Mrs. HM Is The Losingest Loser

I've been betrayed by my lucky bone! For 18 days, I have been losing at scratchers! I don't mean complete shut-outs. Haven't had one of those. But only winning $6, or $9, or $12 per day is not what I'm accustomed to, considering what I spend on scratchers. I've had to dip into my casino bankroll a couple of times!!!

The only exceptions were one day when I used The Pony's accumulated winnings from his daily Cash4Life draw tickets, to buy him a $50 ticket that he requested out of the blue. My lucky bone was functioning that day! He won $100 on it. And four or five days later, I won $70, hitting $50 on a $10 ticket, and $20 on a $5 ticket. But lately, the only thing that pays are my $3 tickets.

Of course I keep buying them! What kind of a gambler do you think I am, anyway? A smart one? Au contraire. I keep funneling that money right back into the gaping maw that devours my weekly allowance and casino bankroll. Every day, I'm sure I'll be a winner...

Because, you know, a losing streak can't last forever. Just like a winning streak.

The Mind Is The First To Go, And Mrs. HM's Has Done Gone

I usually write up my two blog posts before I go to town, and set them to publish the next morning. Sometimes if I'm running late, one or both might not get done until that evening. Sunday, my main blog post was ready, but I didn't have a topic for this one. I figured something might happen in town that was complainable blogworthy.

As I started down the gravel road for town, an idea popped into my head. By the time I was at the low water bridge on the county blacktop road, it had grown into a complete blog post. I knew what I was going to say. Could see parts of actual sentences in my head. I still remember specific sections of the road where I was making certain points.

I CAN'T remember my topic.

It's gone! Gone with the drive to town! I've mentally re-traced my steps. From shower to putting on shoes to gathering up my purse to going into the garage to driving along composing that blog post.

I got nothin'.

Of course it would have been the most amusing and pertinent story ever told! The world shall be a lesser place with the loss of Mrs. HM's masterpiece.

I rue the day I stopped taking my little flip notebook with me in my purse. I could have pulled over and jotted down the topic, at least. Thing is... you never think you're going to forget.

Mrs. HM Casts A Line And Phishs For Herself

Sweet Gummi Mary! Can Google and Gmail and Blogger and all their related products quit snooping and trying to run my life???

Saturday afternoon, I was getting my blogs ready for the next day. From my phone, I emailed myself pictures of the Senior Center lunch that Farmer H brought home Friday evening. Three pictures. One labeled SOUP. One labeled SIDES. One labeled SOGGY REUBEN.

I went to my Gmail account to download those pictures for my not-so-secret blog. And was astounded to open up to a big red box! A warning that I had apparently sent myself a dangerous message! This message was on the SOUP and SIDES emails, but not on the SOGGY REUBEN email, which showed up as normal, with my picture ready to download.

_________________________________________________________________

This message seems dangerous

Similar messages were used to steal people's personal information. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments, or replying with personal information.

Looks safe 

_________________________________________________________________

One attachment scanned by Gmail

Downloading this attachment is disabled. This email has been identified as phishing. If you want to download it and you trust this message, click "Looks safe" in the banner above.

_________________________________________________________________

Shame on me for phishing myself! At least I didn't reel myself in. 

I re-sent those two photos, and they arrived as normal in new emails. I did everything the same as usual. I hope this is not going to be a continuing issue.

Another Pony House Mystery Solved

We were only a few minutes into our 6:00 a.m. phone conversation when The Pony said:

"Is Dad still there? I'm going to send a video with a noise coming from my bathroom. I don't know what it is. I hope it's nothing in the walls, or something wrong with the wiring. I heard it when I woke up, and at first I thought it was the fans on my gaming computers running extra-loud. But the more awake I got, I realized it was coming from the other direction. My bathroom, not the living room. I'm going in there now."

I was getting read to receive that video, and hand the phone to Farmer H. But The Pony was talking again.

"Never mind. I found the problem. It was my toothbrush on the bathroom floor. Running. Somehow it jumped itself off the sink overnight or this morning. I don't know how long it was going. But now it won't work since I picked it up and turned it off."

"The charge is probably used up. It might have been going for a while."

"Yeah."

"Bummer. You'll have to move your arm to brush your teeth now!"

Not a big deal. Certainly less worrisome than a critter in the walls, or a problem with the wiring. Still, one more obstacle to The Pony starting his workday.

Not to mention how that toothbrush ended up on the floor, running....

Farmer H's Feud Update

You may recall that the atmosphere around Farmer H and his former best friend at the Senior Center has been quite frosty lately. Neither is willing to talk it out adultly, or concede that they may have been responsible for whatever imaginary or real transgression occurred.

I've told Farmer H that he's being petty about this. He says he has tried to start a discussion. Yet whenever a tale of interaction with his new nemesis is told, Farmer H speaks in a mocking, sing-song-y voice. So it's obvious he's not open to a real dialogue, or even forgiveness if it turns out New Nemesis was at fault.

This week, Farmer H only ate once or twice at the Senior Center. He said his other buddy there said there have been numerous complaints about New Nemesis. Again, I'm hearing this second-hand, through Farmer H's filter. So I don't know the actual situation.

