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Monday, October 19, 2015

For the Love of Hair

Old school or fuddy duddy?
That is the question set before me.

I don't understand this whole new hair trend going on here.

Dying the hair in colors that are not normal.
For hair.
Either in streaks or just doing all the hair.

Is it me?
Or is everyone else very bizarre?

Women are dying their hair in colors not normally seen in rainbows and they are getting tons of compliments.
Except one.
This one woman I know said her 18 month old son laughed when she did hers.

I don't know if it is mostly women that are liking this trend.
Most of the compliments seem to come from women.

I don't think it's an age thing because older women than me are saying that it is cute or looks good.

I do know my husband thinks "torrid pink" or purple or teal hair looks stupid.

Apparently, Marge Simpson was ahead of her time.

And I seem to be turning into my mother.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Because I Don't Know

It's been a humdinger of a month, let me tell you.

Two days after the funeral of my uncle on my dad's side, my uncle on my mom's side died.

Can we just say....

Too many God damn funerals!

And finding out about both deaths over Facebook was not something I ever hoped to see?

Maybe lots of people don't care how they find out. I do. Facebook is for links and pictures and stupid duckface selfies and what you had for lunch.
It's not for announcing within minutes that a family member has died.
I guess I am old school.

In other news, an error was made somehow in paying my truck payment and they submitted a debit to my credit union for $438,027.00. The credit union called me and asked if it was fine to bounce it back.
Well, duh.
And the credit union proceeded to charge me $25 for NSF.
I did call them and they refunded that charge even though there was a fee to send it back.
So, I was nice and said "thank you" for their generosity.
Because, I would clearly be making payments of $438,027.00 for a 2005 Toyota Tacoma.

I did apply for a job and interviewed.
I realize that my interviewing skills are rather rusty.
I can't say that I bombed totally.
I can say that I was consistent in my interview,
Consistently unimpressive.

But, they had me fill out papers for a background check so it could go either way.

Just PT.
Not sure I can handle FT right now.

Monday, August 31, 2015

Well, Would You Look at the Time

Has it really been a month since my last update?

I've been busy with the garden, of course.
Up to 81 jars of beans canned.
So far.

I've also dug onions, made salsa, and made pickles.

I also have CHICKENS!

 We got ten hens that are already laying. A guy wanted to quit doing chickens so we got them.
Here are the first eggs we got.




In other news, Saturday was my 18th wedding anniversary.
Honeyman is on call so we postponed the night out until next week.

Not a great day.
My uncle died that day. He had cancer throughout his body.

I guess I won't forget the anniversary of his death.

So, we postponed our night out til next weekend.
They are holding visitation and funeral next weekend.

Hopefully soon, I will have something more entertaining to share.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Potatoes and Such

'member a long time ago when I was writing about going to plant potatoes?

It was back at the end of the A-Z.

You don't remember?

That's OK.
Cause I do.

After all, they are my potatoes.
Sure, you plant them and pretty much leave them be til the plants die.
But, you just can't forget completely.

The time has come to start digging.
I have been digging a few hills here and there.
Digging them as they die and also to save my back.

Aren't they beautiful?

In other, unrelated news, one of my favorite uncles deleted me on Facebook for being OK with same sex marriage. I really did not see that one coming. And yet, he did not delete my husband. Which, seeing as how we have been married for quite some time, you would think he would realize we just might share the same view point.
Oh, well. Sucks to be him. He is just going to be missing out on the awesomeness of me.

What else?
Saw my rheumy Tuesday to go over tests. No fusing or erosion, but degenerative change. Most people do end up with some degeneration as they age, but it also leads the dr. to think that AS is happening. The meds seem to be working so no mri right now.

Family reunion is Saturday. Fun times to be had by all.

I have missed a lot of posts lately and I got some making  up to do getting around to everyone.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Ten Things Tuesday- Internet Rules

It's been a long time since I did one of these.

I've been missing my Ten Things Tuesday list.

There seems to be some strange rules people follow when on the internet. Some things are just OK and other things are so bad.
I am going to take a look at those things today.

Today's Ten Things Tuesday is all about rules~ internet rules.

1. Use horrible spelling and/or bad grammar, but under no circumstances should you use ALL CAPS.
     ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS YELLING, YOU KNOW. IT IS NEVER ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOMEONE MAY SEE THE CAPITAL LETTERS BETTER BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE SO WELL. OR, BECAUSE, IN THE CASE OF MY HUSBAND, USING THE SHIFT KEY IS A PAIN AND IT IS EASIER(i.e. LAZY).

2. When you use the internet, manners are not important.
     Be rude. After all, no one can see you. They can't bitchslap you through the monitor for your insensitive comments.

3. WebMD is the go to for medical advice.
     Type in your symptoms and you are good to go. Except that your headache might be a brain tumor. You might need to check that out.

