Random Items Again

I am going to address some comments here today. Of course, there will be ramblings of other things as well. 

• Thank you Jean for the haircut comment. It's the same but everyone has noticed it now that I am salt and pepper. Thank you. I like it too. Although everyone is telling me to grow it out. I don't have the patience for that or I would because I'd like to.

• Would I do the RV trip again?  Yes, but without a dog and without that small of an RV.  I have been in an RV for a trip 3 times. (none with Rick though) and they were all 36 footers. Easy to drive, I know because there was no Rick to take over and I was left to drive one way. Not a big issue until parking. Rick thought I'd say, Yes I'd do it again without Mr. Cranky Pants.  Close. 😉

• When we returned he was full of apologies since this was to be my birthday gift. I turned the big 65 on Thursday. So it sucked as a present goes but it is what it is.  It also sucks to be 65 compared to 45 so there is that too.

• The realtor thing is still bothering us. Our neighbor asked if we met her friend. Her friend the relocation expert who offered her help and then she would be who we use to buy our home. We did not ask her to help us. She contacted us. We did nothing but take her call when she got our number from our neighbor. She asked us if we would like her help and then would we use her to buy our home. Sure we hate realtors so you're as good as the next one. She told us a day/time that worked for her and we made our plans around that date. We got an address to meet at as well.  So to be ghosted was not cool. We had to be quick and figure out how we would do this alone. We sat with a map and planned our strategy but it still pissed us off. When we told our neighbor she insisted this wasn't like her. So no, we are not using someone like her to make a 5 figure commission when the housing market is hot and she did nothing for us. Nope. Not going to happen. I'm stubborn like that. Our neighbor was so apologetic and told us she'd find out. Karen, our neighbor, kept asking, she didn't call to say she couldn't make it or she was sorry she would have to reschedule? 
  I said that she in fact did not answer our calls, our texts or contact us in anyway. We had great cell service so that was no excuse. 
  She was just as most realtors are - unprofessional. I work with realtors daily. I have said this over and over again here - they are fat dumb and lazy around these parts.  They do nothing but have the resources to hurt your home sale or point out a house for sale for you.  
  I honestly think now that one can list their own home on the MLS that one should. But the bitchy realtors then will steer their clients away from that type of home because they won't make their 30k+ commissions (and way up around these parts) Just have such disdain for this so-called profession.  
  
  

• My head exploded yesterday when I saw on another blog that someone said that Jeff Bezo's ex-wife sure did date/get married quickly. It was reported that her husband was dating while he was still married to her - no one said that was too quick to begin dating now did they?. They divorced in 2019 and were living separately according to the 'papers' for a while before that. So to me 2 years later dating someone else or marrying him is not too fast. It just fries my ass that he was the cheater, with her good friend, and yet the woman once again is called out for, "not wasting any time and getting married again" Bezo's himself will probably not marry again after he had to pay her so many zillions of dollars. He'd be a damn fool to do it again. No such thing as an air-tight prenup but I'd sure as hell try to get one!

• Like you, I have been home for a year now. I am dressing poorly and packing for my trip was funny for me. What? I have to wear real clothes? Because I thought we'd be around a realtor I didn't think I should wear my schleppy covid clothes. So I get out a nice cashmere sweater but damn it I'm wearing jeans! So on a camping trip, I brought what I now refer to as real clothes. I didn't wear a stinking one of them. Because we didn't interact with a lot of folks, like a realtor, I was still wearing my covid clothes. And to be honest I am not sure I will ever go back to always "dressing"

• I was raised by a mom who insisted what I wore was what I was putting out into the world. She would say, "Is this how you wish to represent yourself?"I normally said yes and she would say, "fine"  She would ask, "do you think this is appropriate for where you are going?"  I hated when she did this. I said I did. She told me her opinion. I said, "i think I still want to wear this"  And God love her she let me go.  I was going to a country club with a friend and her family. They were the rich kids and I think I was their middle-class friend. (her father CEO of hammermill - my dad was their plumber)
  We were going to the country club for my friend's birthday. 

  Sadly for me, my mom was correct about what I chose to wear. 

  I was not happy with what I was wearing after I got there. 

  I was underdressed. I never forgot that feeling. I went home and the first thing my mom asked was if I had fun. I told her I did but I felt funny because I was not dressed as nicely as everyone else. I told her I felt like a farmer. 

  I remember this event vividly. We were in the kitchen and she hugged me and said, "next time understand that I may tell you to change, not to change you, but so you don't feel this way again okay?"  I got it. So it has always been my M.O. to overdress for a situation than underdress. I feel better that way. My mom may have left me in 1969 but I still hear her words. But today after Covid, I don't give a shit in the same way. 
  I still would have put on a nice sweater to meet the realtor but this time I'd have had on jeans and a pair of boots. That seems to be all I can muster after Covid. Funny how this has happened. 
  As Rick says, "hey I'm wearing pants, they should be thankful."
  That always makes me laugh.  I could say the same. 

