On this day in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
141

Rain turned into freezing rain, and my windshield was nicely glazed when I got off work. Fun scraping in more freezing rain … I have decided that I definitely prefer the fluffy stuff (snow).

I felt so much better after a couple days off straight - I’m not 100% but it’s such a relief to not feel like complete crap - that I did a new cutesey thing. I’d gotten these really pretty 3-d butterfly stickers at the dollar store, to include with a gift for a friend (so her daughter would get at least a lil’ something too) and had decided on a whim to get a package for myself, too.

Well, today, I stuck one to my cheek! Bolstered with a dab of eyelash glue, it persevered through my whole shift at the drive-thru window (despite the eye-watering wind) and I think it made people smile.

Posted a selfie on the Book of Faces (naturally) if you partake.

Speaking of partaking, it’s time to, uh, decompress from work.

“Might” ?!? It’s pretty much a requirement!

Addict! (Nah. I LOL’d.)

Didn’t you say you suspect that she’s preggo again?

Jane and I would of course, recommend cross-stitch. Maybe some crossword puzzles?

… and you know it made each staff member’s workday just a tiny bit less sucky. (Shitty pens are UGH to use.)

You are a wonderful person, to bring tiny flecks of betterment to so many people.

… even if yoy do occasionally whack the bejeesus out of them.

That sounds like a lovely celebration!

Okay, this half-a-joint ain’t gonna smoke itself, and I’ll need to eat something if I’m to get any meaningful sleep.

Nighty-night, fellow Mumpers.

142

Forgot to say: oops, I did it again.

Earlier when I let Monkey out, I’d clicked off the heat to avoid warming up the whole neighborhood. “Don’t forget to turn it back on. Don’t forget to turn the heat back on. Don’t forget …”

As I was pulling up after work, at 1 in the morning in freezing rain, I thought, "Man, I hope I remembered to turn the heat back on earlier. Pretty sure I did … "

Narrator: “She had not remembered.”

143

I’m questioning that initial impression, since her belly deflated since we brought her inside (no evidence of bleeding or other unpleasantness) . Also thought she wasn’t lactating at first, but she is now (Tiny at least occasionally nurses).

144

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 64 Amurrkin out and cloudy and that will be the high for the day as well but it shall get N.O.S. later this mornin’. It rained a lot overnight. Woke me up even. Today is a day of sloth and general overall uselessness. Nowhere we either need or want to go. Sup shall be chikin nachos just cause.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day! Rah,

Happy Thursday Y’all!

145

Did you feel the disturbance in The Force? I was in bed past 7:30!! That almost never happens! On the other hand, it’s raining, ergo overcast, so the bedroom stayed dark and I was pretty tahred.

Critters have been tended to. I’m caffeinating, but not eating because yesterday I decided I wanted a WaWa breakfast sammich, so when FCD gets up, I will ask him to fetch me one. Tho this morning, I don’t crave it as much as I did last night. We shall see what hunger dictates.

I’m so glad we put the sucker and the mower away yesterday. I guess at least, I can just drive the mower over the remaining leaves (when they dry) and chop 'em up, then deal with the mess in the spring. I’ll figure it out, but for the moment, I find it difficult to care.

Seems the worst of my symptoms are gone, but I still find myself coughing up, um, stuff. Here’s hoping that’s the last of the plague vacating my corpus. FCD was sounding pretty bad last night/early this morning - I heard him hacking up a lung when I was in bed. He tested neg again yesterday, but he sounded so bad.

I’ll have Tobias for a couple of days next week so Daughter can get some chores done. SIL is back to work, Roxy will go back to school on Moanday (tho she’s been neg thruout) and by Tues, I’ll be close to the end of my masked period.

My bro is concerned about whether we’ll make it to his place for Christmas - not about plague, but whether issues with the inlaws will keep us from attending. MIL already made it clear that they don’t want to be invited - it would be overwhelming for FIL, on top of the 2+ hour drive each way. I’m reminding myself that we might not be able to go. Dementia sucks slimy swampwater. :cry:

But that’s a worry for another day. It’s 8:20AM and so far, so good. :wink:

Happy Thursday!

146

Afternoon, mumpers! It’s a balmy 0c/32f outside today so that’s an improvement from the -6c when I got up, and it’s sunny. Weather app says “Mother Nature has the emotional range of a fucking teaspoon”, so there you have it.

Nothing much happening in my day, I’m irking from home so haven’t ventured outside except for a quick trip to put some rubbish out in the big bin. It’s sunny enough to have melted most of the ice off the car’s windows but not completely off the windscreen. It’s also definitely not melting any of the snow and ice on the pavement either so it’s pretty slippery out there. Another good reason not to go anywhere.

