Movies, an Unexpected Saturday, and Pickin' a Fight with Rosie

Such a hodgepodge of topics today. Hmmm, where to start? Maybe in the order from the title of this post.

Movies
I come from a family that loves movies. I mean, we really love movies, so much that certain family members (myself included) quote movie lines to each other until the rest of the family wants to clock us upside the head and take away our Regal Crown Club Cards. Well, you know what? Wouldn't matter, 'cause BS just fixed us up gooood.

We signed up for Verizon FiOS a few months ago, and so far I am very pleased with the service. But having more channels wasn't enough for BS. Since he is responsible for that bill (as part of his rental agreement - no free ride for that boy), he did some checkin' and signed us up for 2 free months of all the movie channels too. ALL THE MOVIE CHANNELS! Do you have any idea what this means? I'm never leaving my couch again. After the 2 months are up, I suspect he will cancel, but until then, Oh. My. Gosh!

While I type this, I am enjoying one of my favorite movies in the whole world, "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming", which, seriously, is one of the best movies ever made. So I am happy. If you haven't seen it, your life is incomplete.

[giddy voice] I wonder what's on next? [/end giddy voice]


Unexpected Saturday
Yesterday, when I got to work, someone's teacher found me to tell me that someone was upset. Seems he wanted to go shopping to get his mom a present for Mother's Day, and he was worried that it wouldn't happen. See, he can't go without someone taking him, for obvious reasons. He can't go during the week because of scheduling issues, and Mother's Day is next weekend. So that left this weekend.

teacher: "Do you think there is any way you could take him?
me: "uhhhhhh...."
teacher: "I don't know who else to ask. I'm not on the list to take him out yet."
me: "uhhhhhh...."

Normally I don't sound that stupid, but I was thinking of all the things I had planned to do this weekend. But, hey, I am spineless, a complete pushover, wrapped around his little finger, putty in his hands, and he knows it. So I said I would take him on Saturday (today).

Here's what I was thinking - last time, we had such a good experience with Handi-Ride, that I figured we could leave at 1:30, do our shopping, and be back by 4. That would give me time to still do the yardwork I had planned.

Did any of that happen as I planned? NO!

First of all, I was hoping that there wouldn't be any. . . uh. . . issues of. . . uh. . . personal hygiene, on either of our parts (if you get my drift). I was flying solo on this one, and there ain't no way I can get him in & out of that wheelchair by myself. Thankfully, his bladder cooperated, as did the other end. Not to mention that if I had to go, I was screwed. Can't leave him in the hallway while I do my business, can't take him in there with me (he's 14, for goodness sake!). Thankfully, my bladder cooperated, as did the other end.

But, the bus was late. And not just a little late, almost an hour late! Although the driver did several mea culpas and was penitently apologetic, I watched the minutes click by, thinking that yard work today was going to be iffy. But we got to the mall, and he picked out some very nice things for his mom. He has excellent taste. All I did was show him stuff - he made the final decisions.

Turns out that I didn't need the workout of some yardwork after all. His chair weighs 357, 498 pounds, and pushing it through a carpeted mall wore. me. out.

Didn't get back to the Home until 5:00, and I had a couple stops to make on the way back to my home. The grass & weeds & limbs & edging & weed whacking will have to wait. But that's okay. It was worth it. He loves his mom, and wanted her to feel special.


Pickin' a Fight With Rosie
My good friend Rosie Hawthorne of "Kitchens Are Monkey Business" fame, came up here yesterday with her niece for a stroll around the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, a lovely place to pass an afternoon, especially at the height of azalea season. They had a grand ol' time, and took lots of pictures (which are up on her blog). I couldn't go with them because of this pesky little thing called a JOB! Darn.

Here's my beef, and I am shamelessly lifting this quote directly from her post:

"We decided not to stop and eat anywhere up in Virginia,
since we couldn't decide where and figured anywhere
would be a mediocre, disappointing, waste-of-money meal...."

Helllll-O! Them's fightin' words. We have a plethora of fine eating establishments here, a veritable cornucopia of good eats. She could have had her choice of any number of styles of excellent cuisine without setting nary a big toe inside a big chain restaurant.

I had to answer that smackdown and defend the honor of our local chefs in my comment (on her page):

"I must take exception to the blatant disregard for all of the fine eating establishments we have here. Had I but known you were jonesin' for some good chow, I could have steered you to the local business that prepares the finest crabcakes you will ever put in your mouth. FINEST. Jumbo lump crabmeat and practically nothing else. But noooooooo, you have to go and belittle our vittles here. Humph."

Okay, Rosie, put yer dukes up, the challenge is on.......