Nana, You'll Be Missed!

Saturday morning I received a call from my dad that my Nana had passed away. She had been battling cancer.

All I remember of her is her spunk and her fire and her Chihuahuas.

Check out that dancing diva.

This is the last memory I have of my Nana on one of the happiest days of my life. Sassy!

Divorce has a way of drifting family apart. I just wish I had more time with her.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG

What the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks Happened to My Hostas!

Upon mowing my lawn Saturday (on our brand new lawn tractor!), I did the loop around Yard Bouldah and was stunned to find this.

All of the leaves on my hostas had been ripped off. Or, most likely, chewed off.


And whoever it was, they were picky. They'll eat these hostas, but not my Maraschino Cherry hostas in the front.


All I have left are green shoots.

It's like a crew cut around Yard Bouldah.

NukeBoy has been given the "go" for open season in the yard. We may be eating venison all winter.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG

I Just Don't Have the Words

It takes a pretty strong woman secure in her own sense of domestic capabilities to admit this.


But, yes, this was the state of my kitchen floor at the apartment.

I had gotten so used to the gradual graying of  my white linoleum, that I didn't even realize it was that dirty.

I did mop.  NukeBoy could attest to that. But I guess I was just adding another layer of waxy grime every time I did.

Two and a half hours later, at 10:30 PM last night, with very sore knees, back, and arms, I had a sparkling white kitchen floor again. I actually did burn a layer of healthy pink lung tissue with the industrial strength "professionals only" grade floor cleaner, and I'll have clear sinuses for the rest of my life, but you can eat off this floor now.

It's just too bad it's for the benefit of the next tenant.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG

Saying Goodbye

This is one sad apartment and one monumental day. I've spent six and half wonderful years at this place. Now there's just a lonely air mattress and one lamp on the floor in the bedroom. Goodbye bedroom.

A tiny loveseat and a hand full of cat furniture. Goodbye living room.

My morning heron and huge pond turtles. I may even miss the geese. Well, maybe not that much. Goodbye heron!

Quintin enjoys a last look of his beautiful view along with his mama. We're going to miss you terribly, View!

We're moving on to better things and bigger rooms, and stairs. Glorious stairs! What fun the boys will have running all over three floors! Well, maybe not right away.

Emptying my apartment and stuffing it into an already crowded house = Sanford and Son.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG

Only 16 Days

I only have to live with this for 16 days.

I just wish I didn't have to live with it every weekend, too, up until the day I move in.

This is why we have fruit flies and ants all over the house.

After leaving the kitchen rendered useless for other roommates to use for days, he proceeded to run in and out of the house all weekend, go food shopping and play tennis while WATCHING me pick up his mess. It took me two hours to scrub the grime that one week's worth of use created.

This is why my kitchen appliances are hidden from view. He doesn't know what cooking spray or foil is used for in order to not destroy pots and pans. Rinsing? Why would he do that when he can leave it on the counter to harden really good for three days.

Please ignore the fact that I have circa 1975 faux-red-brick linoleum and beige appliances.

I just don't understand how anyone can not see or hear Cheerios falling to the floor, step on them, and not pick them up. Not only in the kitchen, but leave a trail through the hall, up the stairs, and into their bedroom. 

Sixteen days.  Then I can have my kitchen back....maybe.  I might not want it after all this.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG

Holy Dee-Lish, Batman!

Everyone has to stop what they're doing! I've got another recipe that has to be made right now! They are crazy-amazing, liquid-hot chocolate magma sin cakes, and wowwie, are they worth making. I made these bad boys at ten o'clock at night, and it only took 10 minutes to make, 15 minutes to bake. While baking, just whip up some homemade whipped cream to go with, and you've got a meal!

This recipe comes courtesy of Brandielle posted on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients

• 4 pieces (squares) of Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Heavy Cream to make whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray four custard cups with non-stick cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about one minute, or until butter is melted. Whisk until the chocolate is also melted.
4. Stir in powdered sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Stir in flour.
5. Divide between cups.
6. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand a couple minutes so as not to burn your tongue off.
7. Combine cream and granulated sugar, whip until stiff. Huh, huh, I said stiff.
8. Invert cakes on pretty little dessert plates and top with the whipped cream.
9. Die from ecstasy.

Sac of Sic

Having never been on a whale watch before, I was hyper-excited. I was going to be able to see the most magnificent creatures in the ocean, all within yards of my boat, AND in the wild. I was psyched!

Nukeboy and I decided to nestle ourselves inside the cabin at the tables in order to stay warm. It was expected to be in the upper thirties out on the water. Our windows opened up, so we figured we'd still be able to get some fresh air and great shots of the whales. Then, my eyes came upon these:

Obviously, there would be some motion sickness bags on the boat. We were going out 17 miles from the coast into the Gulf of Maine, over swells and swells of ocean. There were bound to be some green faces. But I had my Dramamine. I was rockin' like Dokken.

I more closely examined the Sic-Sacs to try and figure out what I was staring at. Are those elves?

Why yes, I do believe they are little Elves of Regurgitation. Look at this little guy; frown on his face. He looks very unhappy. I think he better rip open a Sic-Sac.

Now that's the ticket!  Smile on your face with a full Sic-Sac.  All better now.

So why is it when I filled up three, yes count them, three Sic-Sacs, I still felt like death inside with no happy little elf smile on  my face, praying that a whale would leap up and swallow me whole in order to end this madness?  Are those the shakes?  Why yes, they are!  Uncontrollable shakes and shimmies since I vomited all the contents of breakfast, dinner last night, and the lobster from two days ago, not to mention the strained peas from 1975.  Oh God, I swear with all that is in me, there's nothing left!

Nothing left but a few memories of blurred whale sightings, the bottom of a Sic-Sac, and the knowledge that I will never get on a whale boat again.

Yankee Doodle Dandy,

-TYG