Gimme...Gimme...Gimme...

A Message From Captain Obvious

That's what I was like when my father stepped inside my house tonight. He had made a special "after closing" run to the pharmacy to get some things for this low-grade toothache I am dealing with this afternoon and tonight. It throbs in pain with every beat of my heart -- pulsations of the hellacious kind.

"What are you cooking?" my father said as we sat down on the couch for the medication ritual.

Maggie was vying for attention from my father and I. Jealously ensued when my father patted me on my shoulder. Maggie jumped up between us causing both of us to laugh.

"Make your presence known Ms. Priss!" dad said with a chuckle.

"Beef Lo Mein," I then told my father before swallowing my handful of crazy meds. "The cabbage takes forever to begin to wilt, though."

"It smells absolutely delicious in here," was my father reprise.

"It is mom's recipe," I told my father. "It was a childhood favorite of mine that she cooked."

"Those pills for your toothache should start working in about an hour and then maybe you can get some rest tonight," my father told me.

I thanked him extremely profusely for some relief of this throbbing in a lower molar. The addict in me was hoping for something a little more hardcore and exotic like Demerol (Demonal) or Oxycontin, though.

Like a Well Oiled Machine...

https://www.pinterest.com

"That has to be a record time for getting your shot," my father said as we stood in the pharmacy this morning.

He couldn't believe I was back from Kamath Medical so soon and eyed my next appointment card suspiciously. I was rather relieved to be perfectly frank as I handed my father that card. I started to feel that old nemesis of mine, anxiety, welling up inside me as I sat in the lobby. That's something I don't feel much these days and I am relieved.

"It took 28 minutes for the round trip," I smugly told my father.

I like it short and sweet. Rebecca was there this morning and she is a pivotal and crucial piece of this choreographed circus every two weeks. I was so very glad to see her. She certainly is candy for the eyes!

Give that Honda a Boost!

Summer asked if I got my father's A/C fixed.  Yes, I did. It was the clutch on the compressor that wasn't engaging. Dad now has icy cold air flowing from his vents after I recharged the system with fresh Freon.

Dad's CR-V or Keeping the Head Honcho Happy...

My father has gotten me up a project to do today. He just dropped off his Honda CR-V as the air-conditioning has gone kaput. The dealership wants over $500 to fix it.

First things first as I want to make sure the compressor clutch is working and no fuses are blown. Then I will charge the A/C system with pressurized Freon and a purple fluorescent dye. The dye is to see where the refrigerant is leaking (if it has a leak).

If the A/C compressor has really gone out, then it is only $150 for a replacement from AutoZone. A far cry from what the Honda dealership wants to fix it.

4 Eggs for Me -- 2 Eggs for Maggie...

glittermom said...

Did you remember your breakfast food? I forgot to remind you! 🍳 🐖

___________________________________________________________

http://eatdrinkbetter.com/

Glittermom, I got more than enough breakfast foods to last me the week. I had to strike while the iron was still hot as they say. Dad still can't believe Maggie and I eat that many eggs in one week. He always jokes that Maggie's going to start clucking soon. He felt the same way about my milk and cereal consumption as well.

"How can you drink 4 gallons of milk a week?" he would ask me dubiously with a consternated look upon his face.

He complained about it to my mother and, of course, mom told me. I told her to let there be no more harbingers of bad news. I didn't want to know any critical comments about my life. What I don't know won't hurt me in these regards as the old saying goes.

Like I told my father, we just have to let these little quirks in my diet play out their course. I will eventually got tired of a certain food and will move onto others.

The Expenditure Express...

http://www.target.com/

Well, I managed on acquiring $87 worth of groceries tonight and my father was playing a major hand in it.

I broke from tradition and didn't get my four gallons of whole milk and frosted flakes. I decided to prepare my spaghetti and meat sauce this week. Dad took it upon himself to add many items to my cart that he thought I would like and enjoy. Things like Sunbeam old fashioned bread, bananas, raisin bread, and peanut butter.

"Do you like dill pickles?" my father asked me.

"I love the spicy hot and zesty kind," I replied.

Two jars went into my cart. I felt like I was shopping with Charlie. lol

"We are easily going over the $70 dollar limit," I told him or warned him I should say.

I thankfully got one of favorite snack foods tonight. Deviled ham spread on a saltine cracker and eaten with a dollop of Louisiana style hot sauce. Dad told me to go back and get two six packs of Vienna sausages as well to eat with the crackers and hot sauce. That sounded so good to me!

Mr. Clean, but With More Hair...

http://cliparts.co/

"Just what in the hell is he doing?" my father asked me last night on dad's and Charlie's first stop with the chuck-wagon. Yes, it was Sunday night fried chicken time! Dad was worried everybody's food would grow cold.

I just shrugged my shoulders innocently as dad and I went through the medication process sitting in the den on my couch. I thought my kitchen was pretty clean to be honest.

It never ceases to amuse my father that I can take all of that handful of pills with one gulp of water and not get choked.

"I heard that!" Charlie quipped moments later. "I am doing what I was born to do!"

Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly!

Pots and pans clanged as drinking glasses jingled like a crystal chandelier. Charlie walked out of my kitchen victorious. Maggie's nerves were about shot to hell as well as that kitchen is hers, too. You could tell she was distressed. All was well when the raucous noise quit, though.

"There," Charlie said proudly. "Andrew, your kitchen is cleaned!"

I couldn't do much but fawn all over Charlie. The kitchen sure looked nice and clean. I told him to bring his car over next weekend and I would wash it. I said the same to my father as well. The BMW needs a bath something terrible.

Busy Looking Radar Today...

The Visit From Mr. Biscuit...

https://thefatkidfoodblog.wordpress.com

Charlie was just about on time this morning when he arrived at 9:00am with Maggie's and my biscuits on this beautiful, but slightly hazy day. Maggie broke out into a fit of joyous barking. She's such an excitable dog about such matters.

Charlie snickered at my hair this morning (turn around is fair play) diverting our attention from his. I already felt self-conscious about it to begin with. I didn't have time to brush it as I was still in the bed when Charlie arrived.

"I haven't taken a shower yet!" I said defensively to Charlie about Medusa's mane on top of my head.

I should've just put on a baseball cap.
 .
"Well, at least you have some hair to wash," Charlie quipped as we both broke out into laughter.

I was extremely parched this morning and eyed my orange juice eagerly and anxiously. Soon, I will be driving over to my parent's house for my daily diet Cokes as well. I just have to let my father get up and going which will be about 11am.

Excitement Ensues...

It doesn't take much to excite me. Most of you already know that by now.

Charlie called me early this morning and said he found me a nice rug for the den and would bring it over this afternoon. This got me very excited.

"I talked to your daddy this morning and we are going to steam clean the rug in your computer room as well," Charlie told me before getting off the phone.

"You hungry?" Charlie then asked before saying goodbye.

"I'm fine," I told him. "All I need is some more milk and I am running over to the Piggly Wiggly to get more when I get woken up and had a shower."

Maggie and I actually had strawberry Pop-Tarts for breakfast. I love those Pop-Tarts with an ice cold glass of milk. Someone call me Sunday or comment on the blog and tell me not to skimp on breakfast foods as I've missed them so dearly this week.

Post Piggly Wiggly...

I got to the grocery store to buy more milk and I impulsively decided to get breakfast foods as well. I got a pack of Black Label bacon, eggs, cheddar cheese, grits, and loaf bread for toast. Spending $57 dollars on groceries every Monday night is just not going to cut it. I want to please my father with low grocery store expenditures, but I always end up hungry at the end of the week.

The Game Of the Week...

I am addicted to this game right now -- Pacific Theater of Operations II. I stayed up way too late playing it last night. I have always loved true military strategy games.

Thanks Are Due...

http://www.forbes.com/

Glittermom, Rita, and Amelia. Thank you for the feedback. Sadly, my father often uses my medications as a method of makeshift behavioral modification -- not really intent on lessening the symptoms of my mental illness,

If you've ever been to the psychiatric ward of a hospital, you would see plenty of seemingly drugged people walking the halls with their eyes looking glazed over like zombies. I call this the "Xanax haze" effect my mother can get sometimes. Drugged, malleable, and complacent. Mom falls prey to this much more than I do. She takes Zyprexa with is a much more sedating form of antipsychotic.

My father's (the feel good police) biggest worry and fear would be me talking all my Klonopin at once and not as prescribed. He doesn't want me to get "high" so he will not relinquish and let me take control of the pill blister pack. He will also feel out of control as he is a control freak and feels rabid about this topic.

Do I think I can take my medications without help now? I think I can and I've been asking my father for a one to two week trial period to see how I do. An ideal world would entail medications after breakfast every morning and I think it will help throughout my day as well. Alas, we have to take my meds on a schedule that is easiest for my father.

John Mayer - "Neon"

Putting On My Tinfoil Hat...

"Do you need anti-virus prevention on a Macintosh?" my brother asked me late last night in an extremely rare phone call.

"The chance of a Mac getting a virus is almost infinitesimally small," I replied to him. "Even Windows now has anti-virus built in called Windows Defender."

With a chuckle, I told my brother just to steer clear of porn websites and he would be fine. My brother had taken the big leap from windows to Apple buying a new computer this week. If Apple computers were conducive to gaming, then there would be hoards of people making the switch. It is rare to see a game ported over to the Mac.

Simma Down Now -- Simma Down...

It's not like me to be so negative as I was in the last blog post. I guess I needed to vent and you tend to vent to your old friends much like many of you are to me out in blog land. Many of you are so dear to me and I needed a lent ear. I am pretty much a laid back and loving life kind of guy.

Negativity also fosters more negativity and I am surprised I didn't get any nasty, scolding, or harsh comments out of that latter post to the blog.

