I Was Born At the Wrong Time

I was not made for smart phones or texting.
I was not made companies keeping you on the phone for ten minutes punching buttons just to get to a live person for one should be simple question.
And once you get to a live person, they ask you all the questions you had to type into the phone.
And you can barely understand them.

I am tired of companies robo calling me.
But, I also miss when dr.'s offices would call with a reminder.
Most don't anymore.
The ones that do have gone to automated messaging.
I think I would rather have no call.

I hate self-checkout.
Someday every place will be that way.
Like full-serve and self-serve gas.
Let's just do their work and pay the same amount of money.

Except at first, self-serve gas was cheaper.

Stretchy jeans are the bane of my existence.
If I had no butt, I would buy men's jeans.
They don't have to put up with them.

I miss cash.
You know that green stuff that some places don't accept anymore?
I find it nice to have a big wad of cash.
Actually, I assume it would be nice.

But, if I were born in a different era, I'd probably know.

You can argue that I would make less, but we all know that argument is invalid.
Wages have been stagnant for years.

I am not sure when would be a good time for me.
I just miss simplicity.

For The Spark Butt

 

 I don't know if you have seen my post regarding Sparkle, aka The Spark Butt. This is her being all Batman like.

Sparkle has always been special.

Special, as in short bus special.

But, also special in that she showed smarts when you least expected it and she would follow people around wherever they went.

Sparkle came to us by way of a family friend.

She was born in a hay loft and at the ripe old age of three days, she wondered away and almost fell out of the loft.

She got rescued but the momma cat rejected her because of human contact.

So, she was brought to us.

Look at how little she was. We had to get medicine to keep her eyes open and feed her with a bottle. She slept with a beanie cat and a heating pad.
She would crawl inside my slippers and get snug and very stuck.

After a couple years in the house, she went to live outside and she did remarkably well.
Didn't go after birds, but she ate her fair share of bugs.

Our other house cat always hated her, but she made friends with a few other tuxedo kitties outside.

Her current buddy is Minnie. They'd get into it, but for the most part were buds.

Sparkle was found dead Friday night. Not sure how she died, but she has left a void.
She was ten.

She drove us nuts, but she could always make you smile.

Minnie is very sad. She knows and came over when we buried Sparkle.

Sparkle was great.
She bounded after people and lapped up water like a dog.
She loved climbing ladders and nuzzling.

So long, Spark Butt!

 

Needy or Mentally Ill

Last night I watched Criminal Minds.
I love that show!

But, the show was about a selfie killer.
Reid said something interesting.
There have been studies showing that selfies are linked to mental illness.

I had a thought.
I am gonna have to look that one up.
And it's true.
Check it out~

A few months back, I went to a funeral and the pastor said that "Selfies are selfish".
They seem a bit self-absorbed, but I wouldn't quite go to selfish.

The occasional selfie is understandable, but the need to continually take them seems a little over the top.
Or, one could say needy, sad, or the rather harsh mentally ill.

The article states a lot of selfie takers have BDD or body dysmorphic  disorder.
I know a lot of people that seem to just want attention.

"You look hot!"
"How beautiful."
"Oooh, you're sick. Sads."

That is another thing.
Why does anyone take a picture of themselves when they are sick?
I don't get it.

Maybe that is the mentally ill part of all of it.

Selfies need rules.

If no one is available to take your picture, a selfie is OK.
If you are sick or making a duckface, a selfie is NOT OK.
.
If it is a once in a while thing, a selfie is OK.
If you just took a selfie in the last hour or two AND posted it, posting another selfie is NOT OK.

And for the love of all that's holy, do not selfie while eating food. That is never OK.

Making My Own State

The Wednesday after an election is always interesting.
There is a lot of  "This sucks!" and also a lot of "In your face!"

I am so over this crap.
People go back and forth between parties.
It's like they are little kids on a swing set.
Back and forth and back and forth.

Red state.
Blue state.

Who freakin' cares?
Does it have to be all about the party?
It shouldn't be, but it is.

Even George Washington said a two party system was not a good thing.
But, he's dead so what does he know, right?

My governor, Terry Brandstad got reelected.

He is known to me, unaffectionately, as The Chipmunk. Tell me those cheeks don't scream chipmunk.
There are better pictures, but I couldn't find them right now.
My dad calls him Bumstead or Braindead.

Next, we have King Turd. Excuse me, Steve King.

He got reelected too.

Obviously, I am not a fan.

But, what I want to know is why everyone cries and whines about nothing changing in Washington and we need to throw them all out.
But, not their guy. He can stay. He is not the problem.

Then, there is Joni Ernst. You may have heard of her. Jimmy Fallon mentioned her hog castration ad on his show.


I didn't vote for her. Or Bruce Braley.
But, what she has going for her is that she is a change.
For better or worse, it remains to be seen.

But, because I am sick of being labeled red or blue or conservative or liberal, I have decided to grant myself state status.
Make my color a lovely tie dye in rich vibrant tones.
If you vote straight party, you can't come in, cause that is just stupid.
Be an independent thinker.

