Juggling Jermaine...

Blogger glittermom said...

Is Monday the only day you can shop? Maybe if you went a different day you wouldn't get waylaid by Jermaine...or is he a daily regular at the store....

Glittermom,

I shop Monday night. Dad doesn't like to shop Tuesdays and Thursdays cause he worked all day. He does his shopping on Wednesday night. This limits our options.

Jermaine usually comes in every night according to one of the cashiers. She said he drives them crazy as well. It's his social outlet and meal for the day. I have an ex-girlfriend who works in the pharmacy and she says that they all scramble out of view when he comes in. Jermaine is a good guy. He just has the gift of the gab and will talk to you for 10 minutes without relent. I think he craves a social outlet. Jermaine is handicapped both mentally and physically and I wish more people realized that.

Andrew

Jimmy James...

I just have left my parent's humble abode. I was visiting with my sister and her two children. My sister has the week off from work and is staying a few days with my father with grandchildren in tow.

Grant, my nephew, had caught a bonanza of giant black locusts out in the back yard and was keeping them in plastic cups. We started to think of names that we could name them.

"Name one of them Jimmy James," I told my nephew.

Jimmy James is Charlie's nephew and a superb craftsman. He is also a firebrand.

Charlie and my father just burst out in outrageous laughter. I was chuckling myself. I don't know what got in me to say that.

"Is Jimmy James ever going to come and do my train room?" I then asked Charlie in an opportune moment.

"He's disabled now and is not working," Charlie replied. "Your father now doesn't want the closet torn out."

I glared at my father with my eat shit and die look.

Harumppf... We'll see about that...

Charlie and the Magster...

Born Again A New Man...

And we ain't talkin' religion here...

It is coming to the time of the day where I start to falter and fade. It is almost 6 PM and the pharmacy closes at 7 PM. Dad will soon head my way after a brief visit at home to gather himself, change clothes, and to get my sodas. My attention span is already shot to hell and I am very flighty in my activities.

Then starts a new beginning to the evening and the day when my father arrives around 9 PM. I will be reinvigorated for the day -- like Jekyll and Hyde. My medications begin streaming into my blood from the lining in my stomach in an hour. I can easily focus on all my computer endeavors -- writing, reading, and playing games. My outlook on life becomes brighter and more enlightened as well.

I've been staying up to around 4 AM (about all I can muster to stay up) to maximize the time I am awake and medicated. It also minimizes the time I have to wait late in the next evening for my father. Sleeping in like a time-warp.

I do have another caveat to look forward to this evening. Maybe some of the computer parts I have will have arrived. I can't wait to try out that new RAM in my new laptop. Will it make that big of a difference?

Bull In A China Shop?

Rare political post, but I just couldn't resist...

It is interesting to see where Trump's presidency is going. He is like a bull in a china shop bumbling his way through the hallowed halls of the White House. I voted for Bernie this time. He seemed like the best choice, socialism or not. Socialism is not communism. Regarding Hillary? We won't go there.

I am personally a moderate politically wishing we could all just meet in the middle and compromise and give each other concessions to certain issues. Why do all these parties have to be so extreme in their ideologies? I find fault in them all. United, we shall conquer. Divided, we shall fall.

Blessings Be to the Good Neighbors of the World...

There was a knock on the door very early this morning.  Who could that be so early? I pulled on some pants and headed to the den where the front door resides.

"Now if these are Jehovah Witnesses then there are going to be harsh words," I remember telling myself.

It was my good neighbor, George.

"Your brakes lights are stuck on," George said. "I hope it didn't run down your battery."

"Thank you!" I said profusely.

George shook my hand and headed back to his house -- his good deed for the day done

I walked out and wiggled my brake peddle until they went off. This has been happening a lot lately. I just forgot to check when I unloaded my groceries last night.

I will be glad when I get my newer car. Bless mom's soul, she wouldn't want it any other way.

Trepidatiously, I turned the car key and my car very reluctantly cranked -- the battery almost on empty. I drove around for about 30 minutes to charge the battery. I then made sure it would crank again when I made it home.

Master Mephisto...

I am feeling oddly strange tonight. I know something is up in that music is getting on my nerves which I normally love to hear. So are bright lights. I feel blinded by the harsh light of this computer monitor. I've had a busy night so that most likely explains it. It can also be signs my mental illness is starting to act up. It has been hours since I took my medications.

Ah, now it is raining and I can hear the raindrops tap tapping on my roof -- a sound to soothe the sundered soul. I will sleep well serenaded by nature's music.

From the Horses Mouth...

Jermaine matter of factly told me tonight from his hov-a-round that I need to drink tea instead of the four gallons of whole milk I drink every week.

"That's why your gaining weight," he said perfunctorily weighing probably 300 pounds himself.

Dad came walking around the corner as Jermaine and I stood by the cold cuts talking.

"Shit!" dad said rather venomously. "We are in a race against the clock and you got caught by Jermaine."

We were trying to get all my groceries before 10:00 PM and the regular lanes with cashiers closed. Our only option to check out then would be the self-checkout lanes.

My only impulse buy was a quart of Promised Land chocolate milk. That stuff is heavenly if you love chocolate and milk like I do.

"You didn't get any frozen meals," my father alarmingly exclaimed as we were checking out.

"It's a sandwich-themed week," I told him. "I got over ten dollars in cold cuts and sandwich bread."

As we were leaving, dad helped me put the groceries in the back of my car.

"Head on home," he said. "I am going back inside to get you some beefaroni and frozen meals. I will see you at your house."

May Pleasant Days Bless You...

I woke up at 2:30 PM thoroughly rested. I went to bed around 4:30 AM this early morning. Maggie fussed as she didn't want us to get up just yet. I call her old fuss and feathers when she does that. It reminds me of the time a snake got in the chicken coop at my grandmother's farm and the hens put up one hell of a fuss. It was my job to catch the snake and get it out of the coop. I never was afraid of snakes.

Grocery Night?

"Is Kroger even open on Memorial day?" I asked my father over the phone a moment ago worried about grocery night. "What if they are closed? Are we going to Walmart?"

"Settle down now, Martha! Kroger only closes for Thanksgiving and Christmas day," my father replied with a laugh.

That made me feel better. My house is now officially bereft of food after breakfast again for lunch.

Dad was in an extremely jovial mood joking and cutting up. He said he had been cleaning the gutters of his house when a big thunderstorm blew over. He is real scary of lightning so he quickly got off the roof. He told me he was going to be sore or stove up in the morning.