Charlie and I performed the medication ritual tonight much to my relief. I was so glad to see that Chevrolet pull to the curb in front of my house. My father was meeting an old friend at the Irish Bred Pub downtown. Charlie also brought two large sized Arby's roast beef sandwiches and some of those delicious curly fries. As you may already know, Arby's is my all time favorite fast-food restaurant hands down. It is expensive, but worth the money -- a notch above all the rest of the fast food giants. Where else can you get two loaded Rueben sandwiches for under $10? And one that actually tastes good?

You're Always the Sun to Me...

I awoke this early morning with an extreme sense of vertigo. I had fallen asleep on my computer room bed once again and didn't know if it were early in the morning or late in the evening when awoke. I looked out the window to the east and saw the sun on the horizon. I knew then it was morning time. It was strange because Maggie wasn't in the bed with me. She was lying next to my bed sound asleep on the rug. I must've been flailing about in my sleep.

Vengeance Shall Be Mine...

My father was incredibly late again last night. He didn't arrive until almost 11pm. You can't help but be a little angry and livid if you shared my predicament. My patience had certainly been worn thin by the time my father had pulled up in front of my house.

"Could you at least give me a courtesy call if you are going to be so late?" I asked my father rather brusquely.

He made up some lame excuse about watching a movie on Netflicks. I don't like playing 2nd fiddle to Saving Private Ryan.

I am usually in the bed around 10:30pm. Next time, I am taking a long ride out into the countryside and let him see what it feels like when you have to wait on someone else for a change. Everybody in my family would be freaking out and extremely worried if I wasn't at home that time of the night. Maggie's kinder and much more tolerant than I. She is such a sweet dog. She gave my father the best welcome home treatment even though the little stinker could barely keep her eyes open.

Look What the Cat Drug In!

http://www.target.com/

I was expecting the Charles Meister tonight but to no avail, but my father came pulling up in front of my house around 10pm to Maggie's and my great surprise. Maggie was just elated.

I was beginning to think I had been forgotten about as Charlie would never leave me hanging so late like that. My father and I gave each other a warm but awkward embrace with lots of banter about missing each other. We then took my medications and got Maggie situated for the night and we then headed off to do some grocery shopping.

I was secretly hoping for Charlie as he wouldn't say a word about the over abundance and indulgence of sweet treats I was planning on getting tonight. Dad would be worried about nutrition and he was. I've gained about 10 pounds this month as well and he remarked about it. My father says drinking 4 gallons of sweet milk a week will certainly put some weight on you.

My grand total was $57 dollars. My favorite item was splurging and purchasing a whole Edwards key lime pie for $5.99. That is going to be such a treat when it thaws overnight. Guess what else I got? You guessed it! Cereal and milk. I got four gallons of sweet milk and three large bags of Kroger frosted flakes.

The  crème de la crème was that we got our favorite cashier, Paige, again tonight. Bless her soul. She is awesome. She waits on you. You don't wait on her.

All the Rage in Gaming Circles...

http://www.tomsguide.com/

Doesn't that look so neat and colorful? Illuminated keyboards are all the rage these days and I want in on the action. I just have to get permission from he who holds the purse strings first.

You're Such a Pecker...

I awoke very abruptly to what sounded like something was drilling on the side of the house -- a very loud staccato noise that was reminiscent of a machine gun. I've been noticing carpenter bees hanging around the eaves of my house. I looked up from this computer and there was a red-headed woodpecker hanging off the side of the house -- mystery solved. I hope they are not doing any damage. I am guessing that they are eating the carpenter bee larva.

Barbara's Words of Wisdom

I have a much needed therapy session at noon today. I need to get in the shower and get the proverbial ball rolling or I am going  to be late. I also dread what I consider a long drive to Auburn.

I have a lot I want to talk about this afternoon and I want to hear Barbara's' spin on things. I want to talk about my father's and my relationship. The man just makes me a total nervous wreck. I can feel the tension and anxiety building as soon as he pulls up in front of my house. I shouldn't let something like that bother me so and especially with it being my father.

Now, This is What I Call Gaming...

MSI Radeon R9 390 DirectX 12 R9 390 GAMING 8G 8GB 512-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

• $339.99

 I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies. A friend asked me why I only buy AMD branded video cards. I replied that you more bang for your buck when you go with AMD. I've just always been a Radeon fan. My very first video card was the original Radeon. 

Little Bitty Slider Hamburgers...

http://www.foodspotting.com/

Charlie and I have just gotten back from fast food row on the main street through Valley. We were rustling us up something to eat.

"The chili cheese pups are delicious," Charlie said as we pulled into Krystal's.

"Just tell them I want a sackful of Krystals and a large Coke," I reassuringly told good Charlie as he fretted that this order was growing complicated.

We were supposed to go grocery shopping tonight, but I called it off -- not knowing if I could stomach that stimulus fraught ordeal this evening.

Charlie insisted on paying for it, but I handed him my debit card and paid for the food myself. I am a lot of things, but I am not a mooch.

He's Just a Lucky Kind Of Guy, Ya Know?

The chuck wagon parked out front of my house a moment ago. Charlie was here with a box of fried chicken. Dusk was well underway when he arrived. I should have called him and offered to help tonight. His hands were full as he had a lot of people to feed.

