Thursdays are our Saturdays because Donny’s days off are Thursdays and Fridays. Luckily they scheduled my pre-op appointment for today. I didn’t have a choice. When they can get you in, that’s when you go. Donny was able to pick up the kids from school while I was there.
I was given an EKG, x-rayed and blood tested to make sure I was healthy for surgery on the 13th. I don’t remember going through all that when I had my gallbladder removed in Baton Rouge. It was more like sign these papers, you’ll do fine.
I finally finished painting the dresser. It was sitting outside with its first coat on for months.
This is monkey our very needy cat. Will not come inside at all during the summer, but as soon as it gets chilly, she won’t go outside at all. She just wants to sit on you anytime you sit down.
There is a guy who mows yards. He used to push his lawnmower around the neighborhood asking to mow people’s lawns. He did ours a few times. Well, one day, several months ago, he knocked on our door. He said his lawnmower was broken and he had some customers that needed their lawn mowed and could he borrow our lawnmower. I didn’t know him that well, but I said yes anyway.
He said he’d be a few hours. Those few hours turned into 6 hours. I was freaking out because I hadn’t told Donny that I let him borrow it. I walked down to the end of our street where I knew he’d talked to those neighbors. They didn’t know where he lived and hadn’t seen him.
I then posted on nextdoor and the Longview Facebook group. No one knew him. I did know his name was Jimmy, but that’s it. He FINALLY showed back up and asked if I could drive him and drop him off in Spring Hill. I did and, thank goodness, I lived. I don’t know why I do these things.
He’s been borrowing our lawnmower on a regular basis now. He does change the oil and takes care of it, but yesterday when he brought it back he told Donny he could mow our lawn for $30. Um, don’t we kinda have partial ownership in his lawn business. Especially because without us he wouldn’t have said business. We always have such strange things happen to us.
We have finally named the tuxedo cat that adopted us. Meet Milo.
He will come in and chill but is so afraid of the ceiling fan, off or on. He is super sweet and gets along with the other cats except Bailey because she’s just mean and a little psycho.
Sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking so I want to make something easy that everyone likes. Plus Hannah asked me to make these for her. So I make easy pork chops.
Put some oil in a skillet and heat it up. Make an egg wash. Dip thinly sliced pork chops in the egg wash and then in Italian bread crumbs then fry on both sides. It’s really good. Not really healthy, but sometimes that’s ok.
I made mashed potatoes and threw a quick salad together. Super easy.
We have Morris the new stray that adopted us and we have Bodhi who lives between a few houses. Well, Bodhi is jealous of Morris and Morris is jealous of Bodhi so they stalk around each other growling and making horrible cat noises. It’s so loud. Bodhi, who doesn’t like cat beds, had taken over Morris’s so I had to create another bed. It’s like West Side Story over here.
Monkey prefers to watch from a distance
Donny and I always buy something from school fund raisers when the neighbor kids knock on our door. Well today one came in. The BEST one I’ve ever chosen.
I’ve been looking for a spatula just like this one forever. It was worth every penny.
It seems like all the past two days have been is doctor appointments. I had made an appointment because I was having stomach pains that now I’m thinking it’s just gas bubbles. I do not like my doctor. I tried to explain that I wasn’t even sure if I was still having the pains because I face planted at work and my whole body is sore. His response was “I don’t understand what face planting is”. He was very dismissive, as always, and just wants me to get an abdominal CT. He’s always pushing me off on different specialists. I really need to switch doctors. But, he did do blood work and my thyroid is in the normal range for once. So yay!
The office was 79° and I was sweating like crazy.
It’s hard to tell, but I was glistening.
Hannah’s appointment was the next day and because she had basically taken herself off the meds and was doing so well, her doctor decided it was time to take her off of them. She only needs to take her folate and magnesium. This is huge and she is where we have been trying to get to for 3 years.
The daylight savings has been kicking my butt. It gets dark so early that I think it’s hours later than it is. It takes me about a month to get used to it. My body just feels wonky.
i have given myself a leave of absence from work. Luckily we are heading into the slow season, but I still feel guilty because I know my boss needs help. It’s hard to put myself first and just say, right now I need to do what’s best for my body. Plus I need to take care of things around the house that I’ve been putting on the back burner due to just being so worn out.
One of the things was to go through all the condiments and clean out the fridge. I mean toothbrush scrub it down.
The house came with this fridge, so it’s not the greatest, but it works, so there’s that.
I’m also loving these Popsicle makers. I’m trying the mango nectar this time. I sure could’ve used one of these at my sweaty appointment.
if you ever have chicken and you don’t know what to make with it, dip it in an egg wash, then in crushed Doritos. It’s actually really good.
