Medical and Finanacial Problems

I'm sorry about this, but this blog is going to have to be on a hiatus until my sister and I can work out the financial and medical problems with our mother.  She is still being obstinate and she NEEDS help and we NEED financial help!  I'm at my wits end with her, so if you know ANYTHING, any help is appreciated!

This Blog is Still Alive

This blog is still alive.  However, due to having a few family emergencies this week, I need to focus on writing for profit.  Hopefully by next Monday this blog will be back in normal function to have entries appearing no more than with two days between them and preferably entries every day.

I need to make money, though, and this blog doesn't do it.  Therefore, hopefully, a week on hiatus.

For Want of a Fridge

Our refrigerator badly needed replacing.  This might not have been an issue if the electricity had not gone out while we were in the hotels waiting for our air conditioner to be fixed.  It may have been an issue, but I don't know.

The old refrigerator currently has maggots and gnats in it.  Of course, it is not plugged in right now.  However, we had those when it was plugged in, too.

My sister and I suspect that gnats were flying up the ice maker and water dispenser.  It was a more expensive fridge and we got it when we had a bit of money that we had to spend from my Daddy's insurance as some of it was supposed to be spent to take care of us right off and then the rest needed to be invested.

Anyway, now, we didn't have the money for a fancy fridge, but we didn't really want one, either.

My mother insisted on first trying to go to C and C Audio, Video, and Appliance.  It was not open an dis not open on Sundays.  She then went to Home Depot.  I said that it was a place that might have refrigerators.  They reneged on their promise of delivery and haul away service if a fridge was bought in store.

I looked online at some of their stuff in their store and there was nothing that was as good as the fridge we had found.  I was ready to pay, even for a warranty, if they would deliver and haul away the fridge.

They had promised to do this, but the guy who had "placed" the order was an idiot.  He wasn't supposed to even "place" the order on their website.  Then, they said that the model was discontinued!  I finally got them to cancel the order.

I suggested going to Lowe's, but my mother refused to go there.  I told her that I just wanted to go home.  I have no idea what her problem was, but she wanted to stay out longer (she had been gone since 8:45am and it was now past 3pm).  She finally dropped me off at home and Briana came in the house with me to look at refrigerators.

I later checked on the Internet to find prices and a lot were not great.

I finally found one that said it was at Lowe's.  It turns out that this model was not at Lowe's, but the guy on the phone was extremely helpful.  He said that he didn't have that type of refrigerator, but he had a similar model. I asked the price, and he told me.   I asked if they would still do the delivery and haul away service, and he said that he had to check.  However, he came back, and in a reasonable amount of time, and told me they would do it.

Briana and I headed off to Lowe's and we bought that model fridge.  I even got the four year extended warranty that starts after one year warranty.  I know that American Home Shield is supposed to cover refrigerators (as far as I know), but why bother taking the chance that they won't when we can have good coverage from Whirlpool and Lowe's?

I think the fridge was a 9.7 cubic feet and is considered "an apartment fridge,"  However, being we are all 5r' or under, we needed a smaller fridge.  We can easily reach the top of this fridge by standing on a step stool.

It also doesn't have any external ice dispenser or water dispenser. This means that no gnats or other bugs can fly into the fridge or freezer unless the door has been opened.  There may be some bugs, but there shouldn't be that many  bugs.  They should be easily cleaned from the fridge if it they get into it.

I have no idea what my mom and Briana refused to go to Lowe's in the first place.  I told them that Lowe's was nice.

I am happy that the fridge will come on Thursday afternoon.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "In the 1970s, a certain type of shoe was a fad.   Consumer Reports rated them as a health hazard, but that did not keep them from being a fad and being worn by people who were young during the 1970s.  What was the type of shoe?"

Nobody answered.

The correct answer is "Platform" or "Platform Shoes."

Trivia

In the 1970s, a certain type of shoe was a fad.   Consumer Reports rated them as a health hazard, but that did not keep them from being a fad and being worn by people who were young during the 1970s.  What was the type of shoe?

The Future

I am 30 years old. I did not think this is where I would be when I was 30.  For a bit, I thought maybe I didn't belong in Lake Charles. I love Youth Ministry and did tons of interviews where they flew me to different places.  None of them were much to my liking, other than Edmond, OK.  It seemed a lot like Lake Charles, minus the really good food.  However, there were still the main restaurant chains there.