Are You All Still With Me?

So, it has been awhile since my last post.
Not sure how long because I didn't check.
But, Blogger has changed a little on the posting page so...
Well, ya know.

I did complete my jury duty early.
It took all day to select the jury so the lady said we could consider that duty fulfilled.
I did not get picked.
Obviously, when you know people that have been convicted of sexual crimes and people that have been the victim of a sexual crime, that pretty much means serving on the trial about sexual abuse is not going to happen.

Kiddo got her driver's license.
Hello, Chauffeur!

I've been working on some ways to make some extra money til I can get something steady.

I am working on getting things done with stuff from the garden.
I still need to get herbs to dry and cook up my long neck pumpkins, and finish digging sweet potatoes.

I suffered a setback healthwise, so I am off of refined sweeteners for no.
I tried the low/no sugars, but I lost weight I could not afford to lose.
Just gotta get my body back into balance.

So, that's it.
Now, I gotta go puree some pumpkin.

It's a Whole New Week

What do Internet Explorer 6, Windows 98 SE, and 2014 internet have in common?

You guessed it. Not too damn much.

Last week was the week my computer died.
My seven year old computer with pictures I had not yet moved to the portable hard drive.
My seven year old computer with my finished Yummy stuff book and the start of a second.

A big bolt of lightning hit and came in through the phone line frying the modem and the computer.
It wouldn't come on.
I still have to see if the hard drive is recoverable.
Cross fingers.

Luckily, we had another modem since we were doing an upgrade in service and had to get a new one.
That meant my daughter could use her laptop.
Once I was able to activate the new modem/service/ whatever.
Which has to be done by computer~not laptop.

Enter year 2000 computer.
I got that hooked up and online.
The tech had to help me because apparently computers can be too old to do much of anything.

But, I got connected.
That is about as far as it went.
Every site- You are using an unsupported browser or windows version. You need to update.
Like it is that easy.

That version of windows was not made for newer versions of IE or Firefox.
I didn't bother checking on Chrome.

The amount of storage or RAM needed for a new version of windows was not happening on that thing.

But, I got this great idea for a blog post and thought, " I can write it on Blogger-it's text".
So, I get up and turn on my decrepit old computer and wouldn't you know it?
The monitor wouldn't turn on.
The on/off button decided it was done.

I had been having trouble with it for a while.
Apparently, I was the only one.
Everyone else seemed to have no clue what I was talking about when I mentioned it was getting hard to get on and off.

So, I guess my computer with floppy disk slots and just two USB ports is not worth using as a backup.
IE didn't even come with tabs. Internet browsers without the ability to upgrade and open new tabs.
How did we manage?

We went the week without.
Saturday we went and got a laptop.
Kiddo was impressed by the beats audio.

Down the road we will get another desktop and a power strip that will protect phone lines as well.

In other news, Kiddo is now officially a non-kiddo..
Yep, I am the mother of an adult.
My baby is now 18.
Where does the time go?

It Came Back To Me

Strangely enough, no one seemed to want to buy the name Ruthsyummystuff.com.
So, I got it back today.

It is not on blogspot.
So, I will be doing a lot of recipe moving in the near future.

But, I got it back.

I am very happy about this.

So, I Pissed Off a Nurse Today

But, you just don't keep trying to get me to agree to something after I have said NO several times.

Remember when you went to the doctor for a diagnosis and a course of treatment was recommended, not pushed on you?

That was a really long time ago.
Even in those days, it took a certain kind of doctor or nurse to be fine with you choosing not to do what they wanted.

I have a brain.
It works.

I even told the nurse why and she didn't seem that concerned.
Her thinking was a different brand of the same type of drug.
Why should I expect differently?
After all, a few months ago, the doctor told me that I wasn't supposed to read the side effects because they are just made up by lawyers.

The medication was supposed to be for my husband so now I get to explain to him that I pissed off the nurse.
He'd rather just take the script and just not take the meds.
I prefer to just tell them, no- not happening.

The end all be all should NOT be "I'll take a pill for that".
And if that pill causes something else, lets just take a pill for that.
And on and on and on.

Ten Things Tuesday- I Was Thinking

I seriously don't know how some people do it.
I never seem to get everything done that I want to.

I am in the midst of a cucumber crisis.
Too many cucumbers and there is only so many pickles and relish one person can make or eat.
People want garden veggies, but they don't want to come out and get them.
If I plant them,take care of them, and pick the fruits, the least the person wanting them can do is come get them.
I am so over dropping them off at people's houses.
Lazy butts.

Anywho, most of the rock garden is done.
I am short a few buckets of rocks though.
It still looks pretty good.
Instead of buying rock, they are all rocks that we have gathered so it is pretty special.

I've picked sweetcorn and froze some and picked my first black beans ever.

But, enough of that.
On to Ten Things Tuesday. I haven't done one of these in several weeks and I thought it was time.
This week it's on things I wonder and think about.

