Wednesday, Ads, Movie

 Wednesday, we both had a doctor's appointment. The podiatrist trims our toenails and tells us how our feet are doing. Tommy is treated to a vibrating trim. I hate it because it hurts me so. She just gouges, pulls, and digs out the ingrown toenails. I highly approve. Once that was done, I went to Lowe's to talk to someone about an electrician. She was not there. 

As soon as the doctor came into the room, she said, "Oh, you have lost weight!" No, I had not, not one ounce. It was the outfit I was wearing, the striped pants and top. They are tighter than when I bought them five years ago. Still, they are loose and flattering. I was pleased and flattered by her comment. Now, I need to lose weight. I have an event next year where I would prefer to be lighter

While walking down an aisle in Lowe's, I saw a man approaching that looked very capable. I stopped him and spoke. He said he was a carpenter but could put in a light fixture. Daddy could safely put in a light fixture, so I was going to let him. Tommy said no. So, the search is still on. 

I bought a medallion to put above the chandelier in the dining room. Tommy has an Auburn banner that needs a dowel to hang. I cannot seem to find a ready-made one. I can stain it, make a notch on each end, and attach appropriate cord to hang. He has had it ten months just folded up. And, he got to pick out his gift with no input from me. 

Today, the heat index was over 100F at 7 pm. I need to paint the mailbox and have the urge but not the motivation with the heat so high. There was no rain today, thankfully. I want to paint the post black and the box red. This is in prep for Christmas. Besides, no one else has a red mailbox on this street or anywhere nearby.

For lunch today, I ate a portion of the bscb with the last half of a tomato and a bit of MW. The tomato chopped was almost a cupful. Amazing. The tomatoes are huge and juicy. Also, I had a half of a banana. I was satiated until 5 pm. 

We cooked 6 bscb and I froze 3. We prepared carrots and potatoes. He put them in the chicken broth in the crockpot. Almost an hour later, they were still hard and we were hungry. So, they are in the oven now. 

We collected the three ads today. I shopped in The Pig and Publix. I found Special K cheaper than bogo at Public by shopping at the Pig. They forgot to give me my 5% discount for being a senior and shopping on Wednesday. I bought very little--Special K, bread, and discounted salad that looked very fresh. I bought bananas and ice cream at Publix.

It hurts Tommy to get in and out of the car so many times, plus walking in the store. I felt well, plus my hair was clean and I was dressed to go inside. 

We will go through the ads more thoroughly and make a list to shop further. I need to find bscb at a price that suits me. I still hope to find it for $1.99/lb. We still have some in freezer, but I need to keep the supply stocked. 

Inside The Pig was shocking. Almost half the store was torn apart while they are getting it ready for sharing the store with Ace Hardware. I wonder if they will cut down on the number of food items they will carry. 

Dinner tonight was chicken, carrots, potatoes. I also had five strawberries. 

Tonight, we watched The Manchurian Candidate, a real shocker. Have you ever seen this movie? 

Feels like temp on Thursday will be between 105F and 110F. Wow. 

The Pig in Cullman has an Ace section. It is not nearly as large as the one here. 

Did you ever see a man in Lowe's or elsewhere who just looked capable? 

Do you shop at a Piggly Wiggly where Ace Hardware is sharing the space?

Are you always on the lookout for cheap protein of choice? 

Tired Tuesday, Dogs

 This has been such a hot, hot day, muggy. However, it has been a pretty day, blue skies and lovely, fluffy, white clouds, a bit of a breeze. 

We got food for the five little girls. I bought 24-packs of crayons for 50 cents, five packs. We saw a woman crying and asked her what the matter was. She wanted to get food and was late to work on her bike! Poor woman. She told us where she worked because we were worried about her being late. So, we will go by and give her at least $10. She has a camper but no electricity. Poor lady. 

We went out looking at cars again. One was a good fit, but I looked up and saw the sunroof. No way. This wears me out. I am tempted to go get the two we saw that we both liked. 

Last night, I think I stayed up too late. I was ready for bed at 9 pm, but I wanted to see the news. At 10:30 I went to bed. I was asleep for a little over an hour. I got up and down for the bathroom. Then, I stayed up for two hours, then slept fitfully. My feet are so swollen from being in car so long. 

I still cannot find an electrician. All the places I contact are for "projects." They are commercial electrical companies. 

CEREAL 

I want cereal but won't pay $7.50 for it. I am waiting on a bogo price for Special K. There will be no Special K bogo this coming ad. Boo! 

I had the other half of the tuna salad with 1/4 slice of bread. That was to sop up the rest of the tuna salad. If I were more comfortable eating tuna, I could have tuna salad every day. Then, I had a little applesauce cup. 

There were turkey slices with Hatch Chili. It was good and then it was so hot! So far, five hours later, I don't seem to be affected with any gastrointestinal issues. But, I did pick off all the green stuff, chilis, I suppose. I can eat cayenne peppers so this is much milder. I cannot eat jalapeno peppers.

The guy came to pick up the food. I called him later. He was saying he went to trivia night. I asked him if he knew any afternoon trivia because we don't do night driving. He said maybe girlfriend and her mother would let us sit at their table. They could pick us up. I said I had a head full of trivia and so did Tommy. So, he was eager for us to go. No free anything for winning. That is okay for starters. I am excited.

We just put three small packages of chicken into the crock pot. It is late to start something that I don't want to cook all night. But my midnight it should be done, and it can be put into a glass storage container and into refrigerator. If I had not talked an hour and a half to that guy, it would not be so late cooking. 

Neither of us have eaten. Just now, I asked Tommy what he was going to have for dinner. Very discouraged, he said, "I don't know. I will just scrounge around until I find something to eat." Maybe I will cook a hamburger for him. 

I may have a tomato sandwich and some strawberries. I have had vegetables and other fruit already. 

After I called the police today at 5 pm and got nothing, I called back at 8 pm to get a different shift.  Dispatcher told me the animal control officer was emailed once yesterday and twice today. She did not know what he was doing that he did not pick them up. So, that's all I know. 

Once, an animal shelter was supposed to keep a dog for six months due to the owner's work out West. I told them how the guy treated the dog. A month later I called to check on the dog. Well, it appears he got loose and ran away. That was okay with me. I am certain that dog did not run away. Too bad someone does not steal this dog. 

Tommy reported his dinner plans. He shredded the remaining bscb, put it over the bit of leftover spaghetti noodles, and opened a can of spaghetti, put that over the chicken and noodles. I know he has two vegetables to eat with it, not sure what. He is getting very inventive with his meals. Four leftovers will be gone. 

I always tell him not to eat the bscb since I cannot eat some things. Tonight, I told him to eat the bscb since I did not want to do anything. He is also eating my share of frozen blackeyed peas. So, he is happy. 

I am so sleepy I can barely type, so I need to go to bed. 

Are you familiar with Hatch chilis?

Anyone want to steal a dog?

Do you just avoid buying something you want by waiting until a good price comes along?

w

Car and Nightmare

 Monday, I received a call from the dealership asking for Mrs. (my maiden name).  I was confused. They could not explain how they got my name. They asked what my last name was now. I just refused and asked what she wanted. The salesman wanted us to come in and talk with him. I checked with Tommy and said 1pm. We arrived and they wanted us to come inside. We would not and they were not happy. I was told to call a certain number for him. No, his number is not working. Finally, I got hold of the dealership and the guy said he would give him a message. 

This time, the salesman went to Tommy's window and said hello to us. He was not his cordial self as the day we talked with him. He seemed to want us to say something. It turned out (he said) that the company called us without reading his notes and comments. We said an unfriendly goodbye and left. 

I think they are jerking us around, thinking they could act interested and we would jump through their hoops. 

