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My husband loves to laugh at me because we will be driving someplace and I will just blurt out “I remember that place.  I went to dinner with ______  there and had a great _____.” (Fill in the 2^nd blank with some dish)  I can’t remember what I had for dinner 2 nights ago but if it is from my youth it just comes to me out of nowhere.  We have usually eaten or are not hungry so we don’t  stop there and as you might expect, until I happen to go by it again I will forget about it.  The worst situation for me is when I cannot stop thinking about that dish and end up craving it but don’t have the time to go back.

Food cravings for me, like most people, are tied to emotional or physical events that happened in my life. It stinks when it doesn’t come from seeing a place but just a particular food hitting my brain and making my tastebuds go off.  Recently I had this craving for deviled eggs come out of nowhere.  All I could think about was a cold egg white filled with the deliciously creamy yolk mixture that is just the right size to fit in my mouth in one bite.  I actually got out of my chair, when to my refrigeration to figure out if I had the ingredients.  I just thinking of the items I need and realize I have what I need….except the most critical item.  No eggs!  Now at this point, I have to decide if my craving is severe enough that I have to go to the grocery store and as you would expect I decided that I could just wait until the next time I go and make them then.  (Side note:  In some places, they are referred to as  “mimosa eggs,” “stuffed eggs,” “dressed eggs” or “salad eggs” because some people are offended by the word devil. Honestly, I like the idea of calling them “mimosa eggs” because it sounds like it would be a good reason to have a mimosa while enjoying them.)

It amazes me how the taste of something can be so closely tied to a person in my life.  There was a dish my Nana used to make me called “Baked Corn”.  It is basically what others call corn custard.  Other members of my family have tried to make it using her recipe but it never tastes like the one she used to make.  There is just something about the way she prepared it for me because she knew it was my favorite that made her’s so unique.  The same with Blackberry Jelly.  My Granny used to make it, with the seeds, and now I cannot eat it unless it has the seeds (which by the way I cannot find in the grocery store).  If  I happen to find it somewhere at a farmers market with the seeds I am still disappointed because it is missing that special something she put in.  I am pretty sure I know the key ingredient both are missing and that is the love of a grandparent for their grandchild.

I know in my mind I should have learned to make these dishes and countless others but I just didn’t think about it because that would mean that I had to face the fact that my grandparents wouldn’t be around forever.  Now I look at my granddaughters and realize that they don’t have the special dish that they can relate to me as their Nana.  I guess it is time to start pulling out the cookbooks and testing dishes out for them.  I know it will mean that I have to be in the kitchen and knowing me I will make a mess but luckily my husband usually cleans up behind me because as you all know…I don’t mop!

(Follow up:  I finally got groceries and guess what I forgot…the eggs!!  Oh well I guess I will just have to keep craving them until Easter.)

 

My Wonderful Friends:

If you have any suggestions for dishes or go through similar feeling about certain foods let me know.  It would be great to know I am not the only one!  Also, please share my Facebook or Web page.  I would love to share my stories with even more people around the globe.

Hello, my name is Karen and I am addicted to boxes with an arrow on them aka Amazon Prime.

Long ago, and not in a galaxy far far away, I wrote a post about my addiction to blue packages from Zulily. (Blue Packages Make My Day)  Those packages are still so much fun for me mostly because I never remember what I ordered and when it is coming in I never know what is going to be inside.  If you have ever ordered from Zulily then you know that it can take weeks sometimes to receive your purchases so unless you track your orders you never know what is going to show up when at your house.

(Here is a link in case you have never been to Zulily.  I will give a warning that it can be highly addictive because you will find great discounts on things you need and don’t need.  Once you start you will become a daily addict so that you don’t miss out.  I don’t even need the email reminder because at 9:01 am eastern I am on the site seeing what is new.)

While waiting for Zulily makes it a little more fun there is something on the opposite end of delivery that is my growing addiction.  Amazon Prime!  Let me say that I have always liked Amazon but Prime makes it all better.  It is worth the annual fee for so many reasons. (Note these not in any specific order because depending on the day my reasons change.)

