New Year’s Eve

Here's an early toast for New Year's Eve for all my readers and blog pallies:

May the new year bring you much health, happiness, positive new experiences and many opportunities for growth...both personally and financially.
Happy New Year!

This is a re-post from 2008. Why? Because I lead a really dull life and this is proof positive that wasn't always the case.

I think the most memorable New Year’s Eve was back in the ‘80’s. I was 19 or 20 years old. (The legal drinking age back then was 18.) I had arranged to bar hop with friends by bus. Each of us took a bus to our first stop, which was Wendt’s Bar in Milwaukee. Even though the idea was to bar hop, we stayed there most of the night.

Lei’s, party hats, streamers and horns were aplenty. So much so, that my friends and I wore multiple hats and Lei’s. After ringing in the New Year at Wendt’s, we walked about 2 blocks to another bar. At some point my friend Cindy's mother picked us up and was going to give me a ride home, but there was some arguing going on between Cindy and her Mother. I ended up asking to be dropped off at an intersection about 3 miles from my parent’s house. (Yes, I still lived with my parents.) Taking the bus at that point wasn’t an option because the end of the bus line was less than a mile ahead.

I began walking and stopped at the next bar just to warm up, or so I thought. Apparently wearing 2 Tieras (one forwards, one backwards) a Fez type Happy New Years hat in between them, about 8 lei’s, and more streamers and confetti than I’ve ever seen since, makes you the life of the party. Having never been the life of the party before, I rather enjoyed the attention. Every single patron (and there were still a heck of a lot of people out at the bar at that hour) had to buy me a drink and wish me a Happy New Year. After a very short while I had to switch to plain soda because I could not possibly drink any more alcohol. Around 5:30am I decided I was close to being sober enough to walk the 2 miles home.

So picture this (and I am so glad that I didn’t know anyone at that bar and that no one had a camera.) Picture this, I am walking home (more like stumbling), it’s nearly 6am, the sun has already come up, and I am still wearing the 3 party hats and I still have about 4 Lei’s and streamers and confetti all over me.

I am a freakin'

walking 

New Year’s Eve party!

Somehow I managed to walk down 3 streets in our subdivision without being seen by anyone. I also managed to get in the house and into my room, without my parents seeing me come in. The issue here isn’t underage drinking, I was of drinking age. The issue is not having my parents see me looking like a New Year’s Eve Party threw up all over me. My friends thought it was cool, after all, they had just as many party hats, leis, streamers and confetti as I did. Somehow I don’t think my parents would have been impressed.
As you contemplate your New Year's Eve celebration, please:

Use public transportation (some cities offer very reduced rates certain hours on NYE/Day or
Designate a driver or use Uber or Lyft or 
Have a house party and let your guests sleep over.
Be safe!

I want to see you all back to blogging bright and early New Year's Day.
(Ok, maybe after you sleep a little late and have a couple aspirin.)

What was your most memorable New Year's Eve?

Please post it in my comments section.

(If you don't have one yet, please don't try to imitate my exploits.

The hangover for the next day and a half was excruciating.)

Christmas Day...not the best of days

I was really in pain from Christmas Eve’s failed tamales and gift wrapping. I woke up late, barely able to walk. 

Note to self:  I don’t care how much the kids complain, breakfast is FIRST. ALWAYS. Why? Because gift unwrapping takes much, much longer than you would expect. One person, one gift at a time, everyone needs to see each gift, some photos taken. It’s a big production here. And...you never know when unexpected guests will show up derailing the gift wrapping and delaying breakfast, or any eating until 3pm. No joke! I was very jittery, anxious, bad headache, all because my blood sugar was too low. That is way too long to wait to eat anything for a person who doesn’t have diabetes. It’s 5:30pm as I write this and I’m just now feeling close to what normal is for me, except for the intense back pain. My back is screaming. I’m icing it, but feel like the ice pack is melting from the heat of the pain. Probably doesn’t make sense, but that’s what it feels like. I wish I had one of those ice tubs football players use. I saw it in a movie once, not sure if they still use them.

So who were the unexpected guests? My sister-in-law and my ex bff. It seems they had time to kill between family visits. It would have been nice if they would have called yesterday to let us know, then we could have planned accordingly. Or at least tried to plan accordingly. I thought they were never going to leave.

Usually I make a frittata on Christmas Eve to reheat by the slice, but because of the tamale fiasco that never happened. 

We had breakfast sandwiches which went together surprisingly quickly. The roast beast is in the oven, dinner will be late, but that’s ok since we ate breakfast at 3pm.

Need to plan better for NYE and New Year’s Day.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

‘‘Twas the night before Christmas

Yes, I invoked the “No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby...” 

