Horrific Photos and Not so Great Gifts

This holiday season brought me a gift from my step daughter that I found amusing. I must admit at first I was shocked, then I just laughed my ass off. Rick's daughter has been in my life since she was in 1st grade. But she is not a very warm person and she has always been difficult to get close to.  I have tried, but as time went on I saw that she is the same way to everyone in her life. The people that she loves she treats the same way. I realize that not everyone is going to feel like I do about my step mom. To me she is my mom and I love her and she annoys me as much as if she had given birth to me. 

Until 2 years ago I never even got gifts from his daughter for any event.  She would send her Dad his Christmas gifts and there was never anything for me. As I stated earlier at first I was hurt. I am the one who shops for just the right thing for her birthday and Christmas. I am the one who sends things for no reason because I know she'll like it or a care package when she's sick. I am the one who wraps all the Christmas gifts. Yet, she only thanks her father. He in turn would say to thank me but it fell on deaf ears so I asked him to stop it.  It seemed petty.

I had hoped that someday this would change as she grew up. I mean I had nothing to do with her mom and dad divorcing so that couldn't be it. I didn't meet Rick until 10 years later. I just plugged away and continued to be the same with her. I may never get any affection or respect in return and I had to make peace with it. It just was what it was.

Then after she met her new husband things changed. I got a Christmas gift that year AND a birthday gift. Nothing much but I was acknowledged and I was thrilled. Then they got married and whoa that ramped up the gift to Peg. It was actually something they knew I loved.  It had nothing to do with price here,  it was just damn thoughtful. I was thrilled! A thought was put behind the gift.
Then this year happened.  I got eye and face cream which proclaims to promote collagen, which as you know at my age is quickly leaving my body at break neck speed. 

When Rick was done opening his gifts he looked at me and said, "What did you get?"
I responded with, "Old lady cream" and burst out laughing. 

He said, "She didn't!"  

"Well, in her defense I'm old and could use these creams. And they aren't cheap creams. Perhaps I mentioned something to her that I don't recall."

"Like what the hell would you mention? Gee I need to feel like shit I think I need someone to send me wrinkle cream and make me feel bad about myself.  She forgot to get Spanx, she could have really made you feel badly. "

"Well I would be thrilled, Spanx are expensive." (spanx for your mean are like modern day girdle type wear)

"Well seriously perhaps I said something about getting old. Normally only to you and on my blog but who the hell knows.  I'm old, wrinkled and forgetful.  It is funny and since I'm old I'll forget all about this gift by my birthday."

Rick asked why I was laughing.  I said, "Because it's funny don'tcha think?  She finally thinks of me on Christmas and she just thinks old wrinkled croon.  It is funny Rick c'mon you have got to see that."

"Should I say something to her?"

"Oh for God's sakes, hell no!  She thought of me, isn't that what this is about? What if she had bought me a cropped top and a navel ring?  Now that would be friggin' funny too and just as off the mark as anything.  My point being she knows nothing about me after 34 years and doesn't care to, let it go.  Besides I think it's funny"

So after a good laugh I begged him to let it go but I did ask, "Please tell her for my 60th birthday not to get me a scooter.  Not ready just yet for that. Hearing aids, but no friggin' scooter"   He promised.

While Rick had this time off I had a honey do list that was a bit long.  
We began with the new staircase but quickly moved to something easier the next day. 
We have a boat load of photos between us . We attempted to get all these things in one organized place. But as happens with pictures you end up laughing at yourself and others and having a field day. Wait til next week when you see Little Ricky in a Nehru jacket.  He's still home this week so I couldn't get it on the blog. He said NO! to the Nehru online. In fact he took the picture so I wouldn't scan it. But c'mon you know I have to show you.  He'll be back to work next week and I'll sneak it on here.  So now you only get to see the horrors of Peg from way back when.

Here is one that would fall under this heading:

What The Hell Was She thinking and Why did her hairdresser do this to her?

Or Who Goosed This Guy? (late 70's early 80"s?)

I am in the woods in heels below. Who does that? 1970's Candies ladies. I remember we put the camera on a tree and set the timer. Couldn't we have found one closer?

 This is my younger sister. She hated wearing a bathing suit top. But wearing a bathing cap apparently didn't bother her. She would argue with my parents that Mark didn't wear a top in the pool why did she have to? (mark was the kid next door we played with) So finally my parents let her go in the our little pool (only) topless. This for some reason really cracks me up. A bathing cap to protect her hair but not a top.  Too funny. Now I can tell her she is topless online. 

 I remember this below because I got a ring I so loved for my birthday. 
I was a happy camper here. 

It was my birthday, 18 is my guess. At least I didn't have a perm!

These are my Herman Munster shoes from August 1974. (any of you old enough to know herman munster?) Good Catholic girl standing in front of the Virgin Mary statue. Yeah, I know that's funny....good Catholic girl. I'm now neither good nor Catholic.

 This one makes me laugh because of my band aid. Wonder what happened there? I didn't shave my legs yet, why did I need that big band aid on my leg?  It also makes me laugh that my parents always put us in front of this wall in the kitchen. 

This big blank wall. Great photography Dad.

Since the photo says 1964 I know that I was 8 years old. 

Don't you think that today's 8 year old looks so much more mature than back in 1964? 

Same stupid smile though.

And lastly 1973. Yep that is me sleeping with my clothes on and a coat in our tent. I was with 2 girlfriends camping. We'd get stoned and I would always fall asleep first. They harassed the shit out of me for that. They also would tell me how I slept through all this excitement and I normally thought they were lying. I never heard a thing. Well apparently after I feel asleep this particular night they put these suitcases on top of me and I never woke up. They never told me they did this either. When I got my film developed I saw the picture. (remember when we had to send our  rolls of film in to be developed?) If only I could sleep like that now!!

This below has nothing to do with photo's of anyone except that I think I want this wine dispenser in my kitchen. I mean how lazy can I get? No corkscrew, no pesky foil to remove. Just put my glass under there and it gives me my wine. Oh yes, I think I need this for 2015. 

It's only $5,000.  Oh wait,  I better just get off my ass and open my own bottles then.