Storms Come! Let Me Be Strong!

Delicious strips of smoked applewood bacon along with a folded egg and cheese served on a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit. http://www.chick-fil-a.com/

I pulled an all-nighter this morning and last night. First light is on the horizon and I still haven't gone to ye olde bed yet. I just couldn't drift off to sleep at all. I have about driven Maggie crazy with my trying every available sleeping arrangement in this house desperate for sleep. She has followed me around the house and has finally crashed on the computer room bed giving up on my antics.

May the Biscuit Be With You...

I am anxiously awaiting Charlie's arrival for Sunday morning biscuits. Hunger is the name of the game. I know beggars can't be choosers, but I sure would like some bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits this week. Last week we had sausage biscuits. The bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits just seemed more substantial and filling.

Darkness Was Brewing on the Horizon...

We badly need the rain and had some whoppers of some storms blow through yesterday afternoon. They knocked my power out two separate times sending all my computers into a state of total disarray and helter skelter. A quick change to some variables in my bios changed things so the computers don't try to boot again in such a situation. The batteries in my uninterruptible power supplies have about gone out leaving me about a 5 to 10 minute interval to save my work and shut every thing down. .

Mom and Dad's Little New Found Feline...

http://www.glogirly.com/

Mom and dad have a new addition to the family. She has been over at the river house for well over a week and dad finally relented and just decided to bring her home. She is still just a kitten. Dad left my house to go get a litter box and food last night. He had vowed a few years ago that he would never get another cat when Macy was put to sleep. Never say never I have learned over the years.

I was petting her a moment ago getting my sodas and cigars and she purred so loudly and was very affectionate. She will be a good companion to my mother as my father stays gone so much. It is a tradition that Mom names all our pets including Maggie so it will be neat to share this tabbies new name over the next few days.

Did Someone Say Filet?

http://www.primesteakhouses.com/

Dad is grilling filet mignons tonight and I certainly look forward to that. It is the only cut of meat that I will eat that seems to get under cooked and still very pink in the center. Usually, I like my steaks medium well.

"Save room for supper," my mother told me as I made up one of my Coke care packages in the coat closet.

In childlike innocence, my mother asked me if she wanted me to cut up my steak so I could chew it better.

Dangerous Liaisons...

"Come outside and look at this crazy shit," my father told me before the medication ritual tonight.

They say that alcoholism is the very definition of insanity -- trying the same thing over and over and expecting difference results to no avail.

I had been asleep for most of the day in my recliner and was jarred awake by a very loud knock on my door. My father had snuck up on me and my proximity alarm (Magster) as well. We weren't expecting him for another hour.

Apparently, George had driven into his laundry room on the carport today. The door frame was dented to hell and the laundry room door was sitting on the ground. Bricks lay scattered everywhere about. There was also some very noticeable damage to the front end of his Dodge Caravan. Dad gave me a lecture as to the fact I was headed down the same road as George before I got sober.

Maggie's Bait and Switch...

The story of my life is when the Magster wakes me up this early morning because she is lonely and hungry. What does she do as I stir about the room putting my clothes on? She goes and gets in the warm spot I left in the bed and goes back to sleep. It is called dog logic. Maggie can play me like a harp at times. Now, if we can just get her eye infection cleared up then she will be perfectly healthy.

Put the Car in the Garage Gracie and Tuck Me in to Sleep...

"I will be so glad to get home!" my father exclaimed last night loosening his necktie. "Some days are best meant to be put behind us."

To his credit, he did look down in the dumps last night. He says he has to be hyper vigilant about filling prescriptions for fears of hurting someone by giving the wrong pills. In other words, can you say lawsuit central or even deadly harm?

Dad let his guard down he was so tired last night and left a whole package of my medications sitting on the seat of my recliner. I could've had a Klonopin party, but I ran out into the front yard to get his attention so as to give him my blister pack of crazy meds. He thanked me profusely for being so honest with him about this matter. Now, if he would just put more trust in me then he would be pleasantly surprised.

George Has Got the Blue Light Blues...

http://papublicsafety.com/

The police pulled up in front of my house this afternoon lights flashing. My heart leapt up into my throat as my hands began to tremble. I didn't need this shit today.

"Are you George?" a very stoic looking police officer with heavy tinted sunglasses asked me.

These guys all looked business. I thought about what terrible deed in my drunken drinking past has come back to haunt me at first before the officer mentioned George's name.

"He lives next door to your left," I told Mr. Policeman guardedly.

I sighed as I shut my door, but I really don't want to see my very kind neighbor get in trouble.

Well, I was a terrible busybody/nosey neighbor (just call me Ethel) and stood by my porch door so I could hear what was being said.  The police department had several calls about a weaving and swerving tan Dodge van that looked just like George's car's description. The driver seemed intoxicated and a good samaritan called in to the police station with George's license plate number.

Nurses Need Vacations, Too!

https://www.pinterest.com

When I was at mom and dad's last night, I asked my father what day is my injection. He looked at the next appointment card in his wallet.

"Good thing you asked Chuck," my father replied. "Your injection is in the morning."

We had both about forgotten this little detail of my mental healthcare.

