Still whining

Yesterday Izzy and I went on our lunchtime walk for her to do her afternoon constitution and frolic in her favorite weather.
I wish it were mine.

We shovel and salt our stoop and sidewalk as well as the neighbor on both sides.
They do not shovel or salt and we do it so WE do not fall when out with Izzy, not for them. They are in their 20's and the ones on our left in their 30's. The 60-year-olds are doing it instead. What is wrong with this picture?

I have yak traks but did not put them on yesterday.
They fit over your shoe or boot to help you on ice.
They look like this. They work very well.


I did not wear them yesterday, honestly never occurred to me. Very stupid.
Now I was wearing layers and layers of clothes. I felt like the Michelin man. I could barely get my arms down at my sides with all the fabric in the arms of my coat. I only cared about warmth.

We were about 15 blocks from home, we were heading back towards our home.
We rounded a corner and the wind caught me just so and I put my head down to shield my face and at the same time I slipped on the ice. I was so concerned about falling on my back (several surgeries) so I twisted and went down on my hip and tucked and rolled. Izzy was not on the leash, she was ahead of me.
She turned to look for me and came back to me. I slowly got up and brushed myself off. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me so I laid there for a second to get a full breath.  I saw 2 men across the street brushing off their cars, both watched me fall, both said nothing. It kind of pissed me off. 

As I got up I looked at them. Both still just staring at me. No one asked, Are you okay? As I rubbed Izzy who was all over me acting concerned I let her know I was okay so she began to walk towards home. The 2 men were back to brushing snow off their car. Being a bitch, I wanted to say, "Hey I'm okay thanks for asking" But bitch Peg stayed inside and Margaret walked home in silence.

I don't know why it affected me like this but the closer to home I got the angrier I got. If I saw a kid fall, a woman, a man, old or young. I would have at the very least said, "Are you okay?" Especially as I laid there catching my breath after having the wind knocked out of me. I know I would have walked the 8 ft to see if the person was okay and talk to them. But no one did anything.
I realize I am not real old. I am 62.  So I suppose they thought she's not 80 so she's fine. But don't you think most people would see someone fall and help them?  Is it just me and Rick who do that?

At 3:30p Izzy had to go out again and I got dressed for the outdoors and opened the front door. (wearing my yak traks)
There stood the 29 yr old neighbor putting salt on my stoop and side walk. 
He said, "I owe you and I just bought the salt and thought I'd take care of you guys this time"  I thanked him! First time in 2 years. Better late than never and never look a gift horse in the mouth. 😊

Today I am incredibly sore. But that is to be expected I suppose.
We've had 2 walks today. At 5:15am and at 10:30 am. Both uneventful while wearing my Yak Traks. It will be warm again soon. 
Just need to get through the next 2 days. 50's is going to feel like a heat wave.
I may wear shorts.

Brrrr......

It is too cold to type.
It is too cold to do much of anything.
I have raised the heat and I sit at my desk with long johns and fleece pants.
It is winter. I do not care for it.
That's it. I have nothing but to bitch about the cold.
Our  -5 is nothing compared to those in the Dakota's.

So let's laugh, shall we? 

Tuesday Memes

This below is my husband. The first time I saw him tip over I howled. 

To Marie Kondo:

...and wine.

Yes, snarky Peg bought herself a new T-shirt.

Imagination

I was reading Ro's blogpost and she asked what our favorite toys were as a child. I am so boring. I LOVED books.  The weekly trip to the library with my mom was a highlight of my week. I loved talking about the books with Mom and I loved going to the library and the smell of books. Oh if they only had a candle that smelled like that!  
It is a very special memory for me with my Mom.

What I also spent endless hours on was my Barbie house.
We did not get a lot of toys as kids. I so wanted a Barbie Dream House.
I wanted that convertible too. My parents didn't see it the way I did.
I did not get those things. I had a Barbie doll and the rest was up to me and my imagination. It was an original Barbie, but nothing else was except her caring case. Everything else was generic. As a kid that was horrific to me. 

