Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Past Blast Part 2

Remember the epic story of my past corporate life?  Here's part two for you. Christa mentioned that she was appreciative that she was able to mail me the cartoons thereby reducing her junk piles. 

Well, here's my response to that. Forever on the internet. 

So I did actually draw this one. Don't be jealous of my sweet skills. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ A Peek

My quirks are not limited to home or out. They are pretty much equal opportunity quirks. 

However, I have to draw the line for two of them. You see, my hair is at the awkward stage where if I can get it controlled I really like it but it takes help to get control. One of those helps is headbands. I've picked up cheap ones over the years that I wouldn't wear in public for various assorted reasons, like embarrassment. 

Monday as soon as I got home from work I donned my Delta Dawn headband. Remember Delta Dawn? My aunts maybe liked the song. Or I heard it often when I hung out with them during my formative years. The words are something along the lines of "Delta Dawn what's that flower you have on, could it be a faded rose from days gone by? And did I hear you say he'd be coming for you today? To take you to his mansion in the sky?" So, see why I can't wear it in public? You do not want me wandering around muttering those lyrics. Ha. Ha. 

And my other shame clothing item? Bears Love People (They Taste Like Chicken). I bought the t-shirt in Montana. It was mostly cute to me, and humorous, cause I'm kind of twisted. And the big clincher was that it was half price. Yeah. I'm that kind of tourist. So I put it on a day after I bought it and found out a man had been killed in Yellowstone that morning. Uh. Tasteless. (Bad pun.)

There you have my semi-selfie shout outs and fashion fails. Carry on. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Splainin to Do...

This is why I get very little blogging done. And cleaning. And pretty much anything else. A) it's very hard to resist. B) It's small and persistent enough to stake it's claim upon my person. C) did I mention it's cute? D) and if it is otherwise occupied, it has a sister. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Monday Funday

So Monday was the best. I got to spend time with all my G-Babes. Now, this time was spent at a store which may or may not have been fun for the moms. But I had a great time. And then I went home without them so didn't have to worry about sugar rushes and over tiredness. 

Thinking about becoming a G-ma? I highly recommend it.

The weekend included me using up and emptying my pantry and freezer of four items that made me do a happy dance.

What is wrong with me that I get excited about using up items so they can be recycled and OUT of my house or consumed and out of my freezer? Yeah. I'm twisted.

Note to self: Do not EVER buy spice blends when you already have the individual spices in your pantry. That's just LAZY, so KNOCK it off.

Sorry you had to hear that. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Halloween and Hallowon't

Gert played along with the whole costume idea. Gladys was having none of it. Bucking Beagle. And not on your bucking life, Lady. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Public Service Announcement - They Mean It....

I don't have pictures of my big mistake and subsequent public service announcement. But I do have pictures of my dogs. The pictures have nothing to do with my very serious topic of the day, however they are cute and these shots were snapped right before the safety/common sense breach. 

What might that serious topic be? Well, you know when you watch TV cooking shows they mention that you should wear plastic gloves when chopping hot peppers?? Well that's for reals. You see. I had no idea what peppers Rob planted and since neither of us like to have out tonsils burned out didn't think he'd plant anything hotter than jalapeño. And while I was dicing up all the tomatoes that were still viable I thought I'd go ahead and harvest the tiny peppers and chop those up as well. 

Turns out the peppers were habanero. I should've remembered the important information that the size of the pepper would be a clue as well. Anyhow. I chopped those bad boys up and tossed them in a ziplock and washed my hands. That's when I first noticed the heat. My hands warmed up real nicely and tingled. Then Rob said, those are habanero not jalapeño. Since we had a Bible study at Toad Boy's house and Toad Boy loves hot I decided to take them over. And I washed my hands about three more times. In the car I touched the outside corner of my eye. Yeah. Raccoon watering followed. I entered the house, handed him the bag with the warning that they are HOT and washed my hands two more times. While eating popcorn an hour later I noticed a tingle and burn. The stupid oil was still on my hands clearly. 

This is why they recommend that you use gloves when slicing or dicing hot peppers. And they know of what they speak. That is all. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Squirrel Patrol and a DUH! Bonus

We have a few squirrels that torment Gladys and Gertrude. You know THOSE kind of squirrels. The once who know that there is a chain that lets a dog only so far, and that there is a big french door that looks out into the squirrel playground for while-the-grownups-are-at-work kinda torment. Yes, those kind of squirrels.  Its no wonder my girls are on the squirrel warpath 90% of the time. 

And this morning, bright and early I discovered something. Now this thing might have to do with the fact that I'm not fully awake most mornings when I get dressed. Should any decision before coffee count? I'm pretty sure there is a legal defense that uses lack of coffee. Right? Or I might just need to blame it on the squirrels.  Anyhoo, that said. I just now, in my 53 year of living realized that I don't have to actually follow manufacturer suggested guidelines. 

See this shirt. I love it. But a) too clingy and scoop necked to wear comfortably alone. b) long sleeved t-shirt material layered with something else equals flaming hot discomfort 48 weeks out of the year for me. Solution. Don't throw or donate the stupid top, cut the darn sleeves off and make it a layering tank. So happy. I'd take a smiling selfie but I haven't had my coffee yet.  