I really do like Lake Charles.  I don't like the heat in the summers and I don't like when the winters are gray, but the cooking and the friendly people can't be beat.  If I went anywhere else, I'd definitely want to be in the south or up in Minneapolis where there are tons of Lutherans.  However, I think I'll take the south as I couldn't handle shoveling snow.

I am a freelance writer, and I know there is nothing wrong with that.  However, I would definitely like to do more with my life.  There's a few things that I can do now by bracing down and writing enough to have time to work on my children's books that I want to write myself and write with Briana - and then create my webpage to sell them.  I also need to make designs to put on my SpreadShirt shop so I can try to sell T-shirts.

Anyway, there are a few things I'd really like to do.

1) The MFA at McNeese. 
2) Teach English (at Sowela is fine and at McNeese would be awesome).
3) Write for Coastal Living (they are lacking in the area where I want to write).

Of course, I could never completely give up writing for Yahoo! Voices.  I do like putting writing there, having people be able to find my writing on the web, and then also the community of people that I've found from there.  I wouldn't know a lot of my friends if it wasn't for Voices (formerly Associated Content).  I know some people look at it as a "content mill," but I've seen ones that really are content mills, and they never were truly one since the time I found them.

Teaching English doesn't have to be completely an "English" class, either.  I'm not an SEO expert, but with my degree in Mass Communications from McNeese and writing for Yahoo! Voices (AC) for years, I've certainly learned about formatting, fonts, SEO, and web writing.

I'd love to teach a beginner class on that stuff.  I'm definitely not versed enough for anything advanced, but it would be really cool to teach that type of stuff at Sowela or McNeese.  My HTML class at McNeese was a joke.  The only thing I did in that class that I didn't know how to do was make a stupid pop up window, and really, who wants those?

So, I'm sure that my class would not be a joke.  I'd want people to learn and learn what tools are available to be used.

Trivia Answers

Yesterday I asked, "I am not a fan of soap operas.  However, I do like the show Hot in Cleveland.  Because of this, I know about Susan Lucci.  What was the name of the character Susan Lucci played on All My Children?"

Nobody answered.

The correct answer is, "Erica Kane."

Trivia

I am not a fan of soap operas.  However, I do like the show Hot in Cleveland.  Because of this, I know about Susan Lucci.  What was the name of the character Susan Lucci played on All My Children?

Hamburgers

I was trying to think of a topic for my next blog post, so I was also looking on the Internet for ideas.  I saw one that said "hamburgers."  I'm pretty sure that it meant for a whole blog, but why not write a post about hamburgers?  Specifically, I think I'll write about the hamburgers I can get at restaurants in Lake Charles.

Of course, there's always the fast food hamburgers.  There's McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Checker's, and more.  My favorite fast food hamburger is from Checker's.  I like the Cheese Champ, plain.   However, the best part of going to Checker's is the french fries.

I love Cotten's Famous Hamburgers.  When I want a good, thin, hamburger, I'll go get a cheeseburger, plain, from there.  Sometimes I'll get the bacon cheeseburger or an eggburger, but just the cheeseburger is good, though I like to put salt on it.

Of course, there's the hamburger at MacFarlane's Celtic Pub.  I like to get just a plain cheeseburger with the provolone.  Sometimes I'll get the Swiss (I think that's one of the other two cheese they have) when I want a hamburger.  That burger is very good and it is difficult for me to eat in one sitting!  I often have to bring half of it home or I'll bring part of it home for my mom to eat.   I love to get it on the sourdough bun.

There's a restaurant that is actually in Sulphur called "You Don't Know Jack" and the cheeseburger there is delicious.  Once again, I get it plain.

I get everything plain because I have an issue with cellulose intolerance and I'll admit that I can be picky.  However, lettuce is definitely one thing that I wish my stomach would tolerate.  I feel really bad and am running for the bathroom after I eat it, so it's better not to eat it.

The best places to get a hamburger in Lake Charles have changed since this article was written, but all of these places still have good hamburgers and good food.   That is, except for Backyard Burgers, because that place no longer exists in Lake Charles.  However, we now have a Five Guys.

The Best Places to Get a Hamburger in Lake Charles.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "Jim Morrison was the front man for which band?"

