Don't Let Opportunity Pass You By Ms. Maggins...

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

"Maggie! Quit barking and get yer little rumpus in here!" I exclaimed tonight out the back door. "Papa here and has just pulled up in front of the house!"

Brrrr... It is chilly tonight and you can definitely tell Autumn is on the way. My little wireless weather station was showing 48° degrees.

Maggie came rambunctiously tearing inside after a long afternoon and evening of barking at perceived nefarious things. She couldn't get to the front door fast enough and slid around every corner into the den. Papa's arrival almost escaped her.

It certainly was a good time to get her little butt inside and get her quieted down. I locked the dog door and rejoined my father in the den. The dog door will only be opened tonight by emergency potty calls. Maggie is in a barking and raising hell kind of mood tonight. I suspect, too, that Maggie is enjoying this cool weather after living with a cold natured Andrew.

It was 10:30 pm when Papa arrived for the medication ritual. Mom said he was throwing a big birthday bash for his computer guy, Matt, and the rest of the pharmacy staff. That was why my father was so late. I refuse to let such trivialities upset me any longer. Mom was trying to organize a little revolt over the phone.

"Let's go get a chocolate shake at Sonic," mom told me. "Then he can experience us being tardy and the other side of the coin."

As my father was leaving, we discussed the medication ritual tomorrow. The Auburn game starts at 3:30 pm our time. I urged my father to bring my medications as he was about to drive down for the game. He might not get home from the game and the resulting festivities until way after midnight.

"We'll talk about it more in the morning," my father said to me.

Take A Walk

Say Thanks Anyway!

I am thankful for the gift of the internet. I've got a really fast 600 Mbps internet connection. Still, everything is like I am mired in molasses today. I think I may give the internet up and read a book my mother says is a really good page turner. It literally takes up to 20 seconds to load a page. I guess WOW! is still working on their internet infrastructure or could it be traffic like caught in traffic?

To cover my ass, I unplugged my modem to no joy. I also rebooted my wireless router. That didn't fix it and then I restarted my computer. The computer gremlins are now laughing.

"Matt (my father's computer guy) says you are playing online games," my father told me the other day.

"I actually rarely play online video games anymore," I told my father to his disbelief. "I am mainly a retro gamer to be precise."

Purple Hued Madness...

"Why do you never make eye contact with me when I am talking to you?" my father rather curiously asked tonight. "You've done so well lately and made so many strides in your life."

I felt like the shy kid at the end of the neighborhood Cul-de-Sac that watches his friends out his living room window - wanting to join in, but something was holding him back. Words can be shards -- like icy daggers in the back. I tend to avoid negativity.

Dad was regaling me in my brother's and sister's college follies this evening. They both went to Tulane together and graduated together. My brother got a degree in biomedical engineering, and my sister got a degree in anthropology. I got a degree in street smarts from George Jones University.

"I don't know," I replied wistfully. "Maybe it is a lack of confidence or me feeling subservient."

Dad followed me into my bedroom -- all the while talking loudly. He was very excitable tonight for a change even if he had to work all day. I was putting on my favorite purple sleep shirt. I was going to bed after I wrote this blog post. It has been forgettable day to say the least.

"I hate it that you feel that way," dad said. "Are you scared of me?"

"No," I told my overbearing parent, but that he did have control of a lot of things in my life.

What a True Parody!

Soldiers on those Gladiator Fields!

Auburn Tigers

2-2, 3rd in West Division

Saturday, October 1, 2:30 PM on SECN

Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (1-2)

@

Auburn Tigers (2-2)

It has been a tough football season for my father and my brother. 

There is Always that First Time...

My father and I had arrived at Steve's Car Care this afternoon. We both prayed they were still open and there were still several people mulling about.

"Do me a favor and take your medications while I am inside paying Steve," my father told me.

At first, I had a deer in the headlights look. "Are you drunk?" I wanted to ask my father. I got in the back of dad's car and finally found that blister pack of crazy meds. I took my allotted amount and put the package back in the trunk. I could have had a Clonopin party! hehe

"Do you realize what you just did?' I asked my father. "You just trusted me to take my medications without supervision."

"Well, you certainly have been acting like an adult lately and I think you need to be rewarded. Just don't wear your sleeping clothes around town."

Dad keeps saying he is going to let me off the leash as far as my grocery shopping is concerned as well, but he has been saying that for months now. I've quite grown fond of him being with me to do that task. It is quite the game to see how much food I can get with the littlest amount of money.

Tired of sleeping Suzanne Vega.

Charioteer's Chariot is Back in Action...

"I'm coming to get you to take you to get your car," my father said on his iPhone. "Put on some decent clothes."

I chuckled as I dressed for my father's arrival.

"Now, that is not acceptable wear," my father said as he arrived and told me as I walked across my front yard. "That looks like something you would sleep in!"

I had on nice khaki shorts and a bleached and soft white cotton t-shirt which was super comfortable to wear. I also had on bright white socks and my Nike Air Jordans shoes that had been washed in my washer just a few days before.

"Jesus Christ dad!" I exclaimed blasphemously. "We are only going to the mechanic's shop! Those guys will look dirtier than the cars they work on."

My father grumbled some and told me to get in the car. Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly and all that jazz.

The Maggin's Mental Illness Advice? A Good Meal and Some Sleep...

And sleep we did... Sometimes, you have trouble quieting your mind to do so, though.

There is no greater love for the Magster when I crawl into the bed in the middle of the afternoon. Here she comes running!