1. Does anyone else hear ISIS and think of "Archer"?
     Do they wonder if he has his tactile neck on? ("Archer" is a show on FX and he works for ISIS)

2. Why does the news do live shots at night from places like cornfields and courthouses?
     Nothing is happening and as the lovely reporter said only yesterday that "it is still dark out". Really? It's 10 at night and dark out? Weird.

3. Does anyone else have to look up initialisms and acronyms?
     Can people say what they mean? My sister wrote gd&r at me yesterday and I had to look it up before I answered her. By the way, it means grins, ducks, and runs.

4. Is there anything duct tape can't do?
     Really, I'd like to know.

5. Why does the US government get all bent out of shape because Russia won't buy ractopamine laced turkey, beef, and pork but turns around and sanctions Russia when they act how we don't like.
     I believe they have effectively shown that they don't need to buy our stuff and in some cases won't. But, good on you, government.

6. Why do so many people regard Islam as the most violent religion and yet Christianity and Catholicism is the most peaceful?
     Back when there was a little thing called the Crusades. Not exactly peaceful.

7. Why can't I have a better choice for Senate then Joni Ernst and Bruce Braley?
     I never was a big fan of his and she is not a prize. Her first campaign ad was about growing up castrating hogs. Not only was the ad just awful, it was incorrect. If one knows anything about castration, they knew you don't castrate hogs, you castrate piglets.

8. All those cute little sayings about everything in life is a choice and choosing to be happy is crap.
     Someone decides if you get a job somewhere and if you get to continue to work there. Even if you are a good worker, you can be downsized. If someone you loves gets hurt or dies, I don't believe you can just choose to be happy about it.

9. Processed cheese food should be renamed Not Really Cheese.

10.  When you watch or hear an ad for some type of medication, do you wonder why the list of side effects is a lot longer than the benefits?

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Have a great Tuesday!

Changing Times

I've been so busy lately.

Not much to report on the job hunt. I did find out there is a vanpool that goes from town to Des Moines. Hoping to find more details and maybe other locations.

The rain stopped and the garden dried hard as a rock.

Kiddo and I were able to powerweed until the ground baked and the weeds could not be pulled.

I've been making pickles.
My zucchini is starting to produce a lot.

Honeyman and I have started a new landscaping project.
Kiddo has a playhouse that we plan to turn into a chicken coop.
There are rocks around the playhouse so we are moving them and making a rock garden around the A/C unit outside.

I am also really learning to go over labels with a fine tooth comb.
I normally always have and stayed away from certain things.
But, things I didn't know I needed to look for really are what I do.
I went to truthinlabeling.org and printed out a list of alternate names for msg.
I've been making my own salad dressings and I will have to find other toothpaste or make my own.
My vitamins aren't even safe. Which would account for the reason that they really didn't give me any more energy and in fact made me more tired. And they are whole foods vitamins too.
I found out that I ate and drank a lot of stuff with msg and that accounted for my big reaction.
I accidentally drank some on Saturday and now my tongue went numb and now it is all irritated like I burned it.
I will get the hang of this.

Saturday was my family reunion.
We came home with a bunch of gluten free crackers, no one wanted to take home.
A couple kind have maltodextrin(msg) so they are for Honeyman. But, a couple other kind are OK.
Oh, and it was nice to see everyone.

Kiddo is a senior.
Already registered.
She wants me to take her senior pictures.
I don't know if I should be flattered that she has faith in me.
Considering the fact that she hates her picture being taken, she probably just doesn't give a shit.
Just have Mom do it and get it over with.

Have a great day!

But Why

Mother Nature...
Where to start?
She just needs to stop with the rain.
Not forever.
Just, let my garden dry out.
I have algae growing out there.

I got jury duty.
As you recall, transportation is an issue for me.
This is gonna be fun.
Not to mention, the whole looking for a job thing.
Chances are, it will take me a while to find one so do I take a job knowing I might have to take off right away?
Would I even get hired knowing that is a possibility?
How would I set up an interview if the court decides I will have to go in?
I am all for doing my duty.
Timing could be better.

Now, it seems I have developed some sort of food allergy.
I have not pinpointed it yet.
I will probably have to get tested for sure.
All I know, is certain foods are making my mouth go numb and my throat swell a little.
At first, I thought vitamin B-12 deficiency.
That can cause mouth problems.
So, I started taking vitamins and I wondered when I'd quit getting numbness in my mouth.
Fast forward to this week-end.
I eat some Cheetos and I lose all feeling in my tongue and my throat swelled a bit.
Maybe I should have gone to the ER.
But, I could breathe so...
So, Cheetos are out.
I barely have them, but it makes me sad.

I am leaning toward dairy or MSG as the cause.
I have always had some problems with milk, but just phlegmy after drinking and getting really cold.
But, the last month or two, I have been getting numbness and now the throat problems.

Either way it sucks.
MSG is in almost everything. Even if it goes by a different name.
And I love cheese.
I REALLY love cheese.

