For lunch, Justin, the Chappell's, and I went to eat at Applebee's because Judy had a coupon to use. In my Sheldon-mode, I had trouble deciding what to order since they did not offer the potato skins on their menu. I did spot the orange chicken which turned out to be quite tasty. We each had something different, so it was probably good for us to change it up a little. Judy's sandwich was a fried green tomato with turkey sandwich, which left her somewhat disappointed. For one thing, it was not easy to eat, sort of fell apart in her hands. Justin had some sort of tortilla sandwich served with homemade potato chips were simply marvelous. I might go back just to have some of those! Mike had some sort of wrap of which he ate every morsel, so I was the only one with the to-go box.
Yesterday afternoon when Justin came home from the movies, I asked him if he was still celebrating Greek Easter at his father's house. He had completely forgotten about it, so had to check with them to find out if it was still on. A week ago there was question regarding their celebration would be last weekend or this one, and it ended up being sort of both. Because Justin was overfull from our feast at The Club or simply didn't feel well, he did not make it on Sunday to his father's house, so went on Monday night instead. Tonight they will have some traditional Greek foods except for lamb...he brought home some baklava, pastiche, and some other delicacies.
I didn't think I would find it weird to have my neighbor gone, but it is. After spending so much time in proximity to each other those couple of days before he left, it seems strangely quiet now. No unexpected ringing of the doorbell or trips upstairs to receive his castoffs. Justin and I went up to got a laundry basket full of stuff from his fridge and freezer, and a couple days later, he brought stuff from his cabinets. He left a stack of unmatched dinner plates in the cupboard, and as tempted as I was to grab them, thought better of it. Not like me at all! So, anyway, it seems, as I said, strangely quiet around here without that flurry of activity, or the lack of it!!!!, going on. Facebook shows he made it to CA for a wedding on Saturday but if I was a betting woman, would have thought he wouldn't be there on time.
If there is one thing Justin and I know how to do, and do well, it's packing boxes to move. Not as though it is for a grade or anything, but to be organized and somewhat orderly is important for my peace of mind. My neighbor's process was far too disorganized to suit me. His "I'm almost done" was so far from what I would consider almost done it made my head spin. As I told Linda via our chat, it made ME nervous and I am not the one moving!
Justin used my car on several occasions this weekend, between going to the movies with Jesse, then to play games at his friend's house, and again today after church. My gas tank indicated the use so I gave him my debit card to have him fill it up on his way to his father's house. As I came down the hill toward my parking area after church, the little gas light came on, and the dreaded ding sounded. Yikes!
Not making so many trips to the Southside really helps to stretch the tank of gas out for me. But I sure do miss going to Trivia with Stephanie! She misses me, too, as she indicated on Facebook this evening. If only she could make it to Thursday's Bible study...but she works during the day!
I cannot believe how many 'reality' shows there are on TV these days. There is no aspect of daily living that escapes the camera, and is made into a show people will watch. From giving birth to being a butcher, it qualifies as being considered entertainment. The reality show I watch is Fox News and the occasional episode of "Law & Order"! Those other shows are so staged, as Justin can personally attest.
The other day Justin was lamenting that his "Extreme Home Makeover" T-shirt had a stain on it. He expressed how he liked having it as his souvenir from working on the site. At first he was resentful being 'volunteered' to help on the framing crew, and was downright scared. He didn't know the first thing about framing and now he was going to be expected to be one! Justin softened after he was able to convince his two buddies to go with him, making it more of a fun thing than scary.
Well, the man who hosts this nationally televised program (for one of the broadcast networks) needed a bunch of guys to be doing some 'work' behind him as he introduced a scene. Justin and Jesse were two of those who got busy in the background, marking off squares on a sheet of plywood, and then using the SkilSaw to cut them out. Over and over... for no particular reason other than to look as though they are busy building a dream house for this lady and her foster kids. Thankfully a program like that one does not feel the need to add salty or filthy language to keep people watching.
Tonight I caught up on some of my Internet TV show, watching a wonderful segment featuring only individuals who had come to America seeking asylum or safety from communist/socialist/fascist regimes. Wow! Talk about powerful stories! Either the guests themselves, or their families had emigrated here and cherished the liberties afforded them in the USA. Almost to a person they cautioned against our nation turning into the type of regimes left behind them, as they see things going that direction. It can be insidious and it can be blatant. About half the guests mentioned their concern with the government-run school systems being the starting point for the ideology. What a good but frightening program THAT was!
Oh my! The horrible storms plaguing our nation...My sister in Oshkosh filled me in on the forecast for their region and my niece in Sheboygan commented on the thunderstorms and winds in their area. Hopefully they won't have hip-high hail drifts as TX had Thursday, or the damage hail can cause. Even the regular-sized hail stones wreak havoc but to have them come the size of a baseball---that would be deadly.
Paul is pitching to Sarah, on their quiet cul de sac
Speaking of baseballs, my goddaughter, Sarah, is quite the softball player, with her daddy serving as a coach on the team. The Cardinals won a championship of some sort last season and are doing great again this time. Emily posted a video on Facebook of Sarah and Paul playing catch in the yard, and I was amazed at her mad skills. But, sadly, after church when they went to Sonny's for lunch, Sarah got sick and was still vomiting this evening. Emily posted a photo of the two cats, including Boots Day, and the dog, hanging around the sofa where Sarah was lying, keeping an eye on their little girl. Hopefully it's only a short bug and she is back on her feet in the morning!
