Category Archives: A day in the life

A Wonderful Discovery

A few months ago I was forced to get a new cell phone.

I could not use it anymore because of the screen. Oh, I know what you are thinking, but it was not PHYSICALLY broken. One day I tried to take a picture of my son in the middle of the grocery store, and the screen just went black. (My son didn’t break it. He is not ugly, he is adorable!)

Maybe he was SO CUTE he broke the phone...

Maybe he was SO CUTE he broke the phone…

It would display the phone’s start-up images, but after that it always just went to black and stayed that way.

I am a hard core fan of “slider” phones. I bought a Kyocera Rise. It is both slider and touchscreen, so that I can train myself to use those miserable touchscreen keyboards for my next phone, when slider keyboards will be impossible to find.

This is my first phone that has APPS! I was so excited to get 3 specific apps:

1. A QR Code Reader*
* It does not always work because my camera does not seem to have auto-focus 😦

2. Moonfrye – a scrapbook app from Ms. Punky Brewster herself**
**Only available for iPhones 😡

3. Weather app with doppler***
***I actually have two of these, but one now has “my current location” stuck on my work location, not my home :O

Since I loved my new phone so, I tried experimenting with using its calendar, rather than my hard-copy paper day planner. It was an excuse to use my new phone more often. Also, I kept finding myself needing my work schedule and not having it with me. I always have my phone with me though. It seemed logical. But I didn’t like the fact that I didn’t have any way to color-code or sort my events in my calendar. It just wasn’t quite as handy as I had hoped.

Then a brilliant idea hit me –> look for a calendar app with more features!

But then I was overwhelmed by the number of calendar apps out there. Luckily the first one I tried was Cozi. Because I LOVE IT!

Don't try to read my schedule.  I am not actually going to do most of those things today anyway.

Don’t try to read my schedule. I am not actually going to do most of those things today anyway.

While I still can’t color-code events, I can sort them by who will participate (me, my husband, my son, my dogs). And it also has a separate area for To-Do lists, also divided up by person. I love that it is backed up on a real website [cozi.com]. I love that it is designed for the whole family to share it (although I can’t get my husband to use it…yet). Once I realized I was going to be spending a lot of time with this app, I went ahead and paid for the ad-free upgrade with more features. Now I can send my husband email reminders, and track birthdays too.

I do with it had a section for just random notes to myself. If I think of a potential blog topic, I have to put it in my To-Do list. In my day planner, I always jotted down what my total hours worked were in a week, so that later I could compare it to my paycheck. In Cozi, I had to bastardize the shopping list function to enter my total hours. (And for now, a paper list on our refrigerator works just fine for a shopping list.)

Besides that, I really do love it. There is even a journal feature which I treat like my own personal Facebook. I put the events that are too boring for Facebook on it!

I have run into a problem with Cozi though. Now that I have entered everything imaginable into it, including my weekly TV shows I watch, I don’t get to use it as much as when I first downloaded it. But they just added a new feature for Contacts.

Hmmm. That could keep me busy for like a day.

What I Learned This Week – 11/10/13

This week I learned that sterling silver might actually be SAFE for me to wear again!

To preface this great discovery, you would have to realize that I have a severe allergy to nickel. If you don’t know what that entails and are too lazy to click on the link, I will fill you in. Nickel has been used as a filler in jewelry, belt buckles, jeans snaps, glasses frames, and every other cheap metal product you can think of for years now. I developed an allergy to it around 1992. It involves a red, itchy rash that develops and if the contact was consistent enough, a weeping ooze.

Sounds fun, right? Why would ANYONE want to avoid that?

But, I try to.

Because of this, I have avoided sterling silver for years. And as I get confused between sterling silver, stainless steel, and surgical steel, I often find myself avoiding them all and only going with what actually states “NICKEL FREE”.

But an article I found on the Internet says that for many reasons, recently produced sterling silver should be considered safe for those with nickel allergies.

Sterling silver, by definition, is only 92.5% pure silver. (That makes sense. If it was 100%, they would just call it “silver”.) The other 7.5% is made up of a mixture of other metals that is constantly changing. (This used to regularly include nickel.) In reality, pure silver is not very desirable for jewelry, because it would be too soft.

What I found out is that since 2000, Europe has had a strict ban on nickel. (I would LOVE to shop there just for that one reason.) So, when making big batches of raw sterling silver, why would a supplier ever make something that he can’t sell in a whole huge market of the world?

Also, nickel is no longer one of the most cost-effective fillers to use.

So, to some up, nickel COULD still be in sterling silver products, but there is a good chance that it will not be.

And what did I do to celebrate this awesome discovery?

You guessed it, I shopped. Retail therapy.

Sooo cute!  I hope it will provide me with years of reaction-free joy.

Sooo cute! I hope it will provide me with years of reaction-free joy.

