Hype

PowerBall

Black Friday

Cyber Monday

1 out of 3 is better than nothing, I think. You guessed it, I gambled $2 on a millionaire dream. Well, it would solve so many things for me instantly. Most importantly, the stress I'm going thru lately without funds to pay for everything at once.

Most of all I'd love to suddenly have a ton of free time to do all my projects n ditch the night job...


Since I returned to work after vacation, I've had so little free time. I'd got together pics for posts the past week n then couldn't get the online connection to work. I didn't have enough feeling awake time to write until Day Off again anyhow.

These two are the same image in different colors.

 I notice that  I don't like Xmas shopping without enough money either. I find something I want n go back to get it, but a few days later it's gone- I'd love to have a pocket pile of money to avoid the "can't get that now" thing. I've really been in a rush trying to get thru store lines that are going way slower too.

This almost got posted for Thanksgiving
until I saw the Gumdrop Turkey

It was really annoying to become late for work the other day buying some Walmart throat medicine in the 12 items or less line, due to someone having more items, but splitting them into three smaller orders! Then the Clerk had to look thru sale flyers  for several things she claimed were on sale that weren't...

I didn't get any sale stuff on black Friday, or have the ability to do pajama window shopping for cyber Monday. If I had time n a money pile for gifts It would be so much easier to get it all done by the deadline. Now the crunch is on, n getting it done will be challenging.
Thinking the list could all suddenly get a ton easier if a PowerBall PayDay pays a visit this week is definitely worth a two dollar wish...

Thanx

Little One "B," who's 5 this year made this gumdrop Turkey out of a green apple.

Update: Tho when I took the pic I was under the impression "B" made this, today I found out it was "J" who is almost 8. Sorry for the mix-up kids!

Of course I took the pic n altered it...

Thanks all readers n especially the commentors on ESR who make blogging such a rewarding experience.

Go eat Turkey with the family if they allow you, count your blessings, n feel gratitude for all the gifts life gives you.

I'm so glad I got this holiday Off- I'll so enjoy it. Then it's back to the grind. No crazy Black Friday shopping for me...

Twinkies Memories

I remember attending a Cape League Baseball game sponsored by Hostess Twinkies back in the early '90s. A Mascot dude in a fluffy yellow suit ran thru the crowd throwing free cakes at the bleachers. We got a haul of about 20. I think that's the last time I ate real Twinkies.

A few years ago, I remember a scientific study discovered that a package of Twinkies actually stayed edible for a period of 17 years... ewww... 

Twinkies were never my preferred Hostess cake. I used to really like the chocolate Ring Ding Jrs. Then Drakes bought the company out, n they changed the recipe for those about a decade ago. I never liked the Drakes cocoa cakes with the same name, n stopped eating them. 

Near the Natick Mall a few miles from where I grew up in Metro-West, you could always smell that fresh baked Bread driving by the Wonder factory on the way to Shopper's World. Brings back alot of old memories of shopping with my parents. 

Right around the corner from where I now work, (so glad I don't work for Hostess bakery, TG), There was a Hostess Bakery Outlet, until this week. All those folks are now out of a  job. Then there's the reported 18k out of luck across the USA. Which other big companies could soon be selected for American economic extinction? Scary to contemplate...

There's still a bit of color left in the woods 
across from my house.

Someone I know joked the other day,  the Chinese could buy them out, n make them there. N I added that they could ship them 17 years later n they'd still be good...

Do you have a fave Hostess treat? Did you run out to buy Hostess goods this week? (I didn't).

Purplized

After altering the head of a past oil-painted unicorn photo image every way I could think of, it turns out I just like the purple one. I always like purple more on the blue-violet side than the pink side.

R & R

It's been a very long wait... I was owed a work vaca week back in June, but because Summer's the busy season it isin't allowed until Autumn. Then only one person can be out at a time, so everyone fights over available weeks. Five months later, I finally catch my sorely needed break.

I have a chore filled week Off planned. I need to find a tall ladder to fix some vinyl siding hanging off since the Nor'Easter last week. The worst thing about that is the odd, creaky noise as it sways in the wind all the time. Can't wait to tack it back up. (quiet). The leaves need to get cleaned out of gutters before they ice over. Still haven't raked the whole yard n road out front either. Then there's digging out the winter attire n washing it all so I can wear it, sans dust mites, including coats.

