The Pony Straps On An Unsatisfying Feedbag

The Pony has been working a route over in Bill-Paying Town. Saturday evening, he treated himself to a meal at CiCi's Pizza. We used to go there when the kids were little. They have a pizza buffet, and a little game room. They also had some vending machines with a candy grabber, and little bouncy balls, and ice cream bars. 

The Pony always loved their pasta and desserts. He'd get breadsticks, too, but was not a big fan of the pizza. It was actually an enjoyable experience, and reasonably priced. You could see the kids through the window of the game room. A good time was always had by all.

"I went to CiCi's on Saturday. I was so disappointed because they were out of red sauce for the pasta and their plain pizza was so dry it was practically inedible. Most of what I ate was salad! And poor, poor cheese bread, and pasta with just their Alfredo sauce! Side note I love red onion. I can eat it, once peeled, like an apple. Maybe with occasional dabs of mayo or ketchup. Or ranch as the case may be."

The salad is the only thing on that table that looks appealing to me. Though not so much onion!

No word on whether The Pony played in the game room, or got a bouncy ball out of the machines.

Farmer H, The COB-Lobber

Here we go again...

I got Farmer H's supper ready while he was cooking the main dish. The hamburgers I patted out and ground some black pepper onto. All he wanted was pickles, sliced onion, and sliced tomato on the burgers. And two ears of corn on the cob.

Farmer H had been mowing before coming in to relax a while before grilling. I asked if he had stopped the mower in the back yard, and picked up his BBQing spatula. He had not. He'd left it on the porch rail a couple grillings ago, and the squirrels had knocked it off by the fake fish pond. It takes a long walk on uneven (and tick-infested!) ground to get around back. So I don't blame him for not fetching it sooner. Still. When you are riding on a mower, and only have to get off and pick up that spatula, there's not an actual excuse.

I gave Farmer H my metal spatula to use. He insisted that he could just use his tongs like before. Although that resulted in a broken burger. Which I made him eat for himself, since I had warned him ahead of time that tongs would break a burger, and that I was not going to eat a broken burger! So after hesitating, Farmer H said he would take my spatula to use for burger flipping.

While Farmer H was sitting on the porch watching burgers sizzle, I laid out his sliced pickles to drain off the juice. I shucked his corn and wrapped it in Glad Cling Wrap so it was ready for microwaving when he came in. Washed the tomato. Set out his plate and the bag of buns. Set out the butter to soften. Laid out a knife.

As soon as he brought in the tray of burgers, I popped the corn in the microwave, and started slicing his onion and tomato. Farmer H had settled down to eat at the cutting block while I was making myself a salad, and then slicing my own onion and tomato.

Before I had all my food together, Farmer H was getting up from the cutting block. He walked around the kitchen counter, out the door, and lobbed his two corn cobs off the back porch. All the while ignoring the plate of corn husks, onions skins, and tomato seeds that was sitting four inches from his elbow, awaiting a porch toss.

Fourth Time's Even More Charming

A couple days ago I mentioned how I took a chance on buying more bratwursts from Save A Lot, and unlike the two previous times, they actually WERE THE FLAVOR ON THE PACKAGE! In this case, Pineapple and Brown Sugar.

I was back in Save A Lot on Monday for bananas and some other stuff I had forgotten. Of course I walked by the meat counter, just to see what was there. I couldn't believe my eyes!

APPLE CINNAMON BRATWURSTS!

The Apple flavor was what we enjoyed so many months ago. I have not been able to find them! Yes. I bought two packs. We are pretty sausaged out right now, it being our third day eating them. I told Farmer H I could put them in the freezer. He said to hold up. That after a few days, he'd be ready for them again.

The date on them is September 2. I'll give them a few days in FRIG II, and if Farmer H is not feeling like a sausage soon, I can put them in the freezer.  

While I was checking out, a customer asked if they had frozen fruit. Asked the checker, not me. So I kept my mouth shut, but I've NEVER seen frozen fruit in Save A Lot. They have a limited amount of brands. I figure that lady was talking about the bags of fruit like melon balls and grapes and peaches like we used to get at Sam's Club, which is just a giant Walmart. The checker told her they would be along the wall in the freezer case. DUH! I'm not sure which one was showing less smarts in this little exchange.

A Throwback Snap Of Jack

I haven't been able to get any recent photos of Jack. That's because Scarlett keeps my hands busy pointing at her and saying NO! NO! She likes to perch on the edge of the side porch, and lean out to put both front feet on my chest. Several times I have stepped back and let her topple over the edge. She's learning. Slowly. Although Sunday she laid down like I was going to beat her when I said NO and held out my palm meaning STOP. We had a good petting, though she was trembling with the effort of holding in her boisterous nature.