"They were out of original recipe so I had to get you extra crispy," Charlie told me.

"That's fine," I told Charlie. "It will be a welcomed change of pace for me."

I don't think I've eaten extra crispy in years so it will be like eating it for the first time.

I helped Charlie bring everything inside and then we took my medications. I needed them tonight as I was feeling mentally addled -- kind of retarded mentally to be exact. I am very lucky to have Charlie as my benefactor for a few days.

"Call your mother and tell her to unlock the back door and that I am on my way," Charlie told me.

Mom, that rebel, got Wendy's again for another night.

So? What's your favorite guys and gals? Extra crispy or original recipe or even more cowbell?

The Lax Dog Father...

http://www.oddee.com/

Charlie was running really late this morning. The biscuits were cold, but that was something the microwave could easily remedy. Maggie and I were just glad to get them and to see Charlie as well. I wanted to know he was safe and sound as I grew worried with each passing hour.

"I'm bringing you and your mother supper around seven," Charlie told me. "Do you want your usual?"

I said yes and Charlie said goodbye. No hair jokes this morning. Charlie was all business. Charlie seemed flustered by the lateness in his deliveries.

Well, Maggie was putting up a fuss when I realized I hadn't prepared her biscuit and put it on the floor in her customary paper bowl.

"Bless your heart, darling. I am so sorry," I told my precious Maggie as I tore her biscuit up in little bits.

American Chinese...

Did you know that fortune cookies are an innovative American invention? Yes, they are.

Last night's fortune cookie said great wealth was coming my way which was so stereotypical. I chuckled as I read it to mom.

"If it came, I wouldn't be able to spend it," I told my mother with a goodhearted huff. "It would be confiscated by the feel good police also known as Johnny Otis."

Comment Replies...

glittermom said...

So what was wrong with your mothers phone?

Andrew Replies...

Glittermom, we don't know. We have an appointment scheduled with WOW! for Monday morning. There is so much static on the line that you can barely hear the other person speak if you can get it to dial at all. 

The Stage is Set...

http://www.cookingclassy.com/

Charlie came whizzing by in whirlwind fashion with my medications this afternoon. He was on the way to take Horsefly to see WarCraft at the Cinema down in Auburn.

"Charlie?" I asked as he handed me my pills and a regular Coca-Cola. "Can we take my medications when you bring breakfast in the morning?"

Charlie laughed and said, "Hell no! You don't need to take them that early. You would be wanting more at 10pm tomorrow night."

Charlie was pretty right in his assessment of the situation. I can be so impetuous.

Charlie was gone about as fast as he arrived. I think Horsefly got whiplash as Charlie flew off from the curve so fast. I then called my mother to let her know eating Chinese is on schedule. We are going at 5pm to beat the dinner crowd.

"Can I get an extra to-go General Tso's chicken for later?" I asked my mother very cautiously.

"You want both?" she asked warily.

"Yes, please," I told her. "I have nothing to eat at this house."

Translated that means I really like General Tso's chicken and I want some later tonight.

Who's Crazier? You or I?

My father rudely called me at 7am waking me from a very deep slumber. He was soon leaving for Florida. In fact, he was on the way out the door.

"Our landline phones are down and you know that is going to drive your mother crazy," my father told me. "Can you take care of that problem for me this morning? I am already running late."

I told my mother to unplug each cordless phone one at a time to find the likely culprit. Well, I am living amidst a bunch of technophobes and that stymied my mother.  I am sure my mother had that deer in the headlights look on her face.

Mom didn't have our cable and phone service's number so I looked it up on the internet for her.

"Let's let the professionals take care of this," I told her.

"I am calling WOW! right now," my mother told me.

I told my mother to keep her cellphone charged before we got off the phone in case she needs to reach me some more.

Okra Twice a Day Keeps the Northerners at Bay...

Okay, I feel like the big pig at the trough today. Dad just brought me a chicken finger plate from Chic Delight right at sunset. I have never seen so much fried okra in my life. Their dirty rice is wonderfully delicious as well. As soon as my medications soak in, then I am going to be chowing down. I gave Maggie one chicken finger and she was in ecstasy. She's now sniffing around the room for crumbs. Let's hope she gets lucky.

My brother rented a beach house in Destin, Florida for the weekend. Dad leaves in the morning for the orange state which is about a four-hour drive. You know what that means? Charlie will be my benefactor until next Tuesday. Charlie is taking me to buy groceries as well and that is going to be a real treat. "You need to get more than that," he will tell me when I say I am ready to checkout.

Hear! Hear! Let's Have Some Summer Storms!

A Very Awesome Late Lunch...

Dad cooked some delicious country vegetables and fried pork chops for lunch. Just look at all that wonderful boiled okra in with the peas. That's how my Memaw always did it as well. Dad's a good cook, but he can't beat Helen's creamed potatoes, nor can he topple Helen's cornbread from its soul-food throne.