4. There are no such things as too many ads.
     Between you and me, I zone most of them out so the joke's on them. By the way, if you click on one of the ads on my blog, I will make 10 cents. Click away. Shhh. If Blogger knows that I am asking for clicks, they won't give me my pennies.

5. Make a meme about a week, day, or year and circulate it without a date.
     Is is Autism Awareness Week now when I see it or two months from now when someone else sees it and posts it? Or was it a few weeks before I saw it? That's OK. We don't need to know.

6. SPAM is just like hangers in your closet.
     It multiplies. Do not be alarmed.

7. So people understand you are kidding, you must make a winky face or write jk.
     If you don't, people will not know you are just kidding. Fonts don't show emotion, People!

8. Mail you want inevitably will end up in your junk folder and crap mail will make it into your inbox.
     It's a scam to make sure you look through all your mail.

9. Google it!
     If you don't know something, go to Google and only look at the first three pages, at most.
Sure another search engine might give you the answer. But, Google is where it is at. And the link you want might be on page 8, but why bother. It just takes time. Time that you could use to play Criminal Case on Facebook.

10. Changing passwords gets more and more complicated for security.
     Never forget your password. Changing it involves special characters, upper case, lower case, numbers and some creativity to make it good and strong. Too weak. Ohh...too bad, so sad. Try again.

Oh, Internet, what would we do without you?

Have a great day!


Monday, June 15, 2015

AS My World Churns

Life has been busy the last few weeks.
After the graduation, I got to concentrate on getting the garden in.

After that, I got to meet my new rheumy.

I was worried cause I really didn't know what to expect.
Especially after the gastroenterologist fiasco.

He did not mention fibro.
But, he did mention ankylosing spondylitis.

He is pretty sure that is what I have.

I had blood drawn and a bunch of x-rays and am waiting on results.

Ankylosing spondylitis, or AS, is auto-immune and will cause my spine, neck, and hips to become stiff and rigid and possibly fusing together. Inflammation is there and may affect my eyes and heart.

It is more common in men. In fact 3 out of 4 cases will be men.
About half a million people in the US have AS.

According to Livestrong.com, women present symptoms slightly different then men and the illness can mimic fibromayalgia or general rheumatoid arthritis.

So, that is where I am right now.

I am not scared.
It is what it is.


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Choice Or No?

Have you heard that "lovely" platitude -

Everything in life is your choice.
No one and nothing else is to blame.

Poppycock!

You can want a certain job so much, doesn't mean you are going to get it.
Someone else's choice.

How much is your pay or raise?
Someone else's choice.

I'd really like to date that person.
That person's choice to say yes.

Sometimes things are not our choice.
In fact, a great many things are not in our control.

People just need to stop with all of this gobble de gook.

"Choose to be happy"

Maybe I don't want to.
Maybe I can't make myself be happy.
Maybe I just woke up and thought that I'm going to make this into a shitty day.

Cause that's what I do.

As, I am writing this, I am am wondering why I have written the same word twice and one has the red squiggly line  underneath it, but not the other one.
So, I choose to think  that it's just being weird.

So, sometimes we have choice.
Sometimes we don't.

And that's the it of it.


Friday, May 29, 2015

No Baboons Here

Have you seen this picture?
Do you believe this picture?

Please don't.

Even though Congress may act like baboons, they are not.
You may be insulting the baboon.

Checking into various sources, I have learned that a group of baboons are known as a troop.

We have troops of baboons running around the savanna.

Baboons are some of the world's largest monkeys.

Following the logic set forth in this lovely meme, you could be calling our soldiers baboons.

And really, for all we know, whoever decided to call our soldiers troops may have known this.
It may have started out as a slang term used only in the military.
But, like most slang, it eventually becomes mainstream.

However, in other countries, soldiers are called troopers.
Maybe the good ole USA just decided to shorten the word.

I really don't know.

All I could find was that journalists just started using the word troops because it was shorter than writing soldiers.

It doesn't really matter when it started.
Just know that baboons and Congress do not belong together.
In the dictionary sense, anyway.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

A Mound of Money and a Mound of Food

That's what there is after Sunday's festivities.

I have way too much food. This week will be spent eating pasta salad, veggies and dip, chips and dip, crackers and dip, ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, snickers salad, and cake/cupcakes.

I think that about covers it.
I sent a lot of the cake to work with Honeyman, but left a little home for others to eat.
I did make cupcakes that I can eat and those are left.

It was rainy. It poured in the morning and supposed to do so later so we had stuff inside.

Kiddo did good.
She got so much money, she could almost pay all my bills for the month.

So, what do she do yesterday?
She goes shopping.

At the clearance rack.

After the craziness of last week, I am looking forward to getting back to normal and getting more rest.

What am I gonna do?
Well, I already deleted the high school phone number out of my phone.
Next up:
I am unliking their Facebook page.

After that...maybe a little happy dance that I am done with that school.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Climbing Out Of a Hole

Do you believe that you can get what you want by working hard?
Do you think some people are just destined to not be able to climb out of a hole?

I really don't know what I believe anymore.

What I do know:

My house interest rate is way high and we cannot lower it. Ocwen says "Too bad, so sad. You can afford it." Have I mentioned how much I hate Ocwen? Damn the people that keep selling my mortgage.

My truck interest rate is high. Because we got a used car, interest was higher. But, it is higher than it should be. My FICO was high enough for the best rate. Honeyman's was just a little lower so they decided to go by his so we ended up going through dealership.

Honeyman is not physically able to work a second job.

Due to various reasons, among them a mystery illness, I am not working. A few years back, I could bring in a few extra hundred a month online. Yeah, that's not happening anymore.

When pay goes down and insurance, gas, food, etc. goes up, it is hard.

I know there are many people that are living the way I am.
Not in my area.
Everyone around here seems to have plenty of money.

Sometimes it is baffling. How can they afford all this stuff?

Remember the good old days of looking forward to pay day?
I don't do that anymore.
It is just depressing.

See how much money I don't have after paying bills. Or to pay the bills.

But, as each month goes by, I can feel a little better. I am that much closer to paying off the truck.
The house? That is so far off, I really don't know what will happen. I could be dead by 2033.

OK, I could be dead tomorrow.
No guarantees.

Wow.
This was just really depressing.

You may have guessed that today was pay day.
And if you already guessed that somebody forgot to tell me about some debits, you might be right.


Friday, May 15, 2015

The Day Is Fast Approaching

My baby is going to be a high school graduate in just a week and a half.
Today is her last day of class.

Time goes by so fast.

I am really glad for her in so many ways.
No more putting up with a school full of people that think it is fine to dismiss other people as inconsequential. (There's my big word of the day!)

My husband says how tough it is in the real world, but I'd still rather be in it rather then back in school.
His life wasn't great, he had fun and friends. But he was also not sober too often in those days.

I had a horrible time in school. Not well liked as well as always sober.
My daughter is pretty much like me.

She is such a great kid, but no one ever gave her a chance.
And she is just so over pretending all of it doesn't bug her.

She doesn't like most of the kids so what they think really doesn't matter that much.
At the same time, being in that environment day after day takes its toll.

Character Counts is a thing in Iowa that schools tout and pretend that they give a crap.
They all pretend that bullying doesn't happen in their school.

Until the school gets sued or a student kills himself because of bullying.

She is glad she won't have to put up with the kids AND the school.
I am glad I don't have to put up with that school.

Kiddo plans to stay working where she is at and hopefully get full time soon.

For graduation, they gave her a sheet cake and I got that ordered.

Now, shit just got real.
I have to start cleaning and cooking and buying stuff for the reception.

I hope it doesn't rain.
I don't know how I would fit all those people in my house.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Are You Sure?

Do you notice how lots of people believe the dumbest shit, but when they read the truth they don't believe it?

I know too many of these people.

From what I understand, this has been around for awhile.
It is just making it's rounds around social media.
Again.





Why is this believable? If you have a question about the validity, do a search for tick eggs.

This is what you are gonna find:
.



These are tick eggs.
You are not going to find a picture of something strongly resembling squished blackberries or dewberries.

Yes, this annoys me. People don't check. They just believe it and pass it on and it goes round and round.

I could put out so many examples.
The Jackie Kennedy curtain that somehow became a Muslim curtain, Pepsi taking Under God out of the Pledge of Allegiance on a soda pop can, and the list goes on.

And telling these people does nothing to stop them from sharing the next thing they see.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Upon Further Reflection of the A-Z 2015

I meant to do this sooner.
But, I forgot.

Once the challenge was over, I decided to rest a couple days.
And a couple more.

Then my hands didn't feel like typing.
So, I waited a couple more days.

I saw Robyn's post and thought "Shit, I need to do that!"

So, I went to bed and laid there and when I finally got up this morning, I decided I must get it done.

I have done the challenge for a few years now.
A couple of years, I did it on both of my blogs.
I took a break from it last year and just did it on this blog this time.

One day I lost a follower and gained a different one.
Interesting.

I also gained a handful more.

They are just numbers, but it feels better when they go up.
When they go down, I have this feeling like "what did I do?".

I did have fun.
I found out that many people really seem to like potatoes.

Did I bounce around to as many blogs as I probably should have?
No. I will admit that.

A couple years ago, I spent so much time trying to get to everyone and leave a comment that it was just too much.
So, I decided to take it easy and do what I could on my terms.

My main goal of this challenge has always been to see if I could do it.
Finding new blogs come secondary.
Gaining followers come a distant third.

You, know, after watching the show The Following, followers kinda takes on a new meaning.

I know the talk about how we are a big community and commenting is a big part.
And that is true.
To a point.