• Items shipped to me in 2 days. It is instant gratification.  No longer do I have to wait days to weeks for my highly important items (phone charger, carpet rake, etc.).  Now it is 48 hours max.
• Amazon Music. This wonderful music player has great features and unless you need the newest hits it is free.  There is an “unlimited” plan that is similar to Apple Music where it has a family and individual amount.  I love playlists so this is great for me because as I have said before (See:  Crazy Commuter Karaoke on the Highway of Hell) I love to sing in the car for my own and others amusement.
• Amazon Smile! This is great no matter what because you can pick a participating charity and have a percent (yes it is small) donated to them every time you shop through the website as long as you make sure to use Amazonsmile as part of the web address.
• Prime Pantry & Fresh. Groceries delivered to my door.  The only part of this amazing service that is missing would be if they brought my order into my house and put it away for me.  (Maybe they can get the drones to do that.)

I bet you can guess what day of the year is the most anticipated one for me (no not my birthday, family birthdays, holidays, etc.)…it is PRIME DAY!!  The day when random items go on sale and you have to be quick or you don’t get the best deal.  This is when the height of my addiction comes into play.  I will log-in multiple times a day to make sure I don’t miss anything.  It used to be easier because there wasn’t that much available but now it so much stuff you need to make time to plan it out.  Since I am the type of person that can convince herself that she needs random items this is also a day that requires me to use a lot of self-control.  Here is what usually happens…

1^st – I convince myself that I need a certain product because it is 75% off. I could be anything from a skateboard to a case that will replace the case on my daughter’s iPad Mini (by the way it doesn’t work anymore because that is what happens when you give her an iPad.)

2^nd – I will add it to my shopping cart and then go back and keep looking for more items.

3^rd – After adding additional items I will start to get upset because most likely I have lost the first item because I waited too long and it is sold out.  This leads me to just buy right then whatever is in the basket because I can’t lose something again.

4^th – As the day goes on (yes this starts around 6:00 am) I start to see more things that I think we need and at this point I am justifying it by sending emails and texts to family members reminding them that it is prime day and that they should look at let me know if I need to order something for them.  (Yes I do make them pay me back for it…sometimes.)  At this point, I am looking for any reason to stay online for prime day.

5^th – Around bedtime, it is time for one final check but let’s be serious…I will check again a couple more time before actually going to sleep.

6^th – I wake up the next morning with a Prime Day hangover.  My credit card is begging for mercy and my computer doesn’t want to load the Amazon page again.

7^th – The items arrive a few days later and over the next couple of days I look at the items sitting out and decide that 75% of it needs to go back.  So I put them in boxes, attach the return labels and wait for my credits.

I know that is a long process to go through and I missed some of the emotional highs and lows I go through but unless I write my blog that actual day I can’t remember everything.  Not sure if that is my dementia or my brain blocking it out so I will do it again (like childbirth…you forgot how painful it was until you have to go through it again).  So today I am home and much to my surprise I had a box and in it was the thing I needed…my carpet rake.  Now let’s not jump to the conclusion that I might use it because technically it is not a mop because I can tell you right now that I won’t!  My husband will!

Little favor:  Please, like and share my pages and my posts.  Also, I would love some feedback too.  Don’t leave me thinking I’m the only one who goes through these things.  Thanks!

Not sure if I have mentioned it in a previous post or not, but we have a family dog named Buddy.  A few weeks ago we realized, thanks to Facebook, that we have had him for 5 years.  That should make him about 10 years old (or 53 in people years according to the calculator I found online.)  He is slowing down but still so amazing and he truly loves his people.

Side Note:  I’m starting to realize that my life is so much better now that we have the World Wide Web.  How else would I find a calculator to convert dog years to human years?  I find such interesting things that have calculators online.  For all you cat people there is one that can convert their age to people years.  (If Buddy was a cat he would be 56 in people years which is older than the conversion of a dog so he should be happy he is a dog!)  There is a Death Date Calculator (yes that is morbid but good to know), Telephone Number Numerology Calculator (no idea what that means) and a Steak Calculator (because who really wants to eat a raw or overcooked steak?).

