ACK! ONE handed and now TWO handed!

Just this last (I promise) word.  Today I was in front of someone driving with both hands at the 12 o'clock position on the steering wheel.  The knuckles were sharp looking and they pierced the air with eight impressively tall bony knuckle peaks.  I would hate to get a knuckle sandwich from him!   It must be when you do that two hands at 12 o'clock high position long enough... perhaps then you don't over correct.  Me..I put both hands up on top of the wheel the other day to experiment...nope...ain't gonna work for me.  If I would have tried to make turn with both hands up there, I'd be doing circles!

I notice too that there are increasing numbers of folk who like to rush up behind you and stick to you trying to make you go faster.  If I pledge to you now that this is in the so called "slow" lane even...know I am telling the truth when I say I am doing 5 miles OVER the speed limit over there.  I guess what it is turns out to be is my ignorance of the fact that they own the road and that no one but them knows how to drive. Sheesh.  By now I should have learned.  More lessons will be forthcoming I am positive.

I have smiled thru time hearing people in my social circles saying "I wish people would learn to drive".  Usually that has meant that the incompetent  oaf in the other vehicle should get out of the speakers way.  I really love the comments that never change and never fail when it snows or there is an ice storm.  "If they would stay off the roads" " if they would get out of my way" "Why don't they go faster up (down) that hill?  They'd make it if they would go faster the incompetent boobs."

Snow and ice and east TN hills and mountains have no meaning or consequence to these intrepid super heroes.  I wish I were like them.  Maybe one day when I grow up.

Hm....One Handed

Ladies, Gentlemen and Kitties and Woofies or two, I am thinking that I may be the only one left in the U.S. who drives with both hands on the steering wheel of a vehicle.  Nope, not speaking of texting here.  Just regular run of the mill driving.  Both hands on opposite sides of the steering wheel.   That's the name of my driving game. Maybe 9 and 3 position or 10 and 2 sometimes.  Most others that I glance have a knuckled fist up there on top...knuckles sticking up like pyramids from the grip on the steering wheel OR...a languid wrist draped ever so comfortably atop the wheel.

I have wondered how on earth you control the car with that wrist draped over the steering wheel.  That's worse than the one handed knuckle bearing grip on top of the wheel.  By the time you run over something and it comes to you that you may need to grip the wheel to prevent a disaster...seconds are lost in rearranging hands to hold the wheel.  Oh well.  At least I can say I hold on to the steering wheel.  This was not going to be a rant but durned if it didn't turn into one!

Its finally chilly here!  I may be under my fleece blankie tonight.  Of course some else may be as well.  IF she isn't draped over my forehead! These whiskers of hers feel like stiff nylon thread!  She comes down close to my eyes and nose and purrs extra loud.  Whiskers are very distracting!  Tickly and like little pin points!

Hope I get to walk tomorrow.  Have a small trip to make.

Fried chicken and saffron rice tonight!  Shall I set a plate for you?  Oh.  Green beans.  Buttered.

Another Year

Guys, Ladies, I am grateful  for another year.  Had a birthday last Sunday.   I try to use that gift of another year each day, but particularly now that it is not so grueling hot and humid.  I am out on a brisk walk after my workout unless something else stops me.  My very hilly street (all of them are hilly in this town though) is not practical for my walking routes nowadays as I can tax myself just so far in climbing hills and keeping up a pace.  I therefore go to a fairly level park and go for it!

On my birthday I was on my way home from seeing my middle son.  He usually invites me to his home on that occasion.  Sunday, on I-85 I was rocketing along at just over the speed limit when I became aware that there was a car exactly on my bumper...close enough to tap me I would say.

I had just passed someone so I was in the passing lane still.  Not able to go back to the right-most lane until the vehicle next to me either sped up or slowed down.  The dimwit behind me used the very narrow place that suddenly opened up to my right as the car beside me did move faster, and  dimwit shot around me nearly shaving my bumper...and decided to gift me with a "greeting" on that, my birthday.  I certainly gained the knowledge that he was very angry with me for daring not to crash into the car next to me thereby letting him by.  Had I slowed down so I could get back into the right lane sooner...as he was magnetically attached to my bumper...he would like have shot me if he had a weapon.  He was in the way of my trying to get out of HIS way.  

He has to be proud he got around me at last and expressed his thoughts.  Way to be respectful.

Me, I continued on...not angry at all nor bothered.  I know what is important and that ain't.

I took these two photos with my phone way early this morning.  I will get out there with the Nikon in the morning assuming the builder and home are still there.

BIZZY

Been busy today.  Let me brag about it.  No, bore you about it...no, tell you about it.

Up and change the sheets with Katie's able help after feeding her and opening and closing the front door multiple times for her.   Travel to the kitchen again and remove whatever is on the counter surfaces and clean and shine the counters.  Ooo la la.  I love shiny counters.  Put it all back (not much...I do not like clutter) and begin sweeping, then cleaning and shining the floor.  I thank the skill of my surgeon every single DAY that I can do all my housework and not draw a single troubled breath from cardiac issues.  Wanna wrassle?  I think I can best ya!

Then, I took that flat 2 pc. drainboard I like so much apart and cleaned IT.  No fun. And clean the stainless steel sink.  Change throw rugs. Set the kitchen to rights.  Travel to the bathroom and clean the tub and surround, potty, vanity and floor.  Travel back out and get the vacuum going for the full house as I always do.  Empty it and wax furniture after swiffering it first.  Clean all the glass table tops and anything else.  Already got the bathroom doors, both  of them cleaned , inside and out. (finger marks from everyone not using the knobs). Dust the tops of all the door frames in the house.  Already took everything off the dressers and bureaus and spit shined and re-did it to where it was. Did the wash, folded and put away.  Have to iron three items.