Nobody answered the question.

The answer to this question is "The Doors."

Then, I also wrote, "Extra trivia: When this band performed on the Ed Sullivan show, what song was performed and what word were they not supposed to sing but sang anyway?"

I'll break it down.

When The Doors performed on the Ed Sullivan show, what song did they perform?

The Doors performed, "Light My Fire."

So , when The Doors performed "Light My Fire" on the Ed Sullivan show, they were not supposed to sing one of the words in the song.  Jim Morrison promised that he would not sing the word, but he sang it anyway.  What was the word?

That word was "higher."

The reason he was not supposed to sing "higher" is because the producers said that it referenced drug use.

Jim Morrison gave the excuse that they had performed the song that way so many times that it slipped his mind.  However, he and The Doors still got in trouble and were banned from the Ed Sullivan show and told that they would never perform on the show again.  At that, he said, "So, we've already performed on The Ed Sullivan Show."

Trivia

Jim Morrison was the front man for which band?

Extra trivia: When this band performed on the Ed Sullivan show, what song was performed and what word were they not supposed to sing but sang anyway?

I'd only expect people to know the answer to the first question, but if you know the answer to the second, go ahead and put it - or even take a guess!

Messy Muffins

For years, I have been looking for a recipe called "Messy Muffins."  I know that there are plenty of recipes called "Messy Muffins."  However, this is a special recipe.  It is not one of the many found online (though it may be online somewhere).

When I was in third grade (I'm pretty sure it was third grade), I was sent home with a math worksheet about fractions.  In order to answer the questions, we had to figure out the things from the recipe.   The recipe was called "Messy Muffins."

We were not sure if the recipe would work, but in order to finish the worksheet, my mom and I made the muffins just like the recipe on the worksheet.

The muffin recipe worked.  In fact, the muffins were delicious!  I loved them.  My mom loved them.  My sister loved them.  My Daddy really loved them.  These muffins were gone very quickly.

I don't remember why at the time we didn't copy the recipe.  We probably thought that it would be easy to find in a math book or a recipe book later.  It turns out that we were wrong.

I know the math book was an orange Addison Wesley math book.   However, I don't think the recipe was actually in the book.  It was on a worksheet that went with the book.  I have not been able to find the recipe and I would love to make and taste those muffins again.

Do any teachers out there have this worksheet or recipe?

The book is the one that is at this Amazon link.

It looks like this:

If you can find the Messy Muffins recipe, I'll be forever thankful!

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "Here is hopefully an easy trivia question.

What is the only mammal that cannot jump?  It is also the only mammal that truly has four knees."

Rick answered correctly with "an elephant!"

Sorry that I don't have any prizes, but Rick can feel good about knowing the answer!

Trivia

Here is hopefully an easy trivia question.

What is the only mammal that cannot jump?  It is also the only mammal that truly has four knees.

Tough Noogies

This morning, Briana put Woofles on the bed where I have been sleeping in the hotel.  I was still tired because I couldn't get to sleep last night.  However, I did not want to be under any blankets, so I was just laying there.

Woofles started pawing at me because he was not under any blanket.  I told him that I was not going under a blanket, and then I told him "tough noogies!"

I know that I noogie is when a person makes a fist and rubs it on the head of another person or at least another being.  I started giving Woofles "tough noogies."

Of course, he enjoyed them.  He liked being "pet" in that way.  It was cute.  He'd put his head against my leg and want me to give him more noogies.  I think my knuckles would've wore down before Woofles got tired of getting "tough noogies."

I think I'll try to remember to use the phrase "tough noogies" more often with people.  I like that phrase.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "Who voices Bart Simpson?  She also voiced Todd Darling in the cartoon 'The Replacements' and Rufus (the naked mole rat) in the cartoon 'Kim Possible.'"

Nobody tried to answer.

The correct answer is "Nancy Cartwright."

Trivia

Who voices Bart Simpson?  She also voiced Todd Darling in the cartoon "The Replacements" and Rufus (the naked mole rat) in the cartoon "Kim Possible."

Sticker Head

It is something I know my parents started when I was young.  They may have started it before I was born.    The reason that I know these things is that I don't remember when it started.

