Pre Sup Musings...

"Let's get Wendy's tonight," my mother said to me sitting on my parent's back deck this afternoon.

She said it with this Gidget-like gusto and chirpiness that made me smile.

"Get me the #2 combo w/cheese and a large Coke," I told my father who was sitting beside me.

"A double?" my father scoffed.

"I'll take the #1 combo regular sized," my mother, The Secretary, happily exclaimed.

"Why don't you two get KFC anymore?" dad asked. "That was so much more simple."

"I don't see how you've been able to eat it this long," I replied with a blech!

"Next week we will get Captain D's," mom told my father.

I expected my father to balk as it is very expensive for all of us to eat there.  He seemed happy with the idea.

The Church Bus to Heaven...

I left my parent's house and headed downtown.  We still have two bridges out causing my course from my parent's house to mine to be rather convoluted.  There was this biggest Church of Christ bus sitting in the parking lot below Fred's Super Dollar. I called my father on my cell phone.

"Y'all better get down here and catch this bus to heaven," I told him. "It is the biggest church bus I have ever seen and it is filling up fast."

Dad burst out laughing with my mother asking him what was so funny.

image credit:  http://www.wjer.com/Contests/Wendys-What-Year-Was-It

Maggie Lives in a Gated Community as Well...

Imogen Heap - Daylight Robbery with Lyrics

This is Where the Fun Begins...

In addition to the mac and cheese and meatloaf yesterday, we had buttery creamed potatoes, turnip greens, and earthy mashed rutabagas.  A total soul food extravaganza!

I just ate my savory lunch and was overjoyed when Helen liberally sprinkled hot pepper sauce all over my turnip greens and the rutabagas. Vinegary and spicy! Just the way I like them.

"I hope you like deviled eggs," dad told me a little while ago over our phones. "Your mother is sending you six of them. I am also sending you some of Charlie's chocolate pie he cooked for your brother's birthday last night. It is divine!"

"Bring it on!" I said excitedly as my father laughed.

"It is amazing we are all not 300 pounds the way we eat," my father replied as his tone turned to seriousness.

Maggie knew something was up as soon as I locked the front door after arriving home from my parent's house and headed to the kitchen with two big Tupperware containers of food and another sack of assorted goodies. Maggie was right behind me. She started to beg like crazy so I gave her a big slice of meatloaf which she relished and almost literally inhaled in hungry dog fashion.

"Maggie, you didn't even give the food time to taste it!"

image credit:  http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/mashed-rutabagas/

Weep Not For Helen Is Here...

Mom let the cat out of the bag when I called her last hour. Hot dog!

"Helen is cooking your favorite meal," my mother told me. "We are having creamed potatoes, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese."

I told my mother to call me as soon as Helen had prepared my plate. Helen always puts an extra heaping portion of mac and cheese on my plate as she knows I adore it so much. My stomach is grumbling something fierce at the moment. It is going to be a long wait until 3 pm when Helen usually finishes cooking. I can hear her say now, "Hope you enjoy it, baby."

"Yes Ma'am. I certainly will," I would reply. "Thank you!"

My father will not eat leftovers.  He only eats freshly cooked meals.  That means the leftovers come and live with me.  I should have three supper plates to eat this weekend.  I couldn't come at a more opportune time as I wasn't very thrifty with my eating habits and food consumption this week.

A grand meal from Helen's past.

What's a Wee Prick Among Friends...

I signed it at Kamath Medical and got ready to wait this morning.  Dr. Bacshi was seeing patients and the lobby was just full of people.  I had just started to warm my seat cushion when my nurse, Rebecca, stepped into the lobby and called me back.  I was so relieved. I have little patience for these kinds of things these days.

Rebecca and I talk mostly of her kids.  I've learned through trial and error that a person's family makes for great small talk. I just sit and listen as she revels me in her two daughters' latest antics.

"Are you done?!" I asked Rebecca when she told me to pull my pants back up. "I didn't even feel it."

"It's my special touch," Rebecca said beaming with pride.

Sweet Dee Dee already had my next appointment set up when I walked into the reception area.

"Dee Dee, you are awesome," I told her. "Totally awesome."

If a black lady could blush, then Dee Dee would have been doing so at that moment.

"All of you are awesome," I said as I turned to Pat as well as she sat in front of her computer. "I will see you all in two more weeks."

Well, now I have a new lease on sanity for another few weeks. My treasured feeling of euphoria never arrived.  I am now very drowsy but determined to stay awake so I will sleep tonight.

"That was quick!" my father said behind the pharmacy counter.

"They take good care of me at Kamath Medical," I replied.

Thanks To You...

"You look so good lately," my father told me tonight. "Your skin and eyes look so healthy. Sobriety is treating you well."

My father doesn't give idle praise by any means. Dad said when I was drinking I looked like death warmed over with black bags under my eyes. I certainly felt like it as well.

"I've had two really awesome days free of mental illness symptoms," I told my father. "And I couldn't have done it without you."

"You played your part in it as well," my father replied. "It takes two to tango."

We completed the medication ritual and moved on to Maggie's ritual. Maggie looked on at the procedure approvingly all the while wagging her tail.

Whatever bug I was trying to catch yesterday was gone this morning when I woke.  I thought I was going to catch a cold for a moment there. I am the world's biggest baby when it comes to having a cold or the flu.

image credit:  http://dmv-defenders.com/duisobriety-checkpoints/

Joni Mitchell - Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody

Okay Folks! This One is About to be in the Books!

"Why is Maggie whining so much tonight?" my father asked alarmed during the medication ritual, "I have never heard her whine like that. I hope she is not in pain."

"It is raining heavily and she has to pee really badly," I told my father with a chuckle. "Believe me. I've lived with her for seven years."

Dad laughed and said he was relieved.

Maggie finally ran outside after my father had left and did her business. It is raining cats and dogs here tonight and Maggie was soaked to the bone.  I got a large towel out of the bathroom and helped in her efforts to get herself dry. She hates to be wet. She still got on the couch and tried to get dry with the cushions, though. I just turned a blind eye and let her do her thing. My couch now has that inviting wet dog smell that entices visitors to come and sit down and enjoy themselves.