• Speaking of my mom. She left me with a lot of funny things. She made me walk around the living room with a book on my head and my shoulders back. I began to slouch when I got boobs (4th grade) She would catch what I was doing and say, "Stand up straight Peggy"
  Then one day she said, "slouching doesn't hide the fact that you have big boobs, it just makes you look like a girl with big boobs who can't stand up straight"  C'mon that's funny. She's right. I still looked like a big chested girl, who slouches. So that began my posture 'thing' as Rick calls it. If my mom were alive today she would shriek in horror at how my posture has declined. 
• 
  
• Speaking of moms, my stepmom is having her 2nd vaccine around the same time as Rick. Then hopefully I will have mine and I can go visit her. She will be 79 in a week, has had open-heart surgery, has some issues with her legs and boy she just didn't need to get this dreadful disease. No one does. It will be so nice to go visit her and give her a big hug. It's been well over a year. She will also not recognize me with white hair. She has always teased me that I would be like my Aunt Philomena and be in my casket at 90 with jet black hair. My Aunt looked silly we don't know why she kept doing this but it made her feel good I suppose. But it looked so unnatural. So it has been a running joke between us about my hair being colored since I was very very young. When I got married the first time (23yrs old) The photographer asked my mom what she did to look so young. Now he did not know that my mom had died. He did not know this woman was only 14 yrs older than me. He did not know this was my stepmom. I don't ever say that except here on the blog to differentiate which mom I speak of. So when the photographer asked her she said, "oh Oil of Olay" We never did tell him her youthful appearance was from anything other than Oil of Olay. This mom has been my mom for far longer than my birth mom got to be so to me she is my mom, just 2.0. 😊

• And lastly,  I have decided that I want to have my dog's life. Wake up and see the sun shining. Someone fixes me breakfast. I take a great walk with my favorite guy. Then come home and sleep the rest of the morning. I know I could crush this, you guys!!

I'm back

Well, my adventure was a bit of a nightmare.

We picked up the RV and brought it home to load up.

Because Izzy loves to ride in the car you'd think this would be a fun thing for her.  Oh, boy was she a wreck.  She would or could not get comfy. 

Her bed was too big.

So we put the table down and made the bed for her. 

She was antsy and restless for 5 hrs. 

5 hrs you say? It only takes 4 to get there.  

Yes, if given the right address to the RV park that would have been helpful.

It was incredibly windy when we left on Thursday. Once on the road, it was white knuckle driving. It was hard to keep this big thing in its lane. With big trucks going by they would blow us around too. It was a scary ride. It made Rick tense and he was doing all he could to stay in his lane. 

Then a woman cut in front of us with not enough room and we were going downhill, the idiot was going to be smashed so as she cut in front of us he was trying to stop and then veered off the road. We were now in a slight dip and were catching out breath. That was way too close. In the mean time people around us saw what happened and stopped to ask if we needed help. That was very nice of them. We weren't in a ditch, just a slight dip off the shoulder thank God. So we told them we were fine and I was checking izzy because she was knocked around too. The trip was off to a great start.

So to set the mood for you, I have a stressed-out cranky guy driving, a dog who is miserable and making me the same. It was very scary how much we were blowing around. I couldn't wait to get out.  Then when I see we are too far south of where we needed to be I said to Rick that we should pull over this is wrong. He snaps at me that this is the address in the GPS, I think it knows more than you. WTF?  Okay, not fighting in this vehicle.

But once we got to an empty lot or his destination he decided to hear me out. honestly! 

So we turned around and went back the way I suggested. 

The other thing was this thing was so loud we couldn't talk in the cab easily. Thursday I didn't wish to talk to him he was so stressed driving. But when we did speak it was loudly. 

We get there and the entrance hut is closed because we drove far out of our way. So we just drove to our park site that was numbered. It was now dinner time. The dog RAN out of the RV. Rick began to hook things up and I just wanted to drink.

By evening around the campfire everyone was calm and relaxed again.

It was 70 degrees and lovely. The evening around the fire was fabulous.

We were close to the showers and bathrooms. They were clean and very nice. 

I've seen worse bathrooms in hotels. Since the shower was a bit small or short for Rick in the RV he used the showers a few steps away. It was a beautiful park on Falls Lake. Everything was well done there. 

I forgot the pans. So cooking outside was going to be done on these grates on the grill. Our grates were stuck in an upright position and there was nothing we could do to get them down. When the ranger went by we asked if he knew about this. He tried and tried too. So we improvised.  Izzy was now happy as a clam. She was outside!  We did hot dogs on our long forks and put them in the fire. 

When we toured this RV we thought it was way big enough - but it was too small for us. Lesson learned.  

The following morning we had a slew of things lined up. A realtor up here who we know made arrangements for us to meet her friend. Long story short - we were stood up. Oh great, Rick really has issues with people who are late or don't show up nor call to let you know. He was livid. Day 2 of cranky Rick after bad sleep in a small bed. We called but she never responded. We were ghosted.

We did our own thing Friday and drove to areas we thought we could live. We went to some places that we heard from others as well. We drove EVERYWHERE. We spent time, we talked to people in a social distancing way. We were on the road for a the full day.

We had a map of things for us to do and we began. 

It was interesting to drive a small RV around a city. 

We were at a traffic light. I see a neon sign in front of us that says, "You're too high - turn - you're too high - turn!"  

How Rick couldn't see this is beyond me.

I look at the underpass and see it's 11'4" and we are 12'6"   oops. 

The light turns green and Rick begins to go straight to the underpass. I am yelling to stop and he is not listening to me - again-  until I grab the wheel. He yells at me and then realizes what I am saying to him. Whew. I did not need to buy this RV.  We pulled over and caught our breath and then backed up and made the turn. He apologized and all I wanted was to not take off the top of the RV. We are fine.

