Category Archives: Miscellany

Busy, Busy, Busy

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Well, really not that busy. Just busy not getting anything done, if that makes sense. Lack of sleep coupled with pain and mobility issues seem to keep the wheels spinning but I get nowhere.

Dad had his 85th birthday yesterday. I took him out for lunch since he says he doesn’t need anything. We had a fried shrimp basket with fries at one of our favorite places. I finally figured out the best time of the day to go there. It’s always so busy and being a small space, it’s just too damn loud to enjoy a meal when it’s crowded. Around 2pm is perfect except for one thing. Employees are cleaning during the slower hours and normally that doesn’t bother me but yesterday, one of the workers was cleaning the legs of the tables and chairs. It seemed like he was pissed because everytime he grabbed a chair he turned it upside down with a great loud bang on the table top. Then when he finished wiping down the legs of that chair, he’d pull it down onto the floor with another great loud crash. Then he’d move on to the next chair. The restaurant is very small and so we were right there within 10 feet of what he was doing. It was hard to even have a conversation! I wanted to drop kick the little shit but I behaved my damn self. When the guy finally finished Dad and I had a nice lunch and conversation. I still can’t believe Dad is 85 years old! Shit, that makes me…well, too damn old.

I’ve been trying to get my “book” ready for printing. Remember my series of posts called The Ex Files? When my ex passed away in December of 2020, I decided to stop the blog series and compile them all into a book of sorts for my children all about their father. It’s been over a year now that I’ve been editing and proofreading…and perfecting every paragraph. I want my adult children to know about my relationship with their father and why I had to leave him; why I had to get them away from him. At the same time, I want them to know that he did have good qualities.

Anyway, I do a little work in the mornings on the book and then try and catch up on sleep. By the time I wake up, it’s lunch time and then I have chores to do around the house. Chores aren’t easy for me. The house looks like ass. That’s something I picked up from my sister. Snort.

As soon as my book is finished for my kids, I’ll be moving on to my cookbook. I will probably try to recruit a few people to test recipes and take photos. There might be a free cookbook in it for those who choose to assist! Who knows how long it will take me to finish that project!

Next week, I hope to get back to writing in this blog. Writing steadily is hard for me. I always think I’ll write a bunch of posts ahead of time and schedule them but then I just never get to it. Sorry if you miss Friday’s Funnies. I miss doing those posts, too! Maybe next week I’ll have the time and energy to put into it.

Also, I’m so far behind on reading the blogs I follow that I will never catch up. I do miss reading them!

Nap time now.

aunt-debbie

I’m Back…I Think!

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It’s been a long break but I’m back. I decided that I have to force myself to get back on the proverbial horse or I never will. It’s been a rough couple of months and I’ve been physically exhausted and mentally drained. I will it to end, NOW!

It goes without saying (I think) that the current political situation is part of my exhaustion. I never dreamed in a million years that the country I love and grew up in would be in such a sad state. Between the Covid-19 virus and variants being made into political issues (which they are NOT) and the lunacy within the Republican party, my head is spinning. I just want to scream, “Stop the Q-Anon-Sense already!”…and that is another post entirely.

In May I started my weekly lymphedema therapy. It has worked wonders on my poor legs! I must use compression garments or wrap with bandages to keep the swelling under control but after my very last appointment, I think it’ll be fine. I will definitely miss that slow and gentle massage! Next step: Finding a surgeon who will do knee replacements on me without fat-shaming or telling me that I’m too young. I’ve wasted over 10 years of my life trying to get help. I had given up after having the rug pulled out from under me so many times. I’m going to turn into The Wicked Witch of the West and let them know I’m done with their bullshit. With the help of my NP, I have a new found sense of hope.

In June, we got a visit from my daughter, and my 2 sisters. I not only got to meet my future son-in-law, but I also got to meet my baby granddaughter, both for the very first time. My grandson has grown so much since I saw him last. My son and his wife and son stopped in of course, and oh, what a blast it was having us all together again! I was exhausted afterward…actually I was exhausted before they got here because I spent the previous 2 months getting the house in order! Goddess knows, I can’t do a lot at once so it took me a very long time. Ugh.

