Fun Times

Let's see, what's been going on in my life...

Sunday we had some strong winds that tore a chunk of my shingles off the house. Thankfully, my boss' son fixed it for us, because it was a small repair and my home owner's deductible is $750. That was something I didn't need, on a roof that is only about 10 years old.

There's also the Easter preparations. I don't look forward to holidays. Family gathering in my house usually means I'm going to want to leave my house within an hour or so.

Why?

My sister and her youngest son together are not a good mix. Not in a "they don't get along" way, but more they play off of each other in a way that brings about a lot of tension. Add the nephew's girlfriend to the mix and it just gets more fun.

I've reached a plateau in my weight loss, which is no fun, since the recent weather hasn't made it easy to get out an exercise much. I really would like to see another 10 lbs gone in the next month or so. That's not looking like the case though.

Can I also just add, yogurt has to be the most disgusting food that came from milk? I know its a good for you thing, and I found a brand I like, as far as yogurt is concerned, but really, I'd rather eat something, almost anything, else.

The "I Had A Dream" chuck roast

My dinner on Monday was care of my mother dreaming of putting green pepper in the crockpot with a chuck roast.

Let me tell you, that was the best idea for a roast.

It was about a 2 lb roast, maybe a little closer to two and a quarter lbs. I seasoned with Nature's Seasoning and dumped in a can of French onion soup, a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce and some soy. (I would have used more soy, but we didn't have any low sodium and I didn't want to kill mom with sodium).  In the last hour or so, tossed in a few chopped up green peppers and a can of mushrooms.

I served it over rice.

Delish.

Even more delish were the shredded beef sandwiches I made today with the leftovers. Added a little more Worcestershire sauce and then melted some Swiss over it.

Up until now, the Mississippi roast was my favorite..this one has usurped it.

I Hate Cell Phones

I've had my little Moto from Virgin Mobile for 2 years. Well its slowly dying. My flashlight no longer works, which also screws up my camera.

Grrr.

I am never going to be one of those Samsung Galaxy or iphone people, because I don't have that much money to throw away on a phone, plus I don't go the sheepish route of having the coolest phone around.

I don't do much with my phone, except maybe facebook and instagram and email. The stuff that keeps me from being too bored when I'm stuck in certain places.

The question now is how much do I want to spend and do I even want to stay with Virgin Mobile since they are not really supporting Android phones. I'm thinking of going with Cricket, just because at this point I want something different that will save me some money.

Grrrr

I Just Don't Understand

Politics hurts my head these days.

I can't understand what is happening in this country. That a leader can talk the way he does and everyone is OK with that.

Bullying and insulting candidates is ok?

What have we become.

I understand that the two parties have never really seen eye to eye, especially in the recent past, but I see each side becoming more polarized and that isn't going to get things done.

Also talking like a low life doesn't work either.

I used to enjoy watching shows like The Daily Show, but now, they just make me sad, because there is nothing about the current administration that can be construed as funny. Terrifying, yes. Funny, no way.

I understand the need and desire to get away from career politicians, but I seriously think our elected officials should have at least 2 brain cells to rub together in order to serve.

Also the "I am the greatest" mentality only worked for Ali, just saying.

Also, you can be a strong individual and still project yourself with dignity.

Mokey Mokey Mokey

Saturday Mokey had another episode of parading.

This cat terrifies me. I love him, but I can't afford him.

I moved him upstairs, along with his Feliway diffuser. The cat has no access to normal cat food. He gets 3 cans of Royal Canin SO a day. He could probably eat more than that, but he's breaking the bank.

He took his Prazosin too again.

Thankfully within 24 hours he was peeing up a storm again. Crisis adverted and no trip to the ER vet necessary. And our vet is going to allow refills on the Prazosin too. Yay! Except that bottle is $40.00

And how can you not love this little face?

Now if only things can calm down and I can start getting his vet bills paid down.

Why is this an argument?

Here's another reason why I should stay off of social media: The Kindle/E-reader argument. I am so sick of people arguing the book over ereader thing.

I have a house full of books. I also have an ereader full of books.

Why do we have to argue about this?

It burns me up.

Everyone should read the way they want to read. If you have limited space, an ereader allows you to have as many books as you want, without taking up space.

Every reading group I belong to on Facebook has a post about this at least once every day or so. I think people just like to argue and it makes no sense.

People should read, whether it is a book, or an ereader, or if it is on a tablet or phone.

Thrift Books Will Be The Death Of Me

I found an online, used bookstore that is incredible.

Thriftbooks.com

I got 3 cookbooks and a novel for $17.00

Oh and free shipping!!

Yeah, I predict this site is going to be a very bad thing for me.