I took Shoe boxes and gift boxes and made a house. Glued them together and made a two-story home with a garage and a pool in the yard. 
(green felt was the grass, funny right?)
I so wish we had a photo of this somewhere. Perhaps my parents do. 
Because it was an awesome house if I do say so myself.
I spent hours and weeks on this thing. I colored in windows and put glued fabric around those windows to look like draperies. Same with the bed in the bedroom. I cut out cardboard pieces for the bed and furniture. I colored in pictures and lights sconces on the wall. I folded cardboard to look like a bed, or a dresser or a table. Folding all this cardboard was almost like an origami art. It took me a while to perfect it. When I got really good I remember doing the furniture all over again. 

I got fabric from a neighbor who sewed a lot. She would give me a box of fabric pieces every couple of months. I did not sew but glue hemmed the fabric perfectly. Stairs leading up to the bedrooms or otherwise known as the shoebox on top were made of popsicle sticks and toothpicks. 
I cut a hole on the floor of the 2nd story box and the stairs went up to that box. Funny huh?
I had to hide me "stealing" toothpicks from the house or my father would have had a royal fit that I was "wasting" items like that.  
I wish we had glue guns back in the day. Or maybe they did but my mom only gave me Elmers. No glue sticks back in the 60's either.
I always was peeling Elmers off my fingers. Honestly, a glue gun would not have been safe to give an 8yr old since I burn myself now with it at age 62.

Yes, I was a weirdo. I loved interior design when I was young too.
Valerie who lived next door had a Barbie Dreamhouse yet she asked me to make her a garage like I made. I'm telling you I made a compound, not just a house and that is so funny to me now.
I cut a blue piece of fabric like a kidney shape. Because for some reason I believed all in-ground pools were this shape. My Barbie had a pool and her Dream House didn't. Take that Valerie.

I was bummed as all get out that my parents didn't buy me all the Barbie accouterments including the official Barbie clothes. I was green with envy when I went to a friend's house or cousin who had everything from the store of Barbie. For a holiday I would get Barbie clothes but they were generic so I was never thrilled. But heaven forbid I express that so I just said thank you!. I could use the fabric anyway and make my own design. So I dressed her in that fabric as well.  I cut a teeny tiny scarf for her to tie around her neck. Valerie begged for that scarf so I gave it to her and made another one. Pinking shears made pretty edges on the Jackie Kennedy style head scarf to me. Isn't that funny? Today, of course, I see that as hideous but as a child that was pretty in my minds eye.

I asked my Dad as an adult why he didn't buy us this stuff. 
We were by no means poor. He always made us have a job or tell us if we'd save 1/2 he'd pay the other half. It was never just given to us. I knew we were lucky to be in the financial situation we were living in so I didn't get it.  His answer was we kids didn't need all that stuff. Maybe he was on to something. I didn't think so when I was a little girl.

I remember a summer day when I sat in the driveway with all my Barbie stuff and played until my Dad got home from work. How I could do that for hours kind of amazes me. I am certain that made my mom happy on a summer day to have me outside in my own little world.

While I hated that I never got what I wanted I think that allowed me to use my imagination. Not having a dollhouse made me build one. Not having nice official Barbie clothes made me make some. The story of my life really.

When Mom got sick I slowed down on the toys. By the time she was very sick and I was doing a lot around the house, Barbie got stuffed into the back of the closest. I asked my stepmom where that was now. She doesn't recall. I knew she had thrown away my Barbie which is now worth so much money since it is an original. I jokingly gave her a hard time about it but to her, it was just a doll. I understand that. Besides where would I keep that, do I have gratitude that I had this, would it give me joy?....okay stop laughing I had to a smart ass and add that to all the Marie Kondo fans.

I have never ever been a person who says, I'm bored. 
I always can find something to do and reading tops that list. 
But even then I look around and think, can I change that table into something else?
I drive Rick crazy like that.
Why are you taking apart the top of that table on the patio Margaret?
I think we can use it like this in a better way and I can paint that and viola a new outdoor table.
He laughs and shakes his head but I caught him telling someone on our patio that asked where we got this table and he was all proud. He's cute like that. I'm not proud as much as I am poorer now than ever before in my life. One does what one has to do. And I like pretty. I like new things and can't always get them so I can make something new out of something old. As long as it looks good to me is all that matters.