However, today, I played "Sticker Head" with Woofles. The game sounds exactly like what it is.  I put a sticker on Woofles' head.  Then I called him "Sticker Head."

Woofles didn't seem to care.

We used to do this to Cinder and she would sometimes give us a nasty look.

We also did it with Marbles and it would depend on his mood if he cared or not.

Of course, we also did it with Micron.  Then we do it with Niblet and Woofles.

It's not the first time I played "Sticker Head" with Woofles, but I hadn't played it for quite a long time.

We don't use a new sticker for this game.  The sticker usually comes from junk mail (that's the case of when it is "new") or from fruit.  The sticker can also be a price from a garage sale item.  The only time a sticker has been "new" is when it is one of those stickers for writing prices to put on garage sale items that happens to be coming off of a label.  Oh, and of course, sometimes the address labels, especially when they have the wrong information - yes, we've even gotten address labels with the wrong information sent to the correct address!

It is always fun to see a dog's reaction to "Sticker Head."   Some dogs love it.  Some dogs don't mind at all.  Some dogs hate it.  Some dogs act like they can't tolerate, but they know it is a fun game that the owners play.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "Today's trivia is classic movie lines.   From what movie does the line, 'Stella!' come?"

Nobody tried to answer.

The answer is  "A Streetcar Named Desire."

Trivia

Today's trivia is classic movie lines.   From what movie does the line, "Stella!" come?

Sandy, the Hotel Dog

This week, we've been staying at the Days Inn in Sulphur off exit 23.  There is a dog at this hotel that is the hotel dog.  Briana had met her when we were staying at the Studio 6 because the hotels are in the same area.   It's like a huge parking lot with a gas station and a truckers area.

Anyway, when I checked into the hotel, I saw her in the lobby and asked if that was Sandy.  The gal working at the front desk asked if I knew Sandy and I told her that Briana had seen her when she took Toggle for a walk.  It took a few times to explain that we did not have Toggle as he was at the vet, but that was not a huge deal.

Sandy has decided that she likes us.  She likes to come to our door at the morning when we're awake and come visit us, including Niblet and Woofles.   She likes to come say good night to us, too.  She'll come in the room, visit Briana, visit me, and then visit our mom.  Then she'll ask to be let of the room.

Sometimes she'll want to play with Woofles.  Those two love to play together.   Sandy is not a small dog. However, she is a huge sweetheart and she behaves.  She is extremely gentle with Woofles.   They will wrestle, but in general, Woofles will roll around on the floor and she'll nose him and he'll roll around and then she'll nose him around some more.  Sandy will even let Woofles act like he wrestled her into submission.  Woofles climbs over her back when she's laying down and then she turns over so her belly is in the air.

It's adorable to have the hotel dog come visit us.  I would always love to have a hotel dog that visits.

Trivia Answer

The last time I asked a trivia question, it was "What was the best selling single 1998 and who was the artist that recorded it?   I wouldn't know this without the clue, so you also get a clue.  The song was the theme song from the 1997 movie, Titanic."

Nobody tried to answer it.  The answer was "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion.

Trivia

What was the best selling single 1998 and who was the artist that recorded it?   I wouldn't know this without the clue, so you also get a clue.  The song was the theme song from the 1997 movie, Titanic.

Toggle the Doggle

Since my sister's dog is named Toggle, we often call him Toggle the Doggle.  I'll even say to her that her doggle needs something.  It seems to fit him perfectly as he is silly but sweet.  This whole late week while we were staying at the Studio 6 Extended Stay, Toggle would wake me up by jumping up on the bed and giving me tons of kisses.  

However, at this time, while we are now at the Days Inn (all of a few feet from the Studio 6), we don't have Toggle with us.  He is kenneled and at the vet because he needs to be neutered and then after that, he is supposed to rest.  He won't rest at home or in a hotel (which is where we are).

It's not like it would've cost less to not have him, but it is easier and he needed to be neutered.

We are still in a hotel because our air conditioner part has not come in YET.  We are extremely irritated with Maratherm.

If they don't get the part in, we will HAVE to go buy fans to put in the house, but I don't know HOW we will set them up since my mom and sister have made such a huge mess in the house.  

Yes, at very first, when we first moved in, the movers did not help.  My room is not great, but admittedly, I've been lazy about cleaning up the mess the movers made, though I did put a few things away.