"You sound good tonight, Chuck," my father had said earlier.

"I've had one of my better days in years with regards to my mental illness," I told him. "I cycle like mom and will struggle some weeks whereas other weeks are great. Don't you wish all of my days could be so good?"

Dad agreed.

"Well, Chuck, I am going to head home and get in my pajamas watch some TV. I am tuckered out. The pharmacy was bonkers today and I filled over 300 prescriptions."

The Princess Pleads For Wallace's Life

Thank You, Freds!

My nose is running.  Will somebody go catch it? HA!

I feel like I am coming down with something.  I haven't had a cold or the flu for years and years. My nose keeps running so I drove to Fred's awhile ago to get something to take to stop such leakage. The gods must've listened to me as Fred's Super Dollar was busy and they had two cashiers open.  I was in and out in a flash and was thoroughly pleased with my shopping experience.

On second thought, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals are expensive.  I should've just called my father and had him bring the medicine with him when he arrives for the medication ritual tonight.  There would be a 50/50 chance he would forget, though, and I needed instant relief. My nose is raw from wiping it so much and fighting off the deluge.

It's Good to Have a Secretary...

I just called mom and said, "I love you and thank you for everything you do."

She deserves it! She had called me earlier when I got home to tell me my sodas were on the back porch. I got in the car and headed out once again. She gave me a bunch of diet Sunkist in this allotment of sodas and they are delicious. I am sipping on an ice cold Sunkist right now. She didn't believe me when I told her they have caffeine.

"My healthcare calendar is showing you are due for your injection Thursday," she told me.

"Dad called me early this morning to let me know or to warn me," I replied back.

I thanked her for watching my back as they sometimes say.

'Bout That Time of the Month...

As some of you might already know, I am allowed to order one computer part a month. It has to be $100 or less. It is almost the end of the month and I am scheming on what to buy next.  I will email my order into Matt at the pharmacy on the 1st of February.

"You sound chipper. What are you doing up so early?" dad asked this morning after calling to remind me my injection was Thursday.

"I am picking next month's computer part," I happily and smarmily replied.

"You and those computer parts," my father said huffily. "You are obsessed!"

"Better than being obsessed with beer and much cheaper as well," I quipped and he agreed.

This is the $99 mid-tower Antec 900 case I have picked out for my newly built computer which I have now dubbed as my game emulation computer.  It currently has a conventional hard drive in it, but I will be ordering a Samsung solid state drive next month which will quintuple the speed of this computer.

The $69 Dollar Man...

Well, I managed to get out of Kroger with spending only $69 dollars this time. Dad is always amazed at how much food I can get for so little money. What I buy intrigues him as well. I am always throwing him a curveball.

The grocery store was very, very busy tonight.  I jockeyed for position as I went down the needed aisles to get what I wanted.

"Excuse me!" I said to one stagnant looking lady as I reached for my pudding.

Dad always says I am a man on a mission with regards to my grocery shopping. I certainly take it seriously.

I saw Jermaine in the bread aisle but avoided him tonight. He would've asked me tons of questions about my shopping and what was in my cart. Jermaine says I shop like I am rich. Jermaine just doesn't know how to shop.

I came to the milk aisle and there was no milk except for four of those little $1.99 bottles of Promised Land sweet milk and a smattering of skim milk. Damn snow alert! I had two big bags of frosted flakes in my cart.  I grabbed some half and half -- enough to eat my frosted flakes with and then headed on to the next objective. How it will taste will be interesting to see. It will certainly be rich and creamy.

Paige checked us out which dad and I both agreed was a good thing. We all chattered away as she rung up all my items with a smile.

"I am so sorry about the milk situation," she said solemnly. "When they mention snow in the forecast, milk is the first thing to go."

"We have a shitty Kroger," dad said to me as we walked across the parking lot to our cars. ."They are always out of something you need and they never have fresh bread. How can you run out of milk of every kind? Piss poor management."

image credit:  http://www.caloriecount.com/calories-kroger-half-i245232

My Sweet Tooth is Getting the Better of Me...

Grocery ruminations are ahead... I think grocery night may just be a sweet themed shopping trip. I can think of a dozen sweet things I want like an Edwards lemon meringue pie and oatmeal and raisin cookies. I must also remember the quintessential milk chocolate pudding I so love. Unfrosted strawberry Pop-Tarts along with Promised Land chocolate milk will be on the menu as well. Breakfast will provide any nutrition I need.

Earlier, I drove down to AutoZone to get a tire repair kit. I found a nail in the tire and plugged the hole. I've walked back outside several times to check my tire pressure and so far no more air is leaking. The tire is at a steady 32 psi. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I don't want to have to buy a new tire. Watch me have a catastrophic blowout on the way to Kroger tonight.

image credit:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/Edwards-Lemon-Meringue-Pie-35-oz/10849591
image credit2:  http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/healthy-eating/5-lowcarb-cookie-recipes.html

How to fix a flat tire with a tire plug kit ( tire repair kit ) in this ...

Pole Position...

I think I pissed off Papa this morning.  I drove to my parent's house to get my Cokes and he was sitting in front of his computer paying bills in my sister's bedroom.  Helen was in the kitchen mopping the kitchen floor. I've had problems with my mind racing this morning.

"Can we go ahead and take my medications?" I asked very timidly.

He frowned, perturbed, and asked, "This early? You've been doing so well lately I hate to mess up our schedule."

I apologized and then turned around to leave.

"Wait!" he said. "We will go get them out of my car. Get you something to drink out of the fridge."

We sat in my warm car until my father decided we had waited long enough for the medications to start to take effect. He brusquely told me goodbye and I headed home. His last task was to put my proof of insurance in my car's glovebox.

Before leaving, I walked back up the back steps to get my sodas and Helen was at the door being nosey.

"Baby? What's wrong?" she asked me sensing some was amiss.

"I think I pissed dad off by asking for my medications early," I told her.

