Almost June

 

 

*278*

Tomorrow is June 1st.  Shit hit the fan my friends. Chelsea has lost her job due to budget cuts in the state and trickle down.  She has two weeks to go. She might be able to get a job as a teachers aide in elementary school in the Fall but that is a while away before. I  have some strings so if she wants it, she will probably get it. It is a cut in pay but any money is better that none at all. So that whole thing about her giving us money is gone. She works for a non-profit so she probably cannot collect unemployment. We shall see.
I have six months to save for a new computer AND work on the budget. Save where I can, stash the money away. I am getting really tempted to sell off my miniatures. Many of them are worth some money but I do not want to do that just yet. I could probably sell them off and make enough to afford the new computer we need. This Mac is four years old and dying a slow death. It is workable but it has been having issues. Issues that cost way too much. It would be better to just buy new. Natalie is salivating because I told her she could have it when we do get a new one...

Damn! No veggies from Chelsea`s job. Shit I was counting on that!!

So tomorrow is June and I am looking down the barrel of air conditioning bills. I really truly do not want to turn on the air conditioner at all this year. The main one for the first floor isnt even in the window yet.

I went down in the basement today and it does smell damp. It is from all the rain we have had. I am most definitely going to buy a dehumidifier with my check this coming month. I think they are like $100. I will just bite the bullet and pay for it. I know that will cost money but I cannot afford my house to get moldy!
Okay..I am just blahblahblahing along and it is not entertaining for anyone involved. I think tomorrow I will tell a story. Like something that has happened in my life. Sounds good?

Back on low carb starting today

Atkins Pyramid

*278*

One of the books that I bought at that library book sale was the Atkins book. Best $1 I ever spent. I know I could have read everything I want to online but I am one of those people that has to have the literature in my hand. Tangible paper to read. I think I am not the only one that is like that. (I even read this big kitchen garden book that is wonderful).
The only part of the change that is going to bother me (that I did not know about in the first go round) is no caffeine. I am sorry but I have chronic fatigue and I live off of the stuff.  I used to take Dexedrine for years but it started to backfire on my ass. So I stopped that and I just drink like 2 cups of coffee a day and the occasional cup of Diet Pepsi.
 I started kind of sort of last night with my dinner but I am really going to start today. I weighed myself and I do weigh that amount up top. No hormonal shift.
The restrictive 20 grams of carbs a day actually gets increased after 2 weeks. You slowly start adding 5 grams at a time. You want to still lose weight so you do it slow so you can know when to stop adding.
 I cannot eat this crap because it messes with my blood sugars and I want to be healthy. So this is my way to go.
Oh the other thing...No sugar of any kind (except artificial sweeteners) forever! No honey, syrup, sugar, brown sugar..no no no!
 Fred is happy. He likes this way of eating but I fell off the wagon a while ago. When we would have breakfast, I would still forgo the toast and potatoes but I did not do that with every meal. So this is going to be okay. It takes a few days for you to adjust physically and mentally.

I just do not think I am giving up my coffee!

We have centipedes!!!!!....!!!!!

Milo is getting big

*278*

New England House Centipedes are the most disgusting thing on the planet. And I have seen about 5 so far. I know it is because of the rain and dampness. No water in the house but plenty of it around the house. The house is just sticky and that (plus spiders) invites them in. I saw one last night scutter across my bedroom floor and that was IT!
I am going to get this new stuff called Raid Bug Barrier and I am going to go shopping for a dehumidifier. Those two things will make these long legged bastards go away! I have been able to tolerate the spiders all these years but this is my limit. We do not have like thousands of spiders but a few and mostly Daddy Long legs which Chelsea says is actually not a spider. (i need to look that up). So yeah, I am a little freaked out because they are gross! I decided to show you a cute picture of Milo instead of a dreaded and yucky multi legged bastards of New England.

Memorial Day 2011

Today should be a day of remembrance of all of those that served for our country in the past and the present.

It is raining today. I do not have to go to the community garden to water. I did some grilling yesterday which is fortunate because I do not know if the sun is going to pop out today.
Try to make this a nice relaxing day for yourself. Back to normal activities tomorrow.

Back for another go

 

 

*279*

Back to the gym tomorrow morning. I have not been in awhile and it is time. I have been feeling like garbage and my inches are creeping slowly back up.  Not alot but enough for me to say NO. I do have to say that I can fit into a size 20 now in some clothing. You know how you can have one pair of jeans that fit great and then the other would need a shoe horn to get over your thighs? Yup, I found a good pair! I also bought two pair that are size 20 but need the shoe horn. They are my motivation to get back into getting back into shape. My foot is doing much better so I think it is time. I will wait to do the power walking until I get the yes from the footy doctor.
 Did any of you try to exercise with those women that are on tv? They are usually in like Florida or Hawaii. You have to get up super early to find them. We actually now have a whole channel of exercise. I think it is called FitTV. I watched it while reclining on the couch. Much better that way.

Tupperware is wonderful

Tupperware party

*279* <---need to go down..not up!

Tupperware that is vintage and in excellent condition is superb. I went out yesterday morning with Chelsea. We went to the local library book sale and then to a flea market in the next town over. The flea market was a waste of time. So I decided to drive the long roundabout way home in hopes of finding some yard sales. I found the mother of all really good inside estate sales. When I heard the woman used to be a Tupperware dealer..I practically ran for the kitchen. Every surface was covered with vintage Tupp! I scored a large cake carrier for $10 ($19 on ebay). I bought about 14 pieces total. They all ranged in price of $1 to $2. I brought home, cleaned, dried, and found good places for them. I am very happy. I am weird. Tupperware makes me go a bit nutty. I hear there is a resurgance of the dead art of the Tupperware party. I do not think I would go for that. I think the hunt for the good condition old stuff is much more fun.

Kitty!!!!

Milo 9 weeks old

*279*

We got to take him home a few days early. The Mama was not feeding them anymore and Memorial day festivities are happening at the house where the kittens were. So we picked him up yesterday. He is very socialized with people and other animals. He is making friends with Oliver. Oliver is showing him who is the boss!

He is a short haired striped orange sweety. Lu is very jealous. I call the kitty and Lu is right there...PICK ME UP DAMMIT! I am making the most of Miss Lu because she is my girl and I do not want to hurt her dog feelings.

He has chosen the top of my sewing box as his official resting place. Milo is a good kitten. Too bad I didn't get to name him...I would have called him George.