My mom's room used to be clean, but my mom and sister have made the entire room a mess.  I'm tired of seeing them throw their trash, and I really do SEE it happen.  My mom has thrown soda cans and other trash clear across the room.

My Daddy used to do this and it drove me crazy.  It drives me crazy that my mom does it, too.

Why do they think that's acceptable behavior?

Yes, this does go back to Toggle the Doggle.  Since there is trash all over the place, Toggle thinks everything is his.   I don't mind Toggle playing with trash.  However, it should stay outside for him and then be thrown away. If a dog is given trash to play with while inside, the people need to pick it up and then throw it away!

I used to let Marbles play with trash, but yeah, I THREW IT AWAY!

At least we know that Toggle is scheduled to be neutered tomorrow and that he should get rest as he is kenneled at the vet.

Trivia Answer

My last trivia question was, "This TV show was a short show run between cartoons. It was also a cartoon. It feature songs such as "Conjunction Junction," "Three is a Magic Number," and "I'm Just A Bill."  What was the name of the  show?"

Nobody answered.  The answer is School House Rock.

Trivia

This TV show was a short show run between cartoons. It was also a cartoon. It feature songs such as "Conjunction Junction," "Three is a Magic Number," and "I'm Just A Bill."  What was the name of the  show?

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "I In the 1980s, a game show aired that featured creatures called "Whammies."  What was the name of this game show?"

Nobody left any answers.

The answer is "Press Your Luck."

Taking the Dogs for a Walk

I would love to be able to walk all over, but my back gets sore and my legs get sore.   Back and leg problems are both genetic.  My Daddy didn't have leg problems until he was a bit older, but I didn't have leg problems when I was 19, either.  I was pretty good at walking everywhere until I was about     22 or 23.  My  Daddy walked more than that, but it was soon that he would have to sit or get up to walk.

As most people know, I have scoliosis and had to wear a brace for three years to keep it from progressing.  It can hurt lots just like it did when I wore the brace.

Briana was upset because at this hotel, she didn't think there was a large area to walk the dogs.  She loves taking Toggles for walks and sometimes she likes to take Niblet or Woofles along with her.  Sometimes she likes to go alone and sometimes she likes to take my or our mom to go walking.

I showed her that she can walk along Dennis Ave. all the way to the Comfort Inn and around the gas station.  She can get water from the gas station for free if she brings her own container.  The cup costs 25 cents.  They gave her one today, though.

We took Woofles and Toggle for a walk and now they are worn out and sleepy.  That is good for the dogs and for us.  It is especially good for Toggle.  He loves his mom, but he is not a mama's dog like Woofles.

Maybe after the air conditioner part comes, I'll have journal prompts or subjects.  I'm thinking perhaps things that I miss from my childhood or food.  The 80s and 90s and food are always popular things.

Trivia

I In the 1980s, a game show aired that featured creatures called "Whammies."  What was the name of this game show?

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "What children's television show had the theme song, "Every Time I Turn Around?"

This one even had a few hints!

The song starts, "Maybe the world is blind."

The star of the show was Soleil Moon Frye.

The answer is "Punky Brewster."

Naming Dog Anatomy Parts

I name dog anatomy parts.  Why?  There's no real reason to do such a thing other than the fact that it is cute.  However, it is cute, so why not name dog anatomy parts?   It's obviously a common thing since picture of dog anatomy and cat anatomy can be found on the Internet.   There's a picture that has an arrow pointing to a cat's tail that calls it a "dandle."  It says that it is short for "da handle."  I think that works well for dogs, too.  At least, it works for Toggle and Woofles.

The dog anatomy that comes to mind today is a snout.  Woofles was the first dog to have special name for his snout.  I wrote about this earlier.  We decided that it was too cute to not have its own name so we called it a "Schnufle" or a "Schnoofle."   (It's said the same way, the spelling just sometimes changes.  The second one is obviously spelled closer to how it is said.)

Toggle doesn't have a special name for his snout.  We call it a snout.  However, sometimes, I called it a snoggle.  This could get him confused with his command, "no swoggling," though.

Niblet's snout is so little that the other day my mom decided that his also needed a special name.  Because of this,  his snout is a snoutette.

Do you call any of your dog's anatomy or cat's anatomy special things?  Let me know!