"You know where it be at!" Maggie would exclaim in Southern African American vernacular.

"Come here sweetheart," I told her giving her a good back scratch. "Nice knowing you."

In moments I was sound asleep for a few hours until my father called.

"Do you want some of my pork chops and rice for supper?" he asked.

"HELL YEAH!" I replied.

My father laughed wholeheartedly and told me he would bring me some when he brought my medications tonight.

Mom? Mrs. Martha? Don't Leave Us...

I was looking at the picture I posted of mom driving yesterday. She has aged so much in the past five years. Dad says it is her addiction to Xanax. I noticed she had on nice clothes, make up, a gold watch, and some pearl earrings.

"It can take a toll on your body and behavior," my father said.

Think Twice, Look Thrice...

I was asleep in my lazy boy with Maggie's huge mass on my lap when I heard mom's car's horn blow loudly outside. Maggie flew out of my lap to look outside. I looked at the clock on my wall. 7:00 pm. Right on time.

"I can't believe she drove after all that we've been through with her!" was what I was thinking as I stood up to go outside. I felt like an angry parent with a petulant child.

I walked out the front door to find Mrs. Sandra at the helm of mom's car.

"Mrs. Sandra!" I exclaimed jovially. "I thought momma had driven when I heard her car horn!"

Sandra just laughed and laughed.

"We fooled ya!" she said laughing even more.

Lunch Lady Land...  Is also what I was thinking!

Sandra handed me my olfactory pleasing Mexican meal and took my mother home to get Sandra's car. Mrs. Sandra is a bonafide lunch lady. She was supervisor for a local school's lunch room for years and years and retired.

Carless in the Valley...

Ole! Ole!

It seems my mother is in a similar predicament as I am in. Mom can no longer drive to the Mexican restaurant. She can only drive to my house and to the hair salon. Mom's good friend Mrs. Sandra is picking her up and driving her to the Mexican restaurant tonight and will bring her home. I will be designated driver for everything else.

"Do you think Mrs. Sandra will mind me bringing you your Mexican meal?" mom asked me over the phone.

"You will have to ask her," I told my mother. "Maybe she won't mind as it is less than a mile from my house to the restaurant."

***UPDATE***
Mrs. Sandra just called me and told me she was bringing me supper from the Mexican restaurant tonight.

What a Sad End to a BMW Z3...

http://www.roadandtrack.com/

You don't realize how nice having a car is unless you no longer have it for a few days. I absentmindedly stood up a moment ago to drive to Circle K to get a fizzy drink. I had forgotten my car is at Steve's Car Care. "Shit!" I muttered with a defeated feeling as I fell into the waiting arms of my recliner. I couldn't even go get my sodas mom gives me every day. I still haven't heard anything from dad about what was wrong with my car. 

"Be sure to tell them my front turn signal is out," I told my father last night as I rode with him to Kroger.

These kinds of details escape my father at times as he can seem kind of aloof.

"Gotcha," dad replied as he repeated what I said to him. "Right front turn signal!"

My father recently got a ticket for a headlight being out so I hope he will remember to do this. I don't have the tools to take my headlight out or I would do this task myself.

The Wayward Voyager Returns Home...

I was standing at my freezer getting some ice for a drink when I looked outside my kitchen window and grinned. George was sitting on his porch in his favorite chair with his shirt off. I probably will never find out what happened, but I am sure glad he's home. He is acting like he never left.

The Journey Begins With Our Jermaine...

"Hey bud!" I said as I patted on Jermaine's humongous breadth of broad shoulders when I stepped inside Kroger.

I gave him a good "man hug". I know I was dancing with the devil and fate -- hoping not to get caught in a lengthy conversation.

He was already in his mobility cart about to toodle around the store.

"How is Alec?" Jermaine asked back about my brother.

He always mispronounces my brother's name.

"He lives in Auburn now," I told my good, but sometimes aggravating friend. "I will tell him you asked about him and his family."

Jermaine seemed thrilled.

My father and I were both very quiet tonight. I went my way and he went his. He said he was going to leave me shopping and go get his car filled up with $1.60-gallon gas. He used his Kroger fuel points. Of course, this left me standing up front as I waited on my father.

"Do you need any help?" I was asked about six times from the employees.

I still had a quite a bit of eats from last week -- two tubs of chicken salad and a loaf of bread among others. We also had a smattering of bacon, cheddar cheese, and eggs left. This allowed me to buy a bunch of sweet things that would normally be out of my budget range. I also had 10 cans of Chef Boyardee that I wasn't excited about, but they were on sale last week for 10 for $10. I told my father they were my emergency rations.

"Let me see what you have in there," asked my father when he had reentered the store and gazed into my cart. "You need to get some more substantial food."

I explained I had food at home that was left from our last foray of shopping. He then seemed placated.

"I can't believe they had an Edwards lemon meringue pie in stock!" he exclaimed grinning "I love a good slice for breakfast.".

Give it to Andrew! He'll Eat Anything!

https://www.flickr.com

Well, not quite anything, but I can be culinarily adventurous at times when I feel like it. I love to find and try new Asian meals -- a habit my ex-wife instilled within me. She loved anything Asian.

Right now, I have a terrible craving for my cereal and milk. As soon as I get my groceries squared away tonight, I am eating a large bowl of frosted flakes.