"Come get your Cokes!" my father exclaimed to me. "You can have yesterday's as well!"

My father then decided he was going to get a shower and he would call me once he got dressed.

"I would give you your meds early, but we need to stay on schedule," he told me before we got off the phone. "Well take them before we go to Kroger around 9 PM."

Breakfast and Beyond...

Can you tell I am cycling again? The cycling makes it well past midnight until I retire. I couldn't sleep so I decided to just get out of the bed and fix breakfast just a tad bit early.

Don't forget Maggie. She is underfoot until the last sausage pattie has been fried.

Sausage such as this that comes in a roll tastes delicious, but it also takes forever to cook. I like my sausage well done and crispy around the edges.

I also got the "hot" and spicy sausage, but they always taste mild to me. I guess I need to get the Inferno version.

In a moment, I will grate some cheddar and get some scrambled cheese eggs going. Lastly, there shall be buttery toast to round out the meal. The smell of that frying sausage is already driving poor Maggie crazy and smells delicious to me as well.

Regarding Medications...

We, my father and I, have been trying so very hard to take my medications around 9 to 9:30 PM. Life has a tendency to get in the way, though, as it often does.

It is now 9 PM and I haven't heard hide nor hair out of my father. It looks like it is going to be one of those nights that my father will be very late.

I can feel it in my bones -- the withdrawal that sets in late in the day. I feel fatigued and often not able to concentrate very well. Writing is slow and troublesome. I also get the butterflies in my stomach. It is a disconcerting feeling to say the least.

Here is the point in which I evoke my Auschwitz Mantra. Things could be a whole helluva lot worse than having to take my medications a couple of hours late. I could be transported back to 2001, my divorce, and the life I had that was in shambles in every way.

Addendum: Charlie arrived at 9:45 with my medications and all kinds of treats and goodies so all is well in my world.

Peace of Mind and an Adulated Friend...

No more worries for the evening...

"I brought Maggie a big bag of ribeye scraps and I brought you two steaks as well," Charlie told me as he began to wipe off my kitchen counters. "Today was Janice's birthday."

"I know," I replied. "I messaged her on Facebook."

Charlie also brought a green salad with Ranch dressing, a baked potato, and some toasted barbecue bread. There was also a piece of Charlie's chocolate pie.

You should've seen the grin that formed on my face. I was a happy little pea in my pod.

Charlie also brought all kinds of assorted sodas which thrilled me to death. I love variety when it comes to my sodas. I got 3 regular "leaded" Cokes, two Sprites, two Sunkist, and two diet Cokes. They were all in a cooler in the back of Charlie's car so they were already ice cold.

"Thank you for the occasional orange juice," I told Charlie of this morning's breakfast from McDonald's.

I would have gathered all my household trash but I wasn't expecting Charlie tonight. He went about gathering all my trash and taking it out to the road.

The PIN Code to Family -- Access Denied...

My father went to my sister's house in Alex City this afternoon. The introvert in me remained introverted today despite being invited to come. They were going to take the boat out on the lake which the kids just love. My father says my brother-in-law's boat is very nice and a real speed demon. He said they may even do some water skiing -- something I could never master.

"Is Charlie bringing my medications?" I asked my father over the phone this afternoon on a hope and a prayer.

Please god? Jesus? That can even get this old staunch secular humanist praying.

"I am bringing them and I am bringing you something to eat as well," my father told me.

My head sunk into my chest just like Admiral Akbar in Star Wars when they destroyed the super star destroyer except Akbar's was out of relief and mine is out of consternation. This usually means I will get my medications around 11 PM. I just hope my father doesn't drink and drive. My sister and brother both will have enough sense to keep that from happening.

My father asked me the other day how I knew he had been drinking even though he wasn't slurring his words. He got really defensive about it.

"You can smell it on you!" I exclaimed very excitably. "You smell like a brewery. It comes out of your pores and with your breath."

Comment Replies...

Blogger Amelia said...

Do you get troubled by mosquitoes where you live? They and black flies are just brutal here.
I was thinking about your train watching and if they made it uncomfortable for you.

May 27, 2017, at 8:13 AM

Amelia, I've heard horror tales of the biting black flies up north. The mosquitoes here usually only come out at dusk and twilight. There is nothing else that bites us this far South. My main worry when watching trains is getting badly sunburned. I am very fair skinned and will get burned to a crisp if I don't apply sunscreen.

Eerily Quiet Tonight the Papas Be...

Dad pulled up in front of the house about 9 PM and I walked out to help him carry everything inside. As I had expected, his hands were full. He had a Big Mac value meal, a Mickey D's Coke, my 6 nightly sodas, and my MedPAC of medications.

"How is my son doing?" he asked me as we walked across my yard now with both of our hands full.

"You know? I really can't complain," I replied. "It's been a pretty good day."

"Now, Y'all get your butts in here. In Home! I've been worried all day about you Papa," Maggie seemed to be imparting with her urgent barking and busily wagging tail.

"Are you okay?" I asked my father as we then sat on the couch taking my medications.

I usually get uneasy when my father is so quiet. It usually means I have committed some form of faux pas upon him or us. He just sat there patting me on my knee. He is usually a very, very talkative fellow.

"Oh, I am fine," my father said with a goodhearted tone to his voice. "I am just getting too old to orchestrate those grand cookouts any longer. It just wears me out. I slept all afternoon after the grand-kids left."

Time For Papa...

Maggie is already in the window watching out for my father's arrival as darkness approaches. Dad told me he was craving a fast food burger tonight and he is going to bring me a Big Mac combo meal as well. I am still bloated from lunch but graciously accepted. 

Surprise! Uncle Andrew's Here! Yikes!

Skyrim

I usually don't go to family holiday functions because they make my nerves bad and I get afflicted with my omnipresent anxiety attacks. That said, the riverboat gambler gambled.

Dad was grilling outside and my brother and my sister's families were here. I put on my best smelling clothes (adding some Irish Spring deodorant)  and headed over for a little while.

"You smell good," my father said as I stood next to him at the grill.

I passed my first test. I then failed the second test when my father noticed I wore these clothes yesterday. Sigh! The downtrodden are trodden all over again.

The ribeyes, grilled vegetables and toasted buttery barbecue bread were delicious. Dad has a true flair for grilling steaks or just about anything. He learned it from Charlie, the grill master.

"Let us go play games at Uncle Andrew's house!" my nephew, Grant, exclaimed after lunch.

"Can you handle all of them?" my sister asked apprehensively. "I better come with you."