We found some places we like and know will be a nice place to live. So after spending the day driving and annoying Izzy we got a lot accomplished. 

This day the weather is a balmy 40 degrees. We spent the day out and about and by the time we got back, we were exhausted. I don't know why we didn't do anything to exert ourselves but yet we both were just fried.

We got a fire and I changed my clothes. 

I had on the following to sit outside with Rick. (see photo below)

I had on a pair of long johns on the bottom, with leggings over top of that, then fleece pj's over top of that. (3 pairs of pants)

On top, I had on a long john top, a sweater, and then a big oversized sweatshirt over that.  It was hard to move my arms but my gosh I was warm.

Yes, I was like the kid in Christmas Story who can barely move because of all the clothes. But it worked. I was fine then. It was still sunny.

We sat around the fire and had some wine. Rick made these awesome foil dinners that were so yummy.  Roasted some marshmallows. They go very well with red wine just in case you wondered. (stopped at the convenience store for a wine opener)

Sleeping was difficult to say the least. The bed was only a queen. I kept banging into the wall and I have a lump on my head to prove it. I woke Rick when he heard the thud. We laughed because everything was going wrong what the hell else could we do?

We brought a case of wine and no corkscrew. All this food and no pans. 

We kept forgetting to stop at a target or Walmart to buy some cheap pans for this.

Friday night was bad sleep-wise. For all of us yet again.

We saw some strange street signs. Here are three that I remember - 

Lizard Lick Road

(almost as bad as Big Bone Lick in Kentucky)

Stool Road - don't wish to live on that road.

Jones Sausage Road.

Oh, the comments in the vehicle while passing these streets. 

We had a few laughs there. 

Saturday morning I said, "I know we have appointments for Sunday but you are miserable. YOU the outdoor guy, miserable. Do you want to just go home?" 

He paused. I knew he did. 

I did not, but in all honesty, being with this guy who is cranky about everything going wrong wasn't fun either. So I figured if he said yes, we'd just go home. I knew we would not be refunded. They told us that a few times. Rick jumped on it and said yes, are you okay? I told him my thoughts.

We left after we ate breakfast and showered. It was only a 4 hr trip back as it should be. 

All in all, we got 3/4 of the things accomplished that we wanted to. 

We did not see our friends on Sunday and that totally bums me out! 

I will go down after my vaccine in a car and maybe without Rick

Here are some photos.

Izzy finally relaxed and calm.

One of these days he will figure out how to take a selfie with a short wife.

I look good here though. He looks like a dope for a change.

After he learns selfies, we will explain that one's eyes should be open when you click. Poor old fart.

I'd like him to look this lovingly at me as he does this sausage!

Yes, this is me looking fatter with all my layers of clothes on me to keep warm.

Here is the loud Minnie Winnie we had 

We left on Saturday and got home and unloaded the vehicle. 

We returned it as well. 

That night we slept great in a king size bed.  Izzy and Rick were in heaven. 

I leave you with...

 Memes that made me laugh recently

I may not be a Grandma but this was most certainly me.

This made me laugh because I caught myself singing to Bon Jovi in the grocery store. Then I thought since when do they play newer music? Oh dear.

'nuf said

This below is not funny. This is just my ideal vacation!

Side Effects

Rick returned from the State Vaccine Center and said he felt nauseous. 

I suggested he eat something because he went with only coffee in his belly. So he ate and proclaimed, "That's better"  ( I shake my head at him)

He took the dog for a long walk and came home and said he felt "off" 

Yes, I had to bite at that one, I told him he is off, how is this different?  

He said he felt like he was getting a cold or getting sick. I reminded him to take the Tylenol they suggested you take AFTER the shot.  He did.  

He kept whining as only a man can do when they have a hangnail, "I'm feeling very tired and not quite myself"  Okay, you have the day off, take a nap, why come to the office to tell me?  I reminded him that this feeling means your immune system is doing its job so try to nap or relax and if something else comes up we can go to urgent care. He laughed and said I don't need urgent care I was just....and I jumped in and said, "whining?"

He said, "Yes, whining smart ass" 

"Okay just so we're on the same page."

He laughed and left my office. 

I have been sick for 6 months and still counting not once did I make a proclamation at his job site. Not once did I text him to tell him how badly I was feeling. Honestly! 

I even drove myself to the ER and then was admitted before I had to call him.  Come on, suck it up buttercup.

So he took a 2.5 hr nap with Izzy and awoke feeling better. Today he is back to himself thank goodness and he said even his arm barely hurts.

He had a worse reaction to the shingles shot as far as his arm is concerned. 

He said the Shingles vaccine was far worse in arm pain and shot pain. 

Overall he is feeling great. Next one March 25th at lunchtime. 

So his sister and he have had their shots. His other sister won't because she fears this. She is also of the GOP Ilk so everything is a conspiracy. 

She flies and travels a great deal. When she can't enter a plane because of no vaccine card she may get a vaccine but in the meantime, she sends me things about changing my DNA, growing horns, chips tracking me and whatnot. 

If Rick grows horns, we'll be rich I told him. Someone will have to pay for those horns! 😊

So there you go, no side effects made visible thus far and doubtful any will appear.

I wrote this while being on hold. I'm still on hold. I have to stay on hold as well. I hate being on hold. If you know nothing else about me I am a very impatient person. Oh, here they come. 

Call done. Worthless.

Why does working from home make customer service calls longer in wait times? That was the announcement after I called. I don't get the correlation here. I work from home, I answer the phones, there are no long wait times because I work from home so explain to me why there would be one if the company has its employees at home or in a cubicle? They are watching TV and not working? 

I am obviously missing something here so clue me in, please. 

I sat on the phone for 30 minutes just to get someone who couldn't speak my language and didn't answer my questions so I have to call again in hopes of finding someone who works from home in the States.  Argh!

We leave Thursday. Loadin' up the RV like the Clampetts. 

Because I have to bring my laptop for work I may blog and send some photos your way. I have no idea what all this will bring. But that is part of the adventure now, isn't it? 

Someone recently said to me that I was brave because I moved so much. 

I don't see it as brave. I just moved for my career and yes, I lived alone but I love to travel and see new things so this never felt like I was brave. 

She asked if I was lonely. Another thing I have never experienced thankfully. I like being alone. It was always exciting to move to a new city to explore and make new friends. Some cities I could not wait to leave (Seattle) and some were a delightful big surprise (Cleveland) Some were better than others (Northern VA) and some I hope to never have to go back to. One can not work in the travel industry for over 20 years and not like to travel. It also taught me that any area is not about the city or the area, it's about the people. People make a city. That was a big revelation to me at 32. 

I have never lived anywhere as long as I have lived here. I will miss this place. I will so miss this house!! I will not miss this traffic and I will not miss this cost of living.  I know that my retirement will be a huge move backwards in my life. I am not looking forward to it so I have to think about it as a new adventure or I'll just cry. 

So here we go RV traveling down the road in our Minnie Winnie.

I'll post as soon as I can get settled in.

Shot One

As I type this Rick is in line to have his first vaccine shot.
He has been texting me from the site. His appointment was scheduled for 9:30-9:40am.  He got there at 8:45am. Good thing he did because he said the line is quite long already. 

He just let me know the line is not moving and he sees no one getting a shot yet.

I had to laugh when he said the line is a lot of white hair. 

He also said that boomers arrive on time or early. He thinks they forgot that and it's the millennials who feel their time slot will wait whatever time they get there.

He is making me laugh because he is texting me updates - "ooh the line is now moving and we're moving fast."

I think everyone just showed up before the appointment times and they didn't start shots until 9:15 when the line began to move. But his updates are hilariously rude and funny. Apparently, an old man is wearing his pants so low you can see his old tidy whities and he said he wanted to give him his belt.  He said the older women were complaining about having to stand. Good point. I suppose those that can't stand for long should have an option of a chair. 

Then Rick texts me that he feels old daily but being around these folks made him feel like a whippersnapper. That term alone to me is funny and shows Rick's age. Rick is lucky he has no gray hair and does look far younger than most 65-year-olds.  Rick is lucky he has hair. 

He is also wearing an offensive shirt that an old man would wear so he has that goin' for him to prove his age. 

This morning I asked in horror, "You are not wearing that shirt in public, are you? That is a dog walking shirt babe."  

He said, "No it's a shirt to wear anywhere"  

Oh my goodness we don't agree on this one. He is so stubborn and I am not going to battle for a T-shirt. So be it.

(a dogs snout and the shirts says, I smell stupid people)

The last update was 'line now moving very fast.'

Next text - I'm done just need to sit here for 15 minutes.

Wow, it did move quickly.

He just let me know that there were no Joints for Jabs (a sign we saw in DC) 

I asked, "you didn't actually ask for that did you?" 

He said, "I said to the woman I saw a sign that said, 'Joints for Jabs', do I get a treat today with my shot?"

He texts that she had a good belly laugh and said to him, "you are the 2nd person who has asked that already and we've only been open for a few minutes. I'm shocked at the baby boomers who ask this. No, it's only legal in DC, but good try" 

Young whippersnapper ever hear of the 60s and 70s? We were doing this long before it was legal.

He has to wait 3 days so the system is updated with today's info and then we have to sign him back up on the portal for 21 days for his 2nd vaccine. So that's that.

He just text me that he is fine and is now leaving. He said the shot was no worse than the flu shot.

Now he's off to drop off Izzy's urine sample for the vet.

We had to collect Izzy's urine. Try that sometime. 

Rick made this contraption that I laughed at but my God it worked perfectly. 

Izzy is having old dog issues, her gallbladder, and some other things. 

I seriously don't like this part of owning a dog. 

But the goofball got treats left on our porch from people. 

How did they know it was her birthday? 

She got some treats and a Nyla bone. 

We will have to do some asking around about these. 

This dog is very spoiled. 

I wonder if I'll get treats on the porch on my birthday this week? I bet not.

I'm nowhere near as popular as Izzy

Birthday

Look who turned 12 this weekend?

God she was a cute puppy. Loved those blue eyes. 

I know as my birthday approaches this may be my last dog. 😪 then I look at her and think well, maybe...

Food

For a woman who eats air and applesauce these days, I sure watch a lot of food shows. I am torturing myself it appears.

