It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Jan has been leaving Christmas themed rocks along my pathway.

Before heading out of town for Thanksgiving, I’d noticed the neighbor around the corner had her patio display up.

Upon my return, I saw she’d added poinsettia to the display.

Going outside this evening, to see how the display looks after dark, I find that her neighbors have holidayed up that side of the building.

Neighbor across the quad, who won Second Place Halloween Patio, thus far has decorated only her bedroom window.

The sheer type curtains, lighted up red, seems less like Christmas to me and more like what I've seen in old movies — symbolic of Red-Light Districts, Pleasure Districts, if you know what I mean.

Next door neighbor brought in a Christmas Tree today, with plans to set it up inside, so I guess that means no outside patio decorations, except for mine, on this side of the building.

I managed to get my display up the traditional Day after Thanksgiving, even though that was the same day I arrived back and should have been resting.

Heading out this morning to run errands, I took the long way around the driveway, and saw a few residents had done the bare minimum — Big Linda set up what looks to be a pre-lit reindeer, another resident added a wreath to the railing, two others have added lights to the railing. Other than that, I spotted no further decorated patios — except one resident still has scarecrows up from Halloween, LOL.

It’s still early, so I'm sure to see further elaborate displays.

Working myself up to making tamales sometime this week, I stopped at Sprouts for free-range organic chicken today, then headed for the craft store.

While checking out, I noticed the name tag on the cashier — "Kenny".

Right away, my mind went to South Park and, I said, "Your name is Kenny".

He looked up, a puzzled look on his face as to what I was about to say and replied "Yes?".

"Do you get teased a lot about South Park", said I.

His face lit up and he giggled like a girl, replying "Not so much now, but when I was in elementary school".

What’s really funny is that he’s been teased as the Kenny character — the one that gets killed in every episode, when in actuality he seriously looks like Cartman ... all rosey cheeked with a roly poly body form.

After running errands, I sat on the couch pondering whether or not to put the Christmas knickknacks on display.

Now that I’ve got the sewing machine out, and I’m having to move things around to make room to iron fabric at various stages, lay out the cutting mat at various stages, spread out the quilt at various stages, it’s like there is just too much stuff around me. The walls are closing in so, the Santa Nutcracker will have to suffice as inside decorations, everything else is going back into storage. Besides I don't entertain, the knickknacks were just for me, and me can do without further clutter this time around.

Honey(s) I’m Home

Hope you all enjoyed your day of thanks.

It was a good thing I was heading out of town because, just before I hit the road, there was a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) message from the utility company due to the heavy winds.

The all-clear power back on didn’t hit my phone until 7:35 PM last night, so my getting out of the complex for the first family gathering I’ve attended since the Pandemic could not have been timed better.

On the road for three hours, the only news being the GPS giving me turn-by-turn directions, I didn’t find out there were guilty verdicts on the Black Jogger Murder until late afternoon.

I would have been very surprised had it been otherwise, and even if the three don’t get the kind of time they’ve earned, at least what they are given will be time enough to think about what they’ve done — taken the life of another because of the color of his skin and screwed up their own lives in the process.

There were a few issues checking into the hotel, due to a recently installed hi-tech card verification system, the room’s A/C cranking out a horrendous noise, room entry card not wanting to work — all of which prompted me to tell the front desk that “I think this hotel is cursed”.

Once the dust settled, I then discovered the unsecure condition of the door lock.

The screws are loose, lock about to fall off, no pushing the door needed to bypass and get in.

Too tired by then from the long drive and chaos thus far to request a different room, I set up my own security measures.

The noise of the chair scraping across the floor, and the carrier falling are sure to wake me up, whereupon I’d tase and pepper spray the intruder.

After that, it was smooth sailing and I woke up Thanksgiving morning, with this view.

All Hail the Queen Mary

I je t’adore looking at the Queen from afar when I'm in the area.

From "afar" because it’s haunted. I don’t want to get close enough to tempt some invisible someone to attach to me, follow me home.