I told my sister that I thought that was a good idea. You would never know my sister is an oncologist as she seems so down to earth and is so unassuming. We all piled in her Honda Odyssey and headed to Andrew's house.

The kids marveled that I had built all these computers. I booted up The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim on my PC gaming computer for my nephew and he said aloud, "WOW!" It did my heart good.  It is the most graphically intensive game I own. A kid could get lost in the world of Skyrim for days.

Handel - Messiah - by London Philharmonic (Complete Concerto/Full)

Charlie Brings Sustenance...

I was just over at my father's house. We were listening to Handel's Messiah in the library. He manically wrote it in 11 days dad said.

Dad's an atheist, but he loves the music and art inspired by churches and religions everywhere.

Well, here comes Charlie down the driveway. He had just gotten off of work and made the arduous drive back to the Valley.

"John, I've got you two Chic-fil-a sandwiches and Andrew I bought two for you as well," Charlie told us. "I was just fixing to head to your house, Andrew."

Dad immediately ate his sandwiches saying how delicious they were. I had to wait to eat mine since I just took my medications moments before Charlie arrived.

Train Watching Extraordinaire...

CSX SD70AC number 4720

It was too beautiful to sit inside today. I said farewell to Maggie and headed to the railroad tracks to watch some trains.

I made some bologna sandwiches and carried some "fishing" food for snacks. In a thermos was some cold whole milk -- all I had to drink at the house except water. I didn't see many trains, but I had a pleasing time of just reading my Model Railroaders on the bench behind the bank -- scheming about my model railroad empire coming to fruition in what will soon be my train room.

One train slowed down for the signal downtown and they had trouble getting started again with the heavy drag of ballast gondolas behind them. I marveled at the amounts of sand the locomotives were spitting on the tracks to get traction and to get moving again.

Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!

Sufjan can be avant-garde, but he is pleasing aurally.

Happy as a Clam in its Shell...

I sheepishly asked my father for some more computer parts last night and he agreed. He balked at first asking me just how many computers would make me happy.

"You've been doing so well lately that I am going to treat you," he said last night. "Email the parts to Matt at the pharmacy."

He told me tonight that the parts were ordered and Matt also sent me an email with the tracking numbers.

It wasn't anything outrageously expensive. I ordered a $19.99 DVD rewritable drive and another motherboard which cost about $149 dollars (half price open box special). My only other item was a $49.99 "Challenger" computer case to put it all in. I own one of these Rosewill cases and they are a steal at $49.99. Highly functional.

The motherboard has integrated graphics, wireless and Ethernet internet connections, and integrated sound which will defray the cost of having to buy all those extra parts.

Little does my father know, but I am building this computer for him. He was complaining of how slow his Dell was last night as he often does. He is going to be stunned and shocked at the speed of this new budget build.

The processor is going to be a Core i5 3.2 GHz with Intel 4600 graphics and 16 megabytes of Corsair 1600 MHz RAM I both had on hand.

Take the Express Train...

A psychedelic express train...

7:00 PM arrives and that means the pharmacy closes. I bet dad is already in his car headed home. He will fiddle fart around some at the house -- maybe eat a little supper before he comes over here. The quintessential television must be turned on to display its skewed view of the world.

I am not feeling my oats right now. This late in the day is usually my downhill slide until I get my medications -- my medications quickly dropping to almost nothing. Once I take them, I will be reinvigorated till about midnight to three in the morning.

I am still incredibly craving beer tonight. I keep fantasizing about driving to the Circle K and getting a six pack of Natural Ice beer. "Just a six pack won't hurt," I keep telling myself. Dad reeked of alcohol last night as well and that just put fuel on the fire so to speak. Why can he and I can't?

I was trying to think the last time I took a drink and it must be at least 5 or 6 years ago -- just about the last few times I saw George, but my memory is cloudy.

What Are We Going to Do With the Old Fella?

Dad noticed last night that George had put another one of his walkers out by the road. It was gone this morning when I woke up. Someone picked it up and took it home.

"Medicare had to pay for that damn thing," my father negatively said when he saw it at the road.

"Maybe someone will get it that actually needs it," I told my father rather optimistically.

Well, the weather is just absolutely fantabulously gorgeous here today and Maggie I were sitting on my screened-in side porch as I browsed the internet and listened to music in the swing with my trusty iPad. George came walking out his side door of his house, waved to me, and just totally busted his ass on the carport step down. I hurriedly ran over as quick as I could.

"Do you need to go to the emergency room?" I asked George urgently. "Is anything broken? It won't take but a moment to call the paramedics."

I noticed one of his hands was skint and bleeding -- the hand he caught himself with.

"I am fine," George told me with the extremely heavy smell of alcohol on his breath. "I am glad you were out on your porch, though."

He almost couldn't talk he was so drunk. I got him up and standing and I walked into his house to make sure he got situated in his recliner.

"Do you want me to go get you something to eat or drink?" was the last thing I asked him before I left him alone. He assured me he was fine. He sure is going to be stoved up in the morning, though, as we say in the South.

Across Town We Go -- A Mission of Mercy...

"Oh shit! I forgot your cokes!"

Not something you want to hear when you are craving your daily caffeine fix. The cokes are a true treat for me at the end of the day. I will drink my last one about midnight and go to bed.

"Come on," my father said. "Let's get in the car and go get them. It won't take but a minute."

I sighed.

"I promise you I will be okay if we don't go get them," I told my father not wanting to take the trip.

My night time lethargy and laziness had set in. I just wanted to take my crazy meds and get on the computer.

"No," dad said. "It is going to worry the shit out of me until we get your cokes. Your mother would never let that happen."

He was right on the money about my mother. She would never forget an obligation like that.

We arrived back at my house and Maggie was stymied about what was going on. She seemed befuddled. She thought we had left her alone for the night. She yelped with joy when we walked back into the house.

I had some hires pictures of Queen Victoria I wanted to show my father which enthralled him. We then looked at the weather radar and my father headed home.

Vegetable Beef Soup and Cornbread...

I have to wait until my medications soak in, but I am going to be chowing down in about an hour. I will crumble up the cornbread in the soup and add some hot sauce. Dad said he was giving me a whole "pone" of cornbread and I hadn't heard that word in years and it intrigued me. 

Supper Sales Soupy...

Tonight we are having my father's soup -- an adapted recipe from Charlie's wife's soup. It is something to be savored. Even more so on a cold winter's day. It is most delicious with a hot pan of cornbread and some dollops of spicy hot sauce. I told dad to put some macaroni noodles in it to kick it up a notch as Emeril would say. Mom always liked it when he did that as well.