Everyone does this I am certain. Isn't that what Pinterest is? I have never gone to Pinterest but a friend is always showing me stuff there. 
(I don't get its purpose) I just do it more than most because since we lost our corporate jobs we don't have money to blow or a nice disposable income anymore. 
Imagination can make a lot of stuff....along with a can of spray paint and a glue gun. 

What do you like to make or repurpose?

I got nothin'

Because I am always up in the wee hours of the morning wishing I could sleep I tend to turn nonsense on TV and try to get sleepy. Many years ago during an episode of insomnia, I watched a comedian on Netflix.

He talked like my cousin, Joey D.  
Yes, he went by D. instead of his full last name.
Everyone in town knew Joey D.  His bar was called Joey D's.
He is a caricature of that east coast Italian American and when I was younger he embarrassed me. Now I find him funny and I can laugh about my extended family.

This comedian had a Netflix special in I think it was 2014. 
I laughed a lot while alone at 2am with this guy. 
He talked about his family and I could so relate.
The school lunches where no one will trade with you.
The father that never rewards you or compliments you.
The father and mother with this very strong work ethic who can't understand if you are 9 why you aren't working. That the majority of our food came from our garden and my Uncles garden and family members traded items. Yeah, he grew up the same way I did but he makes it so damn funny.

After that evening of watching this in 2014, I told Rick about him.
He watched a few minutes, less than 5 and fell asleep.  But before he did he said to me, "you like this guy?"  He never watched it again.
Then a week or two ago he listened to an interview with this comedian on Sirius radio. He came home telling me about Sebastian Maniscalco. 
How funny this guy is. Rick tells me he gets our family, Margaret, we have to watch his special.
(Rick was adopted by an Italian American family so thank God he understands mine. no explanations necessary.) 

So we watched his new Netflix special and of course, laughed.
I don't think he would play well in middle America, even though he is from middle America (Chicago) But I could be wrong.

Here is a doorbell skit from years ago. 
It's not as ethnic as his newer stuff.

Tidy by Matt vs. Marie Kondo

I'm certain by now you are all aware of Marie Kondo.
If not, thank your lucky stars.

The woman is not real. Seriously she wants you to throw away things I just don't think you need to throw away, like books. 
She takes her tidying to a whole new level. I would love to see her home. 

Now I have been accused of being anal retentive about having things organized.
But this woman makes me look like a messy hoarder. 
Wait, are there tidy hoarders? Well, you know what I mean.

I have tried to fold a few items as she shows you. I laugh because I have tried to do it her way and I just never get my fitted sheet the same way. After several attempts, I want to put my hands around her tiny little neck and wrap her in that fitted sheet.  I think the definition of insanity is my constant attempt at trying to Kondo Fold.

I am not certain this teeny tiny thing is human.
I have a feeling we could find out she is A.I.

A friend knows of my state of mind since this shut down that is killing all of our livelihoods. This was posted by her. Oh, boy did it bring a smile to my face.

So if you feel as I do about that tiny cute little Japanese woman Marie Kondo, this video is for you.

Random LIfe Items

Everyone has their panties in a twist over Grace and Frankie saying Fuck. (netflix show)
I find it humorous that this has ruffled feathers.  
Frankie says it all the time. But she always added silly things after it so maybe that is why this year people are upset. She isn't saying silly shit like fuck the duck or whatever strange thing she says.

But at the end of last season and the beginning of this one it was said that they were going to say more, "Fuck It" to things because they can at 80 do whatever they f-ing want. 
So they do. I don't find it a lot more, nor do I find it offensive. 
I talk like this so of course, it is not out of character for me. 
But I do find it funny that everyone suddenly wants the pot smoking, acid taking Frankie to stop swearing.  No one complained when Frankie shoplifted, but swearing is making everyone angry. 
The swearing offends, her acid and drugs don't nor do Grace's shady business practices offend. Just the F word and for whatever reason I find that hysterical and oh so silly.