We talked it over and think we might just go ahead and put down a substantial amount and get the cars. I know that is foolish. But, you don't know how tired I am, and Tommy gets exhausted, too. It takes him longer than it does me. Maybe not. Maybe we will still shop.

The electrician will not pick up the phone or call back. Dirty word to him. 

Tommy just looked out the door, but not the storm door and I heard a long grunt as he closed the door. I asked him what the matter was. He said, "It just looks hot." 

I went to bed again before 10 pm, woke at 2:30 am having a horrible, long-lasting nightmare that left me really shaken, went back to sleep at 6 am. I left a note for Tommy to wake me at 9 am. I thought I had a doctor's appointment today! It looks like I am back to sleeping at night again. 

This Holter Monitor is annoying me. It itches. I have another eleven days to go. 

Last week when I talked to the city about the yard and abandoned dogs, I said, "Oh, by the way." Then I told her about the weeds that obscure the view leaving the Publix parking lot. A few days later, the city had mowed the right of way at the house near the exit. I also told her about a coil of what appeared to be line from a tv cable service. She told me I would have to call the internet companies and find out who left it there. 

It is attached to an electric pole, attached at the top. I said it seemed dangerous for the children I had seen touching it. If a child died, I would notify the authorities I had voiced my concern. Well, it was gone, too. There is still a coil attached to the fence. I will have Tommy cut it off to throw away. Children have been known to accidentally hang themselves. 

The yard next door is back to almost the same shape as before--tall grass and even taller weeds. The vines covering everything are recovering, too.  And, we saw the big dog after hearing it barking. ah woo! ah woo! What kind of dog is that? I suppose it is spending time in a doghouse that is moved so it cannot be seen from the road or our yard. 

Has anyone worn a Holter Monitor? Did it make your chest itch?

Flooding, Deluge, Electrician, Cars

                                                                 Better goose picture

 Friday, cleaner came. Tommy made the spaghetti sauce from a box with my direction. It was delicious, but I had no Kraft's Parmesan in the green container. So, I had to eat freshly grated Romano. It was disappointing without cheese I wanted.

The cleaner was here with fresh surgery for her trigger thumb.  I never knew it had a name, but I had the same condition. I just slammed my thumb against my leg to loosen it so it would bend. It horrified her to hear it. It shocked other people, too, when I did this. 

Saturday, Tommy and I made a little progress with getting things out of the way so the electrician could put up three fixtures. I went to bed at 8:30, around the time I would have posted. Of course, I only slept until 2:30. I think I finally went back to bed around 4 am and woke at 9 am this morning, Sunday. 

I did not nap Friday, Saturday, or Sunday--amazing.

Tommy and I took things off the table behind sink, in window and both sides of the sink. We sat and waited, and the electrician never came. No response to my calls. I am so frosted over this. Just before 1 pm today, Tommy could not find the third fixture. So, we went about 4 to Lowe's, one that has better help and selection, I hear. 

As we went South, it appeared a storm was brewing. I told him to get off at University drive and it would be easy to turn around. NOOOO, he knew an easier place to turn around about five miles south, right into the storm. We could barely see to drive. Then, when he turned to go home, the storm was worse! We finally got back to our Lowe's and I bought a fixture and bulbs. We wanted bread, so went to Publix the long way! The rain was coming, so I just said to go home without bread. 

Tommy said he would go in. The rain got worse and worse! Finally, he came out with a guy holding an umbrella over the two of them. The rain was so severe that we could not see through the windshield as we sat. Out the side windows we could not see out of the parking lot. We sat for one hour. He was so wet and cold that he used a piece of material to keep him warm and we turned off the ac.  It was barely sprinkling when we decided to come home. 

On the way home, we passed over a drainage ditch/creek that usually has about a foot of water. Now, it was up to the bridge over five feet higher. It was scary. The entrance to the neighborhood was flooded with maybe ten inches of water. Thankfully, our neighborhood is higher. On the crawl at the top of the TV screen, Hueytown was listed as a place with danger of flooding. I have never seen this town listed in flood warnings. 

