A Neater Way to Shred + DQ Coma

When I have mail with my name all over it, I do not want it in the trash. A plastic bag served to put things with my social security number and address in. Sometimes, I can just cut or rip off the address, not often.

The plastic bag was unwieldy, often spilling because it was slippery. Then, I switched to a paper grocery bag. That was large. I was not happy with the situation. Friday, I found a neater way.

As I was going through recent junk mail and things from the pharmacy, I decided to use a pharmacy bag for storing paper that needed to be shredded. It is about a foot long and five inches wide, meant to hold meds from the WM pharmacy when I pick it up.

Envelopes fit neatly inside. There is a gusset that will allow expansion. I can also drop the bits of envelop with my name when the rest of the envelope goes in the regular trash. I did compost but now I don't. I should!

I know this is one tiny "thing," but in these few days, it has simplified my life. I can keep the pharmacy bag close which allows me to use it often. With the plastic bag and paper grocery bag, they had to be out of reach. The passenger seat in the car has envelopes I take from the mailbox and leave there. This way, I can keep another pharmacy bag in the front seat, and place sensitive information envelopes into in immediately after getting the mail. Most days, if I go out in the car, I stop and get the mail on the way out. I rarely carry junk mail into the house.

Since the last free shredding event, I have been working on having all the things that need to be shredded ready instead of having to search at the last minute for all the envelopes I had not put in the trash. Plus, I will no longer have my address on tiny scraps that slip to the floor.

I decided against a shredder. They seem to burn out too quickly. For the same price, I purchase on sale at Lowe's a fire pit. I really don't want to deal with fire because I fear fire since my house burned when I was four-years-old. I wanted exbf to burn things. He did not. I don't know why. But, I do not now trust his ability to deal with stray fire. He might fall into the pit with his limited mobility.

We cannot have a burn barrel or open fire in the city.

I predict less mess, less stress with this new method. Do you have a shredder or another means of dealing with sensitive information?

Sunday afternoon, I decided a small chocolate cup of ice cream from Dairy Queen was just what I needed. So, I went the mile there, paid my money and waited at the window to get my order. The woman leaned out smiling with something that was not chocolate ice cream. She asked me if I wanted a banana split, too. Wary, I said, "Yes, but why?" It seems the car before me had asked for no whipped cream and they had to remake the order.  I didn't want the whipped cream, either, so I dipped it off.

I sat in a parking space at a park on the way home and ate the banana split. At home, I got the melty stuff off the cup of chocolate ice cream and put it in the freezer for tomorrow.

Since I had not had my two slices of bread today, I decided I would skip them. The rest of the evening will be devoted to vegetables, mainly leafy green vegetables. As it is, I feel like I am slipping into an ice cream coma.  

Monday, Aldi, Ice Cream on a Stick, Nails, Etc.

After trying to determine which day this week was safest for exbf to drive up here, we decided on Monday. So, he picked me up and we went about doing a few things. He drove up to the lake here in town and we just looked about from the car. Even if we both walked just fine, it is hot and there are mosquitoes. I had him drive around a new building and explain things to me.

I walked into Aldi's to get chicken at a cheap price. But, there was none. The only thing I got was a huge tomato just in case my tomatoes had gone south. This trip, I managed to work the cart, getting it loose with my quarter and retrieving the quarter easily. Too many people had "helped" me the other times.

Remembering I needed shredded cheese, I went to a store where I shopped yesterday and got more hot dogs and cheese. At Walmart I tried to return my Flonase as it was recalled. Okay, just not this brand. I turned in prescriptions that needed a refill.

You will be proud of me. Although it almost killed me, I went into Dollar Tree. I wanted a pen to put fireworks on my nails. Well, the places I looked before today had nothing for nails that was under $7. I found a little $1 polish with a pointed brush for painting on nails. I don't think I am capable of drawing on my nails. Since I don't need fireworks on my nails until the 10th, I have time to practice.

Thinking I could at least draw straight lines, I was going for something simple like a burst of fireworks. It's hard to do and I make the lines too thick. I have never drawn on my nails before.

We had ice cream on a stick for $1 from the Dollar Tree. They are usually $2 in a service station, OR you have to buy a whole box at the grocery. I refuse to pay $2 or buy a whole box. For $2, someone has to drive a cute musical truck to my street.  I was hurting too badly to go around the store and look at more.

We had BLT for lunch. He loved the pre-cooked bacon and said at Sam's Club, boxes about 2' x 8" of cooked bacon were available.

Dinner was steak marinated in the Mesquite marinade along with potatoes cooked with it in a turkey bag. Carrots were cooked in the crock pot. I forgot to make slaw.  I had one bite of the steak and one-half of a potato.

I bought the 5 lb. bag of carrots a month ago and I STILL have carrots. Tonight, I will put the rest in the still warm crock pot and freeze some for him. Plus, I still have a 2 lb. bag I just got.

He took home: 4 pint freezer bags with steak and potatoes, huge bag of half-cooked carrots, orange, strawberries, rest of huge tomato, box of assorted Quaker assorted hot oat cereals, 4 huge pretzel rolls. There was not much steak in each bag, but I had asked him whether he would rather have lots 2 or just enough in 4 bags and showed him what I was giving him. He said he can open a can of peas and have plenty to eat.

After the next carrots are done, I have lots of chicken to put in the crockpot.

Since I actually had a good night's sleep last night, I don't feel so exhausted. For once, I actually turned off the light and could sleep.  Thankfully, I feel much better than I did several days last week.

Today has been a rainy day in Alabama, just not everywhere. It rained here for fifteen minutes. No complaints!

Do you still like ice cream on a stick? I love a chocolate eclair, fudgesicle, and banana Popsicle. What ice cream on a stick do you like?