Cousins

A Chicken Strip

Jonah received a dollar in the mail yesterday from his Pop and Grammy. I asked him on the way home from the library last night if he wanted to get something special with his dollar.

"I'm hungry. I want chicken," he replied.

So we turned into the nearest KFC as Jonah giggled excitedly in the seat, anxious for the chicken treat he could buy with his very own dollar.

Mike asked for one chicken strip. The total came to $1.32 with tax.

Mike and I had no money; Jonah had his dollar.

We had a credit card, which I certainly would have felt free to use, but Mike, ignorant of the car behind us in line, decided that he would rather find $.32 in our car.

We look around our seats...a penny, another penny, a dime, a nickel. I dig through the glove compartment, through the center console...

I can't find any more money but Mike refuses to give up. This is a game for him. I'm getting embarrassed. I'm giggling. I start to shrink in my seat. Mike turns on the dome lights in the car (HELLO WORLD, LOOK AT US!). He was determined. He finds more pennies.

I'm convulsing now from trying to hold in my nervous laughter. I delicately mention to Mike that he COULD use the credit card.

A few "minutes" later, we have $1.29. We need three cents. Mike looks the employee right in the eyes, "Is that good enough?"

DID HE JUST SAY THAT????????

The employee motions for us to move forward.

They give us the chicken strip.

It's a lonely chicken strip in a large KFC box.

I'm so embarrassed.

Square Dance Partner and Seymour Viewers:

Make yourselves known.

A Conversation

A recent conversation with a local teenager:

Teenager: Are you guys from [that college I live near]?

My Friend: No, we're 31. [I decided not to tell my age!]

Teenager: OMG, you're as old as my mom. You look so much younger than her though. I mean, really I thought you were from [that college]. Gee, you guys just look younger. What is it about you?

My Friend: Well, we're in our sweats with no makeup.

Teenager: Yeah, I don't know. I mean, my mom just looks older, you know. She doesn't do drugs or anything. She just looks older. OMG, I can't believe you're, like, my mom's age!

*****

So was I supposed to be flattered? Hmmm, I'm not sure.

Today

Someone wants to be just like her big brother...

Our Visit with Santa

Cooking

I have "fond" memories of stopping at Kroger on our way home from school about every day of the week when I was younger. My dad was/is a believer in the "cooking what sounds good tonight" concept, making it rather hard for my mom to plan menus or make large trips to the grocery store. So we made our daily trips to Kroger and bought the needed ingredients for the evening meal.

But I tried something new this weekend in an effort to save both time and money at the grocery store. I tried the "once a month cooking" concept. I'd always been curious. I took a huge trip to the store on Friday night (quite different from our express lane trips I remember as a kid) and cooked most of the day on Saturday.

By Saturday evening, I could barely stand, I had the beginnings of a migraine, and I was tired of looking at food.

This afternoon I felt differently. I loved serving my family a nice meal that required no effort from me today.

I think I'm going to like it.

One miserable day leads to 29 good days. I can handle that.

I Know, I Know

I've heard from far too many of you. You're obviously sick of seeing my post about a ticket and wondering if I'm okay. I'm fine. I have many stories to tell; I just haven't sat at my computer long enough to write anything.

In the meantime, check out what my little girl wants to wear around the house these days: