What A Great Tuesday This Turned Out To Be

This was an awesome Tuesday.

First of all, it was the second anniversary of The Old Man's quadruple bypass surgery.  It's hard to believe that happened two years ago today.  We talked about it yesterday, and he said that in some ways, it seemed like it was years and years ago, and in other ways, it seemed just like a few months.  Anyhoo, we celebrate how far he's come and how lucky we are to still have him with us.

Second, we celebrated me being able to get decent seats for the Willie Nelson concert in June.  The Old Man and my Sweet Mother are both very excited about it.  And I am excited because they are excited. 

So yep, all in all, it was a very awesome Tuesday. 

What A Great Monday This Turned Out To Be

The day started out as a crappy, cold, rainy Monday, but toward the afternoon, it turned into a pretty darned good day.  

My beloved Willie Nelson is going to have a show across the river at the casino boat, and I am taking The Old Man and my Sweet Mother to see him.  He is their absolute favorite, and they've never seen him.  So I am going spend whatever it takes to get them an awesome seat for the concert.  

Bring it on. 

Flashback Friday

I know it's Sunday, but we're having a flashback.  But I digress.

Somehow, this morning on our way to church, the conversation turned to the old school cartoons.  The Old Man mentioned that the Roadrunner and Coyote were his favorite.  That got us all three talking about some of the many ways that Wile E. Coyote's big schemes would always backfire on him.

My favorite was when he would get squashed by something and it would leave him folded up like an accordion.  

They don't make like this anymore. 

Ohio Valley Weather Update

Wednesday night, I went walking after supper wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  Thursday night, I ran up to the grocery store at about 8:00, and also wore shorts and a t-shirt.  We had the a/c on for a couple of hours almost every night this past week to get the humidity out of the house and to make it comfortable.  

Yesterday morning when I got up, it was 68 degrees at 4:45 in the morning.  This morning when I got up at 9:00 it was 36 degrees.  And we saw some snow flurries. 

Nuff said.

Happy National Chili Day

In case you didn't know, faithful readers, today is National Chili Day.  

I've given you enough notice, so you can make plans to go out for lunch today and have a bowl of chili, or you have plenty of time to run to the store and get the fixings if necessary and make chili for tonight's supper. Either way, have some chili today. I know I will.

Weird Wednesday

When I got home tonight from working over and making the daily trip to the grocery store, I was hot.  It was 71 according to the thermometer on the back porch, but more importantly, the thermostat was showing it was 78 degrees in the house.  And it sure as hell felt like it. 

For the past month or two, we've had such warm temps, that on the days when it got above 60 (which was a lot of days), the house was hot and I didn't sleep worth a dime.  Well tonight, I'm taking over.  I secretly flipped the switch to a/c, even though it pained me to have to turn on the a/c in February, but it is what it is.  I'm hoping to get the house cooled down enough without the 'Rents catching on, and then switch it back without them even knowing.  I have a major chance of pulling this off. .

We haven't had much of a winter.  I can count the days that I wore my heavy down-filled coat on one hand.  And it's supposed to be 81 degrees on Friday.  Yes, 81 in February.  

As always, I'll keep you posted. 

P.S. Update: the house was cool and comfortable, and nobody knew the a/c had been on.  Success. 

Terrific Tuesday

I am extremely happy to report that for supper tonight at The Compound, we are having filet mignon.  It seems that The Old Man has gotten an obsession with Omaha Steaks, and has started to have me use his debit card to get us a regular shipment of various and sundry steaks and other goodies from Omaha Steaks.  Sure, they're a bit pricey, but they have yet to disappoint.  And tonight we are not expecting to be disappointed with our filet mignons, twice baked potatoes, and a fresh minced meat pie just out of the oven. 

Good eats.

National Cherry Pie Day

TWIT would like to wish everyone a very Happy National Cherry Pie Day.  

It's still early enough for you to get to your favorite bakery or grocery store and buy a cherry pie to have tonight.  

We are waiting for our cherry pie to finish baking here at The Compound, and in about an hour, we will be having a slice with some vanilla ice cream. 

Sunday Surprise Moments

I am a firm believer that everything happens because it is meant to happen.  While a lot of people believe in Karma, I really don't believe in it.  With Karma, people think that they caused something bad to happen to them.  I just don't believe that.  This is my belief and I am entitled to it.  I think that everything happens for a reason, and I believe that the Lord uses every situation for His good and to show His glory. 

Happy National Drink Wine Day

TWIT would like to wish our faithful readers and everyone else out in internet land a very Happy National Drink Wine Day. 

Please know that everyone here at The Compound is doing our part to celebrate.

Bug Update

Other than being very sleepy today at work, I am happy to report that I think I am over the dreaded stomach bug.  

I still had some stomach cramps, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was yesterday.  

I'm on the mend.