"I will be over in just a little bit," my father told me as we were getting off the phone.

An Emeril Tale...

One time, in the throes of my madness, I got it in my head that Emeril Lagasse was flying me to New York to eat at one of his posh restaurants.  I had just gotten out of homelessness and was living in my deceased grandmother's house behind my parent's house.

Well, I got dressed to the nines and walked to my parent's house in the middle of the night to wait for Emeril's limousine to pick me up.

"Dear god, son, You've got yourself in a mess" dad told me.

Dad got me in my mother's bed with her and I finally went to sleep. This was before I was on any medications. I was getting them at the health clinic but wasn't taking them.

Like a Blustery Fall Day After a Cold Front...

This is exactly how Roger's Brunswick stew looks.

It is really exceptionally windy today. The trees are getting all blown about like crazy. It is like a late fall today and it is cool outside as well. We should be in the upper eighties with popup thunderstorms this time of the year. They say we have an 80 percent chance of rain today, but I don't believe it. The sun is shining very brightly today with few clouds in the skies.

Papa just stopped by with a barbecue plate from Roger's Barbecue. I was elated as it was a surprise, I was very hungry, and I hadn't eaten yet. I sat in the kitchen with my kitchen computer eating lunch as Maggie vied for my attention. I gave Maggie little morsels of barbecued pork that she basically inhaled.

"You are going to get choked," I told her warily.

The plates are very expensive, but they put a lot of food on them to make up for it -- I almost couldn't eat it all. The Brunswick stew was exquisite with barbecued pork, chicken, and corn in a thick, smoky and zesty tomato based sauce.

Experimentation...

I used a thirty party program to measure how much traffic the blog was receiving every day. Blogger was reporting I was getting over a hundred people a day and it is actually around 20 people a day. I was disappointed, but that's how the ball bounces some days. I am getting paid back from my indiscretions from my previous blog. Karma is a bitch some days.

Pill Popping Fool... Wait! Stop the Presses!

"If I drink this big glass of cold milk then my father will show up," I said to myself jokingly knowing it will slow the intake of my medications much to my dismay.

I was somewhat jesting with myself. It was gambling the riverboat gambler I am. I had hoped he would hold off until 9 PM which is normal, but he was ready to get home from a long day at work.

Well, here comes Papa in his black Honda driving up the street as soon as I wiped off my milkstache. I sighed and shook my head as I said an ugly word, son of a biscuit eater. I should have known better. There must be some kind of universal law of the universe that controls these kinds of things. Murphy's?

I Really Am A Kid At Heart...

The ice cream truck just stopped by the house and I gleefully scrounged up enough dollars and cents to buy an orange slushie from our sophisticated ice cream man. I ran out to the road just as he was passing and he slammed on the brakes. Maggie got a vanilla ice cream sandwich and almost made a mess on the computer room rug. She cleaned up after herself, though.

LOL!

Wee Little Doggies! You Keep On Rollin' Home!

I am so ready to see Johnny Otis tonight! I have 2 and a half hours to go before he graces us with his presence, He gets off at seven and fiddle farts around at home some and then comes and brings my medications. I am going to take my medications and just seriously chill and relax for a few hours before bed. I miss the old codger something fierce this afternoon.

Toast On Tuesday...

It was raining heavily when I woke up at high noon. It was music to my ears. We really need the rain and we really need the NWS to stop harping on about it.

I ambled into the kitchen to scramble some cheese eggs and make some toast. Maggie was underfoot throughout the whole venture. She is certainly one proud pup that I am cooking breakfast again when we wake up.

"Maggie? You'd eat anything even if it was still moving!" I said jokingly to my furry little friend.

It reminded me of the time Maggie brought in a live bat! Oh, the rigors of a dog door!

I am at a loss as to what to do with myself these days. I've decided once again I don't particularly enjoy Facebook much. It is like everybody is vying for your attention and trying to outdo everybody else. And there is a whole heluva lot of people graduating from high school that I have no idea who they are.

I am certainly running out of steam as far as this blog is concerned as well and I have no desire to play video games these days. I find myself a lot of the time posting to my blog out of boredom and I spend most of my spare online time at Wikipedia reading in a noisy room as Maggie makes all sorts of noises. Grunting, whining, snorting, sniffing, farting.

It is days like today that I really miss downing a dozen beers. The day would just fly by if I had a 12 or 18 pack and I wouldn't have a care in the world. It would be like looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. Oh, but the hangover would be hell I haven't had a drink in so long.

Holy Monetary Totals Batman!

"That can't be right," my father said scratching his head as we walked to our respective cars after grocery shopping. "For $66 dollars you got a shitload of groceries. I thought it was going to be a hundred bucks."

"I thought the same thing myself," I replied. "I was worried she didn't scan a few items."

It took me a long time to load my groceries into my car as my father stood to the side of me with the gift of the gab.

I also managed to get an Edwards lemon meringue pie (swoon) for the first time in weeks. It was hiding behind the rather unpopular Edwards cookies and cream pies.

"Y'all never have the pie he wants," dad had complained to the cashier to no avail.

She said two people had also asked tonight if we were going to get them in stock and how soon.

"The Key lime pie is very popular as well," she told us. "It always sells out."

YUM!

The Risperdal Consta Experience

Don't Say the K Word...

Rejoining My Facebook Friends...

I haven't even visited Facebook very much in about 2 or 3 years. I visited yesterday when my father wanted to check out what my mother's siblings were doing and I now understand its appeal. On my blog, I would be lucky to get maybe one to a few reactions to a post. I just posted a picture of my little girl, Maggie, and had an almost instant 10 likes and many comments. It is almost instant and addictive gratification and attention.

I am not going to quit blogging, though. Facebook is for what I call fluff. Blogging is long form style writing that takes some thought, finesse, and skill. We will post goofy fluff on Facebook and write about more serious issues and my life on ye olde blog where I am mostly anonymous.

Grocery Day! Blessed Grocery Day!

I am hungry and I am ready to go shopping! I have a leftover KFC biscuit and some leftover KFC mashed potatoes to last me until tonight. I am going to stick to my usual plan which suits me pretty fine. I am ready for some more milk and cereal.

Dad commented on my protruding belly yesterday saying a diet is in order.

"It's all that cereal and whole milk you eat and drink," he told me. "It's what you call your Dun-lop."

I know I need to quit eating it, but I am addicted. Eating two pies a week or a half-gallon of ice cream doesn't help as well.