Social Media Makes Me Scream

There are way too many ways to be connected these days...Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAH

Way too may for me.

I have to admit that besides blogger, I rather like Instagram, cos well, cat pictures. Cat pictures make me happy.

So if you want to see my cat pictures, and well, my book pictures, cos I'm trying to be a bookstagramer as well, go here https://www.instagram.com/achickwhoreads/

But really, how do you decide which social media you want to deal with.

I have to admit, one of the reasons why Instagram is more to my liking is the lack of politics on my feed there.

No politics = no stupid comments by stupid people.

There are way too many mean, stupid, hateful people on Facebook. I haven't found them yet on Instagram. I think that's mostly because I only follow cats and book lovers there.

I need an internet safe place.

I Love IPSY

A few months ago I started getting a beauty box. Its a once a month thing that allows me to try some new trial size skin products and some different makeup.

Its a fun thing to treat the girly girl in me to every four weeks.

I have to admit I'm a sucker for skin care stuff. I always have been

This last months little bag of goodies had Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.

Yeah, you read that right, Bum Bum Cream

I wonder who was the marketing genius that came up with that name?

But all kidding aside Sol de Janeiro's Bum Bum Cream smells so good! And if you use it after showering, your jammies will smell pretty for days.

There is one problem.

The price.

That little jar costs a whopping $45.00

Which is why I'll cry when my little trial size is gone, because guarana extract obviously makes you smell like a coconut cake or something similar. Hey, what girl doesn't want to smell sweet?

That's about the only issue I've had with the stuff I've received from Ipsy. If I like it, I most likely won't be able to afford it again.

But it is nice to have a few days of luxury. A girl deserves some special treatment every now and then.

Mokey Update and other cat things

I would just like to say that the last 12 months have not been good for me and my furbabies.

We won't discuss the amount of money I've spent on 2 cats in particular. One of which is no longer with me.

Mokey is..and on Feb 10 he decided to get another urinary blockage.

Oye vey.

I could have had a down payment on a new car for what he's cost me.

And they wanted to do a surgery that would make a women out of him, so to speak or rather a eunuch.

Thankfully, since that first night home, when I thought he was dying, he's improved greatly and he's eating his prescription food like a trooper. I would love to know what is in those tiny cans of food that makes them cost about $1.25 a can? I never did understand why most big cans of food are more costly than the small one...like Friskies over Fancy Feast. Its nuts.

But back to Mokey. I can't even begin to consider what to do if the surgery becomes a necessity, because I don't have that kind of money.

Then last night Midnight had something stuck in his tooth...and I thought he was about to kick it over. Twenty minutes later he's back to normal..and this morning he was eating and drinking like his regular self.

Ahhh!

I hope I have 9 nine lives...because in the last few weeks, my kitties have taken a few of mine.

Feeling A Little Lighter

In October I set a weight loss goal of 10 lbs to get me under a really ugly number that I had reached. My grandmother's death in 2008 and the failing health of both of my parents caused me some serious weight gain.

It was hard to get to the gym and hard to find time to do any exercise. Food was my friend.

Right around Thanksgiving, I found that a few lbs finally started to slip away.

It is February and that first goal of 10 lbs is met. I did this without being able to get out and walk like I do in the summer months.

I'm setting another goal for 10 more.

Baby steps.

I've made a lot of changes in my diet.

I've cut a lot processed food out.  That's not to say I don't enjoy a potato chip or a cheese curl now and then, but I don't keep them around.

I started sipping bone broth.

I drink mostly sparkling water. I haven't had soda since mid-Oct.

I made a promise to myself. When the weight comes off to an acceptable level, I am treating myself to an outfit from Coldwater Creek or Appleseeds.

Wish me luck.

Book Blogging Has Taken Over

Its strange that I'm seldom posting here.

I'm not sure why either.

I do have time, more than I usually do, but I do mismanage it quite a bit.

I just seem to spend more time with my book blog or trying to be an active bookstagrammer.

Yeah, weird.

Of course, the state of the world kinda freaks me out too. I'm trying to avoid politics because it angers and saddens me all at the same time.

Then there's music.

I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to get my music on my new computer. On a plus I did find a copy of Peter Noone's One of the Glory Boys on my mp3 player, so that rarity isn't totally lost. And that album was so good, I hated to think I'd never hear it again.

Aw Paddington

I finally got around to watching the first Paddington movie last night. I don't know what made me stop at the Redbox and grab that movie...ok..I do..Peter Capaldi was in it.

Either way the movie was super cute.

Hugh Bonneville is just great as a normal dad...and the hippie biker scene...OMG so funny. Its hard to see him in rolls other than Lord Grantham though.

Nicole Kidman pulls off evil pretty well too.