Bug, Bug, Go Away

I don't want to admit it, but I'm afraid I might have caught the dreaded stomach bug that is going around all over the country.  Ever since yesterday afternoon I've had horrible stomach cramps.  So far, that's the only symptoms I've had, and it sure hasn't affected my appetite, thank goodness, but the cramps are still there.

It's only 6:30, but I've already got my pajamas on and I'm going to go to bed even earlier tonight than I normally do on a Thursday night when I prepare for my Early Friday.  I know that the extra rest will do me good, even if it turns out that I don't have the stomach bug. 

Weird Wednesday

I'm in a very weird mood tonight, faithful readers.  There's a lot going on in my head right now.  I've spent most of the evening in my bedroom reading and thinking.  If it weren't too early, I'd just go on to bed right now.  But I'll wait it out for another hour and hope for a better mood tomorrow.

Stop The Noise!!

Those that know me even remotely know that my biggest pet peeve is someone chomping/popping chewing gum.  I could listen to someone scrape their fingernails down a chalk board all day long and it would not phase me in the least.  But let me just see someone chewing gum and I almost have an anxiety attack.  Unfortunately, I’ve had coworkers that were mega gum poppers.  I’m not ashamed to admit that it got on my nerves so bad I dreaded coming to work.  Luckily, for the past few years that I’ve been a department manager, nobody in my department chews gum. 

I did some research, and people like me who cringe at the sounds of gum chewing/popping, noisy eating, repeated pen-clicking and even loud breathing may suffer from an actual disorder called misophonia.  It’s actually a disorder that affects the brain’s frontal lobe. 

According to scientists, people with misophonia experience changes in brain activity when they hear one of those previously mentioned sounds.  Some also experience physical side effects, like an increased heart rate and sweating, when they hear those noises. 

I don’t think someone’s gum popping has caused me to break out in a sweat or make my heart beat faster, but I know it sure makes me go crazy.

Something You Don't Hear Every Day

Background: I was at a very nice restaurant tonight enjoying some Me Time while having dinner.  A woman at the table behind me was talking so loud, that I asked the server to move me to another table, which she promptly did.  When I got to my new table, I could still hear the loud mouth woman talking.  A couple came in and was seated in the table that I was at before I moved.  It only took about a minute for the man to get fed up.  Here's what he said to the loud mouth, and I quote:

"I think you need to use your inside voice."

Link Of The Week

It's been a while since I've posted a Link Of The Week, and I apologize.  I hope this link makes up for it. 

A while back, The Old Man wanted to make a cake, but he wasn't sure what flavor he wanted to make. I told him about something I'd read online about using a can of soft drink with a cake mix, and he was intrigued.  I Google'd it, and found this page.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/easy-cake-recipe-use-soda-be-bubbly_n_5717767.html.

We had some awesome Cheer Wine (cherry soda) and a box of white cake mix along with a can of cream cheese frosting, so he set out to make the cake according to the recipe on the website.  He was concerned at first, because it didn't call for the eggs or oil in the mix -- just the cake mix and a 12 ounce can of soft drink.  But when we ate the cake later on that evening, he quickly discovered his worries were needless. 

The possibilities are limitless -- just use any box of cake mix, any 12 ounce can of soft drink, and whatever icing you want and there you have it - an awesome soda pop cake. 

New Year's Resolution Update

This year for my New Year's Resolution, I made a promise that at least once a day, I would compliment or say something nice to someone, mainly, a complete stranger that I would see in the store, restaurant, or wherever.  

I am proud do say that we are a month and a half into the new year, and I've kept up my resolution.  And even more, I really look forward to doing it.  

It didn't take me long (only a day or two) to discover that when I complimented a stranger, it would change their whole demeanor, and they would stop and talk to me for a couple of minutes.  It could be a simple "Oh, I love your hat" or "I love your shirt" or "I love your ____."  People love to be complimented, yours truly included, and I think it truly does me more good than the person I talk to.  It has made me happier and a whole lot less pissy when I have to go to the grocery or drugstore or where ever to pick up something.  

I think today's compliment was probably my favorite so far.  I was at our Krogers this morning doing my weekly shopping, and saw an elderly lady in one of the motorized carts, followed by daughter.  It didn't take me long to think that she had probably just come from her weekly beauty parlor appointment.  Anyhoo, I kept running into them during my shopping and after a couple of meetings, I finally walked over to her and told her that her hair was beautiful, and that I thought she was the coolest looking shopper in Krogers this morning.  Her face lit up, and she stood up and gave me a hug.  I don't need to tell you that I was just one big ole pile of mush after her hug.  She had the biggest smile on her face as she sat back down and moved on down the aisle of the store.  And let me tell you something -- I had a big smile on my face as well. 

Flashback Friday

"These cards are marked."                                                                                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL_OIynnJKA

Trivia Update

I am proud to report that Team Divas are still a team to be reckoned with.  We couldn't make it Monday night but showed up tonight for trivia and came in third out of seven teams, scoring a sweet $10 gift card.  That's $10 more than we had when we came in. 