Rise and Shine Sweet Maggie Girl...

http://girlfriendscoffeehour.com/

The east sun is shining brightly through my computer room window this morning. Shafts of sunlight reveal dust as it swirls in the eddies of the air. I watch as a lone firefly tries to climb a pane in my computer room window.

The dishes are washed, cleaned, and put away for another morning. I am still so sleepy. I might go back to bed for a few more hours of rest. That's what the Magster did -- she ate her grits, bacon, and eggs, and went back to sleep.

We were up awful early this morning. Maggie and I both woke at dawn. My circadian clock is trying its best to stay on schedule -- trying to thwart another insomnia phase of mine. Waking at 6:45am is not a good sign, though.

"Are you going to sleep all day?" I asked Maggie as she watched the ongoing proceedings warily from the computer room bed. I might just try to medicate her and she hates it. If she sees me coming with nail clippers and some kind of ointment like Neosporin, then she is out that dog door lickety split. She is a fair representative of a greased pig at the county fair. Lord knows if we have to take a pill. Maggie is still on antibiotics and I've been trying to put them in her food.

Maggie's "Cha Cha" is getting a lot of attention the past few days. I looked at her nether regions a moment ago and things look okay. Nothing is swollen. Maybe Maggie just enjoys licking her Cha Cha sometimes.

A Dandy of a Deluge...

We just had one of the most vigorous downpours I've experienced in years. I just knew the lightning was going to knock out the power to my house. My grandmother would call this "coming up a cloud" and an electrical storm.

Down the street, it is flooded and these crazy people and their cars are still flying through it sending water everywhere in great waves of the wet stuff.

My father just has left. He was really early tonight and I was elated. Hell, even the Magster was beside herself as well. I let my elation be known so maybe we can have a return visit early tomorrow as well. That means I get to put on my soft boxer shorts and a supple white cotton t-shirt early, browse the web, and go to bed at a decent time tonight.

Now, I just have one hour to wait for my medications to take effect. I use this time in the interim of my medications taking effect to write a blog post. It is a cherished ritual for me. This is my favorite time to write a blog post.

We might also have a bowl of frosted flakes and bananas before bed as well.

"How does it feel to have four days off?" I asked my father.

"Don't jinx it," he told he told me with a wince as he knocked on the wood of my window behind us. "I don't wan't to get called into work in the morning."

The Trial of the Rumpus...

My injection was this morning. I admired myself in that I set my alarm clock and didn't rely on my father to wake me up. I am slowly becoming a responsible adult. I ate two strawberry Pop-Tarts and then headed to Kamath Medical ten minutes before the top of the hour.

"You're back!" I exclaimed joyfully to my favorite nurse. "I thought I had lost you."

My regular nurse, Rebecca, is very fair skinned and you could easily see her blush.

I know I am going to sound whiney this morning, but my injection today felt like a hot poker in my gluteous maximus. Boy, did it burn. Sometimes, I won't even feel it, but today was not one of those days.

Something funny happened at the pharmacy after I returned. There was a sign that said ask about John's cough syrup. I was just joking about trying it when Matt pulled on this big bottle of my father's elixir.

"Matt! That cough syrup is 15% grain alcohol!" my father urgently said.

My new bottle of cough syrup was immediately confiscated.

One of the Women I Admire the Most...

Annabel said...

Josh and I are planning a trip to Atlanta this summer and we would love to be able to meet you for lunch as we come through. Would you be up for that? Let me know so we can make plans!

Andrew Replies...

Annabel, I would be delighted to see you and meet Josh at the same time. I am very accommodating so just pick a day and I will be there. We could eat at Roger's bar-b-que which is very close to the interstate. 

It Will Probably Fizzle Out Before it Gets Here...

Let's Put a Little Shine On and Shine Brightly...

http://www.nytimes.com/

Guess where I was at 3:30am this morning? WaL-MarT! Yes I was astonishingly shopping at WaL-MarT. I couldn't sleep and the only time I can go in that wretched place is that time of the night.

I do hope we are not oscillating to another insomnia phase. I tend to cycle between too much sleep and then not getting enough rest. My mother tends to do this as well. It's in our genes.

WaL-MarT was deserted this morning. I only saw two souls and one was the cashier. I got a bunch of car care products like RainX, carnauba wax and tire shine. We are going to get my car looking mighty fine and in tip top shape. It is going to take me hours to wax that car, but it will be worth it. I want to see some shine going on.

The only fast-food place open all night in my little podunk town is Krystal's and I had worked up a hunger doing all that toilsome shopping in Satan's lair. I drove through the drive-thru and got me a sackful of 12 sliders. I couldn't give Maggie any as they have lots of onions on them and I had read on the web that onions are terrible for dogs. Boy, did she protest! She couldn't understand why she couldn't have some of those greasy and delicious little hamburgers.

To My Friend Christina...

It's great you are so close. You have always been my voice of reason over the years. You are probably going through culture shock right now living in Atlanta. My house is about 45 minutes from Atlanta's airport. We will have to meet halfway someday in Newnan, Georgia. There is a great little Chinese restaurant there. Keep in mind that I may have a few blunderous moments of social faux pas. Laugh with me and not at me!