We still have not gotten our purchases from the car. Oh, I bought one under-the-counter light. If I like it, we will get one more. 

Saturday, I wanted a BLT. I had one and then the filling for another. It was all so delicious. Today, that is why we wanted bread--so we could have another BLT. Bacon is all eaten, but we have delicious tomatoes that will make a great tomato sandwich. 

Now, we need to find two more cars like the one place had that we wanted. However, I will not sign in and give my name, address, zip code and phone number to look. 

It is almost 9 pm, and I think I cannot stay up one more minute. Tomorrow, I will tell you about the cardiologist visit. 

I am still fretting over those two cars. We could knuckle under and buy them, but I don't want to do that. Should I give in and not get anything off, and just buy them? 

Tomorrow, I will search for new electrician. Plus, we need to move things so we can function in the kitchen. I will press on with the car search. 

Are you watching the Olympics? 

Duck, Duck, Geese and Car Dealer

 

These four concrete geese are dressed for every season. I did not take this picture. There are more, but I am too tired to post them. Maybe one of the others of  single goose will be better. 

Today, I went to cardio and talked to two nurses. I received the Holter monitor and found out important things about my heart condition. Too tired to type it. 

We went to a car dealership to buy two cars. They would not come down a dime on the listed prices. So, that is that! We will keep trying. 

Dinner was spaghetti that Tommy made all by himself. I told him what to put in but did not step foot in the kitchen. 

Thursday night, I went to bed at 8:30 pm, so tired I could barely walk. I woke at 2:30 am, stayed up until 4 am, and then slept until 8 am. 

After that, we went to dealer,  came home and cleaner came for two hours. 

This post has not been edited. 

Shouldn't a dealer come down some on listed price on a used car? 

Locked In! Locked Out! It was Costly

 Wednesday night, I went to bed but could not sleep. I could not get comfortable. I had a knot on the back of my head. No matter which side I lay on, it hurt. Plus, I had a 'place' on my back that hurt. Then, I had to go to the bathroom. I heard Tommy making an unidentifiable noise. 

When I came into the living room, he had four garbage bags of recycling. He was sorting the bag of plastics. I sat down to talk since I was not sleeping. 

He tried to open the door. We were locked in! He tried to take it apart, but the deadbolt was in the door frame and would not move. I was not sleeping in a house I could not leave in case of a fire. Yes, there is a back door, but it is five feet down and scary steps, no railing. He called a locksmith. The nicest man showed up about 2:30. He had trouble getting the deadbolt out, too. But, he had knowledge and tools. 

The biggest surprise of all--he had a replacement deadbolt in his vehicle. He got it back together and tried to send a receipt to my email. Finally, he went out and brought one back in. That was $275 for the call. I apologized to him for getting him out in the middle of the night, forgetting that was his job. 

Since being locked inside was high drama for me and him, too, I suppose, we were not sleeping. I think we went to bed just before five. Just before 7 am, I heard an awful noise that sounded like metal scraping on the asphalt right outside my window, except there is no asphalt outside my window. I ran to look out the fanlight. It was a piece of equipment digging in the yard across the street and down one house. This house has had plumbing problems for about four years. It seems they are always digging1 somewhere in the yard. It is a rental, so I wonder. I imagine they will be back early tomorrow! GRRR

I was up with less than two hours sleep. I let Tommy sleep until 11 am and turned on the news. Around noon we went to Publix and The Pig to buy items on sale. Tommy had loaded the recycling into the back, but he did not send anyone out to collect it. I asked someone to carry it in. We are rid of those at last. This city does not recycle. 

I added more turkey to my leftover salad. The salad greens were soggy, but I didn't care. I feel horrible and just wanted to eat something healthful, followed it with strawberries. 

Tonight about 5 pm, I finally put color on my hair. About 2 inches was grown out, meaning I had a four-inch wide patch right on top of my head! It was disgusting. 

Speaking of disgusting, Tommy bought some Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale. 