You Rang?

Dad called me this morning and I was in dreamland -- not easily awoken. The phone loudly rang which was an acute intrusion on my tender sensibilities. I almost threw my shoe at the phone.

"Get a shower and shave, put on some respectful clothes, and I will meet you at the pharmacy at nine," he told me.

Today's journey took 30 minutes from the time I left the house until I sat back down in front of this computer to write this missive. Rebecca was relieved to see me as she is on vacation next week. She said she was about to call my father.

 It is really awesome how Kamath Medical gets me in and sends me back home in such a prompt manner. I don't think i could take dawdling doctors and nurses most days and the lobby is like an icebox. I once again carried a much-needed jacket with me.

I did remember to get my coveted two regular 20oz Coca-Colas before leaving the pharmacy. I also got some cheese on wheat crackers of which I am munching on as I write this. The Lance brand is mighty tasty.

Comment Replies...

glittermom said...

What kind of hard questions does your father always say your mother asks?

LOL! This and that! She's always worried about something. 

Tonight she was doggedly determined and worried about the house alarm not engaging or turning on. Dad had to call and schedule a maintenance visit or he wouldn't have heard the end of it. I don't know why she won't call herself, but she leaves that kind of stuff up to my father. Dad decided tonight to just get a new wireless alarm system installed and that made my mother very happy.

She'll do it to me, too. I was at mom and dad's at 11pm tonight picking up some pork chops and rice and the ingredients to make more tomato sandwiches, and mom noticed I hadn't had a shave for a few days. My cordless razor is getting very dull and it pinches my skin and I explained that to her. Mom will worry and call me about it till we go to Wal-Mart and buy a new one. One cordless razor lasts me about a year.  

There is a Lot Going On In Papa's Kitchen...

"Can I take my medications early today?" I timidly asked my father  as I rolled the dice of fate over the phone this afternoon.

It was a long shot, but I had to ask anyway. My father had the ingredients for a decent afternoon or a miserable existence. I did this after the cursory phone call filled with pleasantries and greetings.

Maggie and I had just crawled out of the bed about 4pm. The withdrawal was pretty acute today for some unknown reason. I wanted to cover my head and sleep the day away, but my circadian rhythms decided it was time to wake up for another day.

"Give me fifteen minutes so I have time to get home," my father said leaving Kroger. "And we will get you fixed up."

Dad said he was cooking his pork chops and Campbell's chicken and rice soup concoction. It is always delicious and he said himself or Charlie would bring me by a plate tonight.

I was astonished that was so easy. There were no gnashing of teeth and hard questions to answer. It was a simple phone call and a drive over to get my medications. Everybody was glad to see me.

As I drove to my parents, I noticed Fred's Super Dollar was crazy busy -- tons of cars in the parking lot. I was going to stop for some Johnny Otis sanctioned cashew bits and peices but decided to forego Fred's after seeing that.

For This We Shall Bark and Be Merry...

http://www.cnet.com/roadshow

Maggie and I were both so glad to see Papa pull up in front of the house in the X5 tonight. Maggie yelped with pleasure as I said a hearty, "YES!" It was medication time for this crazy old coot and his entourage of canines and a mish mash of computers.

Dad didn't stay long, but I sure was glad to see him. He was the only human I had seen all day except for a few cameos from my mother. I was lonesome for some company that was interested in what I was saying and not just interested in what I was eating (Magster).

"Do you think mom will give a greeting as good as Maggie's?" I asked my father in jest as we walked out into my front yard amid twinkling fireflies.

Maggie really was especially overjoyed to see my father tonight. She has a big wolf-pack to look over and provide for. They must check in from time to time.

"Nine times out of ten your mother will meet me at the garage door asking hard questions and worrying over various problems," my father replied. "I can barely get my tie off and the onslaught begins."

The Dog Days of Summer...

Sirius, the dog star, is here above the horizon and boy is he hot. The dog days of summer are well underway. This kind of weather keeps the Magster and I in the well air-conditioned indoors. It was a quick trip to go get my sodas a few minutes ago -- my car feeling like a blast furnace in the bowels of hell. My Honda was finally cooling down as I pulled in my parent's back driveway.

I didn't know Sirius was a binary solar system with Sirius A and the much smaller white dwarf star Sirius B (about the size of the earth).

"Don't forget I am bringing you a Mexican meal tonight," my mother told me sticking her head out of the back door as I reached for my cokes.

She startled me and I told her many thanks once I had regained my composure. I had cooked some pepperoni pizza hot pockets and will just save them for later.

I Better Start Looking for that Needle in the Haystack...

Because that's about how it feels. I don't have much hopes of getting my internet changed to a much higher speed. I am going try once more with asking my father if I could do something to help him in exchange. Remember, you always catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I ought to just be thankful for what I have, but this is very important to me.

Ingrid Michaelson - Charlie [Lyrics]

Hot Dog Heaven...

https://www.hy-vee.com

Dad and I performed the medication ritual while we bantered back and forth between us about various topics.

"Come on son and let's go get you some groceries," he said to me as he stood up from the couch.

The last light of dusk was on the horizon at 9pm. Dad marveled how long the days seem lately.

I met my father at Kroger's and we headed inside to get this necessary and dreaded ritual underway.

I got two large bags of Ball Park hot dog buns and some Hebrew National bun length franks tonight. I've been craving them for days and my dream came true.

My father doesn't like the "frou-frou" Hebrew National franks and he told me so.

"I just want a regular plain jane hot dog like Charlie grills them," my father told me with his nose upturned.

Charlie's grilled hot dogs are certainly delicious I had to agree.

"You got me hooked on these," I told my father with a grin as I put 3 very large bunches of bananas on the conveyor belt to be rung up.

They had organic bananas on sell tonight and the price was exorbitant.

I got Maggie some Pupperoni dog treats before leaving and she seems to like them. This aspect of Monday night will probably become a regular part of Monday night grocery shopping so Maggie won't feel so left out. Maggie better not go bury them in the backyard as it will be a feast for the neighborhood opossums and raccoons.

I'll Take a Flogging for $1000 Alex...

There are a dozen things I would rather be doing than buying groceries tonight. I am just not in the mood for doing that chore this evening. I would rather sit here and be hungry. My father won't take no for an answer, though. Never does. He is such a task master most days about this matter.

"You will be glad you have it done when you get home and put up your groceries," he will tell me.

He's pretty much right. It will be nice to have something alternative like milk to drink for a few days.

I am so sorry today that I haven't even gone and got my soda allotment for the evening. It seems like such a gargantuan task. I always buy a bunch of junk food when I grocery in such moods as well. Get in and get out as fast as I can is my modus operandi.

Charlie brought me a grand meal yesterday evening. In a plastic sack were two deliciously grilled hamburgers, potato salad, zesty slaw, baked beans, and a delicious slice of Horsefly's store bought birthday cake. Charlie also brought my medications to take. We fed and watered Maggie and then Charlie was on his way.

The Internet at Warp Speed...

WOW! introduced a new internet speed last week and I am so very much drooling.  It is an astonishingly fast 300 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. It costs $89.99 a month. I did a little begging last night and will continue to do so today. It would be my dream come true. In juxtaposition, I have 30 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up at the moment.

"I wish you could work and get these kinds of things with your own money," my father told me callously last night.

I had a face-palm moment for a few seconds there when my father said that.

The Chuck-wagon Extraordinaire...

http://wallpaperfx.com/

My proximity alarm (Maggie) went off around 8am. Charlie and I got to bantering as he was feeling good and feeling verbose. I told him I got a great night's sleep as well.

"How many people are you having over for Horsefly's birthday?" I asked Charlie already guessing he invited a ton of folks.

"I asked over 20 people to come so I better go home and get to grilling," Charlie replied.

Dad said last night that Charlie is about to get too old for this. Charlie is 71 himself these days. He's no spring chicken.

"I will see you around 4 or 5 with your burgers," Charlie said as he was leaving.

He still had few more deliveries to complete on this our Sunday morning biscuits ritual.

With Trembling Hands I Greet You...

"Your aunt wants you to come to her birthday party this afternoon. She specifically asked for you," my father told me during the medication ritual.

My aunt Pam and I were kindred spirits when I was growing up.

My mind started to racing wildly and went into a frenzy mode. I've got to find a way to get out of this and fast. 

"Tell her I love her, but I am not going to being to make it," I told Johnny Otis. "Be honest and tell her I have social anxiety."

Dad made me feel better when he said he had a billion betters things to do with his time as well. That made me light-hearted and feeling better.

Horsefly Turns 45 Young Years in Age...

The doctors always warned Charlie that Horsefly wasn't going to live very long. Well, he's 45 today as well despite the odds and Charlie is grilling hamburgers.

"I'm bringing you some burgers this afternoon so don't ruin your appetite,"  Charlie told me.

Lights, Darkness, Distance...

https://spiritualclarity.wordpress.com

"Your father is on the way," my mother told me over the phone after our customary one ring and call back.

I love it when mom calls and gives me a heads up like that. ETAs are always welcomed. Maggie and I both took our places on the couch on lookout for Papa. Ten cars drove down the main drag and then a black Honda, the eleventh car, pulled up next to my curb. Maggie went bonkers when she recognized my father's CR-V.

Moments Later...

The medication ritual is in the books. Dad and I both were in quiet and somber moods tonight -- not much talking going on. Maggie has usurped my usual sitting spot next to my father. She's the big dog of the house and she knows it. I have to now sit in the recliner next to the couch.

"You tell them how it is going to be, girl!" my father said with a hearty laugh as I looked upon this in dismay.

Dad brought me more welcomed leftover corned beef hash of which I am about to partake in as soon as my medications soak in. He also cooked me a small and fresh pan of cornbread which was very appreciated. Dad cooks what we call "egg bread" in the South as he adds an egg or two to the batter to make the cornbread much richer.

Birds Gotta Fly and Fish Gotta Swim...

I do believe I am going to have to break down and buy one of these video cards. It has gotten stellar reviews and is only $239.99. It even has 8GB of vram at that price. They are touting some kind of revolutionary "polaris architecture" which I need to go read more of what the hubbub and excitement is about. They are all claiming it is virtual reality ready as well (VR for the masses). 