Edit: I just found a package of Micheal Angelo's manicotti and sauce in the fridge. Woo Hoo! It was hiding behind an almost empty carton of milk which was drained of its contents to the very last drop..

And Let There Be Rain...

I woke up this morning about noon and it was raining pretty heavily outside my bedroom windows. YES! We need the rain to get the National Weather Service to quit harping on and on about our drought in central Alabama.

This Portends Awesome...

Dad just called me as I was writing this post.

"Don't eat too much today," my father just told me over the phone "I am grilling filet mignons and cooking green beans and baked potatoes."

Karma has a way of kicking my ass and sometimes it lets magical things like this happen as well.

And He Scrubbed and He Scrubbed...

Dad was on Facebook in the den with my laptop and Charlie was busy scrubbing my sink in the kitchen. I had the Mötley Crüe busy tonight trying to get me busy as well. I was also having to police dad to make sure he wasn't posting anything under my Facebook account as he scrolled through all the postings. He loves to antagonize my mother's brothers and sisters.

"Charlie? You don't have to do all that," I shamefully told him of my dirty sink as he scrubbed and washed all my dishes. "Come on and let's feed and water Maggie so y'all can head on home."

I had already taken out all the trash to the bin at the curb. I thought I was way ahead of the curve.

"Now dammit!" Charlie said adamantly. "I was born to clean!"

"Do you ever look at porn on your computer?" my father then surprised me and asked me in a risque manner.

He garnered a Cheshire grin as I rolled my eyes.

"Good god, dad!" I exclaimed. "That is just gross. That is one surefire way of screwing up your computer. I guarantee you!"

No wonder dad has so many problems with his computer that I have to fix. He is the malicious browser toolbar king.

"You mean you've never looked before? Surely curiosity has gotten the best of you," he said.

"I've looked before, but all those porn actresses look fake and out of my league," I said modestly.

"Do you remember what I told you and your brother in high school?" dad asked. "Your hand is your best friend."

"I am ready, John," Charlie said walking into the den with two more trash bags full of trash.

Helen Fried Chicken...

Damn, that was some good fried chicken and I always loved Helen's meatloaf and her superbly divine mac and cheese as well. Helen was a fine cook with regards to Southern soul food. I miss her dearly and I haven't heard from Helen in months. If I didn't have this damnable phone phobia, then I would call her and let you all know what she is doing these days. She called me pretty regularly a while back when I would answer the phone most of the time.

Papa and Charlie have headed out for our Sunday night chicken menagerie or Sunday night fried chicken as I call it. Dad just called me and asked me what I wanted tonight. I wanted the chicken strips meal like Horsefly has to get every Sunday night (every night as well) from KFC. I really wanted the zinger chicken sandwich but that would compliment matters too much. "What kind of sandwich?" my father would say with furrows in his brow.

Helen's Fried Pork Chops and Mac and Cheese

What A Nice Salad You Have There!

Charlie ran by breakfast this morning which is our routine. Sunday mornings are always looked forward to and cherished. He was running a little later than usual. Maggie was first to alert me to his arrival. I got very excited and was so very glad to see him. I was holding out on the hopes that he would arrive soon.

"I am in a hurry or I would visit with you folks," Charlie told me as he handed me and Maggie's sausage biscuits through the door. "Horsefly is acting antsy Janice said. Lord knows we don't want Horsefly to pitch a hissy fit."

Charlie told me he had to tear up Horsefly's sausage biscuit in small little bits or he will get sick at his stomach. I do the same for the Magster. She wolfs down her food and I always worry she will get choked.

"Thank you fella," I told him very affectionately as I gave him a man hug.

A few hours later, I was sitting at this computer browsing about electric cars when my father called. Did you know my brother's electric Tesla produces the equivalent of 400 horsepower? Also, the torque of an electric motor is almost instant, unlike a car whose engine has to build its torque as the engine rpm's rise.

Back to the matters at hand after that little segue.

"Janice is making chicken salad for lunch. Do you want to come and ride with me? I'll pick you up in a few moments."

"Give me time to throw on some decent clothes and I will be ready to go," I told my father.

I immediately went rummaging through my clothes dryer looking for a good shirt and pair of shorts that weren't too wrinkled.

After we arrived, Janice asked me if I wanted a chicken salad sandwich or if I wanted to eat my chicken salad with crackers. I opted for the crackers and they were absolutely delicious.

Sufjan Stevens - The Dress Looks Nice On You

A Barbecue Chicken Plate Bonus...

I went to pick up my pork chops and rice and got this bonus church barbecue chicken plate as well. I love these things and graciously accepted when my father offered it to me. 

Comment Reply...

 glittermom said...

If you had a whole carton of cokes would you drink more then 6? Even 6 is a lot of Coke to drink in a short time...

Glittermom, I have to take caffeine in consideration when I am drinking caffeine-laden cokes. I will drink 2 or 3 over several hours. It will make me sick if I drink too much.

Andrew

Let it Rain! Let it Rain!

"Can I come and get my cokes?" I asked big Papa a moment ago.

He was at the grocery store and told me would call me when he got home. It is the dawning of pork chops and rice which we will be having for supper tonight.

Last night, I walked right out the door and forgot them. That means I get 12 today! Woo Hoo! Good things come to those that wait.

"Come back and get them," my father said on the phone very insistently once I had arrived home.

Lazily, I told him I would get them tomorrow. I didn't want to drove all the way back to my father's house just for 6 diet Cokes. I sure missed them later last night, though. He was right. They are a treat to be relished while I am goofing off on my computers and listening to music.

Weather Geeks Unite!

Storms are already starting to bubble up around us in the summer heat. I get so excited about the weather and days like this. I expect to hear thunder pretty soon around these parts.

"Step outside and you can check on the weather," Charlie will chuckle and tell my father and me.

We could have hurricane Cassandra blowing through and Charlie would still be taking Horsefly to the bowling alley.

Glittermom...

It felt very empowering to take my medications on my own volition. The only bad thing last night was I took them on a very full stomach and that negates the big kick I get from them about an hour after taking them.

Kitchen Computer is Ready for Service...

I installed Windows 10 on my kitchen computer as it shall be known. Things are working fine and it is a great browsing the web type of computer. I've got it connected wirelessly to the Internet and the connection is super fast. It's got a lowly Core i5 3.6 GHz processor, but it seems pretty fast to me.

Cooler Heads Thankfully Prevail...

"Come over and we'll take your medications and I have us a little supper together," my father told me over the phone.

"I need to take my medications at nine," I rebuked my father steadfastly about the medications.