Granddaughter suggested maybe even having that view was close enough to have caused all the issues checking in, that the hotel may, as I suggested to the front desk, be cursed.

The Queen is now a Ghost Ship, both figuratively and literally.

Completely shut down, unsafe, in deteriorating conditions, with an estimated 700 million dollars’ worth of needed repairs, unless someone with an extra 700 million steps in, the powers that be are considering sinking the Queen.

Another thing I je t’adore is the out and proud nature of the area.

So pretty, and several intersections along Broadway are painted thusly.

This is the Starbucks where, back in the day, when Actress Sandra Bullock was living on Ocean Boulevard, she could be seen having coffee with her then husband Jesse James, then of West Coast Choppers.

The quality of the following video isn’t the best, due to wind and sun, but suffice it to say someone in the area really loves Christmas.

Grandson-in-law impressed me with his mad skills in spatchcocking and baking of the turkey. He made a stock that looked good enough to eat as was, even made a roux to thicken the stock to gravy.

There was the usual Thanksgiving faire — turkey, dressing, gravy, potato salad, greens, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pies, brownies. None of which I can eat. I satisfied myself with spaghetti squash and special turkey meatballs I made and brought with me.

Finally got to meet the in-laws — grandson-in-law’s mom and pop.

A sweet couple that met many moons ago in Tall Club.

Grandson-in-Law was a late in life baby, so they will be the baby’s Grandma and Granddad.

Grandma will have to work it out with Grandma Twin 1 as to how they are to be addressed, but I’m thinking White Grandma and Black Grandma. I’m the only GG.

White Grandma told me that she’s making a baby quilt. Coordinating with granddaughter as to what granddaughter wants the quilt to look like (different animals), she’s putting it together but sending it out to a professional quilter.

Having already had to undo mistakes made to the quilt I’m making, mine isn’t going to look all that professional ... or professional at all, but I’ve told no one, so it will be a complete surprise for granddaughter.

Three generations of Queens.

Thanksgiving Road Trip

Noticing at least one neighbor has already set up her Christmas Patio display was all I needed to take time away from working on the baby quilt, time away from preparing to head out tomorrow, to get started on my decorations.

Not wanting to wear myself out, I limited my activities to stringing lights on the patio, putting out the Christmas doormat and wreath. The outdoor tree and lighted gift boxes can wait until I return on Friday. If I'm tired from the drive, it won't happen until Saturday.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Turkey Day, Stolen Land Day, however you call it.

Oh No! Monday Again?

Another weekend where there just wasn’t enough weekend in the weekend. In fact, I woke up yesterday thinking it was Saturday.

Color me disappointed, when I realized yesterday was Sunday, and that another Monday (today) was coming … way too soon.

At least it was a productive weekend. I got the Creative Memories scrapbook up-to-date, got laundry out of the way, as well as grocery shopping and away from home meal planning done. Having pretty much organized myself that all I have to do before heading out of town on Wednesday, is to gas up the car, give myself another manicure/pedicure. I even started work on the baby quilt.

News this morning, other than that huge flash mob robbery in San Francisco, was that a car, on purpose, drove straight through a Christmas Parade, killing and harming others.

After thinking about what kind of person would do such a thing my mind went to Wait, What, A Christmas Parade in November? We haven’t even had the Turkey Trots.

Am I wrong? Is that not unusual timing for a Christmas parade?

Next news item was that the other high-profile trial, the Murder of the Black Jogger, is now into closing arguments.

Inasmuch as the trial judge is NOT leading the jurors in this trial, I expect the perps will be found guilty …. If not of First-Degree Murder, guilty of something. They won’t walk free.

Seeing the video of Aubrey being chased after the three saw him walk into and out of the open area of a house under construction before they grabbed their guns and took chase, reminded me of what I’ve said and blogged about previously. That, as a person of color, one has to ALWAYS be aware of and consider the optics.

The hotel I’ve booked for this latest trip has a stove top and microwave, which will make it easier to feed myself than a hotel with no means of warming up or cooking meals that won’t set off a gut episode.

The little kitchen area also provides guests with cooking utensils — pots, pans, plates, etc.