Most of us blog for some interaction.
But, we also do it for ourselves.


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z Marks the Spot

No, I know what I mean.
In my X post, I determined that the majority of X words sounds like they should start with Z.

Following this logic Z, and not X, marks the spot.
And the Z is where is all comes to a conclusion.

I got to the half-way point and thought the alphabet was so long.
But, I went on and I could see the Z was in my sights,

Now, I have reached
the pinnacle
the end
the climax.

Now, it is time to pat myself on the back and congratulate everyone else for reaching Z.

And in celebration, I am going to go plant my potatoes

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Yes I Am

Yes, I am actually writing and scheduling this post ahead because my husband has a "procedure" on Y day.
I have had trouble so let's hope this works.

Yes, I am the type of person that has strange funny things running through my head when seeing or hearing serious news stories.
Did you know that Timmy fell down the well? Timmy was a dog and no Lassie was involved.
But, yes my mind went there.
The dog is fine and rescued by firemen.

It gets worse.
Yes, I am keeping that to myself.

Yes, I blame my husband for this.

Yes, I am very aware you might think I have a warped mind.

Yes, I am the proud owner of  the George Carlin collection of HBO stand-up specials.

Yes, I am the brains of my operation.
Yes, I am totally serious.
Yes, you can ask the hubs.

Yes, I do love Cary Grant movies.

Yes, I am a fan of the band Yes.

And, yes, this is a scene from a movie I love.



Tuesday, April 28, 2015

But it Sounds Like a Z

I have thought long and hard about my X word.

In the past, I have done Xanadu and X-ray and I don't remember what else.

Xenu came into my head, but everyone knows Xenu is a guy floating around the sky that Tom Cruise prays to.

My next option was to get out my dictionary and look for X words.
Xenophobe was good.

That's a person that is afraid of strangers- which pretty much describes every kid in the free world.

But, then I realized something...

Most X words seem like they should start with Z.
Unless it is like X-ray, it has a Z sound.


Except for Xmas, cause the X is really the Greek letter meaning Christ.

Xerox, xylophone, and so on and so forth.

So, in conclusion, I really have no X word for today.
Pretty much a bunch of mumbo-jumbo.

And I'm OK with that.

Monday, April 27, 2015

It's a Weighty Issue

There are two types of people in this world.

The ones that don't care one bit about what they weigh and the ones that do.
Some of those people pretend they don't but really they do.

I am one of those people that cares.
Because I could stand to GAIN a few pounds.

Normally you hear about the people that bitch and moan about how hard it is to LOSE weight and how they hate people that can drop weight so easily.
And God forbid, I mention that I can't gain.
"You're so lucky".

Cause, it's nice having hip bones stick out.

I can eat whatever and don't gain.


I can eat all the 1-2-3-4 peanut butter cookies or flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I want, but that does nothing.

Several years ago, I was a little on the heavy side.
So, I started to lose weight.

And I did.
I got to where I wanted and I thought it was all good.

I got all healthy and eating the right foods.
Figured that more money in good food, less in getting sick and doctor bills.

But, I lost some more and I am going to bitch and moan about that.

It's not easy trying to lose, but the same is true if you need to gain.

We are all different.
For some people, it is as simple as calories in/calories out.
For others, it is the type of food you eat.
Some people need more carbs and some people less.

I can keep my weight steady by eating more carbs. The tricky part is getting enough to gain what I need without eating stuff I shouldn't.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

And It Vanished

It was the case of the vanishing brain power,

She could no longer recall the word she wanted.
It was there.
And POOF, it vanished.

Only to be remembered five minutes later.

She called her cat, her dead cat's name.
She forgot that cat died.

Where were all these brain farts coming from?

She forgot that she did U yesterday and did another U word today.
That post has now since vanished.

Was it brain fog from the fibro that her doctor thinks she has?
Or did her brain just take a small vacation without telling her?

However, it is just crazy.
Her mind seems very lazy.

Very mysterious indeed.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Under the Weather

Let's stop and think about this for a minute.

What does UNDER the weather really mean?

Sure, it is supposed to mean that you are not feeling so hot.
You are sick.
Whatever.

But, aren't all of us always under the weather?
The weather is above us all and falls to the earth.

Sun and clouds are above us.
Rain and snow comes from above.

So, we are all UNDER the weather.
All the time.

Unless, we are in an airplane flying above the clouds and storms.
Or, in a spaceship in another galaxy.

At that point, we would be above the weather.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Sleepy Time

I like sleep.
Sleep is great.

Unfortunately, it also seems to be an illusive bugger.

Naps don't work.
By the time my brain decides to allow for sleepy time
it is time to get up.

Power nap?
Nap for 15 to 20 minutes.
What is this?

My husband does this really miraculous thing.
He lays down and lets his mind go blank and is out.
Right away.

If he is awake for 15 minutes, he calls that having trouble.
I call that quickly going to sleep.

Nights are spent laying trying to get to sleep.
Do I just get up?
But, I am tired.
If I get up and stay up, it takes me that much longer to get to sleep.

I finally get to sleep.
Then I wake up to pee.
Next comes the alarm.

Two hours later I just want to go back to sleep.
Cause I didn't want to wake up in the first place.

But, I can't go back to sleep because I have things to do
Or, I can't relax enough to fall asleep.

Yet, I can take a bath and fall asleep.
Is that a bad thing?
As long as I don't slide into the water.

Ahhh, sleep.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Really?

You know those people?
The ones that say "really" all the time.
Maybe you are one.

I truly hope not.
Cause it is "really" annoying.

After everything you say they say "Really?"
It's like they got nothin' else.

No, People, I just made it up.
I really, really felt like making up the fact that blind people are being given gun permits in Iowa.


But, if I were to answer " No, not really" in response to the "Really?" I get a very confused look.
Yes, this really has happened.

"Really?" in response to anything someone says to you is along the same vein as yes or no.
After that, the conversation just has nowhere to go.

Really, it is just dead in the water.

And I really, really, really, truly mean it.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Quite Possibly

I really don't know where I am going with this or what I am going to write.

Q has always been a toughy for me.
Quite possibly, the toughest.

Why not X?
I don't know.

Where does the word quite come from?
It means completely OR actually OR to a considerable extent.
It is Middle English.

Is there a High English or Low English?
I've never heard of either.
Does anyone know?

Anyway....

Possibly means it could happen.

So, quite possibly means it could happen completely or to a considerable extent.
That's kinda broad isn't it?

Quite possibly.

This is quite possibly the most interesting thing I have heard.
Am I intrigued?
Maybe.
Maybe not.

You be the judge.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

I Like Pockets

I hate pants with no pockets.

It's even doubly bad when they stitch the pants to make it look like pockets.
But, no pockets.

What kind of sorry crap is that?

Don't try and trick me with "it's a fashion statement".
You want me to pay for less material.

Why don't you take it a step further and make those pants stretchy?

Stretchy pants with no pockets.

I think they had those back in my mom's day.
They called them polyester stretch pants.

Most of those didn't have pockets either.

I deserve pockets.
I demand pockets!

Friday, April 17, 2015

Oat Flour Drop Biscuts

I promised a couple people that I would stick a recipe or two in this challenge.
These are pretty simple to make and they taste pretty good.

I love my biscuits and gravy so I had to come up with something.

If you are gluten free, make sure your oats( or oat flour) are certified as such.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/218 Celsius.
You will get 8 to 9 biscuits. Maybe less, if you make them big.

If you are starting with oats, grind some up until fine in a food processor or blender. If you have a spice grinder, it works great. Grind about 1 cup of oats.

Ingredients:

1 Cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 Cup milk
2 Tablespoons oil, butter, lard, or what type of fat you prefer
1 egg

Put the oat flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the egg and milk.
Drop the biscuits by tablespoon onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until they spring back when lightly touched

They do spread and really aren't made to be cut in half and spread with butter or jam. But, you can always turn them upside down and spread what you want on the bottom.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

What Makes It Newsworthy

I really don't like the news much these days.
Not that I don't think knowing what is going on isn't important.
It is.

But most news outlet pick and choose what they think is newsworthy.
They disregard what they don't think is important.

Aaron Hernandez killed someone and got convicted.
It made the news because he used to play football for a "great" football team.
And more mention of him then who got killed.

Vaccines- for or against that is up to you.
However, they go on and on about how everyone needs them and they prevent whatever.
No mention that not too long ago several NHL players came down with the mumps after receiving the MMR booster.

A few weeks ago my daughter was telling me about a story a kid wrote for Journalism.
It had to do with one of the Down's Syndrome kids. He started doing a thing on Tuesday mornings before school selling tea and coffee. He was interviewed and asked what he planned to do with the money he made. And he answered that he was going to get internet at home. That part got edited out because they didn't think that sounded good.
Why?
Shouldn't young people be made to understand that there are poor people or that not everything is a given for everyone?
I thought that was an important thing they just left out.
That was newsworthy.




Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Just Call Me the Material Girl

It's turning into a completely digital world.

CDs, DVDs, books~
Who needs 'em?

Me.
That's who.

I don't need no stinkin' cloud.
Unless, you wanna count that one up high in the sky.

Did I have an ebook for sale?
Yes, I do.
But, it is also available in paperback.

Do, I ever download music?
Why, yes I do.
But, I do, because they are a bargain and I end up burning them to a CD.
But, if I don't get a discount, I just buy the CD.
This way, I get the pretty paperwork.

I just like to hold what I paid for.
I like knowing that if my power goes out, I can still read a book without worrying that the charge is gone.

I still use an actual phone book, address book, and dictionary.
I look in those before going online to find out.

My medical book from Merck gets more use then WebMD.

I still buy checks.
Sometimes it is just simpler than online pay.
And cheaper if the company charges $5 or $7 to pay online.

Technology has its place.
It's where I learned my uncle has cancer that, try as he might, he will never defeat.
It's where I learned to make friends continents away from me.

I have a spot for it, but that is it.

When I buy something, I want to hold it.
Simple as that.

It might not be the original meaning of materialistic, but in this digital age I think it fits.

 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

I Feel Lacking

Sometimes, I just feel lazy.
But, that's not really it.

I just don't seem to get much accomplished.

Sure, sometimes I lack motivation.
But, sometimes I just lack the stamina to get it all done.

I lack the funds to pay someone to do things.
I lack the funds to get the parts to do it myself.

I lack new bath towels.

I lack a lot of things in my life.

I get depressed about it.
No lack of that in my life.

I start to realize what I don't lack.

I don't lack stupidity.
I don't lack empathy.
I don't lack in creativity.

I do not lack in the many ways of cooking hamburger and chicken.
Or pasta.

I do not lack in the art of pissing my mother off.
In fact, I think I can do that better then anyone.

So, yeah....
I feel lacking.

In a  "is the glass half empty or half full?" kind of way.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Just Say No

My teen years were spent in the 1980s.
Leg warmers.
Big hair.
Hair bands.
And let us not forget the "Just say No" campaign.

The Just say No campaign was the brainchild of Nancy Reagan, First Lady of President Ronald Reagan.
It was with one goal- Get kids to say no to drugs.
Cause drugs are bad.

And if it happened to have the side effect of kids turning in neighbors or family for doing drugs, that was just peachy.
My mother said that part reminded her of the Nazis getting kids to turn people in.

People were getting raided for growing basil on their windowsill.
Drug task forces were known to destroy houses and possibly killing dogs all on a phone call.
Not even an "I'm sorry" if they were wrong.

A very big part of the campaign were the assemblies.
Former addicts went around to high schools telling their stories.

I can't tell you how many of those I sat through.

I even have a Just say No button somewhere..

Schools spent a good chunk of change bringing these speakers in.

In the end, did it change anything?
Maybe.
Most likely not.

Many of my friends that were so big on the Just say No stuff turned out to be the biggest drug users in the school.
Nothing like now.

When I was in high school, you couldn't just go to a party in your small town and find some pot or cocaine.
You had to go to the bigger towns. the ones that had stop lights.

Now, you can just walk up to the park and get stoned.

Friday, April 10, 2015

It's Not Heaven, It's Iowa

Yes, it's where I'm from.
Iowa~ the land of pig poo and corn fields.

Not to be confused with Idaho (you'd a what? ((That just makes me laugh)), which grows a ton of potatoes.
Some people also confuse Iowa with Ohio.
I do not have a clue why.

Maybe it's the whole, I'm a vowel, they're a vowel.
It's all good.

But, no one seems to get us confused with Indiana or Utah.
I may need to rethink the vowel thing.

My state was one of the first to introduce showing ID and signing in order to buy the good cough syrup.
You're welcome.

We also brought you Tom Vilsack- head of the USDA.
I'm sorry.

We have RAGBAI- Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. If you want to ride 50-100 miles a day over most likely hilly terrain and some easy flat areas, this might be a trip for you. Did I mention it is in July, in the nice humid, sweltering heat that this great state is know for?

We were the 4th state to allow gay marriage. Not voted in, but the supreme court justices said outlawing it was discrimination. Big hoopla at first. Some people thought there would be a major surge of gay people getting married. Now, nobody really cares.

Cannibis oil is legal, but it cannot be manufactured here and you are not allowed to legally bring it from Colorado to Iowa because Nebraska will arrest your sorry ass.

Smoking is not allowing in any public buildings. Except  for casinos. Slot machines are not the same rush if you can't smoke.

Iowa has a nice long gardening season, if you are so inclined.

The cost of living isn't too bad. OK, it's not great but more affordable than many other states.

Can't forget first caucus in the nation status.
Politicians care. News stations care.
I don't think anybody else cares.
Except for when it's over all and the ads go away for awhile.

I hope you have enjoyed your little lesson on Iowa.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

However...

Nobody said life was fair or that it was a walk in the park.
However...
Nobody told me it be so hard either.

I never file claims with my car insurance.
However...
I keep paying higher premiums and my car is getting older.

It's time for a raise at work.
However...
That extra $20 a paycheck went to taxes and the health insurance premium raise was more then the raise in pay.

One of the goals of this blogfest is theoretically to gain followers.
However...
I seem to have lost one.

Which really doesn't matter because half my followers never blog anymore anyway.
However...
I wanted to use another "However".


















Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Gluten For Punishment

Yes, I am one of those people.
You know.
The Gluten Free People.