Good times.
Very good times.

It Has Been Fun?

I have made a decision that could be a very good thing.

I have decided that it's time for me to go out into the big bad world.
For years, I have stayed home.
I do a lot of work at home.

But, my daughter is a senior now and I feel like contributing to the coffers.

I foresee a few bumps along the road to employment.

1. I have not worked in so long that I don't remember when I quit.
    I know where, which is good.
    I just can't remember the year, let alone the month or day to put down on a application.

2. Skills, or lack thereof.
     I don't type very fast. I never finished college. I can not run a backhoe.

3. Transportation
     I don't have a spare car, which I really hate to drive anyway. I live in the boonies so no public transportation.

But, I am determined. It may take a while and things will have to be figured out, but I can do it.

The More You Know

Well, I have researched what is going on with my yummy stuff blog.
It's in blog purgatory.
Or my domain is.

It expired and I can't get in to renew it.
Some guy told me how to get in.
Which was no help at all.
In fact, he has told many people the exact same thing.

Dude!
I know my username.
I know my password.
I know I am screwed!

But, anyway...
Once it "expires" it goes into purgatory
and it stays there while they give you a period of time to renew.
After that, it will go up for auction.
If no one finds that name valuable enough to buy, it will be "released"
and I can get it back.

So, in conclusion, it will stay a blogspot until other arrangements can be made.

All this because I didn't want it to automatically renew.
I wanted to control when I paid to re-up it.
What was I thinking?

I know
I know.
I've taken the train to Crazytown.

I will not be back anytime soon.

I am No Accountant

It seems so simple and yet it's not.

It also helps when you don't forget to write down a few sizable debits.
To me, anything more then $10 counts as sizable.

My horoscope lady- you know, Bethea. That lovely lady that sends you horoscopes and offers that will make your dreams come true- tells me that I was born on the date that says I should be rich.

Which, I should be!

Because, if I had a lot of money, it really wouldn't matter if I forgot to write down a hundred dollars worth of stuff in my checkbook.
I'd have it and I'd be OK.
I wouldn't have to dread going to the mailbox and finding non sufficient funds notices that are $23 a piece.

Maybe the bank won't notice.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Or, hope desperately that they will realize that it was a mistake and times are tough for everyone and forgiving is just the right thing to do.

  

It Gives You Pause

But, then you stop and think.
You remember that really overly large man mentioned in "Ripley's Believe It or Not" that was buried in a piano case because he wouldn't fit in a casket.
That leads to realizing that they make XL size caskets these days so they would have to have XL size vaults to seal the caskets and so they probably need a little extra room in the plot.

In conclusion, I don't think the person that came up with this knew what the hell they were talking about.

But, it sounds nice.

I AM BACK

I've been prodded a little by Robyn and Jenny that I haven't posted anything new in a while.
I didn't realize it had been so long.

I guess the biggest news that has happened has been the twins.
My niece had her boys.
She went into the hospital at just under 32 weeks and they were able to stop her labor.
So, the insurance company wanted her to go home and a couple days later her water broke.
By that time, she was 33 weeks so the babies were in NICU for a couple weeks.

They were able to come home last week.

In other news, baby steps that I thought I was making with my sister must have been all in my head.
Maybe she was just being polite and I read more into it.
My niece has told me over and over again that she is not the same person.

I got very upset over our last exchange, which had to do with a joke that she took wrong.
She got nasty and hung up on me.
Which is OK to do, because I, apparently, have been not so nice to her in the past.
She did apologize for overreacting, but I am just tired of all of it.

But, I am good.
Just have to get it all behind me.

What else?
Helping my daughter practice her driving.
She went through driver's ed, but they are still going to make her do a drive test.
They signed the certificate that way before she even completed all of her drive time, which pissed me off.
I understand making her drive if she needs it, but I don't understand not allowing her to do all of her time before deciding.

I got my garden planted and it is looking pretty good.
I won't get to work in it today, as it stormed pretty good last night and it's very wet.

My Yummy Stuff blog is giving me grief.
I had trouble renewing the domain name so it went back to a blogspot and google doesn't appear to be allowing me to just buy it again as new so in order to get my domain name back, I will have to move. Which is fine, but it still appears to be showing as a registered name.
And the search is not working and the recipe pages aren't right so I need to remove them and start over.

On a bright note, I did buy a 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs) container of cocoa powder.
It's a good thing I am a storage container hoarder.

Meanwhile...

As seen at a rest area in Illinois.

Seymore Butts under the bleachers

Worth Mentioning- May 12, 2014

Who's worth a mention this week?
My daughter, that's who.

When I hear some people talk about their teenagers/teenage daughters, I have to say I am pretty lucky.
She's respectful and thinks about people and doesn't give a lot of attitude.

Everyone has their moods and she is no exception.
But, not a lot of drama comes outta that girl.

She's my taekwondo girl.
She's a 2nd Dan black belt.

She loves to read and has only recently decided that librarian might be a good occupation for her.
She'd love to be a writer, but knows she needs a back-up.

She has also reached a point where she doesn't care what others think.
From the time she was little, I told her that it didn't matter what anyone else thought. It was what she knew that mattered.
That finally sunk in.

Obviously, she cares what her friends and family think.
But, other than that~ no.

This is part of my Mother's Day gift from her. I love it. She also got me a couple cds and a card.

Here's the card:

She did forget to sign it and did accidentally leave the plastic wrap on it, even though it said to remove.

There are so many things I could say about her.
I know that I am blessed to have such a good relationship with her.

I always wanted better than the one I have/had with my own mother and I got that.
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On a side note, if you read ruthsyummystuff I am having trouble accessing my admin account to renew the domain. If I don't get it figured out, it might momentarily get reverted back to a blogspot domain.

Worth Mentioning- 4/21/14

Seriously just realized it was Monday and I have a worth mentioning.

Been a long day.
Had another "lovely" talk with my mortgage company.
You know, Ocwen, the douchebag company that says it want to help their customers and in reality just pisses them all off.

They raised my escrow payment after just raising it in December.
No letter or phone call.
Just a higher number on my statement.
Not sure they can even do that.
Might be time for another chat with the attorney general's office.

So, anyway...
This week's worth mentioning is Tracy Robinson. Known to the blogging world as Average Girl and to the photography as Thru Her Eyes Photography, Tracy is funny and well written and a great photographer.
She doesn't really blog anymore. But she does have a photography page on Facebook.

Tracy has been one of my first followers and supporters. Not sure how she found me, but I am glad she did.
She shared my  Yummy Stuff: Dips book on Facebook and told me I had talent for recipes.

If you have a chance, go look at some of her photos on Facebook.
Or go to her website.
If you like something,go ahead and buy it.

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Have a great Monday!

Ten Things Tuesday- Words That Need To Go Away

I've missed the last few weeks of these.
Well, I am back with another Ten Things Tuesday.

There are certain words or phrases that just drive me nuts.
Lots of things drive me nuts.

I am just very complex and I like what I like.
And I don't like what I don't like.

So, here we go.

1. Selfie
     I understand not having anyone to take your picture. I've been there. But, for the love of God, don't say you took a selfie. Especially if you are a celebrity surrounded by hundreds of people that would take your picture. That is just stupid. And no matter who you are, please don't take one in front of the mirror. I don't care what your phone looks like.

2. Years young
     You are 1 day old, 1 month old, 1 year old and so on and so forth. One day, many years later, you turn in old for young. I don't know when it happens, but it does. And that's just really sad. It's like "let's not offend the old person by calling them old". Trust me, they know they are 98 years OLD.

3. Trending
     Where did it come from? It just appeared. Telling me who is newsworthy, but not why. They are trending. Shouldn't it be trendy? Maybe that's just old school.

4. Closure
     Does that really mean anything? I need closure. They need closure. They have closure now. Does closure do anything for a person? The pain is still there and knowing why or how doesn't really close the wound. Maybe an attempt, but that's all.

5. Viral
     You know what I hate about this word? It sounds like an infection. But, in the internet world, it means that it's a video that everyone all over the world is watching. When I hear " it went viral", I do not want to watch it. It's a turn off. Which brings me to another thing- why is the first thought is getting things on video to post? Your kid talks back to you or scales the refrigerator and it needs immortalized.

6. Featuring
     Remember way back when? When two people made a song together it was a duet. Now, the song is by one person and features a second one. And in some cases person "featured" is in the song more than the one that has his name on the song.

7. Twerk
     I know that Miley Cyrus twerked, but I am still confused as to what it is. It sounds like a made up word. Was it just for her twerk show thing or was it something before.

8. Issues
     Everything is an "issue". There used to be problems and just things that came up. Now, we all have issues about everything.

9. Liberal
     I hate this term. It groups people into categories. If you think this, you must be liberal or if you don't believe in this you can't be.  People are people.

10. Conservative
     Ditto on what I said for liberal. I have a problem with sticking people into piles. I agree with some of one and some of the other and disagree with both sides a lot of times. I am a human and I think. It drives me insane to be told that according to your political ideology, this is what you think. They don't know me.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Worth Mentioning- April 14, 2014

I am feeling better today.
I had myself a cry to release some pent up stress and things are good.

I have decided to make my oldest sister, Sheila Watkins, my worth mentioning this week.

She makes jewelry and sells it.
I have mentioned her before.
She used to have a website, but it  is down or something.
But, she sells a lot at craft shows and farmer's markets.

But, anyway, her jewelry making is not why she gets a mention.

She is six years older than me.
We grew up not having a lot in common.

But, she does so much or my parents.
She lives where they do and helps a lot.
My mother does not drive so Sheila takes her shopping and helps out with the farmer's market my mom also does.

Last year my dad was really sick. He lost so much weight that we didn't even know if he was going to make it.
But, he did.
Sheila planted his green beans for him.

Her husband puts in the window air conditioner in the summer.