It was not pretty. Tree went up around noon. My spouse had to MacGyver it. It’s about 3 years old, I don’t get why things weren’t assembling properly and I am smart enough not to ask. My back is bad, so I did not join in any reindeer fun. My spouse’s back is bad too. Spouse is supposed to go for injections on Friday, first time, but rescheduled so we can visit her Dad’s on Saturday. I am not at all looking forward to the date she rescheduled the shot(s) for. Myself, and everyone I know who had had them were incapacitated and in pain meds for days.

Again, my Mom’s ornaments could not be found. It seems the attic was rearranged. We haven’t been leaving my son home alone long enough to reek that havoc so it’s my theory that we have poltergeists. Part of his illness makes him “get into everything and not put things back anywhere near where he found them. His dad did this too. It’s maddening. I’m chalking it up to poltergeists, that’s my final word. 

Stopped at Walgreens to get a box of Whitman Chocolates. Left empty handed. Went home to prep the veggie tray. An entire bag of celery and 3 cucumbers are missing. Seriously. I checked my receipt, I paid for them. So my spouse went to pick up my daughter early to shop. It was a scavenger hunt for the celery. They moved it to the refrigerated cases. No Whitman’s. But they did have my Cape Line Sparkling hard seltzer that saved the night later. My spouse stopped at a different Walgreens after picking up my daughter from work. She scored the elusive candy and came home my hero! I haven’t managed to get the kids cookie baking for a couple years, so that Whitman’s Sampler was important! 

Not so rookie tip...if you are going to make tamales for Christmas Eve, even if you cooked the meat ahead...DO NOT use a new recipe for the masa dough. I’ve made them 3 times before, twice with lard, once with canola oil. The lard makes it easier to assemble. The canola oil was pretty easy, but this year’s recipe did not have enough oil so that dough was sticking all over my hands and everywhere except on the corn husks. I had to quit at 4 tamales cuz I was losing my mind. (They were delish!) We decided to freeze the dough and use part of the meat for tacos. Here’s another rookie tip...no matter how many recipes on Pinterest or blogs tell you that it’s super easy to shred your meat in your Kitchenaid Mixer, DON’T! You will have meat flying EVERYWHERE and it won’t even be shredded finely enough. I’ve seen the after videos (cuz they aren’t gonna show the meat flying everywhere and the mess) and the meat is shredded finely, not for realz.

I started gift wrapping earlier in the week, a little each night because it causes so much pain. I still had quite a few left to do Christmas Eve. I didn’t go crazy with gifts, but I did try to replace as much clothing as I could that was destroyed in the flood. I was up until 4am because I had to take a lot of breaks. Christmas Day I really hurt and walk like Quasimodo, only more unsteady.

My spouse has cooking duty Christmas Day, thank goodness! She will be preparing the roast beast and I may prepare a side or 2. I feel remiss because I have not yet made Potato Latkes for Chanukah. The kid’s dad was Jewish, so I have excellent Jewish holiday cooking skills. And I’ve been asked more than once for Latkes. I’ve also been asked to make Kishka. I suppose I could make that and put it in the roast beast to cook if I have the ingredients for Mock Kishka. 

Here’s hoping your holiday has less drama. Merry Christmas to you and your’s!

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

I 

Sunday Stealing-Book of Questions

Joining in with Bev and the other "thieves" for Sunday Stealing!

Taken from the Book of Questions

1. If you saw a dog locked in a hot car, what would you do?  Call the police.

2.  Is it easy for you to accept help when you need it?  It depends on what I need help with and who is offering the help.

3. Have you ever been in a fashion show?  No, but both my kids were in a Bloomingdales Back to School Fashion Show when they were 4 and 5, I think. Or around that age. I had to coax my son off the stage because he was loving the attention a bit too much. Lol! I think that’s what may have encouraged my son’s penchant for dressing up. He was never the boy who bristled at wearing a suit. To this day, he looks for opportunities to wear a suit and tie or a vest, shirt, tie, and dress trousers. He’s probably the only soon to be 25 year old that has more than 1 vest. 

4. Would you like to be famous?  No. Being famous would ruin people watching opportunities. I would become one of the people watched and I couldn’t basically remain invisible and able to people watch undetected. And I love me some good people watching!

5. What is your most compulsive habit?  Worrying. Currently it’s not like I lack things to worry about either. 

6. What do you most strive for in your life: accomplishment, security, love, power, excitement, knowledge, or something else?  Definitely security. My current situation leaves a lot to be desired as far as security.

