Friday Fulminations and Black Russian Friday

fulminate

verbSave Word To save this word, you’ll need to log in.Log In ful·mi·nate | \ ˈfu̇l-mə-ˌnāt , ˈfəl- \fulminated; fulminating

Definition of fulminate

transitive verb: to utter or send out with denunciationfulminate a decree

intransitive verb: to send forth censures or invectivesfulminating against government regulators— Mark Singer

****************

This morning, I was scheduled for a 10:30 doctor appointment. Actually, I was told just some bloodwork before my annual exam next Wednesday.

First Fulmination: Log into your Healthcare portal with you user name and password. What? After looking for that, logging in, and answering a truckload of questions that they should already have on file after 15 years with the same doctor, then answer a zillion other questions. Am I depressed or anxious? Well, YAH! Now I am. I digress.

Second Fulmination: Instructions: Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment and check in via the portal. (What do old people with flip phones and no technology do?) Next time, I’m calling on the phone and plead ignorance and old age. So, I arrive at 10:10 and check in on my phone in my car. They don’t say, wait in your car or come up to the third floor. It just says, you are checked in. Now what? So, I go up. I checked in at the desk, and I receive a sheet of paper with lots of tests.

Third Fulmination: They inform me that not only am I having bloodwork, but also an EKG and a bone density scan. What? So, I wait in the waiting room. I see people coming and going and coming and going.

Fourth Fulmination:) Did you ever play that game with yourself, “If they don’t call my name next, I’m going to go to the desk and see if they forgot about me?” Well, I did that about 10 times. Now, it was 11:15. Remember, I checked in at 10:10? EVERYONE who came in after me had already been called and left. “Be patient!” Finally at 11:30, I told myself, if I’m not next, I’m going to check at the desk. Finally, the door opened, “Miss Antoinette?” I jumped up with delight, and the lady says, “Someone will be out to get you shortly.” Five more minutes pass.

No more fulminations. I decided that I would make the best of it and just be happy that I was finally being seen. I take that back, one more Fulmination… I had to get on the scale. NOOOO! With my shoes on, no less. By now, my blood pressure was 140/80. Normally, I’m 117/70.

The rest of the visit was great. Emerald was my technician who did the vitals and EKG. I asked if I needed to do a urine test? I told her I didn’t study. Just kidding. When she handed me the little plastic container, she asked if I was able to give a sample now. Duh! I told her I had to go to the bathroom an hour ago. I could fill a gallon container.

Me and Emerald. I said that was a beautiful name and asked if it had a special significance. She said her mother named all her daughters after special gems. She has a sister diamond and pearl. Cool!

After being all hooked and nuked up for my EKG, Emerald took me down to the lab for bloodwork and my bone density.

Morgan and me.

My total visit, that expected to be under twenty minutes, took over two hours. But, that’s ok. I knew I was going to calm down when I stopped at church for Adoration, meditation, and my Sanctuary Sketching. (More on that tomorrow.) Just what the doctor ordered. An hour all alone in the Sanctuary.

I came home, tried to nap, to no avail, then made some phone calls, and took a steamy two mile walk.

Now, it’s time for my well-deserved Black Russian Friday.

Cheers, my friends. May your days be filled with fun and friends and NO FULMINATIONS!

Friday:) Friends, Food and My Firemen

“A day without brownies is like a day without sunshine. Just sayin’.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

**************************

As you know, I have some pretty awesome friends. Plus, I have SO many awesome friends, and they all seem to have birthdays. Today, we celebrated Helene’s birthday with a nice lunch over at Palio’s Pizza.

I called Helene to check and see what color vases she had already. She didn’t have a yellow rose vase yet. Thank goodness. I’m running out of colors for my friends. I may have to create a new design. Normally we have a three or four hour lunch, but Mr. Mike was coming to my house to pick up his dog at 2. Darn!

Bella got picked up, then I ran over (actually I drove) to the post office, stopped at church for Adoration and sketching (more on that maybe tomorrow) and then over to Home Depot for a new smoke detector. The one in my bedroom started screeching around 2 am for no reason, then stopped. Hmm? Haunted?

When I got home, I put together a container of “bad ass brownies” to take over to my firemen. I was putting on my shoes, when I heard the sirens go off. (The station is just a few blocks away.) I figured that they’d be on a call for a while.

I went over about 8 pm. I assumed they’d be back and probably done with dinner, and most likely in need of a late night snack.

I chatted with Firefighter Hall for a bit. He said the brownies would be gobbled up pretty quick.

Well, guess what day it is. Yes, another fabulous Black Russian Friday. CHEERS!

Friday Friends and a Few Camels

“Just like a caravan of camels walking in the desert, be durable against the adversities of life and walk with decisive steps.”

~Mehmet Murat Ildan

*********************

What a wonderful day! Life is good! I have the most wonderful family, the greatest friends, and more blessings than I can count. After a most awesome afternoon, Helene, Bonita and I went to a gathering of friends from church in Prosper.

Oh my gosh. The 60+ group met at Mike Millen’s home in Prosper this evening. I have never seen such an awesome home, with acres of land, animals grazing in the pastures, and get this… camels. Yes, camels. Everyone should have camels grazing in their backyard.

It was a beautiful evening, perhaps a little warm, but with fans cooling and friends chatting, it was just a perfect evening. It was a potluck dinner, and there was sooooo much food and drink.

The camels seem to enjoy carrots and nibbling on Bonita’s fingers.

A big thank you to Mike and the co-hosts who made this fun evening possible.

Well, it is Friday, after all!

Cheers, my friends! Happy Black Russian Friday.

Friday:) Furry Friends, Flowers and Fruit

“It’s always difficult to keep Fridays confined within themselves..they tend to spill over..”
― Parag Tipnis

**************

I had a lazy crazy rainy Friday. I checked on my little kitty friends a couple of times while Miss Kathy is on vacation. They like to hang out in my front yard and by my front door, hopefully keeping mice and little critters away.

Thank you boys!

My little friend Bella was visiting with me a few days.

“Well, where’s my leash, Miss Toni? Let’s go!”

I had a whole mess of mangos that needed peeling. I always had the hardest time. Then, a friend on Facebook said that she uses a potato peeler. Why didn’t I think of that. Six mangos were easily peeled and cut, except for a slight pause when I peeled the side of my left thumb and started bleeding. Yikes!

Mango madness!

My evening walk revealed a lovely sunset after a dreary rainy morning. A beautiful sky and some beautiful flowers,

Look at that sky! Spectacular!

Cheers! Happy Friday, my friends!

Friday Friends, Furry Creatures and Other Fun Stuff

“ Still amazed at my amazing life. Life is good.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

**************************

My Friday was delightful. A lazy morning, walked Bella, had lunch and planned my evening. Joni and Bob texted me and said they would be happy to pick me up for karaoke at the VFW. I accepted and appreciated the ride. It was good to see old friends and dance and sing and drink a little too much wine. And now, it’s still Friday, so I have to have my Black Russian. I’m a creature of habit.

Speaking of creatures, during my many walks with Bella, I had the opportunity to see a few creatures. I wasn’t fast enough to capture the squirrel, but I did catch a few other creatures.

A crazy bird was carrying around some food source, fluttering about from tree to sidewalk.

Sammi, across the street, was playing hide and seek with me and Bella, the dog.

Bella had Sammi scurrying up the tree for safety and I was thinking, hmm, maybe I should call the cute firemen to rescue the cat. But alas, Sammi climbed down on his own. Darn.

It was a fun night at the VFW for Karaoke. I sang and danced and had wine, and it was fun. Joni and Bob were so kind to transport me both ways, as they know I won’t drink and drive.

Richard even told Danny, the DJ, that I wanted to sing “Proud Mary,” NOOOO! I never sang that before, but the wine convinced me that I could do it. Hopefully it wasn’t too bad. It was nice to sing and dance and have a good time, like the olden days.

I even convinced Jerry to dance one song with me, despite his painful back.

Now, it’s nearly midnight and I have to get my Black Russian in under the wire. Please forgive any typing and grammatical inebriated errors. CHEERS!

Just under the wire. 11:56

Friday:) Favorite Photo, Fun Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes, Friends and Other Stuff

“Friday seems to roll in just a few minutes past Monday. How does that happen?”

~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

***************************

Ah, this morning my Facebook memory popped up with one of my all time favorite photos. Look how precious. I have a big 8×10 of this hanging on my bedroom wall. It makes me smile every day.

Then this morning, my doorbell rang. The mail lady, Miss Stephanie, left a package at my front door. My awesome friend Debbie sent me a gift. You know what the occasion was? No occasion! She just saw this, thought of me and had to send it to me all the way from Chicago. Thanks Debbie! You are AMAZING too.

She knows I’m not perfect, BUT she knows I am …AMAZING!

Remember how I made all that peanut butter cheesecake filling the other day. Well, I made a whole bunch of mini cheesecakes to share with friends.

A chocolate sandwich cookie, a dollop of filling using a mini scoop, and topped with a mini Nutter Butter cookie bite. I still have enough to make a few more dozen. (Remember, I’m an over achiever,)

What does one do on a stormy Friday night? Cheers, my friends. (Did you notice the kitchen towel by the stove? It reads, “I love Jesus, but I drink a little.” )

Friday Fulminations, My Firemen, and Some Feathered Friends

“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”

Michael Caine

**************

So, we have had SO much rain lately that I told a few friends that I was running up to Home Depot to pick up a lot of lumber and start building the ARK. Now, how to gather all the animals two by two is another story. Well, most people know my weird sense of humor, or lack there of. Miss June gave me a funny look while she pondered how I planned on building an Ark. she got it after a little reflection.

I almost had a head start this morning when I was walking the dog in the rain. A few friendly ducks were across the street waddling around on the neighbors front lawn. Plenty of water around.

Now for the fulminations. I stopped at my fire station with some brownies this afternoon.

A few minutes after the young man went back to check on my other empty containers from the previous weeks, one of the captains came out to talk to me.

