"New" Patio Furniture

The doorbell rings and I think it is another teenage boy to hang out with my teenage boys. Luckily, I answered right away instead of hollering for one of the boys to answer it. Waiting for me was my next door neighbor.

They have a patio set that they do not want anymore and she asks if I want it or know someone who would. Are you kidding me? I have been shopping for patio furniture for months. The prices are ridiculous. $500 for just the table, $200 for chairs....of course that does not include cushions. I said that I would take it sight unseen. She insisted that I come next door and look at the set first. So, I did. Then, I said again that I will take it. Wooohooo!!

She gave me two lounge chairs with ottomons and a table with six chairs. Sweet! My house is the family-gathering location, especially for holidays. Before, we put chairs wherever we could. Now, I actually have a table and chairs. No more balancing the plates and cups on our laps. I am so happy with our "new" patio furniture.

I send my three teens to carry the furniture back to our house. When they are done, the neighbor lady gives them a bottle of water and $5 each for being her "movers." She told me not to get upset with giving them the money. That is very sweet, but so unnecessary. But, I thanked her and said it was okay. (So far, none of the boys have told me that they received $5 each. Ha ha!)

I have the best neighbors!! 

Replacing "The Twinkie"

It was a sad day when Hostess Brand, Inc. closed their doors for good. Very sad. Of course, it had been years since I had eaten a Twinkie, so - like millions of other people - my not purchasing their products may have something to do with their bankruptcy. Naturally, when they announced their bankruptcy, I bought Twinkies. I wanted my children to share in the institution that was The Twinkie. They did. Whew!

Since then, I have been searching for a replacement for The Twinkie. It has not been a very diligent search. I tried two so far. The first was Little Debbie Cloud Cakes. These are actually better than The Twinkie. They have a smoother taste. Twinkies taste a little drier side compared to these. Little Debbie Cloud Cakes are definitely a good replacement.

Next potential candidate was Sarah Lee Golden Fudge Cakes. First, I have to mention that growing up the family dessert was Sarah Lee Pound Cake. You can add fruit on top, or ice cream, or toast a slice. It can be decorated like a regular cake too. Second, the Sarah Lee Golden Fudge Cake itself. Wow. Although by appearances it looks like a replacement Twinkie, it is not. This yummy bit of goodness actually tastes like a fudge cake. You know, a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing! A box of 8 did not last very long in my house (there's 5 of us, 3 of which are teenagers).

Interestingly, my 16-year-old would not eat a Twinkie or Cloud Cake. He probably did not like the look of them. I certainly can agree with that....presentation is everything with food. He did, however, leap at the box of Golden Fudge Cakes. That is probably because it is wrapped in chocolately goodness. My 16-year-old is a chocolateholic. Epic chocolateholic. No, no, no, no, trust me, he can beat any other chocolateholic. When he was little, he ate an entire pan of fudge before I could get to him. This boy eats, sleeps and breathes chocolate. And, ketchup. Chocolate and ketchup.

That is my Twinkie story. I have not looked for other replacement Twinkies because I like the two I found. Of course, if I see another possibility I'll let you know.........

I hate paper cuts.

Earlier today I got a paper cut...on a folder or magazine. I was reaching for I-don't-know-what and sliced myself on some paper. It hurt. Paper cuts were the reason for fainting couches. Get a paper cut, rest on the fainting couch, drink iced tea, fan yourself. The pain of a cut makes me nauseous. Seriously. After I get a paper cut, I am done for the day.

During dinner, I was using a fork when I noticed my right hand was shaking, my finger was throbbing, and it felt like my finger was being ripped in half. It really, really hurt. The pain was just the paper cut again. It hurt worse than when I originally cut my finger. I had Jeff cut up my food and I tried eating with my left hand. It was easier to feed my dinner to the dogs.

Now, a couple of hours later it still hurts. I put a Band-Aid over the cut to stop the throbbing. Unfortunately, the dogs do not like it and want to bite the Band-Aid off. Ouch.

I really dislike sharp objects, like knives (especially pocket knives or box cutters). So I avoid them. However, there is no way to avoid paper. Or, the computer. I use all fingers for typing. I tried not to tonight, but I could not do it. I cannot use the hunt-and-peck approach after typing all these years. Even typing this post hurts my finger.

I hate paper cuts.