2016/June/17 - Home!

Today, after a long week, Grump finally came home.  Besides the separation, both he and Kuya had been suffering from illness, so it had been a difficult week as well.

I suppose the good news of the day was that Grump had brought home a pad of paper for both Kuya and Dodong.  Once they received their "gifts", they both quickly got to work drawing and scribbling.

Two Boys Hard at Work

While Kuya is pretty good at keeping to the paper these days, Dodong is still learning NOT to draw on other things, like the bedsheets, or his arm!


Now it's time for some for some WonderPolls! 

1. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?

Good grief, of course I have!  Who hasn't?  Well, if the respondents are to be believed, 23% of y'all have never been to see "the pros" play.  Weird!

2. Do you like cheese?

With the notable exception of yucky Blue Cheese, which is horrible beyond description, of course I like cheese!  It's a key ingredient to the world's best food, Pizza.

Would you believe that 16% of y'all claim NOT to like cheese?  How do you eat Pizza then?  (And don't even begin to tell me that you don't like Pizza!  That would be just too weird.)

3. Have you ever eaten cat food?

No!  Yuck!  Fortunately 82% of respondents agree with me, but disturbingly 12% of you admitted to trying it, and even 6% claimed to eat it "on occasion".  What is wrong with you people?

4.  Do you floor before or after you brush your teeth?

Like 28% of y'all, I floss AFTER brushing my teeth, while 8% of respondents claim to floss BEFORE.  

But the best answer, (maybe not to a dentist!), namely, "flossing is lame", was chosen by 64%, and, truth be told, is an answer I would be tempted to give also.  (Who really likes to floss their teeth?)


Peace y'all!

2016/June/16 - Corn Harvest

Food from the Garden

The pic above shows today's exciting news, namely, the first harvest of corn from the garden.  Despite looking kinda funky it is really, really delicious.  Actually we're lucky we got any corn at all, because despite being a corn farmer back in the Philippines, Lola for some reason planted our corn in the shade.  Next year we'll get her to plant it in the sun, and hopefully we have even a better harvest.

The cherry tomatoes are very productive this year, and we're starting to get green beans now.  We've already harvested one small eggplant, but the okra and squash haven't kicked in yet.  And the sweet potato vines look fantastic!

Of course Grump missed all this fun, as he was away in Columbus, allegedly working.  But we're got to humor him, because he is the walking ATM after all, and we need his money!


Let's have some WonderPolls!

1. Which of the following is more evil?  a) Pushing all the buttons on a packed elevator, (nobody knows it was you), b) Mixing Skittles and M&Ms in a bowl, or c) Forcing someone to watch a marathon of Snookie and JWow?

Gosh, none of those are particularly nasty except maybe "c", just because of the "forced" aspect to it. (What are "Snookie" and "JWow" anyway?)  How about something truly evil, like forcing someone to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump!

Since option "c" involves coercion I guess I'd have to choose it.  48% of respondents agreed with me. 27% don't EVER want their Skittles and M&Ms mixed, (that would be yucky!), and 25% don't appreciate you fools who hit the wrong buttons on the elevator.

2. When you cry do you want to be comforted or left alone?  (Or do you never cry?)

It depends upon why I am crying, but usually I want to be left alone.  50% of respondents agreed with me, with 33% wanting to be comforted.  17% of y'all are either cold-hearted or liars, and claimed you never cry.

3. Would you rather be attacked by bees or piranhas?

Unfortunately for my various appendages I'd rather be attacked by piranhas, because bees inject venom, and you never can know at what point you may develop an allergy to it, (like poor Kuya!), and wind up needing immediate medical attention to stay alive.

But in this case I am in the clear minority, as only 25% chose to be attacked by nasty fish.  I guess y'all value those miscellaneous body parts very highly, and are willing to risk going into allergic shock as long as you remain intact.

4. Would you drink a cup of a homeless man's snot for $20,000?

No way!  NO, NO, NO!!  That is not only disgusting but highly unsanitary.  Ugh!

72% of you had enough sense to agree with me, while 28% of you are either reckless or extremely hard up for cash.  Good luck!


Peace y'all!

2016/June/15 - Getting Better?

Despite Grump's lack of confidence in it, the amoxicillin must be doing something, because he felt better today, and didn't cough as much.  Maybe because he was feeling better his appetite returned, with a vengeance!  Munching up eggs, bagels, and bananas for breakfast, he more or less ate nonstop into the late afternoon, consuming some delicious chicken and rice in the process, and eating a whole carton of "kale chips".

Grump munched a whole carton of kale chips, and drank two of his bottled drinks.

