Today's Post Is Dedicated To My Father

This post is dedicated to my father. He would have been 78 this Halloween. He passed away 19 years ago. I had a very different relationship with my Father, than with my mother. (Lola's Diner - Today's Post Is Dedicated To My Mother).

I have my Father to thank for my handy, DIY skills. Whenever my Dad had a project, either in the house, or in the garage, I was his assistant. I resented that I was always his assistant, but my sister couldn’t remember the names of the tools (perhaps on purpose?) whereas, I always remembered. In the winter I froze my butt off handing him tools, bringing him beverages and basically standing around and listening to him swear. Lol! At least that was the case when he was working on the car. He insisted on doing his own oil changes. For all the aggravation he went through I always wondered if he wouldn’t be better off paying the gas station $9.95 (or whatever it was at that time). When my Dad got into a project that was over his head, he would send me across the street to get our neighbor. It was usually under the guise of borrowing a tool. Both my Dad and I knew if he sent me, the neighbor would bring it over himself and see if he needed any help.

When times were tough he always found a way to get things done, whether he did it himself or enlisted the assistance of a neighbor. I never recall him hiring a plumber. At the time I did not at all appreciate that time I spent with him in our garage. Of course now I appreciate it, having learned about tools and the time we spent together. When I got my learner's permit he had me rotate the tires on his car so I would know how to change a tire. At the time I really grumbled about it, but that lesson proved invaluable. I can't tell you how many tires I've changed flats.

I built on what my Dad taught me about tools. I think he would be incredibly impressed at my tool collection and the set of DIY mad skills I’ve learned. I still have his Circular Saw and use it often for projects. I laid ceramic tile in both bathrooms of my previous home, installed new toilets, sinks and vanities and replaced the kitchen cabinets.I've even replaced the gutters on my old garage and repaired the soffit and fascia.

When my Mother passed away my Father clearly changed. For the longest time he was just lost. He still went every Friday night to his favorite haunt and would go out to lunch at a local restaurant frequently. My Dad didn’t cook much, so since I was living at home, I started doing the cooking. During the summer he would occasionally grill out. That usually meant his famous “steak and nothing” meal. If the name isn’t obvious enough, it’s a meal of a big ass steak, and nothing else. No starch, no salad, no sides. Just steak in all of it’s glory! When my sister and I would come home from work (we worked at the same office) and smell the grill as we parked our cars, we’d look at each other and snicker “steak and nothing?” We would always be right.

There are times when I look at my kids and think, how much my Dad would have enjoyed this or that with them. Whenever I have projects to do around the house I do just as he did. I have one of my kids be my assistant. I'm hoping he's looking down and watching over his 2 beautiful grandchildren and proud of all the things he taught his daughter.

Happy Father's Day.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

TGIF! VGNO!

Time For A Question

Has anyone ever told you you looked like someone famous?
No, can't say that anyone has ever said I looked like a celebrity, but growing up I was constantly mistaken for a girl named Donna who I was told looked exactly like me. In fact, quite a few people didn't believe me when I said I wasn't Donna. It continued to happen when I became an adult.

I so need to get away...



Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Why???

Last Saturday the family went out to breakfast. We rarely eat out at all due to finances. We went to our regular place. Why did I spend the entire time there matching up each patron with a celebrity look-alike? I was completely joking, and completely entertaining myself! And I might add, I was not loud. I'm positive no one could hear me other then our table. The family was completely mortified. I can't even tell you how many times I was shushed, by all of them. I was having fun. Sue me, I don't get out much! When we sat at the table I said I felt under-dressed, I forgot my gallon of mascara.

So, wanna know who was at the restaurant? (Be polite, say yes. Please?) There was a white haired woman with a little too much eye make-up and she totally had that look that Bea Arthur gave before her "God'll getcha for that Arthur" line every time someone walked in the restaurant. (That look that looks like you're looking intently over your reading glasses, but you're not wearing glasses look.) Then there was Liza. Liza with way too much eye make-up, hair totally done like Liza at the Tony Awards. Seated next to her was Eartha Kitt (again, loads of eye make-up). Then for just a moment, Anastasia played along. I asked her who was seated next to Liza and Eartha and she almost did a spit take. I goaded her on, who's the guy they are with? Come on...She wouldn't say it, so I did. Thurston. Thurston Howell III. Yup, she started laughing her ass off, that's what she thought too, but she still shushed me. (It was all in fun, I assure you.)

Anastasia has been ordering our son baseball cards from Ebay to round out his collection because he has really been stepping up to the plate (no pun intended) with picking up the slack on his sister's chores. Nothing expensive, but the shipping methods for this stuff leave something to be desired. Why would anyone think that wrapping a baseball card in a paper towel and sticking it in a small size envelope would protect it? (Not even a #10 business size envelope, the smaller size envelope.) No wait, maybe it was Bounty, the quicker picker upper, in case the mailman got caught in the rain?

Why do I keep giving Walgreen's another chance? I really dislike the store, no matter the location. I've spent 30 minutes in line, with only 1 person ahead of me because the clerk wouldn't issue a rain check without getting the 'mother may I' from the manager. Then the manager comes over and insists they have the item in stock. So let's make everyone else wait while you check the store, then check the back room. Let's not check someone else out while you wait for the manager. Say, someone who is only purchasing a single greeting card who happens to be next in line? That was a week before Mother's Day. Last Thursday I stopped for toenail clippers. Regular $3.99, on sale $2.99. Didn't ring up the sale price, so I paid cash, went to re-check the shelf, then back to complain. I was sent to another register and 15 minutes later I had my dollar plus tax. Last Friday, different location, coming back from golf, daughter needed a Gatorade. On sale 3 for $3. I bought one, it rings up for $2.53. The clerk checked the ad (yeah, I'm sure we were the only ones in that week for Gatorade) and corrected the price. My point here is, is it company policy to try to get away with selling at regular price? Anastasia worked at Eagle Foods and she claims it's just lazy clerks only scanning 1 flavor of Gatorade. That doesn't explain the toenail clippers, they kind of only come in 1 flavor..