A couple days ago, Farmer H said that his buddy revealed that there were going to be changes, due to complaints. That New Nemesis would be doing other assignments rather than at the counter (or something like that) because that was the area with most complaints. 

Yesterday, Farmer H said that New Nemesis gave a short speech to the elderlies at lunch. That she had been offered another job, and would not be doing her job as it currently was at the Senior Center. And that bingo would be more often, and cost $5 to play! I asked Farmer H if he thought this was accurate, and he said he didn't think so.

"How could they charge you elderlies $5 to play bingo??? Aren't the prizes donated? It's not like the prizes are worth $5, even if you win!"

"I know. That don't make sense. She said somethin' about having a corporate sponsor each week for the bingo. So maybe they would be giving the prizes. But I don't know why we'd have to pay to win donated prizes."

"How can the elderlies afford to play bingo at that price? Isn't it meant as an activity for them? I can't imagine they can pay to play. Are they just supposed to sit and watch others play?"

"Most of them people that live upstairs didn't have any idea what she was telling them."

It's sad that such a situation has developed. I don't know what's going on with New Nemesis. She and Farmer H were such good buddies for quite a while. I'm sure he will get the blame for whatever changes come about. At least in HER mind. 

Waiting Is For Others, Not For Mrs. HM

The only interactions I have in my everyday life are during excursions to town to buy scratchers. Most days, nothing memorable happens. But then there are the days when everybody wants to drive in my lane, drive faster than me, park in my rightful handicap space, break their neck getting in or out the door ahead of me, and MAKE ME WAIT IN LINE!

Card-scanners are the bane of my existence in convenience stores! Just pay cash! It's so much quicker! Using a card takes at least three times as long. For the codes to be punched in. And/or a rewards code, depending on the store.

I know people don't like to wait behind ME, but I make it as quick as possible. I know exactly which scratchers I want. I hand over my winners with the bar codes already scratched off. The cashier just has to scan, print the receipt, and tear off my new purchases and scan them. I pay in cash. Correct cash. Usually no change necessary, unless it's a big winner worth more than what I'm buying.

Tuesday, I was happy to walk into the Gas Station Chicken Store and see only a woman finishing her transaction, and one man behind her. Only she wasn't FINISHING her transaction. She had given the cashier some draw ticket slips. The ones you fill in the numbers you want, and have to scan to get a ticket printed with your numbers. I never play this kind. For The Pony's daily Cash4Life ticket, I just get the machine-generated random numbers. 

Slow Gal could get those kind of tickets for herself over at 10Box, from the machines, without inconveniencing ME in a convenience store. Except she didn't have the cash to pay for them.

Yes, Slow Gal waited until Cashier was done printing her tickets, then said, "How much is that?" And at that time opened up her purse, took out her wallet, and started digging for $9. She didn't have it. "Oh. I'll just put it on my card." Thus began the torture of waiting for her to scan. They gave the first card (!) three tries, but it wouldn't work. So Slow Gal meticulously slid it back into the clear plastic sleeve in her wallet, and selected another one. Three tries. Nope. "Oh, I always carry several cards. Let's try this one." She said, selecting yet another. IT WORKED!

The guy behind her stepped up and paid CASH for his gas, and was out the door. I stepped up with my winners, got my new scratchers, paid CASH, and was out the door. Slow Gal was still juggling her wallet, purse, and draw tickets.

Meanwhile, five new customers had come in while the other guy and I had been in line.

Farmer H Makes It Easy, If I Was So Inclined

I am not trying to kill Farmer H. But if I WAS...

When The Pony was here on Sunday, I gave him some storebought Cookies and Cream Brownies. Just a plastic bakery container, with brownies that had white icing with Oreo bits mixed in. They were pre-cut in squares. The Pony didn't eat any while he was here, but I intended for him to take the brownies home. I asked him to leave a couple on a plate for Farmer H.

The Pony did so. Two brownies still stuck together, on a small paper plate on the cutting block.

When we were getting our lunch ready earlier (The Pony's being easy, since it was Hardee's chicken tenders in a bag on the table), I got some olives out of FRIG II to go with my pinwheels. I used a blue plastic fork to get them out of the jar. I love olives! And I love plastic forks! I wash my plastic forks. I prefer them over metal, unless we're having something like meat that needs cutting. Anyhoo... I licked the blue plastic fork, and laid it down on the cutting block, because The Pony was between me and the sink counter.

You guessed it! When Farmer H came home from driving The Pony back to town, he warmed up leftover pizza, then picked up his brownies for dessert. Yes. Both of them. Remember, we're talking about Farmer H. I didn't notice until later that there was a blue plastic fork in the wastebasket.

What in the Not-Heaven? I do not throw away a plastic fork unless it is broken! I didn't think The Pony would have done that. I rescued my precious plastic fork, and noticed that there was something brown on the back of the tines.

BROWNIE!

Farmer H had taken my licked-off olive fork from the cutting block to use for eating his brownies. Serves him right! Not my fault he can't reach into a drawer and get his own fork. It's not like the blue plastic fork was laid on his brownie plate. Or even next to it. That fork was on the other side of the cutting block, laying tine-points down.

I guess my cooties didn't make Farmer H sick. He's still very much alive.