Monday, October 3, 2022

Miscellaneous Musings No. 22

Those who know, know. When you see the heading of Miscellaneous Musings, you know it's time for another brain dump. These are an assortment of happenings and sightings that have amused me in one way or another over time, captured like journal entries. This is number 22, not to be confused with tutu, but could be too too much for those without a sense of sarcasm or humor. Here we go....

Since it's time for getting leaves out of the way, and since our old leaf blower died, we got a more powerful one. But do you know what else this leaf blower is good for that I witnessed in our neighborhood recently?  Little kids using it to propel themselves while squatting on a skateboard! 
One of my brothers lives along a country road, but it is also a major road through his area (and leads to an often-played, member golf course. But, here's what you'll see at any given time on that road (looks like they could use a good leaf blower):
Here in the city, it's not unusual to see deer on business parking lots (which is the home of attorneys who specialize in auto accidents).
Turkey vultures on private property is also not unusual, which, ahem, happens to be right along the area where a certain state senator lives.
You may end up needing those accident attorneys mentioned earlier if you find yourself in the situation below while driving. For the record, I had to zoom in to get the photo.
Mr. P. was complaining his soft brush back brush was just that - too soft. When he suggested he could use a toilet brush for his back 😬, I had to act quickly and get him a new one. I found this silicone brush on Amazon (no affiliation).
Speaking of bathrooms, we have a soft close lid on our main bath toilet. However, one recent morning I woke up not feeling well at all, and Mr. P. was in the bathroom. After running to the toilet upstairs, I swung open the lid and quickly got into position to lose my cookies. BANG! That lid - not a soft close - came right back down and hit me in the eye. Yes, not only was I sick to my stomach, I now had a black eye.
In other health news, I had an MRI back in May (no significant conclusions, just old). Anyway, lying there with the MRI going and trying to distract myself from the annoying beating of the machine, many of you will get this next musing. The sound of the machine reminded me of Chicago's tune from 1970, "25 or 6 to 4".  🎶Duh duh duh duh duh. 🎶Duh duh duh duh duh ....🎶. Anyone else think so?
🎶
Interestingly enough, in an interview, Robert Lamm claimed the lyrics were just about "trying to write a song". For me, it was just about trying to get through the procedure.

And speaking of old, I received a notice in the mail that I had been selected to complete a survey for the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. After researching its legitimacy, I went online and began the survey. I only got so far into it and was rejected (something like, "thank you, but we don't need to go any further"). Too old, I suppose, to count statistically! I really think we, of a certain age, are being dismissed on a number of relevant health concerns simply because we are considered statistically insignificant. I can think of one other personal instance where this was the case with actual test results of a personal matter. This needs to change!

Well, ya'll, it's been one year this week since we closed on this lovely cottage house of ours (lots of changes, update coming sometime soon). 
Without going into a complete garden update, here's one from the "yea, that's really gross" file. In my small landscape garden's flower beds this summer, where record rains were recorded, there seemed to be a fungus from the stinkhorn family that started growing. This variety is called "Devil's Dipstick".
Is that not the most disgusting thing EVER?? They peek out of the grass and mulch first with a slimy substance on the head, which attracts flies, their means of spore spreading. They're harmless to people and pets supposedly, but are not easily eradicated. While I haven't actually smelled the foul odor they're supposed to emit (hence, the name stinkhorn), I am totally grossed out with the appearance. I have dug out mulch, dirt and roots of these things, and much of my mulch was removed with fall planting. But, I may need to aerate my soil next year if they come back. I'll be spraying a fungicide after the remnants of Hurricane Ian dry out of our area from this past weekend.

A few years back, I was thrilled to receive a personalized card from my blogger friend, Jeanie. She had painted a watercolor of a photo of our home we were living in at that time. I saved that card, but then somehow lost it over the next few years and two moves. 