Buddy is a Jack Russell Terrier mixed with something else.  Now if you know anything about Jack Russell’s then you know that they are very hyper.  Lucky for us whatever else he is mixed with is related to a sloth or maybe a snail. So here is how he typically behaves when I get home in the evening.  He barks as soon as he sees me, then once I walk in the door he is jumping up to greet me.  In order to understand what this looks like you need to pull up a video of a salmon swimming upstream.  He jumps and wiggles his bottom just like the fish do.  Now comes the best part.  As soon as I sit down he is right next to me and asleep in minutes.  Now you might be thinking this is due to his age, but this is how he has always been.  It takes a lot of energy to jump and shake his butt so he needs to rest after.  He also needs a rest after he has come in from going potty, eaten his food, etc.  His life is basically down to activity, sleep, activity, sleep.  It is a very hard life he leads.

So at this point, I should explain why I call him a Wonder Dog.  It is because for the entire time we have had him we have all been making up songs for him.  My favorite and the one I sing the most is “Buddy the Wonder Dog.  It’s no wonder he’s a dog.  Because he doesn’t look like a frog.  He’s Buddy the Wonder Dog!”  He has never done anything heroic like a police or service dog, but the fact that he hasn’t run away yet and instead stays with us make him a wonder dog to me.  My youngest (Aspie Girl) is the voice of Buddy.  He has a deep voice that has a good amount of sarcasm laced in it.  She loves to say “Hi my name is Bud!  Do you have pepperoni?”  If I reply with “No” she says “I know it’s in the refrigerator.  You can’t fib to me.”  So I end up getting him pepperoni and she gets some too.  I know they are both scamming me, but it is so cute I can’t help but give in.  My husband (Odin) says that once Buddy passes over the Rainbow Bridge we are not getting another dog unless it is a service dog for Aspie Girl.  Neither of us wants anything to happen to Buddy because he is a member of our family.  I truly think Odin says that because he will be very upset when it does inevitably happen and can’t imagine any dog being able to fill Buddy’s paws. (Neither can I)

Another Side Note:  In regards to the Autism service dog (no a comfort animal will not work..I wish) for Aspie Girl.  My hope is that I can get her service dog soon but I need to raise $15K-$20K in order to get her one.  She desperately needs one but I really have no idea how to raise that amount of money.  Her anxiety is so bad that she actually pulled apart a pair of leggings in school this week because she was nervous about gym class.  She has also eaten up to an inch (yes 1”) off her hair and can’t go to stores because it overwhelms her so much.  Her iPad and headphones are the only reason we can get her out of the house.  This is the first year that she isn’t in any main-stream classes because her anxiety is so high.  She also needs one because she wanders off which is why we hold hands everywhere.  The issue is that at her age she thinks it isn’t cool to hold my hand which causes a safety risk.  If you have any ideas of how to get her one please let me know. 

Buddy has a new job in the family.  He is the protector of my granddaughter (Itty Bitty).  When she is with her Mom (BiP) on the couch he sits between them and the front door.  He doesn’t bark at people passing by like he normally does.  Just gives a slight growl so he doesn’t frighten her which will make her cry.  Also, every morning he has to smell her and lick her head.  It is just so cute how well they get along since she is only 3 weeks old.  Buddy is defiantly in love with his family and we love him just as much.  He gets puppy ice cream, lots of belly rubs and has a big basket filled with toys.  I cannot imagine our lives without him and I hope it is a very long time before that happens.

Thanks for reading and please pass this on if you enjoyed it!

Karen G.

Over the last few months, I have been going to Physical Therapy (PT) for my neck.  Turns out there is a nerve in your neck that runs up to the side of your head and when it gets pinched you receive a sharp pain.  All of a sudden out of nowhere I will get this feeling of someone or something, because it could be an alien or superbug, trying to push a phillips-head screwdriver out the side of my skull.  I have actually been in tears over this because it really sucks!! So my wonderful neurologist decided that PT would be able to fix my problem.