"It's going to be alright," she told me encouragingly. "You should be able to take your medication when you want to."

On the ride home, I got pulled over by the police right in front of the police station.  I nervously waited until the officer walked up to my car.

"Sir?" he asked at my open car window. "Did you know you almost have a flat tire?"

I sighed with relief that it was something that simple.  I walked around the car and it was certainly very low.  I headed to the Circle K to fill up the tire and then headed home.  The officer was extremely nice and helpful. He even offered to follow me over to the K to make sure I made it.

image credit:  http://www.toyotaofnaperville.com/blog/things-that-will-get-you-pulled-over/

Nadine's Bobby Burgers...

Nadine named these sandwiches in honor of a girl that lived down the street named Bobby Jo Mackenzie. The legend is that she could eat four or five of Nadine's sandwiches at a sitting.

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 4 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of prepared mustard
• 3 Tablespoons of Heinz 57 sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons of sugar

Brown ground beef and drain of grease.  Sautee onions until translucent in butter, Add rest of ingredients and let simmer for about an hour until the sauce thickens. 

It's That Time of the Week...

Charlie and Papa are out gathering up our Sunday night fast food meals.  I expect them to be here around 7 pm. Glittermom, my mother wrote down that recipe and dad is bringing it. I will have it on the blog tonight.

Dad and Charlie are both getting Kentucky Fried Chicken along with Horsefly and his chicken tenders he eats every night.  Mom and I are getting the fried chicken sandwich from Burger King.  We are giving it a second chance.

"I am adding some extra mayonnaise to mine," my mother told me on the phone a moment ago.

"I am going to do that, too, along with some ketchup," I replied.

Hopefully, it won't be a lettuce sandwich like it was a few weeks ago.

In the meanwhile, I anxiously await the arrival of Charlie and Papa.  I just told Maggie they were coming and she is in the window and watching.

Ain't this the Truth?

The Inevitable Happened...

Charlie arrived this morning bearing wonderful breakfast gifts. I was sound asleep and Maggie let me know Charlie was here before he even knocked. I scrambled to get to the front door. I slept in my blue jeans and a t-shirt just to be ready for Charlie this morning.

My favorite thing this morning to eat was the two sausage biscuits he put in my bag. The giant Coke was a close second. Gurgle, Snort, Slurp. I ate my breakfast and got on the computer to check what's going on in the world. Not much. Snowmageddon 2016 is over and the cleanup is underway.  All we got was a few flakes of snow and some flurries overnight.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.  I knew it was someone familiar to my Maggie and I as she didn't bark. It was my neighbor from next door.

"My car battery is dead. Do you have any jumper cables and can you jump me off?" he asked me very nervously.

He has an extremely strong New England accent. I can't quite put a finger on it. His age is deceptive as well as he colors his hair.

I had told dad just last night that this was going to happen. He will get in his car, crank it, and let it run until it gets warm, and then will cut if off and go back inside. He will do this over and over for hours. It drained his battery with him not giving it enough time to charge in between each crank of the engine.

"Put your van in neutral and I will push it out of the carport," I told him.

We had to get his car to where I could pull up beside it. Soon, we had him underway again.

"Take your van for a long drive to charge your battery," I told my neighbor as I clamored to get in out of the cold.

image credit:  http://www.ask.com/vehicles/okay-jump-start-car-rain-e4efbc3bdd3a5bef

Dearest Glittermom...

I will try to get that recipe up on the blog by tomorrow.  The sandwiches were delicious tonight and not nearly as sweet as Manwich. I called Dad and told him the bobby burgers were the best I've ever had.  Dad also cooked steak fries superbly seasoned and some delicious baked beans.

image credit:  http://www.marthastewart.com/336766/sloppy-joes

Breezy Like Maggie in a Gaseous State....

Dad is cooking bobby burgers out of Nadine Knowles' cookbook (she was a cooking icon around here in the 60s and 70s) and french fries tonight. You would better know bobby burgers as Manwich burgers or sloppy joes. I put the idea in his head a few weeks ago when I was cooking them and complaining about Manwich being too sweet. I want tart and tangy -- almost like a Southern style barbecue sauce.  He is bringing me a plate as soon as him and my mother eat and he cleans up the kitchen.  I can't wait! I am hungry for a home cooked meal!  I will also get my medications which are much needed tonight.  My brain feels over dense -- nothing terrible, but I would like the relaxing feeling they imbue as they calm my misfiring synapses.

This morning I got up at around 9 am and was just ravishingly hungry.  I had slept well all night. Maggie and I had homemade sausage biscuits with the sausage taking as long to cook as ever.  I was back in the bed at 10:30 am unable to face the world this morning.  Maggie got back in the bed with me and we slept until 3:30 pm.

The weather is absolutely deplorable here for someone from the South. There is a very brisk and gusty wind with the temperature hovering around freezing. I expect the winds to die down after darkfall, though. I drove over earlier to get my Cokes and, as always, my car didn't get warm until I arrived at my parent's house.  I left it running as I ran up the steps to get my Sodas and the Beefaroni dad set outside for me.  I knocked on the door and visited for awhile.  Dad was sauteeing an onion in butter as we stood in the kitchen.

Charlie will be here in the morning with breakfast from McDonald's.  I called him earlier today and he said he was seeing and feeling fine after his cataract surgery.  Maggie will make sure I don't miss him in the morning if I am still asleep.

The computer I built yesterday continues to run without a hitch.  It has ran continuously since yesterday.  I've now got Windows 10 installed. Now, I've got to get all those motherboards, processors, and wires stuffed inside a spare computer case.  That part isn't fun -- it is tedious. I've got big fingers and all those little screws in the confines of a computer case drive me crazy.

image credit:  http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Main-Dishes/McCormick-Sloppy-Joes

Let The Mystery Be - Iris DeMent H.Q.

SNOW!

Dad just called me on his cellphone as he drove home from my house and the medication ritual.

"It's snowing!" he exclaimed. "Look out the window."