"I will put them in a Ziploc bag and you can carry them home with you. I trust you to take them."

"Thank you."

"How much wine would it take for you to get a DUI?" my father asked me curiously as I sat in the kitchen watching him getting supper ready.

"I think the limit is 0.18 which is about two glasses of wine or two beers," I told him. "Look it up on the web."

"I didn't realize it was so low," he said.

Dad had cooked some hamburger steaks, mushroom gravy, steak fries, and some french style green beans. It was very delicious and I had seconds as well. The green beans were extraordinary. I told my father we need to have those beans much more often. He said his cousin Jean got him on to those.

Papa Put the Cheese in Cheesy...

I've just returned from my father's house. He made pimento cheese with a new recipe that called for cream cheese. It doesn't get hard in the fridge with the cream cheese added and mixed with the cheddar or so my father said.

"Do you want yours toasted?" Dad asked as I sat at the kitchen table.

"Yes, please!" I exclaimed happily.

The din of the television was ever omnipresent and you could hear it droning on in the den.

I told him of my computer revelations this morning -- of realizing I can make just one more computer out of the parts I had at the house.

Into my father's little toaster oven went two sandwiches with a twist of the timer. The dill pickle spear was the icing on the cake for me. Charlie's wife pickled them a few weeks ago. We also had some frou-frou potato chips that were very salty and chapped my already dry lips.

"I'll see you at nine for your medications," my father told me as I was heading home to do some more computering.

I noticed dad was drinking wine from a little sippy cup. He feels he will drink less out of a little cup like that.

"Don't drink and drive," I told my father rather assertively pointing to his little cup. "I will come and pick them up if you've had too much to drive."

He said he would call me and let me know.

My Kitchen Table at the Moment...

Bedlam!

I've actually got the motherboard and processor in the forefront working fine although the processor is running a little hot (a better heat sink and fan is in order although I did just get it down from 70° degrees celsius to 40 ° degrees). All I have to do is install Windows and then stuff this puppy into a spare computer case. 

I need a DVD-RW drive to install Windows 10 which I will borrow from one of my other computers and then I will put it back. They are only $19.99 so I need to just order one from the Egg. I will also use a spare 250 GB solid state drive I have on hand as my boot drive. 

Good Moods Abound All Around...

"Who's out there in the dark?" I asked very loudly as Maggie barked up a storm and whined and whimpered impatiently at the front door.

Maggie was outside on the back deck and alerted me to my father's arrival. I was sitting in my recliner with my laptop looking up weather radars as she ran through the house barking. I smiled very broadly. I love Maggie's exuberance regarding my father's visits. It is truly unconditional love.

"It's your Papa and we've got the Mags and you some supper," my father said as he walked across my yard.

Dad's pet name for Maggie is Mags and let's not forget she is the Duchess as well -- Princess of Mauritania and Maratouse.

"It's just Chik Delight," my father told me stepping through the door of my house. "But I thought you and the Mags would like some fried chicken fingers."

"Did you get some extra rooster sauce?" I asked hopefully.

"Just like you like it," my father said grinning. "Now, they are making you pay .25 ¢ cents for an extra cup of rooster sauce."

"I've had a really good day," I told my father before asking about his.

"Pretty good," dad said. "It gets harder to stand up 10 hours filling prescriptions as I get older."

A Nod to You and Me...

Sitting at my computer this morning, I got an acute case of the nods. I couldn't stay awake any longer.

"I'll just lay down for about an hour," I told myself with good intentions.

Mind you, I slept very well last night. My injection makes me so very drowsy and I had already experienced my fleeting moment of injection induced euphoria so I was pretty happy.

I awoke at 5:00 PM to Maggie's furry butt in my face. We were doing some serious sleeping and Maggie very vocally let me know she didn't want us to get up. She was really talking to me.

There are two sides to every coin. I could lament the fact that I slept through my day, or I could rejoice in the fact that my father will be here in a just a few short hours after work.

Morning Dawned and My Bottom Was Bared...

I was laying in the bed this morning about 7 AM. I slept very well and was fixing to get dressed, shake the dew off my lily, and go into the kitchen to get Maggie and I some scrambled cheese eggs and buttery toast in the works. I am finding myself craving breakfast foods again.

"Oh shit! This morning is my injection at 9 AM!" I thought to myself in a panic as I raised up out of the bed.

It hit me like a ton of bricks or the broadside of a speeding train. I like surprises sometimes, but just not that kind of a surprise because it gets me in a stir. I had to get up and get going fast! FAST!

I called my father who was getting ready for work and he nonchalantly said it wasn't today, but he would check on it after he shaved. He called me back ten minutes later.

"Yep!" he said. "Your injection is this morning. You were right after all. Thank you so much, son."

Well, I do have a pretty good bit of my mother in me (he says boastfully). My father says I got the worst of them both. I just need to get a calendar like my mother's to be fully prepared.

"What are your girls up to?" I asked a cherished friend of mine, my nurse Rebecca.

I was now at Kamath Medical.

"My littlest one didn't want to go to cheerleader camp this year and it worried me," Rebecca told me. "I thought maybe she had a bad experience last year at cheerleading camp and didn't want to go back."

Today's injection only took 10 minutes and I arrived home at 9:30 AM after a 9 AM appointment

Our Temperature Differential...

I set the thermostat this afternoon to 78° degrees and I liked to have frozen to a cold death. I went so far as to put on a light jacket as I sat in the den with my laptop and that thing is a space heater. The air conditioning vent is just behind my recliner in that room.

Maggie will start panting when the temperature hits about 80° degrees and 80° is where I unfortunately like it. Human trumped dog for the rest of the afternoon. I kept putting a big cup of ice cubes in Maggie's water bowl.

I sleep with the temperature turned way down to 75° degrees which is comfortable to me and I am sure Maggie sighs with relief. We all bundle up in the bed like the bunch of bedbug miscreants we are.

The Man From Manicotti...

I tried a new frozen meal Monday and it is delicious. Its nomenclature is Michael Angelo's. They say on the package "small batch made from scratch". They got the small part right. I have to eat two of the meals just to get full. Try the ricotta stuffed manicotti. It is a very tasty meal -- almost like something you'd get at an Italian restaurant.

Something was lacking from my meal tonight, though, and I was trying to put a finger on it. I realized I should have bought some buttery garlic bread to toast and to accompany these meals.

The Calvary Finally Arrived Early Last Night...

Let's be glad this wasn't Custer's rendition of a last stand!

