be gone about an hour,” Charlie told Tracy. “I won’t keep him away from you for long.”

“Y’all go have some fun!” Tracy replied, smiling.

Well, the traveling fair is in town and Charlie slowed way down to look at it and all the pretty lights as we passed on highway 29. A car behind us got to impatiently honking their horn because we were going so slow. Charlie shot them the bird and said, “Go around me assholes!”. Charlie’s driving is mediocre at best and can scare you. He swerved in his lane during all the commotion and I grabbed the “oh shit!” bar as if my life depended upon it.

We stopped and got some gas for the Caprica, not before looking at a few stations for the best price on regular unleaded. Charlie and I got on the subject of my ex-wife as we stood by the pump.

“She wasn’t just Mrs. Perfect either,” Charlie said which made me feel better. “Tracy and you are a much better match! Rachel was just too high strung and wanted to control you.”

Next was McDonald’s just across the street from the gas station. Charlie and I both got us a large dollar diet Coke. Boy, did that Coke taste delicious. We then headed towards home.

“What did you and Tracy eat for supper?” Charlie asked as he drove.

“We had shrimp and broccoli fettuccini,” I replied. “It was pretty good.”

“Well, I had peas and cornbread!” Charlie replied. “I don’t eat shrimp and I don’t think I have ever had a fettuccini.”

“You got the better meal,” I told him honestly. “I would die for some peas and cornbread!”

Janice, Charlie’s wife, cooks like Helen always cooked for us.

Things Going On Around Here Today…

• Tracy went and bought a bunch of vanilla and almond scented candles today. They are lit throughout the house. She said the house smelled musty after all those years I smoked inside. She also washed the curtains and hung them back up after drying them. It does smell nice in here. It smells almost like the sweet smell of pipe tobacco smoke.
• I drove to the Literacy Center and talked to the director today about volunteering again. She said they had plenty of volunteers at the moment, but would call me if she needed me. I was a little disappointed, but I will get over it. I have too much time on my hands at the moment.
• Tracy and I had our Slim-Fast for lunch. She cooked her chicken parmesan for supper and it was delicious let me tell you. It was so hard to resist going back for another plateful. She also had a salad with a vinaigrette dressing and bread sticks.
• Yet another niece has a birthday next week and I drove to Kroger a moment ago and got an iTunes gift card and a birthday card. Tracy rode with me and bought some more scented candles while we were there. 
• Dad called me tonight pooped. He had his long hell day today at the pharmacy. He wanted to let me know he remembered to refill my Prilosec prescription. I told him to leave it outside the door and I would pick it up tomorrow. I took my last dosage I had today. We talked for a moment about walking as well. He wanted to know if I was still walking everyday and I said yes. I walk around the neighborhood meanderingly. He said he needs to get to walking as well. His wine drinking has given him a little gut.
• The Cable Guy stopped by with our new cable box. Tracy is delighted at all the channels we get now.

Gotta Love Daylight…

Dad and Tracy both had to work again this Saturday morning. I was disappointed dad and I didn’t get to do our usual routine as of late. Dad finally called me at 12:30pm and told me to come on over. He had some cinnamon buns for me from Daylight Donuts. It is a treat he buys for us all every Saturday. These things are truly delicious and so soft and gooey with cinnamon goodness. We sat and talked a long time while we had a diet Coke. We mainly talked about mental illness and how it can effect your whole family. Before my mother was diagnosed and medicated, she was hell on wheels let me tell you.

“Be sure Tracy gets some of those cinnamon buns,” my father told me as I was leaving.

Tracy was home when I arrived back to our casa. I was so very glad to see her.

“Here are some cinnamon buns,” I said as I handed her the bag and she said thanks.

She gave me a peck on the lips and started to change out of her scrubs. I took a moment to determine her mood. She was tired, but in very good spirits.

“You up for a date night?” I asked, wanting to treat her after a busy week of work and school.

“That would be wonderful,” Tracy told me happily. “Let me go pick out something to wear.”

I told Tracy the eating venue was her choice and she picked Zen House again. Our favorite restaurant. I ate my usual General Tso’s chicken and Tracy ate much milder fare this time, Moo Goo Gai Pan. My mother’s favorite mild Chinese dish and I told her so.

Tracy said the clinic was really busy this morning and that she was pooped. She laid her head on my shoulder on the drive up the interstate and fell asleep. I didn’t wake her until we were pulling into our driveway. I was enjoying the moment as well. I still can’t believe this beautiful and outgoing creature has decided to share her life with me.

SLUGS! I TELL YOU!

Tracy and I have both been absolute slugs today. Isn’t that what Saturdays are for? I haven’t even had a shower and shave yet and it is after 7pm. Tracy had to go in to work to assist with a surgery for a short while this afternoon, but that’s about all we’ve done today.

Apparently, a young Boston Terrier had swallowed a bunch of smooth river rocks. They had to go into it’s stomach and remove them. I know it sounds strange, but it is true.

“What were they feeding that dog?” I asked incredulously when Tracy arrived back home.

“The owner was a sweet younger lady,” Tracy replied. “She didn’t look like the type that would abuse her dog. She was just worried sick. She said the dog got to retching and couldn’t quit.”

I asked how the surgery went and Tracy said it was straightforward. They removed the rocks and then sutured back up the stomach. Tracy also told me the surgery cost over $2000 as well.Yikes! I looked at Maggie and told her she better not be eating any rocks.

Old Fuss and Feathers cooked a delicious supper tonight. I just had to drive over and pick it up. We had his boneless porkchops and rice, green beans boiled in a beef bullion sauce, and pear salad. The green beans were especially tasty as was the pear salad.  

Just Checking In…

I don’t feel much like writing tonight. I don’t feel ill, but I am at a loss of words I think. This will probably turn out to be a long post as I get diarrhea of the keyboard when I get started. I always start out thinking I am not going to be able to write something and it turns into something big and wordy.

I was overjoyed that a new AM radio station opened in the Valley this week. I tuned in expecting Coast to Coast AM and other cool shows like that. It was Christian conservative radio. I was so disappointed you just don’t know. They have nothing to offer me entertainment wise except frustration. 

Tracy made a B on her listening test and I was so proud of her and so was she. She called me on the way home from class last night ecstatic.

I wanted to talk computer parts tonight as I have a cool order going in tomorrow (first of the month). I just sent Matt, at the pharmacy, an email with what I want. I won’t bore you with all of that, though. It is just some $200 THX-certified speakers for my gaming rig. I am moving the Infinity surround system back into the den so Tracy and I can watch TV and Blu-rays with surround sound. It was her request.

We had breakfast for supper tonight which was always a special treat when I was growing up. I just scrambled some eggs and fried some Clark Brother’s sausage. It was delicious. I also made a pot of buttery and creamy grits. I have cooking grits down to a fine science. It was rounded off by a pan of Mary B’s biscuits which are equally delicious.

I prank called my father tonight. I can mimic Trump’s voice to a T and I called my father in my best Trump voice warning him of Lopez Landscaping and undocumented workers. He burst out laughing when he realized it was me. “I’m not a crook!” I ended the call with. Dad wants me to call my brother and prank him next.

How Do You Write About the Vagaries of Life and Make it Sound Interesting?

It is a tough thing to do on a night like tonight.

Tracy had class tonight. They have moved into the Baroque period and Tracy said she was listening to harpsichords on the drive home. I was delighted to hear that and told her I had more Baroque music on my computer in the computer room. I told her next will come the Classical period and then the Romantic period leading up to the 20th century.

“It is a quaint sound,” she said to me on the couch of Baroque as we debriefed.

“Quite distinctive!” I added. “And easy to recognize!”

Tracy appreciates the enthusiasm and help I have to offer for her class.

I cooked supper. We had spaghetti and meat sauce and a garden salad. It was pretty good if I do say so myself. I used my mother’s recipe which is always a crowd pleaser. You know anything that starts with sautéed in butter garlic, celery and onions is going to be good – your classic mirepoix minus the carrots.

Dad and Tracy both have to work until lunch tomorrow. I will be sleeping in with Wheezy. That cat sleeps more than any cat I’ve ever seen or it may be normal for cats to sleep so much. She keeps one eye open looking out for Maggie, though.  She recently discovered the dog door watching Maggie come and go and has been making short forays into the backyard. I am hoping we can dispense with the litterbox before long.

Upside Down and All Around…

“Your sister and niece are here,” my father said over the phone this afternoon. “Come over to see them. We are about to eat some cake.”