Jackson made this art that we had printed. I have always wanted it. It’s been on his floor so today when I went to put his clean laundry up I took it. I don’t even know if he’s noticed.
It just makes me happy and isn’t that what art is so about anyway?
This weekend has been hard. Ever since I did that face plant at work I’ve had to take it easy. I realize I must have tried to put my arm down when I fell because now from my shoulder to my knee is very achy.
My daughter’s medication was changed at her last med check appointment. Her dad took her and he’s never been before. Had I been with them I would have definitely vetoed what the doctor had suggested. Like my thyroid meds, her meds are also hard to find that sweet spot where the meds work with no side effects. So back to the drawing board. She is refusing to take them because they make her feel so awful, but trying to convince a 17 year old that going cold turkey is NOT the way to go is difficult. Calling for an appointment first thing in the morning. Hopefully we will find a solution.
Last night I finally was able to move around a little bit better. My kitchen was a wreck! When my house is a disaster I feel like a disaster. Here’s the before and after.
The taco stuff stayed out until Donny got home and ate.
And then because Hannah was having a rough day and was getting off work, I made cupcakes because she loves them.
I took down the Halloween decorations on the first of November and they’d been sitting on our table.
Finally got those boxed up today.
This time change is throwing me off so hard. It gets dark so early.
In other news, a new cat adopted us. We named him Morris. He just showed up and hasn’t left. He eats A LOT. He’s nice to the other cats and doesn’t bother the chickens. He’s also the only cat that appreciates the car bed I bought last year. I have tried to find out if he has owners. No luck so far.
We had big rainstorms over last weekend so that meant, when I went to work, the inflatables were wet. Like so wet my sweat pants were soaked. It was also in the 40’s so it was quite cold.
I was wiping down the slide on this one when, all of a sudden, my feet just slipped out from underneath me and I face planted on the slide.
i didn’t really think much about it until I was on the next one that has about 10 pylons inside. Because we don’t inflate then all the way out was mushy and it made the pylons hard to maneuver around.
Needless to say, I wrenched my back. Bad. I can barely walk. I made a doctor’s appointment for Monday, just to check everything out, but now I’m going to have to do some soul searching to figure out if I should keep working this job. I know I use it as a workout, but when it’s doing more harm than good, it’s s problem.
i have been able to watch the Harry Potter movies. I had really only seen the first one. I like them, so there’s that. And laying in my bed a lot.
Saturday was our 18th wedding anniversary. Because Donny had to work on Saturday we decided to celebrate on Friday.
The morning started off with the most beautiful cotton candy clouds.
Most Fridays I don’t work, but I had to finish that darn Gauntlet and the gnome dome.
I was never so happy to see 12 pm.
i decided to go ahead and give Donny his gift. We never really get each other big gifts, just something small.
i got him his favorite candy, a new coffee thermos, because he left his other one in Nacogdoches, and the Sopranos boxed set. We had been watching the series on Max and the free trial ran out. I found the set on mercari for $10 and had a $10 coupon so I just paid for shipping which was $8. I think I was more excited to tell Donny that than give him the gift because we both love a good deal.
We were going to go to dinner then go play bingo. I’ve never played actual bingo, that wasn’t at a school carnival, but I was so tired from the week at work that we decided to just do dinner.
And we were dressed like twins. I can’t really explain that.
We decided on Mexican food and a new place had moved close to us so we decided to try it.
I’m guessing skeletons are a big thing this year because everytime I leave the house I see skeletons in cars, on cars and hanging off cars.
The game was good. The Pina colada rivaled my very favorite from the now defunct Crystal confectionary. My date was excellent. The service and food were awful.
Our server just threw a new bowl of chips over the old one that still has chips in it.
Cheese enchiladas that look like lasagna. They were so bad I could not eat them. But we still had so much fun because you can’t let bad enchiladas and a surly server ruin your night.
On Sunday I finally moved the chicks out of the house, for good. We had tried it a few days earlier but they got out of the separate pen inside the coop and the older hens were pecking their heads. Hopefully we have that problem fixed. At any rate, they aren’t coming back inside.
Getting used to the outdoors before the big move.
I had mentioned to Donny that it would be fun to go have drinks and appetizers at Applebee’s since the game was on. Then I took a phone call and realized I was tired and just wanted to be a couch potato. He urged me to go so I took 40 minutes to grab a shower and get dressed. That’s seriously record time to go out. I’m so glad we did because we had such a good time. I’m thinking we absolutely need to do this more often.
at least we weren’t twinning again.
And if you’re wondering what Donny got me for our anniversary…
Pumpkin earrings. He also got me turkey earrings and said, I know you don’t like Thanksgiving, but you can wear them when we go to Cracker Barrel. I do like Thanksgiving when Cracker Barrel is involved. The little store always puts me in the Christmas spirit. And chicken fried steak, that always makes me happy.