Speaking of hysterical. 
I was walking Izzy this morning and I saw an envelope blowing towards my house. I pick it up. It is my neighbor's mail. I call her as I am running down the street after my dog. I tell her I put it on her porch against her door so she will know to look there. A minute or two goes by and she texts me and tells me that she felt this man apparently when talking to me and she was getting all these baseball references. Yep, I know who that is. You see my neighbor is a medium. It's my ex-husband a former ballplayer who just passed away.  Our last year of marriage I couldn't get him to talk so now he's chatty Cathy in the afterlife. Figures.  I'll keep you posted I may go further with her on this.

Yesterday my husband left our home at 7:30a to make it to Alexandria by 9AM for his appointment. It is 33 miles from door to door. He got stuck in traffic and felt he'd be late so he text her that it looked like possibly 10 minutes late tops. She said, "forget it let's cancel" He was LIVID.
She called me and asked to reschedule.
I said, "Marie I spoke to you yesterday reminding you of your appointment time and asked if you were ready for us. You told me you were working from home all day so it didn't matter. What changed?"
She said I  am working from home but now I have to have a presentation ready for Wednesday and if he's here it will distract me.
I then said, "why didn't you call us? Remember on the documentation you got it stated if you did not cancel within 24 hrs there would be a fee of $50"
She said, "I never bothered reading it and I figured if you were 10 minutes late then why bother"
Oh my God!!

So $50 is added to her bill and we have to go back. If it weren't slow we would have told her to find someone else. Rick ended up being 6 minutes late. He got to her home and turned around. He called the appointments later in the day and moved them up and thankfully they were accommadating. 

Normally we don't charge people when stuff happens. This is the first time we have done it even though it states this on all their paperwork. We always give people a break. But not this woman. She pissed us both off so much that we felt she should be charged. 6 minutes late is no big deal if you ask me. She just wanted to have a reason to cancel. 

I am waiting on Verizon to get here. My appointment is from 10-2pm. 
They will be here after 3pm I'm certain. 
We don't do windows of time, just a specific time.
Rarely are we late. This wasn't because he was late getting on the road or weather, it was just DC traffic. 
Honestly people just annoy the shit out of me.

Movies

This very very cold windy weekend we watched a couple of movies.
One of them was The Old Man and The Gun.

I don't like a lot of Robert Redford's movies. I find his choices to be dull and slow. Oh, not the 70's movies like Sundance or The Way We Were, but the recent ones. Ever since Ordinary People, which I found so slow, he has only been in dull movies to me. The one with Jane Fonda that I was so looking forward to was awful to me. Slower than molasses. 

Rick wanted to see this and I really like Sissy Spacek so I thought why not.
It's 2 degrees and 45 mph winds outside so I made some hot cocoa and we watched the movie.

As is the case it was slow. I know it was a true story so that held my interest
Sissy Spacek looks great for 69 and as always she was very good in her part.
I loved her on the Netflix show Bloodline. She is just always good to me.
She did not disappoint, only there wasn't a lot of her or a lot for her to do.
The movie was Redford and even he didn't have a lot of dialogue to memorize.
He has said that was the last movie he will ever make in front of the camera. Did you see it? Did you like it? It was just okay.

Next in my queue is The Wife. The movie that Glenn Close keeps beating Lady Gaga for best actress. So I need to check out this movie and see if I agree. :-)

As for my firestick and HBO issue. I am going through my prime. I saw how I could get the firestick cheaper that way as well. Until business picks up and this !@#$!@! shut down is over I really can't do anything so I must wait.

Yesterday Rick got in the cooking mode. 
I love, love, love when that happens.
He was going through the freezer. We did not have veal shanks as you normally use for Osso Buco but he sees the beef shanks. 
So he did a version of Osso Buco. The only difference is the meat. 
I was on the 3rd floor while he was slaving away in the kitchen.

I was getting the 3rd floor ready for company yet again. 
As I got to the 2nd floor I could really smell the food.
By the time I got to the 1st-floor landing, I saw Rick putting cream cheese in a bowl.
I asked what he was doing. He stated he was making a meal.
I laughed and said, Knock yourself out babe!

I saw that he was having a drink and I asked if it needed to be freshened up. I mean, if you are going to cook for me the least I can do is freshen up your cocktail. After I did that I went back upstairs.

I came downstairs to delicious smells and a big fat mess in the kitchen.
Don't bitch Peg, he made you a meal. 