Radeon RX 480 DirectX 12 PCI Express 3.0 x16 ATX Video Card $239.99

A Day Off is a Good Day Indeed...

My father usually has to work most Thursdays. I called him to ask a question and to give him a financial warning. He surprised me in a good fashion by being at home.

"What is momma doing?" I asked him very curiously.

Dad was drinking a diet Coke and watching the television.

"She is watching me and asking me a hundred hard questions," dad told me as we both chuckled. "She is also so excited that she can see and read without her glasses."

You could hear my mother chuckle nervously in the background.

"I am going to go fill up my car with gas so don't be surprised at the $25 dollar or more charge on my debit card," I told him.

I wanted to ask for my medications but held off for the time being.  I was feeling some slight to moderate withdrawal. 9:30pm will be here before I know it, though.

"Just bring me the receipt," my father told me cautiously.

Just in the Kitchen with My Gal and Cooking...

https://www.pinterest.com

The first local garden grown tomatoes are showing up at the farmer's markets. Maggie just lay on the floor for 5 minutes as I prepared myself a tomato sandwich. She took one smell and decided it wasn't for her. I further perpetuated the confusion down South by either choosing Duke's or Blue Plate mayonnaise. People swear by both. I prefer Blue Plate.

"Save some room for supper," my father just told me over the phone. "I am bringing you some corned beef hash."

Gonna End Up a Big Old Pile of Them Bones...

I know it's kinda macabre, but my father and I were discussing death and the afterlife this morning. Dee's funeral Sunday prompted this.

"It is very scary to some people that there is nothingness after they die," he told me told me very animatedly. "There is no afterlife at all when you take that 'celestial' dirt nap."

My father is a weird kind of Atheist. He loves to go to church to listen and participate in music. He just takes the proselytizing about Jesus with a grain of salt.

"That's why we've got over 4000 different religions on this planet," I replied. :"They call it the God part of the brain."

Dad went off on this long winded diatribe that obtaining immortality is via your genes.

"I guess that's is why I am a genetic dead end?" I asked him when our discussion moved on to Darwin and evolution.  .

I reiterated my desire to be be cremated and poured into our little lake. I also wrote about one of my cardinal sins which is to never discuss politics and religion on the blog.

I Gamble and My Mother Wins...

I say I gambled as the weather was about to turn terrible -- the weather radar is lit up like a Christmas tree this evening.

I just drove over to check on my mother. She is home after surgery this morning. Her eye looks all nasty and bloodshot. She wanted me to call the clinic to check if that was okay.

"You're fine," I told my mother.

"The doctor said that would happen," my father deftly chimed in not wanting this to get any more complicated.

Strong thunderstorms were bearing down upon us from Troup County Georgia. I quickly drove home after a cursory visit. Dark and ominous clouds chased me all the way.



Medication Time? 7:30pm? 3 Cheers For Papa!

I swear that just was the earliest visit my father has ever endowed me with. He was on my heels from my previous drive to see my mother. Dad gave me my medications and left to beat the storm clouds home. You could see vivid lightning on the horizon from a second round of storms blowing in.

"Watch," my father told me. "The storms will fizzle out before they get here as the earlier ones did. We so need the rain."

"Magnificent Me," He Said Before His Final Blunder...

Vertigo was for breakfast this morning as I woke up not knowing where I was or what time of the day it was. I looked at my alarm clock and it was 1pm. Boy, Maggie and I sure can do some sleeping these days.

I guess I am truly my mother's son as we are so much alike. Hell, dad says I got the worst of him and momma both gene wise. I am just one big amalgamation of bad genes and anxiety wrapped up in one messy blundering package.

I have been foregoing breakfast since Maggie can't join in. A friend suggested that I scramble her two eggs completely plain, It would be good protein for Maggie, but I am not going to jeopardize the incredible turnaround she's had healthwise lately. She is like a different dog -- not spending all her time scratching in misery. The poor thing can rest now. One eye is still a little infected, but I hope it clears up soon as it looks a whole helluva lot better. Her left eye is completely clear. She looks more bright eyed and bushy tailed with each day that passes.

http://www.thewallyworldwoman.com/

Last night's grocery shopping blunder was to get Underwood's chicken spread and roast beef spread. I was so aggravated with myself when I got home and decided to have a before bed snack with some Ritz crackers and some hot sauce. I meant to get deviled ham as that is what I love most. The chicken spread was kind of weird tasting.

Retro Game of the Week. Think Green...

Look and ye shall find was never more true about this game and the mods made for it. I am just getting around to playing Fallout 3 and everything had this horrid green tint and hue to it. I looked on the Mod Nexus for Fallout 3 and found that I wasn't the only one wanting to remedy this. I downloaded the mod to remove the green tint and I've been a happy camper ever since. Isn't the difference so stark? I guess the programmers and designers wanted it to have an irradiated look since the game is set in Washington D.C. 200 years after nuclear armageddon.

Night Owls Unite...

