The Chronicles of a Raving Lunatic

It's been a while since I've done one of these BzzAgent Blog posts.



I was quite pleasantly surprised at how tasty these chips were. Everyone loved them. It should be noted, though, that even though they are Green Giant brand, they're not really a healthier alternative to traditional chips. If you're looking for a healthier alternative, don't be fooled by the Green Giant Branding. These might not be for you. But if you eat other chips already, you'll be alright.

Veggie Chips: The Veggie Chips are like a lighter Dorito, so I was pretty sure I'd like them. As soon as I opened my BzzKit, I opened this bag up and dug in. I was right. I liked them very much. When the kids got home, I shared some with them and they loved them, too. I gave my Sister-in-Law and Brother some as well and they liked them, too. I actually liked them so much that I ended up polishing off half the bag in one sitting all by myself.

Sweet Potato Chips: I was wary of these ones. They're very much like a thinner Sun Chip, which I like, but I HATE sweet potatoes, so I basically planned on giving this bag to my Brother's family to eat, since they all like sweet potatoes. I started off by giving each of the kids one of the small bags for an after school snack. They gobbled them up. I gave my Sister-in-Law one of the other small bags to taste before I definitely gave them the big bag. When I asked my Sister-in-Law and the kids what they thought of them, they told me that they actually didn't even taste like sweet potatoes and that I should try them. So, I opened the last little bag and warily ate one. They were right, it didn't taste like sweet potatoes at all. I kept the big bag, but I did share it with them because the kids liked them so much.

Like I said at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked both flavors of chips. So much so, that I KNOW I'll be buying them in the future. I only have two minor complaints about them. #1, I wish they had at least a couple more flavors. #2, I kind of wish they were a little healthier, but that's mostly so I could have the excuse to eat them more often.

So, last week (the 20th), my mom's husband (I still refuse to call him my step-dad) had a heart attack. Nothing too bad. He had a stent put in and was home in a day or to. But, the part I can't say on FB, because my mom will see it, is that I really didn't care. I had no reaction to it, other than light annoyance that it was going to be the only thing my mom talked about for a little while. Also, I was quite surprised that she hadn't called us to let us know. We actually found out from my cousin because her mom, my mom's sister, told her and she happened to be here. I later found out that she didn't call anyone, but my aunt saw it on FB.

Over this past weekend, I talked to my mom on the phone and she asked me to print out a copy of the Cardiac Diet that I found, since they don't have the internet, and send it to her. Which I had no problem with. I mean, I really can't stand David, and don't really care that he had a heart attack, but I'm not going to tell her no when she asks me to send her a cardiac diet for him. I guess, mostly because it will make her life easier and that way if he has another heart attack I don't have to hear about it and there's no way anyone could put any blame on me, like, "She asked you to send her a cardiac diet, but you wouldn't, so she didn't know what was okay for him to eat, so he had another heart attack!" Not that they would, but, you never know.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't wish he would die or anything, I'm just completely apathetic to his well-being. I really, honestly don't care what happens to him. He could leave my mom tomorrow and I wouldn't care. He could die tomorrow and I really wouldn't care. He could get a billion dollars tomorrow and I wouldn't care. I just don't care about him in any way imaginable. My mom knows I don't like him, even though she thinks it's just because I wouldn't like anyone she was with that isn't my dad. Not at all true. Even if he was just some friend of hers, I wouldn't like him. There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way. I'm extremely uncomfortable around him. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that he's way too touchy-feely for my liking. Which, if you're touchy-feely, whatever, but when I tell you I don't like to be hugged and I don't like it when you keep touching me, like hands on my shoulders and stuff, and you KEEP DOING IT, I'm not going to like you. When you refuse to ignore what I, and everyone else, tell(s) you, then I know that you're going out of your way to make me not like you. I mean, it's obvious to you that I don't even like it when my mom hugs me, even though I let her because she's my mom, after all, why on Earth do you think it's okay to touch me when I barely know you?

Anyway, whatever. I just had to get it off my chest that I really don't care what happens to him somewhere, and it couldn't be FB, because if my mom read that, I'd NEVER hear the end of it.

This is just a post to say HELLO! to Dreamwidth. This will pretty much be a straight up copy/crosspost from my LiveJournal.

I just can't seem to stay on top of LJ these days. Of course, until about last eek, I was barely getting on the computer at all, so.

I miss everyone. :(

I can't believe that I haven't posted for months. I was closely following for a little while, but then I lost track of it. I need to pay more attention to LJ, I guess.

So much has gone on since I last posted. As I said in the last post, I got approved for disability, finally. Anyway, I had an appointment with a Orthopedist at the end of November and he decided that since I couldn't straighten my left leg and that there was a lot of Arthritis damage in the knee, he was going to go in and have a look at it and see what he could do. So, I went into surgery on December 12th (the first surgery I've ever had) and he looked at it and scraped out all the bone spurs and dangling cartilage, which left me with basically none. After I healed I did about a month and a half of physical therapy. I regained some range of motion, but not a whole lot.

The other day I had a follow-up appointment and the Orthopedist took new x-rays. He's not happy with my progress, or lack thereof, and has scheduled me for a total knee replacement. They don't like doing those until you're 50, or 40 at the youngest, but that's how bad it is, that I already need one at 31.