I set the table and we had an awesome meal.
I was stuffed! 
We hadn't eaten since 9am/breakfast and here is was 7pm.
I was hungry and he outdid himself with this great meal, so I was a pig.

When Rick does cook I always say after I'm finished, gee did you make dessert?
He always laughs and says no. I always shake my head and tell him a good husband would do both. We laugh and clean up. End of story.

Last night I did not ask if there was dessert. I got up to bring my plate to the sink and he says, "Hey, you didn't ask your question?" 
"What question?"
"What do you always ask me after I make dinner?"
"Oh yeah, but I'm full."
"Oh c'mon Margaret play nice"
I was laughing now. Okay, "Hey Rick, did you make any dessert"
"Why yes I did Margaret, individual cheesecakes with a strawberry coulis"
"No shit?!"
In the fridge, he tells me.

Now I just said I was stuffed but I sure had cheesecake.
I had so many questions. How did you learn to make this? 
Did you make the coulis with our berries yourself?
How, why? so many questions.
But instead, I took a bite and about died.
OH MY GOD. It was rich, creamy smooth and oh so flavorful.

He put the cheesecake filling in a ramikin without the gluten graham crackers, just the filling for me. He ground almonds for a crust on the bottom as he has seen me do before. He topped each off with his homemade coulis. It was so friggin' good no one would believe he just did this for the first time. 
He made 4 of them. I still have 1 more for today. I can't wait.

In the meantime, I grilled him? How long was I upstairs? my goodness?
Where did you get this recipe? He googled it. He even put these in a water bath.
Who is this man? And why doesn't he visit more often?

Needless to say, I had a lazy fat day.
I ate too much food and dessert. 
I laid around and watched a movie and a couple more Grace and Frankie's.

It was a nice day, but my body can't take many of those.
This man has to learn how to cook some low cal things I am afraid.

Memories

In 1991 Rick and I lived in a flat.

That is what they are called where I grew up.

It was a house. Side by side doors. The door on the right was my Aunt's home.

The door on the left opened to a staircase that went to the same floor plan for another home/apartment upstairs.

I lived in this home in the 80's. My Aunt charged me $200 a month.

How can you beat that right?

I moved to Cleveland for my job. Rick loved my apartment and went to my Aunt and asked if he could rent it. She said yes, for $250/month.

What a hoot right $250 is what she raised it to. He would have paid 2x that because he loved this house. Little did he know it was haunted, but he found out soon enough.

We lived in the city and railroad tracks were not far from us.

Every damn morning the train would blow it's horn as they must do approaching a city intersection. 
Every morning that frickin' train was on time.

At this time in our lives, (age 31) we could sleep in but this train was punctual.

Then one morning we didn't hear it, that woke us up too. Crazy right?
Rick says I didn't hear the train, did you? What time is it?
I see the clock and say wow we slept through it.
Just as I say that the horn blows and we laughed. 
Time to get up! We never ever used an alarm clock while living there
Didn't need to.

This video I saw brought that memory back to me.

Then I saw this meme below and it too brought a smile to my face 

I don't recall telling you about this so if I have I apologize.
When we first moved back east I realized how close we were to Philly and Hershey PA. I lived in PA for the first 20 years of my life. 
Going to Philly was farther than going to Toronto Canada. (by 5 hrs)
So living in PA for a great portion of my life I had never been. 
We had just moved to Maryland and found I could be there in 2 hrs. 
Well, we're going!

Rick and I went to Hershey first. You need to ask me why?
Listen, if they had wineries in Hershey I'd probably never leave.
And Hershey chocolate isn't even good chocolate, but even bad chocolate is good. It's like Pizza in that way. 

We make our way to Hershey and do the touristy things.
We were on a tour of the candy making plant but we had to get in this car like a roller coaster. As we are going through this dark tunnel on a track we were looking to our right and then left at the candy. We look at one another and make a face. We were both dying from the smell of the person in front of us. 

At times there would be a fan and at one turn my husband has received a full-blown blast of this stinky man and says, Oh dear God. I look at him and see him put his shirt over his nose and mouth. I am dying from this smell. I have never ever smelled anyone with such horrific B.O.