I don't know why I am up so early. I went to sleep on the computer room bed around 11pm and woke up about 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. Maggie's keeping the bed warm for the both of us, though.

We're Going Bananas Around Here Literally...

https://authoritynutrition.com

Several weeks ago, my father put a bunch of bananas in my cart on a whim and I have been hooked on them ever since then. I don't think I have eaten raw bananas in years except in banana puddings. Well, it has become my new food obsession. I got two large and very heavy bunches of bananas tonight -- one big bunch was slightly green so they would last the week.

"Good source of potassium," my father told me about bananas as they were ringing me up. "You are making me crave a banana sandwich."

I only spent $68 dollars tonight which is much, much more within my means than last week's $90 something dollar shopping spree. The most expensive and needed thing I bought tonight was trash bags of all things. Charlie got my last one yesterday when he was sprucing up my kitchen on our Sunday night fried chicken rendezvous.

Dad helped me load up my groceries in the back of my CR-V and then said he was headed back inside Kroger for yogurt. We gave each other a hug and I headed on home. There are thunderstorms all around us and they are very neatly lighting up the skies of our horizons. They will die down a few hours after sunset -- the sun and warm rising air being their source of energy.

http://www.belmontetradeinternational.com/

Busy Around Here...

http://www.no1chinesesouthorange.com/

Mom and I are playing phone tag this afternoon. She's got a million things to tell me and can't fit it all in one simple phone call.

Tomorrow is the last part of her cataract surgery -- her right eye. She sounded excited about it when I called her last hour to come and get my Cokes. The Secretary lives for this kind of stuff. I have told my father often that mom is a health insurance companies worst nightmare and I am saying it again for emphasis.

"I am giving you two days of sodas and we are going to the Zen House Chinese reastaurant to eat supper this week if the surgery goes okay," my mother told me.

Mom called me right back to ask how many Swisher Sweet cigarillos I wanted. I told her just to put two packs of cigarillos  in the bag with my Cokes.

Dad called me earlier from work and told me to get ready to get my groceries tonight.

"It is the only chance we have to get them this week," he told me. "Don't have an anxiety or panic attack!!!"

He sounded happy and chipper which was fine  by me. At least we won't have a grouchy and grumpy Papa for grocery night and he might put a few extra groceries in my cart. He heads to the beach with his cousins, Jean and Johnny, in a few days.

A Sad and Somber Day...

http://www.cremationresource.org/

I went to a very sad and sudden funeral service today where lots of tears and tissues were in abundance. Dee had lots of admirers and friends I noted. Dad went with me as he had gotten to know Dee very well working in the pharmacy all those years.  She had worked at Kamath Medical for 21 revolutions around the sun. Now I know why everyone was so somber Thursday during my injection visit.

"She went to the emergency room the other night for chest pains and they ran some tests and found out she had advanced stage leukemia," my father told me as we were driving to the funeral service. "She didn't last much longer than that!"

"You've gained some weight," Dr. Kamath said to me with a warm smile. "You look healthier."

Dee got cremated. I told my father I also wanted to get cremated as well. I want my ashes to be poured into our pond out in God's country near Waverly, Al.

And the World and Life Marches Ever Forwards...

My father and Charlie are now out and about getting our Sunday night fried chicken. Mom, the rebellious one, is getting her usual Wendy's hamburger. I just went and emptied all my trash so Charlie wouldn't feel compelled to do so. I am getting my usual which is a 3 piece box of original recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken. Someone pass the hot-sauce and the napkins.

Annabel...

Sorry about yesterday. I am simply bereft of social skills. I had one of my classic panic/anxiety attacks about the whole matter. I just didn't feel able to go through all that needed to be done to for a visit. I just shutdown and went and hid. Know that I care about you very much. It just wasn't in the stars or cards for me.

Unabashedly Right...

You all were right. I was just too stubborn and set in my ways to believe it. Most of Maggie's yeast infection on her chest has cleared up after a week of only eating her dog-food.  It's been a struggle for Maggie and myself. Maggie is being very vocal when she doesn't get her usual breakfast or people food.

Almost Rained Out...

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/

It has rained very steadily here for about 2 hours -- sometimes a true gully washer of a rain in fits. We needed the rain something fierce as we are now considered in a drought across central Alabama.

It reminded me of Christmas Eve when we got a similar deluge and many bridges were washed out around here -- most are still washed out.

"Let's get the computer in through the door under the portico," My father told me as we stood in the garage.

I got everything hooked up after my father gave me my medications and a cold drink -- it was one of mom's tutti fruity low calorie drinks which was quite tasty. Mom stood in the room doing her duty which was asking us numerous complicated questions. Dad called her the "facilitator" to which my mother chuckled nervously. I smiled and chuckled as well.

"Watch this!" I told my father with a broken Cheshire grin after pushing the power button.

It took the computer about 20 seconds to boot up. All kudos go to solid state drives.

"My old computer would take minutes to boot up," my father told me looking astounded and also astonished.

Dad's been without a computer for about two weeks. He said he was ready to get a diet Coke and browse some of his favorite British Monarchy tabloid webpages.

"Tomorrow, we will get all the files and emails transferred from your old computer to your new computer," I told my father ready to drive home.