 It's getting pretty chilly out there finally too. Luckily the ocean air is keeping this spot on the warmer side of frost so far. My petunias are still alive out there, n some of the tiny beets I didn't pick yet too. May pick some greens to eat n have a few blooms on the table yet. A little tree has again volunteered to get donned with lights, n I'll dig those out soon.

Thankfully, no traveling for me the upcoming holiday week is planned. I'm hoping the weather stays dry most of the week, so I can try riding the fixed bicycle around n get used to it before winter snow piles up. Finally got air in the tires today, but it was dark already when I got home. Hope the tires stay inflated for awhile.  

With any luck I'll get to tons of put off stuff around here, n have a quiet enough week to get to several crafty art projects that were left waiting for time so long ago. First of course I need some relaxation. I went to Fave beach n got most of the store errands done the first day.

So aside from massive chore catch-up n home organizing (or searching for long ago buried items), hopefully there won't be alot of side-tracking taking place. 

I'll also be attempting a schedule adjustment to sleep n awaken earlier to fit in more daylight. This should be the least stressful week schedule I've had since a year ago last September. On the docket next, movies, reading, snacking, n naps in any order...

Beach Across the Bay

Down at the end of the main road where I took the Micro-burst pics is this beach. Somewhere across that water beyond that visible point is my Fave Beach n further to the right n around a few more land corners in Buzzards Bay is my village.

They had a no parking sign at the road end section, so I parked further up n walked over for a few pics. While I was there just a few minutes, I got irked when a guy in a large pick-up with a bull mastiff drove up, parked in the no parking zone, n walked his dog next to the "No Dogs on the Beach" sign...

Those are Storm Sandy remnant clouds that hung around so many days later. We just had a Nor'Easter. Over two straight days of nasty winds n constant rain. We're really lucky here to have been spared the snow that folks got in the middle of the state.

I skipped errands on the worst day, stayed in n baked a bunch of food after finding an extra bag of flour to use up. I made alot of fluffy, deep, homemade pizza dough, biscuits, n pie dough. So I used up some leftovers to make Cheeseburger pizza n apple pie  for dinner.

During errands today at the Salvation Army Store I scored an old $8 vcr! There's no rewind, but my old one still does it, so they are both hooked up, n I am happy to be watching some of my old movie collection today again! Hopefully it lasts a while. I've really missed home  films this year, n I have a huge collection of vhs.
"Jurassic Park" here I come...

MicroBurst

This week I'd planned to go to a store near the same area, so I hunted down n searched out the micro-burst zone which happened two days ago I'd seen on the news.


I saw one tree down near the main drag which leads to the beach across the bay from my village. Then I drove all the way down and back before finally seeing off to the side behind some homes some tall trees were broken off way overhead. The narrow zone was located before a fork on the main road, About 50 feet down two adjacent side roads. The news had reported that over 100 trees were down.

 Some had fallen in the roads and in yards. A clean-up crew with chain saws had finished before I arrived. Only one house was reported badly damaged and there were no injuries. I didn't get a pic of the blue tarp I saw. On the next street over, I parked Little Truck next to a large wooded section across from huge, cut-up tree sections everywhere beside some homes.

I spoke to a resident who was outside attending to some major yard work about what had happened there. A bucket truck was parked in her yard, as she spoke I saw behind her alot of bare tree trunks with ragged, broken ends reaching skyward. At least three had just missed her home. Behind her place was the damaged house. 

Right across from us where I'd parked I noticed alot of felled trees in the stand of mature, sixty-foot plus tall, white Pine trees.

It was an eerie sight, tree trunks broken off twenty feet high, half a forest area fallen, and the woman's 200 year old Oak tree chain-sawed into huge hunks after being removed from blocking her road. 

 While we were chatting, suddenly a loud crashing, wood splintering sound grabbed our attention. Twenty feet right behind where Little Truck was a large tree broke, crashing into another tree, shattering into pieces and falling on top of the recent wood pile! There was zero breeze...

I said "OMG, I better move my car, it isin't over!" The poor, stressed lady was scared. She ran inside to call someone I think. Such a freak, unpredictable thing happening- But I didn't panic. (I never do. Brave or foolhardy? No- it's PTSD- n a strong journalist streak). I stopped another minute n took a few more pics next to the  the still crumbling trees before driving around n out. I am so lucky!

Yep, a wake-up "Don't become complacent!" call... As I continue in search of strange phenomenon...

... I still love trees!