As we went around the last corner we did not know they would be snapping a photo of us. 
At the exact time as we approached the camera the fan hit us again.
The smell was so strong and awful.  
If he had shit his drawers it would not have smelled as bad as this. 
This man needed medical attention!

When we got off this "ride" we were approached to buy our photo. 
We looked at it and howled. 
Rick said, "why would we buy this look at our faces?" 
The young kid says, "looks like something smelled bad, but you can't smell the candy from there" 
Rick said, "No, it was the body odor of the people in front of us."
The kid said, "eew gross" 
Rick tells the kid that is why we are going to pass on the photo.

That is our biggest regret. On the way home I said, "I think now we should have bought that ugly picture." 
I think that photo would be funny to have in a frame. We both think that photo is hysterical and we both kick ourselves for not buying.
I can't even describe the looks on our faces and the body language like we're trying to crawl out of that car. It was so damn funny. 
Why did we not buy this?
We could never look at that picture and not laugh/smile.

So when I saw that meme it reminded me of that day so much. 
Rick and I always say that we don't have many regrets. That is a big one.
And I figure if that is my regret it's not a bad one. 

TGIF

Thought since I've been in such a crabby mindset this week I'd lighten things up with a couple of Memes. The dog one killed me because that is so much like my dog it made me laugh out loud.

 This one's for Mike

My plans for Friday night are watching the start of Season 5 of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. Maybe some popcorn and do a few episodes. We both love this show so this is something we can watch together.

Some of my faves are back, I'm Sorry, Grace and Frankie, and soon a couple of others on HBO. But sadly I continue to no longer have HBO due to the conflict between the owner of HBO, Direct TV/AT&T.  
So while this dispute goes on forever I am uncertain what to do. 
"They," say I can get this as HBO GO but then I only can stream it on my computer or phone. I want it on my TV.  It's bigger of course and I hate watching it on a small screen. Besides Rick and I aren't going to hold a phone or a small tablet and watch a show together. 
Any ideas from you smart blogger friends?
Can I blue tooth it to my TV?  
Nothing makes me feel old like technology.

Working Together

When one works with their spouse it can be trying.
Yes, that is an understatement.
Sometimes things are funny.

Yesterday I hear Rick on his tablet grumbling.
Then it got louder.
Mind you, I work on the 2nd floor in a loft type area. I can hear him on the 1st floor very easily.
As the grumbling got louder so did his words.
Now he is swearing a blue streak.

I finally yell downstairs, Need help with something?
R: Yes damn it, Margaret, I am trying to sign in to our bank account.
It is telling me NO.

M: It is telling you No to what exactly?

R: Well, I signed in and it asked me a security question for some reason.
The question was who I went to the prom with.
I know who I went to my prom with for heaven's sake I'm not that old.
Rosie Dxxxxx. 

I laugh and explained, it's asking you a security question because you are signing in with a new device. (his phone or tablet)
Now answer as I would and my prom date, Rick Exxxx.
I set this up remember?
He got in.

Then later in the day issues happen again.
The grumbling could be heard through the land.
I hate when he is here during the work day and I hate when he is trying to do anything with a computer. Back in the 80's/90's, he was my go-to guy.
But since he no longer works in an office and works on computers all day he is only knowledgeable enough to cause damage.
I can't even get him on Windows 10! (they even stopped supporting windows 7 for pete's sake!)

I spent 2 hrs (until 7pm) working with support on the issues we are having.
This morning got into the email with no problem. Rick on the other hand couldn't and my God did he make things worse for all here.

I am typing this while wearing my headset sitting on hold for support help.
We need work just to get him out of the house!  (thankfully the next 2 days he is busy!) I gave him a honey-do list but he insists on giving me grief instead.

Well, he just helped me wrap up my post.
He just yelled up he is going to work in the garage and if I needed him he'll bring his phone.
Gee, I don't need him and stay out there as long as you can babe!

Shut Down/Shut Up

In a bit of a funk.
Feeling better every day though, so I am thankful for that.

I don't normally talk about the orange asshole at large here.
I don't even watch the news if I can avoid it. You see that fat man is pure evil and I prefer to stay in the positive and you just can't when you see his bloated face.