Lately, I've been kind of a broken record when it comes to my groceries. I find something that is easily prepared and that tickles my taste buds and I stick with that plan. The only things that are dropping off my grocery list this week is various salads and loaf bread. I quickly grew tired of the two after eating them for two weeks. l also, too, grew tired of all the various preservatives in the bread that grocery stores peddle these days.

The Day Of Wayward Cars...

George's Chariot Rides Again But With the Wrong Charioteer...

They came and got George's car today which was certainly an ill omen. It was an elderly man with a silver mane driving George's ex-wife's car. She jumped out, cranked the car, and drove off. There was no sad fanfares or goodbyes. I stood outside in the blazing sun fooling with my car as they drove off. It was a terribly melancholy moment for me. Nobody said hello or what was going on. I guess it is truly none of my business. I do know that George loved his car.

My CR-V is Unpleasantly Down For the Count...

I am having car battery and car cranking problems again. Dad and I drove it back to AutoZone to test the battery and the alternator. They said everything should be working fine.

"There is certainly something not working right!" my father exclaimed and scoffed. "Those Goons at AutoZone don't know what the hell they are doing."

I had to relent and agree...

Dad suggested we then take it to Steve's Car Car in West Point and let him look at it. They recently fixed Dad's Honda as the automatic locks on his passenger's side stopped working. They had to order a servo and Steve got him fixed up one more time.

"We need a second opinion," is what my father told me.

"We have a dead battery," my father said to the proprietor soon after arriving at Steve's. "Can you get us straightened out?"

"We will do the best we can," a filthy and dirty clothed mechanic replied. "I probably will get to it this afternoon."

I saw a whole rack of different sizes of brand new batteries on the wall which was a very good sign.

What's a Little Hard Earned Chicken Among Friends?

http://www.vancouverburgers.com/

Mom keeps calling me incessantly on the phone. As soon as I sit back in front of my retro-gaming computer, the phone will ring again. She knows not to call my father as it will get off with him in that she is trying to hurry him up.

"Mom, I know they are running late," I told her. "They should be here in next 30 minutes or so. Just be patient!"

"I'd rather not do this at all," my mother replied bitterly. "They drive me crazy making us wait for so long."

According to my mother they left 2 hours ago.

Just be thankful you have family who cares and are getting you supper... Is what was forefront in my mind. Just sayin...

Fast Forward to 8:00pm...

http://augustine.com/

Maggie started to put up a crazy fuss, barking maniacally, and signaling Papa and Charlie were here. It had gotten very dark by now, the front yard illuminated by a porch lamp, and you could barely see them walking across the front of the yard. They are Maggie's favorite duo around these parts. I was sitting in front of my computer in the back bedroom playing a highly endearing Sega CD game called Popful Mail. I flew into the den to see the Kentucky Fried crew and let them inside.

"We had to wait on them to fry more chicken," Charlie told me with an air of exasperation to his voice as he walked through the threshold of my front door.

Charlie was cussing up a storm in disdain.

"Goddamn, we go there every Sunday night for years," my father said tersely. "You would think they knew we were coming and have plenty of chicken for us."

"Ah, welcome to the world that is filled with fast food logic," I told my father with a hearty laugh.

Dad and I hurried through the medication ritual and Maggie's ritual.

I thought my kitchen was pretty clean, but Charlie found several things to do. Charlie and my father stayed for long enough for Charlie to clean out my freezer and fridge and the inside of my oven.

The Non-Conversationalist...

Rip Van Winkle Has Returned For All His Glory...

I have no excuse for the lack of writing other than I have been sleeping a whole helluva lot of my days away lately. It leaves me with little to say and I kind of lost my muse for a few days there as well. Dad says I am experiencing a depression, but I believe it is just a routine thing which happens to my mother and I. It is just like the weather this time of the year modulating from hot to cool as the seasons try to change. The time change will just about put the proverbial last nail in my SAD (seasonal affective disorder) coffin.

I'd Make a Terrible Telemarketer...

http://gawker.com/

...Please? Just Buy My Product...

Dad was picking on me hardheartedly this afternoon about how hard it is to talk to me on the phone.

"I am not that bad!" I exclaimed while I chuckled knowing it was the truth.

I did relent and said I was very aggravating to talk to at times. I don't catch the normal conversational cues as in what to say now, what to say next, and when to get off the phone. At least, I did keep up with our religion which is college football last night. My father was astonished that I knew what happened on the last play of the game. Auburn won on a technicality and an action replay of the last few moments of the game.

"Your brother, brother-in-law, and I about had an heart attack over that game! Also, I didn't get home till 2am last night so I am worn out today."

He wouldn't miss it for the world, neither would my brother.

The Chuck Wagon is a Coming...

"In about a few hours or three, Charlie Mack and I will be bringing you your Sunday meal." my father told me. "Do you want your usual?"

"Get me what mom gets!" I exclaimed to my father. "I don't think I could stomach another meal of Kentucky Fried and Greasy Chicken."

"Okay," my father said, "I am getting you the Wendy's double with cheese and a large Coke."

The last time I ordered Wendy's it was too salty to eat my burger. Let's hope history doesn't repeat it self.

Get Yer Game On...

http://www.freegameempire.com/

I've spent most of the day "ripping" games from their corresponding CDs and DVDs. According to digital copyright law, you are allowed one archival copy of each game you own.

I was a voracious video game consumer around the time the PlayStation came out in the 90's so I have tons of great games along with the Sega Saturn and Sega CD games I also own.

The devil is in the details and now I have to organize all these files and transfer them to my emulation and gaming computer.