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Walnut Rain

Remember the YouTube sensation that rocked the world? Chocolate Rain? Well, I'm not going to sing or do a video about something similar. I'm just going to ramble a bit about walnuts. And rain. Not even rain. I'm just going to ramble about walnuts. 

You see, we have a walnut tree in our back yard. This would be great except for the fact that we are talking Black Walnuts vs. English Walnuts. Black Walnuts taste....looking for an appropriate word....nasty. That's it. To my palate, they are horrible. I love English Walnuts. Black Walnuts are their sweeter, mapley, burnt tasting cousins that grow in my back yard. 

Our neighbor has a shop building 100 feet down from us. And when the walnut tree sheds the walnuts it is sometimes real loud. And I've had the dog alarm sound at the bang of a walnut hitting the shed. Not pretty. Even when one of the walnuts, which by the way is encased in a covering that will turn your fingers black for two weeks if you try to pry it open, drops onto the dirt from 50 feet up it makes a thud AND leaves an indentation. I have yet to get hit in the head with one, but there is evidence of this phenomenon all over my yard and patio And if I wanted to make up a song about it and put it on YouYube it would be a scary thing indeed. It would would contain words that imply violence.  So for all out sakes Walnut Rain is just going to remain rambling. You are welcome.  

Scribbles and Scribbles ~ Passhave Aggressive Much?

So I'm going to tell on a co-worker or 2. Wait....maybe it's not a co-worker, actually, let's just say an acquaintance to avoid any unnecessary angst. 

I'll start over. There is a certain person whom a circle of friends/acquaintances know. This person has annoyed said circle. We will now refer to this person as Exhibit A. The circle will be The Circle. 

Exhibit A has something over The Circle but is kinda likeable so #it's complicated. 

Exhibit A loves bubble wrap. One of The Circle members who may or may not have been kissing up...whom am I to judge...left a large piece of bubble wrap on a table within the usual path of Exhibit A. 

Another of The Circle members crossed said path and began popping bubbles. I mentioned I thought it was some sort of peace/love/boot licking offering for Exhibit A. The other Circle member began popping in earnest. 

"Is this a passive aggressive statement you are making? So and so left you bubble wrap....oops I guess someone took all the joy out of it for you like you have sucked the joy from the lives of The Circle!" 

We laughed. The Circle member put down the bubble wrap and we returned to our area. Another Circle member came by.  We told this person what transpired. Hmmm "what if we just put tiny holes in each bubble. Revenge without actually popping?" 

The Circle has a new queen. We will bow to her and watch our backs. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Faux No

Call me brain fried. I'll answer. Maybe. 

Last week was Rob's surgery and all those details, AND new computer system training at the office on Friday. 

Eight hours of behind-in-chair time at work. Takeaway? About 45 minutes of pertinent information that applied to my job. (Some of that was what I gleaned from co-workers during breaks.) 

The best part of the day was coming up with creative "patient" names that I might use for practice sessions. Friday's main practice patient was Mr. Test Tester. At our last computer upheaval training 12 years ago we used Fake Patient. 

Both are worthy names. And clearly Faux enough that we wouldn't be deceived into thinking either was a real deal patient. 

Which brings me to to my ideas. 

If I wanted to create a profile for a difficult patient I could go for Test Testy. Either gender works. We have enough cranky folks in both genders represented in our practice. 

Then the temptation is to go with a French flair. Faux Test is an idea, or Faux Testes... that one has merit. 

Like I said, I might be a little crazy. So it's probably time to remove myself from this page before I type something really ridiculous. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Good Dogs...

Spending so much time at the hospital while Rob is recovering has given me a peek into my dogs's maturity level. 

They get lonely and bored when alone for hours at a time. As much as I hate it, I've been dropping in for an hour after work, to let them burn off energy (SQUIRREL), get some cuddle and potty time in. Then I leave for another six or so hours. They've done a good job being minimally crazed even though they are really glad to see me. The boredom issues have been no biggie, they got hold of a couple wood shims and made toothpicks. A dog bed took a beating but they had already begun unstuffing it. 

They get lots of outdoor time when I am home where they run and chase and bark. Last night they ate dinner on the back patio. It was a late dinner. After the mosquitos made their appearance we went in and snuggled. And watched Tiny House videos on Youtube. Yes. I said Tiny House. They are so cute. And I can't even begin to imagine downsizing to that level. But it's fascinating. 

He comes home this afternoon. So the experiment is over. We are all relieved. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Monday Funday

Rob has/had an iffy knee decide to go East, as in his left leg began to bow. This trick saved us a little bit of money. Not that I recommend it as an idea to save a buck...kind of extreme, ya know? Anyhow, because his knee was so clearly trashed he didn't have a need for excess imaging for diagnosis nor did he need physical therapy in an attempt to avoid surgery.


So yesterday he got a new knee. He is bionic now. Cool on so many levels until the bill comes, or the numbness wears off. Ha Ha. 

A few of the highlights are pictured. 

A) My discovery upon seeing my legs in brilliant white lighting that I did not apply my self tanner evenly. Awkward. 

B) It's somewhat comforting to know that everyone who touches your loved one is obsessed about which body part they will be touching. The Sharpie YES on his hairy thigh was a nice touch. 

C) The kids love that Dad who may or may not be prone to accidents now has a bright yellow wristband labeling him as a fall risk 

D) The unpleasant flock of circling buzzards over the hospital. EWW

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ GMA Purse

If you are a mom you have to remember (or still experience) Mama purse. That is where your purse is not your own, but becomes the receptacle for everyone in the family's stuff. When my kids entered the teen years I went through a rebellious stage where my purses went tiny. The girls had purses of their own and the boy was a strapping fellow and able to carry his own crap. The husband? Well, he just had to deal. Just sayin. 

But after my annoyance and payback was achieved, I decided tiny purses are just a pain. I have stuff of my own that I want to shove in a purse, quite a bit, actually. So my purses have grown in size over the past few years. I'm not back at the beach bag stage but I can carry a book and a wallet and a few other necessities in my normal and reasonable sized handbag. 

On Sunday we took the g-kids out to eat at Qdoba. There were a few moments of tension and earned timeouts awarded while the adults stood patiently in line and the hangry little stinkers decided to act out.  But we all survived the outing. Whew. 

On Monday, I was digging around in my front pocket on my purse. I found a handful of cardstock hitchhikers. That explains that moment of silence. And also concerns me that we may have some future pickpockets in the family! 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Nuff Said

 My brain is empty of interesting things to say. What was that? Well, of course that isn't a new problem. Anyhow. I got puppies so I could just post a picture of them when I can't be clever. Here you go.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Freakaboo

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Green Spot

Just a little green spot.  

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Late to the FOURTH

Monday was Star Wars day. May the Fourth be with you. Monday, May 4th. Ha ha. 

I didn't know till too late in the day to really celebrate it right. 

But I have a little something for Star Wars fans. Or not. See, I have a little ewok type character who can do a mean impersonation of ... wait for it....

Princess Leia. 

On Instagram it was noted that this had to be a love child between the princess and an ewok. I think maybe some other alien life form might be in the mix as well. She does have the perfect ear buns though. Almost as intricate as Leia's. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ And My Middle Name Is (drum roll) Grace...not

Question. If a clumsy person is named Grace is that kind of an oxymoron?    

My middle name is Sue. Which is kinda weirding me out right now because I never think about Sue being part of my name. 

But I digress. My middle name is also not Claire as in clarity. Right? 

So back to the grace/Grace thing... You know those moments when if you were alone when something embarrassing happens and they'd just be normal or annoying events at worst? But when there is an audience you want a bag for over your head? Yeah. That's me.  

My road is is usually quiet. But yesterday there were three trucks and three men working just a stone's throw from my driveway. I didn't want to take more than one trip to the car while they were standing out there. So I piled my arms with stuff. Did I mention I'm klutzy? So climbing the cement steps I tripped over my own toes/shoe/a piece of lint and fell up the stairs. I oofed fairly loudly and dumped all the items I'd been carrying onto the sidewalk. I also scraped my forearm on the step. 

Hoping none of the men miraculously saw me wipe out I scooped everything up and hurried inside. As I pulled shut the door behind me I noticed one of the guys staring right at me. I gave him a sheepish smile and shut the door. At least it wasn't groceries,  a whole bag full of assorted fruits and veggies that would've rolled out into the street. So grateful for that. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sun and Fun

 You gotta love lazy spring afternoons, right? The girls had a rousing game of squirrel chase as soon as I got home from work. Then we went outside to chill. Gertie and Gladys barked at birds, squirrels and neighbors. They also ran and dug. Several times they took rest breaks by leaping onto my lap while I was reading. Yes, my pages definitely got dog-eared. The most exciting find of the day was the dried up earthworm they dug out of a crack in the patio. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Faux Pas

I think God has a great sense of humor.  And sometimes I think He is less likely to be offended than most of us are. 

My cousin has been in church about as many times as the fingers on one hand. He's not exactly a seeker, but he's open to thinking about seeking. After Grandma died her Bible went to my cousin. My brother asked my cousin if he's been reading it. There are a whole lot of Thee's and Thou's and impossible for my cousin to read. 

They were together running some errands and my brother needed to make a stop. He had a Bible to buy for a friend so my cousin agreed to go in with him to the local Christian book store. My brother suggested they could find an easier version for my cousin. 

So my cousin was drawn to the wall of Bibles. He reached for the largest leather bound number and flipped it over. 

"They want f-BOMB-ing $125.00 dollars for this?!?" He said. His voice carried in the large acoustically clear building. My brother, shocked, stage whispered. "Watch your mouth!" My cousin looked up and around at the shocked faces. "S- _-_-_ !" Yep, he said that one, too. 

The good news is that they picked up a much more reasonably priced Bible and he's reading it. Must have figured at those prices it must be good stuff.