I have only been locked inside the house once before. I managed to get the lock unstuck then. I would have hurt myself trying to get out the door and down the steps. Tommy said he hung onto the screen door handle and eased himself down the steps until he could touch the utility room wall and then hung onto the door and wall to get the rest of the way down. 

Too tired to go on. Knot on head hurts. 'Place' on my back hurts. Going to bed.

Have you ever been locked inside your house? How did you get the door open?

Haave you ever tasted Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale? Did you like it? 

Plans

 Tommy saw two small birds swoop in and sit together on one end of the porch. One bird flew away from the house. The other bird flew to the direction of the birds in the flowerpot. He said she had food in her mouth. So, the little birdies are still there and doing well. I will get a bird house before next spring that will suit her for more babies. 

We left this noon to go and get the ads. It only sprinkled a bit, but we did not shop, just came back home. Tommy immediately looked over the ads and made a list. 

I have been using a bottle of Italian Dressing, Kraft, I believe. It has been too tangy for me, so it has been eaten slowly. Yesterday, it was almost empty. Today, I poured olive oil in it to break the tanginess that chokes me. It was still too tangy. I think the time has come to make my own dressing! Maybe tomorrow. 

I have felt well today, not shaky, getting my own food, and making plans instead of just sitting and trying to exist. Last night, I went to bed around 9:30, woke at about 2 am, went back to bed at 4am, and woke aat 9:30 am. It is amazing what a good night's sleep will do for mind and body. 

Tonight, I made a salad of the rest of the bagged salad, put a bit of grated cheese, and olive oil on it, plus a little bit of turkey, and a whole tomato. My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I also have strawberries to eat afterwards. I suppose what I cannot consume will the a snack later. 

I finally contacted the cleaner. She has not answered the phone. Well, she had surgery on her thumb. She had a trigger thumb. She might be here Saturday. I promised her light work and she can just not do anything that will bother her. I need her to dust and not pick things up, just dust around things I would normally have her pick up to dust underneath, get something down from tall cabinet. She is 5'11". 

Install my printer, show me how to send picture from phone and my camera to computer. Put a thing under the bulb by the door so it comes on automatically at night. Remember, she is tall. Straighten top of my dresser. There is two hours of stuff to do here that will not hurt her hand, hopefully. Oh, stuff needs to be moved from table in dining room so that electrician can get to the light fixture. 

I have installed every printer I have ever had, but this is in a location where I cannot stand and bend to do so. I do need a stool on wheels with a lock for the wheels. 

This tomato is delicious. Tommy cannot stand the seeds and the membrane around them. To me, that is the best part! That is why I like home-canned tomatoes.

He stays in the kitchen four or five hours a day. Tonight, I missed him and asked what he was doing. He was checking to see if some dark rolls were out of date. They were frozen. I took them, smelled to see if they smelled fresh--no moldy smell. Then, I checked each roll for signs of mold. He is cooking them. Then, I will put most of them in freezer bags. When I buy a loaf of bread. I put two slices in freezer bags. It is good to have frozen buns or rolls, or slices of bread. It saves a trip to the store. The Aldi rolls were delicious!

Someone in a comment asked me how much cheese I eat in a week. I finally know. I ate three pounds in eight weeks. I ate 6 ounces each week. Is that a lot? I just finished the three pounds, and just in time, the regular pack is on sale. We may shop tomorrow. I eat more cheese when I make pimiento and cheese. 

I forgot to make squash casserole or freeze squash!  Maybe tomorrow. I will slice one to put in the leftover salad I finally put in the refrigerator. I like raw squash in a salad.

Dogs are still here. Tomorrow, I will call humane society. The city is only removing them to mow the grass. I am afraid they will just put them back.

Maybe we will have a BLT tomorrow. Right now, I need to make a list from the three stores' ads.

Do you like raw squash in a salad? 

Do you like the seeds and squishy membrane around the seeds? 

Is six ounces of cheese too much to eat in one week?