Ugh. My joy is short-lived.  Here is more info I found…

If jewelry is silver-plated, it might be covered with a metal known as rhodium. But, guess what?  Rhodium doesn’t like to stick to sterling silver. What makes a good “glue” metal between the two? Yup, nickel. So, while a piece may not cause a reaction initially, as the rhodium coating breaks down and the nickel leeches out, it could later.

There is also jewelry with such terms as alpaca silver, German silver, paktong, and new silver. It turns out there is a HUGE CHANCE that all of these will indeed contain nickel.

I just found an article about how many foods contain Nickel.

Just shoot me now.

Right Side Only

I’m weird.

My brain works in weird ways.

This should not be news to anyone who has read any of my blog posts. (If you haven’t, then what the f*ck are you waiting for!)

We have already established that I mismatch my socks.

YOU:  Why DON'T you match your sox?  MY REPLY:  Why SHOULD they match?

YOU: Why DON’T you match your sox? MY REPLY: Why SHOULD they match?

I wore jeans to my own wedding.

At certain points in time, I have had pink hair.

But I have another quirk as well…

I prefer to wear jewelery only on the right side of my body.

Now, I am right-handed. My mom says that right-handed people usually wear watches on their left wrists, so that they will not be in the way.

That doesn’t work for me. I can wear jewelry on my right hand or wrist without it bothering me. But if I wear jewelry on my left hand or wrist, it drives me crazy all day. I feel like I am being tied up and held prisoner. I just can’t stand it.

When I turned 18, I wanted to do something rebellious. Being a goody-goody, my desires never took me further than the ear piercing chair at the nearest mall. I already had my ears pierced, with the standard one hole in each of my two lobes. But I wanted to do something my mom would not approve of and get them double pierced (a second set of holes in my earlobes).

But to be even edgier and more different, I decided to just get one ear done. If you are keeping count, that means I would have three piercings total. Because of my aversion to jewelry on the left side of my body, I got it in my right ear. Now, I know, at least back in 1994, getting an ear pierced in one ear or the other had special meaning. If you got a single piercing in one ear as apposed to another, it might mean that you were gay. I had my reasons for getting it in the ear I did. I decided not to allow the external factors of the world affect my decision. Then again, I hope it wasn’t the gay side because at that time I was very much trying/hoping/praying to get a man into my life.

It was my first body modification to demonstrate to the world that I am not the complete goody-two-shoes that I seem. I hate that I look like a big giant geeky plain Jane, with my glasses and crooked teeth and nothing remarkable to speak of. (I AM INTERESTING, DAMMIT!) This is very important to me in my life. I would later get two tattoos as well for the same purpose.

I was worried about my mom’s reaction to my new earring. I wore my hair up, down, whatever. She may have colored my hair in that time. Six months, and she never said a thing. I figured she must have seen it, and just decided to say nothing.

Then one day she did notice. She was all mad–AFTER 6 MONTHS! Her discovery sort of lumped together with other unpleasant events at the time. I actually used that all as a jumping off point to write a story back then. I hope to release it in a short story collection someday.

FYI–I do not ever recommend getting a piercing done at an accessories store at the mall. My eighteen year old rebellious earring was done too close to the existing hole. (Although I guess it wasn’t too bad because I have kept it all these years.) Many years later I tried to get a cartilage piercing in my right ear as well at Icing. The piercing gun literally got stuck on my ear. Then the piercing never did heal up correctly. I ended up having to take the earring out and let it grow shut. There is still a small lump there where it was for such a short time. I think that is when I switched to tattoos.

God, I do love the feel of a needle through or against my skin.

Pain is sexy.

OK, where was I?

So, everyone in the Western World is probably asking the same question right now:

“Funnygurl2, what about your wedding ring?”

I will tell you the truth, that I wear it on my right hand every day. And I realize that society puts certain connotations on that as well. Screw society! I was up front with my husband about which hand I would wear it on before we were married, and he had no problem with that. And I am not a beauty who has to beat off other guys anyway, so he has nothing to worry about.

My right hand

My right hand

Occasionally, I will put my ring on my left hand.

For brief periods of time.

When I want to remember something.

You know, like the old “tie a string around your finger so that you will remember” type of thing. The ring annoys the Hell out of me, so I usually take care of whatever it is I needed to remember quickly.

Yes, it’s weird. I am weird.

But it is only after I began to embrace my weirdness that I have started at the very beginning of the path at being happy with myself. That could have started the day I got my third earring. I have learned by sharing my weird views on the world, I can often make others laugh. I REALLY LIKE to make others laugh (Note: Different from laughing AT me.). And now I think we have come full circle to my blog 😉

Lunch Dessert

The other day my mother-in-law called me. I have to read the caller ID on my phone correctly, or else I think it is MY mother, and I answer my phone all aggravated. Our conversation went a little something like this:

MIL: Are you busy?
ME: No, just finishing up lunch.
MIL: Should I call you back later?
ME: Oh no, I’m just having lunch dessert.
MIL: You are having what?
ME: Lunch dessert.
MIL: What is that? (laughing)
ME: The sweet treat you eat after lunch.

