A Tuesday Ten

1. I apparently suck at being a blogger of late. I can’t remember the last time I posted.
2. Cash flow plan sounds SO much better than budgeting. Food regimen also sounds better than dieting.
3. Dear pedestrian, I know that you have right of way, however…standing in the middle of the intersection while talking on your cell phone is wrong in more ways than you realize. You are rude and yes, sometimes I wonder how you would feel if my foot slipped of the brake.
4. I acted like a grownup last week. I not only opened a checking account, I also opened a savings account. I am having part of my paycheck automatically deposited into my savings as well. I also paid off two people that I owed money. Sweet.
5. Trying to remember to not take things personally is very very difficult. I’ve done it for so long that it’s a hard habit to break. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not that powerful and cannot control the world around me. I am NOT everyone else’s happiness guru. Who would want me to be? I can’t even keep myself happy 99% of the time.
6. I love my job but suck at it.
7. My truck, bless her, has decided to start getting 16 mpg lately as opposed to the 14 I got before.
8. My ‘muffin top’ belly will not go away. Sit ups aren’t doing the trick so I have included walking and more stretching (yoga). Something better start happening soon because I miss my Reese’s Cups and my cupcakes!
9. Ever since I tried to quit smoking, I smoke like a freight train.
10. Coloring my hair always makes me feel better. Toss in a professional hair cut and brow wax – I am in heaven.

10 Things…

…to not leave in your car during the hot summer months (along with kids and pets!):

Some of these I knew, but some I didn’t ever think about.

1. Crayons
2. Lipstick
3. Soda cans (unopened)
4. Bottled water
5. Sunglasses
6. CDs
7. Electronics
8. Lighters
9. Medicine – any kinds
10. Aerosol sprays

I did not know that if left in a hot car that the chemicals in the bottle can leech to the water.

I also didn’t know that lenses of sunglasses could warp in the heat – you would think the manufacturer would make them warp-proof (is that even possible?).

Electronics is a good one. Our car stereos are electronics – what if you can’t pull that sucker out. I know not to leave my cellphone in the car, but never thought anything of leaving my iPod in there.

Lighters and aerosol cans have always been something I’ve been afraid to leave in a vehicle when the temperatures sour. If I do, I won’t touch them or open the console until I am positive they are cooled down.

CDs? No wonder half of my stuff doesn’t play anymore.

Have a great Thursday everyone! Stay cool and safe!

Ewww, Yuk and Gross

I had a headache from Hades day before yesterday. Beloved sinus headache which leads to a knot in my neck (only because I tense up when I have a headache) and a muscle twitching in my side.

Fun day to say the least.

Then, I decided that I was going to get sick to my stomach. Wonderful, but yet it seems to make me feel better after its all said and done so I just try to go with it, and not cry. Yes, throwing up makes me cry. I hate it that much.

So, there I am rushing into the bathroom and this runs across the floor:

I have never seen one of these before. I hate centipedes & millipedes. Period. This looked like a mutant and boy can that sucker make time across a floor! They can even scale walls. Ewwwer, yukkier and grosser.

I did not scream. I wanted to, but didn’t.

When I was young, my older brother (in hopes that I would wear shoes) told me that those centipede and millipedes would crawl into my feet so I needed to wear shoes. At 49 I know this to not be true but…

So, I did what any normal person would do. I jumped onto the sink, grabbed some air freshener and doused the little sucker. It slowed it down enough for me to smush (is that a word?) it with a paper towel and toss it in the garbage. Did the full body shudder/shiver and then proceeded to get sick.

Once I felt better I had no choice but to Google the monster and reassure myself that it was harmless.

Ps. It is commonly referred to as a House Centipede. Not sure of its ‘technical’ name other than to me it is something that I hope to NOT encounter again any time soon. Give me spiders, snakes and other bugs. I can cope with those…

Location Is Key

Which says a lot about how people really don’t pay attention as long as it is convenient.

I get to laugh a lot. A.LOT

This is the street-side of where I am staying now. Yep, starting at the second door on down is the wall of my room here.

The sign above it says it is a laundromat.  There are  lighted vacancy signs, with instructions below to call the realty office for rental information. Confused? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

See the yellow sign in the foreground? That is by the laundry mat entrance (laundry mat not shown).

Above you see railings, which are rental apartments balconies. No arrow from the vacancy signs up to those. Nope.

Oh, the painted sign on the door between the vacancy signs reads: Seacoast Health Clinic.

Does it all make sense now?

Doesn’t to me either.

Here’s where the fun part begins. I live in the food kitchen. Saint Vincent uses this during the winter months to serve food to the homeless and poor. During the summer months my roommate and I live in the food kitchen to free up Unit #1, where we stay during the off season.

It is actually pretty cool, as in neat, but not really cool as in “cold” cool. It gets pretty hot in here when the sun hits the street side mid-afternoon.

Can we open those doors? Nope. Why? Cause people are idiots and don’t care where they are going or what they are after. We can’t even unlock them so we can use those front doors to go anywhere. Why, people pull the doors open thinking it is a restaurant? WTF?

As I sit here at the computer, or lay in the bed, or sit at the table to eat I can’t help but laugh at people that try the doors.

Why? They honestly think it is a restaurant. We don’t know if they’re really looking for food or possibly a public restroom but it is funny as hell to me that they would think either.

Seriously, even with the confusing signs NO WHERE is there a sign for food or bathrooms on the building. Not even one person, who might accidentally open one of the accidentally unlocked doors, ever says “oh, sorry. I thought this was the laundry mat” or “sorry, I thought this was the rental office”.

Nope, it’s always “is this not a restaurant?”

WTF.

Seriously people. I mean SERIOUSLY. With all the places to eat out here you have to choose what type of food you are going to score. Are these people so dazed, confused, excited or just so damned hungry that they will eat anything? Are they like Woody Harrelson in Zombieland , so desperate for a Twinkie food that they will open every available door in search of some?

Bonus picture – inside view of my room:

Bane Of My Existence

Okay, so there is more than one.

These damned No-See-Ums (aka midgies, sand flies, punkies and others…) can seriously ruin an evening at the picnic tables, and are worse near the beach. These suckers are only about 1-4mm long (.039-.157in –> 1/32” – 5/32”, which is a little bigger than 1/8”).

Talk about big things in small packages! Their bite is worse than a mosquito’s, too.

I read that using baby oil deters them. Nice, will have to try that.

At first I thought these strange whelps on my face and legs were coming from these big guys.

That maybe I was reacting to an ant bite differently up here.
^{don’t ask, stranger things have happened, especially where I’m involved}

Nope, it’s the No-See-Ums.

They can fly through screens. Sweet.

I wore shorts yesterday. So if you see me scratching my ass, you know why. F-ing no.see.ums.

Other ‘bane’s include: creepers, drunk pedestrians, drunk drivers, my inability to save money. Just name a few.

^{Note: bana = slayer, so yes I am being melodramatic.}