I started seeing this amazing therapist (Mrs. SouthernLiving aka Mrs. SL) and, good for me but bad for her, she suffers from the same exact thing so I knew she would be able to fix me up.  Little did I know that Mrs. SL was going to be able to do so much more for me than fix my neck!  She has become my friend.  When I have an appointment I get so excited and it is not because she beats on me, no I am not a masochist …really…I’m not, but because I get to hang out with adults and talk about new and interesting things.  This has become the mental therapy that I need to survive the week. When we skip a week I feel all out of sorts and don’t know what to do with myself.

Side Note:  I am calling her Mrs. SL because she has this cool southern accent and when she tries to be mean it doesn’t work because of the accent.  I bet she would make a fortune out of recording the audio tracks for romance novels based in the south with that accent. If she does decide to do that then I think I should get a cut for coming up with the idea. Just 20% of what she makes for each recording to cover my idea fee is enough.  OK…I will be generous…19.99% 

Let me say that my PT sessions are hard work and every time she beats on me she says “Love You…Mean It”.  (Wait…maybe she’s a sadist…nah she is too nice for that plus with that accent no one would believe it if I said she was.)  She has also added a new clothing line (Matilda Jane) to my shopping addiction.  Yes before you ask it is on Zulily but not often and the selection isn’t great.  Now she is tempting me with her rave reviews of Hello Fresh.  I did get her into Zulily so I look at it as a trade-off.  We are both bad influences on each other but yet we have such amazing things.  In addition, we have the other patient that is there with us during my time.  Let’s call him Mr. PressureCooker aka Mr. PC since he is the one that introduced me to that amazing gadget.  He is so funny and gives great cooking ideas.  On top of that, he has some great stories about being in the military which leads to other interesting topics.  (Yes they include drinking but don’t judge us.  Everyone should have interesting stories from their 20s involving alcohol.  If you don’t then sorry for you but maybe you can make up for it in your 40s or 50s.) Honestly, the only thing that could make our sessions better is if we drank wine or margaritas.  (Yes again with the alcohol but again don’t judge it because you know you want one too.) Then who knows what would come out of our mouths.

Another Side Note:  I would like to thank the owner of my PT office for not separating us or recording the things we talk about.  It’s nothing bad, but it is funny.  Plus that would be an invasion of my privacy which I would not take well.  It’s OK for me to talk about everyone else but it is not OK to do it to me.  I know that sounds very one-sided but that is the way it is.  Now please don’t kick me out of the practice!  I promise I will behave or will try to the best of my ability.

The hubby (Odin) doesn’t think I should go anymore because it costs so much money above the co-pay, but I think it is the best type of therapy in the world.  Not only has the frequency of my headaches gone down but so has my level of irritation towards our family.  This is my only time outside of work to talk to grown-ups that I am not related to.  Yes, it may lead me to buy things that I hadn’t thought I needed until I hear it about it and then had to have it.  Yes, it may make me crave Greek or Thai food or a certain wine.  My therapy is completely necessary for me to be in a happy state for at least one night a week.  No homework, kids, spouse, grandchildren, work, etc.  Just me and two people that make me smile and forget about all the other crap.  I think it is worth it and as long as my neck hurts I will be there every Wednesday. (I would say that I would continue going once it is healed but I can’t because my insurance company might see this and get mad.  Trust me insurance guys…it really does hurt.)

Yet Another Side Note:  I hope my therapist and co-patient are OK that I wrote this.  If not then be happy that I at least changed your names and next time I come in I will bring cookies!!  I also need to mention that there is an amazing receptionist at PT.  She is always so friendly when I walk in and tells me that she misses me when I am not there.  (Obviously I have her fooled but let’s not tell her because I want to keep this good thing going.)  She gets the benefit of listening to all this and I think she deserves an award for not running out the door because she thinks we are all crazy.