So, in May I go in and get a new knee. I'll be glad to get some range of motion back, but I'm NOT looking forward to recovery. Also, this will be the first time I've spent the night in the hospital.

I'm going to try to remember to keep up with LJ a bit more and to come back and post more, but no promises.

I had my SSI Disability hearing yesterday. I won. The judge said that I'll get a letter in a couple weeks. I imagine I'll get my first check in January. Now I'll be able to get medical. YAY. And I'll be able to pay for my medicine. YAY. Things will be so much easier starting next year. Maybe now I'll be able to go visit some of my C_U BBs! And some of my old Viggo buddies. YAY!

And now I can concentrate on my surgery.

9974 / 50000 words. 20% done!

Well, I'm a little closer to finishing. I think I need to really buckle down this weekend and try to catch up. I might actually stay up really late all weekend. It seems like I get a burst of inspiration late at night.

Okay, so I was lucky enough to get picked for this BzzCampaign. Seriously, cookies? Sign me up! Right?

Well, I got my BzzKit the other day. I got TWO packages of Kroger's new "Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies". I was already pretty excited. I opened up a box and was immediately a little disappointed. There are only 8 cookies in a box. Not really many for the size of box they're in. But they're a good size, definitely bigger than most of the packaged cookies out there. Also, they were a bit more crumbly than they looked on the box and in pictures. Not a big deal, really, but not quite what I was expecting.

I took my first bite. They weren't "truly awesome". I was further disappointed. Don't get me wrong, they were good. They had the crunch of a cookie that you'd baked a couple days before. They just weren't amazing. And then I got to the chocolate chips. Oh my. The chocolate chips in these things are AMAZING! Seriously, they're the best part of the cookie.

In order to get some other opinions, I gave my brother, sister-in-law, and all three kids a cookie to try. Everyone agreed that the cookie part was okay, but the chocolate chips were definitely the best part.

So, while they may not really be "Truly Awesome", they're still really good. And I will certainly be buying some in the future. If you really like chocolate, I'd give them a try.

"Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies" are available at Kroger, Fred Meyer, and Ralph's. (You may also be able to find them in other Kroger Brand Family stores, such as Dillons, Hilander, City Market, Smith's, King Soopers, Fry's, Baker's, and Scott's. But I'm not 100% on that.)

I posted this up on holiday_wishes yesterday, and just figured I'd drop it here as well.

1. Gift Cards - for Sonic, Amazon, or Woman Within. I'm addicted to Sonic's Lemon-Berry Slushes. And I'm in DESPERATE need of new clothes.

2. Beatles/George Harrison Memorabilia - I used to have so much Beatles related stuff, but I lost most of it in all the moves in the last 10 years. All I have left is a few posters and some records. I would LOVE some pins/buttons (especially vintage 60s) or, well, anything, really.

3. Socks - I know it sounds weird, but for some reason all my socks have disappeared. I went from having a few dozen pairs to 2 in less than a month. I have no idea how. Any kind or color is awesome. Puppies, skulls, colored, rainbow, toe socks, knitted, knee highs, I don't really care. I don't even care if they're men's socks. My feet are always the first thing to get cold, so I like to have socks on all winter. I have fairly large feet, so they'd have to be a size 11-13 womens or a size 10-12 mens.

4. US Postage Stamps - I love sending cards and letters to people, but postage can get pretty expensive. I'd really love some extra stamps to help ease the cost (and help me fulfill more wishes!), and I ask for them from my parents every year, but they don't seem to take the request seriously.

5. And related to that, Office Supplies - I love having notebooks and pens/pencils/crayons and tape and such around. I'm especially in need of pens/pencils/crayons because one of my nephews keeps stealing all mine for his art. I love his art, but I need stuff to write with too! I'm obsessed with notebooks and writing utensils. I also have a special place in my heart for graph paper.

6. Books - I'd love any and all Edgar Allan Poe collections anyone can find. He's my absolute favorite author. I'd also love any Arthur Conan Doyle (especially Sherlock Holmes). And VC Andrews and James Patterson. My favorite genre is crime/mystery.

7. And while we're on the subject of books, I need a bookshelf. I've got a few boxes of books, but nowhere to put them. My books need a proper home!

8. Sweet Treats & Other Snacks - Cookies, brownies, fudge, candy, gum, etc. I love sweets, but hardly ever buy them because I can't seem to afford them (real food has priority, after all). I love mint, chocolate, and hazelnut more than anything. (Caramel is great too.) I'm not really fond of cinnamon gum or hard candy, though. And I have a special place in my heart for Pocky. Or, if you'd rather send me something salty, I love pretzels and potato chips. Or almost anything, really. I'm not allergic to anything. I'd love to get some international snacks. I'm in a houseful of people that love trying new snacks.

9. Snail Mail! - I love getting mail. Holiday/Christmas cards, letters, pictures, care packages. I'll most likely be laid up in bed this Christmas season, so send me something to cheer me up.

10. Anything on my Etsy wishlist. Or something similar. It's sort of a crazy mess of things, but skim through it and see if you'd like to surprise me with something on there. As to the soaps, etc, I REALLY love mint, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate scented things. As long as it isn't too musky or perfumey, as those give me a headache.

Click on it to take you to the page to see it animated.