A good source to find out about this is to check out the emuparadise website which is the best emulation website. You can get roms, bios, and emulators to get you off to a good start.

Calmness Pervades...

Mom called me at lunch. She wanted to go get a chocolate milkshake from Sonic. Since I am now her designated driver, I told her I would gladly pick her up under the portico in 10 minutes. We both ended up eating banana splits, though. I also got an order of those cheddar peppers which is like crack to a crack addict when it concerns me. Mom ate half of them before I could shoo her away.

"Go get your own Cheddar Peppers," I told mom looking exasperated, but interested at the same time. "Do you want me to order some more?"

Literally in moments another carhop walked out with another order of cheddar peppers.

Do it For the Paws -- Remember the Paws...

Well, I tried to trim Maggie's nails and she went bonkers and all hell broke loose tonight -- she yelped very loudly and went flying out the dog door to escape the evil human that was me.

She finally came out of hiding when my father arrived for the medication ritual tonight. I knew she wouldn't miss that for anything in the world She came flying through the dog door to come and greet my father in my den.

"Damn, I wish your mother would welcome me home like the treatment Maggie gives me," my father said jokingly.

"Don't try that anymore," my father told me when I explained what happened. "We'll get it done when we take Maggie for her annual checkup. Your mother is already talking about and obsessing over her annual visit."

"Don't tell mom we are doing this or a quagmire of problems will result," I replied to my father with much warning, "Caveat Emptor and all of that."

Struggle and Strife Do Not Visit Here Anymore...

https://en.wikipedia.org

I had to wait a loathsome hour to get my blood work done, but I tried my best to be a patient, kind, and forgiving soul. Rebecca, as always, expedited the injection process and called me back as soon as I signed in. The lobby was starting to get full as Dr. Kamath was on duty. A full lobby is like an axiom to an anxious disaster for me.

"I know that lobby makes you nervous," Rebecca kindly said to me almost as if she was reading my mind. "You just sit tight in this examining room and the blood work nurse will visit you in a few moments."

I reveled in the solitude and silence...

After blood work, I walked into the reception area of the lobby and Pat had already made my next appointment and she handed me my next appointment card.

"You gals spoil me rotten don't you know that?" I said to Pat with a very warm smile.

Fast Forward to the Best Pharmacy in the South...

My father thought something was terribly wrong as the whole process took an hour. It usually takes 15 minutes. I explained to him that I had to wait almost an hour for my blood work nurse.

"I thought you gave up and drove home," my father dotingly said to me and was very relieved. "I am glad to see that next appointment card. Go get you some sodas and head home for lunch."

Dad asked me what I was having for lunch and I told him two chicken salad sandwiches, dill pickle spears and some potato chips.

Well, Here Goes Nothing...

http://www.someecards.com/

I think "Well, here goes nothing!" was said by Han Solo in one of the Star Wars films. RIP Han Solo -- one of my favorite Star Wars characters.

It was 7am this morning as I sat on the edge of my bed after a shower and I was dressing. Shaving would come next which is a big pet peeve of my father's. "Show some pride in yourself," he will often tell me.

"Could I do this?" I asked myself. I was feeling very shaky and wobbly on my feet this morning. It am in a khaki shorts and t-shirt mood -- no dressing up today. I call my dress casual and not the homeless guy look as my father will say.

Oh, Maggie! Where art thou? Maggie was on the computer room bed licking the pillow I slept on all night. What compels her to do this, I do not know. She does it all the time.

Edie Brickell - Lost In The Moment

SNAFU!!!

https://www.pillsbury.com

"I hate it when your father does that to you! It is just no fair!" my mother angrily said over the phone with a touch of venom to her voice.

Dad was still at home, sitting in his recliner, and talking on his cellphone. It had grown to be past 10pm.

"I would like to complain," I told my mother. "But he sees about me and also bought me a house and car. It would be a case of biting the hand that feeds you if I were to protest." (my Auschwitz Mantra immediately went into effect and was forefront in my mind)

"I still hate it," mom protested again. "It is inconsiderate of you and your needs."

I went back to eating some potted meat, hot sauce, and Ritz crackers when Maggie came running inside after a potty break. to greet my father at the front door. I didn't complain. I was glad to see him. I had actually been very lonely today and relished the human company -- warts, blemishes, and all.

My father also cooked supper tonight and he said he is taking Helen on a run for her money.

"I can cook and clean just as well as Helen," he told me yesterday.

http://www.dishmaps.com/

Tonight, my father brought a big care package of a pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and Vidalia onions. He also had carrot salad as well along with half a pan of cornbread. His final gift was a bunch of slices of vine ripe tomatoes to make tomato sandwiches with. I profusely thanked my father for this bountiful amount of food.

Poked and Prodded for Posterities Sake...

http://pearlandanimalhospital.com/

Can I have some cheese with that whine?

My father just called me and said my injection was tomorrow and then I have to get my bloodwork done for my psychiatrist afterwards. It was not what I was expecting tonight after a long nap this afternoon, I feel suddenly and abruptly jarred awake -- any semblance of rest whisked away.

"I've already talked to Pat at Kamath Medical and she is going to take good care of you," my father told me. "She said she would get you in and out with no pain and no fuss."

"That's what I like to hear," I told my father sleepily and somewhat relieved. "And I hope Rebecca (my nurse) is there tomorrow as well."