2 days before that visit, my Dad fell. He had bent over to pick up a piece of fuzz or something off of the floor, lost his balance and down he went. He landed on his nose and sprained his arm. Blood poured from a big gash down the center of his nose and dripping from inside. I don’t know which was bleeding the most! It was hell trying to get him up off the floor and getting the bleeding to stop. He refused to go to the ER and when I pressed the issue he got pissed, so I dropped it. After a week or so the scab on his nose was drying up nicely, and now the scab is gone completely. His arm is still a bit weak at times but it’ll be back to normal soon. Needless to say, I am very concerned about him and his slow decline. He’s 84 and it’s starting to show.

Earlier this month I had to say goodbye to my last elderly cat, Kitty. Miss Kitty turned 15 in May and was seemingly fine and then just a week later she was showing signs of kidney disease. I did not expect her to decline as quickly as she did because my other 4 senior cats went months with kidney disease before we had to say goodbye. So, 2 weeks after her 15th birthday, we had to take her to the vet and say goodbye. I didn’t want her to suffer anymore. It’s always a sad thing to lose a pet and I’m so glad my furbabies live such long lives but that damn kidney disease gets them every time.

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I’m going to be getting back to my writing. The thing is I have too many writing projects that need my attention! I have this blog, “The Ex-Files” for my kids, my cookbook, and my short story, “Spike,” all going at once! What’s a girl to do? Advice, anyone?

Well, let’s have a good week, shall we?

Until next time,

Aunt Debbie

The Ex-Files – Tomato Soup

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Back in the early days with CP, I had to learn quickly how to stretch a dollar. We were poor; sometimes having only $50 for food for the entire month! Prices were much lower back then but it was still tight. I became very frugal and many people were amazed at how good I was at stretching each and every dollar.

Normally, I made soups and stews from scratch. Big batches. It was the best way to stretch meat and veggies to feed us for more than one meal. I sometimes purchased canned soup, but I made sure it was on sale and/or the store brand. Tomato soup was a favorite lunch when CP was home and not working, and he was home a LOT, but that’s another post.

food chef kitchen soup

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One day CP was in a mood. I could always tell by the look on his face and/or his body language. I had served up some tomato soup and crackers for lunch. CP decided halfway through that the soup wasn’t good enough. He said, “I don’t know what brand this is but it doesn’t taste right.” I said, “It’s the same brand we’ve been eating for months. It’s the store brand.” He said, “Well, stop buying it. Buy Campbell’s. It’s much better.” I just rolled my eyes, and said, “Ok, whatever.”

So months later, we had soup again. Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Just as he requested/demanded. It had been a while since we had it because of CP’s demands and me wanting to stretch our budget. I had to make sure I got it on sale because it was Campbell’s. It could sometimes be found on sale at 3 or 4 cans for $1.00 back then, so that’s what I waited for. I served up the soup for lunch and then…

CP was in another one of his damn moods. Half-way through lunch, he gets pissy and I wondered what the hell it was going to be this time. Wait for it…

appetizer bowls cream creamy

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All of a sudden, he blurts out, “I thought I asked you to buy Campbell’s and not the cheap stuff?” I looked up from my soup and said, “It IS Campbell’s soup!” He looked at me like I was lying through my teeth. “It is not. This tastes like shit like the last time,” he bitched. I got up, went to the trash, and pulled out the empty can of tomato soup. I brought it over to CP and slammed it down on the table. “It IS Campbell’s!! AS I TOLD YOU!” I was pissed and I let him know I was pissed. He didn’t have the balls to say anything else, other than, “Well, they sure don’t make it like they used to.”

And that was the end of me buying Campbell’s soup unless it was on sale and IF I wanted to buy it. It was also the end of him bitching about what brand I bought…of anything.