Barking Mad

Fill-In-the-Blank-Friday

No one reads blogs on Friday, but for the few that do, and the even fewer that honor me with your presence here in Fridays, I thought I'd have a little fun with a "Fill in the blank" type of meme, for Thursday night/Friday!

You can leave your answers in the comments on this post, or create your own post with your answers and then come back here and leave the link to your post!

OK, here we go!

One dish I always prepare for Thanksgiving yet refuse to eat is :  ___________

My own answer - Pumpkin Pie.  I can't stand it.  Even dredged in fresh whipped cream I just don't like it.  It's a texture thing.  Oh and cloves.  I don't care for them at all.  It never fails because I always end up with a piece of pumpkin pie in which someone used a very heavy hand with the cloves!

Thanksgiving would not be complete without this dish:  _____________

My own answer -  I actually have a couple.   One is a salad that I first had when I spent my first Thanksgiving with my 1st ex-husband.  His mom made this salad called, "5-in-1" salad.  It has crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, mini-marshmallows, and sour cream.  It's lovely.  Not at all healthy but it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving to me without it.    I am going to make it this year but will only indulge in a very small helping.    The second item is Green Bean Casserole.  Yep, the kind with crappy canned soup, and those yummy French's French Fried Onions.   I don't make it any other time of year, and it's the only saving grace for a really dry turkey.  Smother the turkey in the casserole and you don't notice how choking-ly dry the bird is!

What is one long-held Thanksgiving tradition you have?:  ___________

My own answer - Growing up, we would usually go out to a Christmas tree farm in San Dimas, CA and cut down our own lush, green Christmas tree.   I can remember, in the days before it was illegal to stick a kid in the back of a pickup truck without any safety restraints,  being squished back there with the fragrant tree and both hating and loving my parents for putting me back there.   There was never any end to the pine needles that would poke me during the drive home, which I hated, but I loved that wonderful, green smell of a freshly cut Douglas Fir!  

Now that it's just Gareth, Gaby, and me at home, we usually spend the day baking, sorting out Christmas decorations, watching movies and being lazy - intentionally lazy during the long weekend.    We're working on some new, unique traditions.

Do you have any special plans or will you be traveling this year for the Thanksgiving Holiday? ___________

My own answer - This year we are going to be spending Thanksgiving with Kim and her family.  Personally, I was kind of dreading the holiday because it was just going to be the three of us, but I didn't say anything to anyone.   We had thought about spending the weekend in Maine however Gaby has dance and cheer on the weekends and as she's coming up on her first cheer competition, practice is mandatory.    Kim and her own family are starting some new traditions of their own and they lovingly included us in their Thanksgiving celebration this year.    Her mom, Carol, will be there as well and I'm over the moon about that!    Gaby adores "Grandma Carol", as she has no local grandparents, or really any local family.   So it's doubly nice for her!

What is one thing you dread about Thanksgiving weekend, the official kick-off to the holiday season ?:  ____________

My own answer  -  This is easy!  Black Friday!   I've done the Black Friday sales once in my life and that was enough.  I ended up with a sprained wrist, a black and blue calf, and a really strong dislike of the madness associated with it.    I think it brings out the worst in people, and that's ironic because when I was little, I always thought it would be fun to be a grocery-store cashier during the holiday season because people were always so merry and jolly.    As an adult, I seem to have lost that innocent view of the people around me as being jolly and merry,  and I get nervous when it comes to heading out to shop during the holidays. 

People can be pushy, rude, dishonest, and just plain miserable!    I understand that so many people are stressed with money woes during our rancid economy, however even those without any substantial money worries can be less than polite and often mean!   I guess I'm pretty grateful for the ability to do a lot of my shopping online . . . and that's saying a lot because I enjoy the occasional treat of retail therapy, especially during the holidays.    With people so grouchy lately?  I think I'll just stay indoors, brew some hot cocoa and put on some Christmas music.

