Adventures of the Poor, Little Boob

 

I had been advised to think about having genetic testing done because of the history of breast cancer in the family and other forms of cancer. I gave information as best I could from fragments of things I remembered about aunts and uncles. I messaged my cousin to talk about his mother (my mother's sister), his sister (they both succumbed to breast cancer) I also found out his daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer the year before!

From the bits and piece of this information, a family tree was constructed.

T Stands for Outback Pal

 

I didn't intend to make this outing a T Day post. I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon and would be teaching the first calligraphy class of the Wednesday night classes. Himself suggested after the appointment, we stop for a late lunch at The Outback as it was just down the street from the doctor's office. Then I could get ready for class and not worry about having dinner.

Whenever I eat out at a restaurant, I usually push half of the food aside to take home. I had sirloin steak with coconut shrimp, asparagus, and a baked sweet potato. For my beverage, I had a Blackberry Refresher which is sparkling soda over blackberries, cranberry juice and lime.

We also put in a take-out order for the Eldest so while waiting for that and the check, Himself saw a video on the point of sale unit at another table 

picture from the Outback website

with a Koala bear floating in a beverage. I couldn't quite see and the unit on our table wasn't activated. When the waitress returned, I asked if the drink was alcoholic. She said it was, but it could be made non-alcoholic. I didn't really want another beverage, I just wanted the cute Koala. She said, for an extra dollar, she would get me one. I asked for a blue one.

The Koala bear is actually shaped like a rubber ducky. He's the new desk companion and his name is Bruce.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s blog to find out what the rest of the T gang is up to. If you want to play, include a beverage or beverage container in your post. Don’t forget to link your blog from Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s page.

Monet, Miro, and Me

 

are amazed by the Dawn Platinum Plus Powerwash. It started with me doing a demonstration in class on how to clean the Pilot Parallel Pen and how to refill the cartridge with better quality ink. I probably should have worn gloves, but I didn't. Not really a big deal until soap didn't take that much ink off my hands, and I was meeting a friend to go out to lunch the following day. When I got home, I grabbed the Dawn Powerwash. I figured if Dawn removes oil spills from baby ducks, it might take the ink off my hands. A generous spritz and I waited a minute and voilà. Pretty much all the ink washed off. Just a shadow remained on my left thumb. Huzzah! It was a miracle and I shared my news with the calligraphy classes.

On Thursday, I received an email from "N" of the Wednesday night Scribes. Shared with her permission.

"Subject Dawn Dish Soap is my lord and savior

So...I need to tell you a quick story. 

We were given our official culinary uniforms today. Crisp, white chef coats and caps. I put a purple gel ink pen in the slot next to my thermometer on the shoulder pocket of my coat during lab today and then threw all of my lab coats in the wash when I got home to rinse the sizing out of them. And I blasted those garments with the santize setting cause sizing is awful and annoying. I know you're probably groaning because you know what happened. 

Purple pen ink. All over my crisp, white chef coats and caps. At 8 pm, with one day of class left in the week. *sigh* 

So i'm frantically asking the google what I should do and I doordash 91% isopropyl alcohol. Cut to me in the kitchen, blotting furiously at the ink stains with alcohol, choking on fumes and the ink is going nowhere.

[editor's comment: "N" is in culinary school. The uniforms must be kept pristine at all times. If the uniform is not whiter than white, the student is marked down and maybe even reprimanded in public.]

 "N" continues: "So I stop and I think, "WWCJD?" (What Would C.J. Do?) "

[editor's comment: CJ would have been speaking in tongues (aka swearing) and panicking.]

"N" continues: "And I remembered, Dawn Dish Soap.

I slathered the stains in Dawn and scrubbed with my nail brush and the ink is lifting!!!! I move garment to garment and when I'm done, I go back to the first garment and, miracles of miracles, the stains are even lighter, if not gone. So I did a final hit with oxi clean, threw them in the wash for a 15 minute cycle and...the stains are gone. (Except for 2 tiny spots where the ink was REALLY dark, but now they're barely noticeable.)

In conclusion, we should start a religion with Dawn Dish Soap as our God."

I agree "N". Dawn Dish Soap is, indeed, miraculous and will be included on the materials list. Henceforth, you shall be known as the Patron Saint of Dawn Dish Soap. "N" and Dawn, ora pro nobis.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Lots of images this week. Himself outdid himself with the decorations. So in backwards order:

Petunia has a dragon guardian all lit up

Ink on the crescent moon with Jack O'Lantern buddies. All lit up

Lit Jack O'Lanterns lining the front walk. Himself named it Jack LaLane. IYKYK

Look at the outside temperature on October 2. Twenty degrees above average!