Then there's Peter Capaldi's Mr. Curry.  Aw.....especially when he falls for Millicent. I saw a lot of the 12th Doctor in Mr. Curry. A bit of a curmudgeon, a little silly, a little geeky, but oddly lovable.

The animated Paddington was superb. He looked almost real. Well, if real bears wore hats and coats.

I liked that for the most part the movie was light hearted. I'm not a fan of too much drama in family films like this.

There's always a sad bit, but it wasn't too traumatizing. (You know, like UP!)

This was just a good movie for anyone to watch..and now I want to see the sequel.

An Eventful 2 Weeks

Well, there's been a lot going on in the last few week and it all involves Mokey.

The little stinker ended up back at the vet. He still won't eat what he's supposed to,which makes it hard for those crystals to dissolve and dear god, I can't afford for him to get blocked again.

Last Friday he seemed a bit better...and he got to chewing on the Christmas tree.

Yeah.

Remember National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Thankfully he didn't hurt himself, but while we tried to disengage him from the Christmas tree lights, he BIT ME!

My mild mannered, slightly deranged cat, BIT ME!

I had to go to the vet the next day for his meds and then off to Medexpress

At least today my hand more resembles a hand, which is a good thing.

Here's hoping Mokey stays out of trouble for awhile.

And It All Went To Hell

So things were nice up until Christmas Eve.

I have cookies made. All the shopping was done. The house was decorated and quite pretty.

Then Mokey got sick.

5 hours in the Animal ER on Christmas Eve, with an estimate that made me nauseous. Mokey was cathed and unblocked, but had to stay 2 more days for observation.

Yeah...so much for getting rid of debt in the new year. Boo to the hiss.

He's now on a special diet, and I'm trying to wean my other kitties away from eating in a grazing manner.

This is not making them happy at all.

The bill is not making me happy.

No matter how hard I work to make a holiday nice, things always get fucked up.

My Trees

This is our pretty little 6 ft tree in our living room

Most of the ornaments on this tree came from Dollar General and Dollar Tree.

Hey, I have cats, I don't want things that break.

As I'm sure you can see, I love owls...well...little birdies in general.

I love this tree.

The next tree is my little 4 ft silver tree, in my dining room.

I bought this little tree in 2013 when my dad was put on hospice. It was a crazy year, and we didn't have a regular tree that year.

This little one sat in the corner.

Its a more playful tree.

Its precious and I love it.

I only hope the kitties don't try to kill it.

That's why I have created a cookie container barrier around it.

Yes, those are all my Christmas cookies stored there.

Mike..get a box..come get some! You too Bill :)

Cookies Cookies Cookies

I'm not doing to well on the cookie haul this year. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I'm just so darn tired.

All I want for Christmas is to sleep on a bed for a few hours.

That said...

I've got

2 different kinds of biscotti made, Andes Candies Cookies (which are a fabulous cake mix cookie), coconut macaroons and I've got holiday shortbread in the fridge ready to be baked.

I just wish I didn't have to cook supper and deal with that sort of thing right now. Maybe I'd be a little further along with my baking.

At least they look pretty, right?

Well I Accomplished Something

Its a week before Christmas and all through the house.

Nothing is getting done.

The only thing that I managed to do today was bake 2 different kinds of biscoti.

How exciting is that?

Tomorrow's cookies will be Russian Tea Cookies and Spritz

Yes, the cookie craziness has begun.

I wish I knew why I did this.

Norman Lear Comedies Weren't All That Funny

Thanks to Antenna TV, I've been revisiting old shows that I watched growing up. One of them is One Day At A Time.

The episode on tonight is with Mrs Romano having a fling with a married man.

I'm baffled that an affair is considered funny.

Yes its a real life issue, but it makes you wonder. Ann was supposed to have been a divorcee whose husband cheated on her.

Makes you wonder.

I've always considered cheating to be pretty despicable. Nothing funny about it.

That's how I feel about most of Norman Lear's shows, especially All In The Family, which actually disturbs me these days. Sure there are laughs, but most of the "issues" are sadly still relevant now, which makes me sick to my stomach.

How can we, as a society not have changed much in the last 40 years?

So yeah, I need something more lighthearted than anything Lear did. I need something funny like Bewitched

An Early Christmas Present

Well today I bought a new laptop. I'll be picking it up at Staples tomorrow.

This comes after my external fell off my desk and hit the floor.

Can you say deader than spam.

The computer is half dead. (the clock doesn't work. Don't ask. I have no clue)

So I figured, even though I'm not financially at my best, now was the best time to replace the laptop. You know, before it totally dies.

Hopefully after this, I won't have any further HUGE issues.

HA!