Meet Goldie the Gator, or she thee, "Goldgator", as I like to think of her.

full topside view below

eye side view below

 

Myth logically speaking she has what most in the science of reptilian studies will tell you none have existed; that is until now!
She is not only a rarity and unique creature that truly is a no-such-thingy, but if she did exist her rareness would be due to her metallic golden coloring, including her metallic copper colored eyes that makes her less than believable! So she is not ... except in our front garden!
If seen in the wild, not going to happen, she is thought to be good luck, and that is if you have your running shoes there on their fast speed ahead button setting, because if you think her typical looking family members are speedy, you've yet to see her moving! There's nothing like the full glowing glistening of a mighty Goldie at warp speed; truly nothing like it! And no one has seen her, but now all of you! In my dreams.

Suggestion, never go into the glades without a friend this way you can confuse her on whom to choose to chase down when you both head for Florida's non-existent hills!
While she pretends to ponder which way to go, you and your buddy can zoom, zoom outa there!
All kidding aside, I felt that our Alli-gator needed a more glitzy gender change, yes, while Alli-gator was a green male, not meaning inexperienced, that was his coloring, and there was nothing wrong with that, Goldie Gator is female and spectacularly golden, how timely! Oh no! I made her a GOLDEN GIRL, but she is younger than they were, at less than twenty years old or there about!
Doesn't matter, no way Jose.

Oh, of course, I have no issues with males wearing metallic gold, didn't hurt Elvis, thank you very much, but for some unknown reason I feel women wear it better, just my opinion.
I do recall me personally enjoying that attire in small increments as a young gal myself!
But this is her skin!
Whoa, am I myth-ing something?
She is not alive, nor dead for that matter!
I do believe that she is, underneath it all is a hard hearted Hanna comprised of cool molded cement!
Not moldy, molded, nor scales, and cool not cold. Cool chick, no a cement gator, this is getting silly! Getting? HA!
And this is extremely important to designate the difference, but why? No good or bad reason.

Why, you might ask?

No? Didn't think so.
I will tell you anyway, too bad, my blog, my rules.
You see, this makes HER a throwback, since it is Thursday, to a newer version of Ian Fleming's, James Bond, 007, Goldfinger circa 1964 and that's the movie's opening credits gal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IdERD81ySU
Whole new 21st Century concept to that movie's opening song, think Goldgator, Jane AKA Goldie Bond, 0053, that's since the last one, years that is for a golden one, get it, this being circa 2017, hmmm?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfinger_(film)

Any-who...

Just an idea?
Can I hear a deafening, NOPE!
Don't have to tell this gal nope twice.
Night, night, make that a happy one and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!


PS: And thanks for visiting my own idea of the/my theater of the absurd!
You are very welcome.
My present for a respite from reality!

Energenic this morning!

Determined to clean and organize and repaint the under the kitchen sink cabinets inside.
Of course Hubby did much of the work, but I did empty and thin the herd of unnecessary items and redistribute a few to more logical locations.
I did wash out the bottom section utilizing our longer reacher with Lysol and water on a paper towel, and even the removable shelf I was able to clean that is the one that Hubby had made years ago.
He took that part out to the courtyard alongside the garage to paint it, and let it dry in the heat, and I also did the same by cleaning out our laundry room's broom closet floor. It too needed a dose of cleaning, organizing and repainting.
I once again have been in that mode of purging unnecessary things like carpet cleaner, since we have all tile and even marble on the guest room floor and haven't any carpeting for years!
Not even area rugs, too hazardous with my equipment, and before that they posed a trip issue.
But I do love them, although in Florida they are not that necessary, tile is cooler.
The mini project was done before lunch and the paint was dry after so all was put back in an orderly fashion.
Oh my other project was cleaning my dinette cushions.
I so love the pale blue ticking type stripes that are my summer styled ones.
As many larger washing items how I clean them might appear odd, but I wash those items in our tub with normal detergent, Clorox 2, white vinegar and baking soda, and Hubby takes them outside to our retractable clothesline and in this case tied them with their straps onto the line.
The stackable washer and dryer are nice and convenient, but do not accept king bedspread/comforters or any pillows, so the tub I no longer use since I have the roll in shower that I share with Hubby is and has been used for those larger items to get clean.
I suppose we could go to a Laundromat, but this is more convenient and cleaner in my opinion.
The tub is maintained clean, although, no longer used and anyway this also makes sure of that with the laundry soaps that I mentioned, it sparkles, especially after I rinse my wash.
The bath has still my old hand held shower head so it is easy to use for the whole process.
I do close the drain to allow the items to soak and I do slosh/agitate them around too, and today I took a finger nail brush to scrub stubborn stains on the cushions. The nail brush was from my last fall's hospital stay, my own nails are cleaned with washing my hands too often or in the shower daily, thank you very much!
The seat removed from the tub and put outside of it is the one that I used to use makes a fine staging area for me to work in the tub, since neither my walker nor my motorized wheel chair fits through this bathrooms door! Fortunately, the toilet is right inside that doorway, so accessible!
TMI, forgive?
Hubby brought in the cushions just before the rain!
Yep, we have been getting rain nearly daily, not a lot but enough to make one think that we might already be in rainy season early, why?
I will tell you why, because for the next week six out of the next seven days have rain in the forecast!

Of course, I always feel badly about my wonderful spurts of energy and guilt... oh yes guilt, why?
Because now my right hand is black and blue and I have a weird purple right ring finger, and a strange bruised inner left elbow as if I had blood taken, which I haven't had for quite some time, months actually!
My neck is hurting and I am dizzy, and I am showing signs in my skin of dehydration, it sticks together, but I am drinking/sipping my club soda.
Although, now I have in my drinking repertoire included are caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated green tea, as well as my occasional warm milk with honey and turmeric, not so often the honey is too sweet, but the concoction calls for that and I do love it, but calorically not such a good idea.
  Oh I did make dinner too, chili!
Lean ground beef, leftover from our last night's hamburgers, mine without a roll though with caramelized onions, mushrooms and jalapeños, and our homemade fries that we had frozen for just this sort of thing, believe it or not we only used half of what we had frozen, and originally we had used only three potatoes. Boy we sure are getting a lot of mileage out of those homemade!
And salad finished last night's meal, the rest of the only a pound in total raw defrosted chopped meat went into the fridge for meatballs and spaghetti or for what I decided was my chili for tonight's meal!
One can of pork and beans, one can of stewed tomatoes, sautéed onions and garlic and the rest of the meat browned, and two slices of bacon cooked and crisped in the microwave, and a decent amount of brown sugar about a half of a cup, cumin and chili powder to taste, and a few hefty dashes of Tabasco, simmered until ready!
Can go hours and hours.
This was about an hour and half.
I do love one pot dishes.
That's why I enjoy making soups, and this week I already did make homemade chicken noodle.
My aches are taking me over now, especially my shoulder on my right side.
And I am typing with two fingers again.
Not GOOD!   

Happy night to all and to all share those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

PS: My blog from two nights ago has somewhat of an addendum added into it, if you get a chance please read it, its title is, "Take Archie Bunker, please!" I did not know about Tim Allen's controversial commentary prior to my publishing that night. 

Frustration getting you down?

You betcha!
Between this administration's daily enormous faux pas, ignorance, stupidity antics, irrational behavior and on and on and on...
My own little world collapses daily just when I think I have a handle on things...
I finally subscribed to a dental insurance plan last month.
They took out a processing fee plus the May payment and today they took out the one for June.
Minimal cost plan that included free X-rays and cleaning yearly and percentages for other necessities like fillings and root canal etc. after six months.
Okay.
Easy peasy, except when you try to find dentists that accept the plan, a Humana PPO dental.
I have been given local names through the plan, but oddly the dentists did not exist at those addresses or phone numbers, and also dental offices that misunderstood the type of plan stating that it was part of Medicare, which it is not; it is a stand alone plan.
So I reversed my strategy and I Googled local dental offices and many were screwed up in the fact that these offices did not ever have the dentist listed or had they ever worked there.
To top it all off one office asked me for my social security number when they were going to check for my coverage, and foolishly I gave it to them, later it upset me so much that I called back and asked the receptionist who asked me for it for her last name! Her reply is we cannot do that!
Not fair, she had all my info and I had no recourse if someone stole my identity due to her carelessness with my too personal info!

Our accounts have been compromised before, that is our VISA has been twice, and so we had to close those cards and open new ones, and one time it was right after we received our new ones for that year.
Ours are usually good for a couple of years, then they send new ones before they are up; like everyone else's I believe.
Darn, those computer chips seem to not be helping!
They do in Europe where they have been securing cards for years there, but for some reason not always here it seems, could be our machines are funky.

Another thing Hubby and I have both been noticing are CCTV, close circuit television,  camera security monitors for interiors and exteriors in all our mysteries in England, Australia and Scotland, even on the Shetland Island, with them having a very small population! I most recently streamed Dr. Blake Mysteries from Australia, and I am currently and nearly done with Shetland, yes, the islands off of the Scottish coast, UK was the setting for the Midsomer Murders that I finished a while ago all very enjoyable mysteries. Hubby is still watching Midsomer Murders with 19 series/seasons that is why, he's on 12 nearly 13.
Here in America so many think of the cameras, CCTV, as too invasive and compromising to their own privacy, stating the BIG BROTHER analogy, but there they help prevent or help aid in getting crime under control. A wonderful crime solving tool.
Although, many here use them inside and out for their homes.
Double standards I suppose.
Personally, I think they are a good idea.
Fort Myers Florida has them and many US cities have been using them too.
I say look up at the cameras and smile!

Oh so I cancelled my 'new' dental insurance plan due to all the aggravation, and still worries of hyper extending my neck during the exam and transferring to their dental chair for x-rays.
I am to receive an entire refund for monies taken from account and my X-agent Steve did finally call me back and he promised to discuss what I told him happened at his next meeting, which is bi-monthly.

On this note of frustration I know that can be as much a part of life as happiness can be, but we must make that happen too, and then we should be grateful, so now allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very "Happy Good Night", and ask you all to share all your blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

 

Take Archie Bunker, please!

A list came out today of shows being cancelled and one on that list was one that Hubby and I both enjoyed.
A half hour comedy on Friday nights at eight P.M. EST, on ABC, called "Last Man Standing".
Starring Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, as a sporting goods store co-owner with veteran actor Hector Elizondo as Ed Alzate, as his partner.
In this he is also the father of three daughters, his previous show he had three sons on that one, and that was Home Improvement, and in real life he has two daughters, in this show each daughter is with different political leanings. His eldest, Kristin, played by Amanda Fuller, is a restaurant manager and is married to a very liberal/vegan with beliefs that their son's team should all get participation awards, Ryan, played by Jordan Masterson who had gotten her pregnant in high school. His middle daughter, Mandy, played by Molly Ephraim, is A-political and used to be boy crazy, but now is a fashion designer and has found her niche in that very field within her own basement designer clothing factory, add into her life having a lovable dumb boyfriend, Kyle, who works for her Dad and Ed as their gofer, played by Christoph Sanders, while the youngest, Eve, tomboy, played by Kaitlyn Dever, who also was excellent in Justified, follows his extremely conservative beliefs and is on a fast track to go to West Point. His wife, Vanessa, played by Nancy Travis who was a geologist, but quit when her eldest daughter pointed out that she was compromising her beliefs due to the company she was working for was actually fracking! And so Mom quit and went back to school and got her teaching degree and that is what she does now.
Tim Allen to me comes across as a better educated, but still narrow-minded curmudgeon Archie Bunker type, who seems to be straightened out many times over by his bevy of logical strong women and son-in-law.
ABC is cancelling this show with historically high ratings that has been on for six years.
Their reason is being guessed upon due to everything from too conservative with this current political climate of negativity that being the administration too conflicted, to the other obtuse logical thoughts of leaving an opening for better programming in that primetime timeslot.
Who knows.
Tim Allen who will be sixty-four next month, with a degree in communications specializing in radio from Western Michigan University has also had to deal for many years sporadically with his own demons, from drug possession and arrest for 650 grams (1.43 LB) of cocaine at the airport that he pled guilty to trafficking charges and provided names of dealers in exchange for three to seven years rather than life imprisonment. That was back in October of 1978, and he was paroled in June of 1981, after serving two years and four months in Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone Minnesota.
In 1997 he was arrested again this time for a DUI with a blood alcohol 0.15, he entered an alcohol abuse program as a part of his court obligation.
*Tim Allen Wikipedia data/info
This guy has made it in spite of severe missteps so cancellation I am sure will not create havoc for him, but it's just a shame that all these talented people are being purged for reasons unknown to consumers who like their show.
Of course all business decisions are usually traced back to CEOs calling changes due to their bottom lines, but this hasn't been proven for this show that has been an equal opportunity employer from its diverse cast to its showing both sides of the coin, and yes they have smart good looking Afro-American/black, played by Jonathan Adams as Chuck and Carol Larabee, played by Erika Alexander, are the neighbors that are there to give Tim Allen's Mike Baxter character a run for his money of his going by the wayside prejudicial beliefs, but in the end the respect shows through between the uncertainty. The entire cast are A-1 quality performers and it is a shame to not allow more years for this to go on; I do believe it is timely and with the Trump card in Mike's repertoire oh what comedy writer's couldn't have a ball with that, why only late night, doesn't prime time have any pull?

With all the Netflix shows that I have been streaming these days it behooves me to pay more attention to actual free network TV programing.
Although, many shows that leave the freebies either end up on FOX also free, or Cable, not free.
Many do eventually get to streaming, but again ...not free!
Albeit, many people have no qualms about paying for any entertainment even when it all used to be "free", or at least priced right and we were then able to choose what you actually wanted to watch!
Nah, Last Man Standing deserves better as many that have gone to that great big cancelling shelf room space on the TV Kingdom's back lots!

Not having finales are just upsetting especially when they cut the cord before we all get our closure.

These comments are solely my opinions, after all that is why this is called,  "Speaking My Mind", not yours, mine, ha!
What do you think, and have you felt saddened when one of your shows was cancelled before what you felt was its/your time?

          OHhhhhhhhhhhh TIM ALLEN! Shame on you when playing yourself. I do believe you do better with a script. As a Jewish woman I too take offense of your comments of Hitler's Germany and how the annihilation of six million Jews comes no where near to your half assed commentary, your oppression will be self inflicted if you do not check your so-called wise quips at the door!
As an actor you have it, as a human being please keep looking!
My opinion only, that is I speak for myself here.
Someone write for this guy so he has time to think before he speaks ever again!

Hubby and I went out to lunch today and I wonder if anybody at NBC-2 and WINK, CBS there too news in Ft. Myers knows where we went?

Only in Florida would a couple go out to celebrate Mother's Day at a restaurant named Hurricane Charley's! And the plaque in the reception is at the entrance of the Jim Reif room named in His memory, a southwest Florida meteorologist who worked for both stations during his tenure. He died horrifically in a freakish bicycle accident in 2014, falling over his handle bars in a stop!

 The next picture there too is when Jeb Bush our then Governor and his brother the president came here locally after the devastation of Hurricane Charley 8-13-04, a Friday. That is also our head of emergency management in the photo, Hubby also worked with Wayne Salade on different Charlotte County Sheriff office business, while a deputy.

 A homeowner's warning in the aftermath, below.

 

And after lunch we went to Fishville AKA Fisherman's Village. We found a handicap spot only after one go round!

The restaurant, Hurricane Charley's, just over the bridge into Punta Gorda from Charlotte Harbor had an enormous quality buffet today in honor of Mother's Day everything from prime ribs to lobster, shrimp dishes scampi linguine etc., soups, salads and amazingly decadent desserts!
The cost of all the fanfare was $28 a person; and from what we saw was well worth the cost.