Why am I not surprised that our son's father is not taking him for Father's Day weekend? The weekend that he bitched incessantly about the 2 years prior because the court canceled his visitation both years. Yeah. I'm not kidding. He says he's sick, told the kids he thinks he has...wait for it...the Swine Flu. Can you say hypochondriac? I told our son we will find something fun to do, but I know that we are still going to have to deal with an extra moody teen. I did tell him that if he wanted we could make Sunday's dinner in honor of my Father and he kind of liked that. You'll have to wait for Sunday's post to get the details.

So, what are some of your "Why???'s" today? Got any? Leave them in the comments.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Goodbye O'Malley!

Have you heard the news? T.R. Knight Checks Out of 'Grey's Anatomy' I really liked his character. I mean, his character was a total lesson in perseverance, don't you think? I did catch the last few episodes of Season 5. I know how it ended, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't caught up yet. Options were kind of left open based on how they left it, but now it has been announced that he's leaving.

On another note, it has been announced that Jessica Capshaw has been changed to full-time status now. So there is hope of seeing a relationship with Sara Ramirez's character, Callie Torres. I'm hoping anyway. They've been playing pretty too safe with the character of Callie.

I will miss T.R. Knight's, O'Malley. You have to love his Andrew McCarthy Method of Acting. If I were straight and he were straight, I would totally crush on him. Lol!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

I totally suck eggs/Wanted: If I Could Blog Back Time Topics

Wow, today's If I Could Blog Back Time Post totally sucked eggs. As my kids would say, "You suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

So, in honor of that I'm soliciting topics for future If I Could Block Back Time Thursdays. Please post your topic idea in the comments.

As an incentive, I will award 50 Entrecard Credits for each idea I use.

I will also give linky love on the If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays' post your topic is used.

What are you waiting for? Let's hear your topic ideas!

Thank you!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays - Favorite Annual Events

Come join me for a very special edition of If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays! We'll be taking time out to share some memories. We'll Blog Back Time with possible ways to right past wrongs or about how times have changed. We'll share childhood memories, school/work memories, family and friend memories.

Today's topic is: Favorite Annual Events

It's kind of weird, but my father’s life insurer, Maccabees Mutual had an annual picnic. I believe they were held on a picnic grounds in Two Rivers, WI. There was a pavilion for the beer and soda that had picnic tables and then there were picnic tables throughout the grounds. They also had grills that you could use to bbq your own food. The first years we went, my parents did the whole grilling out thing, the last couple of years we’d stop at KFC, which was extra special because we never went there.

There were 3 things that were awesome about this picnic. One was the big, old fashioned red water pump (similar to the one in the photo) that we always passed as we walked from the parking lot to the picnic area. My sister and I could not walk past it without stopping to give it a good 20 quick action pumps to get the water to start gushing out. We would drive our parents crazy with excuses that we HAD to wash our hands, just so we could go back and play with the pump.

The 2nd great thing about this picnic was the loot bag. Everyone got a bag based on age. Younger kids got bubbles and Chinese finger torture toys and other cheap stuff that one can now find at dollar stores. Older kids got paddle balls, jump ropes, kites, or foam airplanes. All the kids would open their loot bags and immediately begin playing.

The 3rd great thing was the group games. There were kid games like running and holding a peanut on a spoon, 3 legged races, wheelbarrow races and potato sack races. For the adults there were also the 3 legged races, wheelbarrow races and potato sack races, but the best was the egg toss. Husbands on one end of the game area, wives at the other and they kept increasing the distance between them as each round finished. They had to toss a real, raw, in the shell egg. You lost if your egg broke. It was hilarious fun watching the different techniques. Some husbands did the soft underhand toss, others did the wind up and the overhand fast pitch. Some of the wives couldn’t quite gauge the speed of the throw and ended up with smashed eggs in their hands. Others were Chicken Littles and wouldn’t go near the tossed egg, letting it smash to the ground. Family entertainment at it’s finest to be sure.

The 1 thing that was not awesome about this picnic were the outhouses. Yup, they had outhouses and they STANK! OMG. After the first couple of years I learned to limit my beverages in an effort to limit the number of trips. The last couple of years there was a building added that had restrooms, but they still had the outhouses. I don’t know if it was for the ‘country charm’ or because of the crowds the number of bathrooms in the building weren’t adequate.

I as a little sad the year that I moved to Chicago and cashed out my policy because it meant an end to those picnics. I wonder if they still do them? Or if any other insurance companies did this sort of an annual event for policyholders. I bet not.

Please post your "Favorite Annual Event Memory" on your blog. Then come back to Lola's Diner and leave the actual post link here. Please grab the html code for If I Could Blog Back Time Thursdays! Badge HERE.

Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

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Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Have you seen this story? Brooklyn D.A.: Man Impersonates Dead Mother to Collect $115,000 in Social Security, Rent Subsidies

Our son was watching the news with me Wednesday night. The minute the story started and he heard what Thomas Prusik-Parkin allegedly did, he said this, and I'm quoting here:

Son: "That sounds like something dad would do".

Me: Speechless.

What could I say?

The kid was right.

Our son then went on to tell me how his dad still has the old lady wig he acquired for a Halloween costume 10 years ago in a dresser drawer.

I just have one question though, how did Thomas Prusik-Parkin cover his blues patch with make-up?

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009