Anyhoo... here's a picture Farmer H sent me of Jack, perhaps from May 2022.

Jack is a chewer. I don't know where he got this treat, which is some kind of plastic jug or jar. If it's not up higher than he can reach, it's coming home with him for gnawing. 

There's Shackytown Boulevard behind him, with the Storage Container Garage in the background. The BARn is not in sight, but it's to the left of the Storage Container Garage, and about halfway of the distance there. That maroon structure is the old chicken house that Farmer H build our chickens. Which they eschewed in favor of roosting in the trees.

Jack has been feeling like his old self again. I am so relieved. He's my little buddy.

Third Time's A Charm

Like one of my favorite singers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, I take my chances. 

I was in Save A Lot on Friday, and saw some bratwursts. Perhaps you remember how those dirty dirty liars in the meat department labeled such bratwursts as BACON, when in fact they were CHEESE. So I gave them a close inspection. Didn't see any CHEESE in them like the ones in a package labeled CHEESE. I did not see the PLAIN version, but took a chance on the PINEAPPLE and BROWN SUGAR flavor.

THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!

Farmer H grilled them on Saturday evening. We both agree that I should get that version again. Right now we have enough for two more meals. We ate them with a salad of romaine, broccoli, shredded cheddar, and fresh garden tomatoes that one of Farmer H's buddies had given him. Wonderful tomatoes, all misshapen and bumpy and dark red, meaty inside, not all seedy and waxy.

I'm glad I took my chances.

Farmer H Is Floating Down That RIver In Egypt, Playing On His Phone, Feigning No Responsibility

Farmer H is blaming the victim! Pretending he had absolutely nothing to do with the TICK found imbedded in the skin of Mrs. HM's right side-hip!

"Huh. I've only had one tick all year."

"That's surprising. But even more surprising is the fact that I HAD ONE! Where am I going to pick up a tick??? I only walk from kitchen to garage, on the porch and sidewalk. Then back inside. Less than five minutes a day! In town, I'm on pavement all the time."

"Well, you pet them dogs."

"Yes. I pat them on the head. Maybe once every two weeks, I might hug one of them briefly. It's not like I'm wallowing in a dog bed with them for hours and hours."

"I ain't around the dogs."

"You feed them every morning. You put on their flea and tick medicine. You lifted Jack down from the porch when he was sick. Scarlett tries to climb in your lap when you sit outside to call someone."

"I don't know how you think I am the one who brought a tick in the house. I ain't around ticks."

"You walk over to your sheds on Shackytown Boulevard. You ride the Gator. You have been mowing the yard and the fields on your lawnmower. You were weed-eating.  You unload stuff from your truck and carry it into the BARn. That's where the ticks are. IN THE GRASS! Not on the porch or sidewalk."

"Huh. You always want to blame ME."

Yes. I DO. When Farmer H is the one traipsing about in tick territory, and then sitting on the bed to undress before showering, laying his clothes beside him until he gets up.

Tick Talk, Tick Talk

Wednesday night, I had a terrible itch on the outer edge of my right hip. In scratching on the outside of my sweatpants, I thought I felt something there. I reached down to the skin, and definitely felt something moveable. Surely a skin tag wouldn't itch... I pulled on it, and a TICK came off in my fingertips! I squooshed it between my thumb fingernails, and ran it down the drain while washing my hands.

HOW IN THE NOT-HEAVEN DID I GET A TICK???

This question comes up every summer. I don't walk in the grass. I go from Mansion to garage, on the wooden porch and concrete garage floor. I pet the dogs. It's not like we snuggle in bed together. They stand on the porch, and I pat them on the head or shoulders. You'd think I'd notice a tick walking up my arm. Even if I didn't feel it, I would see it as I washed my hands upon entering the Mansion.

I don't pet the dogs with my hip. I don't sit in Farmer H's recliner. I don't sit on the long couch where he sometimes rests his rumpus, or eats his supper. When I took my shower at 3:00, there was nothing clinging to my hip. I put on town clothes. Then changed back into my sweatpants and button-up shirt and zippered fleece sweatshirt when I got back home.

Farmer H said he's only had ONE tick this year. So we're tied! That should not happen. He's outside all the time, walking to Shackytown Boulevard. Or riding the lawnmower to mow our extensive acreage.

I can only surmise that Farmer H somehow unleashed a tick in the bed, and it got on me when I took my nap before showering, and hid in my sweatpants until I put them back on upon return home.

That's for lack of a better scenario. Though I am open to suggestions.