Hey, if Taco Bell can create fourth meal, I can create lunch dessert. I can also get fat from eating lunch dessert. But I just can’t stop!

Am I having an unhealthy snack? No, it is just lunch dessert.

Can’t wait to eat those cookies til after dinner? Have them for lunch dessert.

My lunch was a piece of cake (literally!). Can I still have something else sweet for lunch dessert? Why certainly.

I had lunch dessert today, can I still have a dessert after dinner? Certainly!

Is there such a thing as breakfast dessert? Yes!

Unfortunately, all the sugar & calories of breakfast & breakfast dessert in one :(

Unfortunately, all the sugar & calories of breakfast & breakfast dessert in one foil packet 😦

Can you have breakfast dessert after eating Pop-Tarts for breakfast? Sorry, no. The sugar and calorie content in Pop-Tarts is just too high to allow that 😦

For more wacky unofficial dietary suggestions, visit my past posts*:

The Candy Bar Diet

Picky Eater

As Paula Deen was to butter, that may be how I am to sweets.

* Consult your doctor before doing anything a random blog post recommends.

If You Miss The Days of MicroMagic, Try These

I wrote on Tuesday about how much I used to eat and enjoy MicroMagic products.

If it is microwave hamburgers you are looking for, you do have a few choices still available in stores.

I had to go especially buy one to take a picture of for this post because, in the past, I kept eating them before I could get a picture.

I had to go especially buy one to take a picture of for this post because, in the past, I kept eating them before I could get a picture.

Pita Cheeseburgers made by Kangaroo Brands, Inc. remind me a lot of MicroMagic burgers (I evaluated the cheeseburger variety for the sake of my hunger, and this post.) They still possess the microwave convenience that you enjoyed of yesteryear. I will warn you right off the bat you only get a half a burger per package. The burger is also quite thin, but this allows it to heat more evenly. It has a good fake-smoke taste. Since it comes in a pita, there is no bun to get overcooked. They are good to get your burger fix on, if you only want a half a burger. (I usually eat one for lunch, then supplement with chips or cookies.) If you are a big guy, you would definitely want to pack at least two into your lunch box.

They are good, but I must admit that the cheese-like substance on it that doesn’t melt in the microwave does disturb me.

Meijer Frozen Microwavable Cheeseburger

Meijer Frozen Microwavable Cheeseburger

If you live where there is a Meijer store near you, you are in luck. Meijer had great frozen hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and chicken sandwiches. Great, ya know, considering it is a frozen, then microwaved highly processed burger.

What to do if that bothers you?

Put bacon on it!

Oh yes, they offer a bacon cheeseburger as well (Although the bacon does not come out of the microwave crispy:(

Nothing fancy here. They come on traditional sesame seed buns. and if you catch one of Meijer’s famous “10 for $10 and the 11th is FREE” sales, well, then that makes these burgers cheaper than pita burgers or McDonald’s–with the bonus that they will survive in your freezer for months! Perfect in case of an unanticipated zombie apocalypse.

Of course, there is always the option of White Castle frozen burgers. They satisfy my craving sometimes, but I feel like they are an acquired taste (READ AS: grease & onions).

Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Easy Fries

Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Easy Fries

I believe the only major microwave french fries available right now are Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Easy Golden Fries.  They are a good facsimile of the grease and cardboard taste of the old MicroMagic.

I knew of the burgers and fries listed above before I started this post.  They are actually what made me nostaligic for the old MicroMagic of yesteryear.  But I didn’t know of any companies currently selling microwaveable milkshakes in stores across the country. And even if there were, I do not think they would be as tempting to buy without the microwave fast food branded trifecta that MicroMagic represented.

Then I walked into the grocery store tonight and found this:

Homemade Milk Shakes

Homemade Milk Shakes

I found Homemade Brand Microwave Milkshakes.

Right down the road at my local grocery store, I was able to assemble this:

Yum!

Yum!   Nostalgia (As close at it gets, anyway!)

I taste-tested the chocolate milkshakes.  They were good.  I erred on the side of less microwave time, so it was still thick.  It wasn’t super creamy, but definitely hit the spot.  Well, the half of the cup I managed to wrangle away from M, my two-and-a-half year old anyway.

I also found a company called Cold Cow Ice Cream that is apparently putting in freezer/microwave combo display units in convenience stores across the country to satisfy your need for sweet that cannot be satisfied with candy bars or the usual ice cream novelties found in party stores, or the ice cream store that is likely right next door or down the block. I am very glad they did not have one of these in my store when I worked there. I would have eaten one every day. There website has a “milkshake finder” option to find the space age milkshake vending contraption closest to you.

That is all for today.

Happy unhealthy snacking everyone!

I found this humorous how-to on YouTube.com. I thought I would share.