Thursday, September 27, 2018

Timmy T'ursday, episode 2


Come on in and have a cup of coffee & a donut & chat with me!

I had a mild panic attack this morning, since the Spawn (Miss Angela) decided she wants a 21st birthday bonfire at our house.  TOMORROW!   So many things went thru my mind - the lawn is a jungle, the house is a disaster, there are headstones & skeletons all over the patio, *we have nothing to burn!* etc, etc, etc.  

But I'm OK now.  

I mowed the lawn tonight so she can see to pick up after the dog.  That's kinda necessary.  Hmmm, should clean the bathroom a bit.  I moved the headstones so we can get to the patio table & chairs, but left all the skeletons underneath the table.  Then a coworker told me she had a ton of firewood that we were welcome to come over and take as much as we want.  So we did!  As for the messy house?  If she doesn't care, neither do I!  It sounds like they're all going to be staying outside anyway.   

Funny that the last I heard, there were going to be at least 8 people coming over.  And all her invite texts said were she was having a bonfire Friday night, either at our house or my sister's.  And people responded!!  No time.  No definite location.  Nothing!  

It would have been nice to have it at my sister's house - she's got lots of yard, neighbors aren't close by and a BIG firepit.  But she wanted to be invited TO the party, too!  And hang out with them.  And NO alcohol.  That idea didn't go over well, so it's at ours.  Randy's going to be out of town, but I will make a point of being seen so they know I'm there.  And I'll pop out every once in a while under the guise of taking the dog out so I can check on them.  I'm allowing beer ***in moderation***, but nothing harder than that.  (I will confiscate all keys & we're pitching a tent in the yard for them.  If they want to go home, I'll take them)  Other than that - I'm staying inside!  It's supposed to go down to 45* Friday night with a slight chance of rain.  Brr.  Staying inside - thanks!

Saturday is my official Halloween Set Up Day!  That's why there are animal skeletons & headstones on the patio.  I got them out of the shed and of course they were all covered in spider webs & eggsacks & overall grossness so they had to get a good spraydown with the hose.  I don't have the people skeletons or the totes out of the garage yet.  But my #1 goal on initial set up day is the cemetery fence, sign, headstones & blowmolds.  The rest comes out at my leisure.  So everything is mostly ready except for locating some zipties and testing / installing light fixtures in the blowmolds.  Woohoo!
spooky jack o lantern GIF

Sunday will be fun - every year we take Angel & my nephew Austin to the orchard to celebrate their birthdays (his is today, he's 18 *gasp!*)  It sounds pretty cheesy, but we always have a good time.  We're going to my favorite of the local orchards - it offers a lot of kid(of all ages!)-friendly stuff to do.  Including 2 huge inflatable pillows that are an absolute riot to jump on!  Have you ever laughed so hard that your risk peeing yourself and/or are helpless to move?   That's these things.  Can't wait!

I had an opportunity to be on the VFW honor guard again - but the day they were looking at happens to be the same day as a fundraising horseback ride that's I've already committed to.  Bummer!
The only problem is I don't know yet if I'll be riding for fun....or assisting the sheriff's department again.  We have a meeting/training before that, so I'm sure we'll find out then. 

Ugh.  After yesterday's core class at the gym and mowing the lawn today, I feel like I've been hit by a bus and drug behind it!  I am outta here!  

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It's called Timmy T'ursday because it sounds fun & why not get Tim Horton's on a Thursday?

Monday, September 24, 2018

Blogoween is coming!


Woohoo!  

My absolute favorite time of year is coming & thanks to the lovely Lauren at ShootingStarsMag, she brought this fun linkup to my attention!  I signed up over with Sam at FictionallySam and that link tells more about it, too. There are some neat prompts, but I'm going to wing it.  

I'm also signed up to do the annual Countdown to Halloween with my actual Halloween-based blog, Maple Grove Cemetery so my posts may overlap with that.  I've got some cool stuff planned over there so I'm sure they'll show up here, too.   Maple Grove Cemetery is the name of my Halloween display. 

Just an FYI - I love to explore real (the older, the better) cemeteries, so those posts show up occasionally, too.   