Dad came pulling up to my curb at eight 'o' clock sharp last night. He took a short detour to his house to get my sodas and my MedPAC. I am sure he turned on the television as well for a few moments -- like a moth to a candle flame. 

Lately, he has been showing up at 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM so he was true to his words in saying he would get here early last night. What a damn good sight for these sorry and sore eyes. Maggie put on yet another grand show for his grace. I was trying to gather my wits and faculties for my father's arrival when Maggie squealed with joy signaling zero hour had begun. 

"I heard you needed some crazy meds as you call them," he told me as I let out a strained and weak laugh.

I was teetering on the edge of my mental precipice.

"From now on, no more funny business," he told me. "We take your medications at 9 to 9:30 PM every night. Okay? If I can't be here, then Charlie will administer them."

I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Did you realize you told Craig (the new owner of dad's drug store) you loved him and you loved everybody at the pharmacy yesterday afternoon?" dad then told me with a smile.

I laughed another weak laugh as well.

"It was sheer misjudgment on my part for driving through all that crazy traffic on highway 29 just to get a lemon/lime sports drink," I replied to my father. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

I feel ten times better this morning. I can focus and I have some of my mental acuity back. I am listening to music this morning and it is not getting on my nerves so that is a very good sign.

Indulge Yourself Dear Andrew....

Off came this morning's slouchy "knock about the house" clothes as I put on some nice clean khaki shorts and a nice gray short sleeved shirt. I had washed my tennis shoes in the washer the other day and they were blinding bright white and clean -- looking like they had been bleached.

"Ah, the titillating scent of Gain!" I said musingly as I pulled on a white t-shirt and then my gray over-shirt.

We were going for a short jaunt to do some retail therapy this afternoon... Johnny Otis approved retail therapy I might add. I had decided I wanted to make some fresh and homemade tuna fish salad and I headed to the Piggly Wiggly just a few miles away.

Everybody looked and waved manning a few registers when I walked through the automatic door.

"Hey y'all!" I waved back timidly.

I scrounged up some Blue Plate mayonnaise, Starkist tuna in olive oil (you've got to try this sometimes), sweet pickle relish, and some fresh Sunbeam bread. From produce, I grabbed some onion and some celery. I already had a carton of eggs at home. Dad had called me back and asked what would bring me joy and this was it. He was really worried about me.

"I almost called you to come to the pharmacy to take your medications," he said on the second call.

"I'll be there as soon as I can tonight!" He told me one more time before getting off the phone. "You hang in there!"

Like glittermom said it was my fault. I really got myself in a pickle today and it helped very much to get out of the house and do some shopping. It took my mind off my withdrawal. I am on over 30 hours since I last took my crazy meds.

Pharmacist's Advice...

You put your head in
You put your head out
Put your head in
And bang it all about
Do the hokey pokey
And turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

I just called my father and he is at work. He sounded cordial and glad to speak to me which made me sigh in relief. Sometimes, he doesn't want you to bother him at the pharmacy citing the new owner's lack of approval.

"Dad?" I asked. "Will Klonopin cause some withdrawal if you haven't taken it in a few days?"

"You took your medications yesterday morning," my father told me. "But yes, it could be causing some withdrawal by now."

It was my fault we took them so early yesterday. I drove over and just had to have them.

"I will be glad when you get here tonight as I feel awfully uncomfortable mentally," I told him.

"I will be there as soon as I get off of work," he told me.

That made me feel better. That means he will be here around 8 PM. My life seems to be delineated in increments of time, getting things, and waiting for others.

Double Dog Tired...

"I am going to be there between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM tonight as I am running late," my father told me over the phone this late afternoon.

"Okay," I replied apprehensively.

Well, 9:30 turned to 10:30 then it turned to 11:30 before my father finally showed up. I was already going to bed, but he insisted that I don some more clothes so we could get my groceries.

"You've got to be starving," he told me.

And I was...

Oh, what I do for the man.

I absolutely abhor those self-checkout lanes if your have more than just a few groceries. At 10 PM they close the regular lanes. We managed to get all my groceries through one of those lines.

We then got some large Wendy's frosties and a burger for me.  I ate mine on the drive back to Kroger. We left my car and returned so I could drive home. Dad had to make a deposit at the bank just down the road from Wendy's.

What's that loud booming sound from a car I now hear? Mating call. There must be a teen aged daughter who lives on the street.

I did see our Jermaine tonight. He was overseeing a price check on sugar-free Koolaid which made me chuckle. Whoever runs the ethos has a sense of humor.

I got some different things tonight. I got vanilla ice cream instead of the pies. We'll  see how that goes. I also got some Michael Angelo frozen Italian meals which are $4.99 belying the $2.99 of Marie's meals. I did not keep up with the cost tonight.

Don't Be Daunted By the Lack Of Pie...

And then we shall try pizza pie tonight! My favorite Edwards pie is the lemon meringue pie and they haven't had it in stock for weeks. All these creme pies are more fluffed up with air than anything. Yes, I am going to use that $12 dollars in money to buy me some Dijorno's. I tried one a few weeks ago and they are better than the many frozen pizzas I've eaten in my time.

I say I keep getting tired of bananas, but when I don't buy them I miss them something terrible. The are my snack for when I don't want to go to a lot of trouble.

I was so scatterbrained last week that I forgot to write about Jermaine. He was going strong and wanted me to help he find the ripest cantaloupe. I sniffed a few and said this is the one you want to get. He ambled off and we went our separate ways not before he could shake my hand..

It Was Definitely The Charlie Thing to Do...

I headed to Fred's Super Dollar after lunch and got a quart of motor oil for my lawn mower. It has sat in the basement for several summers and needed some TLC.

Fred's was in a state of bedlam as their delivery truck was there which left one person to manage the front of the store including the cash register. I noticed Fred's uses a conveyor belt system similar to Dollar General's to unload their wares.

I then got a gallon of fresh gas at Circle K. I would never get my lawn mower to crank with that old gas that was in it. I was going to try and display the better angels of my nature.

My other neighbor besides George is just dirt poor. I think she rents her house and she busts her ass to make ends meet and she has to work all the time. She can't cut her grass due to her age and she can't afford to have somebody to come cut it as well. I thought I would surprise her today and cut her grass this afternoon. Her yard is not much bigger than a postage stamp and it was really grown up with knee high weeds.

Well? I learned one thing today from all of this. I am so out of shape it is pitiful and to think I cut my grass and Joyce's (my deceased neighbor) as well many years ago. When I started to have my severe anxiety attacks, Charlie took over cutting my grass then. Now we get Lopez Landscaping to manicure Charlie's several yards, my father's several yards and my yard.