Going to the Farm

*278*

It is a gorgeous day so far this morning. Natalie and I are going to the farm that is part of the place that Chelsea works. Because of budget cuts, they may not get the needed help to tend to the plants..a main source of their whole reason for being. Natalie and I are going to see what there is to do. I am going to tell Annie the farmer that there are things I just cannot do.  But I can help out. And I will be able to get some free veggies too!
Hope it is not too hot. Gotta change and put on sunscreen.

God Bless the residents of Joplin Missouri

I will send some thoughts out to all that have suffered so greatly this past week in Joplin MO. My own friend, Nutti lived near Joplin for many years. Even though she lives in Arizona now, she was the first person I thought of. I have no other words because it is just that sad and devastating.

Do you paint your toenails?

*278*

   Foot Doc appointment was good. He got a layer of callus off feet and took sample for the dreaded toe nail fungi. He told me that I can have my toes painted for now but when I come back in three weeks...that is it! Naked toe nails. :( I bet you did not know that having your toe nails painted actually helps promote the growth of the toe nail fungus. He told me that I should keep my toes naked and out in the sun during the summer. That will keep the fungus away after I have cured it with pills. I have to wait to see if it is even a fungus. It could be something else..a psoriasis. Never heard of that. I read about it and hope to hell that is not what I have. I doubt it though. I do not have what the ugly pictures
show.
So I must continue with the cream to soften the calluses for the next visit, keep stretching my feet, and wearing my orthotics in my shoes. He told me to wait another week or more before I start walking for exercise. I have to really loosen that tendon or I could be in a world of pain again. So I am going to shoot to start walking by the June.

 I planted those perennials that I had gotten on Saturday. One  sunflower, a holly hock, and pansy. I still have to go get dirt because I have the potato starters to plant, lemon balm to put in a pot, and basil also.
My neighbor informed the FB nation that she has turned her yard into an urban garden and she has chickens. I am so fucking jealous!! I want chickens!! But it will never happen. I do not have the energy to deal with that. It is in my blood though. I understand why I want them so. My Dad grew up on a chicken farm outside of Boston during the Depression. He hated chicken and eggs. But they had food. I have food growing in my yard. Just not an abundance. If I had the energy..my whole front yard would be veggie garden central! It would take a ton of work. Work that I cannot do. Maybe if I get a bit healthier..I will be able to do it next year.  That is something to fucking shoot for. Lose weight so you can grow tomaters!!  I am happy to report that my sugar snap peas are growing. I did not take a picture but I will when they start climbing the string thing I made. My onions are doing well and my heirloom zucchini squash is still growing, slowly but surely. I hope it is a success.
Okay..gotta go. I have a shitload of dishes to do and Fred is making breakfast/lunch.

It is NOT raining men!

 

*279*

I can hear the fog horns out in the river. It is another dreary and cold assed day here in Old CT. It is 55 deg F. I had to close all the windows and turn the heater on in the livingroom. Brrr! I printed out a chocolate cake recipe because I think I need to turn on the oven. I know I was supposed to be pickling onions this weekend but Nah! I have all this week to do it. I have a headache from the weather and I am not in the mood.
  I go to the foot Dr tomorrow to have the calluses taken care of. I have to take the polish off my toes tonight. He wants to see the foot fungus on the toes. My life lately seems to be a revolving door of Doctors and I am starting to get a hatred for the whole thing. Ah.

  I want to start walking. I will wait till this crappy weather goes away. I am going to pick a nice sunny day and just walk. Not too far, maybe just a mile. I can do that easily. I must pick up some allergy meds before I do this. Nothing worse than physical exercise with a head that feels like it is inside a fish bowl. If I get some damn exercise in me, I should start feeling better. I am NOT saying I am depressed because I am ALWAYS depressed..hehehe..I am saying that I am in a funk (not the same thing). If I kick myself in the ass hard enough, I can get out of it. It is a combo of things that maybe many of feel..Crappy weather, money woes, hubby being sick, crappy weather, money woes, not being able to eat what I want, hubby being sick.
 As for money woes, they are what they are. I have to learn to live with less sometimes. The mortgage thing is straightened out, the oldest paying us is straightened out, and I am doing good with the cooking at home..except for this past Saturday. Nat had a friend sleep over so we bought two large calzones..$20 total. One calzone can feed 3 adults. So we had yummy leftovers. But all and all, I am doing good. I am avoiding the pitfalls of a hungry teen wanting instant gratification. There is stuff to eat in this house when you are hungry!

No pity for me. I can bet money I am not the only one that wants to crawl into the covers and not do anything. This weather sucks shit!

Update:  I took two knock off Advil, and ate a bit of cheese and pepperoni. My headache has subsided. I am also making a nice dense vanilla cake (i used vanilla sugar) with chocolate frosting.  It is in a ornate bundt pan so we will have a nice dessert tonight with Tacos.

Garden progress

Front plot

This is the front plot. Does not look like much now. I planted Marigolds in the very front, the beets are growing, the mesculin is a dud so I replaced it with Arugala plants. The bibb lettuce is growing. Those onion plants are doing well also. And on the side is a broccoli plant...it is doing well also. We have had an abundance of rain so this is good. I came and found my beds were full of weeds! LOL

 

 

Back plot

The Thai basil right in the front is still small but not dead so we shall see. Right here is that cherry tomato/tomatillo thing. I planted some black peppers, three heirloom tomato plants, and some basil. I also have a small strawberry plant that was growing on the ground.

So far so good. I will go there tomorrow and do some more weeding.

Sunday Sunday!

*280*

It is 11am and I have made the bacon for *breakfast*. No one is up yet..except Chelsea and I. Nat had a friend sleep over. I guess they stayed up extra late last night. I passed out after watching a movie.
 This morning I am making my version of red beans and rice with kielbasa and spicy chicken. Fred gave some to his friend and he just about died. He wants me to make some for him. So I am. I wonder if I will get anything in return. My ass never complained before about cooking for somebody but shit costs money. I will do this for this guy once and that is it. If I get some compensation, that`s good. If I do not, he better eat it slow..cause that will be the last time I make it.

  I picked up some nice plants at the plant sale yesterday. Chelsea`s job held it. I bought some and at the end, she gave me some. I planted a cherry tomato that has a husk like a tomatillo, an eggplant, two heirloom tomatoes (so there are three plants), some basil, lemon balm, Sunflowers, blanket flower, and some pansies. She also dug up some mint that is in her work plot. I will repot it for the season today.
We also had a really good talk. I told her (FINALLY) about having to give us money with every paycheck. She was stressed about it because her hours may be cut. She was trying to say that she was saving money to leave. I told her, how are you going to leave if your hours are going to be cut??? (Governor most likely will cut funding and there goes the trickle down). More on this conversation in a second...