It was a light snow, but snow was certainly falling. Something you only see every 4 or 5 years this far south. Dad and I both share a keen interest and love for the weather and the vagaries contained therein.

Dad had imbibed in just a little too much white wine tonight and wanted me to be his DJ.  We played quite a few songs as he sat on the couch and tapped his toe to the floor. He stayed longer tonight that he ever has.

"Play that Iris DeMent song I love so much," he then said. "I dedicate that song to you!"

It is a song mainly about agnosticism.  He had heard it on National Public Radio.

My father also brought me a very big supper plate -- a plate that was right up my alley.  He had cooked scrambled eggs, sliced cheddar, bacon, sausage, crispy potato patties, and homemade biscuits. Breakfast for supper rocks! I had just cooked some penne pasta with Italian sausage in a marinara sauce.  That went in the fridge for tomorrow or later tonight.

image credit:  http://www.sodahead.com/fun/do-you-ever-eat-breakfast-for-dinner/question-4112207/

Beck -- Soldier Jane

Well, I Tried...

I called my father a moment ago.

"What do you think about the weather?" I asked him.

"It's not going to do anything," my father replied. "But the temperature is supposed to drop below freezing by nightfall."

"Do you want to go ahead and take my medications?" I asked extremely hopefully. "That way you will miss that cold drive."

"Let's stay on schedule, Chuck," he said. "I won't be that late tonight. I appreciate the offer, though."

Well, I tried. I was hoping to drive over and get that little detail of my daily life taken care of early.

"Your mother wants to talk to you," dad said as he handed his cellphone to my mother.

"What did you think of that grilled chicken sandwich last Sunday?" mom asked me.

"It wasn't too hot, was it?" I replied.

"We'll get the regular Burger King chicken sandwich this Sunday," my mother told me.

I smiled and told my mother goodnight.

image credit:  http://www.octopusoverlords.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=87263&start=120

image credit:  http://k2forums.com/discussion/523/guess-what-this-is-a-picture-of

Well? This Doesn't Look Too Impressive, Does It?

Dear Gaia -- Oh Mother Earth...

Well, it doesn't look like we will get any snow. The National Weather Service has a winter weather advisory out for the county above us (Roanoke). We only have a wind advisory here in Chambers. Oh well, maybe next time and the weather guessers can be wrong as well. This is a very potent storm getting underway and will cross central Alabama this afternoon and head up the East Coast.

Tinkering the Tinkerer Says...

I've once again spent all morning putting together a new computer from parts I had lying around in my computer room. It is all sprawled out across my kitchen counter and I will stuff everything in a spare computer case when I get things working correctly and Windows 7 installed.  It has an Asus Z97 Deluxe motherboard, Core i5 processor at 3.6 Ghz, 12 GB of ram, and an old Nvidia 8800 GT video card that seems to be working perfectly fine.  I had trouble getting the memory to play nice, but I finally got things working correctly.  It is 2400 Mhz memory, but I had to downclock it to 1899 Mhz to get it to work.

Freds? Say it Ain't So...

I ran by Fred's this morning on my way to get my diet Cokes to get some canned mixed nuts and hard candy.  Fred's manager needs to seriously consider keeping two cashiers open at all times.  The line was once again backed up with only one register open.  I grumbled but waited for my turn. This has happened numerous times to me lately.  I almost winked at McGruff, but she would have given me the evil eye.

My trip out this morning culminated with a walk up to the Piggly Wiggly.  I almost expected to see George or some of the gang.  I got a six pack of Vienna sausages and headed home.

The Horse Whisperer - Montana

The 7th Inning Stretch...

By now at 6 pm, the last of the pharmacy's customers are waiting for their prescriptions. Darkness has fallen and it is a very cold and rainy night. Closing duties are underway as one register is reconciled while the other is left open till closing. Dad will be occasionally looking at his watch as time ticks by headed for 7 pm and closing time. His latest duty at closing is to file all the prescriptions by customer's last names in their alphabetic boxes. Craig will backup the computer database.

Dad will then tell Craig, the new owner, goodbye as Craig locks the door and my father walks to his car. He will get in, crank it, and head to Charlie's house in West Point for supper which is across that grand river, the Chattahoochee river. Janice will have a delicious homemade Southern-style meal prepared and they will all catch up on their days. There will be lots of laughter and Charlie will bitch some, too.

"Well, I better go get Andrew situated," I can imagine him saying as he gets up from the table to leave -- thanking Janice for the gracious meal.

Sometimes I will call him to see how far along in this process he is, but it makes him grumble with displeasure. He says he doesn't want my mother and I keeping tabs on him.

Maggie and I will be sitting on the couch as he turns at the corner down the street. I am usually fiddling with my iPad. The sound and look of his car are unmistakable. He usually arrives right around 9 pm. 12 hours and 30 minutes after he left his house this morning to start his day.

"Papa's here!" I will exclaim as Maggie goes nuts and double checks out the window as I have cried wolf before. I go open the door with the screened-in door shut so Maggie can see and bark as Papa crosses the yard. Papa will usually bark back much to Maggie's delight.  She will give him a grand welcome home salute because her home is his home.

"How was your day, Chuck?" he will ask me as we sit on the couch and Maggie vies for his attention.

Most days I can say that I had a great day like I can today. That's what he wants to hear and I get great pleasure out of saying it.

I get a soda out of the fridge and we take my medications. I get a big handful and gulp them down quickly. Sometimes, my father will want to look in my mouth. Years ago, I got caught saving up Klonopin by moving them inside my cheek with my tongue. I would spit them back out and put them in a pill bottle.  With about 10 saved up, you can get quite a nice buzz and sleep like a baby.

Lastly comes Maggie's ritual as we walk through my kitchen to the laundry room on the back of the house.  Dad pours her a cup of Purina One in a fresh paper bowl and I wash out and fill Maggie's ceramic water dish. Maggie looks on very intently briskly wagging her tail.

"Y'all have a good night!" dad always says as he grabs the medications and leaves.

Many nights he will forget the medications and I have to call him for him to come back and get them. He always appreciates my honesty. I will run them out to his car.

