Gotta have a plan

Oh my gosh, a wine cellar in Austria in the winter. Yes it was cold and yes that is my glass. Kidding.

Trying to get unbored. Trying to get Big Daddy on a schedule. I am just in the rut and can't seem to get out. BD needs a firm schedule or he just wanders about. After I finish this I am forcing myself to do one damn thing that is important. Just one.

I am planning a trip for when this is over. Don't care how long it takes someday we will again go on a pleasure trip. I have picked Charleston, SC. We have never been, they have a lot of history to explore, great food and a nice sounding hotel, The Dewberry.

There are great houses to explore in town but one outside of town, a plantation house intriques me. It is called Drayton Hall and it is currently being restored. It was never restored in the past and seems to have hosted both the original owners family and the freed slaves at least until the 1970's. It is a Palladian style home and I know nothing of architecture so I am investigating this. Something to do. And I must find out what a cooper is, or was.

Trader Joe's stripped to the barest shelves

Zoey cat was ecstatic when we finally let her go upstairs. The access doors were the last thing finished. Well in truth that hot mess will never be truly finished, it was what the asshats called finished.

So Big Daddy goes to TJ's and there is nothing but wine. I am okay with him getting the wine but damn we need some food too. There was a lady with crazed eyes and 3 carts, she was throwing everything she could touch into the carts. When she checked out she told them she was coming right back. WTF, that woman never ate canned hominy in her life and now she has a lifetime supply.

Village Market and Fresh Farms Market, the expensive stores did have things in stock. Village Market said there was a run on chicken but they were keeping up. This is really crazy town.

But gasoline at Costco was a buck 75. Yes, $1.75. Not too shabby, wonder how long Putin is gonna fight with MBS, or should I just call him BS.

Just stuff

Terrible picture of me but I think you can see why. Prolly feeling no pain as I recall the lunch that day lasted for 12 hours. This was in the wine cellar after lunch. I was at a lovely home outside of Graz Austria learning their customs.

The contact lens are not working out. I found an alternate way to put them in and will try this. Not a quitter but very discouraged. I think I would be more enthused if I could see better with them.

Zoey has discoved fish flies and is entranced. We don't have many this year but I am told down at the Park end of the Pointes they are scary plentiful.

The planting is finished except for fun finds. I will try for some decent pictures. Mr. Slav was chatting with Big Daddy, remarkable under the circumstances, and when he saw BD was going to take the overgrown fronds of the neighboring hedge down he brought his electric hedge trimmer and a step stool over and got the job done. I swear for the strangest neighbors ever, they are also the best.

I bought a hat for Curly, sent her Mummy a pink bouquet and Mummy got a pedicure and foot massage and still no Curly. Which is just as well because Punkin Head refused to name her Curly Doodle if she was born on the 4th.

Waiting for ribs and cole slaw. And Curly.

Good things come to those who read the NYT book review

Remember when I was looking for that author duo that even Anne Rice thought was worth reading? Well, they showed up in the NYT this weekend, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I will pursue this as a cheap ebook to test out if they are my cup of tea.

Tomorrow I have a road trip from hell. We are only allowed to travel with a direct employee so we, the contract scum, do not incur any reimbursable expenses. Well this guy, my supe, thinks he is the best car driver in the world. Wrong. And he is that guy that "saves" his wipers only using them when he literally cannot see. The last trip was spent with me dodging bullets in the car and telling him he scared me. This and one more trip and then I am going to refuse to travel. It is no fun and I am tired of the bullshit. I need the information for my benefit, after that it is all a crap shoot and I don't need them.

That is what is hilarious about this company, they tell you up front--you will be contract forever. There will never be advancement. However, if I choose to go it alone I can triple my income in a heartbeat with no effort. And not much extra work. Talk about a company without a plan.

So I am taking bags of wine, don't judge-I went to the good wine store, and when we can escape from the asshat after dinner me and the Princess can sneak out like teenagers and drink and she can smoke.

I am hopeful Big Daddy and Sammy the Spanky Dog will be okay without me.

I can't make this stuff up

A while back I went to Trader Joe's and returned home horrified by a family of obnoxious children and a useless parent. I always was quite put out with the tiny carts for the children and those kids who thought they were in the Grand Prix. To my horror I saw this family walking down the sidewalk not far from my home. I was so hoping they lived in the Park and not in my neck of the Woods.

Not long after Big Daddy came home with a story that matched the same family I had been repelled by. His tale was more shocking than mine. Well today he returned from Trader Joe's with another tale of the Cart Cuties. Of course I had to inquire as what a Cart Cutie might be. Well, it is the snot faced little beastly tykes that all the parents stand around and say isn't he/she cute while they push the miniature carts into every one's ankles.

BD said to me, "You remember Buggar". Oh my goodness, Buggar, that is what his mama calls him. Buggar is the head of the beastly children of the useless parent. Well today Buggar was helping his mama pick out wine. A 4 year old putting wine in his mini-cart, how charming.

So in honor of Mother's Day, help your mama pick out some wine.

Beautiful Weather

Tri-color European Beech tree in my front yard in Michigan

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The cookie lady's front yard, the only yard she has.

The terrible storms we had sent a lightening strike down in the heart of the city and hit an electrical box, so there is no electricity in the stores. This is sidewalk sale weekend and many stores cannot play, they are dark and closed.

Went to lunch today at the Woodbridge Pub by the Wayne State football field and it was a fun thing to do. Good food, reasonable prices and time spent with Punkin Head. Went to Brooks Brothers for Big Daddy to get some clothes, still needs some shirts but I remembered the handkerchiefs, a must in China with the heat, mop your head equipment.

Thursday we went to Somerset and I got some fat clothes and we had lunch with my BBF, don't I sound just like Paris Hilton, and I saw that even tho I am fat I am not the fattest, by far. And tramps here dress just like Chinese tramps, they will just never be that thin and still have some muscles. I saw one really thin girl with no muscles in her arms and calves and I thought, shit I could snap you like a twig. I do not understand why they think that look is so attractive.

Teeth still hurt pretty bad, I am starting to worry. Rinsing with salt water, don't know if that is a good thing or just an old wives tale. Whatever.

Going to visit MIL tomorrow so I am glad I saved the best pain pills. Just joking but it is a horrible car ride. And I am taking wine. Punkin Head picked out 2 reds, a Tribunal from Sonoma County and one called Los Vascos, a Cabernet from Chile, we will see tomorrow.

Big Daddy has to do steaks Monday as that is the last day I can chew, I am excited.