I told you I finished watching Giada DeLaurentis and Bobby Flay spend 2 weeks in Italy on Discovery +. Rome for the pasta and Tuscany for the wine. It was a great tour of the cities and the food endemic to their region. Rick and I both are not these 2 chefs biggest fans but enjoyed the hell out of the show. 

But compared to the CNN series with Stanley Tucci it was very vanilla and only showed the good things and not the bad part of town or what to do if you are visiting.

Then Rick saw that Stanly Tucci has a show on CNN. 

The show is called, 'Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.'

We find this show far more enjoyable. We both like Stanley Tucci. 

We were both shocked at his size. He looks far thinner and shorter than we thought.

Once I got over the shock of his size I enjoyed everything he said and did.  

His Italian is pretty darn impressive and his love of food is apparent. 

How does he stay that small and eat all this food?  They had subtitles when he spoke in Italian thank goodness. I only get every few words so I am useless. Now if they were swearing I'd know all the words.🤗

We get some history as well as food on this show. 

We are taken to what was the bad neighborhood off the beaten path and shown how it is becoming gentrified. Most Italians are not happy about this. 

But the food...it always comes back to the food of the region.  

Why this type of food is eaten here - it could be war-driven, or because they are peasants and poor. I found it all interesting.
When the show is over I want to eat something. 

I realize I am torturing myself but I so enjoy the show. 

Stanley wears scarves like only a European can. A big athletic American man would look different than a slight man with a scarf around his neck. 

I made Rick try it and we both had a laugh...not his style. And that is A-ok for me. Stanley can rock the scarf!

Stanley explores the different regions of Italy to show the different foods. 

Like the US, each region has its own food. The food they are known for and the food that is grown there. I found it interesting that Rome is the pasta capital but you won't find a lot of pasta in Tuscany. 

That is okay by me, they have wine.🍷  

But it was interesting to me to find out why Rome is known for pasta. 

Last week they showed a woman making carbonara. 
Oh my God. Just 4 ingredients and it looked so creamy. 

No cream added like they do a lot here in America. 

I had it once in NJ and it was so bad I wanted to go back and slap the chef.

I have not eaten carbonara again. I'll wait until I get to Italy.

 

My birth mom made this and when she died I have never had it again like that.  My stepmom is not a great cook and she wasn't one to cook from scratch either. 

So when my mom died all the good food died with her. 

When I saw this woman making this dish for Stanley just like my mom did, it brought back a flood of memories. The way it was constantly stirred which I was told was key by my mom while I stood on a step stool and watched her move the pan around the stove. 

I can watch this show and gain 5lbs. I'm lucky like that.

If you enjoy Stanely Tucci, food and Italy you'll enjoy this show.

This has nothing to do with Stanley but thought you may enjoy my favorite Prince.

Soap Box Derby

Another story I wrote about 10 years ago since we're on the subject of inappropriate laughter. 

Here is another time we got the giggles and it was a solemn occasion  - 

The time we had to pick out a coffin for his mom.

That was a wild 2 weeks for me. Allow me to set this scene

I lived in Cleveland during this time and was going to visit Rick in Erie PA as well as visit my family for the weekend. I had just been on a week-long business trip in Houston.  My plan was to touch down at the Cleveland airport Friday night, grab my car and drive directly to Rick’s house first for a Friday night cocktail. I was staying at my parents that weekend but I knew once at my family's I didn't get out easily so I wanted to see Rick first or I'd not see him at all.

I had a suitcase of jeans, a sweater and a sweatshirt or some such casual thing to wear home on Sunday. I was wearing a black wool skirt, blouse and cobalt blue blazer with heels because I was coming from work. (hey it was the 80s!)

I got to Rick’s house around 7ish. He opened a bottle of wine and we sat at his table and began to talk about the week and upcoming weekend. I was still in my business clothes when his phone rang. It was the hospital. His mom had gone into the hospital for gall bladder surgery and he had made arrangements to go down there on Sunday for a few days.
She asked him not to come down until she got home. For once he listened to her.
But apparently, she had taken a turn for the worse. (she also had leukemia)
The hospital personnel was telling him to come now.
It was a 4 hr trip from where he lived.

He began to throw things in a suitcase as I helped him pack.
He then asked me if I would please come with him. 

He says it will just be for the weekend.
I said okay. I ran up to my parents and asked my sisters and mom for some clothes.
I only had 1 pair of jeans and a sweater and sweatshirt. I felt I needed something nicer than what I had to wear since I didn't know what I was walking into. 
I got a few sweaters that were at least nicer than a sweatshirt to wear.

Fast forward – his mom passes away. 

We spent 2 days in the hospital with no sleep at all.
When we finally went to his mom’s home we had to find the things necessary for the funeral.
We found a letter that she had written to Rick about what she wanted to wear and all these specific directions. That was so helpful. We were so thankful she was so anal retentive about everything. It truly made our life easy for this next week. We finally got some sleep but only a couple of hours and then had to be up early to meet the funeral director.

This town only has 1,030 people. Everyone seems to know everyone. I found that weird but it was so helpful during this week.

We got to the funeral director's office and he gave us a book to choose a casket from.
We made a choice and we showed this man our choice when he returned.
He said, “Oh I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. Your mom’s directive was to be cremated.”
We both said in unison, “yes we are aware of her wishes.”
He went on, “Then you can only choose from these 2 pages.” 

