Thursday This n That

Ugh.  I slept late again.  Of course, late for me is after 6am.  But it throws off my morning, hence this post getting written after 7:30.  And posted after 8.  Derp.

I hit the Wallyworld yesterday.  Actually, I went down to get feed for the deer, but since I was in town, I figured it would be good to go to the store, too.  Meh.  Anyway, as I was walking from my car to the store, I heard someone shout 'Hey, where's your mask?  Put your mask on.'  It was in my hand so I held it up and waved it.  Then I noticed the person shouting was talking to a friend of his.  :shrug:  You never know.  I put the damned thing on before I got to the door, but I'll be damned if I'll walk out in the open air with the thing on.

Speaking of the 'rona, Missouri's governor and his wife tested positive.  I wish them both a speedy recovery.  Some people on FB were laughing about it, because he's been very 'anti-chaos crap', calling it Karma.  Assholes abound.  I expect both he and his wife will weather through it and come out the other side no worse for wear.  Sort of like Tom Hanks and his wife did.  

Yesterday was the anniversary of the release of George Strait's 'All My Exes Live in Texas'.  And now that song is stuck in my head.  You're welcome.  And sorry.

Having that song stuck in my head reminds me of the summer I spent hanging out at a country/western bar.  My brother and his wife were regulars and they took me there for my 21st birthday.  The rest of the summer just went along that route until I went back to college.  One of these days I should scan and post the photos of that summer, with my semi-mullet-esque hairstyle, drunk off my ass.  Unfortunately, I have a lot of 'drunk off my ass' photos from over the years.

Other than a couple sips of beer while I'm making bratwursts (and nine times out of ten, that was near-beer), I haven't had a drink since back in CO... Eight years?  For the life of me, I can't imagine why I ever drank.  

I feel the same way about football now.  For the life of me, I can't imagine why I was ever so into football.  Cold turkey now for... I think this is the third season I haven't watched.  Not even a sip or two.  ;o)

Oh, yeah, when I was at Wallyworld, I picked up a bag of Granny Smith apples.  Romanian Apple Cake, here I come!  You know, once I get off my butt and prep the apples.  ;o)

What's on your this n that today?

A Pre-New Year's Eve PSA

With the biggest drinking night of the year coming at us fast, I'd like to take a moment to rant...

This morning, I read a news story about a woman who ruined an entire family because she was too stupid to not get behind the wheel when she'd been drinking.  The family was on its way to celebrate Christmas.  And now the dad is dead and the mom and the daughter are injured.  And she's facing manslaughter charges.

Drinking and driving is just stupid.  Seriously.

Oh, I've done it.  Although I never got caught.  Looking back, I'm surprised I survived doing it and I'm damn lucky I didn't kill anyone or damage any property.  That was 25-30 years ago.  I've smartened up a lot since then.  Cuz that was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done (and I've done some stupid shit).

Personally, I think one drink before you get behind the wheel is too much.  One beer?  One glass of wine?  Well, maybe, but how do you know how that one drink is going to affect you? 

I used to drink A LOT.  My tolerance level was up there, lemme tell ya.  One night I was out with friends and they convinced me to do a shooter.  Within 15 minutes I couldn't stand up straight.  I seriously thought I was having a brain aneurysm because I couldn't even remember doing the damn shooter and thought I'd only had my gin and tonic.  It was seriously scary.  Lucky for me, I wasn't driving that night.  My friends took me home and got me inside, where I crawled to the bathroom and hugged the porcelain god for a while.

Hammered by one shooter.  I wasn't even sure what was in the shooter.  Was it schnapps or was it 151 rum?  There's a big difference in the alcohol content of those two things.  Plus, the shooter mixed with some gin in my belly.  At least it wasn't mixed with any drugs - prescription or otherwise.  And there's another thing people don't think about - how the alcohol is going to mix with whatever else they have in their system.  Cold medicine, pain killers, etc. and alcohol can really mess a body up. 

Then they get in their car and drive home.  Or to another bar.  Or to a friend's house for after bar cocktails.  Woohoo.

Stupid.

So, do the world a favor.  Don't drink and then drive.  Don't get into a car with someone else who's been drinking and let them drive.  If you have to drink, find someone who hasn't been drinking to drive you home.  Designate a driver who won't touch a drop during your festivities.  Call a cab.  Get an Uber or a Lyft.  And if you can't do any of those things, don't drink.  It is possible to have a fun time without being pickled.

Don't make your fun night turn into a horrible night for you or anyone else. 

Just sayin'.

Thursday This n That

The other day I saw a book on how to drink less or quit drinking alcohol altogether.  If you can't just do that on your own without a book to guide you, you already have a problem and perhaps you should get in touch with AA.  I quit drinking like 6 years ago.  My drinking had already dwindled to like once in a blue moon and then I just never made myself another drink.  Don't miss it.  In fact, I look back and wonder why I ever drank in the first place.  Oh, sometimes I miss the taste of a gin and tonic (yeah, I know, it's an acquired taste but the good stuff doesn't taste like paint thinner) or a nice Riesling, but I don't want the alcohol anymore.  Now, if someone made non-alcoholic mixed drinks, I'd probably drink those.  I've had NA beer here and there, if I can find it locally - which ain't easy these days - but I don't need it.  It's more for nostalgia.

I pay all my bills on the 20th of the month.  It's a habit and it usually serves me well.  Since our local trash service got bought out by Republic, their bills arrive around the 25th.  And so, I forget to pay them until it's almost too late.  Usually in a panic.  Stupid Republic.  Silly habits.  Ugh.

Around here it seems like every other dog is a Heeler mix.  Now, I did extensive reading about dog breeds when I was a teen and never ran across that breed.  Then again, they've added a bunch of breeds in the past 30 years, so what do I know?  The other day I googled it.  Derp.  Heelers are Australian Cattle Dogs. Why they can't just call them that, I don't know.  Blerg.

I got an expected package from Mom.  Well, actually, it shouldn't have been totally unexpected.  She told me about it early last month.  It was a flannel lap blanket I'd given my dad for Christmas one year.  She's paring down things she doesn't need and she thought I might like to have it.  I opened the box and tada.  Got a little sniffley over it - partly because it was Dad's (he's been gone since '02) and partly because it smells like Mom.  Even though I talk to Mom almost every day, I haven't seen her in almost 5 years.  I hugged the blanket.

I have a photo of Mom and Dad at their 40th anniversary party.  It's sitting on my desk, so I can be close to them.  They had a 40th party because Dad didn't think he'd make it to 50.  He was right.  He didn't make it to 45 either. 

Gah, not sure why I got so trapped in sad memories right there.  Might be because tomorrow is my 25th anniversary of 'almost but not quite getting dead'.  That there's a reason for reflection, if ever there was one.  If it was a wedding anniversary, I'd be getting silver stuff. 

:shakes self like a wet dog"

Anyway, let's not dwell on that for too damn long, eh?  Like I said before, wake up every morning and go "YAY! I'm alive!"

Got any this and that going on today?  What's the skinny?