The Insidious Cold...

The Secretary called me last hour.  Mom said she had been asleep for hours today and Helen kept waking her up.  I chuckled.  My father would call this royalty speaking.  He says my mother and I act like royalty and must be treated as such.

"The house feels cold," my mother then said. "I don't think the heat is working."

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"Your daddy had to work all day today," mom replied

I headed to my parent's house woefully under-dressed for this little expedition. My car started blowing warm air as soon as I pulled in my parent's driveway.  I let myself in through the back door. Helen was vacuuming the den. Helen turned off the vacuum to say hello.  It certainly was very chilly in my parent's house.  I checked the thermostat and it was set to 75°F, but the temperature was 65°F.

"Do you know what's wrong?" the Secretary asked me.

"I think the pilot light has gone out again," I told her.

I delved into the bowels of the house where the heating and cooling unit resides in the basement. Certainly enough the pilot light was blown out.  I walked upstairs and got some matches out of the kitchen and lit it.  Within moments, warm air was flowing out of my parent's vents.

"Wait before you go," my mother told me. "Helen made egg salad for lunch and she is going to make you two sandwiches."

That pleased me quite mightily.  Helen gave me two sandwiches in Ziploc bags and I hit the road for home after grabbing my daily allotment of six diet Cokes off the kitchen counter.

image credit:  http://www.dishinanddishes.com/tag/how-to-make-egg-salad/

Move Like Lightning Charging Through An Angry Sky...

A dusting of snow we got a few years ago.

Major winter storm forecast for Eastern U.S.

A potentially crippling winter storm is anticipated for portions of the mid-Atlantic Friday into early Saturday. Snowfall may approach two feet for some locations, including the Baltimore and Washington, DC, metro areas. Farther north, there is uncertainty in snowfall for the New York City-to-Boston corridor. Farther south, significant icing is likely for portions of Kentucky and North Carolina.

It is supposed to get very stormy here at the end of our week.  We have a 100 chance of rain today with very gusty winds.  Tomorrow, we have a 50% chance of snow showers.  Did I say snow? Why, yes, I did. It takes a very special set of weather conditions for us to get snow.  The stars and planets have to be aligned just right.  They are saying only a half inch to an inch, but that will shut down this small Southern town like a major disaster. We don't have snow plows and salt trucks here. They, the city, will just put sand out on the bridges.  I have to remind my father that three of our five cars have all-wheel-drive. That old joke about people rushing the grocery stores for milk and bread is pretty much true. I, for one, welcome our new snow bearing overlords.

Our magical Christmas Snow from a few years ago.

A Happy Camper Greets You...

We were sitting on the couch a moment ago with the Magster between us taking my medications when my father asked, "Do you want to run down to the K and get a big ass drink? I'm thirsty!"

"Sure!" I excitedly exclaimed as I stood up and pulled on a jacket.

I was ready to go in mere seconds.

It only took us a moment to drive down the street to the Circle K.  Dad got a 32oz diet Coke and I got two 32oz Sobe Citrus drinks.  I was a very happy camper.  I like it when we are spontaneous like that.  It breaks up the monotony of our usual daily routines and there were all kinds of interesting looking people to gawk at tonight if you like people watching like I do.

Dad also brought a big Tupperware container of Janice's homemade vegetable beef soup.  In a Ziploc bag were two very healthy portions of Mexican cornbread.  I just have to let my medications finish soaking in about 11 pm and then I will have a good and supplemental supper before I retire around midnight.

Dad still has all his grocery shopping to do tonight and it is almost 11 pm and Kroger closes at Midnight.  Dad showed me the list my mother, the secretary, had made for him and it was pretty lengthy.

I just called Charlie on the phone and his cataracts were completely removed and he will have healthy eyes again soon. I still have a lot of phone anxiety, but I made myself make that call so Charlie would know I was thinking about him.  It was awkward, but it is done and I hope Charlie knows I love him.

image credit:  http://www.southernplate.com/2013/01/mamas-mexican-cornbread.html

Amy Winehouse - Know You Now - Frank

The Sacred Ground Has Been Defiled...

I was sitting in my Laz-E-Boy recliner with ye olde iPad when Maggie's ears pricked up in alert. Guess who showed up at lunch?  Yes, Maggie's arch-nemesis the meter reader arrived stirring Maggie up into a frenzy and getting her knickers in a twist.   I have never heard Maggie bark more menacingly than this.  I noticed he was carrying a long wooden staff I assumed to be his anti-animal weapon.

image credit:  https://www.cacareerzone.org/profile/43-5041.00

I Guess The Ball is in My Court...

The phone has been awful quiet these past few days. Laura would call every night for the longest time and let the phone ring off the hook.   I guess Laura finally gave up on me.  She had given me her phone number about a week ago, but I have misplaced it.  I guess she is waiting for me to call as it is my turn. Part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and call her back as I am lonely for female companionship.  The other part of me screams run in the opposite direction.

Sarah McLachlan - I will remember you

A Breakfast Fit for a Princess...

I had my coffee all ready to go this morning.  All I had to do was press the on button.  Several minutes later my coffee maker was beeping and I poured myself a strong mug of Maxwell House with a healthy dollop of coffee creamer and sweetener. The smell of that coffee was just intoxicating.  I relished that first mug as I leaned up against my kitchen counter. I then poured myself another mug and got to cooking breakfast.  I can only drink about 2 or 3 mugs ever mindful of caffeine and its proclivity to cause anxiety attacks in me.

Maggie and I had cheese eggs this morning along with buttered toast and grits.  Maggie was underfoot the whole time I was trying to cook.  I think Maggie likes grits more than I do. When it was her time, I set Maggie's paper plate of food on the floor and she goes to town.  Maggie eats like it is going to be her last meal or that I will take it away. She lives literally true to her ancestors and wolfed her breakfast down and then she will want some of mine as well -- always the opportunist.

image credit:  http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/811591/great-grits-recipes

What is Your School of Thought?