It all started simple enough.
I read that book " Wheat Belly ".
I decided to see if giving up wheat would help me feel better.

And it did.
At first.

I was asked if I was giving up gluten or just wheat.
I didn't realize that it was everywhere so I said I barely ate anything with gluten, but primarily just the wheat.

But, I'd eat rice krispies or milky way candy bars and I'd feel not so good.
They have barley malt for sweetener.

So, I thought maybe I was off on the wrong track.

And certain things I could not eat anymore cause they had wheat.
Good-bye cream condensed soup.

Then I drank beer and was sick for a couple weeks.
So, I said no more of that.

Read some lovely articles about how it was hybridized wheat and old school spelt, einkorn, or emmers was fine.
Even "Wheat Belly" doctor said they worked for him.

I stupidly bought some organic spelt to bake with.
Not my best idea in the world.

It was all in front of me.
I had problems for years.

So, off to the doctor I went.
I got a "considered celiac" diagnosis based on symptoms and family history.
That and an order not to eat gluten.
Yay, me!

When I want bread, this is what I get. $5-7 for that itty bitty loaf.
When normal people want some good white bread, this is what they get.
http://ruthsyummystuff.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/c55b3-imgp2638.jpg?w=423&h=319

On my bad days, I get a little tired of people saying crap about "those gluten free people".
It's not a choice.
I didn't choose the gluten free life.
The gluten free life chose me.

I was going to stick a recipe or two in here, but this is getting longer than I planned so I will save that for another day.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy has no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was not so fuzzy.
Was he?

Now say that three times fast.





Who remembers that gem from their childhood?

Monday, April 6, 2015

Empty

Sometimes I feel like that empty vase on the shelf.
The flowers are gone and so is the water feeding the flowers.

I am the water, giving energy to the flowers.
Sometimes, the flowers suck up all the water and there is just nothing more and I have to find some more to add to the vase.

After a while, the water isn't enough and you have to get rid of the flowers.
The water is nasty so that has to go too.

Later I won't be empty.

But, not today.

Friday, April 3, 2015

I Like Cake

Isn't it great?
And so many kinds to choose from~
Apple Upside Down Cake
Boston Cream Pie(which is really a cake with filling)
Pound Cake
Brownie Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Banana Cake
Chocolate Chip Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake
Spice Cake
Oatmeal Cake
Cupcakes


Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake


But, you know what?
I'd rather have pie.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

To Be B or Not To Be a B

Originally, the word bitch was meant to describe a female dog in heat.

It was also said as an insult to women.
At first, it was if the woman was naggy or rude or whatever others perceived as not going along with things good enough.

But, later, some women decided bitch was a good title.
Being
In
Total
Control
Honey

They embraced their bitch.



Is bitch even a bad word anymore?
I think it depends who you ask.
My mother would say yes.
My daughter~ probably not.

Honeyman told me years ago that every woman had a bit of bitch in them.
Fair enough.
I am fairly certain every man has an ahole lurking in them somewhere.

We may not have ever seen it, but if we ask around, I am sure someone has.

Sometimes, you just gotta be that person.
Nice will not always get you where you need to go.
But being a bitch may.

Let that bitch free!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Absent

As you can see, my theme for this blogfest is absent.

I don't do themes.
And I was absent for the blog theme reveal day.
I didn't sign up at that point.

My posts will be absent of A is for, B is for, and so on and so forth.
I trust you to figure it out.

I have been absent from my blog a lot lately.
My mind has been absent and I couldn't think of anything to say.

Except, maybe, bitching about this or that.
But, after about day 5, I think you would become absent to my blog.


No one likes a whiner.


Have a great day!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

I Did It

I signed up for the challenge.

Not sure if it's for good or bad, but it's done.
No backing out now.

No clue what will come out of me.

I guess we will find out come Wednesday.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

I Got

Something.
Or nothing.

I don't know what I have.

I now have a daughter with a job.
That's something.

I have a gastroenterologist that told me one thing and wrote something entirely different to my primary doctor.
No mention of considering me celiac, nothing about seeing a rheumatologist, not even gluten intolerance was noted. Even though that was the purpose of my visit and what my primary diagnosed me with.
So, I guess I have an ex-gastroenterologist.

All I do know is that my doctor is glad I didn't eat gluten for the sake of a test that would not change the treatment.

I have back pain, neck pain, pain in hands and feet.
I had blood taken and it's not RA.
Waiting for X-ray results to tell me if it is arthritis at all.

Since it is in several parts of my body, the doctor mentioned fibromayalgia.
I don't know.
It might be something.
But maybe it is something else.

All I know is the pain started in my lower back eons ago and this is the third doctor I have seen about it and of course now the pain is migrating elsewhere.

There is a link between low back pain and irritable bowel disease/syndrome or whatever that doctor wants to call it.
Also to celiac and all that good stuff.

I should be glad nothing is found wrong.
Except now, I just am more confused.