Being the finicky type, I won’t be using the provided cookware, I’m taking my own coffeepot, a little skillet, paper plates, utensils.

I’m sure some guests, like those that steal away with hotel towels, have taken advantage of what’s been provided, stuffed what they wanted in their suitcase as they checked out. I, as a person of color, fully expecting to be suspicious just because of the color of my skin, am considering those optics and photographing the cookware I’m taking with me in their natural habitat — my kitchen at home.

No guarantee I won’t yet and still be profiled, accused of thievery if cookware is heard rattling around in my bag, but it does give me protection if accused.

Persons of color cannot just walk into and out of the open area of a house under construction.

In fact, last month, month before, there were optics involved which caused cops to be called, guns to be drawn, handcuffs to be placed on the people seen entering an empty house. It was a realtor, showing a house to a client and the client's son. No surprise that all three were Black.

It's not right and it's not fun, but us persons of color are always at the mercy of the erroneous concepts of persons not of color and have to find ways to work around, protective ourselves, from the optics.

I don't need to go grocery shopping today, but I'm accustomed to receiving a message from Trainer to "Abort Mission" (the Security Guard is at his post in the market) or "He’s not here".

No such message received so far this morning. Probably because Trainer told me on Friday that he and that Security Guard are bonding.

Whereas the Security Guard used to glare at Trainer and not speak, when Trainer walked in on Friday, the Security Guard greeted him with, "Hey Big Dog. How’s it going".

Trainer said he responded, he and Security Guard had a brief conversation, and "He’s really a nice guy".

"So was Ted Bundy", said I.

Perhaps Trainer bonding with Security Guard will work to my advantage, so I can return to the market — which I must do after Thanksgiving because “Find Your Hometown Elf” will be back, and I don’t plan to let Security Guard spoil my annual fun.

Strike 3

She’s done it this time.

Long time readers might recall the friend ─ married to a minister, a leader in her church, that I’d labelled a Hypocrite back in July of 2020.

I labelled her such, not because she was clearly on-board for Thing 45.

Not because she later came out swinging as an anti-masker, with rhetoric such as "It’s not the government’s job to protect my health. It’s the government’s job to protect my rights. It’s my job to protect my health, and when you trade liberty for safety, you end up losing both." ... "Covid is God’s judgment for the state of immorality in our world. The line between right and wrong having slowly been erased by society."

I labelled her a hypocrite, ceased communications, blocked her posts from appearing on my page, stopped visiting her page because she’d crossed a line in preaching about immorality, right, wrong, sin because, when we worked together, while she was married (still is), she was carrying on a relationship with one of the guys on the job.

Waking up too early to start my day this morning, annoy neighbors with the sounds of my activities, I logged onto the laptop to vote for Twin 1 and this friend crossed my mind. I made the mistake of checking her page to see what she’s been up to.

What I found is heartbreaking.

I really liked this girl, and don’t know what's happened to her.

Maybe the weight of her own "sins", the guilt of having for a time led a double life, has blinded her.

Perhaps this version of herself, that she is presenting online and to the congregation, is her own self-defense mechanism. A way to bury deep in the recesses of her mind what she, as Catholic, considers having sinned, to make up for, keep her mind from recalling, but it's Strike 3 for me ─ a thorough and complete unfriending.

I didn't judge her politics, I didn't judge her making a fool of her husband, I don't label choices as "sins", and though she was pretty much dead to me when she became a hypocrite, I might have moved on from that, but this #freeKyle nonsense is the last straw.

While on her page, I read responses to her post.

Of course, the church women who look up to her were all holy and sanctimoniously praising God along with her, but one woman happened to work in law enforcement and chimed in as the Voice of Reason.

The Voice of Reason’s response to “truth and justice prevailed” was "Horrible to think how many kids there are now thinking they can carry guns shoot and kill someone and get away with it."