Do you shut your computer down every night before bed?  I have found the sleep option on my computers to be traditionally unreliable.  Often, I would awaken at night and my computer would have awakened as well roused out of its sleep by a myriad of things. Usually, it is the network adapter that is the culprit. You have to turn off "wake on lan" for the unruly adapter.

Some computer technicians say there is a strong surge or spike of power every time to turn on your computer and it is hard on the components.  They say you should leave your computer running all the time.

My theory?  Computer components have a finite life span and shutting down your computer every night increases usefulness and length of that span. The last thing I do before turning off the lights at night is to turn off all of my computers. Not to mention the electricity saved by doing so every evening.

image credit:  http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/computer-technician-4769.html

What? An Impostor?

"You don't look like Johnny Otis," I said to Charlie as I opened the front door followed by an icy cold blast of air.

Maggie went bonkers that it was Charlie. She was rearing up and vying for his affections all the while barking like crazy.

"Your father has gone to the Auburn basketball game," Charlie replied as he entered my door. "I am taking care of you tonight."

It is always great when Charlie does the medication ritual.  He brought another grilled chicken sandwich from Burger King and a giant Coke with no ice. Maggie is going to get the french fries.

"Come on," Charlie said. "Let's give Maggie her food and water."

Maggie was hungry for her dog food tonight and began eating it as soon as Charlie set her bowl on the floor.  Most of the time she turns up her nose and looks for heartier and tastier fare from me.

Maggie was so delighted to have beta dog with us tonight.  Maggie, being the alpha female, sat on the couch as Charlie rubbed and petted her.  She looked as prim as a princess. She is the princess of Maratouse and Mauritania as you may very well know. A moniker bestowed upon her by my father.

Charlie told me he is having some cataracts removed in the morning so you all be thinking of him.

Thine is a Good Store Piggly Wiggly...

Well, I just made my milk run.  I got two gallons of whole milk.  I was also looking for some Penrose pickled sausages and the Pig had them. You can't get that at Kroger. That got thrown in my basket along with a loaf of really fresh bread I should have gotten last night.  It grows increasingly harder to find really fresh bread at Kroger and they, the loafs, are so laden with chemicals to preserve them longer that you can taste it. At least, I can taste the chemicals in the bread. Anti-mold, anti-fungal, etc.

Mrs. Linda has worked for the Pig for twenty years as a cashier.  She worked there when I worked in produce.  She checked me out today, but didn't recognize me since it has been so many years and I was very overweight when I worked there.  That was when my father first took control of my disability money so I went out and got a job to pay for my beer.  I worked there for several months until I quit under coercion from my father who feared I was going to lose my disability. He enticed me by saying I could have one six-pack of ice-beer a night to drink.

Fighting Off the Horde...

I came home to a crew of workers cleaning up my neighbor's yard.  Maggie is barking her fool head off and it is driving me crazy.  If I go outside to try and get her, she barks even louder trying to protect me from these evil yardmen that are going to eat us and take our possessions.

The Brain Worm Wants to Know...

What flavor of diarrhea would you like with your rice?

How do you tell a Facebook friend, and a good friend at that, they post the ugliest food pictures you have ever seen on Facebook?  A lady, who I cherish, posts her food photos and they are just downright ugly -- like something a cat would cough up. LOL  I guess you just grin and bear it.

"Nice looking brown and burnt looking mass on your plate darling!"

In all seriousness, though, she is a sweet lady and I would never say something to offend her.

image credit: http://food-photo-resipes.blogspot.com/2015/11/ugly-food-pictures.html

Getting the Kinks Out...

So. I wake up this morning at 9:45 am. It was a chilly 67° degrees in my house so I set my heat on 76° and the house is just now starting to get warm.  I was dying for an ice cold glass of water so I went and poured me one out of the fridge.

I then walked back into my bedroom and pushed the power button of my coveted and cherished bedroom computer and nothing happens. This has been my preferred computer lately as my bedroom is so warm compared to the den where the juggernaut computer lies in front of a big, drafty window.  I've been having problems for days with this bedroom computer.

Today, I get a BIOS error code 55 which means the memory is not installed or is installed incorrectly. Sure thing, one of my memory sticks was not firmly seated in its socket.  I hear the familiar loud "click" as I push it in tightly and the computer boots up fine. Home-brew computer building is not for the faint of heart I tell ya.

My next project for the day is installing my Nvidia Geforce 260 GTX video card in this computer which I originally thought was the problem. Right now, I am using the integrated graphics on my processor which is lacking in processing prowess.  I will just feel better with that 260 GTX card installed in this computer. *installed!*

About an Hour Later, The Wee Little Ones Are Hungry...

Maggie was standing at the bedroom door making little mewling noises and being very needy.

"What's wrong girl?" I asked worriedly after a vigorous back scratch.

She continued to nuzzle my thigh.

I had gotten so carried away with computer stuff this morning that I had forgotten breakfast. I hadn't even started my coffee for the day.  I quickly fixed Maggie two eggs in the microwave and forewent breakfast for myself. I've got some chicken parmigiana in the microwave for lunch. We're going to be having sandwiches and Ruffles potato chips.

Hello Uncle Ben...

Well, I hit the $71 dollar mark tonight. Dad was pleased and patted me on my back. We got Paige. Our absolute favorite cashier.  I remarked to dad that Paige is the kind of employee you want working in your store if you are an employer. She could make a stodgiest old curmudgeon smile by the time he went through her checkout line and make him think he got a bargain as well. She sure is a charmer.

I've probably written about Paige before.  She is so admirable.  She works as a clerk at the county courthouse during the day and is a cashier at Kroger every night.  All of this just so she can send her son to college.

"I noticed you had a list this week," dad told me as we hurriedly walked to our cars after shopping. "That was smart!"

"I always forget something and it gets old," I replied. "The Secretary hooked me up with some paper and pens."

Dad laughed.

"I am sure the Secretary approves!" dad told me. "She makes me out a list every Wednesday for our grocery shopping."