What do you do with all of those Thanksgiving left-overs?:  ___________

My own answer -  Usually we have re-runs on Friday afternoon/evening.  There's always some turkey that gets saved for broth.  I don't bother saving the leftover Green Bean Casserole because it's just not the same the next day!    We usually always have a lot of salads left over which last a few days.   Occasionally we make open-faced hot turkey and mashed potato sandwiches, covered in gravy on Saturday night.    Of course, the cats have a few turkey treats too, as we couldn't leave them out of our celebration!

Name five things you are grateful for this Thanksgiving :  ______________

My own answers - 

1.  My husband.  He is the most loving, kind, patient and compassionate human being I know. 

2.  My children.   Yes, there are estrangements, but I am so grateful that they are my children.   Even through our difficulties I continue to be amazed at their ability to grow and learn. 

3.  My friends.    There was a time, not too entirely long ago, that I thought I would be better off without people around me, because they often let me down if not downright tread all over me and hurt me.   There was also a time when I thought the world would be better off without me.  But were it not for my husband, my kids, and especially my friends - who reminded me that not all people are capable of the evilness that some possess - well, I'm not sure where I'd be.   Possibly still living the life of a severe recluse, never experiencing the gift of love and acceptance that I've been blessed with from my friends.   I can only hope that I'm there for them, the same way they are there for me.

4.  This blog.  Yes, I am grateful for this blog.   It's kept me connected, even if at times that thread of connection has been as slight as a strand of hair, it's kept me connected to a world outside of myself and brought people into my life who have shared their own lives with me and in doing so, made me realize that I am not utterly alone. 

5.  A higher power/God/The Universe/a supreme being.    I'm still muddling my way through my spiritual journey - trying to figure out what I believe and what I don't.   I know deep in my soul that something is  out there.   I just simply am not sure what that "something" is.   I do know and recognize that something is there guiding me.     I'm grateful for whatever it is. 

Now, it's your turn! 

Because It's Monday, and You Deserve to Laugh!

For those of us with daughters that will be eventually entering "that" age, or those of us who have already had daughters go through this and we can say "been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt!"  And, finally, for all of those dads out there who pray something like this never happens to them!

This is for you!

 

The Frantics-Her First Period - watch more funny videos

It's 1AM, Do You Know Where Your Favorite Blogger Is?

 Well, if by some odd reason, I happen to be that blogger, I'm sitting right here, in a sports bra and shorts because it's so stinkin' hot and humid, and because the nobs at Time Warner have pissed me off to the point of not being able to sleep, and because I've got my panties in a pinch about God, The Universe, and everything else.  

The Time Warner situation just made it worse.  Maybe that has something to do with the fact that the technical support representative I was dealing with was most probably 22 time zones away, didn't speak much English (it sounded like he was trying to help me from the vast depths of New Delhi, India) and I had a hard time trying to keep from giggling when he introduced himself as Tyler.    I guess maybe western names are the "in" thing over there nowadays?  How much longer until Mr. and Mrs. Derpshawd name there newest little blossom, "Apple"? 

Tyler kept trying to tell me to connect to networks that were not assigned to our thingy...yeah, I am pretty fast and loose with the technical verbiage.  The long and short of it is that we can't get our laptop connected to the wireless network using the info Time Warner techs gave us when they were here setting everything up.   There were three networks showing up in the network list and he told me to try connecting to ALL of them, even the one called "Nerd Herd" using a generic key he told me to use.  

Out of curiosity I asked him if deliberately trying to hack into someone else's SECURE CONNECTION was kosher and he got a bit testy with me.    Thankfully the generic key didn't work on "Nerd Herd" or any of the other listed connections.    Now we get another live visit, sometime late next week.   Maybe I'll dazzle them by answering the door in my aforementioned sports bra and shorts.