Of course, my now former friend (Angie) countered with …."I watched the trial and this young man acted in self-defense. As Americans, we have the right to bear arms. The looters/rioters were causing havoc and needlessly/recklessly destroying people’s property and livelihoods. This young man was there to help and render aid in a crisis moment. The evidence clearly proved that the chaos was so horrible that he armed himself just to protect his life while helping others. I’ve said it once and will say it again… the issue with this country isn’t red vs. blue, left vs. right, democrat vs. republican… it’s an issue of good vs. evil/sin that has overtaken the human heart."

Voice of Reason: "If it was such a hard Dangerous situation he should of never been there let alone with an illegal firearm at 17 years old and even when he was bailed out of jail he was bragging of what he did, and you can easily see he went in that situation planning to do something it’s not like he just happened to walk by and see someone that needed help, all his photos look like he went in like mulish-a, he even had gloves on that’s sickening and I understand it is our right to carry I am 100% for that but you will never see me going looking for trouble with our licensed firearms, we are talking about an at the time 17 year old that had no business carrying that weapon in the first place. Is this the face of someone in fear for his life?!?!"

Angie: "Sadly yes, perhaps his being there was also true, but as a mother, my heart was burdened for him and am praying he learned and matured through all of this. May God help him and his family with the days ahead. Watch the trial in its entirety. Give grace to him; he may have been a kid who thought himself heroic. Is that a crime? No… Was it a good choice? Not so much. He had his weapon on him the whole time, but never fired a shot until they physically assaulted him. One of these men was a multiple child-rapist/offender."

Voice of Reason: "Yes one of the victims was a multiple child rapist offender but I was raped as a child my whole childhood and I would never of thought of grabbing a gun in self-defense you don’t fight evil with evil".

(BOOYAH! Mic Drop.)

(Someone else was proud of the Voice of Reason for "you don't fight evil with evil", because that person chimed in with "Tell the truth and shame the devil! You are 100% accurate/Exactly 100%, he was a vigilante. Only thing that got him acquitted was his skin color".)

Angie: "If you watched the trial and the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defense cleared him, not the color of his skin".

Voice of Reason: "I'm a Retired Deputy and have also been an Investigator. Seeing that pompous punk carry the weapon he pranced around with was more than enough evidence for me. He should kept his punk tail home, not going like Rambo somewhere he didn't even live at. He was never deputized as a member of a posse. I don't care how anyone tried to twist it. Let God judge him according to his deeds and heart. Mom should have also been held to answer."

A fourth voice spoke up with, "The Justice System has created a monster… We all know if he was any other race the outcome would’ve been very different."

(Ain't that the truth. In fact there IS just such a situation going on — the case of Tyrese Sherrod also in Kenosha .... A Black Man who did not go out looking for trouble, but ended up shooting people in “self-defense”).

(Anyone have an idea as to how this one is likely to end?).

(Anyone?)

At any rate Angie, having failed to beat the Voice of Reason down with her so-called holy holy Christianity, left the thread.

It ended with the Voice of Reason saying, "As a Christian, I strongly believe that God wouldn’t approve or allow this behavior. If God wanted us to take justice into our own hands than there wouldn’t be a reason to follow Him or for prayer, etc… This young man’s perspective was maybe on point but his actions weren’t! We can’t idolize this behavior. He should’ve gotten jail time along with his parents. We need to raise our kids to be better and make better decisions! It was Law Enforcement job to stop the chaos not his! He should’ve stayed home and prayed over the entire situation or at least made sure if they 'his family' were safe at home; but not go out there thinking he was making a difference, bet if someone would’ve killed him they would’ve gotten the death penalty. Sad world we are living in. #justicehasntbeenserved."

(Amen to that).

Who is Not Surprised

With a shady judge who hamstrung the prosecution, raise your hand if you are not surprised that snot nosed Kyle Rittenhouse walked free.

I’ll go first.

That is all.

Too Late to Back Out Now

I’m not feeling good about next week’s Thanksgiving trip to meet the in-laws.

I didn’t have to worry so much last year about not showing up, when granddaughter said she and her new hubby were hosting a small event at their new home, because I had the excuse of the pandemic.

