Mug Cake

 Before people advised me what to do, I had already looked at all possibilities to fix my laptop brightness and color.  I tried again. Then, this morning I opened up the old, screaming laptop on the off chance that my vision had failed between laptops, I compared them and had Tommy look at the screen. He agreed about the sharpness and color. The old laptop had better color and sharpness. 

So, I called the guy and will get a new laptop. He said it was something that I forgot. So, that will happen when he gets one in. At least my vision is not the problem!

Thursday night, I slept well and awoke at 10:30 am. We went to The Pig with the express intent of getting an ad and left. I can and do look at them online, but it is so tedious. The electric carts there are left on the sidewalk, so if I can hobble to the cart, I am good. 

Oksana, the woman who cleans, called me today and asked if she could come on Sunday. She is so humble, asking for permission to work for free. And, to think I have had to beg people to come here and work for $18/hr even when they asked for $12/hr. Since I did not want anyone for 8 hours a day, I wanted them to be happy with their pay. 

Today, when we were out, it was drizzly on and off and very cold feeling and gloomy. Today's 50F and drizzle was cold after yesterday's 80F and dry and sunny.

I don't know whose blog I was reading, but the thought was ug cakes. When I first read about those, I was interested. But, when I realized how I would still have to get out all the ingredients for a cake and measure Tablespoons instead of cups, I was less interested. So, one day I had a sale chocolate cake mix. Then, I only had to put about a 1/2 cup of the cake mix in the mug. Then, I added milk, stirred, and microwaved. I don't remember how much milk, but it all worked out to be a hot, edible chocolate treat. Very tasty!

I asked Tommy if he had ever had a mug cake. I expected not. He said he seemed to remember having one. Then, he said, "Oh, yeah! Mississippi Mud Cake." I said, "Mug, mug, MUG until he understood. He is so funny sometimes. We had a good laugh. 

We brought in the Romaine from its daylight excursion. I am going to get grow lights so I can keep it indoors all the time. Keeping it on the front porch will just cause it to bolt sooner. I am looking at this BULB or this CLIP ON.  I am not sure of what I need to get and if there is something I should not get. Any opinions?

Have you ever made a mug cake with cake mix? Is that even a thing?

Our colorful Clothes Are Killing the Environment

 Click Here to see how the color in our clothing is polluting Third World countries. I have no time to write, no energy, nothing to say.

Okay, one more thing I have been meaning to say. So...

The dental insurance that I spent $499 on and never used has come in handy. I have to have a crown which will cost $745. The insurance will pay $501, leaving $245 I will owe. However, I have a $10 credit at the dentist, leaving me owing $235. I will get money back from the oral surgeon where I/Tommy paid the full price and insurance will pick up part of that. Hopefully, the amount I owe will be lowered more by using the overage at the oral surgeon. So, once again I am happy with dental insurance. 

Okay, my second wind kicked in. 

I bought two light fixtures, one for kitchen and one for dining room. I started off by saying we needed lights every day for weeks. He also has to search with a flashlight for items I need. Then, I told him I found a nice one in Lowe's,,,several times. Then, I brought them out of the store and put them in the Rogue. THEN, I brought one in the house and left the other for him to bring in. THEN, I showed him the chandelier. So, all is well except for someone to install them. 

Neither of us can carry the ladder from outside. Neither of us has ever installed a ceiling fixture. I did install a light by the door. I had just had knee surgery, stood on a chair, and installed the fixture to a live wire. I wondered why my fingers were tingling. In my defense, the switch was at the off position, but I had the wrong switch because the electrician hooked up wrong light switch to wrong wire. 

Okay. Have you ever installed an overhead light?

Lanterns, Doves, Kale, Plans

 

The lantern is another Christmas gift for Tommy. The Vont lantern came two to a box. So, I got it and told him that part of that box was mine. He appears to love it when he has to go into a room without light to find something for me. Yes, he gets to go search dark rooms. 