Duh!  After all of that being said and done, I forgot to write down whole milk on my list and forgot it.  I realized it when I got home and unloaded my groceries.  I will run over to the Piggly Wiggly in the morning and buy a gallon or two when I get up and going. I bought frosted flakes cereal and now I don't have any milk to eat them with.  I got the store brand cereal in the big bag and it was almost half the cost of Kellogg's.

I've found this new 90-second microwave rice by Uncle Ben's and it is just delicious.  I bought four packs of the butter and garlic variety even though it is kind of pricey. You tend to pay for convenience.  Just walk into any convenience store and find out for yourself. $1.75 for a king sized Reese's cups? Sheesh!

We didn't go nutrageous with hazelnuts tonight and I just got the standard Kroger sweetened coffee creamer. (cheapskate)

I also got several Bertolli chicken parmigiana meals which are just delicious with real white meat chicken and three servings per container.  I also bought some sesame seed hoagie rolls so we are going to have chicken parmigiana sandwiches this week. We are also going to have hamburgers and steak fries one night this week as well.

image credit: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Uncle-Ben-8217-s-Butter-Garlic-Ready-Rice-8.8-oz/10420915

How Low Will You Go?

Yep, it is already 35°F outside and it is supposed to get down to 21°F as the low. How do you Northerners stand this?  I am going to freeze my ever lovin' heiney off tonight during this whole grocery gathering process. I seriously don't even own a pair of gloves as we rarely need them. By some serious twist of fate, I do have a knit hat that covers my ears.

Fueled By the Incredible Edible Egg...

Another grocery day has arrived and I am ruminating as to what to get this week. Breakfast foods are always a mainstay

I know I will get my 6 packs of milk chocolate pudding. I don't know how I got on this pudding kick, but the stuff sure is creamy, chocolaty, and delicious.

I certainly need more of that large sized International Delight hazelnut coffee creamer.  I ran out a few days ago and have been missing my morning cup of coffee. I don't see how people can drink coffee black with no cream or sugar, though. I fixed a pot this morning and it is just too bitter and harsh alone, but can taste so addictively rich and delicious with a few additives namely cream and sugar.

I want to see if Kroger has store brand cereals as I want some frosted flakes with my two gallons of milk I get every week. Kellogg's is just out of my budget.

What is swirling around in my mind at the moment is cooking some homemade hamburgers on onion rolls with steak fries on the side.  That sounds even more delicious now that I have written about it.

My father reminded me last night to get more of those $3.27 Bruschetta pasta meals tonight instead of trying to cook too much.

My favorite things are my two sugary and caffeine laden Mountain Dews I get every week.  I just went into the den and wrote them on my ever growing grocery list.

image credit:  http://www.gatehousemedia.com/article/20150505/BUSINESS/305059976

As If By Magic - La Roux

Two Meal Avenues...

A lunch special from Rodger's a few years ago.

Dad called me back a moment ago after he had arrived home.

"Let me go over to Roger's Barbecue or Merl's Diner and start you a tab so you can eat lunch there every day and it will be paid for," he said. "If you are worried about having enough money for a tip then just get it to-go."

"I would rather have all that money you will be spending to get computer parts," I replied.

"You are computer obsessed!" my father replied with a hearty laugh. "You are incorrigible!"

"Dad, I appreciate it, but you and I both know I won't drive over there and get it because it embarrasses me -- my father having to pay for a grown man's meals."

"I wish you would give it a chance," he said. "You won't have to cook anymore.  You would have tea and lunch every day."

"Okay, I will give it a try," I told my father finally acquiescing under much coercion. "I would prefer Merl's Diner because it is just down the street and I won't be putting lots of miles on my car."

"I will give them enough money so you can get lunch every day except Sunday. I would just give you the cash, but it would worry me that it would be too tempting addiction wise and I don't want you to spend that money on something else."

Pop Goes the Weasel...

"What are you doing?" I asked my father over the phone this morning.

"I am in Lagrange at the Honda dealership with your mother's car," he said. "Her airbag light keeps coming on and they have a recall on it."

"Mom thinks it is going to pop out any moment while she is driving," I said with a chuckle. "Causing an accident!"

"You know your mother well," my father replied with a laugh. "What do you need, Chuck?"

"I just wanted to tell you I love you and thanks for all you do for me," I told him. "I really don't need anything."

"Well, thank you so much!" dad exclaimed. "It is so nice for you to give me a call like that."

"Well, I do,  I probably wouldn't still be around if it wasn't for you and your diligence for keeping me on the straight and narrow," I said.

"We'll get you some good groceries tonight and get you fixed up for a week. You can get your two Mountain Dews you so love," he said. "I love you more than anything in the world."

I thanked him, told him I loved him, and then told him goodbye. You could tell he was sitting in a lobby full of people and couldn't really talk much.

image credit:  http://m4des.deviantart.com/art/Every-Day-Is-Mother-s-And-Father-s-Day-292013806

The Dynamic Duo Arrive...

Well, they, the Dynamic Duo, surprised me and showed up at 7 pm.  Maggie and I were both beyond joy and were both beside ourselves.  Maggie put on a grand show for my father and Charlie.  She loves them so.  We had a time trying to get her to calm down and stop barking from elation.

"You did want the grilled chicken sandwich from Burger King?" Charlie asked me. "That's what your mother told me."

"Yes sir!" I said as he put four Coca-Colas in fast food cups atop my entertainment center.

"Line them up, Bartender!" I said with a goodhearted laugh.

I noticed two cups were from the Colonel and that would be Horsefly's and Charlie's drinks. They both don't drink soda.  If Horsefly drinks a soda, then he will certainly barf and blow chunks and usually it will be in the backseat of Charlie's car.

In other news...

Charlie chuckled at my bartender remark and then went to find a clean kitchen so he performed Maggie's ritual -- giving her fresh food and water.

"I don't have anything to do tonight!" Charlie said stymied as he walked back into my den carrying a couple bags of trash from my trashcans.

That immensely pleased my father.  The state of my whole living environs did.  He remarked on how clean my house smelled.  The state of my parent's house never gets below spotless. I have a high bar to hurdle when it comes to keeping my house cleaned to my father's standards.

Dad then got on the couch and we performed the medication ritual -- an important step in tonight's visit.  They will thankfully take effect at 8 pm this evening.

image credit:  http://www.burgerking.co.za/menu/tendergrill-chicken
image credit:  http://www.ebay.com/gds/Tumbler-Buying-Guide-/10000000177634677/g.html

Time is Crawling By at a Snail's Pace...

I thought if I got off this computer and cleaned house it would make the time fly by.  I cleaned for an hour and it seems like 7 pm will never get here when dad and Charlie get underway.  It is only a little after six.

On a good note, my kitchen and den are spotless and decluttered as well.  My kitchen table was full of computer parts for my next build and they got put away.  That will make my father happy because it was aggravating him. They've been moved to my computer room shelves where they belong.  I just liked walking by and looking at them.  I only get one part a month and I liked seeing them accumulate.  They made me so happy. If they were a human, I would hug them.

7 pm is usually the launching time of good ship Charlie and Johnny Otis.  So I can expect to see them about 8 pm tonight after they gather everyone's food at all the various fast food joints.

On a good note? They would have been here a lot earlier if Charlie was going to cut my hair tonight. I can be a wildman for one more week and continue to scare little kids.  Maybe I can quit shaving and look like a caveman complete with guttural grunts for the kids.

image credit:  http://knk.codlin.net/?tag=computer

Downright Cold Today...

It's forty degrees outside and I was just over helping my father take down his outside Christmas lights. I absolutely abhor the cold so I really owed my father a favor to do this as much as he does for me. The sun had begun to set behind the house making it feel even more cold.

My father is very peculiar about this process, so you have to be careful even though you have a tendency to rush things because you are cold.

"That goes in that basket," he told me one time snatching some lights out of my hand. "And that goes in the other basket."

I wanted to do a goosestep and say, "SIR! YES SIR!"

The British Ministry of Silly Walks would approve.

He keeps the numerous lights in laundry baskets so they will be ready for next year's revelry.  They then go behind a door in the old coal bin in the basement for storage until next year.

Tha caveat of this endeavor was that dad was making homemade hot chocolate on the stove.   When we finished, we walked inside to go have a mug -- our hands numb and cold.   My mother had roused herself from her slumber and was in the kitchen having a mug herself.   Dad and I both looked at each other and smiled.

"Charlie and I will be over about seven with something to eat," my father told me as I was leaving. "We'll do your medications as well."

I was praying Charlie wasn't going to try and cut my hair tonight.  There was no mention of it from my father and I didn't mention it as well.  Although, I do badly need a haircut.

"What are you getting tonight at Burger King?" my mother asked me as I was leaving -- another mug of hot chocolate in her hand.

"I am going to try the grilled chicken sandwich this week," I told her. "A blog friend recommended it last week."

"I think I will get that, too," she replied. "That sounds good!"

image credit:  http://community.tribesports.com/challenges/ministry-of-silly-walks-pledge-week-lunges

Dearest Charlie...

There was a knock on my door at 10 am.  It could only mean biscuit time.

"I'm coming!" I exclaimed as I hurriedly pulled on some pants.

"You've got new neighbors," Charlie said pointing to my surgeon neighbor's house.

The for sale sign was gone and a big U-Haul truck was in the driveway.

"Let's hope they are more neighborly than the surgeon," I told Charlie.

Charlie handed me a sack with two sausage biscuits and then handed me a Coke. The biscuit fairy had more deliveries and away he went.

Not Entertaining Silly Stuff...

Laura continues to call me every night and I refuse to answer.  She will let my home phone ring a dozen times before giving up.  I don't particularly like talking on the phone anyway. I care about her, but I am very leery of her at the same time.

Today she opened a new Facebook account and asked me to befriend her. I am reluctant to do so. I don't want to be her next free lunch.  Dad and I both agreed that she bounces around from one guy or the other until they get tired of her mooching on them.  I know that sounds callous, but the truth hurts as has often happened to me in life and online life as well.

I was going to throw all caution to the wind and continue our relationship where we left off, but I had an astute change of mind and heart. I wish her the best, but I am just not her guy.

Frou Frou - Let Go

Kind Parents Last Night...

Boy, I've had a time with my mental illness lately.  I was having problems with my anxiety attacks last night.  I called mom for a little comfort and dad got on the phone as well.  They were watching a rerun of Foyle's War on Netflix TV.

"You would think my medications would stop this," I forlornly told my father.

But I had taken them hours and hours beforehand my father reminded me and they had certainly begun to wear off.

"Do you want me to come over and take you to get one of your favorite drinks at the Circle K?" dad asked last night about 11 pm. "It might help to get your head out of the house."

The thought of all that sugar and caffeine swayed me from doing that.

"I'm fine," I told him. "Maggie and I just need to get in the bed."

It was cold and damp and I didn't want my father to get out in all that bad weather.  Just the mere offer was a comfort to me, though.  There was a time in my life where I would be accused of causing this anxiety from some indiscretion I had committed.  Times have certainly changed.

"Come over here and sleep on the couch," my mother then said. "I know how terrible those panic attacks can be."

I thanked mom and said I would pass.  Maggie and I got in the bed around midnight and were soon fast asleep.  I didn't wake up till 3 pm, though, the next day. I guess my body was trying to tell me something.

image credit:  http://missiontosave.com/circle-k-great-lakes-polar-pop-cup-instagram-contest-25-gift-card-giveaway/

Look For the Simplest Things First...

I was just in my computer room about to turn on my retro-gaming computer to play some old school Homeworld.  I pushed the on button and the computer whirred to life, but nothing would show on the screen. I took the side panel off and checked the video card and it was working correctly, or at least, the fan was spinning and the card was firmly in its socket. Stumped, I sat there for a few moments. Guess what it was? The cable to the monitor from the video card had come unplugged.  I plugging that cable back in, screwed it secured tight, and we were back to business.  Big sigh of relief on my part.