When your at a loss for everything ...

I finally got a vacation week .... well technically 4 days... (insert grumbling here) I made plans to go to Myrtle Beach ... well that didn't happen because of the rain and because of a phone text message on my phone.

It was my cousin (Just going to call him Cousin E. Don't want to post his name for privacy sake) he wanted to know if I was available for a phone call. Well of course. If its family I'm always available unless I'm indisposed, driving with a wonky headset that just won't seem to stay connected or somewhere loud. But always courteous to text back that I'm going somewhere quiet to answer the call. Even if its my crazy dad and his crazy theories about the latest Obama plot to turn off all the cell phone lines ... ... ... or some other craziness he found on the web. Love him to death but sometimes ... even though he's not wearing it. The tinfoil hat is showing. Enough. Back to the blog.

So I waited for his call. Cousin E starts off telling me that he wanted me to know everything before I read my facebook page .... okay. Long story short. My cousin (we will call him T for the same reason I'm not posting E's real name.) Cousin T had passed away.

WHAT? PASSED AWAY! He's like only 31!!!!! WTF?!?!?

Although the phone conversation went much smoother than that, but in my head I had a billion and one questions as to how this happened. Questions like, did his asthma get real bad? Was he hit by a car and lost the battle at the hospital? Who do I hurt when I get up there? WHAT? I'm at a loss for words.... but I know I must sound cold on the other end of the phone as I sat processing a billion scenarios as to what could have possibly gone wrong. Because we just talked on the phone a few weeks ago about him bringing his family down for a visit so we could meet the newest member.

*Insert one curse word here like a raging comic book lunatic. .... WHYYYYYYYYYY????????*

He didn't know, he was still trying to process what happened as well but will let me know once he goes to the hospital and find out what happened.

Once cousin E hung up to go meet with the rest of the family and figure out what to do next. So the only thing I could think of was to tell my mother who was looking forward to meeting the little ones. I know she was shocked. She was already tired and exhausted playing nurse for one of her cats who injured himself and just came back from the vet. (Whom on a side note now hates me. But that's another blog later.)

Would tell my father but he's away at a "meeting" with his fellow tin foil hat comrades. So the next few hours have been spent waiting on more information, feeding cats, wondering if the others are okay and swirling leftover spaghetti across a plate in an attempt to eat a normal dinner. Which is kind of hard to do when you're just not interested in eating.

Finally a message from Cousin E came through. Rare seizure ..... Not going to print any further details about it. But its still kind of a shock. That makes two friends I've lost this year. My friend Donna who died of cancer and now Cousin T. I will miss them both with all my heart.

No such thing as funny tasting in my mother's house

I keep telling my friends that eating at my mother's house is strange. That's why I don't often invite people over for dinner. Because you will never know what she will make, and if its even remotely edible. But there are some things only she can make that look like it crawled off the Aliens movie set but tastes incredibly delicious.

She tries her best to make spaghetti, a steak dinner or even something as simple as mac and cheese. But there is no so such thing as simple when she's in the kitchen. In fact, when you think of my mom in the kitchen, just remember that scene from the movie Better Off Dead with John Cusack. When the recipe his mother wanted to make but it got wet. Yeah. The thing with raisins in it. That pretty much sums up my mom's cooking.

"Can I be excused? I'm not feeling well ... "

Love her to death, even tried to show her how to make a variety of dishes .... which .... she tried ... but somehow somewhere in the process.... something happened. The most memorable was when my brother's showed up for Thanksgiving and there wasn't enough stuffing. I baked some cornbread to fluff out the stuffing mix with, but somehow the McDonald's side salad I purchased for lunch that day ended up with a block of tofu in the mix instead. With sweet and sour sauce mixed in.

No complaints here, didn't want to ruin her evening with complaints. It was weird but it didn't taste that bad either. But not something I would eat again.

What was the funniest thing your mom ever made?

Nothing to see, move along.

So. I'm still afloat on a sinking ship. Nothing major, still above water.
But it does suck that people I work with have short timer's attitude. I do what I can to get the papers to the press on-time even if it's not one of my assigned papers. Because that's the kind of person I am.

I try not to let things effect me emotionally or mentally. I try to stay on top of things. But I have to admit, it's not getting easier with people suddenly quitting or call in sick. But what can you do? Right?

I try to keep a positive attitude, even when I'm surrounded by negativity. Go home and listen to nothing but greed on the radio, negative songs, negative news. But what can you do?

Just because most of my friends have moved away, does not mean I'm lonely or sad. It's like 2 AM ... I'm just tired. But I know the minute I go to bed, I will be back up in 30 minutes playing a game on my phone or if I really really can't sleep. Trying to beat CHAC on level 80 of the Cloister Trials on FFX-2 Remastered on my PS3.

.... stupid snake thing cheats ... just saying.

Not going to even mention what game I'm playing on my phone, cause honestly ... I really don't need facebook pokes about it or extra lives requests. I think I currently have 582 messages still on my list unanswered. It's not that I don't like you. I just want to play the game in peace. ... Kinda hard to break the cycle when there's lives to use up. Tried to stop at level 10 ... now I'm like level 582 ... I know pathetic right? Tried that new Kingdom Heart's game on my phone and my phone nearly burst into flames.

But for those of you who wondered why I'm not posting much, I've just been busy surviving the sinking ship and working on my next adventure where ever it leads.

FYI: Been working with my friend Stacey on a magazine. It goes live soon. Still need funding. Goal $2,000 ... current funds donated $450.

Check it out if you like, make a donation if you like:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1715397736/why-magazine

Happy Mother's Day ???? WHAT? WHY DID YOU DO THAT?

It's mother's day and I have decided to take my mother out to dinner. Of course dad came too. Decided to go to Applebee .... I got this... checked my bank account .... good to go.

Once dinner was done I reach for the bill... WTF did you order dad? .... ok. I got this. May have to eat some Mac and Cheese for a week... but I got this.

Ok. My bad. For those of you who have Asian mothers..... it suddenly became a battle of wills as to who was paying the bill. No negations, everyone breaking out their wallets to see who can toss down the bills first. Mom shouldn't have to pay for her own dinner was my argument. But dad handed her the bill anyway. Way to go dad. Before the waitress came I was quickly grabbing up the bills and whipping out the debit card... I got this. Dad grabs the money and hands it to the waitress..... way to go dad.... <.<

So I bought ice cream ... of course dad took off so it was just me and mom. Going to have to find her a movie she would like and make a nice Chicken Carbonara (sp?) dinner for her.