7.How close and warm is your family? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Good one! 👏 I am not close to my sister. There is always something that comes up that drives a wedge between us that lasts years. Aunts, uncles, cousins (parents and grandparents passed away a long time ago) never close, but no longer on speaking terms. All of the lack of closeness is the result of NONE of said family attending my gay wedding 4 years ago. A couple years before the wedding, before I even knew there would be a wedding I reached out and contacted my aunts, I was in a “life’s too short, I should make an effort” type mood. It was not worth my time and to this day I kick myself for doing it. When I called one of them to say we would be in town and would like to visit, I was basically told no, that another aunt and uncle were visiting at that time. I had booked a hotel as I always have when going back to my hometown. I was not looking for a place to stay. The conversation was incredibly awkward. We attended a family reunion 2 months before the wedding. We were basically invisible except for one uncle, who I cannot think of who it was, chatted up my fiancé. I did not see him, so I have no idea who it was. He was really friendly and genuinely happy we did decide to attend. There was an extended relative who was incredibly excited to meet my fiancé and was hugging and talking to my fiancé in Italian. Not broken English, full Italian. We only speak English. My sister didn’t attend my wedding because her husband didn’t want to go and would not let her go by herself or to attend and bring a friend. It isn’t the fact that my sister didn’t go, we are used to his manipulations. My sister wanted me to LIE to my own children about the reason why she couldn’t be there. I don’t lie to my children and would never do so to cover for my sister. My in-laws have been wonderful. They knew the circumstances. During my father-in-law’s speech he said “You are one of us now.” And the entire room chanted “One of us! One of us!” It’s from the 1932 movie “Freaks” It was really nice.

8 Does that fact that you have never done a thing before increase or decrease its appeal to you?  It depends on what it is. 

9. If your friends start belittling a common acquaintance, would you defend that person?  Kind of a moot question since I don’t have any friends at the moment. Before I met my spouse I belonged to a social group. When I broke up with the person I was seeing at the time, they took all the friends. Hypothetically speaking, my response would depend on what was being said. If I felt it was awful or completely uncalled for I might say something and leave abruptly. I have more than my fair share of stress and I wouldn’t want to be somewhere that would increase my stress. Not that it’s all about me, I would say something. It’s just I feel like I’m in a fragile place right now and I need to remove myself from situations that increase my stress.

10.  Do you make a special effort to thank someone who does you a favor How do you react when you aren’t thanked for going out of your way for someone?  Yes, I always try to always thank people when they do something nice. Even if it’s a wave at the car that let me change lanes. Yesterday I was at the grocery. Gah! Why do I do that to myself? Saturday grocery shopping is torture! The sale ended today on much of what I was buying and I could not fit it in Thursday or Friday. I have to use an electric cart because I cannot walk around the store due to back, knee, and balance issues. Super crowded, full of rude people. It took 3 carts to get through shopping because the batteries go dead quickly because so many people need them and they don’t get to fully charge. Then EVERY aisle had someone stopped in the middle on their cellphone. I can’t get through. I say “excuse me” in a regular conversational volume and tone. Nothing. Louder. Nothing. Finally I have to yell, even though I don’t want to. When they do move, I yell “Thank you”, cuz I’m polite like that. Take your cart and your damn phone and go move to a corner out of the way. When the carts died and my son went to retrieve a different one I always parked out of the way. It’s called being considerate of others.

11. Since adolescence, in what 3-year period do you feel you experienced the most personal growth and change?  My early 40’s.

12. When you do something ridiculous, how much does it bother you to have other people notice it and laugh at you?  I don’t know that I’ve ever had a stranger laugh at me. If it’s people I know I sometimes just ham it up/join in on the laughter.

13. Do you believe in capital punishment?  In some cases. Why is this a recurring question in these Sunday posts?

14. Do you find it so hard to say “no” that you regularly do favors yo do not want to do?  I wouldn’t say it’s hard, I’d say I do favors when I can. I try to be a good person. I try to follow what my parents always said, “you do for family”. That includes friends and neighbors. I must be the only one left on the planet that does this because no one has ever reciprocated, and no one has helped/done favors for me. I’m disabled, so is my spouse. We have a repair/cleanup situation due to flooding. Not a single soul has offered to help, nor have they helped when I said I would pay them. My neighbor does small engine repair and I need new blades and a clutch cable installed on my snowblower, and I need the riding mower looked at. I’ve spoken with him 3 times asking if he could do the work and said I would of course pay him cash, I don’t expect it to be free. My brother-in-law is a heating and a/c repair guy. We have furnace issues. Crickets. There isn’t a lot I can do because I’m disabled, but I have driven people places/picked them up with no expectation of being reimbursed for gas money. 

15.  What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?  That would depend on the circumstances and who was involved. Some people can joke about even the worst situations, kind of as a coping mechanism. Other people are delicate snowflakes who you can’t joke with at all. Know your audience. Lol!

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

Sunday Stealing-Pinterest

Sunday Stealing

December 8, 2019

Hi! I'm your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud) Cheers to all of us thieves!

 

Stolen from Pinterest


 

 

1. What don’t you share?
My toothbrush.

2. A reason to celebrate?
Any day ending in “y”.

3. Describe where you are now.
I am in the master bedroom watching “Younger” on Hulu.

4. A dream that seems impossible.
World peace.

5. Something you hope for.
A cure for cancer and all diseases.

6. A tradition that makes you feel at home.
Any holiday tradition. Sometimes we change things up and add a new tradition. It’s just the 4 of us, so sometimes it’s nice to do things a little different.

7. The people who make your life better.
My spouse, my kids, and our couple friends (One couple) we have.

8. Someone you’d like to meet.

I used to think that I wanted to meet Rosie O’Donnell, but then I met her at a book signing and decided, not so much. She seemed more interested in fawning over babies, chatting with young people...kids, and was dismissive of adults.  I don’t think I’d want to meet her again under any circumstances, unless she was giving me a truckload of money and helping my story get published...(errr, and written. Lol!) I have met Melissa Ferrick many times. Always very friendly, a hugger, always spends time chatting up fans individually. I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to meet. People I’ve thought I wanted to meet, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey (who I did meet at a taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” when Paul Riser was plugging his book. All audience members were videotaped shaking hands and basically saying hi to Oprah. Some people tried to chat for a bit, but everyone was ushered through quickly. I heard Oprah did this to insure that no one could say she had long conversations and made promises to audience members/non-celebrity guests. Technically my ex and I were non-celebrity guests. Show producers contacted us and wanted us in the audience to bring up funny relationship stories. We were picked up by a limo and taken to the set, got to have a continental breakfast while being given instructions by the producer assigned to us. We also got a limo ride home. We actually did get set up by a microphone stand to talk, but got bumped by the elderly couple married for like 60 years. I was actually happy. I was 8 months pregnant and really did not want to be on tv.) I’m just not impressed by celebrities and don’t care to meet any politicians. I don’t think there are any other  singers I’d want to meet.

9. A silly thing you’d really like.
I don’t know. I’ve got every kitchen small appliance and gadget known to woman. Got it! A She Shed. I would have it set up in such a way that I could hang out there and try to be as comfortable as I could be. Comfy chair, maybe an upholstered chaise lounge, and additional sitting space for my family to join me.

10. A book from your childhood.
When I was young my Mom ordered all the Dr Seuss books and I read them. In high school we had to read “Lord of the Flies” and “The Grapes of Wrath”. I got the Cliff Notes. The books didn’t interest me and I just wanted to get through the essays and tests. I did actually read the Cliff Notes...boring!

11. Something you’re still not sure about.
Will my kids (both twenty-somethings with the same mental illness) ever have some semblance of a normal life? Will they at least be happy? My daughter is dating the same thirty-something guy she dated for a year with about a year break. He has intellectual disabilities, seems nice, very polite. I would just like to see her meet other people, but I don’t know how that would go. She seems very controlling. 

12. The best dessert to share with friends.
Creme brûlée.

13. A story that captures your imagination.
“The Neverending Story”, the first one and “Neverending Story II”. The movies. I didn’t care for the movies that came after II.

14. Memories beside a fireplace.

Not a fireplace, a campfire. Camping with my spouse, or my spouse and the kids. Cooking our meals over the fire and after dinner sitting around the campfire just chillin’.

15. How do you spend a rainy day?
The same as any other day. In pain. Probably more pain because of the rain. Staying home.

Lola’s Diner cc. 2008-2019

Sunday Stealing-Fill it in

Sunday Stealing- Fill it in

1. Right now I'm watching “The Santa Clause 2 with my son.

2. My sense of humor is my well known quirk.
3. Are you ok? Been saying that a lot to my son (24, who has a mental illness) since yesterday when he found out a good friend of his passed away suddenly on Thanksgiving at the age of 23. I met the young man at a local restaurant 2 months ago. Very gregarious, friendly, very happy, maybe a bit manic. It concerns me that I cannot find the cause of death. I have scoured Facebook comments and local papers.

The last time someone I knew or knew of passed away people were very secretive about the cause of death and I later learned it was suicide. I think family need to be upfront and honest about it. How will we erase the stigma? How can we hope to help others in situations they feel they can’t live with? How can we recognize the signs that family members recognize now in hindsight?

UPDATE:  The funeral parlor mentioned to donate to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in lieu of flowers. That made me think his friend may have had a long illness since his childhood. I was right. My son chatted with a friend who works at the grocery store. He said the cause of death was congestive heart failure and that he had been ill since birth. So sad to hear about a young man, so friendly and happy die so young. So very glad to hear it was not drugs or suicide.
4. Ask first, then get something to eat/drink. Many dinner plans change because “someone” got into leftovers without asking.
5. That's why, because I said so! One of my parent’s favorite responses when asked why.
6. The original “Twilight Zone” is one of my favorite tv shows ever!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to more Thanksgiving leftovers, tomorrow my plans include  going for bloodwork, iv, and MRIs, for my 16 month checkup later in the week.
8. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to my hometown in Wisconsin and actually be able to hang out with the kids (now adults) I grew up with that still live on my old block. Every time I visit, which is rare, everyone is busy with their own lives.
9. The current state of our country, our world is something I don't understand. How did we go from all getting along fairly well, extending LGBT rights, safe schools, stores, movie theaters, businesses, feeling safe in our own homes...to so much hate; wanting to take away LGBT rights; the shootings at schools, and just about anywhere; to the feeling  
of not feeling safe in our own homes, break ins, Kidnappings, car thefts in what used to be good, safe neighborhoods with no crime?

10. Thanksgiving makes me think of family that are in Heaven, the traditions we had, the struggles my parents had when we were kids, that I continue to go through with my kids, plus the struggles I have had through the years and now because of their illnesses. We get through it, but when it’s happening, it can be really steessful and difficult. 
11. Spending quiet times with my family is the best way to relax! Or alone time. Sometimes that can be the best way to relax and decompress.
12. It looks like Autumn has flown by and Winter is here..
13. Raw veggies are my favorite healthy snacks. And Lindt Chili Dark Chocolate. 😉
14. The smell of burning leaves takes me back in time and makes me think of Autumn when I was a kid. The city I live in now still allows leaf burning.
15. When I am feeling lazy I watch tv.
16. When I look to the left, I see my window in the master bedroom.
17. The living room and master bedroom are the room(s) that have the best view in my home.
18. Nothing done well was done dirt cheap!
19. Voting is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
20. If you have any ways to manage stress feel free to share it with me.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

Happy thanksgiving 🔥🔥🔥

Happy thanksgiving!

What’s that saying? “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”, Robert Burns poem “To A Mouse”.

I had a plan. An excellent plan. I wrote out my menu and researched what I could make in advance. Then made a schedule for Tuesday thru Thursday. Tuesday got whacked because of the plumber. Wednesday got whacked because my daughter’s team lead deliberately took my daughter’s money to her job instead of meeting me as planned. This wasted my entire afternoon because I had to go get it and deposit it into her account. It was stupid to drive all the way home only to have to turn around to go back to pick her up. Then when I got home I hurt so bad I took meds and went to bed.

So Thanksgiving day everything had to be cooked. Several things got cut because it was just too much to do in 1 day. Hence the reason I made a plan to split the prep and cook over 3 days. My son helped a lot. It was really great to see him at the stove sautéing onions and celery. He hasn’t cooked since his illness began. Before his illness he volunteered to cook entire meals all the time. Gourmet meals. They were always good.

It was quite late before we ate. My daughter had to work until 5. My spouse took over stuffing detail after my son did the sautéing and I did the seasoning. My spouse was taking turkey drippings to add to the stuffing. Brand new turkey baster. I was behind when my spouse started using the turkey baster. It exploded at me. Screaming hot turkey drippings. 🔥 Luckily my face and neck were missed. My shoulder, upper arm, wrist, chest, and thigh were hit. I immediately ran to the living room and tore off my jogging pants. (We did not have company, just immediate family. Wouldn’t that have been a sight if we had friends or relatives over?)  I wanted them off because I was afraid the material would melt and because I wanted to get the super hot drippings off my body.  Then I was literally pouring ice water on all the burns. (I am never without a tumbler of ice water.) We have nothing for burns. Tomorrow one of us will have to get aloe vera. I feel like crap right now.

Dinner was delicious. Even the new dish, corn pudding. Not the same corn pudding I had over 35 years ago, but close enough that I can tweak it next time I make it. After dinner it all went to hell in a hand basket over washing the dishes. If I hear “It’s not fair” one more time. Grrrrr.

The small engine repair guy rescheduled for Friday, 1pm. Makes it impossible to fit in the laundromat. Monday I have my MRIs, so I guess Tuesday will be laundry day.

We will probably hit 1 store in the name of Black Friday shopping. Meijer has shoes or boots buy one pair get one pair for $1. They have the sale every couple of months and it’s really the only time to buy shoes or boots. My daughter needs work shoes and my spouse needs boots. I think that will be it...and the aloe vera.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

Success!

Sump pump is installed! Not a minute too soon. Pouring rain just before he finished. I had my spouse handle the plumber visit. I’m not good at it unless it’s something I know a lot about, I have questions, or I have a good rapport with the worker. I thought it was a guy doing a side job, but it was the actual plumbing company he works for. Big van with the company name plastered all over...I’m sure my neighbor saw it, he was home all day. Thinking back to my previous experience hiring a plumbing company I think I still got a deal, and it was for the price quoted. 

The small engine repair guy is coming this afternoon.

My head is spinning from all the maybe have to do things, not sure if I need to things, have to do things. Can’t even plan my day cuz of all the uncertainty. 

Got my recipes from Pinterest written on recipe cards. Got my list of what/how many of things that must be room temperature. Got my list of milks required. I’m pretty sure a run to the store will be needed. Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Skim Milk.-???? Why are there so many kinds? Why do I always screw up and need a last minute run to the store? 

Come on S. L. E. E. P. 

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

This and THAT

Bubba is doing great. Eating a can of wet food split into 2 servings, morning and night. And she’s been snacking on the dry food. She jumps on the bed on her own and she’s been putting on weight. Since I’ve mostly been the one to feed her she’s practically attached to my hip. At night she sleeps ON me. My cats don’t even do that! I think my spouse is a little jealous, but Maddux has been hanging out with her, so she’s still getting some kitty love.

Friday my son went over to Anastasia’s house for a movie, while the rest of us went to dinner and picked him up on the way back home. Anastasia wanted to talk about her back issues, basically compare notes, so I hung back and chatted with her. BIG mistake! I am still incredibly angry over 2 things she somehow brought up in conversation. She said, ‘The kids haven’t changed a bit. They are the same as when they first became ill.’ That was like a kick in the gut. It was like she was insinuating it was my fault. They have changed a lot. My daughter is able to work part time, she has a boyfriend. Many people with mental illnesses don’t improve much, and they rarely, if ever return to even close to what they were like before their break. Some are incredibly fortunate and get well enough to stop medications and live close to a normal life. But for her to say that...it was soul crushing. Especially with her follow-up. ‘What if something happens to you, who will take care of the kids?’ Not her business. I changed the subject at that point. I told my spouse that will be the last time I have a one on one conversation with Anastasia. She has never treated me right since we split (which was her doing) and is always putting me down or making fun of me. It’s bad enough I have no friends, then to have someone who was my partner continuing to treat me this way? I don’t need this. She was there 12 years ago when my daughter became ill, she knows exactly how bad it was. Enough is enough.

My biopsy results are in. I don’t know what they are, but I would like to thank the medical website for notifying me I had new test results. Then I log in and see the details of the cyst removal, but no results. So I have to wait until Monday.

I have instituted a no Black Friday ad viewing rule. I’m not looking at any ads, I just don’t want to know unless it’s a major appliance store for a washer and a dryer. And even then I’m still window shopping. I used to line up for the Black Friday sales at Target and hit up Kohl’s and Walmart after. It’s not something I can physically do anymore. I may do some Cyber Monday shopping. I do need to replace a lot of clothes that were ruined in the flood. Lately I’ve gotten good deals at Meijer on clothes, so I can’t think of anything I’d be interested in for Cyber Monday.

So I don’t overwhelm myself for Thanksgiving I made myself a schedule of what to prep and cook starting Tuesday. Mariano’s had Butterball frozen turkey $0.77/lb with $25 purchase. Because they had only small frozen turkeys left they were substituting fresh for the same price. I got there early and shopped while my daughter finished her shift.

Lola’s Diner cc. 2008-2019

Sunday Stealing-SwapBot

Stolen from SwapBot

1. You can breathe underwater or be able to fly. Which one would you choose and why?  I'd choose breathing under water. I think being able to fly would be dangerous. You’re not protected from the elements, other flying vessels, birds, and debris. I remember riding my motorcycle with the visor up, stuff was always flying in my face...dirt, bugs, etc. I would think flying would be worse. I‘m not really a fan of underwater in general because I have poor eyesight and wear eyeglasses.

2. What's your go to order at a café?  I don't really go to cafes...unless you count Starbucks. My order there is either coffee or a Frappuccino using 1/2 the syrup to cut the carbs and make it less sweet. Those drinks are too sugary tasting to me when made according to Starbucks recipe. I don’t order food there. Too expensive.

3. Where do you feel the safest?  At home. More specifically, my master bedroom.

4. What is the one book or book series you could reread without getting bored for the rest of time?The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. I had all the books, but seemed to have lost a few when I moved in 2005.

5. You will receive ten million dollars, but you need to spend one million dollars in 24 hours to receive the other nine million tax free (and you can’t tell anyone what you’re doing). What do you spend it on? I can’t say. I can’t tell anyone. 😉

6. What was your favorite vacation to date?  We can’t afford destination vacations. But if I had to pick one of our camping trips it would be when my spouse and I went to Galena. It was a trip planned with the kids, but they both ended up being in the hospital. We really debated whether to go or not. I was so devastated that my son became ill I really needed to breathe some fresh air. We booked 2 nights, but stayed 1 and went to see the kids the next day. We arrived to light rain and were scurrying to get the tent up. Part way it started raining hard. We worked as fast as we could and finally got it all up. We were freezing, the rain pouring down, then the winds started. You might say that all sounds horrible. But it was just the 2 of us and we got through it all by working together. In the morning we were rewarded with a rainbow and hot air balloons flying over the lake.

7. Is there any scent that reminds you of a specific memory? What is the scent and what does it remind you of?  Coty Air Spun face powder. My Mom wore it. Every time I smell it I think of her. 

8. What is your favourite TV series? Do you have just one or more?   

I have several. “The Good Place”, “Dead to Me”, “Manifest”, “Schitt’s Creek”, “Breaking Bad”, “Orange is the New Black”, “Wentworth”, “Veronica Mar’s”, “Travelers”.

9. They say that in life you need to try everything. Are there things you will never try?  I’m sure there are lots of them. Bungee jumping, zip lining. Never gonna try! 

10. If I ask you to close your eyes and remember a picture of you, what do you see ?  I see the thin me with my shag haircut from Freshman year of high school. I went on a diet with my Mom the year before. We really did well.  

11. What was your childhood bedroom like?  I remember in my tweens insisting my Mom buy me curtains and a matching bedspread from JC Penney. It was red white and blue plaid. I had a chenille bedspread underneath for warmth. The honey oak Art Deco bedroom set that I now have in my master bedroom. Walls were cream colored. My Dad installed a shelf above the closets that ran 1/2 way around the room. I kept my books, magazines, crafting stuff, and 8-track tapes. I had a JC Penney stereo with turntable and an 8-track player/recorder. (JC Penney was my Mom’s go to store. Back then it wasn’t pricey like it is now. We shopped their outlet and she ordered from their catalog.) Closets, because I had the master bedroom because my room was really dark and I talked my parents into trading rooms because the master was sunny all day.

12. Are you a GoodWill, or any second hand store customer?  Yes! I shop there all the time. With the weight I’ve lost and my limited income I find clothes that fit and don’t break my budget. I also have purchased a lot of housewares. I replaced all the Corningware casserole dishes my kids broke when they were littles. And I’ve purchased everything but a set of dishes for my daughter when she moves from the group home to an apartment. I procrastinated too much and missed out twice on full sets of Corelle dishes. I continue to be on the hunt for them. 

13. How do you feel about the death penalty?  Conflicted. I do believe some prisoner’s crimes are so horrific and rehabilitation unlikely that the death penalty may be appropriate. But I’m also concerned about the wrongly accused and mentally ill people on death row.

14.  If you could live in any fictional world, where would it be?  Fantastica from “The Neverending Story”.

15. Do you believe in ghosts/spirits & have you had any experiences with them?  I've had a few experiences that I can't explain. Like when I sense one of my departed pets rubbing against my feet, biting my big toe (when none of my current pets are in the room.) It’s rare, but I have smelled my Mom’s Coty Air Spun face powder when none has been around. I don’t have any. 

Thanks for stopping by today! If you enjoyed the questions, please visit Sunday Stealing and join in the fun for yourself.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019

Sunday Stealing: Facebook

November 16, 2019

From Facebook

Hi! I'm your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and

Bud)  Cheers to all of us thieves!

Whew.  That's over.  Let's get back to normal and use "safe" questions that won't offend anybody (I don't think).  Thanks, everyone, for your support.

Stolen from Facebook


1) What is your favorite TV show (currently)? The Good Place was, but I’m a few episodes behind and I’m confused. Not sure what’s going on. American Housewife has taken its place. Always full of laughs.

2) Would you like to be a child again? Hell to the no! I was relentlessly picked on because I was overweight. In today’s realm I have no doubt that I would also be bullied. No thank you.