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What else has my panties in a twist?   To a bizarre degree, the Casey Anthony trial verdict.  I told Gareth they'd find her not guilty on the 4 major charges and tag her with a guilty verdict on the three lesser charges of lying to the police.  Simply put, the state failed (an EPIC fail at that!) to prove it's case.   It's got everyone in a righteous uproar, but ya know what?  I never wished her the death penalty because she'd end up sitting on death row for years and that would cost all of us tons of money and now she'll likely wish she could encapsulate herself in a reinforced steel bubble, when she does finally get a whiff of fresh air, because I reckon she's got some good ol' country justice comin'!   The bigger crime, the death of her daughter notwithstanding, is going to be if she ends up profiting from this whole debacle in any way, shape or form.    Whoever writes her a check for her "story" is a criminal themselves!

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Then there is my earlier mention of God getting me all in a ruckus again.  Actually it's God and one of his beloved bloggers.   More on that later.  I need to choose my words ( probably my battles too!) wisely.   God is pretty much in my perpetual dog-house lately.   You know what's ironic though?  The fact that I am not sure I believe in him anymore (That sound you just heard?  That was the Devil structurally reinforcing the furniture down there for me, in order for it to accommodate my big ass!) yet every night I make sure Gaby prays before bed, and when something unpleasant happens to someone she loves or cares about, the first thing she does is ask if she can pray for them.   She asks a lot of questions about God and Jesus and is Joshua hangs out with them in Heaven and will she ever be able to meet her big brother?  I always tell her that I'm sure Josh is chillin with Big J, playing Legos and generally bother St. Peter too.   

When I pray, I'm not sure it's to God, or if it's just a general thought sent out to the Universe and The Powers That Be.   Lately I find myself trying to really focus on the positive and bringing that into fruition more than trying to barter with God.    I feel like, ever since Josh died, all I do is barter with God.   I know that's not the way He works...but then I look around me and see the pain and suffering and the agony my own confusion about Him causes and I wonder how He can actually be there and let all of this happen?  I'm not unique to this.  I'm certain there are millions of people out there who question if He truly exists.    Yet I'm not at the point where I don't believe in some sort of higher power or maybe multiple powers...or maybe even the soul of the single human being, being the ultimate higher power. 

See, when people come over to my blog in defense of their beloved Christian mommy-blogger and try and defend her while telling me I'm going to hell because I had an abortion and that's the same reason God took Joshua from me, well, I get a little bitchy.    Now, I could be wrong about this, but right about then, I start to think that Happy Harriet Homemaker (who is a loyal reader of this earlier mentioned Christian mommy-blogger), who professes herself, a daily walk with Christ, hasn't been ordained Judge Eternal and is pretty sinful herself, coming over here and attacking me in what I don't find to be such a God-like manner.

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What else is pissing me off?  My hair.  I got 8 inches cut off a couple of months ago and I think I tried to convince myself I loved it, just like I tried to convince myself, when I dyed it darker, that I liked it.   Truth be told, I kinda really detest it.   I always end up putting it back in a scrunchy or headband anyhow but when I don't, I have to spend time figuring out how the hell to make it look the most flattering and ya know what?  The only thing that's going to make this rebellious, dark, and too short head of hair look flattering is to completely bring back the blonde and grow it out.   The soccer-mom look is not a look I should ever go with.   And while I'm not certain if the old saying, "Blondes have more fun" is completely accurate or not, I do know that being blonde doesn't make me look like a 42 year old vampire who hasn't fed sufficiently in about a month.

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My hands.    While they have almost completely healed I have become a complete nightmare to live with thanks to the Prednisone.   I've also gained 2lbs.   Oh sure, it could have a little to do with my constant craving for Oscar Meyer cheese dogs (until a couple of weeks ago, I disliked them so seriously that I'd gag at the mere thought of them!) and steak.   I'm not going to hide that, but I am swollen, constantly hyper, a nervous wreck...no wait, I'm a mean nervous wreck and generally a pain in the ass.  But hey, on the bright side,  my hands don't look like they are rotting off of my body any more.

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I suppose I should put this wayward rambling rant to bed for now, along with myself.