 I had a text conversation with an old high school friend last week. We were talking about this and that (she had disappeared from FB and I wondered if everything was ok). We got on the subject of our adult kids. She is married and lives in a three bedroom place. She has her 21 yr old son who cannot find work, his friend, a niece, and a nephew...all in the house because they cannot find jobs. Not even menial Burger King type jobs. In our area, so many Adults have been layed off from jobs that they are taking all available jobs. So kids and college grads are mega assed out. I am assuming it is like that everywhere. She told me that my instincts with my kids is a good one. Life now is not the same as it was when we were teens and 20s. It may never be the same again. Families have to stay together, combine their money to survive. That being said.....

 I told Chelsea that I did not want her here forever. I was not being a clingy Mom. I want her to go out in the world. It is just really difficult right now. I told her to go out with her friend to the Cape next month and get away from the house. I told her that she can use some of her money to re-decorate her room (new paint, comforter, new bed). We had a good conversation and it looked like she was able to relax. I want her flight from home to be good. It will be stressful regardless but I do not want her to spend her money on a place and then find she cannot afford it, have to come home and all her money is gone. Keep saving. Wait to see what happens in the world. Maybe an opportunity to move in with someone will come to light.
So we both feel better. She will give us money every two weeks and she can save for when she will be able to leave. She even helped pay for groceries yesterday! Shocked the shit out of me. LOL
She wants to be treated like an adult, which I am getting better at. I want her to do more around the house, which she says she promises to work on.
The more I talk to people out there in the world..the more I am finding teens, new adults, and college grads having to come back or stay home because there are no jobs. If you have a job, keep that Motherfucker cause there is no guarantee you will find another one.
I will teach them both the wonders of being an adult on their own and I will feel good when they do leave. I will still bitch about them being here sometimes..And I told her that! But that does not mean I really want her to go...well I do but I know I know. ROFL

So that has been my Sunday so far...The rice and beans are simmering on the stove. Smells good.

Facial Piercings and the Rapture

*280* <------According to the Drs scale

Natalie took out most of her facial piercings. She took out the angel bites (2 on upper lip), spider bites (2 on lower lip), septum, and left side of nose. She is keeping tongue, one side of nose (put a hoop in), her smiley (smaller hoop), and her vertical labret.

She just wanted a change and I understand that. I am a bit thrilled to be able to see her face without all the extra hardware but I will miss the septum. I was getting worried that she was gonna have a face full of metal. She is way too pretty for it. We shall see.
Before I talk about the end of the world, let me tell you what happened at the Dr. He upped my night time insulin and told me I am doing good. He said I am smart and know what I am doing. He can understand my frustration with having NO control instead of like before when I took the Actos. The actos let me eat whatever the hell I wanted and it worked out the blood sugar on it`s own. Now I have to think about what I eat. I have to remember to bring my pen for meals. I have to up it or lower it depending. It is a pain in the ass my friend. Tonite I am making spaghetti sauce with meatballs and sausage to bring over my friend, A`s house. She loves when I cook for her and she works and deserves a good meal once in awhile that she did not have to prepare. Dr told me to take 8cc of insulin and I should be good to go.
 Rapture Smapture. It is supposed to happen at 6pm tomorrow evening and it is going to follow the time zones. Yeah, Jesus and God knew all about the time zones back in Biblical times. I got some Rapture snacks anyway just in case. It will be fun to watch all those believers lose their minds! Ha!
   Okay, My ass needs to get in gear. I have pasta sauce to make and I have not even made the meatballs yet!

Tube tops and 40 something boobs

I tried something like the 3rd dress

*277*

I am a child of the 1970s. I was around for the 1976 centennial (woop-di-do) , That`s Incredible (more on that later) and all the ugly fashions..Polyester!  I also remember tube tops and Halter tops. Today I went with Chelsea to Lane Bryant because she needed to make a purchase. There was a dress like that third one but with a tube top and a string around the front to go around your neck. Now, I am not blind or an idiot. I know full well that I am too old to be wearing shit like that. If you can remember wearing it the first time it came around, you are too old to wear it now.
That being said.....I wanted to try it anyway. It was pretty!

 The skirt part was really kind of like these skirts here. Remember those? Oh gosh I had one and I loved it. You could twirl. Anyhoo.
I did not like what I saw. I saw 42 year old boobs trying desperately to hold on to their youth and elasticity. They were losing. I know I could have bought a strapless bra and some spanx but let`s face it..I  had no real right to be wearing that youngin shit. Now do not tell me that I can wear anything I want..you probably looked good. blah blah blah.
It was a beautiful dress for a 20-30 something with an amazing rack.
I also tried on this really beautiful green dress. The green looked bad on me. And the dress did not come in any other patterns. And it cost $89. So that was a No.

That`s Incredible was..how do I explain it? Ummm. Let me just post a video.

Anyway, this show had decided to get on a train and do a tour of the country stopping at different cities. My city was one of the stops! But it was going to happen on a school day in the morning. I asked and was granted permission to skip school! I skipped a day of Catholic junior high with my friend, Mary Beth (who also got permission). It looked like there was no school for anyone that day cause the place was packed with kids! They came, people hung near the back of the train (I really dont fucking remember what they did or said). They were leaving and my friend Mary Beth started walking down the tracks a bit so she was a lone person out there. Now, guess what happened? They changed their ending track of the show I think that season or the following season. It shows the camera pointing out the back of the train in my town with my friend Mary Beth in the middle of the tracks.
Bitty! Why didn't I think of that?!?!

Next time I will wax you nostalgic on the day I met Tristan Rogers from General Hospital!

Diabetes sucks!

*277*

I have to see my GP tomorrow morning. I think this is a physical but I am not sure. All this shit just runs together most times. I also have to tell him about my blood sugars and how the insulin is working. I have to tweek it per say. I think my scale is off anyway. I want to truly know how much I weigh. Scary but I do.
 I had a nice long text with a friend last night. She deactivated her Facebook page and I wondered where she had went. She needed a FB breather. She had lost like 120 lbs by having gastric bypass surgery over five years ago. She had type two diabetes and now she doesnt..I think. I asked her if her sugars were in normal range but she never answered but we were talking about all kinds of shit so it could have got lost in the conversation. She is now on Weight Watchers. She had gained 40 of what she had lost and has now lost 26 of that. I cannot really afford WW right now. I got enough on my financial plate.  But I need to start exercising. I know what is wrong with my feet and I have no excuses now. I need to stick with the no bad carbs for diabetes me plan so that I can feel better instead of like crap half the time.

Tonight for home made dinner is going to be Baked mac and cheese ( i am not having any) and bacon cheeseburgers. No bun for me. Big salad with my two burgers please. I had a nice eggy breakfast this morning. And I have been using sweetener (Splenda) for my coffee instead of sugar. It has made a difference.

Today I am going to be cleaning the diningroom and the bathroom downstairs. I have been guilted into taking the oldest to go bra shopping this afternoon. She is paying. Youngest is gonna get pissed because I do not have it and I bought her bras that she does not wear! So she might as well just stay home.
See...I just want people to just leave me alone. Do not bother me all the time asking me to do shit. I am a tired woman. I only have so much energy and I really do not want to spend it on you all the time.

So there! :p

I did good

*277*
Fred and I were hungry earlier today. I had not really eaten anything substantial for breakfast because I had my dental appointment. So Fred hands me $30 and tells me to go out and get something good to eat for lunch. Now I could have blown that money on take out...but I did not. We had eggs and fresh breakfast sausage for lunch instead!

I spent $22 at the grocery store (I used my own $2) and got stuff to have a big breakfast for lunch AND stuff we needed to make dinner tonite. I also needed veggie oil so it was a good thing  I went. For $22 we had lunch and dinner for 3 people.
Tonight I dug out a bag of chicken wings. I do not usually use the bags of cut up wings. I like to have my wings whole. But this was on sale for a really good price a couple months ago. I am cooking at high heat on parchment lined cookie sheets at 400 deg F. for 15 minutes. Then I pulled out and brushed on a combo of honey, BBQ sauce, sesame oil, and hot sauce. I do not have measurements but I want to say you want to only use a small amount of sesame oil, it is very strong.  In 15 minutes, I will take them out, turn over, and brush them again. I will keep doing that until they are well done. That is how we liked them cook. No mushy gushy shit.
I threw in some tater tots I had in the freezer but I am not having any of those. I THINK I still have some baby spinach left. If I do, I will make another spinach salad with tomato and vidalia onions.

 I am planning on canning/pickling some Vidalia onion slices this weekend. They only come out for so long and we love them in the summer. I will be sharing that recipe with pictures.

Oh, in the midst of all this...I gave Miss Lu a bath and hair dry. She needed it. She was a Stinkin Lincoln.

Where I live

*277*

I saw this today and it kinda made me chuckle. I have lived here all my life. Thought you would like to see a travel video. Maybe you will make it a travel destination! If you do, let me know.

Periodontal Hell

 

*277*

First off I would like to say that RIGHT NOW, President Obama is flying over my house. How cool is that? Not really..LOL He did the commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy today and that is in my city.

I went to the periodontist for a nice long chat. He did not poke my gums too badly and we had my x-rays this time. Did not have them last time so that visit was very short. I have to have very expensive work done. He wants to start on my right bottom quad (each section is a quad). Open up the gums and clean out the infection and sew me up. Yuppers!

Cost before insurance for that ONE side= $1800.00

Cost to me= $600.00
Yuppers.
I have to have it done because I cannot take the pain anymore. I have an appointment scheduled for June 8th. They told me at the front desk that I could pay $300 up front and make arrangements for the other $300.
Then he wants to do the other bottom quad in a month or so after.

I am glad I am having this done now before the money disappears from the youngest`s social security payments (October) but FUCK! I am going to have to cancel Denver AGAIN! I cant possibly afford dental surgery and flying out and staying at my dear friends house to go to the Denver Miniature show. I had to cancel last September because of Fred`s cancer scare.
Plus Natalie`s 18th birthday and Christmas.

I think I am going to go lay down upstairs in my room and watch Dr Who on Netflix. Contemplate what the hell I am gonna do!

Tonight starts my *no take out* test

That is ALOT of meat!

*278*

If that chic`s fridge died, she would be assed out!
I have food in my fridge but nothing like that. Tonight I am cooking from scratch. As many of you know, I do this fairly often. But I am making a point to say that I am going to do this every day even if it KILLS me. I have started peeling the potatoes for mashed taters. I have three nice top round steaks. I am going to make a German Rouladen minus the pickle. My former neighbor taught me this recipe. I do not make it often but I said I was gonna cook..so dammit, I am doing it.


German Rouladen

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• German stone ground mustard, to taste
• 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cube beef bouillon

Directions

-Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide. 

-Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together. 
-Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and saute until browned.Pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and add the bouillon cube; stirring to dissolve the bouillon cube. -Simmer the rolls for about an hour.

Now..I do not have flank steak but I have learned to make due. I will pound the shit out of it to make it thinner for rolling. It is really tasty, trust me. Now like I said, I have never put in the pickles. I know they would not eat it if I did that..so I omitted that. But if you want to try this..by all means go ahead and add the pickle. You can use beef, chicken, or veggie bouillon if you like..use what you have. If you have beef broth, use that!
I have served with rice, potatoes, or just a nice salad. Your choice. I think I am going to make some buttered corn just cause we have not had in forever and it is Nat`s fav. I am going to have the Rouladen and some spinach salad...I ate too many bad carbs yesterday.


Oh! Before I forget. My Mortgage dude is an asshole. He is just attitudey pooty!  Everything is okay though. I have to start giving an extra $200 a month to pay off the accumulated late fees. Good thing I have decided not to spend any money, huh?

Good News from New Haven

Smoking in a Hookah Lounge

 

*278*

Yup, that is me. That is the end of our journey to New Haven yesterday. More on that in a moment. We got some good news for Fred. He is dealing with vestibular migraines. After reading the literature that the Neuro and ENT gave us..he has the kind that originates in his brain stem. That explains his neck pain and why he has had it for a constant year. He has a food list of things to avoid or cut back on and a prescription. Hopefully he will notice marked improvement in the next 10 days.

  It was a late appointment and by the time we were done in there, it was like 430pm. I went to the bakery on Wooster street. and you could see the traffic back up from the highway. It was rush hour and I did NOT want to drive in that. So Chelsea googled and found Mediterranea <---spelled just like that, on Orange street in the city. It was a little hole in the wall. On the glass windows out front were stenciled hookahs.
A hookah ( Hindustain:: हुक़्क़ा (Devangari),  حقّہ (Nastalee) huqqah also known as a water pipe is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to as narghile or shisha (sheesha) in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

There was a big back room where the hookah smoking is done and you can eat your meal also. We had a combination of things. Mostly things like falafel, hummous, and the like. They also served Italian (which I thought was strange). Natalie wanted pizza. So we ordered a small cheese. That was the best pizza EVER! All the food was made fresh. Mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, and nice fresh warm pitas.

Then the pipe came out. It cost $20 and the kids chose lemon flavor.  It was not a harsh smoke. It went in and out nicely. It tasted like tea.
Fred and I can scratch that off our Bucket Lists. We have ALWAYS wanted to do it since we saw in on the tv show No Reservations.

The *You don`t give a shit so I don`t give a shit* budget!

*278*

As I was about to wash dishes for the 100k time...I realized something. One kid is upstairs watching Netflix on MYandFred`s new tv, and the other kid is watching Netflix on the downstairs tv. They are 22 and 17 and they are not planning on lifting a fucking finger. All last week I had to trek one kid places for work without a single solitary thanks. The other one wants take out food all the fucking time and if she doesnt get it..she gives me that look of hate.
You know what? I stopped washing dishes and came over here to the computer to write this. I need a new computer badly. I need to pay all my bills on time, and I need to stop hemorrhaging money..STAT!

  I have tried this before but it did not work. I am going to do this! I am going to piss off my kids! I am going to say NO NO NO!
 Starting this Tuesday (Yale on Monday), I am going to live and spend frugally.  No take out. No trips to the store. No $5 package of some shit she just has to have to cook some obscure recipe that she will probably never make again! NO MORE!
  This money is OURS...meaning ME and FRED.
I think I am pissed that I get no help at all but they expect me to jump through hoops to give when they ask. I am tired of being taken for granted and I dont care if they hate me!


Wow...I just continue to bitch.

According to my calculations, I can save $1200 a month. That is after bills, prescriptions, gas, groceries, and even a new car payment when we get one. So we/i/them blow all the friggin money on bullshit!  So this is what I am going to do. I will plan it out more today.

Roku makes me happy.

This is a Roku with remote

*278*

Did I mention the fact that our bedroom tv was shitting the bed? Yes? No?
  Fred watches football,  college basketball, and Pro basketball. We have to always have at least 2 televisions in the house just for this reason. The one in our bedroom was a heavy assed tubed 32 incher. It started doing this blinky shit about 2 months ago. It was tolerable up until these past 2 weeks. OMG! Black, screen, black, screen. You could hear the audio fine but if you watched anything with reds in it..it would blink faster. I could watch a whole black and white movie with no problems.  Hubs was running errands with his godmother on Friday and he pointed out in the store that we are going to be getting a new one soon. We just had to wait because this week was bill week. (every week is bill week). So she told him she was buying the tv! They went to several different stores and picked out a really nice one. I had no idea of this event until he walked into the house with a big 32 inch flat screen in a box. OUR FIRST FLAT SCREEN!  LOL I actually jumped! No more blinky tv! Woot! . I put it together right then and there. The damn thing only weighs like 6lbs. How sick is that? The one it is replacing weighs as much as a walrus.
 So anyway..remember I said that Fred won some money at the casino?? Yesterday he saw I was sad. He hands me some cash and tells me to spend it..retail therapy. I really did not want to go anywhere but after I did my rant on here..I decided I needed to stop being such a sad sack and spend that 50 spot!
 So I bought a Roku. <----click the link.
  It is really simple to set up. It works wirelessly (or even wired) through your internet. No cable needed. In fact, some people have this and they get rid of cable. I found it on sale at Best Buy for $79.  Sears has them for like $119.  You can probably find them even cheaper.
 We have Netflix. It is on our Wii system in the livingroom and Chelsea sometimes watches it on the computer. That being said..Fred and I hardly EVER get to watch it. EVER!
So I bought the Roku to go with the new tv. I have mentioned to my children that I may eventually get rid of cable and just have internet and netflix. But Fred likes Sports..so I dont know how that is gonna work out.
Very fun night last night. I watched some movies, in my bed. I was happy. I forgot about all the shit storm around me for a couple hours.
So think about a Roku.

Bad mood...do not read....I dont want to sound like a whiner

*277*

Slowly the funky mood crept in today. I have so much shit on my plate lately. I have to write an article that I said I would do today but that aint gonna happen. I still have to finish Fred`s paperwork for Yale. We are going there on Monday so I am not happy about that either. I have bills. I have two adult children that do not get the fact that money is tight. I was late again with the mortgage (had to fill the oil tank)..The dude sent back my check and wants me to talk to him. I got this today! So the office wont be open until Monday but I cant talk to him then cause I will be in New Haven!!! He is gonna want to know why I am always late. He will suggest we refinance and I will say NO. He cant really make me, it is a government loan. That is totally up to us. This dude just wants to yank my chain. I will just tell him that the economy sucks and we are slowly adjusting to living on less.
The house is a mess. And no one is around the help...ever!
Shit creeps up on me and makes me depressed. I have been fighting a strong urge to smoke. OMG! It is strong. I have not smoked and I am still strong enough that I will not..but it has been very hard.
Now you could say..well you should have not gone to the casino last night. Your right. We shouldn't have. But then what? We never get to ever have any fun?
If I wanted to pay all my bills every month and be free and clear..this would be a sad house. I would have to get rid of cable. I would keep internet cause I would just slash my wrists at that point. No outside food ever. No shopping unless it is for groceries. Nothing else. Just pay the bills. And do not drive around cause that costs money for gas. No entertainment what so ever. That would be amazing? Wouldn't it??
I already had to give up so much, let me give up the rest of my luxuries. No NY Post newspaper ($1).

 I am tired of having family say..Let`s go to the movies and YOU pay. We have to have dinner now cause I am sooooo hungry. Oh I dont have any money.

I think I am going to try an experiment......No spending for a month.

Things I will spend money on:

Bills, gas for car, groceries, prescriptions

Things I will not spend money on:

Newspaper, coffee, soda, bottles of water, pizza, take out, late night run to taco bell, anything at 7-11 that is not gas for car, gardening stuff, miniature stuff (yeah right..I had to give up spending on that hobby cause of money), etc etc etc.

Objective: To have both of my daughter`s uber pissed at me by the end of the month.

They will fight it tooth and nail. Especially when they find out that EVERY meal is going to be in house. When I was growing up, we rarely had take out. We might have a pizza or KFC (back when it was good) for dinner but basically it was all home cooking.

Wow..this is a long depressed rant. I hope nobody read this. I just had to let it out and there is no one to really talk to about it RIGHT NOW. I think that I should consider doing something along those lines. Farmer`s almanac said we are going to have a cold September and October. It is going to be a rough one. I need to think about that. I am also thinking about the fact that I have to go see my friend in Colorado in September. I have to still save money for that. The price of airline tickets doubled from last year. Ugh.
I will deal with the Mortgage dude on Tuesday. He will probably want some of my blood. He can have it.
I wish I had no worries right at this point. 

Foxwoods Date Night

*277*

We had fun. While walking through the casino to get to the restaurant, I stopped at a machine and I promptly won $50. That was dinner plus tip! I was already ahead of the game. That was the last time I won anything..ok I would hit like $1.00 here and there but that was it. Fred on the other hand walked away with a knot of cash. Fucker! Now I know what if feels like to be the loser of the couple. He is going to have play money but he is also going to pay the registration for both cars ($85 a piece).
  We had the BBQ Pork noodle bowls. They were extra big this time and we got small pots of spices to put in it.  LOVED IT! We didn't even talk when the food hit the table. All you heard was happy noodle slurping. I did take my insulin beforehand and I maintained a good sugar.
 We do not do the casino that much anymore because of the economy. We bring a small amount of fun money every 3-4 months. We eat and gamble. If we win, that is good. If we lose, we expected it. Back 10 years ago...I used the slot machines as a crutch because I was dealing with my illness and my mother`s illness and death. Over the years I find I can go with Fred, have a good time, and it does not pull me in. I have other outlets if I feel like life is closing me in. I used to go to GA too. Oooh! I am telling some truths. GA is Gambler`s Anonymous. I was really wrapped up in the slots. I did not lose our house but I made life miserable. Those days are gone...thank goodness.
 I have no idea what I am going to do today. It looks like rain. I wanted to get some flower for the porch baskets but I don't know. We will see....

It feels good....du na nu na nu na na

*277*

I wanted to let some of you know that you make me feel good. I just sit here at my Mac in the mornings (in my jammies and with coffee) just blabbing on and on about nothing. I do not know why I do this. I figured I would be writing for myself, so that I could look back at my progress. My own little computer diary. But I have found out from some of you that I actually inspire you.
Gives me tingles!
I think the fact that I am giving you the push to do something that you have been putting off has given ME the motivation to move forward also.
I will give you an example. A few months ago, I bought a sky blue sweater that was kinda snug. I had to have it and it was like $2 (salvation army) so it was no loss if I never fit into it. I do not like snugness in the big ole belly region. That is a lie. I will wear tighter shirts for sleeping in and hanging around the house. NO Tighties Outsidies for me.
 I had my white capri pants on this morning and I accidentally grabbed that sweater out of my drawer. I said what the heck. IT FITS!! It has a little extra room too!! It felt great and I did not feel awkward in it either. You know when you wear something and you feel totally like you MUST take it off cause you just do not like the way it feels on you?
It used to do that..and now it doesn't.
All of you out there (those that follow and those that dont) are helping me every day.
Your cheerleading has helped me realized that I do not have to be a sloppy frump anymore. My days of sacrificing for my kids are over. I am buying clothes (sales, clearance, salvation army, and goodwill). I am wearing colors. I am wearing skirts, and earrings, and dressy jackets. I am getting my hair did and my toes done. I want to look and feel better about myself. I still have depression. I can still crumble into a blubbering idiot of tears if the right subject is brought up..but otherwise I am doing okay.
 So as much as some of you say that I INSPIRE YOU...YOU INSPIRE ME!

It is Friday the 13th and Blogger is back!

 

 

Ocean Beach May 2011

*277*

If you put your nose close to the screen, you can see a seagull standing in the surf.  Yesterday I took the girls with me to the beach. I wanted to go because it was 4pm, I had sunscreen on, it was a windy but beautiful day, and I wanted to put my feet in the water.  We stayed for about an hour. It was nice sitting in the sand. The water was FREEZING! My feet had a hard time with the sand. I guess as I exercise those tendons, it will get easier.

This is a picture of the Gam building at the beach. They are renovating it. You may have a hard time seeing but the words Shore Dinners is posted up there after they sandblasted. I had to take a picture because it will be covered over and never seen again. A shore dinner consisted of a steamed lobster, boiled red skinned potatoes, corn on the cob, and some steamer clams. Really good stuff! I have not had a real shore dinner in a very long time.
  I was called a Bitch today and by a stranger no less. I went to our local Stop & Shop to do a weekly grocery trip. The place was PACKED! I have never seen it that busy on a Friday morning. Why? No blizzard or hurricane. Holiday is not for another week or so. There were two regular cashiers and a 12 items or less cashier. I stood in line (before getting to the belt) for about 25-30 minutes..NO exaggeration. Nobody behind me. I start loading my stuff on the belt and this woman walks up with like four items and asks me if she can cut me in line. Ummm. No. I politely said, that I stood in line for over 20 minutes and I am sorry to say this but No. Well, your just a bitch. Thank goodness for telling me something I didnt know. At least she didnt put FAT in front. Those would have been fighting words. I just smirked at her like FUCK YOU!! YOU GOTTA WAIT! Now, If I had not waited that long, I would have let her cut. She just did not want to wait like the rest of us. So I am a bitch. I figured it out. It is Friday the 13th.
 I have my ultra fabulous eyebrow waxing today at 4pm. I have been growing out my brows for 3 months now. They are not going to grow anymore. I am going to get an updated arch. I cant wait!
  Fred and I are going to be selfish tonite. He and I are going out on a date to Foxwoods. We are going to eat BBQ pork noodle bowls and do a bit of gambling. Hey, It is the 13th...maybe will win a jackpot!

My podiatrist is GORGEOUS!

I have an extremely high arch on left foot.

*277*

First off, that spot is no big deal. It was a blood blister that had popped. He shaved off the rest of it. He told me that I need to have my pedicurist do a better job on cutting my toe nails (They are too long). He shaved off some calluses. He gave me a prescription for a cream that will completely soften the calluses and then I go back in two weeks and he will just shave them all off. I CANT WAIT!! He told me that I have high arches. Very very high arches. My left foot has much less give then my right. That is why I am still in pain. I have to do some stretching exercises and wear arch supports. Oh and I have to buy new sneakers. He said it will never truly heal because of how tight the arches are on the tendons, but I can make walking of any kind (sport or just day to day) more bearable.
Otherwise my feet are good. Crisis averted! Woot!

Out out! Damn Spot!

 

*278*

As you know, I finally after many many years of avoidance..had a pedicure. A diabetic pedicure. I love it and my technician. He is very cool. Well, I went this past Friday to have it done again with a fresh new color. Love it! Pink Pink Pink! He noticed something that I had been looking at. It is a purple spot on the bottom of my left heel. It is small..maybe a bit bigger than a pea. I was watching it because about  3 weeks ago, I got some ink on my foot. Do not ask..LOL I thought it was a stain. It never went away. It has not gotten bigger though.
 So L, the tech, said that I should get it looked at. With having diabetes, My feet have to be taken care of. He said it looked like a plantar wart like he has had.  So I called this afternoon. They wanted to see me this afternoon at 3pm but I already had something I had to do..So I am going tomorrow morning at 9am sharp.  Let us hope it is no big deal. NO BIG DEAL!
 I do not want foot issues now.

Seriously to all of you..I am getting kind of scared and part of me wants to take drastic measures. There is this gastric bypass surgery that is done that actually makes diabetes go away. I am tired of feeling like crap and every time I turn around I got another thing wrong with me. I do not want foot problems. Foot problems lead to amputations, wheelchairs, be dependent, and nursing homes. NO NO NO! So I will just assume this is something that is an easy fix and go about my business but with a clearer picture of what my future could be.  FUCK! I do not want to have more foot problems.

I feel loved.

Fields of White

*278*

I just wanted to share this picture with you. Every year I go to a plant sale at Harkness Memorial State Park. I have gone for maybe 10 years now.  This is the field in front of the old carriage house where they sell the plants. I had to take a picture of it. Isn't it nice?

Bacon for Mother`s Day.

 

 *278*

That`s right. I got some bacon for Mother`s day. It was nice and crispy and made with love...by my husband. He and I went out to dinner last night for a pre-Mother`s day thing. I did not want to go out to eat today with all the grandmas with their Spring suits and corsages. So we snuck out last night, drove to Mystic, and had a nice Steak Loft steak. Yummy!

 So it is 953am and my darling daughters are still asleep. I have already washed some dishes and pans..to make it easier for Fred to cook our Mother`s Day breakfast. He called his Mother this morning and I have no idea what we are going to do today. I want some help with hanging a new smoke detector (ohhh so over the edge exciting!!!) or maybe we can finish priming our bedroom. We have not even come close to finishing that room. I want it to be done. 

   I was thinking about my Mother yesterday. She passed away 9 years ago at the age of 79 from complications of diabetes (type 2) and Parkinson`s disease.

  She was not a well woman for most of her adult life. She suffered from Bipolar disorder or back then it was called Manic Depression. It was unfortunate for her that she had to deal with that mental illness back in the 1950s-1970s. There was not much to offer in a way of help.

 So my childhood was not the best but I would not change a thing. It made me who I am. She took care of me. I was fed, clothed, cared for when ill, and brought up to adulthood. That is more then others can say. I knew she was not okay so I did not blame her.

I become sad on Mother`s Day. Not because I am forgotten or I did not get what I hoped for. It is just that I am 42 years old and I do not have a Mother. She is not there to answer questions.. "How long do you cook a 10 lb rump roast?" I have the same pain in the smart ass attitude that she had. The "I do not give a fuck what you think" way of living. I do care what people think but I can have days when I really do not give a fuck..hehehe

So today I am not going to give a fuck. It is MY day dammit. I am going to do and say whatever the hell I want to. Now I wonder what they got me for a gift????

Cinco de Mayo...also known as feed the need day!

 

*278* <----sustained for a week now..goodbye 80s

Cinco de Mayo  is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico, which occurs on September 16th.

  Now we all know (according to Wiki) what Cinco de Mayo is really about. It is not about gorging ourselves on mini tacos and doing tequila shots off of that hot dude or chic at the bar.  I will probably be making my standard carne asada. I know I have the meat but I do not think I have a lime. I will have to go pick some up. Maybe a couple tomatoes too so I can make some salsa.  I wonder if I have enough cheddar?  I am not really a drinker anymore. I used to be a major booze hound but not alcoholic territory. I knew when to say no. After I had kids and the years passed, I just did not really want it. I will occasionally get my drink on but those times are few and far between. Diabetes does not like alcohol.  If you are going to be out tonite drinking, Please be safe!

Two Astilibe and one forget me not

  I never did plant these yesterday. I was busy planting seeds and got side tracked. Then it started to downpour so I was done for the day. Today these pretties are going up those stairs behind them. In the shaded area to live a nice life in dappled sunshine. They will be happy, hopefully.
Oh I wanted to show you my free Earth Day tree from Lowe`s home improvement stores.....

Eastern White Pine

It is an Eastern White Pine tree. It has to live it`s life in a pot like this and then gradually it gets bigger into bigger pots. Then it goes into the ground. I will probably eventually plant it in the top yard in the back when it is old enough to handle being in the ground.  We will see if it survives the winter. I had wished for a fruit tree but you gets what they give ya.


 You will find that I will blab on and on about my gardening. Especially when the veggies start to come in. I get all excited over some produce! LOL I am truly sorry for that if it bores you to pieces. I just love to garden. I love that something that I put into the ground, prospered and came up to be something beautiful and edible and I did it organically. My dad had a veggie garden when I was growing up. We lived in an apartment in a big house. The landlady let him have a spot on the side. I think that is where the bug bit me when it came to plants. Before we owned a house, I had over 30 houseplants in my apartments. All different kinds that I pampered..LOL I have about.....10 now. three of them are cacti. I will always love it. I am no expert about stuff but if I know something, I will share. 
Okay, it is freaking cold in here! I have the kitchen window open behind me and my arms are cold. The temp outside says it is 59 deg F but I do not believe it. Feels colder. Brrrr!

Gardening and girls day.

Front and middle beds are mine

*280*

  It has been warming up enough for me to get out there and plant. I wanted to start you off from the beginning. I will take pics of things I am growing at the house too. These are my two community garden beds. I pay $20 a year for the use of the two of them. They are filled with loamy compost. I only have some onions that I wintered over from last year in the background. But in this front bed I planted two types of beets, spinach, bibb lettuce, mesculin, one lone broccoli plant (first time) and that is about it. I want to buy some tomato plants this weekend so that I can plant some in the middle bed. Not the whole thing because I want to make room for other vegs. No corn this year. It shadowed out my other plants.  Today I made a sort of string cage in the garden for the sugar snap peas I planted. I hope they do well because I really like them. My onions are growing and my Pak choy has a flower on one of the plants. I need to snip it. Never mind..I just read. It has bolted aka gone to seed. I guess those were not good. But I found out that growing pak choy from seed in your garden is best. i will let them go to seed, collect the seeds, and just do it by seed this time.
   Everything is so green and lovely in the yard. I try really hard to ignore all the things on the house that need to be fixed and just look at my plants and trees.

   Friday I made an appointment for myself and my friend made an appointment for herself to get our toes done. Pedicures! I am also going to finally give up the growing trend and have the eyebrows waxed. A. is a pedi virgin like I was. I told her not to worry. It will be all good.  This is a Mother`s day gift to myself just in case I get shafted. It has happened before. I have been forgotten on Mom`s day 2x and this is not when they were babies either! Grown teenagers. So no excuse. I am being proactive. I will just make myself happy.