Recently, I was researching part of my purse collection for another blogger friend, Laura, and - lo and behold - the watercolor card fell from my purse reference book! I now have a watercolor and a pen & ink sketched card of our last two residences (the latter created by one of the developers of our condo building). 
I love this neighborhood we're in now. There's such a great energy about it, living close to the campus of our local university. We walk our neighborhood almost daily. Sometimes Mr. P. only does half the route with me, and invariably I'll say "I'll see you in about 25 minutes" to finish the route. Invariably, it'll be one hour or more later, lol. I sometimes feel like Belle in the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast, "Bonjour", our neighborhood and neighbors are that friendly!
Just one more thing I'd like to mention in this musings update. We have a bakery here in town that's called Rock City Cake Company. They love doing theme days (Golden Girls, Little Debbie, Colonel Sanders, Amber Turd to name a few). With the release of Hocus Pocus 2, they came up with treats that were pretty fabulous too. You had to pre-order because they literally sell out. I got in on the HP2 order, and bought some brownie treats made as facsimiles of the Hocus Pocus spellbook.
That's a sneak peek into a Halloween tablescape of mine I'll be featuring as part of a blog hop I'm hosting here at Panoply next Tuesday, the 11th. Come back - if you dare - and see lots of table treats!

Thanks so much for your visit today. Leave me a comment to let me know you were here, otherwise it's just me and the crickets.

24 comments:

  1. Love the watercolor and pen and ink of your previous residences! I always enjoy your brain dumps. Keep it up!

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  2. Looking forward to seeing a landscape update, Rita, love seeing the two photos as a comparison. Egads… that Devil's Dipstick! We’ve had a lot of fungal growth and mushrooms popping up in our mulch and under our trees with all our rain. I think I would freak out if I saw DD rising up out of the ground. 😱 Glad you’re healthy and just old, according to your MRI results. 😊 I just watched HP2 and cackled like glee while watching it… those HP spell book treats are too cute! Looking forward to hopping with you next week.

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  3. Rita, that Devil’s Dipstick is horrid! It has been so dry here that the beautiful fall that we usually enjoy is going to be impacted. Your eye accident with the toilet lid was not very pretty. I bet it was funny when you had to explain the black eye. A toilet brush for a back brush, I don’t think I would have ever thought of that. Those treats are cute and I am sure delicious. I look forward to the hop next week. Happy Monday, my friend!

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  4. Only kids would be creative enough to propel themselves with a leaf blower...love that about them. Looking forward to an update on your garden. Nice to see the before and after pictures. Great to have an "art" record of your previous homes. Looking forward to "hopping" with you next week. Have a great week.

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  5. Eek, the Devil’s Lipstick is creepy, Rita. I hope you can eradicate it so it doesn’t come back.
    It’s always fun to read your musings, except for the black eye incident. Poor you! Hope it’s fading or maybe some makeup helps conceal it. Happy and safe October to you. 🍁

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  6. Your brain dumps are hilarious! Thanks for sharing fun and creative writing when most of what we see is people arguing, sadness, and violence. So refreshing to read good, clean humor. Sorry about the eye, though!

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    1. Thank you! (Although some of this humor, while not dirt, was pure nasty!). :)

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  7. Rita, such an interesting post. So sorry to hear you weren’t feeling well and that darn black eye from your toilet lid. You have quite the imagination with the sounds of the MRI machine. That Devil’s Dipstick is so gross! I have never heard of that. I am so looking forward to seeing more changes at your home and garden. Those HP spell book treats are too clever. Your tablescape has me intrigued.

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  8. Happy one year anniversary in your home! Sorry to hear about your confrontation with the toilet lid - youch! I had a good laugh about Mr. P's thought of using a toilet brush for his back!

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  9. My goodness, what a fun post. So sorry you were sick, no fun to get a black eye too. Those brownies look good!