Plus, he can hang it in the laundry room since there is no light in there. It is so much  better than a flashlight that cost $1. He also hangs it under the kitchen sink. I will tell you about that another day. He had to live forever without light before he appreciated it. Before, he said he did not even need the tiny, cheap flashlight. His lay here for months before he would use it. Sooo stubborn!

When I was in Cullman last week, I pulled into my yard as I do every time we go. Right there a few feet from the car was a dove. I loved my doves. I suppose they decided to stay at their location. Then, Tommy has doves, too. They built a nest on the water drain right under the gutters. I love doves.

In December I planted kale the woman who works for research brought me. The cover came off a few weeks ago and the kale was looking like it did not want to live. We went out Sunday and I cut kale for the potato soup that has carrots and cheese in it. The kale is tough, not sure why. I put it in salt water, but bugs were still stuck to it. Plus, there were little patches of tiny dots. I cut those off and scraped off the bugs. I was glad I did not have to buy a huge bunch of kale or any at all. I love a garden.

Tommy might have a lighter or two, probably not. But, I came upon matches and bought some. They came 20 in a box and 10 boxes to the package for $1.07. He exclaimed when he saw them, "Why did you buy SO MANY boxes?!" I am trying to get together lighting options and fire making equipment. This quest started in November.  The only candles I will use are tealights in a saucer in bathroom or kitchen sinks. I am afraid of fire. He is cavalier about candles in candlesticks. 

I do have battery-powered tealights and batteries for them, the round kind of batteries. Then, there are the fairy lights I got for Christmas. Power outages do occur. He says I worry too much. I have spent a bit over $20 so we can at least see. 

Next is a grill. I will use money earned from Amazon for that and buy a small gas grill. 

Are you prepared to have light during a power outage?

Since it is MLK Day, all my plans for calls I need to make are on hold. At least my plans for light are about done.

Shopping and Cooking

Wednesday, I slept not a wink. I got up when Tommy awoke at 6:15 and watched TV with him until 8:30 and went to bed until 12:30. I still cannot walk safely...lol. We went out to Belk's and Walgreen's I took back a pair of pants that did not fit and bought a sweater--long black duster, but not very heavy. The black and white buttons are ugly, so I will change those. I looked at many items. Coats were too heavy and too short and sporty.

I cannot bear looking at gloves and scarves. My best scarves were from yard sales. My gloves were bought on deep sales, really cheap. Walmart gloves do not fit. They hurt in between my fingers. All my umbrellas went to the dump, too!

We passed Nature's Own bread outlet. I bought bread for $0.99 instead of the $4.05 I spent for the same loaf at Publix. I need a small freezer. If you spend $7, you get a free loaf. There is not enough room in his refrigerator freezer. There never was in mine, either. Before my big freezer broke, I only bought bread/buns about every six weeks. I only want a 3 cu. ft. upright. I will check Craigslist first.

Then, we went to Walgreen's where I used Tommy's cc and my coupon for $1.50 off three boxes of cereal that were $1.99, making his Cheerios $1.49 for each 10.8 ounce box. I need to check this price to see if it is a good bargain. I bought a box of parchment paper, a 25 sq. roll for $1. I am not sure that is a bargain, but it works for me. Having to buy everything all over is stressful, expensive and impossible.

We had every intention of going to Lowe's and another store, but I was busy getting a bit of sleep. We both agreed we wanted to be back by 3 pm to avoid traffic. The Galleria where Belk's is located and the roads leading to it were not busy at all.

For the drive I brought little bottles of Minute Maid orange juice in case Tommy needed it as he sat in the parking lot. You cannot leave him along with oj because he is sure to consume either...lol. I had him go get us a cheap hamburger to keep his blood sugar up. I did not have Atkins bars, so even though this cost, it is better than scaring me out of my wits.

I am off the make the taco casserole in the crock pot. I will cook the meat first and save part of it to put in spaghetti that I am craving. Tommy gets to grate cheese.

It is so wonderful having a light over the sink in the kitchen. Imagine only having a dim light over the stove to cook. Tommy said it was nice, too. The ugly round fluorescent bulb is either blown or the ballast or starter is not working. That is my next project. No, getting an LED bulb and a shade for my lamp I put in the living room is next. That is what I was going to Lowe's to purchase. Tomorrow.

When I was making the taco casserole/soup, I discovered the rice was rancid, so no rice in the dish. I could not find the grater which was six inches from the crockpot, so I sliced it thinly and put it on top of our servings. When we both finished, I realized I forgot to put the taco seasoning in the dish. Tommy said it was good and he preferred it that way.

Tomorrow, I will have to call the doctor since I seem to be getting worse by the minute. sigh...

Does anyone own or has ever owned a tiny upright freezer? I wonder if they freeze as well as a larger one. I cannot lift things out of a chest freezer.

High today was 82F with beautiful clouds in a blue, sunny sky.

Organization, Light, and a Breakthrough

Getting over yesterday was hard. I stayed up too late and took a Benadryl and slept waaay too late. It is 4:30 pm and my back hurts so much. I have not done the laundry yet--three outfits in a black load.

I did decide I would collect and organize my receipts from purchases. When you have NO clothes whatsoever, it is easy to make wrong decisions about clothing choices. I was in so much pain of all sorts that responsible decisions were almost impossible. Not that he is my barometer, but Tommy likes all but one purchase--a short, short-sleeved jacket. I knew it would get cool soon and all the items I bought were sleeveless. Sleeveless is fine in the winter because I get too hot.

But, the key to returning items is having receipts. Well, with a card, the receipt is not necessary. However, I had a jumble of important receipts, useless receipts, and random small pieces of paper that needed sorting. Some pf the random small pieces were important numbers that I needed to put in my phone or trash. Done.

Tommy gave me five envelopes that I asked him to give me. Now, my purse is clean. My wallet is not. That will come later today. Since it is almost 5 pm right now, I should get cracking with the load of laundry.

Wednesday night, I could not see to get to the laundry room. So, I had Tommy go to WM and get light. Now, I have two $1 flashlights and a headlamp that surprisingly cost $1. It is flimsy and has on and off. Even more surprisingly, it works surprisingly well, and I love it. Of course, it only has been used once. I had to go out an unlighted front door, walk down a rickety ramp in the dark, walk in the dark beside and past his car and mine, and open the laundry room door. Then, I have to get back safely into the house. I wanted the $1 small flashlights. At home, I kept one in each room in an easily reached place. Then, I had several better flashlights for use in a longtime emergency. The cheap ones were to get me safely back to the good lights.

Plus, there is a light that looks like a light switch that sticks to the wall and has LED lights that will blind me. But, it is light. Maybe I can see to wash dishes he had just left sitting in the refrigerator. He will get on board when he sees progress. What he really needs is an electrician.

I have made telephone calls today, so now that everyone is closed, I really need to get the laundry out, and then get the turkey into the oven. I got this at a food bank this week--turkey thighs with some sort of seasoning and I think there are turkey legs. At any rate, there are two huge packages. Tommy will eat those and I will continue eating the chicken breasts since I need to eat some protein often to keep my blood sugar down.

Do you remember the $1 house shoes I bought at Dollar Tree? I gave them away because it is so difficult to return things there. I gave them to a woman I have given at least 400 lbs of food. They were her size. Sooo, I went back and got my size. Now, I walk around with my toes walking on the floor because they stretched out so much. Watch out if you buy them.

Tonight, Tommy said,"I suppose you want to watch the Democratic debate."

"Well, I figured you would not want to...."

"There are a couple of football games on Saturday that I want to watch, so I thought you could watch the Democrats."

SHOCK!

Then, I put chicken and turkey thighs in the oven with the tv so low I could not hear it all.


Earlier, we went out to pick up his meds and got a Coke. He took my Coke and said, "Here, let me open your Coke." He has been much more conversational all day.

Then, he lost it and I laughed at him and shrugged my shoulders.

"Mercurial" in the dictionary has his picture posted.

OOPS--will tell you about the breakthrough tomorrow!