Kittens!!!!

Four weeks old

Kittens!!!!! I am getting one of the orange ones and possibly the lone black one (that is not pictured). I do not care what Fred says..hehehe I want kittens and I want them NOW! Okay, I have to wait until they are about 10 weeks old. So I have until the end of this month. But I get to see them tomorrow. Yay me!

Dead Bin Laden and Orange Kittens

*280*

Bin Laden is dead. I am glad that he is gone because he was a terrible person. What worries me is what is going to happen now?
I have to say that I dislike that people are posting his dead face on Facebook but that is cause I am of the squeamish sort. Yuck!
I am a worry wart and anything can happen in regards to those that hate us infidels.


The crazy cat lady (she named herself) texted me to tell me that the kittens are four weeks old and we can come to decide which two do we want for ourselves. We are going tomorrow. I am so excited! I already told her that we wanted an orange one. As for the other, I do not know yet. We will either have two sisters or two brothers. I do not want no kittens being born at MY house. I will take pictures and post them tomorrow afternoon.
As for the picture...I dont know. I want to go swimming but it is still way too cold. Freaking May and I am wearing a sweater!  I have so many of these different vintagey pin up pictures saved so that I can use them for this and that. This one has been waiting her turn..so here she is. LOL

Clarifying and Cleaning and Weeding

*280*

No gym today! I am going to do work in the garden instead. I have gotten most of the leaves up from the side yard. I am saving the leaves up top because I am thinking of building a freestanding compost pile up there for the rich soil that I will get at the end of the year.
 I wanted to clarify something. I am not letting these kids run me over with a bull dozer in life. They do suck sometimes like most kids can be but all in all they are okay. I will come on here from time to time to bitch about them but that is because I really needed to let off some steam.
   Oldest does not make a living wage at her job. She just received more hours and benefits but still not enough to afford rent and utilities. All her friends that went to college are living at home because they cant find a job. She is one of the lucky ones. She will give me the money because she knows that right now, she has to. We could use the money to help pay the bills and she will be able to save for when the economy gets better. My youngest (and all kids her age) cannot find work at all. Connecticut is really bad. Not even working at Mcdonalds! Nothing. She is even willing to take out all her piercings! The jobs get snapped up by all the people that are losing their unemployment. So I am going to suggest that she volunteer. She wants to go to a place locally called Alliance for Living that helps people with HIV and AIDS. Chelsea did alot of volunteering before she got her job (which she volunteered at). It will good for Natalie to try different things out and see what she wants to do.
   We did not have the meeting last night. Fred got called into work and I want this to be a united front. So his next day off is tomorrow I think. I did talk to Nat this morning. I told her that until she can get a paying job, she will work in the house and help me keep it clean. She will be given a stipend for her work so she has some spending money. She has to really work..no slacking or no money. Plus if she volunteers at that place..it will give her some purpose. That newspaper article really bothered me that I talked about before. One of the boys used to live right down the street. I do not know the reason his family kicked him out but he is planning on living in a tent. Maybe he refused to get work, look for work, or help out any way he can until he found work.
 I read someplace that my generation over indulged, spoiled, and made lazy the kids coming up. They had everything handed to them. They had never had to really suffer or do without..until now. Some of them are rolling with it (like Chelsea), some took a little time getting used to the idea (like Natalie) and others just refuse to believe that they cannot get what they want! 
So Yes, I did do a disservice to them by not really forcing them to do chores and learn to cook early. Maybe because I did not want them to mirror the life I had. My Mom was sick and I had to do the cooking and cleaning (after my sister moved out).    Aint gonna happen easily. Natalie likes to clean but you gotta get her started to do it. Same with cooking. I will start her off. She is not clueless in the kitchen. She just needs to learn some recipes so she can feed herself.
Boy, I am defending them all over the place huh? I am not in any denial. I go to therapy. LOL These things I am talking about have already been discussed with my shrink. She agrees that as long as Chelsea gives us money and pay for ALL her own luxuries..I aint buying no more tofu!  (she already cooks her own meals and does her own laundry) and Natalie helps out till she gets work..there should be no reason why they cannot stay here until they can afford to or they find someone to live with.
 They both know that we do not want a couple 25 year olds living here. hehehe I just want to live a little bit more harmoniously in the house. If that can be achieved, then I am fine with us all helping each other out.
I got some kitchen cleaning to do. I did not clean up my mess last night in there and it is calling my name.

Budget meeting tonite

Depression Era Bread Line

*280*

I am sitting here eating pancakes and bacon. Yeah I know..Pancakes are bad. I am testing out the new insulin. I want to see if it does it`s job or not. It is 12:01pm but that is how we roll in this house. Late assed brunch on Sundays. The eggs do not get delivered until after 9am so that is how the meal progresses.  Egg delivery will be ending soon. He will be selling his eggs at Farmer`s markets and will not need the extra income of going to all the houses. I will miss him but my pocketbook will be a little fuller. His eggs are $4 a carton. They are so local I could go and watch them be plopped in the nest each morning if I wanted to. That is what you can FRESH! And I love them but it is just not feasible to continue to spend that amount (sometimes two dozen) a week on just eggs.
 We are having a budget meeting tonight with the girls. We are going to talk about money. As in Oldest is going to start paying us room and board every month, youngest is going to start cleaning the house to earn her keep and volunteer until she can find paying work, we are no longer spending money like we used to. Take out or Eating out will be reduced to once a month at the end of the month. Just once! No more taco bell, grinders, pizzas delivered for dinner or the like. All home made by the three women in the house. Natalie bitches that she does not like this or that..she is going to learn to cook now on a daily so that she can find things she likes that can be made.
There are an article in our local newspaper...front page..about the young kids (late teens and early 20s) that cannot find work, some are homeless, and eat at the soup kitchen. There were three kids featured. Natalie knew them all.  Two of the boys plan on sleeping in tents for the spring and summer. It clicked something in my head. We need to save money. Gas right now is $4.11 a gallon. Heating Oil was just as bad. We as a family need to start saving money because it could get worse!
 Budgetary wise we suck. We spend what we got and do not save shit. We do have 401k in place and that is multiplying but we have no rainy day fund. The WTF fund. I have done our budget, even adding a new to us car payment, and we can save $1000. So that is the plan. I am going to do my best to save save save.
 I am not a coupon person and I probably never will be. That is too much work for me. All I would do is spend time in front of computer printing thousands of coupons. No thank you! And they never have coupons on things like meat, butter, flour, sugar, or anything you can use to scratch make food.

So that is what is gonna happen. Hopefully there will be no tears...