We did not go for that though, too much food for someone like me who consistently takes home doggie bags, and Hubby agreed for himself too.
He had a blackened Grouper sandwich with believe it or not a fruit cup! Not his usual choice.
And I had what they called lotsa lobster or some such other cute name, truthfully I forgot.
Mine was basically a lobster roll with Cole slaw and lobster bisque soup, yum!
We both had iced water with lemon and limes.
And yes, my half of my unfinished lunch is in the fridge.
For dinner I had leftover homemade vegetable soup from two days ago.
Hubby has a cold and a nasty cough and so with a big lunch like he had finished he is snacking.
Not so terrible we both had a big breakfast too! Bacon, eggs and home fries. I actually share my egg with Gus so his medicine can go in, but today I did splurge on two thin slices of bacon, usually I have only one, and a smidge of the home fries that is made simply from one potato, cooked for three and half minutes in the microwave then dunked in cold water for easy peeling, skin lifts off and then chopped and fried in same frying pan as eggs. For crisper bacon we do it in the microwave too, on a plate wrapped in paper towel for a minute less than the amount of slices. If still not crisp, put back in thirty second increments.
Number One Son called when we arrived at Fishville's parking lot and Hubby took over driving my chariot into the shade of the place to continue my Mother's Day chat with Number One Son while he was in his car, hours away from us, on his way home from work!

Share those blessings and we will too!

I hope everyone had a great Mom's Day, all and all mine turned out to be not too bad after all was said and done.
You see, there is a double whammy for me on this occasion, when my Dad passed away way back on 5-11-1986 that day was also Mother's Day, so I do have too many reasons it is an extra effort to try harder on this day as well as we all need to for most anyway to understand the happiness it should bring to all, Moms, Dads and all children, true!
Life is difficult enough, due to this administration, i.e.!

 Next time please be here or be square, ya hear!
   

Distraction, organization and easy peasy dinner!

Everyone in this day and age needs at times a distraction from the horrors of the realities in this world, true?
So...turn off those techno devices and kick back and chill or even get out of the house and get some retail therapy, as us old timers used to call it!
 In our case nothing extravagant just a diversion from what we might have been doing if we hadn't gone out.
Destinations these days are a must, although in spite of gas prices we too have been known to just get in the car and go for a ride.
Today though was my mini project, more organizing, this time the top of the fridge; lately it looks as if a frat boy lives here with a high salt intake diet with all the chip type snacks up there.
Don't worry they are mostly skinny Hubby's and not that highly salted as one might think.
Mine are the gluten free pretzels, now low fat ones, occasionally pita chips with humus(kept in the fridge) and lightly salted sunflower seeds, Hubby's are potato chips, cheese poufs, Tostitos, shared with my homemade guacamole, and not one of those hand injuries oddly enough from clumsy me in the dealings with the avocadoes, ( I am the one who nearly cut off her thumb with the mandolin slicing a potato years ago,) cashews, also shared but not as often, and of course pistachios. The nuts are now all contained in the pantry and the chip stuff is in appropriate containers without chip clips and no longer falling over!
The sealed containers were purchased for $6.88 x 3= $20.64 x .07 for tax= $1.45 = total of $21.09 for the three sets of four different sizes in each one, including their lids, so a total of twelve containers plus their lids like Rubbermaid quality, but not. They do pop closed from the top middle.
Lids are white, and the containers are lightly opaque, albeit mostly clear.
Any-who a bargain, and everyone of the pieces were used and now have been stored appropriately either on top of the fridge, actually only three, the others are all in the pantry.
I have been trying to find containers for quite some time, many were in the hundred dollar range, but  way too dear in price for me, and so when I saw these I took them!
That was at Walmart, I know, I know some people have very harsh feelings about them, but I think they are trying harder especially with healthier food choices, more light and lower salt and fat free!
More women working there appear happy and I hope they are being promoted with an equal/proper pay scale.