That Thanksgiving was eventually cancelled. The two decided against a get-together so soon into the Pandemic — when there was just masks for protection, no vaccine.

Since that time, granddaughter and her hubby — discovering they’d bought into a racist neighborhood, sold that house, purchased another and now are expecting their first child.

Again hosting at their new new home, granddaughter called to ask why I’d declined when her mom (Twin 1) asked if I was coming this year. Was it because the grandsons are not vaccinated?

Mostly yes, but actually, it was — like last year, a viable excuse for not showing up, but I said "Yes", that was the reason.

Granddaughter and her hubby made the decision it was important for me to be there, also to protect themselves, their unborn son, other guests, so they uninvited my unvaxxed grandsons. “Will you come now?”

What could I say but “okay”.

Since then, I’ve had a sense of doom and dread. Visions of my walking in, not liking what I see, turning around, getting back in the car and driving away.

My gut is acting up. I’ve been sick for no reason because I’ve been eating correct. In addition to which, I’ve been in pain, walking lopsided due to purchasing a new pillow that caused me to awaken the first morning having used it, to neck, shoulder and lower back pain.

My entire right side is frozen, hurts and no amount of Epson salt baths, pain ointments, workouts, has pulled my right side back into alignment, so I’m sort of walking lopsided, slanted, favoring the left side of my body.

It’s like the plan to attend Thanksgiving with granddaughter, her husband, see their home, meet the in-laws, has released the Plagues of Egypt upon me.

In the midst of this, granddaughter let me know that the youngest grandson will be in attendance because he IS vaccinated.

He’s not arrogant like his brothers, and I feel comfortable he’s not giving her the Aaron Rodgers spiel, because he works in a hospital, is constantly tested and wouldn’t have a job if he were not vaccinated. BUT … will his brothers use his attendance as an excuse to show up yet and still? Will granddaughter’s sensitive too sweet and caring nature cause her to go back to making excuses for her other brothers? Allow them to show up, if not inside, outside, somewhere nearby?

Maybe that’s why I’m getting visions of turning around, driving away.

And this morning, realizing how I’m not looking forward to the trip, but have already booked a hotel for myself and Twin 2, can’t back out without granddaughter being hurt, disappointed, which would anger her very protective husband, I thought to give myself something to do Thanksgiving morning that would make me look forward, pull me out of the Plagues of Egypt stage— register for the local Turkey Trot.

Would you believe, my registration would not go through. The process jammed at the payment stage.

Nothing is going right.

At any rate, after missing the wedding, no Thanksgiving last year, having not met the in-laws, this is something I need to do, must do, so I’m pushing through all that’s being thrown my way.

After all, sometimes the biggest blessing has come through my pushing through what I personally want to do and appearances that make it hard for me to get through. So, I’m doing this and we shall see.

Mixed Messages

Saturday was a waste of time and energy because, arriving at the designated location, at the designated time for the Moderna Booster, I was turned away.

The pharmacist said I was 17 days too soon.

I’m getting mixed messages.

Over and over and over I’ve heard on the news that boosters are available for the over 65. There was no mention of six months after your second dose, it was all booster booster booster but okay. If that’s the way it’s being handled, then that’s the way it’s being handled, BUT I was only 17 days away from qualifying, and I was there, so why not get ‘er done.

But nooooo. Come back in 17 days.

In the process of checking in, they’d taken my vaccination card, placed in a little basket.

"You’re keeping my card?" asked I.

It was to be returned to me after the shot.

"You’d better not lose it or it’ll cause me big trouble" said I.

When turned away a few minutes later by the pharmacist, I asked for my vaccination card back and had a moment of panic when there was a flurry behind the counter as the pharmacist and the clerk who took it began searching.

Once located, I saw the pharmacist bent over doing something.

Handing it back to me I could see clumpy strokes of whiteout.

The clerk had filled in an area indicating "booster" and "date booster taken". Since I was being turned away, the pharmacist had whited that out.

It looked sloppy, made me think others presented to would assume I’d tampered with, so I said, "Did you just invalidate my card?"