Tomorrow I will come to the end of the 10 inflatables that were at the rodeo. They have all been covered, from top to bottom, in this fine sandy dust and full of dead grass. Today I did two of the three pieces of the Gauntlet and it kicked my butt.
This is the Gauntlet. I did the two identical side pieces.
I didn’t have the foam steps to climb into the holes. I forgot, when climbing out, that it’s a much steeper step out. Let’s just say that if I were a guy I probably wouldn’t be able to have children.
I have a little shop vac that I use to vacuum out all the grass and sand. I had unplugged it from the extension cord. I thought that the cord was a lot further in than it was so I yanked it. It came flying out, over the wall, smacking me right in the mouth. I thought I had broken my teeth. Then I felt the blood. I walked into the warehouse to get a paper towel and the owner thought I had fallen out on my face. Nope, just got punched in the mouth by the end of the extension cord.
So between 2/3 of the Gauntlet and the dual slide I did yesterday I am beat.
Just one more day of being covered in dust. I can do this. Might not be able to walk on Saturday, but I can manage 3 hours tomorrow. At least that’s what I’m convincing myself.
You can see the dust even though I vacuumed my leggings off.
And we are saying a fond farewell to Sugar Shack. You may have only had a 12″ opening and an embarrassing picture of me was taken when I accidentally dumped a whole bucket of soapy water in you that turned into a bubble fiasco, but you were cute, colorful and easy to clean. I’ll miss you, sugar shack.
Every city we have lived in I have what’s called my circle of convenience. What this means is that I have a radius in which all the stores and places that I need to go are close by. Take Drug Emporium, for example. It’s .3 miles away. Aldi, Big Lots and Marshalls are 1.2. Donny and I both work exactly 2 miles away. The mall is 3.1 miles away. You get the idea. I dislike driving. I don’t mind going out of my, basically, 5 mile circle oof someone else is driving, I just like to keep things close.
i try to do errands all in one day. Today the list wasn’t too bad. I left TJ Maxx off because I was going there for a couple of anniversary gifts for Donny and my lists are right by the side door.
The day was so cool that it warranted a long sleeve T-shirt and a cardigan. I love our few weeks of autumn.
Can we get an amen for this weather? 🙏
Today, however, my circle was not circling. I started off by going to TJ Maxx. I’m frugal. I try to go in and just get what I came for. I did except for that other stuff they had next to what I came for. Why, TJ Maxx, do you put all the fun stuff by the registers so we all have to look at it when we stand in line? So, needless to say, a few extras came home with me.
Kitchen scrubbers that match absolutely nothing in my kitchen, although I did kinda need these because mine have seen better days. Did I need baby blue ones with deer??? Strong no.
Candles! Did I need them? Nope. I just bought two at different craft fairs. Do I love nutmeg scents? YES! And the lavender one will smell great in our bedroom. I am the world champion at rationalization.
I then ran to Sally’s Beauty, a little off the beaten path, but not by much. Gotta do them roots.
My plan was then to go to Aldi and Drug Emporium, but my bladder said that would not be in my best interest. So I went home and got some stuff done there. Jack was getting out at the normal time, 2:15. Hannah was taking her TSI test so I didn’t know when she was getting out.
i left the house with plenty of time to get to, first drug emporium then Aldi. I forgot. Even though it’s cooler outside, I still had to go by home Depot that’s on the way to the school and I had cold food from Aldi. So back home it was to put away the cold stuff. I threw my purse on the patio chair when I went in the house. This is important later.
Got back in the car to rush into Home Depot to get my paper towels. They are the only ones I like to use. I had about 4 minutes to get in and out and not be late picking up Jack. I grabbed the rolls, scanned then through self checkout and went to get my wallet out of my purse. Except there was no wallet. I told the woman attending the self checkout that I left my wallet in the car. It wasn’t in the car. I just knew I’d left it at Aldi.
i sped to get Jack, rush back home. No wallet. We look all over the kitchen and as I’m calling Aldi, Jack finds it under the chair on the patio.
I still need a basket for Donny’s gifts so I run to the thrift store around the corner. I do find a basket, but y’all, I’ve seen this “artwork” sitting on the shelf for months. And today I bought it. And I hung it up. And I’m going to tell everyone I painted it. Hold onto your socks and please take a look at the lambs face.
I don’t think Donny has noticed it hanging in the hallway yet.
i did end up get my paper towels after I picked Hannah up. But I am tired. I do not like running in all different directions. I normally have a set plan. Not today. Hopefully tomorrow.
Here are the paper towels in case you see them in home Depot. They are 98 cents, thick and super absorbent.
The Funky Frugalista 