Yesterday I managed to do an exercise class, and went out in the evening with a couple of friends so that was a nice bit of escapism. Just had a farcebook message about the weekend fundraising activities at the pet shop so will try to squeeze in a couple of hours on Saturday. It’ll be a busy day as I’ve got two gym classes in the morning, then I’m getting my hair cut. I’ll probably have to scoot straight from there to the pet shop, then back home to pick up 'im indoors, then into town for late lunch at the Good Chinese Place, and errands.

There’s a weather warning for snow and ice for Sunday, which was going to be my day at the store, so plans have to be changed. We still have 11hrs to fill up before they close for xmas on 24th Dec so we are trying to get as many hours in as possible.

Other than that, I got nuttin’…

147

Morning all. Rain has departed the area but it’s 42F outside and we won;t see 50F today before Xmas (and not much chance afterwards). Started the first load of laundry at 7am and more to come, plus the dishwasher is about full and will be started once I have broken fast in a little bit. Outside of that not much on the agenda except trying to get to the gym sometime today.

FCM, fingers crossed that Xmas with family will be possible. Glad you are feeling better.

Shoe, hope the house has warmed up some and that you’re feeling…mellow… Loved the facebook picture. And more likely some Sudoku puzzles than crosswords, I think.

JtC, I would have left the 18% tip in there and just added a little cash to it, but doubt she got into any trouble for it.

OK, need to change loads and start the dryer working and break fast, so all y’all have a good Thorsday.

148

Morning, everyone. Not feeling good at all. I felt heartbreak for the first time last night. There’s this girl that I’ve been in love with, and I talked with her every night. She went along with my love for around a month and a half, but last night, she told me she loves me more like a sibling than a lover. Now, I completely respect her feelings, and I just want her to be happy, but…it still hurts. Heartbreak is certainly an interesting emotion. I was under the impression that it was just feeling bummed out, but now that I’ve actually felt it…no. It’s way more than that. It’s painful, and it doesn’t just disappear overnight. It hurts so bad. :broken_heart: :broken_heart:

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FCM I did indeed feel the disturbance since you hadn’t posted.

We are under a tornado watch all day even though the rain from the storm won’t hit here until around four pm. The kids are irking north of here and are rushing to get home.

I am so lazy. I have so much to do. I sit here doing nothing.

Have a great day all. Stay warm, dry and healthy.

GodBod young love hurts. Sorry you are heartbroken.

150

Wow… sorry to hear about this (apologies if you mentioned it in earlier Mmp-ing threads and I missed it). I hope the insurance woes finally get solved, but I know how hard it is to fight an entity of that size. Glad you’re with us though!

Boring health update: Met with Doc yesterday to go over MRI and other test results. Her opinion is that most of the cervical problems were pre-existing, and the wreck just aggravated them. She’s setting up PT for next week, and we’ll see if that helps. Oh, and I was admonished for being too careful with the muscle relaxers – was told to go ahead and use them because reducing pain helps healing. I don’t think she’s impressed by “tough guys”. :smile:

Shoe: Glad you’ve discovered the magical healing powers of a hot tub. I’m using mine daily now. I’m thinking of installing a bottle-opener on the side with a magnet below that snags the top for later disposal (like I had in my truck!). Maybe I can mount a corkscrew on it somehow for the missus. For medical reasons only of course. I think healing could progress better if I don’t have to get out to refresh drinks – right?

I’m getting that way as well since I retired. My workplace forbade cellphones or any devices, including smartwatches or even pedometers. Since internet wasn’t allowed either, I spent the majority of my working life with no outside access, and never got accustomed to online activity. After a few years of retirement where I can play with my phone all I want — well, I now understand why they’re so addictive. I’ve been trying to force a few days of digital detox each month, but with limited success. Damn, these things are fun!

For good news, it seems daughter has finally broken up (completely) with Schrodinger’s Douchebag. I’m relieved this is over. She was worried he was cheating with an old friend, so I told her to drive him to friend’s house, then look at SD’s phone to see if it connected to the wifi. I don’t know if that’s what happened, but it’s over now. Yay!

As for today… I started prepping a brisket last night (brining) and got up at 4:30 to finish with the rub/trim/seasonings. Went into the smoker at 6:00am, and should be ready for dinner around 5:00. Mmmmm. I found an old recipe of my Mom’s for barbecue sauce and just finished boiling a pot full (it’s cooling and thickening as I type). We realize potato salad is probably required by law somewhere, but are having scalloped potatoes instead. I’ll be tending the smoker all day, and sampling various goodies along the way. This afternoon will be hot tub, cold beer, followed by heavenly (I hope) brisket and sauces. Probably indulge in a glass of wine with dinner and a cheesy comedy on Netflix/etc. A perfect evening, imo.

Hope everyone has a good/better week.

151

Ok, everybody. This just came out: the federal government again will send you free Covid tests for the asking:

I just sent in my request-took me less than 30 seconds.

152

Aww, sweet pea, bless your heart. One’s first real heartbreak is a helluva pain.