I would like to tell you about some folks on my street who ARE NOT federal employees.
1. Daycare provider - she is a single mom. She and another mom take care of a few children in one of their homes that has been set up and licensed as a daycare center. They have no children to care for due to the shutdown. She is scared.
2. A Hairdresser who rents her own chair. She has had so many cancellations due to people afraid to spend money for fear of the length of this shutdown. She didn't make but a few bucks last week. Worried about how she is going to pay her rent at work and home.
3. A big-time contractor - he is laying off several employees. Big jobs have canceled or put on hold due to people not wanting to spend the money right now.
4. Small time contractor - moi- has lost 3 big jobs and several small ones. Normally booked 3 solid weeks in advance yet sadly we have openings today and tomorrow. This will send us over the edge, most certainly.
5. A cleaning company owner - they have had so many people cancel that they are offering to do it for 40% off. The logic for them is some money is better than none. No one is taking them up on it.
6. A hotel that called us for a small repair said they may have to lay off because people are not coming to the area for the obvious reasons.

That is just my street. One block with the exception of #6
This is far bigger than just the federal employees.
I see how the federal employees are able to receive free meals from famous chefs, consideration on their payments and bills etc. 
I am not a federal employee so I don't get free meals, help with my bills and or payments.

At what point can we stop this bullshit?
I know the orange asshole doesn't care about the people he governs. It's all about his pockets and the money he gets from his pal in Russia. So it's no skin off his fat ass. But I have skin in the game.

I want to know if we give in and give him his stupid wall, it won't even be built by the time he is either in jail or out of office. So then it could be stopped right?
In the meantime, I could pay my bills. Novel idea.
I am grasping because I am on my last breath with this.
I'm scared.

Wile E Coyote

My whole childhood was a lie.

I was over at It's A Crazy World and she had a photo of a roadrunner in flight.

So if the roadrunner can fly, why didn't he just fly away when Wile E. Coyote was after him?

So many questions.

1 more Bore about Celiac

Since so many of you thought it was just a matter of not eating wheat, barley or rye I am going to show you some things that might make folks stop rolling their eyes when someone tells them they have celiac and can't eat gluten. It is far more than bread and pasta.

Over at the blog, Gluten Dude, he made this poster.
He pretty much nailed all my symptoms.
I was sick for years. I mean to tell you 40+ years.
I saw a doctor for the skin/hair issues.
I saw a doctor for the female issues
I saw a doctor for oral / teeth issues
I saw a doctor tummy issues
I saw a doctor my joint issues
I saw a doctor to fill in all the others.
It was a circle of not getting any better and each and every year feeling so much worse than the year before.
Many many trips to the ER and no one knew what was wrong with me.

Once I got over the anger of the diagnosis. Then I went into mourning for what I was losing. Then as I was feeling sorry for myself and I was eating this new way I was also starting to feel really good.  In a matter of months, I began to notice small things. I hadn't had hives during that time. Wow. A week without a rash or hives was a miracle for me.

After one year I could report that I no longer had rosacea, hives, dry skin, seasonal allergies, hair loss, very dark circles under my eyes, bruising stopped, no more bloating, uti's, sinus infections, tingling limbs, anxiety, dizziness, edema off the charts kind of edema, joint pain, yeast infections, and liver enzymes were no longer so high they made me quit drinking for a couple of years. Yes, no wine for 2 yrs. I got every cold and flu that went around along with bronchitis annually.

Yes, those are only some of the issues I had.
But after 1 full year, the above symptoms were gone. 
Just by eating a different way.
No medication because there is none.
Now having said that I still suffer from the nutrients that I can't always get from my food due to my damaged villi. Most with this disease will have a vitamin and mineral deficiencies as I do. Remember those work for you for a reason, those being low can trigger other organs, like the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Also while that list above seems long that is nothing compared to others.
This ugly disease can cause a multitude of serious issues and it affects each person differently. Yes, you can die from this, but unlikely, but I have heard of it due to other organ complications. Yes, you are prone to certain diseases like cancer.
Yes, it is difficult but it could be worse.