I Hope I Didn't Get Horsefly's Meal or What Is Normally Called a SNAFU Around Here...

"Charlie?" I said over his cell phone last night after they left my house. "Somehow, I got chicken strips."

"Oh shit!"

I normally just get a box of 3 pieces of original KFC recipe chicken. I said chicken sandwich last night and my father and Charlie both looked at each other confused.

"It is called a Zinger chicken sandwich and is supposed to be real spicey," I told the both of them.

"Did Horsefly get chicken strips too?" I then asked back to the pressing matter at hand.

You could hear Charlie scrambling to look as he drove.

"We're fine here," Charlie said. "Thank god!"

It would have meant that Charlie would have to head back to KFC for more.

"Are you okay with chicken strips?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, I am fine. Don't you worry about me," I told him.

They were actually quite good last night -- a nice change of pace. The original recipe chicken can be so greasy.

One nice thing about last night's meal was that it was hot and fresh. I had taken my medications that morning and could eat on a whim. Normally, I would have to wait an hour before I could eat and the food would have been tepid and cold.

Selfie #123

This is my favorite shirt. It is so comfortable. I had just gotten out of the shower. I am waiting on Papa and Charlie to arrive for our usual Sunday night fried chicken extravaganza. 

Call Waiting...

"Would you mind if I got my medications early again?" I just asked my father over the phone.

I hated to have to ask him that. There was a slight pause as my father thought about the proposition.

We had just talked a long time about Charlie and Maggie and dad was enjoying the conversation.

"Where does Charlie get these shirts?" I asked my father as he chuckled. "They are covered in dried paint."

"He loves those shirts, his working shirts, and don't dare say something about them," my father told me laughing.

"I will call you in a little bit to come get your medications, okay?" my father said.

I told him, "I love you and thank you very much."

There's A Charlie On My Mind and a Little Maggins, Too!

Maggie, our first responder, let me know Charlie was here. She rushed to the door barking her fool little head off. She put on quite the show -- a show of grand proportions.

I was sitting in my recliner dicking around with my new most prized possession, the laptop Charlie gave to me. It was good to look out the window and see Charlie's car sitting out front. Maggie was just absolutely ecstatic. Now that mom has passed away, Charlie is my chief advocate general.

"Come on in and see Maggie for a moment," I told Charlie as he walked across the yard.

"Andrew! It is good to see you!" Charlie said with a handful of sausage biscuits and a giant Coke.

"Maggie hasn't seen much of y'all lately because I am getting my medications early at Papa's house," I told Charlie.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked.

"My brain is malfunctioning," I said with a weak chuckle.

"You take care of yourself, Andrew!" Charlie told me sternly and worriedly.

I also told him he was early today. He usually arrives around 10:00 to 10:30 AM.

Maggie was beside herself to see our Charlie. She yelped and wiggled wildly as Charlie came through the front door. I made the mistake of mentioning Charlie about an hour ago and it put the Magster in a frenzy for the longest time. Just like you don't dare say Walmart around Horsefly.

Yes, I Do Believe I Am the Needy One of the Family...

Struggle, Toil, and Strife...Sigh!

I've had a string of bad days mental illness wise. I try to hide it, but dad said he could tell I was struggling yesterday just by the way I was dressed -- sloppily and unkempt.

"You don't even have your ever omnipresent ball cap on!"

I hesitate to talk about it as negativity fosters more negativity. I've been saying that for years and it is the truth. "Quit whining and suck it up!"  If I opened up anonymous comments then you would see what I mean.

"I know you hate to see me calling," I just told my father when he answered the phone. "But can we take my medications early today?"

"Can you wait two hours?" my father asked. "No, you come to me if you can drive and you won't have to wait."

"I don't get aggravated with you," my father then said. "I just don't want us to get off our routines. You're getting your medication earlier and earlier each day and I am not getting to see Maggie every night."

"I wish I could call you like my brother and sister and tell you how many lives I saved today," I then told him.

"You do pretty well these days," my father told me. "You've come miles and miles from what you started at."

My father had some regular "leaded" Coca-Cola in the fridge when I arrived at his house.

"I thought you might like that," my father said.

Dad was watching the food channel and we both got entranced on what the lady was cooking.

Operation: Quest, Quench, Thirst...

"Jesus, I am thirsty," I said blaspheming aloud as I drove by the police station headed to my parent's house.

A Policeman got behind me but suddenly turned off a side street as I was not his quarry today. I buckled up just in case which I should have done before I left home.

Dad was fertilizing the backyard when I pulled into the back driveway of his garish abode. I had called him earlier on a mission of mercy. I was drinking up all my milk I eat my cereal with as I had only bland water left as my only alternative. I was out of my usual diet Cokes.

"Can I get something cold, delicious and refreshing to drink?" I asked my father. "I am parched."

Dad keeps my medications in his car so there was much rummaging around the back of his Honda before he found them. I think I heard a few profane words as well.

"Come on and we will take your medications as well," he said as I followed him up the back steps to the deck. .

It was music to my ears on this late Friday afternoon. One word: Clarity.

We took my medications early as my father loaded me up on various drinks.

"Will you drink your mother's tutti frutti drinks?" my father asked. "I can't drink them. They give me heartburn something terrible."

So, I got a two six packs of tutti frutti, a liter of diet Coke, a six pack of diet Coke in the cans, and another cold diet Coke to drink on the drive home. Extra gracious miles and beyond.

I Wish I Could Fulfill Your Every Wildest Desire...

Maggie, my dearest, is being very noticeably needy this morning. She started when I woke up and rolled out of the bed. I am surprised she didn't wake me she's so antsy about something.

(Did you notice I am sleeping nights again? We're cycling yet one more time.)

"I am refilling your food dish and checking your water," I told my dear darling little dog as I walked into the laundry room.

Nope! No joy! That was not what she wanted. She is now laying at my feet and licking her paws which is a nervous habit of hers. Sometimes, I guess, you just have to let the mystery be.

Restless about it, I then checked the dog door to make sure it was open and there was nothing obstructing ingress and egress through the portal of danger and doom.

To the Moon, Alice! To the Moon!

Last night was a beautiful, cool, and starry night. I opened up the windows of the house after my father left and put a box fan Charlie gave me in one window in the bedroom drawing that cool night air inside.  I'd do it more often if they didn't install my storm windows in the wrong way. You have to go outside to open and close them because they were installed backwards. I just have never mentioned it to Charlie as it would worry him.