(Note: while “bless your heart” is most famous for being the Southern passive-aggressive way to say, “Wow, you’re an idiot ain’tcha?” it can ALSO denote sympathy for those down on their luck - depends on context & intonation - and the latter is the spirit in which it was intended.)

Outside of work, and doing the bare minimum around Casa De Shoe (e.g. refilling the cat’s food bowl) um … same, woman. Same.

This is true. Constant pain makes your muscles tense up, which reduces circulation (both blood and lymph) and is obviously no bueno for torn muscle fibers.

Doooooo ittttttttt.

This is the most hilariously modern way to see if someone’s been spending too much time at someone else’s home! HA! :smiley:

I was totally gonna get up and be all productive and shit, but Monkey is pinning down my lap and purring, so { sigh } I guess I’m stuck here against my will, resigned to play my Zombie game and chill a bit. Poor lil’ me.

153

OMG - from your lips to FCD’s ears… The refrain here is “I’m not a wimp!” OK, but you’re not too bright for someone as otherwise intelligent as you are. SMH

BBBoo - thanks for the link! I ordered some for us and the inlaws.

I decided to break cabin fever and drive thru Arby’s for lunch. it was meh, but I got out of the house for a bit. I also discovered that FCD left my car a wreck inside! Crap all over the passenger seat and floor, trash can overflowing, and FIL apparently turned on the back seat dome light (usually Roxy’s trick) which explains why it seemed to labor a tad before turning over. Anyway, I put things to rights and I’ll try to avoid kicking his butt. I know he’s dealing with a lot, but if I’d done that to his car, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Sheets are clean and stowed, clean ones are sitting on the bed, waiting to be put on properly - later. Dishwasher is partway thru its cycle. I think it’s time to read some more.

154

My big accomplishment for the day? Rinsing out the cat herd’s water dish and refilling instead of just dumping in more water with a glass. Haven’t managed the food bowl refill yet. I’m a tad peeved with them. Somebody decided their food bowls weren’t full enough and tore open the bag of food sitting on my loveseat where I dropped it after carrying it in from the car last night. I will forever more have little pellets of cat chow rattling around down in the cracks of the cushions. There was always food in their bowls, it just wasn’t heaping to enough excess I guess.

I laughed out loud! Of course, by this system I’m having an affair with the Main Branch of the Public Library and the free wi-fi at the grocery store.

155

Afternoon all. Four loads of laundry are done and dried, still need to hanger/fold them and put them away, but that can come later. Waiting for dishwasher to finish it’s cycle in a couple of minutes and then heading off to the gym. Bright day outside but only 50F outside, so an OK day.

FCM, being a single gentleman of leisure, I can’t blame no one but myself for the messy car; albeit I do try and clean it weekly.

Yanker, would never in a hundred years have consider that; nicely done, if that was the trigger. And follow Drs.Orders!

OK, need to head out to the gym since I did snack a little around noontime. Take care all.

Godbod, know how much it hurts; most of us old folk have been there one or more times. Decide if you can still look at her as ‘just a friend’ and keep the door open, you never know…but there are lots of people out there, and maybe another…

156

And check the Before you throw out “expired” tests link. Apparently the original expiration dates on some brands were very short as they were set as an “emergency use authorization” but the FDA has updated things so the seven boxes I already had remain usable for another few weeks.

And I had no idea there were so many brands of those home tests! I’ve seen ads for the BinaxNow tests, but all I’ve ever had in had are the orange and white iHealth ones.

157

I’ve used both. Major difference is how long it takes.

I’m well-stocked on tests for now, since Kaiser allows each member to request 8 per month at no cost (batches of 4). We have 8 on hand now, expiration dates in September 2023 (ordered one batch under DH and one under me).

158

We cut off work early today, first real snow of the season. On the other side of the lake, at the shop, it was truly yucky, about an inch of sleet on the roads, here on my side of the lake it’s just fluffy snow. We shall see what the rest of the storm brings, I might have a snow day tomorrow.

159

Thanks! Ordered for both the wife and me.

160

Today I received a gorgeous Christmas-themed flower arrangement from someone I didn’t expect to get a gift from. We didn’t exchange the last two years. I’m grateful for the gift and her nice note, but now I have to think of a gift for her.

I got all my head hairs cut and have late-arriving stuff ready to go to the post office. Then I’ll head to the gym. Life is way too exciting.

GodBod, so sorry your heart got broken. No matter how old you are, it sucketh mightily. Be extra-kind to yourself, and try to accept that it’ll take awhile to heal. Above all, don’t evaluate your self-worth by this.

Boo, thanks for the link.

I guess a sliver lining to not having a car is that I don’t have to keep it clean. :slight_smile:

Yanker, how clever! Glad she’s free of him.

Or guys IN the library. Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Twain, they’re just waiting to get picked up, their covers turned back, and their spines touched. :wink: