LOOKING GOOD
First of all, I went to pick the dad up and saw this beauty… I want this van! ;-)


Here's a pic of The Dad after dialysis on our weekly date with Rita.

I'm not painting a very good picture of what's going on here. I send these out from time to time via text and I always get the "looking good" response or whatever. That's great but it's not really true and I'm the only one to blame for this.  It shows how you can sway the truth a bit with so many things.  I don't know what I'm trying to say at the moment - just things are not very good.  They look good and his Rita's looks good but it's not good. I will leave it at that for the moment.

ANYTHING GOES
High School musical trip tonight...

SaveSave

WE MAY BE HERE FOR AWHILE
We had some time to kill between an appointment and dialysis so we stopped at Freedom Diner for breakfast.

DOWN GOES CHURCHILL

WHAT THE DAD ATE
He asked me if I'm collecting all these pictures of what he ate so I can put them in his casket… I said I didn't think of that.  He had an appointment today and I thought he might want to go get something to eat but he just wanted a taco from taco bell.

We got back to Seneca and his dinner was there which he probably would have eaten… just had dessert.

TOOL TIME
I'm a tool girl… I'm the one at the yard sales with all the old men rummaging through drawers and boxes.  I went down to try to organize some things in the garage but I didn't get very far. I remember this folding ruler from when I was a little girl. I put it in my craft room for display. Maybe I'll make it into a star to hang… or a crown. No, probably a star. Or maybe I'll just leave it as is and look at it and remember.

BUSY DAY
I met Cindy at a church sale...

Then Cara, Chrissy and I  headed out to Blairsville… stop off at Market Street bakery for some luscious breakfast hand pies.

We needed a nibble before our class at Founder's Gallery.

Surprisingly, I was the least impressed.

I don't know what I was expecting but I was a little bored.

We went to Tin Lizzy after for an early dinner and passed by the Trump House which I didn't even know was a thing.

I had to apologize for being a little off today. I feel like I'm in some kind of funk. I have anxiety if I'm too far away from home base - always expecting something to happen… story of my life.

JUNKING AND LUNCHING
Just messing around… Vandergrift for lunch. G&Gs.

Bella Luna serves their chicken salad in a bowl and I always ask for a small plate on the side when I order so I can take it out and redistribute it… this made me angry too.  Pie should not be served in a bowl. I don't care if it's Fiesta or not.

End of the Road had this fabulous table it was in some General's house long ago. Would make a wonderful kitchen island.

We became friends with the owner and she was giving me a pretty good deal on this lovely bit of Easter Kitsch. Almost too good to pass up. I didn't get it though. I really wanted it.


I knew it would have to go directly to storage and I would end up regretting it.

If you are wondering What The Dad ate… We got him a mushroom swiss burger.

YOU'LL NEVER KNOW DEAR...

TIME TO MAKE THE MEATBALLS

The joke here is that once I perfect all the things that The Dad makes then his work is done.

I SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

I like to go for ice cream all by myself. I actually prefer it.

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
I watched Cassie's kids and her mom's dog the other night. Before bed, we made these...

After, I  put Tallulah in her crib and spent the rest of the evening checking to make sure she was breathing.  Poor baby. All she wanted to do was sleep. ;-)

I HAVE THIS THING WITH APPLEBEE'S
So we ended up stopping at Applebee's on the way back from Blairsville the other day because we didn't feel like coming up with any other options and I think I've said this before, I have a thing with Applebee's.

Like a bad thing.

First of all I used to really like their Oriental Chicken Salad - now, not so much. It's not because of the massive amount of calories or the racist name.  I don't know if it's my attitude or it's just not good anymore.  I got it tonight because I was hangry and tired and didn't feel like looking at the menu and it was just blah.

Anyway, during the separation, David always wanted to meet some place for lunch, often Applebee's, and that's right about the time when they started their stupid question asking. Like, are you celebrating something special today? I would usually say like yeah we're trying to figure out our divorce but sometimes I said nothing and just wanted to punch them in the face.

The girl came to the people sitting behind us first and she went through her little talk and then the question - are you celebrating something special today?  I wanted to jump up and scream -  if they were celebrating something special they wouldn't be here -  but I contained myself. I could see Chirssy noticing that I was getting a little huffy already and the waitress wasn't even at our booth yet.

Anyway, these people behind us had about a fifteen minute conversation with her and the girl looked like she just wanted to say - people I have to ask this stupid question I really don't care.

She finally came to us and we got the same speech… I told her we were just wandering around for the day and went to our favorite bakery and she chimed in that she loved bakeries.  Then I said we stopped at this gallery and may sign up for a paint class. She said she loved galleries and painting. I just said, really, it's ok. You don't need to talk to us about bakeries and galleries and painting. We're all good.

Just for the record: I am always very nice to wait staff and a very big tipper. I just don't like being questioned at Applebee's about my day and I really wonder if the staff is that into it. Are they logging this data into some program that will one day give us a breakdown as to why people stopped there?  I shouldn't be this annoyed over this but I am.  This sundae didn't even cheer me up.

ALL YOU KNEAD IS LOVE
The real reason we went to Blairsville was to go to our favorite bakery.
 
Seriously, you should go.

I don't think I've gotten a bad thing from there.

The antique store we usually go to was unexpectedly closed but we checked out some other little shops we frequent and went to the gallery down the street. In the end, though, bakery run was successful.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES
We didn't really have any reason to go anywhere today so we decided to go to Blairsville… We stopped here for lunch.

Chrissy and I got way too excited that lima beans were the veg.

They had the chocolate peanut butter pie that we like.

It's been happening a lot again, lately. It's usually Chrissy that will say something that makes us appear to be a lesbian couple and we snicker and laugh and reminisce about how they tried to give us a king size bed when we checked in at a hotel once because I gravitated right to the "welcome to the gayborhood map" at the concierge desk. I still think it was her birkenstocks and those maps rock. Anyway, it was somewhat of a weird day. We didn't really have anything urgent to do. I was off and The Dad was doing ok so I went on a much deserved play date to Blairsville. This is how we roll. Are we fun or what?

LITTLE SHRIMP
The dad likes one of the shrimpy macaroni dishes at the home.

Though he says it should be called SHR because they are so little - they can't be called SHRIMP.

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
You would think I would be more organized because I'm a little obsessed with compartmentalizing things and putting like items together. I know a lot of my problem is that I have too much of everything and that too much of everything is scattered all about between storage units and garages, etc… so I'm constantly coming across things.

I hate that I can't find something when I need it or get to something because it's blocked by something else. I'm working on it but not fast enough.

I'm back to feeling chaotic again because all of my stuff is all over the place.

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY
I went to a couple house sales today… one in lawrenceville...

It was a little creepy. At one point I thought I was going to fall through the steps. The company that was doing the sale also had one going in Mt. Lebanon off 19 so I decided to drive out there.   I found a few things between the two...

…including a box full of used vintage wedding cards. I'm really on this kick of starting a wedding cake topper collection. I'm not sure if I will regret it to not.

Anyway, I drove by Dixon House on my way back…

They are bringing furniture in!

Later, Cara and I went to see the dad and went to Pasquilino's for dinner.


Just another Saturday.

SNOW AND CHIPS
It was snowy out

Cassie and Cindy have been telling us to go here for a long time.  The chips and dip were good.

SHEETZ STOP
The Dad had an appointment today and he didn't want to stop anywhere to eat after so we ended up at sheetz. Every time I go to Sheetz I feel like I'm on vacation and going to a rest stop. I love rest stops but it kind of makes me sad. I miss highways and road trips. For awhile I was getting this iced mocha thing and then I looked up all the weird ingredients and now I don't get that very often. I usually get one of those mickey mouse snack things or cheese or something because that kiosk thing is overwhelming. Anyway, all he wanted was onion rings.

Q: WHY DID THE BANANA GO TO THE DOCTOR?
Walmart trip with the residents today. We went to Eat N park after and this was in the bathroom. I want one.

A: Because it was not peeling well.

GIVE INTO LOVE, OR LIVE IN FEAR
RB loved fortune cookies. LB not so much. I found a bunch in the drawer…

Lily and I sat on the floor and opened them up…

Side note: does anyone else add "in bed" to the end of their fortune? Leslie always used to do that and it just stuck.  And I really wish I could remember what I used to order at that Chinese place near McLanahans. I can't believe I don't have one of the menus here. I bet I do.

BOYS NIGHT IN (THE NURSING HOME)
The guys stopped over to see The Dad last night before boys night out.
 

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY

Any given Saturday my car seat looks like this - religious figures and cookbooks.

FISH FRY FRIDAY
We took the residents to St. John's for a fish fry…

The Dad got take out...

 I, of course, got the alternative dinner...