She calls them most days to make sure they are OK.

I do appreciate her, even if I am not too good at tell her.

Have a great Monday!

It Ain't Easy

Ever have one of those days when you are so close to telling someone they are an idiot?
So close that you can just feel the words on the tip of your tongue.

I think I may be approaching one of those years.

People don't think before they speak or put something in an email or elsewhere on the internet.
They bitch and whine about wanting something, but they get it and they bitch about it.

Everything is so corrupt.
Every time I write one of my senators or congressmen, there is always a very good reason they don't agree with me.
The reason money is never given, but usually ends up being what it is.

It's always about the money.
Everything.
Greed makes the world go round.

Why are the stupid people in charge?

Why does it have to be your way or my way? Why is there no middle ground?

Here are some of my rules to live by:

*Sometimes common sense is called for. You can do all the research you want, but sometimes you just gotta look out the window.
*Treating people with respect goes farther than you think.
*You can't just continue to take and take. Eventually you will hit that line that people just won't cross.
*Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
*If you have to hide what you are doing, you probably shouldn't be doing it.
*None of us have as much control over our lives as we'd like to think. You just gotta do what you can.

What are some of your rules to live by?

Have a great Thursday!

Worth Mentioning - April 7, 2014

OK, well, Blogger is trying to make this more trouble than it has to be.
My dashboard is not showing any blogs, no matter how many times I refresh.
It would have made it easier to find what I was looking for.

But, no.

Anyway, I thought I would pick a fellow blogger as my first "worth mentioning".

Robyn Alana Engel has a blog - Life by Chocolate. I never told her this, but I love her middle name. I used to want to give that name to any girl child I had. Alternate spelling, but same name.
I always wanted that name, but Honeyman wanted differently so we picked a different name for our daughter.
Of course, now he tells me that if I always wanted that name, we could have given her that. Seventeen years later!

Anywho!
Robyn is a social worker/ author from California.
She loves all things chocolate( well, I am not sure about chocolate covered bacon because she is Jewish) and is a very thoughtful person.
She is always telling me to be well and have a great weekend.

Robyn's a caring person.
Last November she gave away chocolates(fair trade) and a copy of her book to a breast cancer survivor.
I believe that everyone who entered ended up with a book too.
The woman I entered won and was so touched she sent me a thank you card.

She lives in Chico, California and shows pictures of her city and seeing Dupont, the horse dressed up is fun.
I really like her celibacy posts.

In 2012, Robyn wrote a book of poetry.
This is the book she sent out.
It is called Just the Right Time and is illustrated by Robin Mead.

 Have  great Monday!

OK I Suck

It has been brought to my attention by my brain that I suck.

I've been selfish.
I don't mean to be.

I prefer "not thinking" to selfish.
But, that also means thoughtless which is kinda selfish.

I think of things in relation TO ME.
I don't always think to say thank you
or recognize people for what they do.

I tell Honeyman that I appreciate him and I do.
But, I am not so good at giving credit to others.

I don't think about it.

I am better at it then 20 years ago.
With age comes some wisdom, after all.

But, keeping this in mind, I am going to make Mondays my "worth mentioning" day.
I will mention someone that is worth a mention for whatever reason I want.
They wrote a book, they made me smile, or just whatever.

I am trying to do better.
I swear.

So, Where Do I Start

Ever since I got back from Cincinnati, my days have been all mixed up.
I mean to post.
Then I'd forget to post.

Trying to make a little extra cash that seems to be taking up a lot of time.

Before I forget-

Check it out!
Buy it!

I have their book The Missing Link, which I am still reading and they got some talent there.

Not sure how many people will be seeing this what with this being April A-Z and I opted to not opt-in this year.
Last year I was planning not to and I got sucked in at the last minute.
This year, I just couldn't do it.

Mentally I am just not there.

I did get an email from the sister that isn't speaking to me.
It was short-only a few sentences.
I took that as a good sign.
I wrote her back and haven't got a reply back yet.
I may not.
Baby steps.

I miss her, but having any kind of relationship is on her and I have to let it be.
I could call and talk, but what kind of a relationship is it really if one side is the only one putting forth an effort.
And I know she thinks that I am the one with the problem and that I don't accept her.
I accept how she thinks.
But, I don't accept some of the things she does.

You can love someone and it's OK not to put up with their shit.

They can be valid reasons why you do what you do.
In the end, it doesn't always matter.
You did what you did. You said what you said.

My niece's twins are doing good. They are estimated to be just shy of 2 pounds each and they are movers.
She's getting a little bored not being able to do anything.

Have a great day!

I'm Not Dead...

I just went to Cincinnati.

My niece is pregnant with identical twins and received a diagnosis of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.
Surgery was what the doctor recommended.
Seeing as how you can count the number of hospitals that do this kind of surgery on one hand, we had to travel.

TTTS or twin to twin is when one twin gets everything and the other one not so much.
The larger one has more stress on organs and it is pretty serious.
One or both babes might not survive.
They definitely wouldn't without medical intervention.

So, my niece and her husband were going and I was not going to just let them go by themselves.
It's a scary thing, going through surgery or waiting while the one you love goes through it.
Not to mention facing the fact that you might lose your child or children.

It took 10 hours to drive there- with stops.
Next day was a full day of tests and the next the team meeting.
Day after that was the surgery.

After that we stayed at the hotel until her post surgical tests.
After that, we got outta town.

Since I got home, I have been trying to catch up on everything.
I have a few amusing photos to share.

Not as many as I wanted to get.
But, it'll do.

Ten Things Tuesday- Things I Miss

It's been an interesting weekend.

I broke a tiny piece of tooth on a Valentines caramel.
I tried to call the manufacturer and all operators were busy and I got tired of waiting.
I'll try back.

Took Kiddo to the ER for a foot x-ray.
She got kicked while sparring in Taekwondo.
Nothing broken, but she has more bruises appearing.

As my years on this earth grow more plentiful, I find myself missing the way things used to be.
Sure, a lot of things are convenient now.
That's not everything.


1. Eating candy without it sticking in my teeth
     I love Butterfingers. Now, they just stick in my molars and I need a putty knife to pry the candy out. Now, apparently harder caramels are a problem. Sad times.

2. Paying cash
     Having and spending actual green is nice. Some places are not accepting it anymore. Checks or debit/credit only because they don't keep change in the office. What kind of crap is that?

3.  Showing ID to buy alcohol if you looked under 21
     A few years back they changed it. First they changed it to under 27 show ID. Now, everyone has to show ID. At first, it feels flattering that they must think that I look so young. Once I see the sign, the thrill is gone.

4. Clever and/or funny commercials
     I find it amazing how some ads get on the air and how some people think they are great. Apparently, when that puppy/horse Budweiser ad aired during the Superbowl woman actually cried. Really? Now, that's just sad.

5. Automatically knowing what size you wear
     Now, it matters on the brand. First, it started with clothes. Now, it has progressed to shoes and even coats.

6. Store-bought eggs that hard-cooked in 12 minutes
     They seem to take longer and longer to cook the yolk through. There is just something not right about that. Thankfully, I get farmer eggs now and they cook in 12 minutes.

7. Freddie Mercury
     I don't care what Queen thinks. With Freddie gone, they need to pack it in.

8. People not asking for prayers
     People seem to do it all the time. That used to be a church thing. I never know what to say. It's not like I wish the person ill will. I am sorry your daughter/husband/uncle/friend/whoever is sick or in need of a job, but I don't pray.

9. TV shows with reruns only in the summer
     The season started in August and went to the end of May. Now, you are lucky to get a show before October and run to the beginning of May. You are also lucky to get a month's worth of new programming before a rerun is thrown in.

10. Checks going through the bank.
     Before the Automated Clearing House was approved by congress back whenever, the actual paper check had to be processed through your back instead of "electronically represented". No longer can you write a check a day or two before you have the money in the bank cause you will get an overdraft fee of at least $25. Unless, you have figured out which companies use it and which do it the good old fashioned way.
If you are a pay check to pay check kinda person this will possibly add late fees or overdraft fees or, if you are lucky, both.

Of course, I also miss lower gas prices, nicer people, smarter people, and TV that is not affected by the weather.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Ten Things Tuesday- Valentines

Since this Friday is Valentine's Day, I thought it appropriate to do a ten things Tuesday for it.
Welcome to Me style, that is.

Lots of things come to mind when I hear the word valentine.
That's the topic of this week's Ten Things Tuesday.

1. Bullet for my Valentine
     It's a band, if you have not heard of them.


2. Tremors
     Kevin Bacon played Valentine in the awesome movie Tremors.

3. Hearts
     Remember drawing your own valentine? Cutting out a heart or drawing one with an arrow sticking out and putting Be Mine on it?

4.  The Valentine's Day Massacre
     In 1929, seven mobsters were killed by the Capone syndicate.

5. Horror movie
     In 2001, there was a movie called Valentine. Five women are stalked as they get ready for Valentine's Day.

6. Saint
     The origins of Valentine's Day come from a saint that was arrested for performing weddings for soldiers and other such heinous crimes. Allegedly, he gave a card to the jailer's daughter that he signed "your valentine".

7.  The bumpy Z
     Also known as the "open hearts collection by Jane Seymour". Kay Jewelers sells them and you always see the ads this time of year. I know she says that you leave your heart open so love always finds its way in. Yeah, yeah, yeah- it looks like a bumpy z to me.

8. Chocolates
     Those big heart shaped boxes filled with an assortment of chocolate filled things. I'll take the truffle and creme filled and you can have the rest. Oh, don't forget caramel. Yum.

9. Flowers
     Specifically red roses. Because they are popular and it is the middle of winter, you pay a lot more to get roses right now. I'd rather get lilies.

10. It's in Nebraska
     The town is located in north central Nebraska. They have a little over 2,500 people so it's a nice little town.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Insane OR Not

Sometimes I feel like I am just losing it.

I feel like someday someone is going to come home and find me sitting in a corner, my hair all sticking up, and strumming my lips with my finger.

I've got so much to do and not enough time to do it.
I have so many things to buy and fix and not enough money to do them.

So much to worry about and very little I can really do about any of it.

We all like to believe we have control of our own lives.
We have control over parts of it.

But, other people say when we work, how much we will get paid, what food we are able to buy and not buy, and the list goes on and on.

I like to know things.
But, I wonder if sometimes I would be happier just not knowing.
Ignorance is bliss and all that.

What if I never heard about the TPP or GMOs or antibiotic filled meat and pink slime?
What if I didn't know about the core curriculum or that the whooping cough outbreaks occurred in children that had been vaccinated?
What if I kept drinking the fluoride?

I just don't know.

What Would You Do

What if you knew me
really knew me
deep down inside
What would you do

Would you still want to be my friend
Would you think less of me
Would you turn your back on me

What if I told you that
I believe abortion should be legal
and it's not a baby til it can breathe on its own.
What would you say

What if I told you that
I believe in conspiracy theories
and I don't believe the government has the best interest of the people
Would you look at me odd

What If I told you that
I don't believe in the same God you believe in
or maybe I don't believe in one at all
Would you think you had to save me

What if I said to you
I am gay
or maybe bisexual
Would you want to hang out with me

What would you do

If I disagreed with you
If I really shared who I am

Would you still be there?

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This poem was inspired by the thought of anyone who is afraid to be who they really are because of how other people may react.

It's a Sale

Just head on over to the red light district.

It's Not Really Nice to Lie

Right now I know some pregnant people.
And other people are lying to them.

" I loved being pregnant."
"Greatest feeling in the world."
" As soon as the baby is born, you forget the pain."
 " After the baby is here, there is only joy."

Bullshit!

Maybe some people loved being pregnant, but EVERYONE says that.
I can not be the only person on the planet that hated it.

Your boobs hurt.
You get strange pains everywhere.
Heartburn.
Hard to turn over.
You get so big, you can't see your feet and you can no longer get next to a counter.

It's been 17 years and I am telling you, I remember the pain.
I remember being in labor and telling my husband that I don't know why I wanted to do this.
I remember having trouble sitting comfortably for over a month after birth.
Does that sound like joy?

Sure, I love my kid.
But, I didn't love feeling like something was sitting on my abdomen all the time.
I didn't love not being able to take deep breaths.

Being a parent is truly a feeling like no other.
But, being pregnant is no walk in the park.

Ten Things Tuesday- She's Not Speaking My Language

I'd like to believe that I'm hip.
I'm happenin'.

However, I feel a little lost when my daughter starts spouting these words.
I have to ask.
She explains.

Suddenly, I can understand my grandma and mom.
For someone that constantly says that she isn't old, I am starting to feel a little that way.

This week I have decided to make Ten Things Tuesday about words that the teens use today.
Maybe you will learn something
Or
maybe you already know.

1. Ship
     When you are feeling that two people should be in a relationship, you "ship" them. You just think they should be together, platonically or romantically.

2. Feels
    When you have a strong emotion about doing something, you "feels" it. My daughter just said to me the other day that she feels Lords of the Rings really bad so we need to watch it. This one really annoys me. So much that I feels it in my bones. 

3. YOLO
     I think every knows this by now. You only live once. Unless, you are a cat or are revived by CPR or paddles.

4. O M Gee
     What is this? OMG, Oh my God, and O M Gee mean the same thing to a religious person. Writing Gee doesn't make it better because it is still considered blasphemy because it is used to take the place of the word God. Still a no-no. My nieces do this, thankfully not my daughter.

5. Imma
     Short for I am going to. "Imma goin' over to Grandma's" is an example. Does anyone else worry for our grammatical future?

6. Squee
     I have yet to grasp the meaning of this. I think it is supposed to be a noise of excitement. Yet it makes me think of a squeegee that you clean your windows with while pumping gas.

7. Hit me up
     I don't know who came up with this. I don't think I want to know this person. I have a cousin that says this all the time on Facebook. Is the phrase look me up or get a hold of me just too mundane? Let's make it more punchy by saying hit.

8. Random
     This word is just over-used. Everything seems to be random, whether it truly is or not.

9. Casually
     A favorite adjective of my teen. She is always casually doing something. From going to the fridge to get a snack or taking the remote, she is always "casually" doing it.

10. Derp
     In my day, this would be dope, dweep, nerd, or weirdo. Now, dope is marijuana and nothing more and it's OK to be a nerd.
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Have a great Tuesday!

What's For Lunch?

Hmmm... isn't this interesting?

My Book

So, here is here.

My Ruth's Yummy Stuff: Dips cookbook.

The Kindle edition and the paperback are both available on Amazon right now.

I love dips.

I can make a meal of chips and dip or crackers and dip.

If you love dips or know someone that does, check it out.

Picture included with every recipe.