As he turns the pages to the back of this book the caskets looked just like homemade go-carts from the 60’s.
He left the room just as Rick and I went into mad hysteria.

It looked like this but not blue -

Rick could barely get out that these look like wooden soapbox derby cars he built in the ’60s.
I knew exactly without him saying a word. 

That exact thought went through my head.

We could barely talk. We couldn’t for the life of us understand why she had to have this horrible-looking casket. We had the money for a nice casket.
We were appalled but couldn’t stop laughing long enough to speak.
We were both crying….literally crying from laughing so hard.
The more I tried to stop the more difficult it became.
It seemed like we had been left alone in this room forever when the director finally came back into the room.

I straightened up in my chair and kept my head down.
Rick was still snickering and asked, “Why must we choose one of these?”
The funeral director told us that was because she requested to be cremated.
Apparently, one is cremated in their coffin.
Okay, you could have told us it had to be a pine wood box so we weren’t so shocked.

Rick continued to clear his throat.
I knew he was trying not to laugh so I kept looking at my hands in my lap so I didn’t begin to giggle. Rick asked if they would make it look better because this was pathetic looking.  I turned to look out the window trying very hard not to laugh.

Then the man went on to explain how it is dressed and no one would know the difference etc. (it was amazing how good it looked later)

Someone came into the room at that moment and the funeral director excused himself and left. 

That was all we needed. We laughed our asses off. We couldn’t stop.
Rick was making comments that were so funny yet most would consider offensive, inappropriate but so freakin' funny.
I got up and tried to walk across the room.
Apparently, I thought that would help. It did not!

Rick said, “God I hope they don’t slap wheels on this thing or they’ll think she’s driving straight to heaven or hell.”
That did it, I peed my pants a little.

I know this was all from pure exhaustion and stress.
We had been up for days and I am still wearing the same damn clothes.
Who knows, maybe we are just awful people but this was so funny to us at the time. We kept saying, "who knew they cremated you in the coffin?"

I was in this little town for over a week.
I was glad I wore a black wool skirt that winter day to work because I could wear different tops and be appropriate for the funeral and the events that proceeded. But I needed panties.
Rick said he would take me to the store. It was a General Store. No kidding. A real throwback general store. I felt like I was on Little House on the Prairie. On the right side of the store were guns and ammo and on the left were clothes. All of the panties were big ole cotton granny panties. 

I picked up a pair and that got Rick and I laughing our asses off again. 

They would have been too large for Rick. I found my size and got them.

I really didn’t want to pay money for these but I didn’t want to keep washing my underwear out in the sink either.

So I buy myself some granny panties.
They came in handy - you can wash and wax the car with them.
You know like a mitt.

Does a Bear Bite Your Butt?

Did you all see the story about the woman who used the outhouse and a bear bit her ass?  

I'm sorry I laughed. Because if this had been me I wouldn't be laughing!

This story had Rick and I discussing outhouses.

I have never used one. 

Being the good hillbilly he is, he has. I barely have used port-a-potties only in dire need at a concert or at the Kentucky Derby. But today, I don't think I could do it.

After this story I know I wouldn't want to use one if in the wild. 

I'm safe on the RV right? 😁

I want to laugh.

I miss our laughing.

I miss telling you about my nightly belly laughs that Rick and I have over silly things.  A year of quarantine and craziness all feels draining, doesn't it? Of course the politics too. God if this doesn't make those Texans change their voting strategy nothing will and they will continue this downward spiral.

Just heard that my GI doctor does not take Medicare. 

I called because I know they have my Cigna info and on March 1st I'm to have my colonoscopy and endoscopy. I wanted them to have my new medicare info. I was told he doesn't take medicare. 

So my appointment on March 1st for my colonoscopy and endoscopy is now out the window.  She suggested I use another doctor in the practice who will take medicare. But if I have start all over again why not just get a new doctor that is closer to me so I don't have to drive 1.5 hrs to get to?

Aargh!

Honest to God I can't catch a break. I just feel this past 12 months like I am living under a big black cloud.  I don't want to start all over again with another doctor. Honest to God. I try to see the humor in all things....it is just getting harder and harder.  

I said that to Rick last night about needing to try to find the funny. 

So what does my husband do he reminds me of something we both laughed at that that no one else did.  It's horrible that we laughed but in our defense - oh hell, there is no defense. We just laughed at a poor woman going down a hill in a runaway wheelchair on ice who was flung from her wheelchair when the chair made the corner turn but she didn't. She was fine, sort of....tee hee

That made us laugh so hard we cried. I told him we need to be reminded of that damn story so we can have a giggle. The players involved in this story make this all the funnier but I am not so horrible that I know I shouldn't laugh, but I am horrible enough to laugh. 

Oh, how we got yelled at when we were told about this accident. 

His cousin yelled on the phone, "what is wrong with you two? This isn't funny." 

Rick explained that the way she was telling it, it was funny. 

Oh but she did not see that and after yelling at Rick we could barely contain ourselves. Then it was like being in church and we couldn't laugh so it made it funnier. I left the room. 

When Rick hung up he said, "Weeeeeeeeee" and I lost it!  

You had to be there. But these days I'll take the funny where I can get it. 

Even at poor Aunt Lucy's expense.

My Other Boyfriend and Me.

 

Haven't we all had this experience somewhere as we have aged? I love this guy!