It is the extensive and oppressive waiting that gets to me the most. As I wait, I will increasingly feel the anxiety welling up inside of me. There is a fight or flight moment where I may just get in the car and drive home. That last part of the previous sentence is what scares my father the most.

Bright Sunshiny South...

https://www.colourbox.com

Chrysalis...

It is a beautiful view outside this computer room window. It makes me wonder why I am holed up inside on this computer.

Also, I keep seeing these bright yellow butterflies fly by every moment or so. You see them every late summer about this time. It wells up a feeling of nostalgia within. I know fall is on the way when I see these creatures.

Lunch was toasted buttered raisin bread with a sliced banana and some peanut butter spread on. It seems all three of these foods were made for each other.

Martha's Official Driver...

"I'll make you a deal," my father said last night with a very serious tone to his voice. "Will you drive your mother around town and to her appointments? I will pay you back in computer parts and games."

"You know I would have done it for free," I told my father sincerely. "I'll be glad to help in this matter to the utmost of my abilities."

Why we haven't done this sooner is beyond me.  Momma can barely walk a straight line and certainly can no longer drive a car.

"Now, you can't be tardy or miss an appointment," my father told me. "You know how your mother, the Secretary, can be."

Momma Borrowed My Namesake Tonight and that is "Shaky"...

https://www.erowid.org

"Mom, you don't need to be driving like this," I sternly told my mother in exasperation. "I am going to drive you home after we finish with this."

She grabbed my arm in senior fashion as I helped her amble across my front yard.

"But your daddy will find that suspicious!" mom exclaimed.

"Well, it surely is better than me getting a call from the police telling me you've been in an accident or had harmed someone else in the process. What would dad say then?"

"I guess you are right," my mother said finally giving in and huffing like a petulant teenager.

The Secretary had to come inside carrying my Mexican Meal and she also brought Maggie's flea treatment and her heartworm chewies. Maggie also got some Vienna sausages for being such a good girl and taking all her medicine. Giving Maggie her medications has been a colossal struggle for years until a kind blog reader diverted my attention to those pill pockets at Petco which are made out of smoky tasting peanut butter.

"How many pills did you take tonight?" I asked. "Now, be honest with me. You can't bullshit a bullshitter."

She said 3 alprazolam, but I, Andrew, can take 3 Clonopin and feel perfectly fine. She took way more pills than that.

Well I'll Be a Hot Tamale...

http://www.seriouseats.com/

"Andrew, this is your momma," my mother said over the phone. "Don't forget I am bringing your Mexican meal tonight. Do you still want the chicken fajitas?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied. "I appreciate you doing this every Tuesday,"

I had forgotten about our Tuesday Mexican treat and it was a nice surprise.

"I am bringing you your diet Cokes as well," mom said. "Do you want any cigarettes?"

Well, this just kept getting better and better. I've actually been able to quit smoking again and told mom she better not bring the smokes lest I succumb to their wily ways yet once again.

A New Day Most Certainly Dawns...

http://www.azcentral.com/

I was a strange and weird little kid. I used to worry all the time that our nuclear sun would soon run out of fuel and cease shining brightly. It would mean the end of the earth and the certain end to humanity. I hope we go out in a grand supernova as our swan song.

I was also worried about jet contrails being nuclear ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) from Russia signaling the start of World War Three.

"Oh those are just commercial aircraft," my father would tell me blithely.

I was talking to my father about this while we were buying groceries last night. We swapped our greatest childhood fears as I was putting bananas in my cart.

"Well, I used to think when momma and papa left in the car, I would never see them again," my father told me. "That was scary for a child like me -- thinking they would die in a car wreck. I would be stuck with Auntie Myrtis and she couldn't even drive."

The Sun Still Shines On Me One More Day...

I felt a cold, wet feeling in my left hand this morning around 9am. Yes, the earth was still turning like the countless millennia before it and each day is a gift. It was Ms. Maggins nuzzling my hand and trying to wake me up.

"Okay, enough of this sleeping business. I am lonely and hungry," Maggie seemed to impart.

Maggie was persistent about it being time to crawl out of the bed. It was my fault, I stayed up way too late reading a book mom gave me that I just can hardly put down. I am fixing to go curl up in my Laz-E-Boy and finish reading that book.

I had a very unorthodox breakfast of potted meat, Ritz crackers, and dollops of hot sauce for breakfast despite having plenty of breakfast foods. I did fix Maggie two eggs microwaved with no miscellaneous additives. She was a very happy dog and about couldn't wait until they had cooled. I just wish she would eat it slower to where she could actually savor and enjoy it.

Virtual Reality and the Gaming Scene...

http://www.digitalspy.com/

VR is the next big thing to hit the gaming scene. Look at the Vive headset above. That thing would drive me crazy. Sudden vertigo. With a price tag for the headset alone being a lofty $799, it better be able to perform some awesome stuff!

Personally? I think it is just going to be another fad to contend with. All the gamer types are going to buy them, then no new games will be developed for the obsolete system in a few years. That said, I still find the technology interesting, fascinating, and wish it the best.

I Stayed True to My Plans Despite Kroger's Higher Aspirations...

https://www.youtube.com

Yes, they finally had an Edwards Lemon Meringue pie in stock and not just the 2 serving slices packs. The lemon meringue pies were hiding behind a malingering coconut cream pie tonight.

There is a big taste difference between the two varieties with the whole pie tasting leagues better than the slices -- more true to the original recipe which has been around for umpteenth decades. It is a taste I grew up with especially since Charlie has a terrible sweet tooth like I do as well.