3) Has anyone ever told you that school times were the best period of his/her life? Would you say that to someone? Why? I can’t say I recall anyone I know saying school was the best time of their life. I certainly wouldn’t say it. My best friend, a sophomore who lived across the street was my best friend. Before I started my Freshman year she told me she couldn’t be friends with any Freshman. We were best friends for literally our entire lives up until that point. Through the rest of high school I made 2 friends. I think that experience is why I have no friends. I find it impossible to make friends at 58. I don’t have a clue where to begin. When I turned 40 I belonged to a social group and had so much fun going out to clubs, house parties, bbq’s, etc. That was until the person I was seeing broke up with me and took ALL the group members. After a few months I found that the 1 who claimed to be my friend was still going to their events on the down low. Now she is my future sister-in-law. Talk about awkward!

4) How's the weather? Cold. Not too cold like a few days ago. Medium cold. Cold enough for a light jacket or hoodie.

5) Do you like camping? Love it! I camped a lot with the one who took all the people in the social group. After that I got my own camping supplies and took my fiancé and kids camping. 

6) Do you believe in paranormal phenomena? I don’t think so. 

7) If you would create a holiday, what would it be called and how would we celebrate it? When would this holiday be? I always thought there needed to be a Federal holiday in between the long stretches with no holidays. Maybe between New Year’s Day and Memorial Day. I had a few bad jobs, not the work, I usually loved the work. It was the employees and the bosses. I would always look forward to any days off so I could breath and not get screamed at. At times when it was really ugly I would pray for a day off. Reporting it to the top just made it worse. These are long stories, but suffice to say I kept to my cubicle, was quiet, did my work well, minded my own business. They were just ugly, ugly people. 

8) What word(s) do you dislike? Can you tell why? Swear words. I use them too often. I need to stop. I’ve been using the alternative swear words from “The Good Place”. Ashhole, bullshirt, fork, wtfork, motherforker. My autocorrect knows them all now. 

9) What color do you dislike? What do you associate with it? Brown. In a high school business class I read that brown doesn’t look professional. I don’t think I have any brown clothing as a result. 

10) Do you believe in otherworldly creatures, eg. ghosts, etc? Kind of. I sometimes sense my beloved dog Maxwell or my cat Sophie at the foot of my bed, rubbing against my feet, or Sophie biting my big toes. The cats I have now never do any of that.

11) Pick two of your favourite fictional characters. Where are they from (what movie, book, etc?) and why are they your favourite? Can’t think of any. I rarely read fiction. I usually read memoirs. I did really enjoy Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange is the New Black, played by Uzo Adubo.

12) If you could change anything or add anything to your body would you? (this can be interpreted however, but, think, would you like to have fins or extra hands?) I’ve lost so much weight that I have skin hanging all over and skin that is crepe paper looking. I’d like these areas to be toned and normal looking. Just more normal looking would be good.

13) What are some family traditions you have/had growing up? Do you still continue them, if yes, why, if no, why not? When I was a kid we went to Grandma’s house for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and day, and NYE. My parents passed away when I was in my early twenties. I do prepare the foods we ate like Grandma and my Aunts made for the holidays. My kids look forward to Sfincioni and a tray of veggies and cheeses on Christmas Eve. Seafood on NYE, although due to the expense, it’s never been the extravaganza of seafood like when I was a kid...octopus, calamari, shrimp. Maybe shrimp cocktail and cheeses and veggies.

14) What do you think of tattoos? Do you have any? I don’t have any. I’ve thought I’ve wanted one, but I can’t seem to figure out what I want. It’s permanent you know.

15)  What is the most disgusting habit some people have? Screaming at people because they are different, or because you wrongly think they threaten your job. Continuing to do it relentlessly to try to get the victims to quit. It’s really a form of bullying which is disgusting. I am NO quitter!

16)  If you could bring back one TV show that was cancelled, which would it be? Travelers

with Eric McCormack. 

17) What was the most unsettling film you have ever seen? If it was unsettling, why would I want to think about it again? Ok, this movie always scared the bejeepers out of me. Karen Black was in it. “Trilogy of Terror”. No need for me to Google, it’s permanently imprinted on my brain. The part of the trilogy with the terrifying, ugly little creatures.

18) What book has impacted you the most? Can’t think of any.

19) You're on Death Row and get one final meal: What is that meal and why do you choose it? Seafood boil, or surf and turf. I’ve had seafood boil only once and it was so good.

20) What is the first profession you remember wanting to become as a child? Teacher. Doesn’t everyone want to be a teacher when they were a young child? It’s really the first profession children are exposed to. Second was Accountant, which ended up being my career.

••I don’t know why, but when I Copy these to my blog I end up with excess blank rows that I cannot delete. Sorry for the inconvenience.••

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2019