Dad had baked a pineapple upside down cake for the occasion. Charlie and Janice were there as well. As usual, Charlie stole the limelight and was the center of attention. Poor Janice has to lurk in his shadow.

Well, the cake was delicious. I ate two slices. Charlie had two slices as well. Much gratuity was given to the cook.

“We’re headed to the pet store to get toys for my rabbit,” my little niece told me.

My sister and her daughter soon left for Auburn. Janice went home. And Charlie finally left as well not until he had one more piece of cake. This left dad and I sitting in the den watching old SNL skits on YouTube. I had to take my leave as well as a cigarette had my name on it at home.

Dad and Charlie should be headed out soon for Sunday night fried chicken. I’ve already alerted the Magster who is sitting in the window and whining.  

When You Need a Friend, Don’t Go To Strangers…

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked Tracy over our phones late yesterday afternoon.

“Nothing really,” she replied. “I was going to study some.”

“Let’s go out on a proper date,” I told her.

“That sounds wonderful,” she replied excitedly. “I’ll get dressed for such an occasion.”

I put on a button up shirt and some nice khaki pants. My svelte suede leather dockside Sebago's adorned my feet. I picked Tracy up around seven her time and we headed to the Zen House in town. I was in a mood for Chinese and Tracy and I needed to practice our chopstick skills.

“I love it when your spontaneous like tonight,” Tracy told me as we sat and ate our meal.

I get the same thing every time and that is General Tso’s chicken. Tracy got a spicy Szechuan dish herself. We had plenty of food leftover and our server boxed it up in takeaway boxes for us to take home. Chinese food is so economical as well. Tracy and I got full off of $25 dollars worth of food and drinks.

A Hair Bristling Experience…

I was on the very last leg of my daily walk when this silver SUV slowly pulled up nearby to me. The hair on my neck bristled with warnings of danger. It was almost dark outside and I couldn’t quite discern who it was in the bright headlights.

“Andrew! It’s Charlie!” Charlie said rolling down his window.

I laughed in complete and total relief.

“How far do you have to walk to finish?” Charlie asked me.

“Just a few hundred more yards up to the house,” I replied, huffing and puffing, almost out of breath.

I was doing some serious power walking tonight which also makes me feel self conscious. I think I look silly doing it like being a member of the ministry of silly walks ala Monte Python. .

“Get in the car, then. I’ve got you and Maggie some supper.”

I climbed in Charlie's car and away we went just up the hill to Andrew's casa. Charlie had gotten Maggie and I each a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A before he left Auburn on his way home from work.

“There is plenty of that Polynesian sauce you so love in the bag,” Charlie told me.

I don’t know what misguided Charlie into thinking I love that Polynesian sauce so much. I like my Chick-fil-A sandwich with mayo and ketchup.

Charlie went straight for the kitchen like a man on a mission.

“Wait a minute while I clean your sink!” he told me eagerly.

I laughed in exasperation. I had just been washing dishes earlier in the day and hadn’t quite finished the job. Charlie scrubbed away while I changed out of my walking clothes into something more comfortable – a t-shirt and some shorts.

“It is so warm tonight!” Charlie said making small talk.

“It got up to 81° degrees today,” I replied to Charlie. “I noticed all the crickets were back out and chirping on my walk after being dormant for most of the winter..”

I asked Charlie about a William Fowler in the Air Force during Vietnam and he couldn't recollect anybody by that name. Sorry Sharyn. I tried!

Charlie also had Horsefly’s nightly chicken strips in the car and said he needed to deliver them before Horsefly got cranky.

Mr. Meaty…

Maggie started begging early this morning for something to eat other than her dogfood. I opened a can of Vienna sausages and warmed them up in the microwave. I set them on the floor in a paper bowl and they just vanished in a blink of the eye. That deemed her a hush puppy.

“I hope you’re happy!” I told Maggie brusquely.

I’ve got to find a way to get her back on her dogfood. She will act like she is dying, though, with incessant whining.

Last night, I drove over to my father’s house around 9pm. I was wanting some company and Tracy had left for the evening. Charlie was there when I arrived and I was excited to see him. I love to listen to my father and Charlie banter back and forth. It is music to my ears and often very comical. 

“I ate nothing but bananas when I was in Thailand during the Vietnam war,” he told us. “I couldn't stomach Thai food.”

Charlie was in the post office division of the Air Force during the war. He needed the G.I. Bill to pay for college so he enlisted.