Kroger Say it Ain't So...

Kroger is always out of something you need and tonight was no exception. It was the two 6 packs of Vienna sausages I had on my list. The shelves were bare except that the rest were of the reduced fat variety. Blech! Reduced fat Vienna sausages???  I'd rather eat tofu.

"I've never heard of such an oddity as in having reduced fat Vienna sausages. Get you some potted meat and eat it with some crackers," my father said. "It will be a good substitute."

I already had a bottle of Kroger Louisiana style hot sauce at home to kick them up a notch as my father's and my plan grew to fruition.

Dad walked back into the depths and bowels of the store and brought me back a big pack of Ritz crackers to eat with my two 6 packs of potted meat and the salads as well. He was also walking back with a pack of paper bowls we use when feeding Maggie.

"Thank you for remembering that little detail," I told my father with much appreciation.

Maggie gets a fresh and clean paper bowl for her nibbles and food every day.

2 Out of 3 Ain't Half Bad When Considering Our Kroger...

They had Mrs. Grissom's chicken salad tonight and pimento cheese spread and I bought two each of them both. Sadly, they didn't have the tuna salad I had anticipated. I am going to put  my two Merita loaves of bread to use in a minute and toast two pimento cheese sandwiches in my toaster oven. Let's put that Prilosec "anti heartburn medication" I've been taking this week and then let's put it to the test as it grows near midnight and I have a belly full of such rich and spicy food.

Clandestine Operations...

http://mp3.faptunes.site/

Doctor Bacshi halving my mother's Xanax dosage was a good thing. We all know she has an addiction and we all chose to avoid it or ignore it. I was very surprised the doctor would do that, but she felt my mother falling all the time and sleeping for days on end to be symptoms of an addiction to Xanax or some similar medication. It has sent my mother reeling, though.

"What will I do if I have a terrible anxiety attack?" mom's asked me over these past few weeks.

I told her she would become acclimated to the new dosage and would and should be fine.

Sleeping Beauty...

I knew that if I called my mother and woke her up there would be hell to pay regarding my father and his day off today. He certainly would be sullen to me. I gambled and called anyway. I couldn't get my father to answer his iPhone for that matter and. I was dying to get a hold of my sodas to quell a great thirst. I didn't want to use my last $5 to buy drinks at the Circle K. I was also very lonely and wanted to get out of the house for awhile. The Magster has spent her whole day on the computer room bed asleep so she hasn't been a very good companion this Monday.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked my mother carefully with great trepidation.

It took her forever to answer the phone.

"I was just dozing off," my mother replied with a weak laugh saying she needs to get up or she will not sleep well tonight.

"Where is my father right now?" I asked out of great curiosity.

"He said he was going to the river house to see the newly installed windows and then for his daily walk out at the lake," my mother replied.

Whew, I dodged a bullet on that one.

"Did you know we might be moving into the river house?" mom decreed enthusiastically. "Your daddy is talking about selling this house at the right price."

"That's very interesting," is all I said and we got off the phone with my mother telling me she would put out my sodas in just a minute.

Oh, the logistics of moving my parents into the river house from their former house was just mind boggling.

The Grocery Day Extravaganza -- One More Week Passes...

It is amazing how very fast each week passes and they feel like they are passing doubly so the older you get. It seems like yesterday when I wrote my grocery day post for our last trip to Kroger. Dad and I were both lamenting the fact that Paige wasn't working that night. She was probably working the gas pumps instead as she has lately.

One thing I do know is I am getting much more of those Mrs. Grissom's Select salads. Those are just absolutely and delectably delicious -- surprisingly so if you've ever tried the traditional salads in grocery stores. I found them on a whim -- an impulse purchase one week. The only one I've tried that I didn't like is the egg salad. There was a strange and weird taste to it. It just couldn't compete with Johnny Otis's egg salad.

I hope they will have tuna salad in stock this week as I have not tried that yet and I am a tuna salad aficionado. I also want more of that delicious pimento cheese spread and the gourmet chicken salad. All of this will be accompanied by two very soft loaves of Merita old fashioned sandwich bread. Dad is surprised lately that I had defected from Sunbeam to Merita.

"The loaves are softer and fresher and they seem to have less preservatives," I told my father last week. "Try it and I will make a believer out of you."

Lately, my father is hooked on the Nature's Own honey wheat bread. It, too, is a very fresh tasting bread. I just want soft white bread for my salads, though. The Nature's Own also has a "sweet" taste to it thus the honey.

Say Goodnight Gracie...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/

"Say goodnight Gracie," our dear Gracie (Martha) would repeat much as the real Gracie would. Yes, we are winding down here at Andrew's Casa. Maggie is already in the bed and waiting on me.

I got my usual 3 pc. chicken meal tonight. Charlie made sure to get two orders of those potato wedges I love so much and for which I much appreciated his effort.

"Do you want them again next week?" Charlie asked me and I told him I would really appreciate it.

My father's job tonight was administering my crazy meds as he lamented pitifully and painfully about Auburn's loss last night and a tough loss it was.

"It is not looking good for Auburn, son," he told me as if someone was languishing on an operating table at a hospital -- their vital signs growing weaker.

All the king's horses and all the king's men...

Hey, at least I knew who we played and what was the final score. That was major kudos for me.

Tomorrow I have nothing planned other than an all day emulator retro-gaming extravaganza. I will then have to tear myself away from the computer and go get groceries tomorrow night.

