Wednesday Hodge Podge #373

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1. Saturday marks the first official day of summer! Whoohoo! Your favorite thing about the season? As an educator, I get my summers off, so no work! I also enjoy swimming at the local pool, but thanks to COVID-19, that's not happening any time soon. Ditto for vacation.

2. Love it!, labor of love, not for love or money, no love lost, love handles, love does, love-hate relationship, misery loves company, tough love, love will find a way...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life right now. Labor of love. In a few minutes I'm going to my 92 year old grandmother's house so I can get her out of bed, toileted, fed, and bathed. I've been taking care of her since April 8, which was the day my mom, who is her live in caregiver, fell and broke her leg. I'm filling in until Mom is back on her feet and able to resume all duties. 

3. What's one thing currently causing you to seethe? One thing currently making you smile? Seethe: The three Supreme Court Justices- Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito- dissension on banning discrimination against LGBT workers. Smile: conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and  John Roberts doing the opposite and joining their liberal counterparts in protecting the workplace rights of the LGBT community. Well done, sirs!

4. Of the following to-dos found on a summer checklist (here) which three would definitely make your personal list of summer want-to-dos?

roast marshmallows over a fire, go berry or peach picking, dangle your feet off the end of a dock, sit on a porch swing, watch the sunset from a beach, nap in a hammock, go barefoot in the grass, collect seashells, play tennis, go fishing, build a sandcastle, catch fireflies, eat a soft serve ice cream cone, make a pitcher of Sangria, swim in a lake, stargaze, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or kayak, make a summer road trip, throw a frisbee

Do you make an actual list? No. I just let each day happen as it unfolds. 

5. Thursday is National Splurge Day. What might you splurge on in order to celebrate? I need new living room furniture, so once I find what I'm looking for (no luck so far), I'll splurge on that.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Misophonia, Table For One

I know Backes has allergies and can't help it, but damn, the sounds of his licking, chewing, and snorting is enough to make me want to puncture my ear drums so I don't have to hear it any more. Seriously. I thought giving him a Benadryl at night would help alleviate his symptoms, and while it does help initially, it usually wears off around 3 a.m. and the licking/chewing cycle starts anew. Sigh. Guess I'm going to have to call the vet for a prescription to give him (and me) relief.

Up Yours, Snotty!

I really love starting off the week by getting bitched at by a neighbor.

I was walking Backes and he did what most dogs do while on a walk- he lifted his leg and peed on the first available thing of interest on the street, which happened to be said neighbor’s car tire. We walked a little farther up to the corner, he peed on the stop sign pole and on a clump of weeds, and then we were on our way back home. No sooner were we at the foot of my driveway when the neighbor comes out of the house and down to her car and yells, “Thanks for letting your dog piss on my car! What the hell?” Now, I’ve never had a problem with this woman in the few times we’ve interacted, so I was caught off guard by her nasty attitude. I mean, he peed a little on her damn tire. It’s not like he took a big crap in her yard and I left it there¹. I offered an apology but she kept mumbling obscenities to herself and then drove off.

As pissed as I was, I bought a card and inserted a $20 bill for a car wash, with an apology from Backes. If she can’t get over it, she can shove the money and that card up her fat ass.

¹The kicker? Her dog, an overly aggressive old Chow Chow, has pooped in my yard twice, but do you see me acting like a big jerk over it?

Birdie Bébés*

A few weeks ago, I discovered this darling bird nest on the top shelf of an old metal bookshelf I have in the corner of my garage. When I saw the lone egg, off white speckled with brown, I knew immediately that it wasn't a robin nesting there. I periodically checked the nest over the next few days and noticed that 4 more eggs had been laid.

Judging by the appearance of the eggs, several of my Facebook friends thought that it could be a migrating barn swallow, but I wasn't convinced because the nest didn't look anything like the barn swallow nests I found on ornithology websites. Once I finally saw mama bird in the nest, on about day 8, it became clear: she was a house sparrow! Because I have several household projects going on that require tools from the garage, I've tried to get her acclimated to me coming and going in the hopes that she won't attack me. She hasn't yet <fingers crossed>

Here's a short video of the hatchlings. Aren't they the cutest?

*Thanks to Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek, I will forever pronounce babies as bébés😁

The Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: The Rain, The Park, and Other Things (1967)

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1) The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles. Can you name another group of popular singing siblings? Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, otherwise known as The Jackson 5.

2) This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer." What's your favorite Monkees song? There are so many to choose from, but lately it's been Salesman.

3) After seeing the Cowsill brothers perform with their mother and sister, TV producers were inspired to create the sitcom, The Partridge Family. Did you ever watch it? Not during its' popularity. I watched it when it was part of the nightly line up on Nick At Nite.

4) In the song, the narrator takes a flower from a girl in the park. Are there flowers in your home right now? Just a half dead violet in my kitchen window. It hasn't flowered since January, but the petals look somewhat healthy, so I don't have the heart to throw it out just yet.

5) He isn't sure if the girl was real, or if he dreamed her. Tell us about a recent dream you had. Last night I dreamt that I was back in high school and had to take a horrendous algebra test. When I saw how complicated the first problem was, I started to panic, and then just sat there frozen while everyone around me breezed through the answers. I felt like an idiot.