Thanks for reading!!  Please feel free to share this!

Karen G.

My middle daughter (BiP) had a baby a few days ago and since she lives at home and can’t drive (thanks C-section) I was given the honor of going with them to my granddaughters (Itty Bitty) first doctor’s appointment.  One cool thing about this was that same doctor my children go will also be my granddaughter’s doctor.  So that makes it a generational thing now.

Side Note:  It is weird to me that my youngest daughter (Aspie Girl) and Itty Bitty are close enough in age to see the same doctor.  The doctor isn’t old and neither am I (no…40’s are not old) and they are only 11 years apart, but it still seems strange.

Of course, we end up talking about the rest of the family and especially the youngest (Aspie Girl).  She asks how the transition to middle school is going and we talk about the changes we have made this year.  Then when everything is done I tell her I will see her at Aspie Girl’s 12-year check-up in November and she just smiles.  Little did I know that when I said it I was jinxing myself…keep reading….please!

After dropping off BiP & Itty Bitty at home I commute on the road most people call Route 66 to my office.  (I often refer affectionately to this horrible bane of my existence as the “Highway of Hell”.)  I get to my desk and realize that yet again I have left my laptop at home.  Now, most people would be thinking that instead of going all the way back home just get a loaner laptop.  Let me tell you right now that trying to get a loner laptop might be an option for some but at my office that is the equivalent of obtaining the Holy Grail, but hopefully, it will not melt people’s faces.  Also, since I don’t bother to save my information to the network everything I need is on the laptop.

Another Side Note:  In my mind, it is riskier to save my stuff on the network then it is saving it on my laptop.  I know all the cyber people and computer experts will tell me that isn’t true, but let me explain my rationale.  In my mind, if something is going to get hacked and taken down it will be the server and not my laptop.  Who cares what is on my laptop when there is so much on the server that is much juicer.  I do have an External Hard Drive (EHD) but since my laptop is locked down I cannot set it up to automatically back things up. Also asking me to do it is just ridiculous because it wouldn’t have the ability to do it automatically if it wasn’t supposed to be done that way.  So that makes it ITs fault that I don’t have a backup.  Plus isn’t it easier for someone to pick-up my EHD vs my laptop?  It might be a few days before I notice my EHD but I would notice my laptop missing immediately….right?

So I do what I have to…..I schlep back to the car and start the drive back down the Highway of Hell to the house.  I get 10 minutes down the road and then comes the call every parent hates….the school nurse saying that Aspie Girl isn’t feeling well and needs to go to the doctor.  So after a Bluetooth enabled the crackly call to the doctor’s office that had me repeating myself and ready to pitch my phone out the window I got her an appointment that would be in only 30 minutes.

I rush to the school, sign her out and rush her out to the car.  Now Aspie Girl doesn’t like to be rushed and when you do she moves at the speed of a sloth so you can guess how that went.  We pull up at our exact appointment time and then I have to get her to go inside (sloths at this point would move faster).  The doctor comes into the room and just laughs because here I am back in less than 1 ½ hours after telling her that I would not be back until November. I explain to her that if I hadn’t forgotten my laptop (as usual) she would be seeing my Hubby (Odin) so this doesn’t count.  Again she laughs.  Then she tells Aspie Girl she needs to give a urine sample which of course means explaining the directions in detail more than once, 3 trips to the bathroom, countless glasses of water and guess what….she doesn’t have to pee.  I, on the other hand, have the bladder of an elderly person and have gone multiple times.  At this point I am done and ready to get to work so they give me the stuff to get the sample at home. (Gross!)  The doctor just smiles and says she will see me soon and probably before November…I just smirk and tell her that the next visit is for her since she just jinxed me!

Guess what happens as soon as I get her home…she has to pee and the stuff I need is in the car.  Really?????  Then when I am finally back on the Highway of Hell headed to the office I realize that not only do I jinx myself often but now I have other people doing it for me. Great!

Karen

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