"No" said the pharmacist, "But if we did, we’ll make you a new one".

I should have requested a new one right then and there, but didn’t think of it until I was halfway home. At any rate, they’d better not give me grief over whiteout being on my card when I return, accuse ME of tampering.

Just in case, I’ll book the return date for a Saturday, when I’m likely to deal with the same faces. I’ll also ask for a brand-new card, so the doctored area won’t cause me grief down the road.

The day wasn’t a total loss because, inasmuch as I was out and about, I got that Starbucks card loaded for Trainer, had another loaded to give him at Christmas, and had a card loaded for the mail carrier.

My Holiday shopping is DONE!

I also stopped by the craft store, picked up transfer paper, and made a workout tank top that had the Eat the Rich graphics I’d mention a post or two or three ago — as seen on a jacket worn by a judge on Making the Cut.

While searching for the self-same graphics, I ran across a news item indicating Cher had been wearing an Eat the Rich top for over four decades. It was a favorite of hers, and she’d been distressed to find it had suddenly disappeared from her closet.

Because Cher is Cher, “when the professionals at Swarovski heard about the pop diva losing her favorite rhinestone embellished” tank top, they made her another.

I could have bedazzled mine as well but, other than my pandemic masks, rhinestones/glitter is not for me.

Did you happen to notice Cher and I have something other than matching Eat the Rich tank tops in common?

A possible Six degrees of separation situation?

Check out the matching cheekbones.

Abort Mission

I can’t decide who disgusts me most — This snot nosed guy ……

Or the obviously biased judge presiding over the case — who needs to not only be removed from the case, but from the bench as well.

I’ve been trying to avoid the subject of this upsetting trial — upsetting because the outcome seemed pre-determined from the start by the actions of that judge but, inasmuch as the two of them keep popping up on the screen of the TV and laptop, I just had to get THAT off my chest … the fact that both disgusts me.

Now on to today’s news.

Trainer was telling me that the bank has reopened and now has a security guard posted out front.

Oh sure, thought I. Someone comes in with a shotgun, robs the bank, they spring for a security guard. However, when one of our residents back in September of last year, who admittedly should have known better, walked out of the bank, cash in hand, counting it, and a young man ran up to her, grab the cash from her hands and took off running, no security guard was hired to protect customers.

At any rate, after this morning’s workout, I looked over and sure enough a security guard, and not just one but TWO.

It’s a little like locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen, but at least there is now security for both the bank and its customers.

Speaking of security guards ... At Wednesday’s session, Trainer said he’d gone to the deli in the market to pick up a sandwich for lunch and noticed the creepy security guard wasn’t there. That he’d been replaced by a female security guard and it was safe for me to shop that day.

Unfortunately, I’d not planned on grocery shopping that day, did not have cash with me, so Trainer said that inasmuch as he was also planning to hit the deli on Friday (today), he’d give me a heads-up.

Sure enough, I got a message from trainer this morning to “Abort Mission” which I knew meant not to plan for marketing today, because that creepy security guard was on duty. ROFLMAO!

Not able to do marketing after this morning’s workout, planning ahead, I instead drove to Starbucks to pick up a Thanksgiving Gift Card to give to Trainer before I head out of town on the 23rd.

The hurry for retailers to get to Christmas is getting to be a bit annoying, because Starbucks had bypassed general gift cards and Thanksgiving gift cards, replacing everything with Christmas gift cards.

Trainer will get a gift card for Christmas but, right now, I want something that has a general or Thanksgiving theme, so I walked out with nothing.

On the drive back home, wondering if I should check other Starbuck locations, I remembered that I had, in the past, been collecting Starbucks gift cards I thought pretty, with the idea of turning into a craft project.

I thought I remembered giving up on that project and tossing those cards the last time I decluttered the unit of things I did not use.

I wasn’t sure I’d tossed and, all the way home, kept saying to myself it would have been stupid to toss, asking myself to please tell me I kept those cards.

Lucky me.

I’d not tossed them during the last declutter. Instead, I’d collected from the drawers they’d been tossed into and placed into a baggie.