And the Clock Ticks and the Minutes Pass...

Maggie's sound asleep on my computer room bed at the moment. It was 81° degrees in here, but I turned the air down some for us to get comfortable before bed. Maggie will sleep until I holler, "Papa's Here!" She will then go flying for the front door to greet him. Dad will come walking across the yard all the while faux barking getting Maggie all riled up into a delightful stir.

It's 8:40pm as I write this so my father will be stopping by any minute now. I am spoiled for when Charlie performs the medication ritual as he always brings something really tasty and good to eat. If I were a gambling man, I would say my father will be here around 9pm (and he arrived at 9pm).

My El Rio Grande fajitas were thoroughly disappointing tonight. Firstly, they were undercooked. Secondly, there was very little fajita sauce used. I ate it none-the-less as I was hungry, but I am still going to bitch about it. The rice, beans, and queso needed a makeover as well.

I'll Have the Fried Las Cacarachas Please...

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/

It is Mexican Tuesday tonight. Mom confirmed with me in the last hour what I wanted to eat. I told her to get me the usual as in chicken fajitas. They will give me way more food than I could ever eat in one sitting and I am going to be gracious about the whole affair. The last time I deviated from fajitas and got chilies relleños, they messed up the dish and used bell peppers instead of poblano chilies. That was just a travesty for Mexicans everywhere.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short...

This was a first! Dad asked me last night if I was mad at him when he arrived very late last night. Usually, he could care less. It is also usually the other way around as I feel so insecure and codependent around him. He said he lost track of the time "computering". He didn't get here until 9:45pm to buy groceries.

"I just want one period of my life to have independence and money, and I want someone to have to wait on me for a change," I told my father bitingly. "I feel like I am in the army -- always hurry up and wait on someone else."

I actually wasn't mad at my father. I told him his emotional reading of me was wrong. I was just flabbergasted as to how I was going to get all this grocery shopping done yet one more time. It is sensory overload for me.

"I don't know why your daddy does that to you," my mother said later on the phone.

Sonic, Books-A-Million, Petco...

"Can I have some extra chocolate syrup on my banana split?" I asked the carhop over the intercom. "I will pay extra for it."

"Sweetie," she said loudly with a background crackle. "Don't worry about the money. I will have your desserts out in a moment."

You never know what you're going to get at Sonic or what to expect I have learned over the years. I always tip well for prompt and good service, though.

"I should have gotten extra syrup as well," my mother lamented which made me chuckle.

My banana split was delicious and fast, and I tipped the carhop an extra $2 dollars.

Mom and I both have taste-buds like kids or teenagers. My father loves to tell us that as well.

Mom bought five more books at Books-A-Million this morning. She was worried about angering my father for spending all that money. Why do we live in fear of that tyrannical man? It is not just me. It is mom as well. She fretted about it the whole drive home.

"Have you ever read Crazy in Alabama?" mom asked me as we drove to the pet store.

"Oh, I love that book," I told my mother. "It was a real treat!"

"I was going to give you a copy if you've never read it," mom continued.

Next was Petco. We got some good advice from one of the employees and got Maggie a large bag of Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice dog food. Maggie's already had a half a bowl today and loves the stuff. She's been eating Purina One for years and years, and you know she has to be delighted at the change in her food.

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http://www.jokeroo.com/

What is your opinion on my still feeding Maggie breakfast every morning? Do you think it will harm her in the long term? Tough love? It is such a cherished ritual around here. 

"They Come in Here Every Monday Night So Treat Them Right!"

That's what our clerk, Paige, told our aloof looking bag-boy tonight. It was so good to get and see her again. She is one hell of a gal. There is no dawdling with Paige. She gets you in and out. It is the god's honest truth that she is the epitome of customer service. She is always donning a brilliantly white smile as well.

On a tangent, I am drinking my first Mountain Dew as I write this and it is so awesomely, heavenly good! What a thirst quencher! I have the other bottle in the freezer to get it icy cold. Now, we shall commence with the rest of this blog post.

Kroger had some marked down/quick sale "Manager's Special" Hebrew National Franks so I will be having hot-dogs this week. I got two packs of franks and two bags of Kroger hot dog buns. I will be in hot dog heaven. This was my impulse buy and only deviation from what I talked about buying earlier in the day.

I sent dad on a quest to get me some tomato ketchup and he soon came ambling down the aisle with a bottle of Heinz ketchup in hand. He also had paper bowls with which we use to feed Maggie with. She gets a fresh bowl every night.

Surreptitious Dealings...

Tomorrow, mom and I are driving down to Petco in Auburn to get Maggie some quality dog food. Mom also wants banana splits from Sonic and a quick trip to the bookstore to see if anything strikes her fancy. I am going to research some dog food tonight before I go to bed. I want only the best for my Maggins.

Yay! It is Grocery Day!