He has all sorts of snacks and drinks stashed in and on his desk at work, so if he goes into an eating binge he has plenty of edible goodies to choose from.  Lacking discipline, he ate so much that now he is complaining that his tummy hurts, and that he won't be able to sleep.  Good grief!  The old guy whines more than the kids!


The star of the day was Dodong, who while out shopping with Sweetie and Lola tried on a few pairs of sunglasses.

Unfortunately, because of Grump's current illness, he did NOT drive back home tonight.  :-(  We all miss him, and hope he gets better real soon!


Peace!

2016/June/14 - Sickness

Just before going to bed last night Grump developed a cough.  All night long he coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed and coughed some more.  He didn't get much sleep at all.

Needless to say this morning when he woke up, (coughing, of course!), he felt horrible.  He called his boss saying he would be coming in late to work, then went to a local "doc in a box" place right up the road from our apartment called American Family Care.  If you're ever ill and need medical attention in Columbus, Georgia I highly recommend this place.  It was clean and relatively quick, and the doctor wasn't some old drunk or an Indian who didn't speak English.

Anyway, the main reason Grump went is that Kuya had strep throat last week, and Grump didn't want to be going into work with strep throat.  Turns out he just has a sinus infection, (which he seemingly gets all the time!), so although he still felt cruddy, he wasn't seriously ill.

His prescription, (for amoxicillin, which he thinks is just a placebo), was quickly filled at the Walmart next door, and in no time at all he was at his desk at work, feeling miserable.  (Ah!  Poor Grump!  Please tell the old fool he should be happy that he even has a job!)

An ill Grump

At the doc's office

LOTS of drugs at Walmart!

Despite his woes he managed to eat a VERY delicious lunch Sweetie had prepared for him over the weekend: roasted beets, tomatoes, basil, and chicken.  It was yummy, yummy, yummy!

Roasted Beets, Tomatoes, Basil, and Chicken

Peace!

2016/June/13 - Blah!

Mondays are rough.  Grump has to get up early and drive 100+ miles to his job, leaving the rest of us behind.  He didn't feel too good today, so he grumped and fussed at work all day.

Kuya was well enough to go to the first day of vacation Bible school, but skipped karate class.  Hopefully he can attend next week, (or maybe even later this week).

Kuya in a "cave" at vacation Bible school

Fortunately he is enjoying VBS so far.


And finally, here for your viewing pleasure, is a photo of Grump's infamous "fungus toe"!

Did we really need to see this?

Peace y'all!

2016/June/12 - Sleepy Sunday

It was a sleepy Sunday for us.  We didn't do too much.  Sweetie did cut the grass out back early in the morning, and Grump sprayed deer repellent on the plants in the evening, but other than that we mostly just relaxed, waiting for Kuya to fight off, (with the help of antibiotics, of course), the last remnants of strep throat in his body.

Breakfast was interesting .....

..... as was lunch:

We have lots of fruit in the house now, from these boxes of mangos we got at Sam's club .....

..... to the last of the small, native plums that Grump bought a a roadside stand on his way home from Columbus Friday night:

For dinner we got take-out from the Mandarin Chinese restaurant, then we all went to bed super-duper early so Grump could get up before dawn and drive half-way across the state to his job.  (Which is still better than working at the stupid lizard pit!)

How was your weekend?

Peace!

2016/June/11 - Movie and Ice Cream

Despite a late night we were all up early.  Sweetie and Lola watered the plants and putzed about outside while Grump attempted to watch the boys.  (Ugh!!)

Later, whilst out running errands, we noticed that, ominously, the low tire pressure light was on again in Sweetie's car.  We took it to the dealer to get the tires reinflated, but this concerns us.  We have spent a lot of money on tires for that car, so I certainly hope we don't need to do so again in the near future!

Young Matthew had a first year's birthday party today, but since Kuya is getting over strep throat it was decided that only Lola, Sweetie, and Dodong would go to it.  Instead, Kuya and Grump went to see a new movie by Tim Burton called "Alice Through the Looking Glass".  (Actually it's not really a "Tim Burton" movie, although his name is attached to it for marketing purposes.)  It was a very weird movie, but with great special effects.  Kuya liked it a lot; Grump thought it was okay.

After the movie Grump and Dodong took a long, three hour nap.  (Grump says it was, "Wonderful!") Once everyone was awake we went to Panera, (Taco Bell for Grump), for dinner, then headed over to the Riverside Mall to do some shopping, and finally finished our evening with some yummy ice cream.

Dodong loved his ice cream!

Lola liked her ice cream too!

Kuya is just plain silly!

Sweetie was happy

Even the Old Grump was in a tolerable mood

Peace!