Shampooed my hair to take up where Katie left off last night.  Going to take a curling iron to it here in an hour.  Had lunch.  Got more to do but waiting till my toasted cheese sandwich settles.   I also had a  made with fresh fruit, smoothie.  I add two T of lite chocolate syrup to it (20 cal), non fat milk, ice, blend and oh MY it's good.

S'up wif yoo?

It's Not Like I Said Two Wheels!

Ya know, when someone who is driving is going to turn a corner (and of course not bother with a turn signal) it would be refreshing that they make their way through the turn in a timely manner rather than come to a complete stop, then turning.  Nope...no stop sign involved nor any traffic light to make them stop.  Just a very very slow driver who seems timid.  This is usually at a business where the driver wishes to go into a parking lot.  Ah...but I duly note that no one made me Queen nor Supreme Ruler who gets to say who does what, and when.  Drat!

 It's a bit  more aggravating when you are waiting to make a left turn at a traffic light with no left turn lead and you see that the opposing traffic has a vehicle approaching about to that point where you cannot safely take a chance on turning until they go by.   That vehicle you're waiting for to come on through so that you may turn left surely has a brick wedged under the gas pedal so that the accelerator may not be pressed to afford more than, say...oh, I dunno...perhaps 15 mph until they labor through the intersection.  (Where you have waiting, hoping for a chance to turn left before the next red light).

I also have noted that I don't get to say that MY timetable is more important than theirs!  Double drat!

At least it is not as bad as being behind someone who is texting.  They continue to sit at the light when it's is green.  They weave and wobble as they proceed down the street after some heartfelt honks of the horn at them.  However, I would rather be behind them than approaching them from the opposite direction as you never know where they will veer off to.  That thought just brought a memory from "back in the day" when mobile phones had not yet been made available.  I have seen folks with a newspaper propped up on the steering wheel hurtling down the interstate.  They stayed in the "slow" lane...you navigated around them.   Also, back then I used to see more men driving with their wrist stationed  atop the steering wheel.  Naturally I never do anything wrong.  I am total perfection all the time.  Sure!  I have more than my share of aggravating driving ways too.  I just won't talk about 'em!  😊

P.S.  In my header, I took those pictures of those Indian Blanket Flowers...a form of daisy... several years ago.  They are one of my favorite flowers.  I will bet I would never say a word to one of them if I had to wait for them anywhere in the world.  Love them.

How Could I Forget THIS One?

"Reach out"  The media always reaches out.  The can't possible just contact someone....no...they reach out.  EVERYone in media  uses that phrase.  Reach out implies you are feeling empathy, sympathy, concern, all the other terms that I will spare you from.  "Contacted" is more like it as far as the media's use of the word is concerned.  The false implication of concern  they don't even realize they are doing, is annoying.  Gosh I'm on a roll here with overused inappropriate phrasing in media!

Meanwhile, I am pruning back, or trying to, my use of exclamation marks from a constant THREE of them when I wanted to emphasize something to a mere one!  Now, if I could prune back my over-use of commas I think I would be cited for some writing awardie.  I am the comma QUEEN!

I have aways used ellipsis throughout my writing of anything.  Stories, blogs, you name it. They come in handy but I had to break myself from too many of them as well.  And no one can write in phrases more so than I.  I have no idea where or when I picked up that habit.  Wait.  I think I do know.  It was during  my career where a written documentation of all conversations, telephone particularly  or otherwise was of vital importance so I invented  my own shorthand out of necessity.

Here..have a cookie with that coffee and you over there, pull up a chair.  Plenty of room here at the table.

Whoops...carry on while I steam clean the bathroom floor.  WAY overdue for a good thorough cleaning.  Like Arnold, I'll be back.

See the heron?  I got him (along with the chiggers) in the wetlands.

And Then...

Guys, I loved all the additions you all put in, in the last blog.  One I may have forgotten...too lazy to go back and look right now--- is the phrase "change up".  Please.  Just say change.  WHY is the word "up" such a grand additions?  This awful phrase has been going on a good six years or more.   But who's counting, right?  The ol' "having said that" is right up there too!!

  I had included all my loathed words in the last paragraph of my last blog, trying to be funny.   *Whispers*... I don't think anyone noticed my feeble attempts.

Ennyhoo, I love reading your own "suddenly tired of" phrases and please use my blog to add them in any time you feel like it.  Doesn't matter the subject matter I may have posted about.  Tired phrases are always fun to read as we see we're not alone!

This just in  ;-)  Sitting here with my bottle of A&W diet root beer.  Slugging away at it and almost done.

Oh.  Meant to say...I started a diet about three weeks ago.  One thing I wound up doing from the git-go was cease any bread/sandwiches/baked goods.  Not sure why I did that.  They are not evil.  I think I was trying to cut the intake of carbs and that seemed to be a good way.  Simple carbs.  Not complex carbs though I have not had hardly any taters in those three weeks.  I love potatoes in any form except  potato soup. So it HAS been a little bit harder for me to avoid much of those however.  Sugary type things are easier to avoid because the craving goes away after several weeks of having none.  I do have fruit smoothies though and a banana to hold me when I am extra hungry.  I dislike bananas, but I will eat them when I am desperate.

It's lunch time and I believe I will head into the kitchen and have my strawberry smoothie.  I use a cup of skim milk, 2 T of Hersey's Lite chocolate syrup at 40 calories  for two T.,  a cup of cut up fresh strawberries (I have found some great ones in a local store that taste GOOD!  Not like the wooden tasting hard things in other places), a sweetener packet, some ice cubes and turn the blender on.  Um Um Good.

My usual mish mash of talking.  I feel as though I am sitting at the kitchen table with you.