I am chomping at the bit about buying groceries tonight! I am subsisting today on PB and J (actually strawberry preserves) sandwiches with wheat bread acquired from my fretting and doting mother. Wheat is just no substitute for white bread, though, when it comes to peanut butter and jelly sanwiches.

I hope to buy more frosted flakes cereal and my four gallons of milk tonight. I am also craving my two allotted weekly bottles of Mountain Dew Baja Blast for the week that I like to drink when I am writing my "grocery store debriefing". lol

Tomorrow's supper is going to be beef Stroganoff using Charlie's wife's recipe.  I will have to put the recipe up sometimes, but you use the cans of steamed Brazilian beef they sell at the grocery store. The hardest part is boiling the noodles. It makes a hot, filling, and rich meal with lots of leftovers.

I am also going to try my very earnest tonight to change Maggie's dog food to something more premium without that poultry by-product meal. Wish me luck because my father is going to balk something fierce at this change. I seriously doubt I will be able to do it, but I am going to try. I know some of you are going to wonder when I will eventually grow a backbone. You have to be very careful and wise not to antagonize he who holds the purse strings.

My main meals are going to be more of that Tai Pei frozen Asian meal fare. It is pretty good with some extra soy sauce (which I need more of) added to kick it up a notch. I love the spicy and tongue biting General Tso's Chicken. The Pepper Beef is really good as well. The Bourbon Chicken is sweet, but not in a garish or unappealing way.

Tumult...

I've had a tumultuous day, but the important things are that I am safe, mentally well, cool in this hot weather, and at home with my dear Maggie.

Human and Civil Rights...

You have a right to live. You have a right to be. You have these rights regardless of money, health, social status, or class. You have these rights, man, woman, or child. These rights can never be taken away from you, they can only be infringed. When someone violates your rights, remember, it is not your fault. You were wronged.

http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/

Incredible Information Overload...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Dad said last night that my uncle and sister-in-law were asking why I never get on Facebook anymore.

"Your uncle said you were really charismatic and a darn good writer," he told me.

"Information overload," I told him. "Too many photos and it was stimulus crazy."

"Is that what happened to you and Laura?" my father asked me.

"We had no real way to keep in touch other than Facebook," I told Pops. "You know I won't answer the phone without mom's and my code and I can't call long distance anymore. Hell, I never was good at talking on the phone."

I just looked at Facebook and I am not missing anything other than a message a good and dear blog friend may be coming through town this summer on her way to Atlanta.

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I just called my father back and asked him if I could take my medications this morning. He acted surly about it, but he said he would call me in an hour or two. I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. The withdrawal is pretty acute and aggravating, to say the least. I've gotta get off all these pills and that seems like climbing Everest at the moment. .

Comment Replies...

 

http://www.ohthebooks.com/

glittermom said...

I'm impressed...was this before your illnesses started to develop? And before you started self-medicating with alcohol. Were you married at that time? You've never really talked about what your life was before..maybe we need an outline. LOL...I remember in school we always were making outlines...they probably don't even do that in school anymore.

Andrew Replies...

My trucking days were mostly before things got bad. I could kind of "keep it together" back then. I would drink some on the road, but only when I had gotten a hotel or motel room for the night. I would only allow myself a six-pack so I would be sober when it was time to hit the road in the morning. I was married when I was a truck driver. I was trying to get Rachel and I some health insurance as she had lots of health problems. I was even a gray shirt (manager) at Auto Zone after going to school two years to be an auto mechanic.

My major in college was voice performance/music education and my minor was piano. I thought you might find that interesting. Yes, I sing. I tried out for a scholarship and got most of my college education paid for until I dropped out and it about killed my father. College was were schizophrenia first reared its ugly head.

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 Jan said...

Sadly, it's true. It's gross.

Bill, my late mastiff, scratched so hard, he shook the house (he weighed 205)...my vet insisted I give him quality food (expensive but he ate less) and stopped giving him people food.

Within a week, his 'cooties' disappeared.

Give it a shot...if you need guidance, let me know. Do you have a t

Tractor Supply nearby?


Andrew Replies...

Jan...

Thank you so much for the great and excellent advice. I really appreciate it. Now, to figure out how to get my stodgy old father to change Maggie's dog food!

So? You think you are feeding your dog premium dog food?

I was just looking at the ingredients in Maggie's dog food. One of the main ingredients is "poultry by-product meal ". I searched on the web for this ingredient and did an about take. There were a lot of cons and pros, but I thought a premium dog food like Purina One wouldn't have such a cheap ingredient which is basically just ground up carcasses of chicken and by product chicken parts.

The Dog Dad...

I had four eggs left and a hungry human and dog to feed this morning. Times like this is when wholesomely enriched, filling, and buttery grits are a godsend.

"You hungry girl?" I asked Maggie as I pulled on my pants not long from climbing out of the bed.

It was freezing in here as I had turned the air down to 74° degrees before bed last night.

Maggie sat on the floor beside me wildly wagging her tail.  Some days it is good to be a dog dad. It is very easy to make Maggie a happy dog.