Who knew that habit of picking up pretty cards would come in handy one day, when Starbucks would blow through Thanksgiving, go straight to Christmas with its offerings.

At any rate, the green card in the upper right corner will work.

Veteran’s Day

The realization that today is Veteran’s Day made me think of the vets we have here on the property, and it hit me that one is missing.

The vet I’m thinking of — whose wife I’ve never seen, because she’s an invalid, generally can be seen out walking his German Shepherd.

Now realizing, I’ve not seen him since around July is giving me pause.

I’ll have to catch up with one of the guys, ask if he moved.

Word on the grapevine is that the bank on the corner, across from the market, was robbed on Tuesday by someone welding a shotgun. “Got away clean …. Cops everywhere”.

I didn’t leave the unit on Tuesday, and heard no sirens.

Curious as to details, I’ve searched local news and there’s nothing, but I did see on the bank’s website, that it was “Temporarily Closed” and, checking the site this morning, is still temporarily closed.

Trainer said he actually saw the aftermath — all the cops, but was not in the studio during the time of the robbery.

Can you imagine how desperate someone has to be to walk into a bank with a shotgun and rob the place?

Fortunately, as far as I know, no one was harmed.

My mom was once inside a bank when it was being robbed.

I don’t remember all the details, whether customers were told to hit the ground or ordered to stay in place, but I do recall my mom saying she kept her hands up in the air and had blurted out, “Oh lordy, I’m so scared”. ROFLMAO!

Sorry, not something to laugh at, but the idea of my mom blurting out that line just cracks me up.

Rather than drive out of the area and return to the location I’d gotten Shot 1 and Shot 2, just in case I had a bad reaction, I had plans to get my Booster at the corner drugstore — where I could just walk back home.

Scheduled for tomorrow, or so I thought, I’d had to jump through hoops to schedule the appointment — fill out multiple online forms, answer all kinds of health and vaccine questions, provide doctor information, but I got ‘er done.

THEN, granddaughter called this morning to see if the only reason I’d declined her mom’s invitation to Thanksgiving was because her brothers are not vaccinated.

You read that right, the grandsons are NOT vaccinated.

Why not? , you ask.

Because they’re jackasses and, like I’ve said before, egotistical, think what they think, what they feel, what they want and that’s that.

At any rate, long story short, granddaughter is hosting Thanksgiving at the home she and hubby just closed on and, thinking about the safety of her unborn son, thinking about my not coming because of the boys’ non-vaccinated status, and the safety of others invited, the boys have been told they are not invited to Thanksgiving.

They gone be mad, but it's time they learned the world does not revolve around them.

So looks like I’ve another road trip, hotel stay, and meal planning session coming up, because I have to be so careful about what I eat.

It will also be my first time meeting the in-laws.

So, anyway, after that conversation with granddaughter, something urged me to check my Booster appointment.

I learned I’d had a senior moment and somehow not booked for tomorrow, but for a Friday in December.

The drugstore had no appointments for November.

So, maybe it wasn't my fault. Maybe I'd assumed I was booking in November, when the site actually had me in December.

No matter, I cancelled and scheduled for Saturday out-of-the area, at the location I’d had my other shots, and didn't have to go through the hoops required for the drugstore appointment.

Hopefully, I’ll not have a bad reaction and can drive myself back.

Too Soon?

On the parking lot at the other market Monday — the non-security guard market, heading in for a few items, I saw a couple loading their car with groceries. The woman had a rather large Santa figurine in her arms, which I assumed she’d just bought while inside.

Thinking it kinda of early for that, when we’ve not yet had Thanksgiving, I walked out of the market 20 minutes later with eggs, kale, tomatoes, frozen potatoes and ……

I couldn’t resist.

Setting him up on top of the bookcase, where he can’t be missed, seeing him with his hot chocolate and plate of gingerbread men cookies makes me smile.

Also makes me anxious for the Day After Thanksgiving, when the tradition is to haul my other Christmas decorations out of storage, get them set up.