“Sorry Miss Toni. We aren’t able to accept homemade treats yet. The other guys didn’t realize that the chiefs are frowning upon and are insisting that no homemade food be brought in. Not even from home or their souses. It’s a safety issue with Covid . Pre-packaged items are ok. But, we have your number and you’ll be the first one we call when we get the ok.”

Well, back to my packaged tortilla chips, canned beans, and Bernard’s Salsa. “”Sigh.”

Happy Friday, my friends.

Friday:) A Few Fanciful & Fabulous Clouds

“You may run into some gray clouds along your journey, so hold on tight to the sunshine within you.”
― Christine E. Szymanski

************************

This evening’s sky was filled with fabulous clouds that escorted me on my evening walk. Some people may see the same sky and the same view, but each night, I see a totally different and magnificent masterpiece in the sky.

My first loop around the pond.

My second loop around the pond. (Can you see how just a few minutes can make such a difference?)

A different view in the southeastern sky.

Now, you see why I love my evening walks.

And guess what? It’s Friday, my friends. You know what that means. Happy Black Russian Friday…CHEERS!

Friday:) Friends, Food, Fun Painting Butterflies and My Firemen

“I was never one to seek the limelight in life, but a little chartreuse afterglow would be nice every once in a while.”

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

*************************

I thought I’d throw in a little color palette quote/joke for my artist friends out there. When I was scrolling through some quotes about friends, I ran across one about looking for the limelight, and for some reason the word chartreuse popped into my head, so made up my own quote. I’m just strange that way. 🤦‍♀️

So, today was such a fun day. My dear friend, Sherri Murphy, was coming over to play with paint and have lunch. We haven’t had an adventure in so long. She offered to bring lunch, and I said, “NO! Please let me cook and bake and fix something for lunch. I never get to cook. I miss cooking.” Well, some of you are mumbling, thinking I’m nuts, but I do miss cooking a big dinner or a fancy lunch for friends and family. I told you I’m strange.

Sherri arrived at noon, bearing gifts, of course. A beautiful plant with a cute plant marker.

Isn’t she adorable.

We had a nice chatty catch up lunch of pizza, salad, homemade banana nut cake, and Dr. Pepper, of course.

I got carried away with the baking, I know. Besides that huge cake, I made two dozen cupcakes. Some to share with neighbors and a dozen for my firemen. Sherri was kind enough to take half the cake home to share with her family, (isn’t it pretty? I outdid myself on the cream cheese frosting piping, I kept adding blobs and stripes and things until I ran out of frosting.

Then, upstairs to my “ crap room“, I mean my studio, to paint some fun butterflies.

Sherri had a blast pouring and smooshing and being creative.

Aren’t they cute! We just dropped acrylic paint onto half of the butterfly then folded it over, smoosh it around then open up the masterpiece. After they dry, we can always add extra lines and embellishments.

This was my favorite, I just added a couple of black squiggly lines on the wings. Also, because these are done on card stock, they can be folded in half, the center body glued onto a small canvas or board with the wings up for a 3-D look. I’ve even put double stick tape in the center and taped them on the wall.

After Sherri left, I ran over to Station 9, …well… I actually drove. I don’t run anymore. I dropped off my cupcakes, and Captain Chandler was very appreciative. He was just filling in at #9 today, normally he’s at #8. He asked if I bake regularly for the station. I said absolutely. I’m thinking he might eat one of my awesome cupcakes and request a permanent transfer to #9.

Well, it’s been a long fun-filled day… but it’s Friday… you know what that means. Cheers, my friends.

Friday:) Final Vaccine with Allen FD, Friends, and Lenten Food

“The real destination lies in step taking!”
― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

**************************

Well, I received my second Covid vaccine this morning. I was a little bit nervous with a queasy stomach, not that I’m afraid of shots and needles, but I’ve heard some scary second vaccine stories. My knight in shining armor, AKA Sid, was kind enough to drive me to my appointment again, so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost coupled with getting sick. The process was quick and smooth, well organized.

Even though Allen FD administered the vaccines, I wore my lucky
McKinney FD T-shirt. Firefighters are awesome!

After I got home, my friend Helene asked if she could stop over and bring me some homage bread, made by her neighbor Elizabeth. Yum. We talked a while, then I got a call from my other friends Joni and Bob. Speaking of friends, they ordered some FRIENDS T-shirts for me and Helene, so we can wear them if and when we ever get a chance to meet in a group again. Most of us have had our vaccines, so hopefully it will be sooner than later.

Time to think what to make for dinner on a Friday in Lent when one is Catholic. Well, more of my cabbage, broccoli, onion medley mixed with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of black beans. Oh, and some of Helene’s fresh bread.

Pretty good, the only bad part… enough leftover for a couple of more days. I’ll never empty out that freezer and fridge. 🤦‍♀️

So now, it must be Black Russian Friday. My left arm is a bit sore, I’ll have to admit, but I’m hoping the alcohol and ice cream will mask the pain. (I looked it up, so far no interaction with alcohol and vaccine. Thank goodness!)

Cheers!!!!