Quieter again there with the snowbirds gone and we were able to find a handicap space without effort.
We also picked up a rotisserie chicken in the traditional flavor, that was all they had!
Usually you have a choice of lemon pepper, Cajun, or barbecue, oh well.
Lately we have been making homemade fries, healthier than frozen ones even and not that difficult to make.
Take two or three of your favorite potatoes we had bought this time gold ones and Hubby did do the slicing, peel, and then cutting them into fries shape, each potato yields many, sometimes one or two is enough, but this time I felt we could freeze the rest and take out some when we desired some more.
Put the sliced fries shaped potatoes into a pot of water, bring to a boil, let boil for ten minutes, then drain into a colander, and pat dry with paper or cloth towel.
Place separated on a PAM sprayed cookie sheet, lightly spray them on top too and sprinkle with sea salt also lightly or none if you so desire.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes, for crisper fries broil for a few minutes, but make sure you watch them, then enjoy them! Freeze the rest and mark the freezer Ziploc with homemade fries and the date and cooking directions if you so desire.
Use when you like.
We also had left over antipasto from the full moon at Bocca Lupo's half price sale, large thin crust pizza and this time since they didn't have any small antipasto salads they gave us the large for the price of the small!
And more of my salad from the Firehouse Subs that I hadn't finished either!
So dinner was easy peasy!
Sure the fries had to be made, and oddly enough our good OXO brand peeler broke when Hubby started the peeling, but we had our old model with no padding no frills for ease of use, but still functions one and Hubby finished the peeling.
And making them yourself are so much worth it, without additives!
My right hand is swollen again otherwise I would have done it, I suppose my crazy/mad desire to remove all the plastic/paper/box containers and replace them with a more uniform neater more organized look took a toll on my right hand that has been black and blue bruised besides swollen too lately. But even though I know it needs the surgery I remember how long it takes to recuperate from it, four months for my left one back in August of 2001, sixteen years ago. I was younger and healthier then, now it could take longer, and I am a righty. Basilar surgery is major surgery no matter how you cut it, ha!

Happy night to all and share those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!


       




   

Brain numbness

Feeling jealous and saddened.
I never knew either of my grandmothers for they passed away before I was born, one from gangrene legs due to diabetes in 1948, story is she wouldn't let them amputate, and the other in 1949 due to an automobile accident due to my grandfather having a heart attack while driving down from NJ to Florida for a vacation.
Both of those women according to all relatives accounts were very special women and both had large families by todays' standards, Dad was one of six, sort of a middle child, no real middle when there is six, ha and Mom was the eldest of five.
And me with all those first cousins from both sides. I think the count was twenty-five, and all those aunts and uncles too!
Most are gone now.
Yes, even some of those cousins.
And many had children, but smaller families and some didn't have any at all...
The ones that remain are scattered all over the country and maybe elsewhere?
My Mom passed away when I was thirty-one, she was seventy a week before her seventieth first birthday, she had a major stroke and lived only eleven and half hours.
Hubby's Mom has dementia and was banished from us to Pennsylvania by Hubby's sister several years ago, she might be ninety-six now, but she and we wouldn't know i.e if she's alive.
They don't talk, so that is why we don't know. The whole situation caused a falling out between them.
Number One Son works hard and many weekends, and lives hours away in this state, we get along well and remember to tell each that we love each other via phone calls weekly.
Number Two Son is estranged, his choice not ours.
So to me Mothers Day will be bittersweet as it has been for years.
I have been bothered terribly by seeing/hearing all the hoopla about the holiday.
It feels as if knives are going into my heart with each happy go-lucky ad and comments on TV Facebook, and emails.
Maybe if we had more kids, and I didn't have my tubes tied after my third four and half month miscarriage, too bad they did not know about Lupus Anticoagulant then that would have prevented those miscarriages by just taking aspirin. And I would have tons of love to give them and from all of them, maybe three or four or more or maybe not... who knows.
We love both our sons very much!
I did this two days before everyone's holiday so as not to spoil all of yours, not that this will.
I am no ones grandmother, I wouldn't be able to chase them anyway, not because I didn't want to be a grandma, because I have two sons that our eldest chose not to be a Dad, and younger might choose to be, but who knows if he will let us meet them?
We still have no idea why he has nothing to do with us.
Although, some people choose not to have children at all and will never feel as I do, and I personally do not know what to make of that, since my choice was to have them.
Oh I do know no one is responsible for your happiness than you! Especially our children, we should help them though to be happy adults.
And that is why I tell myself to do things that make happy happen?
But all the hype for the holiday is so loud and clear!
And aggravates me also nastily so clearly.
I do know I shouldn't let it, but its everywhere!
Like Christmas to a Jewish girl and so I had to have some of that too!
Now that's funny!
I made myself laugh, you too?

And now I will close to wallow in my... what only can be thought as self pity!
BUT NAH!
I will continue to soldier on...I do love all our soldiers, it's the wars that I hate!

Good night to all and share your blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

PS By Sunday maybe my outlook will/might be different. I do have a short attention span, my only redeeming quality for warding off true depression!