I scrambled four eggs and made a big pot of grits. I decided on the fly to add cheese to the grits which makes them very thick and rich.

After breakfast, I watched some television as Maggie lay with part of her touching my foot.  That is just another little Maggieism. She loves doing that to my father as well.

Carryout? Or Dine In?

http://creativelyclassy.blogspot.com/

"I am whispering because I don't want to wake your mother," my father told me upon answering the phone.

I know the routine well. Never call the landline phone on the days my father isn't working as the phone by my mother's bed will wake her up. This supremely aggravates my father. Mom usually doesn't stir until around late evening if she isn't disturbed.

"How are you Chuck?" my father then asked still whispering.

"I am fine," I replied feeling the need to whisper as well. "All I need is for your to put my Cokes on the back porch."

"I will set them out there," my father replied.

Is my mother that terrible of a person to be around? I have always found her a kind and pleasant person. Dad says she will burden him with problems and "honey do" projects.

Good Memories of Rachel and I...

I absolutely loved this motorcycle. Rachel and I walked into the Suzuki dealership in Auburn years ago. I sat on a few bikes until I found this little 4 cylinder burgundy baby and fell in love.

"It that the one you want?" Rachel asked me and I nodded my head yes.

She wrote a check and I picked up my motorcycle the next day as they had to prep it first.

It was an everyday driver. It was just like a car to me. I rode that thing even in the worst of weather. I was so proud to get it.

Ice and Snow in Arkansas...

I will never forget this haul. I was based out of Birmingham, Alabama on the Dollar General account and had to take a load to a little small podunk town in Arkansas. I got caught in a winter weather event. It thrilled me and scared me at the same time. I eventually had to put on my tire chains, a laborious process, to make it out of Arkansas. That payment looks wet, but it is actually ice. I was having trouble backing up to the loading/unloading bay. I couldn't get traction.

And You're Worried About Gas Prices?

What it cost to fill up my big rig when I was a long-haul truck driver.

Grits? Fine By Me!

http://www.cdkitchen.com/

It is getting to the end of the week were the eggs are in short supply.  I hadn't got my tennis shoes on good after waking and Maggie was already in the kitchen laying by the kitchen table. She knows the routines well. I got in the kitchen and rustled us up some buttery grits and cheese toast.

I was cutting up the cheese for our toast when one piece fell off the counter and rolled onto the floor. I swear it disappeared about as fast as it met the linoleum. Maggie looked up at me like, "More please?" I couldn't help but to start chuckling.

"Yeah, I bet you would like some more," I told her.

Dad says I am going to constipate that dog.

Now, Maggie can't understand why she has to wait to eat and I am already eating mine. I am letting her's cool down some before I give it to her.

Did You Call Me?

I keep trying to reach my father on his cellphone. I am chomping at the bit to take my medications early today, but he doesn't answer. I may be stupid, but I am pretty sure he doesn't leave the house without that cell phone in his pocket. I get paranoid thinking he is intentionally avoiding. me and my calls because "I might want something out of him". I finally just left a message on his voicemail and put the issue to rest.

Would You Spend $1700 Dollars On a Processor?

Intel Core i7-6950X 25M Broadwell-E 10-Core 3.0 GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W Desktop Processor

$1,749.99

Pros: -10 cores 20 threads provides incredible performance for demanding applications or CPU intensive workloads.
-This chip overclocks very well, I currently have mine stable at 4.5GHz at 1.47V cooled by a Corsair H110i cooler. This does produce a lot of heat which is why i stopped at this point, stress tests have it peaking around 90C in the hotter cores for me. I recommend no less than a similar liquid cooler is you plan to overclock.
-Excellent performance in both single-core and multi-core use. In single-core use tests have found it to be better by a notable margin against the chip I replaced with it, a 5930k, at the same clock speeds. In multi-core use it is fully as impressive as I expected.

Cons: -Rather pricy, but if that is the deal breaker this chip is not for you.
-Few consumer applications can make use of all 10 cores.

Other Thoughts: At this price point Intel's Xenon processors become competitive options. For those who value multi-core performance the most a Xenon processor may be the better option, but for those who also value single-core performance (gamers especially) this chip is the better option.

It's That Time Again...

That's the earliest my father has ever arrived from work and the closing of the pharmacy in recent memory. Dusk was at hand and the skies were still bright and blue. Shafts of sunlight shined through my bathroom window hitting the wall in the hall.

"I bet you want to get in your leather recliner, crack open an icy cold diet Coke, and watch TV?" I asked my father.

"Yes!" he replied in exclamation, raising his hands up in victory -- almost in exaltation of a god for that hardened atheist. "And I hope your mother is in the bed so she won't ask me a hundred hard questions!"

Dad's been having me clean one thing a day and I chose my bathroom sink and mirror for today's project. He was pleased. Yesterday, I mopped the bathroom and kitchen floors.

"Yes!" he happily said as he patted me on my back after surveying my efforts.

Pops had made it through another grueling 10 hour shift filling prescriptions. I greedily scarfed down my medications and told him goodnight.