I left and headed home to man's best friend. Maggie was sitting in the window watching out and waiting for me.

Unveiling the Prize...

You're such a good Papa! :-)

"I've got you a computer ready!" I just told my father over the phone. "I've been working on it since my injection this morning."

"Can I put it in any room I own?" dad asked.

"Yes," I replied. "It has wireless internet and antennas built into the motherboard."

"I will call you as soon as I leave the pharmacy tonight," my father told me rather excitedly. "We will take your medications and I want to see you set it up."

It even has a wireless mouse and keyboard which I think my father will enjoy. I am also giving him one of my gigantically large Asus 27" LCD monitors which I will probably miss when it is gone. The nicest part I installed was a modest 250GB solid state drive which is the crux of a fast computer these days.

I wouldn't have all this computer stuff without him, though. He deserves it after all the times I've bugged him for a "must have" computer part. I hope he enjoys it as much as I enjoyed building it for him.

Dumbstruck...

The Stars were aligned perfectly for my injection this morning. Everything was going smoothly. I have learned that even on the hottest days to carry me a jacket as they keep the Pharmacy and the lobby of Kamath Medical so cold. I got my injection and headed back up the road to give my father my next appointment card.

"Did you hear?" Dad asked. "Dee Dee passed away."

I was dumbfounded as no one said anything about it at Kamath Medical. I did notice Dee Dee wasn't there, though, and made the callous remark to Pat that she had it all to herself today.

"She had leukemia," my father replied.

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen her in a few weeks," I told my father. "I didn't even know she was sick."

I drove home thanking the ethos for my health. Dee Dee was such a good and kind person not deserving of such an end and of such a short life.

I've Got Visitors Coming and I Explain Why I am Scared...

One of the fist things to go when you are a severe alcoholic is your dental hygiene. My first thing I did when awakening in the morning was to crack open another beer to chase away the hangover from last night. You don't brush your teeth. Well, all of this took a terrible toll on my teeth after doing this for 20 to 30 years and I am embarrassed about.it. Mom has told my father that she is going to pay the required $2500 to get me in some dentures. We're just waiting for one more tooth to go and then I will be no longer be able to chew. I pray my visitors don't think I am some country bumpkin who fell off the hay truck on the ride down. My friend, Annabel, arriving in a few days, is a kind person so I hope she will understand. That is my main worry about them coming to to see me.

Mobilize the Medications...

http://www.reliantrxwa.com/

I called my father a few hours ago and he was down in Auburn.

"You ok? Chuck?" he asked me.

"Yeah, this is just one of those days where I need my medications early," I replied.

"I will call you when I get home," my father told me. "You okay? You haven't asked for your medications early in weeks!"

"You know how the fickle winds of mental illness ebb and flow," I replied to my father.

Well, that could be 1 hour or 5 hours said in such a nebulous way.  I hope he gets home soon. I will feel 100% percent better 1 hour after taking my medications.

Dad did say we need to start saving up some of my Klonopin to take on days like today. He would allow me to keep the pills to use them when I need them. That is a major event in the medication situation around here.

It turns out my injection is in the morning which instigated all of this.  It's that time every two weeks. 

Don't Wake the Peacefully Sleeping Dragon...

https://www.pinterest.com

My father just called me at 6pm and I drove over to get my medications.

"Don't dare wake your sleeping mother, " he said. "We are having quiet time around here."

I smiled as my father doled out my medications to me.

"I am going to head on," I told my father. "Mom will certainly awaken if she hears my voice."

Dad squeezed my hand and told me he would call me in the morning to be sure I am up for my injection at 9am..

Let's Lay This Day to Rest...

http://www.havingfunfirst.com/

Now that it is dark, my bat brethren have left their belfries.

It has just been one of those days, ya know? I am tired, haggard, and ready to go to bed. I will say that and I bet I am on this computer to way after midnight listening to music. Right now, I am on a big Linkin Park fixation. My teenage boy angst may have made a resurgence in my life. What would you consider the band Linkin Park? Metal? Rap?

Out of Tijuana...

Mom brought Mexican tonight and the chicken fajitas were better than usual. They always need to cook them more than they do and today they did. I shouldn't be complaining, though, as it is a real treat to get a restaurant meal every week. I often have to evoke my "Auschwitz Mantra" during these moments. Let no mouths go unfed.

"Look at the sky!" I told my mother very seriously as I stood by her car in the front yard.

"It looks ominous and dark," she replied when I then saw a bolt of lightning on the horizon.

"That means Martha needs to put the car in the garage and be somewhere safe when it hits."

"I am headed home now," my mother said who is usually oblivious to the weather.

You Look Healthy...

That's what my father told me tonight when he was giving me my medications.

"You looked like death warmed over for a few years there," my father told me not holding back at all.

Dad didn't sit down tonight as he din't want Maggie's hair all over his nice work clothes.I am sure Maggie was looking on the proceedings with an air of indignity.

Computers For Papa...

Summer asked if my dishwasher was still broken. Summer, yes it is and I haven't heard an ETA on when it will get fixed. Gosh, that's been going on for months now, hasn't it? Charlie said the other night to be sure and not use it or I would have another flood on my hands.