6) At the height of the Cowsills' popularity, they were hired by the American Dairy Association to promote drinking milk. If we were to peek into your refrigerator right now, would we find any milk? Almond milk. 

7) After the band stopped performing together, John Cowsill went on to become a back up musician for the Beach Boys. His job has kept him on the road much of the time. When you travel, do you enjoy staying in hotels, or would you rather stay with friends/family? I prefer hotels. I like the privacy.

8)  In 1967, the year this song was popular, Elvis married Priscilla in Las Vegas. Have you attended any weddings yet this year? Are there any weddings in your future? No and no.

9) Random question: Are the bottoms of your feet ticklish? Extremely! When getting pedicures, I have to restrain myself from accidentally kicking the technician because I'm squirming in the chair and laughing so much.

One Year Ago Tonight

Still gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes. I will forever remember hyperventilating and trying not to puke during the final seconds of the game, even with a 4-1 lead😀 What a crazy ride it was! #playgloria #wewentblues

Thursday 13: 13 Things That Have Happened In My Life During My 7 Year Blogging Absence

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1. Backes-At the time of my last blog entry, I had an 11 year old black pug named Mushi Mu. Mushi started showing signs of illness in May 2013 and tests determined he was suffering from diabetes, kidney failure, and severe pancreatitis. His quality of life had taken a downward spiral, and as much as it broke our hearts, we decided to end his suffering. He passed away in my Mom's arms. Neither mom or I had plans to own another dog until December of that same year when the director of our local no kill animal shelter contacted us about a pug mix that was arriving from a shelter in St. Louis.  Mom went to meet him in person and the first thing he did in the acquaintance room was lift his leg and pee on her! Mom was like, "That's it...he's ours!" 😁 We named him Backes, after David Backes of the St. Louis Blues. He's stubborn, smart, and likes to get into mischief, but he has brought great joy into our lives. He's my Backydoodle, Doodlebug, Doodlydoo, and Turd Ferguson (when he's naughty).

2. Pippin- I got to spend 15 wonderful years with my beautiful tiger striped tabby cat, Pippin Took. Unfortunately, he started suffering from health problems in spring 2019, and by the time I made the difficult decision to euthanize him, he was down to 10 lbs. For most of his adult life, he was a big boy who weighed 18-20 lbs. October 2, 2019 was one of the hardest days of my life. He went to sleep peacefully while I held his paws, kissed him, and told him what a good boy he was. There will never be another kitty like him.

3. Jolene- I was surprised as hell when my sister called me on the night of January 20, 2017 to tell me she was pregnant. At that time, she had a 10 year old, Madilyn, and a 9 year old, Claire, so we all thought her diaper days were far behind her. Her husband Justin had always told her they could have another baby when the Cubs won the World Series, thinking 1) it would never happen and 2) in the slim chance that it did happen, Sara would be too old. Lo and behold, the Cubs did the unthinkable and won the World Series in November 2016, and on August 23, 2017, Jolene Anne made her debut. Justin kept his word!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

1. Last thing you said yes to? Did you regret it?
I lent money to my best friend. I didn't regret it because it helped her buy groceries for her family. Times are tough right now and if I can help someone out, I will.

2. No big deal, no contest, no dice, no hard feelings, no ifs ands or buts, no kidding, no offense, no pain no gain, no way...choose one and tell us how it applies to your life currently.
No if ands or buts, if you're not angered by what happened to George Floyd, or turn a blind eye to the racial injustice and prejudice in this country, kindly remove yourself from my life.

3. Thursday June 11th is National Making Life Beautiful Day...in this strange season how are you adding beauty to your days/life?
Planting flowers, feeding my bird and squirrel friends, painting kindness rocks for people to find.

4. According to an article found here, these six foods taste better in June than at any other time of the year-strawberries, asparagus, peas, peaches, beets, and garlic. How many of these have you tasted so far this month? Anything on the list you'd say 'no thank you' to trying? Rearrange the list starting with your favorite (1) to your least favorite (6).
I loathe asparagus and beets. The remaining foods would be ranked: 1. Strawberries 2. Peas 3. Peaches 4. Garlic

5. Describe your current mood in three words.
Overwhelmed, disgusted, heartbroken

6. Insert your own random thought here.

How To Annoy Me

Never like or comment on any of my Facebook posts, but the second I post something political that you don't agree with, there you are. <eye roll>

Tuesday 4: All That Glitters

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1. Everyone has a birth stone and a birth flower. What are yours?

Amethyst and Violets for February. So much purple!

2. Gold glitters and California is the Golden State.  What is your state called?

3. "All that glitters is not gold' goes the old saying. Do you have a favorite saying or biblical verse you will share with us?

That's me in a nutshell. I refuse to give up on a problem or task until I solve it.

 4.Glittery greeting cards or plain? Which is your preference?

I really don't have a preference, but if I had to choose, I'd pick plain, because most of the funny cards are plain (I tend to gravitate towards humorous cards, unless it's a somber occasion) I'm ashamed to admit this, but the first thing I check is the cost. I hate spending money on items that most people will end up tossing in the garbage.