Harvest decorations on the arbor

Ink's birthday flag

Daytime Ink on the crescent moon

Jack O'Lanterns standing guard on Jack LaLane

The leaves suddenly burst into color and just like that, they were on the ground.

The wooly caterpillar is predicting a mild Winter! Yes!

How does your garden grow? 

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

12Oct1974 "The Troubadour Song" - Tommy & Dick Smothers (The Carol Burnett Show)

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. With the Nor'easter predicted I'm so glad the Eldest had the  weekend off.

2. We survived the Nor'easter. I don't think it was as bad as predicted in my area.

3. The kitties didn't freak out when the groomer came to clip nails.

4. Looks like Blogger has finally updated the blog roll again

5. A warmish day so Teague and I headed to Dairy Queen for lunch which included a mini Blizzard for a last hurrah for Summer weather.

How was your week?

TBT Reprints from CJ's Whine and Cheeze

   In 2003, Ma had a stroke. Dad was her full time caregiver until he he had a car accident that totaled the car. So in 2006, I became their chauffeur among other jobs.

At the time, to deal with the stress of running two households and working, I kept a blog entitled CJ's Whine and Cheeze. Egged on by some friends who enjoyed the first read through, you'll see your part when it comes by.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

The Caged Bird Sings

Dad’s side of the story.

A week of snow was over. I hadn’t heard from the Weebles. Wasn’t sure if no news was good news, but I was worried about the threat to lock Dad out in the snow.

“Hello?”

“It’s me. How’ya doin?” I was relieved to hear his voice.

“The usual.”

“Did you go singing yesterday?”

“Of course.”

“Did she lock you out of the house?”

“Yes.”

I laughed. Ma was always as good as her word.

“What happened?”

“I went singing. When I got home she had all the doors locked.”

“How did you get in?”

“Well, I was in the garage, looking for some tools to take the door [inside door from garage that leads to a small porch off the kitchen] off its hinges, but I didn’t have the right tools. I do now, though!”

I didn’t want to tell Dad how ridiculously easy it was to break into the house. Himself used to help me all the time when I was a kid and either lost or forgot my house key. One didn’t need to remove the door hinges, and the only tool needed was a screwdriver.

Dad was amazingly calm, and he laughed as he related the details. I expected him to be singing arias in tongues about Ma.

“So, how did you get in?”

“Well, like I said, I didn’t have the right tools so I was just about to walk over to Stop and Shop and get something to eat and @#$@#$ her!”

I didn’t mean to laugh.

“She must have heard me banging around in the garage,” Dad continued. “And she unlocked the screen door.”

He didn’t relate whether there were more fireworks, and I thought it prudent not to ask. I was just relieved to hear he wasn't in the hospital with a severe case of hypothermia or frostbite.

“Well, I just wanted to check to see if things are ok.”

“I appreciate it. Listen, I’m not going to tell her you called.”

“Ok.” Just Dad’s little way of tit for tat.

Ma’s side of the story

Ma called to chat. Dad must have gone out and she was lonely or ticked at him, or both.

Curiosity got the better of me.

“Did he go singing?”

“You know him.”

“Did you lock him out of the house like you said you would.”

“Of course!”

Like I said, Ma's as good as her word. With Dad out of the house, she doesn't have control over him.

I laughed. Couldn’t help it. Jackie Gleason’s show The Honeymooners is still going strong and Ma and Dad have the lead roles.

“What happened?”

“He was in the garage yelling and banging around.”

I had the image of the Flintstones with Fred locked out of the house after he tried to toss the sabertooth cat out for the night. Wilma! And Fred pounding on the door.

I lost some of the details and caught her explanation, the crux to the matter.

“Well, he goes out of the house and he leaves me for hours all alone. I’m afraid to be alone now if something happens, I have no help.”

Six or seven years ago now, Ma had a stroke while she was home alone. Dad had gone singing. Ma had gone outside to sweep leaves from the back walk when it happened. She sat outside on the ground for two hours until one of the kids coming home from school happened to hear Ma’s call for help.

“Still, you shouldn’t lock him out of the house.”

I could see her shrug an I don’t care.

I’ll have to remember to play the hole card next time. If you lock Dad out of the house, and something happens to you, how will he get in to help you? How will the rescue people get in? Maybe I should leave a screwdriver under the front mat.