Some things never came back, like the enamel on my teeth. I have tried to bleach them but I have lost a great deal of enamel because of celiac. So I can't make them whiter anymore and that sucks to me.

After my diagnosis, I saw the financial savings of no more doctors but one now.
I also saw that I can have energy and not be sick all the time. I can live a normal life contrary to my Italian Father who can't grasp no eating gnocchi or lasagna. Before dementia, he would say, "just eat a little, since when can lasagna hurt anybody?"
I would just laugh. I couldn't get him to understand. At one point he thought it was an allergy like peanuts. I let him think that because it was easier. But it is NOT an allergy. It is an autoimmune disease. And if it goes for years without a diagnosis it is usually a lot worse but you can get through it.

Jennifer Esposito, the actress, wrote the most fabulous book, Jennifers Way. 


She was fired from a TV show due to her celiac. Undiagnosed celiac.
Her book was a Godsend. 
I saw her on TV and I immediately bought the book. I began to read it but it was so difficult because I was crying so much it was hard to read through tears. 
She lived my life (okay without marrying Bradley Cooper and having money that is) She was told to take an anti-depressant, she was poo-pooed every dr visit. 
She was told to have a bagel and ginger ale and your belly will feel better. 
I was told to have toast and ginger ale. Imagine that - feeding me bread to make my stomach pains go away. Guess what? They didn't work. 

Everything she went through was my life experience with this disease. 
The difference? She had insurance and money to pay for it all. I was making payments on everything. Tests that my insurance wouldn't cover etc. That took a couple of years some tests were 5 figures, so add negotiating skills to my list of fighting a disease. But I got it down with some tears and negotiating with everyone every day to $1500. Still, more than I could pay but it was better than a used car size bill.
Fun, fun, fun.

I am diligent with my food. I have had cross contamination when I least expected it. I am always prepared. Imodium in purse? Check! There is nothing to help with the swelling that will occur in 24 hrs or cramping or tummy pain or headaches and flu like fatigue. It will hit you like a brick wall and you may take 2 days to 2 weeks to recover. But all those things for me are my normal and no big deal.
What just happened to me is a damn big deal and if it would never happen again I would be so very happy.

So next time someone says they can't have gluten, don't roll your eyes.
Unless of course, they are one of those twits who doesn't eat it because it's a fad to diet. Roll your eyes at them! Hell punch them! Punch 'em twice, once for me.

I met one of those twits recently. My friend said they were going to do ribs and for us to come down. I asked if they do them with a rub or BBQ sauce. She said a rub and puts the sauce on later. (in my mind that was great. You see most BBQ sauce has gluten so I knew I could eat them) My friend said, "do you like them without BBQ sauce or has it something to do with gluten?" 
Before I could answer, the twit said, "Oh I don't eat gluten either." 
All excited like we were going to be non gluten friends. 

I said to the twit, "you just were talking about licorice. Licorice is gluten." 
She laughed and said but it's low in calories when I want a treat. 
I asked if she eats Chinese food. She said of course just not egg rolls and the wontons. I told her that soy sauce was gluten. (Duck sauce and the list goes on) So don't tell me you little twit you don't eat gluten you eat it all day long, you are just unaware. gluten is not just flour. She actually said, "really? it's not just flour?" 
OMG. The willpower I had not to slap her was incredible!

That malt vinegar on your fries, gluten baby. I dislike those gluten-free twits because they ruined it for those of us who have a serious disease. The twits are who the comedians find so annoying. You would not laugh at a diabetic because she/he won't eat your cake and candy now do you? 

I just saw the comments and emails saying you never knew celiac was like this. Yes, it's a disease and the more people know what it is the less likely they will make fun of us with it. At least that is my hope.

I know as sure as I am typing this that if I didn't have to eat this way there is no way in hell I would do it. I would love nothing more than to go to a baseball game and have a hot dog and a beer. To be able to have a pizza or fries. Yes, I can have fries but not from McDonald's or some restaurant that has other things in the fryer with breading. I found this out the hard way while traveling no less. Oh, that was not a good day! Now Rick and I laugh about it but it sure wasn't funny on that day. 

Okay, enough of that as she jumps off the soapbox.
But wine, my nectar of the Gods, is gluten free and I am one lucky woman!