Those Cantankerous Machines We Can Barely Live Without...

http://speechwriting-ghostwriting.typepad.com/

"You sure you can fix my computer?" my father asked me dubiously in the parking lot of Kroger last night after our shopping spree.

I told him we could just reinstall or reset Windows 10 and it would be like the day he first turned it on several years ago.

"Can I keep all my files?" my father then asked.

"Reinstalling or resetting Windows 10 will leave your files in the last place you put them, but you will have to reinstall all your programs, though," I replied.

His mouse gets slower and slower and then will just quit moving making the computer useless. Right now, it's just a huge paper weight with an attitude.

"Or I could just let you use one of my spare computers," I added. "You won't be disappointed. I promise."

"Let me think about it some more," my father told me as we parted ways heading home for the evening. "I want Matt's opinion as well."

"How long will it take to reset Windows 10?" my father then asked.

"It would take about an hour," I told my father.

Matt is the manager of the pharmacy and my father's go-to "computer guy". He is going to tell my father that he needs a new computer most likely. I put first dibs in on the old computer. It will be a great little internet browsing and blogging computer.

Almost Broke the Century Mark...

My order total tonight was $97 dollars. Dad didn't say a word and helped me find most of the food I was getting. We both shared moments of sheer gluttony and wanton excess.

My main goal was to get my milk and cereal for the week. I am irrecoverably addicted to frosted flakes now.

"Do you like pizza?" my father asked as we meandered down the frozen food aisle.

"I've got some pepperoni pizza Hot Pockets in my cart," I told him pointing to the wares.

Dad wants me to eat more frozen meals like Boston Market and Marie Calendar's.

"You make such a mess trying to cook," he said.

He asked me how we could spruce them up a notch so I will eat them and I went and got two big bags of sharp Kroger cheddar cheese.

"It makes a big difference!" I told my father. "The cheese turns lackluster meals into magnificence. Especially with pasta themed meals."

Paige was back as I noticed how my father treats her like family and not just some clerk at a grocery store.

Let's Get Papa and Let's Get this Show on the Road...

I called my father this afternoon and told him the National Weather service had just issued a special weather statement for our county in Alabama warning us of very severe weather. This is why I call them weather guessers and not forecasters.

"I am headed home now," my father said over his cellphone from his car.

Well, after all of that, we didn't get jack squat. I think we got around 2 drops of rain here at the house (a little hyperbole) although the wind was mighty impressive making this old house groan and  moan. My father said this would happen and it did. It's like this great moisture sucker is parked over our county. We are also back in drought status for Chambers county even in spite of the deluge that happened during Christmas.

Hungry, But Completely Happy...

http://budgetgroceryshopping.com/

I am ready to get this grocery show on the road and stock up my pantry for another week. If my father arrives at 9pm then we will promptly take my medications and head to Kroger. The foods I can't forget this week are 4 cans of Underwood deviled ham and Ritz crackers. I also want plenty of bananas this week. Both, two of my new favorite food fascinations.

Don't Stop Moving Or You Are Trapped...
Jermaine, bless his heart, rode the short-bus when we were kids in grade school.

Last week, as dad and I were walking out of Kroger, we got accosted by Jermaine which is nothing new. Jermaine just likes to shop at the same time my father does.  We go so late to the grocery store so my father will not get "caught" he knows so many people in the Valley. Jermaine goes that late because it is easier for him to get in and out with minimal traffic.

"Where is your Hov-A-Round?" I asked Jermaine immediately noticing he was walking to the store.

"I've lost 30 more pounds," Jermaine happily chattered.

That's like 60 pounds in total. I was very impressed and told him so.

It Has Never Been So Right to be So Wrong...

http://www.bestlargebreedpuppyfood.net/

Yesterday, Maggie started on a completely new dog food diet. We will eat only dog food and see if that improves her health over the next few weeks.

Maggie's previous health problems can best be described as a series of "wildfires" that promptly need to be put out -- mainly skin problems and yeast infections. We will see if this helps. You can say, "I told you so." Go ahead.

Our Charlie just stopped by with bacon egg and cheese biscuits and it seems I will be eating alone today. Maggie has begged and begged, but I will not relent. I am practising what is commonly referred to as "tough love". I've had my fair share of it dished out to me over the years as well. It is not fun, but it is what's for the best.

Charlie was in an uncommonly good mood today. He was carrying on about how beautiful my crepe myrtle looked in full bloom this morning.

Like a Well Choreographed Dance...

My motherboard on my main PC gaming computer seems to be going out. The problems seem to be issues with memory management. It has often been finicky with ram. If the memory frequency gets over 1600MHz then system instability ensues. I will get Windows 10's version of the blue screen of death. I have another motherboard of the same make and model. Just getting that new motherboard installed seems like such a gargantuan task at the moment.

Andrew's Great Nocturnal Misadventures for Sustenance...

http://www.thekitchn.com/

We took my medications tonight as I asked my father if any more of that delicious vegetable beef soup was left.

"It is some of the best soup you have ever made," I told my father very flatteringly.