WTG, Tom Brady

That Damned Black Cloud

It seems that damned black cloud is over us again. 

A dear friend from our VFW days is going through hell right now along with her son.  His car crapped out on the Watterson Expressway on the night of my birthday, and as he was getting out of his car, a car going about 65 mph hit him and threw him into the path of another car going 65 mph that ran over his leg.  It is only by the grace of God that the boy is alive and has use of all of his limbs and major organs.  As of yesterday, he's had 5 surgeries, lost part of the calf and the knee on a leg, but as I said, he has all of his limbs.  He is expected to make a full recovery, but it is going to take some time.  

Another dear friend at work lost his sister last night, after she had a massive stroke last week.  

I could go on with other dear friends that are going through their own hell right now but I'll stop, and will thank the Lord for me and the 'Rents doing pretty darned good right now.

Super Bowl LI

First of all, I don’t need to tell you, faithful readers, how ecstatic I was that my beloved Patriots pulled out their big Super Bowl win last night.  I almost needed the oxygen masks that some of the players were using while sitting on the bench, because for most of the game I couldn’t breathe.  But I digress.  Way to go Pats, and especially Tom Brady.   And also a big way to go to Lady Gaga for killing the half-time show.  I’m not sure how another entertainer could top her performance.  The ‘Rents both said it was their favorite half-time show.  

Now on to what most Super Bowl watchers were concerned with: the commercials. 

Even though the game as a whole was the best Super Bowl I’ve watched, I think the commercials were the worst.  The majority of the commercials were more about world peace than they were about selling a product.  Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m all for world peace, but during the Super Bowl, we expect to see Budweiser Clydesdales, and chimpanzees wearing clothes and puppies.  Lots of cute puppies.  

Out of all of the commercials, my top favorites were Kia, featuring Melissa McCarthy, and Tide Pods featuring Terry Bradshaw.  The Baby Bowl was also a funny one.  My top worst ones were pretty much every other commercial, but the T-Mobile commercials about overages that were a parody on Fifty Shades of Gray and the Busch Beer commercial were my least favorites. 

Good Luck, Tom Brady

TWIT and I would like to wish Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots good luck in the Super Bowl.  We hope they bring home another trophy.  

As a big Patriots fan, it seems I am in the minority among most of my friends and people on Facebook.  Personally, I think they need to just let go of the DeflateGate drama and move on.  

Sure, I'd love to see the Pats win again today, but over all, I hope it's an exciting game with good commercials, and an awesome half-time performance by Lady Gaga. Go Pats!

Super Saturday

My week of vacation is drawing to a close, but it's going out with a big bang.  

Today, Diva Stacy took me out for a late birthday celebration at the Divas' Official Birthday Party Pizza Place.  We had awesome pizza, some of the coldest Bud Lights in the city, and played Keno. She was the big winner but I managed to win 5 bucks.  It was one of my best birthday celebrations ever.  It was low-key, and there was no drama, and we had plenty of cold beer, good Parton tequila, great pizza, and best of all, my best friend in the world was there to celebrate with me.  Who could ask for anything more?

Flashback Friday

I spent about two hours tonight painting and organizing our bizillion little bottles of paints.  It's not a glamorous thing to do on a Friday night, but the paints weren't going to organize themselves. In doing so, I discovered I have three each of China Blue, Navy Blue, Uniform Blue, and Morning Blue.  But I digress. Thus is the life of an artist with a side business. 

This is a far cry from back in the not-so-distant day (late 90's, early 2000's) when I would be out clubbing almost every Friday and Saturday night.  I don't miss it a bit. 

I Come From Ala, er, Kentucky, With A Banjo On My Knee

I'm a little late in reporting this news, but for Christmas I finally got a banjo.  I'd been wanting one for a couple of years, but never took the time to actually look for one.  But this year during Thanksgiving dinner, the 'Rents asked what I wanted for Christmas and I quickly spoke up and said a banjo.  And that's what I got. 

I had a hell of a time finding the proper fitting finger picks for it, and as I was buying them at a local music store (owned by an old friend of mine who happened to be in my one and only band that I put together), they asked if I was interested in lessons.  They said that they had a guy that used to play banjo in the house band at the Grand Ole Opry, but he quit a few years ago and moved back here to good old Pleasure Ridge Park to be with his elderly parents.  

I thought about it last night and today and I need to just take the plunge.  So later this afternoon, I'm going to head back to the music store and talk with the instructor and hopefully get signed up.  

Stay tuned (pun intended). 

I Love Not Working

I love not working - let me just say that now.  I love not having to set my alarm for 6:00 every morning (4:45 on Fridays); I love being able to stay in my pajamas until I decide to switch over to sweat pants and a t-shirt; I love being able to lay down and take a nap whenever I want to; I love having a cocktail whenever I want to during the morning or afternoon.  Yep, I love not working.