Rumor has it that the Tyrant is so pleased with himself over the Halloween patio decorations contest, that he’s doing it again for Christmas.

Is this the “something for everyone” the Tyrant was talking about when he told Activity Director he was taking the money budgeted for Arts & Crafts in November AND December? 

Is the "something" lousy trophies for Halloween Patio winners AND Christmas Patio winners?

My guess is yes, but trophies for the top three is no more promising "something for everyone" as was his "family friendly only" declaration.

The bad thing about these contests is the Tyrant taking credit for something us residents have always done.

The good thing about these contests is more residents than the usual handful will join in, as it was with those Halloween pop up displays.

Walking up at 4 a.m. this morning, too early to start my day, too early to make noises that would disturb my neighbors, I logged onto the laptop, popped in my earphones and watched the Season 2 Finale of Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn’s Making the Cut.

Unlike Season 1, when I was behind the now famous fashion designer Johnny Cota from the beginning, I could not decide between two designers.

I viewed both as underdogs (I have a tendency to root for the underdog) — the guy because he appeared to struggle with physical afflictions, which I felt was making it difficult for him in the business; the woman because I felt the color of her skin was making getting ahead in the business difficult for her.

I couldn’t pick between the two right up to the finale, but at least my record of picking winners was on point, because both were in the finale.

The current running Project Runway may end my winning streak because, thus far, I can't pick a designer to get behind as I don't really care for any of them.

At any rate, I had two takeaways from Season 2 of Making the Cut. The first takeaway being a godawful outfit Heidi was wearing in Episode 3.

What?

Why?

The second takeaway was a fabulous jacket one of the judges was wearing in the finale.

I may have to find this design on a workout tank top OR make one myself.

Trainer tells me he had a woman come into the studio asking, "Do you take seniors?"

"Sure", said Trainer. “I have a client who’s 77”.

"Oh no!", said the woman. "I mean like me ... 35".

Trainer, being 35 himself and not thinking of himself as being anywhere near a senior, said he’d been so surprised at what she’d said that he’d blurted out "What the f__k!". LOL.

First of all … In what world is 35 considered a senior?

Secondly … he’d answered her question when he’d said he had a client that was 77 because, if the woman was worried about being too old to train at Age 35, him saying he has a client way older should have allayed her concerns.

Maybe I should change the design to "Eat the Stupid".

Actually, it’s kind of sad that someone at 35 is thinking of herself as old … a senior.

Not Enough Weekend

There is just not enough weekend in the weekend, even though I gained an hour.

Busy organizing photos and supplies for catching up on Scrapbooking, busy looking at fabric prints online for the backside of the baby quilt, not to mention going back/forth to Home Depot and putting in time on my needlepoint project, the weekend was gone before I knew it and now it’s back to being interrupted from crafting by taking time to do outside things.

Granddaughter’s gender reveal was Saturday. She posted photos to Instagram of her braids dyed BLUE.

So, my feeling a girl was incorrect. I was glad I had the good sense to not order that backing which was heavy with pink.

I’ve actually decided not to use that original fabric for the quilt after all, because I ran across a fabric panel that reminded me that granddaughter has always loved unicorns and, like her mom (Twin 1), is fond of coloring her hair in rainbow colors. So, when I saw fabric, with a unicorn, wearing rainbow colors in it’s hair, it was too perfect to pass up. I also found a unicorn backing fabric that I thought fit well.

Granddaughter is the nostalgic type. She still has the doll, now missing body parts and hair and clothes, that I made for her when she was 3 or 4 years old. Consequently, a handmade quilt in her hands will turn into a family heirloom.

Years from now when I'm gone, I don’t want any confusion as to which GG made the quilt, so  I ordered a label to sew into the quilt that says "Made for You by Black GG".

I won’t be making quilts when the grandsons start their families, because they are not the type to appreciate a handmade quilt. I can’t imagine the type of women these boys are likely to attract, which I suspect will be ghetto girls, nice but in a hood rat type of way, will be interested in quilts either. 

Their baby gifts — which I hope will not be soon because the boys are not ready to start families, will be whatever they request … within reason.