I do know that my body is all kinds of fucked up and that there is NOTHING I can do about it.

I am still thinking on the A-Z challenge this year.
Sometimes I really feel as if I have nothing to say.
I mean I do have SOMETHING to say about a lot of things.
But. I just don't know.
I did look at the list and I still have 29 days to figure it out.


Thursday, February 12, 2015

IBS Stands For

You're probably thinking it stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
You'd be wrong.
It stands for It's Bull Shit.

It means they have no clue where the pain is coming from so they are just going to call it something.
I told the doctor that the pains started after the last time I tried gluten and they were going away.
But, oh no.
I don't have a degree so I don't know what I am talking about.

It must be Crohn's.
You need a colonoscopy.

They did find diverticulosis, which are weak spots in the intestines, but they didn't find that a big deal at all.

They told me they would never heal.
Strangely enough, I have seen people state that theirs did heal.

The medical community swears that there is no connection between diverticulosis and celiac.
Yet, a lot of celiacs seem to get it.

Right before he left the room, the GI said it's IBD.
Which, actually, from the paperwork it is IBS.

They are two different things.
But, I am sure he knew that.
Maybe he figured I wouldn't.

Honeyman thinks he knows what he is doing.
I really have my doubts.

His whole idea is to put me on metamucil for a couple weeks and call his office and let them know how I am doing.
Gee, more fiber in my diet.
I wonder why I didn't think of that.
Oh, wait.
I did.
About 5 years ago.

So, I am thinking that I am going to go back to what I was doing before that was starting to make me feel better.

I am suppose to go back for another visit in a couple months.
Not sure if I will cancel or not.
At this point, the way I feel is that I have spent enough money on this.



Monday, February 2, 2015

I Love You ~ Spacially Speaking

What is this "I love you to the moon and back" business?
Seriously?
Where did it come from?

I can't fathom the reasoning behind such a phrase.
Aren't we suppose to love unconditionally, i.e. without boundaries?

To the moon and back is pretty much boundarified.
The average distance to the moon is 238,857 miles.
So, back to earth is that much.

But, depending on time of day, it could be less or more.

That means I could love you more on Friday at 11:30 am than I do on Sunday at 4:30 pm.
Maybe less, depending where in the world we are.

I actually like to just say "I love you" and leave it that.
Simple and and uncomplicated.

Sometimes I use the phrase "Always and forever".
The one spoken to knows what that means.

But, for those that think an "I love you" is just not good enough, I would like to propose a change.

I love you...

...to infinity and beyond!


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

They Are Gonna Do What

Ther verdict is in.
Sorta.

Probably celiac and possibly Crohn's disease.
I am foregoing the endoscopy and heading straight for colonoscopy.

Giving up gluten forever is gonna be tricky, but it is doable and I have accepted that.
Crohn's, on the other hand, scares the bejeezus out of me.

Crohn's is chronic inflammation of the intestines~ triggered by what no one is sure of.
There is a genetic link between it and celiac and some people are lucky enough to get both.

I am very anti-medication so if it is Crohn's I have a lot to think about.
Some people successfully treat flares naturally.

On one hand, I hope that is what it is.
So, I know what is wrong.

Is it horrible that the first thing I thought of when he told me I needed it was "how are we going to pay for this?"

I think the biggest part I miss of Honeyman's old job was no deductible.
Just a copay.
Outpatient surgeries were a $10 copay to the surgeon.

Now, it's a higher copay with deductible and 80/20 after that.
Which is normal.
I was spoiled.

But, Honeyman says we will figure it out.

When, I figured the taxes the other day, I thought we made less so we obviously won't owe as much.
Ha!
I don't know what fantasy land I was living in.

I know that is off topic, but the whole money thing made me think it.

What is my take away from all this?
Foods hate me.
I don't know why.
I never did a thing to them.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Well Here I Am

Jenny, over at Pearson Report, let me know I have been missed.
By her- anyway.

So, I guess I should shit or get off the pot in regards to posting.

I haven't been in the most upbeat of moods as of late.
So, I have nothing real witty to come up with.

Well, there is that.

Money and health have been my enemies as of late.
Lots of people understand money and health issues so I didn't want to piss and moan about it.

I did have to give up all gluten.
Do you know how many things have barley malt?
Rice Krispies, corn flakes, some choclates, etc, etc.
If it doesn't have wheat, it may have shared equipment and is contaminated.
Some alcohols are gluten free but aged in grain barrels are some barrels are sealed with gluten. WTH?

It has yet to be determined if it is gluten intolerance or celiac. Same symptoms, but celiac will destroy villi in small intestine or cause a skin rash.
I am leaning toward celiac due to rash.
I go to a specialist in a few weeks to see about it.

At that point, I may have to go back on gluten for a while.
Yay!
But, if I do, I will be making it count.
Can we say Twix candy bars and homemade cinnamon rolls?