I can't wait to see what everyone else posts!

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Thursday, September 20, 2018

It's Timmy T'ursday! Episode 1

I've seen a lot of people who have "coffee posts" where they chat about random topics that might come up if you're were having coffee together.   In fact I was supposed to link up with one this week (or was it last week??)  but obviously failed, so I'll do my own!  
Until I make an official graphic, enjoy these donuts!

I give credit to the name of this post to my darling hubby - since he always stops at Tim Horton's for coffee on his way into work on Thursday mornings.   And he calls it Timmy T'ursday.
*****
I have another new great-nephew!  My nephew & his bride welcomed Cameron David on 9/12.  Just a couple days shy of their 1st anniversary, too!   I don't know if I should post pics, but he's the cutest freakin' nugget ever!   
*****
OMG, This struck a chord in me.  It's an article about why so many veterans / active duty people feel uncomfortable when told Thank You For Your Service.   My go-to answer is thanks, it was an adventure!
*****
Speaking of veterans - I volunteered last weekend at this thing called Freedom Fest at the local community college.  It was basically a lot of information and resources to "celebrate patriotism & military service".  I was there with my VFW.  I'm sure they wanted Jim & I there, since we're among the youngest ones at the post.  But I'm pretty sure the building could have burnt down around us when Scott was telling us about being in Vietnam.  I couldn't imagine what all he went thru.  I honestly feel honored to be allowed to be a member of a club next to these guys!
*****
Once I got home from Freedom Fest, Randy & I got to serve eviction notices to a couple unwelcome visitors in our shed.....
yes, we had both a raccoon AND a possum in there!  
Looking at the bright side of this episode.... all of my Halloween stuff that had been stored in there is now out & cleaned up a few days earlier than planned (was gonna do that this weekend) 
We also tore off the rotted / warped / moss-stained doors to the shed and pulled up the disgusting indoor/outdoor carpet and used the leaf-blower to get rid of literal drifts of pinecone shrapnel that are probably left from the damn squirrel that was in there last year.  Now the frame is painted and we have to cut down the new panels to make replacement doors. 
*****
 Sunday I went riding with sister Laurie & some friends. 
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 Yesterday I got my Secret Reaper package!  This is a Halloween gift exchange and we are assigned a "victim" and we are someone else's victim.  It's fun!  We submit a list of likes & dislikes so our "reaper" has an easier time shopping.  I got a selection of pumpkins for my pumpkin patch in the cemetery, a Frankenstein nutcracker, a Dracula cape and 4 yards of black fabric.
*****  
Since I didn't get any pics of Angel in her dance costumes at the studio last spring, I've been doing them myself, taking her to interesting places around town.  We still have 2 more costumes to do, and once those are done, I'll make a post with all of them.  I'm happy with them so far!  

So that's all for now - we'll have to get together again next week!

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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Let's get cozy!

I finally caught one of the fun linkups from The Blended Blog!  I always seem to find them like a week later and then it's just weird to join in, so I don't. 

Since as far as I'm concerned, it's fall (altho Mother Nature begs to differ) so let's get cozy!
1.  Slippers: yes or no?  In the winter, hell yes!  The floors in my house are freezing!  When it's warm out, I could take them or leave them.

2.  My favorite blanket?  This little lightweight plaid throw I got from JoAnn Fabrics a couple years ago.  It's perfect for in the car or wherever. 

3.  Thick or thin pillow?  Kinda in the middle, I think.  I have a feather pillow and it starts out nice, but then flattens & I have to fold it.  And then get stabbed with feathers.  I really want to check into those "cooling" pillows since I hate when my head sweats at night.

4.  Favorite warm beverage?  Hot chocolate, I think.  Or anything you can mix booze into! 

5.  Robe: yes or no?  I only wear it when I get out of the shower, so the bathrobe that I have is one that I bought to wear in the hospital when Miss Angela was born.  She's gonna be 21 at then end of this month.... so it's pretty threadbare.  

6.  Favorite comfort / snack food(s)?  Hmm.  This is honestly a tough one!  I don't have any ONE thing that's my comfort go-to.  If I had to choose something it would probably be ice cream.   Maybe popcorn.