I thought I'd sneak in a quick tale of my health because I know you are all chomping at the bit to hear the news.

As you know I was diagnosed with Diverticulitis.  But after I ate nothing but soft bland food I was still in so much pain. I kept telling them my belly felt distended, bloated, hard, and miserable. The bathroom issues were a big deal. Then the pain that radiated from my lower right side to my back was relentless and some days it was so bad I just couldn't function.  The GI doctor said that isn't diverticulitis on your right side so I am sure once the Diver...settles down you'll feel better.

A week ago on a Friday the 12h of Feb the pain was so bad I had to walk away from everything. I was in such pain. When Rick got home I was off the dog walking clock so I was able to lie in a fetal position and moan. Lucky me.

I took 2 Tylenol and 2 ibuprofen and went to bed. At 1:30AM I had a gush of blood wake me along with pain that would knock your socks off. I immediately went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I then jumped in the shower and just had a good cry. What the hell was this I wondered? Did I do something bad in this life and I'm getting my just desserts? After I showered it was now 2am and I surely did not wish to wake Rick or the dog so I went downstairs. The pain had greatly decreased. I was now spotting and wide awake. 

I sat in Rick's ugly chair in the dark when I realized the pain in my back that I have had for months is now gone. What? In fact, most of my pain was gone. I touched my right side and it was sensitive but not like before. What the heck?

But as I sat there I kept thinking that this could be my ovary. Perhaps with all the other pain, it was just overlooked. I googled ovarian cysts. It laid out the symptoms all of which I had. I wrote to my doctor via the portal at 2am and she immediately wrote back on the following morning at 6am. (Sat) Get to my gyno and she attached a radiology order to get an ultrasound and a Transvaginal ultrasound as well. She called me at a reasonable hour Saturday morning. She said if you can't get an appt for Monday, call me, I'll push for this. Then I want to see you or you get to your gynecologist! This sounds like a cyst burst that was on your ovary. We want to be sure it's gone and we want to be sure what this was and that everything is okay.

Saturday morning I was feeling pretty darn good in comparison to how it's been. By Sunday night I had no more spotting and I was feeling GREAT. Energy levels coming back.   

Monday I had my ultrasounds and Tuesday I saw my gyno. The pain was my ovary. Having diverticulitis at the same time was only confusing them all.  My gyno is so nice and young, but she's funny, and that helps when you are scared to death. This may be too graphic but she did see that my cervix was pink which occurs after your cycle or bleeding of any kind. So everything felt normal, everything looked normal but I did indeed have a cyst burst.

So I now think I'm done with all this medical stuff!. In the past 12 months I've had Shingles, Diverticulitis, and a cyst burst. That is enough for the next few years thank you! 

I've been having fun haven't I? You're all jealous I know. 

This weekend I had energy like before all this. I cleaned. I made the mistake of moving furniture while Rick and the dog were gone on Saturday. Oooh boy did I feel that on Sunday. I hope all this stuff is done with me now. Because I am done with all of this stuff.

My Boyfriend

My Boyfriend is at it again.🥰

https://youtu.be/DV5Ea7jyrnc 

Doctor Money Bags

I'm sure you all have portals that you use for your doctors. 

I can sign in and see my appointments, see my blood upcoming tests that I have to get etc. It also allows me to send an email to my doctor. I always put Non urgent in the subject so she knows she doesn't have to respond in mere minutes and when I was in the midst of some of my health issues I'd put, more urgent or urgent.  

She told me she appreciated that. I love my Dr.

However, I have been dealing with a lot of other doctors this year. 

One was for my mold CIRS.  Remember me telling you he ghosted me? 

Well, the office sent me a blast email telling me that if his patients want to communicate via email then you can pay a SMALL yearly fee of $500 for the service until March 1st then it becomes $650 a year to communicate with your doctor. WTF? I love how the rich doctor tells me for a small fee of $500. 

Yes, during covid we are all dripping with extra cash.

I am glad I got rid of him. He doesn't take insurance of any kind and now this. 

The letter/email stated that the 2 drs get thousands of emails and it is a full-time job responding to them. Since he never responded to mine ever - I guess he wasn't working that hard on the topic of his emails.

If you do not choose this option to email them you will be asked to schedule a formal consult as needed for ongoing care issues and I am certain that will cost an arm and maybe a leg or two. 

They also wanted to remind me that this is not a substitute for office visits. 
They finished by telling me if I call for refill requests they won't charge me. 

Gee how thoughtful, kind, and caring of them.
Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? 

Look, I get that this is added to their work time. Could be why most don't do it. 

I know my doctor does it and I also know an office visit went from $250 to $350 probably for this very reason. Her nurses monitor her mailbox and assist her in issues that are not serious. I get the need for their time and it is money, however, I just feel this isn't a doctor who cares, this is an asshole finding more ways to make money hand over foot at the expense of sick people.  I am thrilled I left him!! 

This really fired me up!

Ever hear of such a thing?

TV Talk

Due to covid, there isn't much tv that is new. Even Netflix and the like. 

Last Saturday night we found a new Tom Papa stand-up on Netflix so we watched and laughed. We enjoyed it. 

Normally we don't enjoy watching movies we've seen over again. 

It has to be from years ago for us to watch it again. Some time has had to pass for us to watch even the silly things we like a 2nd time (wedding crashers)  But since pickins are slim and we can't go anywhere we wondered about old shows we loved.

