tag, I'm it!

Susan @ Secrets Of A Suburban Soccer Mom has tagged me.

Here's how it works. Go to your first photo file and choose the 10th photo. Then post it!

Here's mine:
This photo is my daughter from our Mother's Day golf outing. It was her first chance to try out the new clubs she got for Christmas.

Now to tag five more lucky players, in no particular order:
1. John @ Gay Dads In Munchkin Land.
2. Auntie E @ At Home With Auntie E.
3. Patricia @ Subjective Soup.
4. Lin @ Duck And Wheel With String.
5. Kelley @ Kelley's Casa DeChaos.

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

lolapalooza Saturday

Saturday started off as usual, a late start, so we split up to get more done. I hightailed it to the local Farmer's Market less than a 1/2 hour before closing. Due to the late time, parking was excellent. We purchased cucumbers, 1 red bell pepper, 2 green bell peppers and tomatoes. We also visited the Salsa guys and got another jar of their Key Lime & Garlic Salsa. Just as we were about to visit the tent with all the wonderful canned goodies, baked breads and focaccia, Anastasia called saying she had a flat and she was still in our driveway.

I hightailed it home and filled the tire using the air compressor in my car. We went to ~~~~~~ Tire because, well, it was close and because it had "tire" in it's name. We ran errands, then came back to find out the tire was not fixable. Ok, fine, how much for a new tire? We don't have your size tire in stock. Really, "tire" is in your business's name and you don't have the most popular size tire in the planet in stock? They refer us to NTB, but Anastasia wants to go to Discount Tire, so I ask to borrow the phone book from ~~~~~~ Tire. I copy some phone numbers and we start making calls in my car. The number for Discount Tire is disconnected.

We decide to go to NTB. The guy gives us a quote, not his cheapest tire, the next cheapest. 4 tires, installed, balanced, out the door with tax and about 4 b*llsh*t fees, $659. WTH? She drives a Monte Carlo, not a monster truck! Anastasia begins hyperventilating at the price. The NTB guy, ever the salesman, begins giving her the no money down credit pitch. LMAO! Dude, no job, no credit. More laughter. Then the salesman begins his pitch on me. Dude, no job dude. We were laughing so hard as we walked out the door that we forgot that we left the kids in the waiting area. I had to go back and get them. No, I'm not even kidding!

Next we are off to some sketchy tire place in J-town that sells used tires. They only have 3. Anastasia needed 4. They looked bad anyway, but the more Anastasia and I waffle about them, the lower the price becomes. We decide to see if Discount Tire is still in business and drive there.

It's in business! We talk to the salesman, and tell him our experience at NTB, complete with the price quote and the Dude, no job dude. The 3 of us are laughing our asses off. When the guy gives us the quote he quotes the same price as NTB, then he starts laughing more, just kidding he says! This dude's a comedian. Then he quotes the real price, which is reasonable, so we tell him to get started.

We spent the entire day trying to get the tire issue resolved. Anastasia and I traded bodies again, like that movie with Jaime Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday (2003).) (Hint - Anastasia is normally the happy go lucky, silver lining person, and I'm the grumpy, why does everything bad happen to me person.) But we switched, so I'm seeing the bright side and she's mad as all get out. We actually even recreated that moment when the 2 discover they've swapped. The "Ahhhhhh". Yes we did! Cause we're weird like that. Because if we're not going to have grocery money for this week, dammit, we're going to have a good laugh and have a good time anyway! Cause that's how we roll.

Anastasia got no errands run and we were all exhausted by the time we got home. Anastasia had to call her client to cancel work for that night because we were at the tire place late. Anastasia started to make dinner and sent me to the store for a milk and bread. I splurged and got this:
And I was bartender all night. Yes I was!

Oh, and yes, I'm fully aware that I misspelled Lollapalooza as Lolapalooza. It's a play on words. Lola, Lolapalooza, get it? Got it? Good! Next time I do a Lolapalooza post, I hope it's about something more fun. And if it isn't more fun, at least let it be less expensive!

Lola's Diner
©2008-2009

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