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  10. hee hee, fun stuff! Except not the black eye or the MRI, such a torturous procedure! Happy Anniversary in your new home, I know you are much happier now. Jeanie's watercolor is a treasure, I'm glad you found it! I'm looking forward to the Halloween hop next week, save me a brownie!
    Jenna

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  11. Rita, Your musings are always entertaining and informative. It's tough being classed as old when you're still so active. It's so true that the opinion of us old folks don't meet the narrative which they are seeking! The toilet brush made me laugh. My MIL did that! It was the 90's prior to Amazon. Sorry about your eye; what an insult when you're already sick! That devil's dipstick looks awful! I don't want to come in contact with anything that hideous! Happy anniversary on your house and congratulations on finding your watercolor pic. Happy Monday! Clara❤️

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  12. Rita, when is the book coming out? We had that same fungus in the garden a couple of years ago. You are right, it is so gross!!! I poured salt and vinegar on the area and have not seen it since. So sorry about your eye - how awful. I know you have been enjoying your gorgeous new home and I always enjoy seeing what you have done. Have a great week - we are promised nice days our way.

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  13. Wow about the devil's dipstick. Never had heard of that before. Sorry about your eye hope that heals quickly. Yikes it is always something!!! I am so happy you are really enjoying being back in a house again. Everything is looking so great. Love seeing the sweet dear. Ha ha about the buzzards. Have a good start to the new week. Keeping good thoughts for your brother. xoxo Kris

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  14. I always get a good chuckle reading your musings! Whoa, bad enough to be sick to your tummy, but then get thwacked with the toilet lid....terrible! The vultures absolutely do know where to roost!! LOl! Thanks for the smiles!

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    1. Karolyn, thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know you visited! Definitely that toilet lid was bad, and the first time I "hit the deck", the lid came back and rung my neck like I was at some luai and a lei was thrown at me!

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  15. Well, apart from the black eye and the aural horrors of an MRI, this is such a fun, terrific post. Loved seeing your before and after of the new home and glad you found your watercolor (I'm better now! I should redo that!) I smiled with the walk and Belle -- I'm like that when I walk, especially up here and run into others in the area. That Devil's dipstick looks exceedingly gross. Wish you could figure out how to be rid of it. It's always good hearing what's up in your world and you can dump your brain anytime, as far as I'm concerned! Gave me a good smile and I need one today!

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  16. Oh Rita... what a great post. I finally recovered from laughing over the toilet brush when I hit the "stinkhorns" and "dipstick." I'm so happy that you love your neighborhood. We do too. Your town sounds so lovely. Have a wonderful week and thanks for the chuckles.

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  17. Always enjoy your brain dumps Rita - love the toilet brush! Sorry about your eye - sort of adding insult to injury and I'm sure the MRI was not fun; I have not heard that old Chicago song in literally decades - what a throwback! And I can't disagree that the Devil's dipstick is absolutely disgusting and good luck with the eradication. Thanks for the chuckles today!

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  18. Just love your brain dumps....because the things you notice relate to peek my brain too....as for the Devil's Dipstick, yuck. There's a word for things that absolutely gross a person out but I can't think of it....things you cannot stand to look at but it draws you to look anyway and then it stays in your head. Follow me???? LOL. I can relate to the toilet bush...I had shingles once on my back and I think I could use a wire brush and not get to the itch. TMI??? Sorry. Looking forward to your table scape...have fun setting it up.

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  19. That Devil's Dipstick is awful looking. It would be worth trying Sandra's vinegar and salt remedy to get rid of it.
    So sorry about your black eye! What an terrible experience.
    Glad you are enjoying your new neighborhood and gardening.
    I hate MRI's. The noise is very loud and they are very long!
    Love your musings.

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  20. Rita, I’m probably the only person that you know that is intrigued by that mushroom that attracts the flies. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do, and I’ll agree it looks gross but it’s so cool to me. If you were a fly, you would love it. I just watched Fantastic Fungi on Netflix and loved it. 😂

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    1. It’s Deb Cantales (aka Anonymous)

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  21. What a fun post! And I love the sneak peek at your Halloween tablescape post. The Hocus Pocus spell book cookies are amazing! We watched the original one last week. :D That Devil's dipstick is disgusting. What chemical can you put on it to get rid of it? LOL

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