I have that blood work this upcoming week as well -- hanging over my head like a dark cloud as the new week approaches. It is still many days away and I am already worried about it (like mother like son).  I hope the nurse is quick and merciful.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

http://www.stevecourtney.com/

Ah, what a nice way to start the day. I slept like a baby all night in the Sandman's embrace. I only got up once to shake the dew off my lily and that was around 4am.

I almost had breakfast in bed for a moment there. Charlie knocked on the door twice and loudly fearing I was asleep as Maggie and I usually greet him at the front door. The last time Charlie left my biscuits on the front door stoop ants got all in them rendering then inedible.  I unlocked and opened the door to Charlie's relief.

"Now, just don't scare me like that!" Charlie exclaimed with a nervous laugh.

"I had to get some pants on," I told the Charles Meister. "I know you don't want me coming to the door in my Fruit of the Looms."

He had started to walk back across the yard to get my house key which resides in the Caprica. Charlie and mom are the only two people with a key to my house along with myself of course. I wouldn't dare give a key to my father as he wouldn't respect my privacy at all. We would have random sobriety checks or some silly shit like that.

"Have you ever had an egg, sausage and cheese McMuffin?" Charlie asked me as I shook my head no. "They're pretty good. That is what Horsefly and I are having this morning."

"I will have to try them next Sunday," I told Charlie.

Charlie handed over my gigantic iceless Coke and was on his way.

Biscuits, Hot and Tasty...

http://secretmenus.com/

I fully expect Charlie will find a sleepy Andrew and an even sleepier Magster tomorrow morning when he knocks on the front door. Maggie and I are up late for us. I am transfixed on a game (Flashback for the Sega CD) and Maggie is licking her paws contentedly right beside me on the floor. Charlie called earlier to see what I wanted and I told him bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits would be fine for me. That's what Horsefly gets every morning. Charlie just has to carefully tear the food up in little bite-sized morsels so Horsefly will not choke on his breakfast.

Breakfast Art Served Warm...

http://www.thatsnerdalicious.com/

There Was a Man and He Was Hastily Stirred From a Deep Sleep...

I woke up to Ms. Maggins going nuts in the window in the den. My bedside alarm clock read 9am. All the neighborhood dogs were barking like crazy as well. I never could figure out what all the dogs were fussing about.  It could've been as simple as a nefariously looking pedestrian walking to the housing projects a short walk away.

My fridge was so vacant this morning that it had an echo in it when you talked with the door open.

"What would you like Ms. Maggins?" I asked Maggie."There are meager pickings this morning."

I cooked us four eggs, the last of our eggs, and some bacon. I cooked Maggie's eggs plain and gave her one piece of bacon. She was beside herself in ecstasy. It is not often she gets people food these days. Especially not bacon as it has so  much sodium in one slice.

The Gladiator's Game in the Great Coliseum...

http://campusinsiders.com/

Today's another Auburn Tigers game. I really wish I could share my father's enthusiasm, but football bores me to tears. I am the odd man out regarding this matter. The game starts at 6:00pm against the #17 Texas A and M Aggies, so my father should be by my house pretty early for the medication ritual. Dad, my brother, and the crew always have big tailgate parties before the game. Since my father is a pharmacy alumni and a source of funds, he also gets special parking close to the stadium.

Hey, Sir! You Wouldn't Have Crazy Meds On You? Would you?

http://www.eharmony.com/

Rumor is that my esteemed father is bringing by more delectable vegetable beef soup and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches tonight. Mom and Dad are having that for supper and bringing me the leftovers. I sure hope Pop cooks a big pan of buttermilk cornbread to crumble into our soup. He will most likely do that as he normally does for this meal.

Dad will lollygag around tonight, though, since he didn't have to work today and he will have had time for a few glasses of wine. He has a hard time tearing himself away from the television as well. I expect him around 9:30pm or 10pm and that is a conservative estimate. My mother will say over and over to him.

"Johnny, don't do that to him. Don't make him wait so long. He's expecting you at any moment."

Pardon the Pig...

I just have gotten home from the Piggly Wiggly after buying a whole other gallon of $2.99 whole milk for my cereal. That's five gallons I have drank this week. My checkout experience was less than stellar. I call that guy checking me out "The Mountain Man" cause he looks like he just came crawling out of the woods on the Appalachian Trail somewhere. His beard is not flattering either like a minx stuck to his chin and I didn't even get a thank you for shopping Piggly Wiggly from him. Harrumph!

**UPDATE**  I Love It When I Am Wrong...

I was pretty close with it being 9:30pm, though. Papa came lollygagging along about that time with the smell of Merlot on his breath. Maggie alerted me to his car being at the curb. Maggie and I were on the couch -- both of us were looking out for Papa. Maggie yelped with joy!

My father had also brought a big Tupperware container of vegetable beef soup, half a pan of Mexican cornbread, and two grilled pimento cheese sandwiches.

"Your mother is already asleep and I am fixing to get on the computer for awhile in peace," my father told me.

A Journeyman's Journal...

https://twitter.com/ladypsych

We had to wait an excruciatingly long time to see Dr. Edwards, my psychiatrist. Finally, they called us back and I was so very relieved. I had been battling with my anxiety for almost an hour fidgeting and wringing my hands. My father gave me a high five as we turned at the corner and headed down the long hall to completion. It was already going on nigh lunch.

"How are you, sir?" I asked my doctor as I sat down in his office.

He has two practices in Mobile and Auburn and said the long travel times can be arduous.

"Think of the prize," I kept telling myself about the two steak biscuits that I would indulge in soon.

Blood Letting...

My doctor wants a full battery of blood tests done. I always wondered why he didn't do this sooner so it wasn't a surprise. Dr. Kern, my old psychiatrist, had my lithium levels checked every month, Lithium and a few other medications I take are very hard on my liver and kidneys.

"I am putting 'The Secretary' in charge of you getting those blood tests," my father told me with a devilish grin and a laugh.

Luckily, though, that I can get my blood drawn at Kamath Medical and not the hospital. I will get this done when I get my Risperdal Consta injection next Thursday.

"Shit head!" I told my father smiling back.

Country Fried Steak Biscuits...

http://biscuitville.com/

I finally got my prize, two steak biscuits, and we headed up the interstate to home. The ex-large Coke was a nice bonus as well, Dad was just absolutely ecstatic that we actually got all that done. He said he had a lazy weekend ahead of him except for the Auburn game. He said the Auburn game would be his therapy.

"It has been a appointment kind of week with your mother and you," my father told me.

He had himself a senior coffee and a sausage biscuit. We both requested packs of mustard to go on our biscuits.

The Trip Down Yonder Ways and Back...

http://www.diffen.com/

http://www.lukiegames.com/

I hate surprises unless it is my birthday or Christmas, of course. My father dropped a total bomb on me tonight when he told me we have a visit to the psychiatrist in the morning.

"You're going to hate me," my father said.

To Dr. Edwards.we must go. I was going to stay up way late tonight on a moonlit (full moon) computer game binge. Some new games came in via UPS today and I am itching to check them out. Someone seriously pissed in my Cheerios this morning.

"Well, I'll be damned," I profaned among other words of brazen profanity.

It would have made an old sailor or an old salty dog proud.

"I thought you would revolt if I told you too early," my father said. "Get ready to leave at 9:30am."

Dad started to coach me on what to say so we won't have to come back until 6 months.

"Say your medications are working fine," dad told me. "Especially say you are feeling fine."

"We're still getting steak biscuits, aren't we?" a tradition when going to my psychiatrist and my father said yes. "I want two steak biscuits, packs of mustard, and an ex-large Coke."

It kind of softened the blow for all intents and purposes.

"Just don't get the homeless look or look crazy by your attire," my father said rather surreptitiously. "Do some laundry tonight and I am going to burn that baseball cap that you insist on wearing everywhere."

Okay, So Sue Me. I Reneged...

https://www.amazon.com

Yes, I relented and now I feel extremely guilty -- a true schmuck about it as if I have poisoned the towns well or something similar.

I woke up very, very late today around 11pm. I didn't mean to do that, but it just happened. Maggie, Ms. Priss and the Duchess as my father calls her, woke me basically because she was lonely I believe. Maggie had probably been up for hours most likely -- right around our usual time of about 7am or 8am.

Well, I was sitting in my recliner drinking a glass of cold milk and eating two strawberry Pop-Tarts. Maggie was beside herself she wanted some so badly and was very vocal about the whole affair.  Maggie has an affinity for sweets like I do. I gave her one bite of Pop-Tart and she inhaled it about as fast as I could put it in a bowl and place in on the floor.

"That's it," I told the Maggins as she begged for more. "No more Pop-Tarts for you dear."

Blessings Upon You...Blessings to You All...Let's Break Bread Together...

https://pressurecookingwithlornasass.wordpress.com

My father had cooked this evening and told me not to eat as he was bringing me a good supper.

"Don't ruin your appetite," he told me in warning. "I've got a lot of food for you."

It was time for the medication ritual and then the great escape that is the bed and ultimately deep sleep.

Maggie's snoozing at my feet right now all ready to hit the hay. Maggie has this idiosyncrasy where she has to be touching your foot when she does that. That means she feels more safe, secure and comfortable -- the light in the darkness.

"I forgot your soup!" dad exclaimed -- with a profane word attached.-- walking across my yard. "I had you some hot vegetable beef soup and half a pan of cornbread and I left it at home"

"Quick, let's go get it," my father then said, "And then I have to do my weekly grocery shopping."

"Let me make sure my cigar is completely out in the computer room and we can go get it," I told my father.

I was not about to pass up on Johnny Otis's homemade vegetable beef soup with the recipe courtesy of Charlie's wife, Janice.

We shortly arrived back at my house and my father administered my crazy meds. Maggie got fresh bowls filled with good food and fresh water, The bounty we had so long waited for had arrived.

Life in the Internet Fast Lane...

OMG!

https://gigaom.com

Oh, I am loving life right now. This is my little slice of Prozac pie. So this is what it is like to be in the internet fast lane? I hope I don't get a ticket from the internet police.

The internet generation rejoices! Everything seems so crisp and zippy! Browsing the internet has never been this fast and so much fun. Everything is almost instantaneous. I had to do some serious negotiations to get this speed ala Papa. He said I should be happy with 30 Mbps. 30 Mps is a long way from 600 Mbps let me tell ya and it puts that slower speed to shame.

Apple Computers always has lightning fast servers and they are a good place to start. It took me 5 seconds to download 20 songs I had cued a moment ago -- a bunch of old Kenny Rankin tunes that I enjoy. Downloading iTunes was also as fast as ever -- beyond my imagination. Sayonara cable, but I think I can get all my favorite TV shows streaming on the internet these days.