"Follow me home and we will get you some more sodas and another big Tupperware container of soup," my father told me smitten at my compliment.

I don't know where he had been, but my father was dressed to the nines tonight and reeked of aftershave. I followed the don't ask and don't tell rule that is firmly in place and the gays in the military thought they had it hard..

I followed my father across town to their house. Dad took a completely convoluted route to Casa de Johnny. Sadly, I can barely see to drive at night these days so it was a white knuckle event for me. Dad fixed me up with some quite adequate leftover soup and cantaloupe.

Getting Back On Track...

http://www.dgiwire.com/

I set my alarm clock for 8am this early morning. My main goal is to make myself stay up all day so I will get back on a sleeping at night schedule. I don't think I could bear another round of zombie-inducing insomnia. I was headed down that dangerous road -- as treacherous as the road the Titanic cut through cold, iceberg infested waters. Staying up today will be hard enough. Sink or swim.

I am also so envious of Maggie in that she can sleep on a whim. I've seen Maggie just fall over asleep on the computer room rug and within ten minutes she would be dreaming vigorously often barking in her slumber.




Yes, It Was Time for that Much Anticipated Bowl of Vegetable Beef Soup...

http://www.recipeshubs.com/

Papa arrived at 10pm last night just as I had surmised. (I am getting good at this guessing game). Maggie watched wantonly as each car would pass the house and she would sigh loudly without it being Papa. She knows that at darkfall my father is soon to follow and it gets dark around 9pm these days.

My father's vegetable soup was as delicious as I had hoped for and envisioned. I crumbled up three pieces of warm cornbread in a big bowl of hot soup and I added several very ample dollops of Louisiana-style hot sauce. It was a heavenly combination.

Kenny Rankin - Groovin'

You're Going to Love This Cantaloupe...

http://www.sugarandspicescrubs.com/

"It is about as sweet as they come!" my father told me excitedly.

"This is delicious," my mother said propped up in her recliner with her book in her lap.

It was the Friday before the weekend. The pharmacy would be closed all weekend so it was safe for my father to have a few glasses of wine without the remote chance of him getting called in to work. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and he was extremely talkative with me while I was at my parent's house. Alcohol is truly a social lubricant for some of us. It made me ride out dirt roads and listen to lonesome sounding country music and AM talkshows.

The cantaloupe was delicious and it reminded me of my father's mother who also loved melons. There is also an art to getting cantaloupe at the height of its ripeness.

The kitchen also smelled wonderfully delicious -- about as delicious as it has ever smelled. Dad was simmering a big pot of vegetable beef soup and it was beckoning for me to try it.. It was Charlie's wife's recipe which I have put up on the blog before.

"I will bring you some soup and cornbread when I come to give you your medications," my father said.

Dad made aspersions that he would be really late tonight with my medications.  I am going to guess around 10pm tonight. At least, he had the common courtesy to tell me ahead of time.

It's Hell On Earth Today...

https://whisper.sh

"Let's get out of the house," I told myself this afternoon with a touch of cabin fever. "You've been a homebody all week."

On the bed in the computer room, Maggie was warily watching my every move. "Just what in the hell is he doing?" Maggie got lucky today as she had an appointment at the small animal clinic for a follow up visit. I just couldn't do all that today. Dad didn't balk when I told him I couldn't go. He was supposed to go with me along with a psychiatrist's visit.

"I will call one of the vet. techs," my father told me saving me from having to use the phone.

I slept until almost 2pm today. One symptom of my mental illness cycling is that my circadian clock goes haywire.

I walked out of the house and walked to the car. It was so hot it was stifling. I was going to go to Fred's Super Dollar and window shop for a while.  I walked back inside and decided that window shopping was for another day.  When I walked back inside, I looked at the temperature on my wireless weather station and it read 98° degrees.

So Long So Wrong...

I've got the low down, dog gone funks and I can't motivate myself to do anything today. I was talking to my father earlier about how my mother and I can cycle over time with our mental illnesses. Mom is gradual and I am very sudden. This mental malaise began to happen overnight and the day before that.

I am diagnosed as schizoaffective or having both the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. I honestly think that I am just bipolar, though. (lows and highs) even though I do speak to myself at times.

My only daily cleaning efforts were in the kitchen as I polished my glass top stove and swept the floors.  I try to clean one room a day. The rest of the day I spent sleeping and tossing and turning on the couch as the television droned on for hours. What a terrible way to spend your day and a horrible way to miss it.

"Well, they cancelled your psychiatrist's appointment for tomorrow," my father told me tonight as we sat down on the couch.

"I wouldn't have been able to go anyways," I told my father of my mental capacities tonight. "I also don't have any appropriate clothes to wear."

I shouldn't have bemoaned this fact as far as my mental status is concerned, but dad and I both were ecstatic and joyful -- no longer having to drive all the way to Auburn and then to make awkward small talk with an awkward little man. I am going to miss my customary two Hardee's steak biscuits very much, though.

My father was also so tired after working all day. He was very quiet tonight.

"I can't wait to get home, take off these work clothes, grab an icy diet Coke, and watch television," he told me.