7.  Movies or TV series binge?  Meh.  I'm not big on either.  But I'd go for TV series over movies. 

8.  Actual PJs or leggings?  What? To sleep in?  Nightshirt.  I hate having anything around my legs when I sleep.  But to just veg in?  I have a comfy pair of Detroit Red Wings red plaid flannel lounge pants that are awesome. 

9.  Cozy up on the couch or chair?  I really wish we had a set of recliners!  But if we can get the kid off the couch, we do occasionally sit in the living room, but usually we watch TV in bed.  Well, Randy does while I play games on my Kindle or phone. 

10.  Hoodie, T-shirt or Sweater?  Sweater at work (year round) and Hoodie the rest of the time. 

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Sunday, September 2, 2018

What UP, Weekend / OMG it's September!

I'm a wee bit late to the party, but I still made it!
The weekend is technically only half over. 

Where did the summer go??  That's OK - I'm not a huge fan of heat & humidity anyway.
Someone is adding a degree of difficulty to blogging, tho.  
I'm surprised Rusty's on me, since his favorite person (Randy ) is over chillin' on the bed ~ gasp!~ alone!
As usual, I'm linking up some positivity with the fabulous ladies at the Peaceful Posse.
These are just a few of the things that made me happy this week.   I had a couple crabby days, but those don't matter.  I don't even know what my problem was. 
Last weekend, we got free suite tickets from the VFW for a ballgame at Jimmy John's Field.  The mascots came in to visit us!  

Wednesday was my birthday.  Randy sang Happy Birthday to me at the stroke of midnight and
 I got this SnapChat from Miss Angela.
I had my first pumpkin spice of the season.  
That's iced coffee since I'm not a fan of lattes. 
Confession - I like their maple donuts & Timbits better than the PS. 

Somehow Randy got off work early, and picked me up from work (leaving my car there) and we went to first Belle Isle & then Detroit.  He even brought my camera with him!
The flag at half mast for Senator McCain.
 Randy was so excited to see on a 100th Anniversary Michigan State Patrol car! 
Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse  
the only lighthouse in North America made entirely of marble.
It's at the north end of Belle Isle, looking toward Lake St. Clair.  
Detail of the birds around the top of the lighthouse. 
Detail of the carvings above the aquarium.  

 The James Scott Memorial Fountain was turned off due to come maintenance.  Kind of a bummer, but we could see the carvings better.
(from 8/16) 
 
Catfish?  Or big fish with reins?
Snapping turtles
Goat Pegasuses?
 This was the north end.  That's Canada on the right.  
 Detroit's skyline
 Greektown Hotel & Casino showing some Respect!
Aretha Franklin's viewing was happening nearby, at the Wright Museum for African American History.
 
After dinner & drinks at the hard Rock Cafe, we walked down toward the Riverwalk.  Hart Plaza was entirely blocked off due to setting up for the jazz festival that's happening down there this weekend.  So we opted to go back to the car.  My feets were starting to hurt, since I'd come straight from work and was still wearing the shoes I'd had on there.  At least they were flats & not heels!

I love this pic!
I didn't even know that Randy took this until he told me to look at what he tagged me in on Facebook!
 
I saw this sunrise on my way to work the next day 
- a good sign for my first day of being 45!

The rest of the weekend is going to be very lowkey.  It's too hot to go dig thru Fall & Halloween stuff in the garage (I signed up for this thing called the Secret Reaper gift exchange on a Halloween message board I belong to.  And I'm pretty sure I have some things that would be perfect to gift to my "victim")  I should have been doing that earlier in the week when it was nice & comfortable out.   Ooops. 

Tomorrow I'm supposed to walk in the Romeo Peach Parade with my VFW.  It'll be fun!  I haven't been IN a parade in a long time.  Pretty sure it was high school the last time I was.  I'll see if I can get some pics.  If I understood correctly, we're going to be walking with the Romeo post.... since we're meeting there & they're putting on "a spread" afterward.  The more the merrier!

What kind of fun stuff has happening in your neck of the woods?

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