One of those old shows we loved was called Men of a Certain Age.  

This show was even awarded the Peabody award for television excellance. 

No one we knew watched it. And yet we LOVED it. It was not a comedy. 

But it had funny moments. Dramedy I believe it is called.

This is what the internet says about the show.

Joe, Terry and Owen's college days together seem a long time ago, even though the succeeding years have passed quickly. Still best friends, they have formed a different bond, with all the changes and challenges of midlife, as they lean on one another through the second act. Slightly neurotic and a recently separated father of two, Joe once harbored dreams of pro golf stardom but now owns and runs a party store; perpetual bachelor Terry, laid-back and handsome, has breezed through life (and ladies) as an actor, an office temp, and a yoga instructor; and Owen is a stressed-out husband and father who works as a car salesman for his overbearing father.

This was on for 3 seasons and we just loved it. 

Rick would laugh out loud at the men's issues because he could relate. 

I love Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and who doesn't love Andre Brauer.  

Someone just told me it is now streaming on HBO MAX so Rick said, hey maybe we should try watching that again. So we may just do that. Every time there is something that both Rick and I love, not just like, it is canceled. It's not dumb enough like big bang theory and it's not trashy enough with scantily clad young and old women that call themselves housewives who have never lifted a toilet bowl cleaner in their lives.

I think it's on Prime but not free, something like $1.99 someone told me. I don't know for a fact. But I am starving for some entertainment. 

No movies, no going out and no concerts/music. So why not try to watch something I know I loved? Besides my memory is shit these days so I think I may be able to enjoy this a 2nd time.   

Here is a snippet of Men of A Certain Age.

Ice

Izzy and I went for a 5:50am walk. 
No, more like a quick fall. Yikes. I went down quickly and Izzy saw me and came back for me. Getting up was funny. The more I tried the more my hands and feet kept slipping. I was actually outside on my sidewalk with my ass in the air slipping and sliding and laughing all at the same time. Thank God Rick didn't see me or you'd all have video. I am just glad I did not get hurt.

Once I got up I went back inside and put my trackers on my shoes so I was able to walk. It just looked snowy out so I had no idea of what it was really like. It looks like snow but it is all sleet and ice. Our driveway looks like a skating rink. A perfectly iced-over driveway for a skating party.  (too bad I never have ice skated)

Rick took a tumble a few days ago taking Izzy to another pond/park area and it has a small slope. No snow, no ice. Just a muddy mucky mess.

I go down when it's wet sideways. For some reason, I feel like I get better traction that way. Rick laughs at me. BUT I don't fall. Laugh away funny boy. 

He went down and as he slides in the mud and muck the rubber part of his shoe/boot stopped him and he went down and his ankle was twisted. The stubborn man went to work hobbling. His ankle is purple-black yellow and blue. It's a good old-fashioned sprain. 

Because today is a sheet of ice, he had me rescheduled this big job until Saturday. The job is a full day and right now we are not going anywhere. 

I called the customer at 7:30 which is a God awful time to call someone but normally that would be the time he'd have to leave for a 9am job start time. 

I was certain if she has the local news on she knows how bad it is.  

I am not certain about everywhere around the DMV but in Virginia, in the western suburbs, it is nothing but ice. 

I saw Marylands weather and it's as bad as ours. 

The only good about this is that my old fart can keep his ankle wrapped and keep it elevated for a day. He does not need to be sliding around outside and going up and down steps so this ice in a way is a blessing for him.  Otherwise, he'd still go to work.

Poor Izzy trying to walk this morning. She kept going to the tree lawn but it was icy too. We tried these little tackers on her paws but she won't walk when they are on her. It's funny when that is the whole purpose of them. She freezes like she is a statue. No matter how much we worked with her wouldn't have any of it. She'd walk a step and then just lay down. 

So this morning's walk was a bit treacherous for us both.

She did her business and couldn't get home soon enough. 

I kept making her slow down because I couldn't walk that fast even with trackers on. She loves the cold. Ice is not her friend. 

Then there are those in Texas who have it so far worse than me right now.  I keep thinking of Barb in Houston who some of you read along with me. 

I hope she is doing fine.

I don't know if her part of Texas is any better than what we are seeing on TV. But no power, no heat, and she lives alone with a bit of an illness. 

I just hope she is okay and is feeling well and keeping warm. Crazy how ya'll become my imaginary friends and I worry about you. Well, not exactly imaginary, you all exist. But you know what I mean. 

How are these poor people in Texas doing this? No power for days, no heat, they don't even have winter clothes. No power no cell phone for emergencies. It's all so scary. 

If you have a landline doesn't it go down too in a power outage too? 

So no phones, no heat, and no clothes for this type of weather is a damn nasty situation to be in!

Damn, 2021 is just taking 2020 along with it it seems. 

I was so hoping it'd be a better year for everyone. 

Hot chocolate with some peppermint schnapps is a great way to relax. 

It's a warm peppermint pattie, which just so happens to be my favorite candy bar. Sadly I still must work so no drinking for me.

But I don't think it will be a busy day so maybe after me salting everything and dealing with the dog I can have one at the end of my day. 

It will be something to look forward to.

I hope wherever you live you are warm with power and cozy. 

Be safe out there!