Gonna try one more - Italian stromboli

 I have not had much luck with the Facebook recipes lately.  Most of each dinner went down the garbage disposal.  Oh well.  They looked good on Facebook.  The family "liked" them but they were not anything to crow about and nobody wanted left overs or to take any in their lunches.

So, I have the makings for one more from the Facebook series.  An Italian stromboli.  I am sure mine will not even come close to looking like the picture seen here and if I am brave, I'll post mine.   I figure I probably can't go wrong with pizza dough, pizza sauce, pepperoni and a ton of mozzarella cheese, right?

We'll see.

I finished the biography of Paul Simon by Robert Hilburn.  I skimmed a lot of the book.  Just details I was not really interested in.  Paul sounds like a difficult person to get along with.  He was probably a dedicated, hard worker and didn't care much for the lighter side of life or those who were quite carefree.  Sounds like he thought they were frivolous and a waste of time.

I am a fan of Carrie Fisher (or was, sorry).  Maybe with his serious side he was attracted to her witty, light side.  I've read her book "Postcards from the Edge" (and have seen the movie several times). I may have read "Wishful Drinking". I'll have to look at it and see if I remember.  Looks like she wrote a dozen or more, I'll have to look into her other books.

So, what's next on my reading list?  I have to say, I wonder what a psychologist would say about my reading genres?  Biographies, serial killers, weather/earth disasters, reading body language, psychology, how to manage people/get along with coworkers, (not any more, ha ha!).  I cannot get into the fiction that is popular today.  I will try to read the "best novel" of the month or something. I use Goodreads as my guide. More often than not, I give up and go back to my regulars. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with the raw reality and will go for a fiction story. Usually I pick one that I know and liked and read long ago. Such as Wilkie Collins "The Moonstone" or "The Woman in White". I also like Agatha Christie.  I also enjoy books that were made into movies/tv shows that I have already watched.  Currently I am watching the TV series "Dark Winds" based on the books by Tony Hillerman.  The book series is Leaphorn & Chee. I am on the first few pages of the first book.  I'm not doing too well with it. I am also ready to give up on the TV series.  I liked the first two season but am having trouble getting into season 3.

Sigh.  But I have to discipline myself. I still have a lot of work to do around the house and the weather is finally starting to get nice and I want to get flowers and plant them. Enjoying retirement but along with that comes the down side. I broke a tooth off last week (dentist is sending me to a specialist who will extract it and make an implant - it is a front/side tooth).  I am already missing molars in all four corners of my mouth. Another downside is the aches and pains. I try to take care about eating foods that cause inflammation.  Sometimes I get out of bed and just go "Ow, ow, ow, ow ow!" Long car rides are another issue. I say to myself "God, I hope my neighbors aren't watching me" as I hobble out of my car and my first four to five steps look like I am a staggering drunk until I can right myself and keep the pain away for the following steps. And of course I can't do the things I used to do around the yard/house.  But I am not wired to be driven. If I don't feel like doing anything or getting something finished that day - I am able to let it go. It was probably living a long life with migraine headaches that made me realize I don't have to have it done that day because as anybody who has migraines know - you can forget trying to get anything done with those things.  For years there was no medication and when I read about new medicine (mid 90's, I think) it was a life changer.

Now, I have to watch my daughter go through the years of misery I had.  She is currently working with her doctor to tweak her medication to find the right dosage for her headaches.  As I've mentioned before - mine quit with the full hysterectomy.  Gone, gone, gone.  Maybe one a year, now. Good riddance.

Facebook is now my cookbook

 It seems that more times than not, I get recipe ideas from Facebook.  I see a few posts from family and friends, and of course the usual cute cat videos and a sprinkle of stupid people doing stupid things (a lot of fireworks and falling down) and the never ending idiot drivers.  But for me - I can't pass up watching somebody put a delicious recipe together.  Chicken, garlic and butter. What's not to love?  Anything with pizza sauce and cheese and pepperoni. I was never one to watch cooking shows.  I don't have regular television.  I watch shows/movies on my computer.  I get a TV and I end up giving it away because I never turn it on after the first week. I stopped "surfing" when I dropped my cable service. I only have Internet now and the kids have Netflix.  I have Amazon Prime but I never watch anything on that but once in a blue moon.  I like documentaries and true crime stories.  

My Mom loved books. She had several cookbooks.  I think one of my sisters got them after she passed.  I have about a dozen that I've picked up.  A few are ones that were put together at the place I was working at the time. We would have a pot luck get together and everybody wanted recipes, so we would make a cookbook.  One "smart aleck" guy contributed his recipe of how to make ice cubes.  

I also find myself not following a recipe a lot. I don't always measure and I don't always follow the list of ingredients. If I do happen to make something and everybody really likes it or I really like it, I'll try to write down what it was I added or did differently so I can do it the same way the next time. It bothers me to no end to make something and it is not good. I don't like to waste food. I don't give my dogs "people food".  Maybe a bit of chicken or meat after I have rinsed off any gravy or spices. Cheese is used if I need to give them medicine in pill form. I've found pills on the floor later  - sneaky little devils. Like my daughter when she was young. I found children's Tylenol chewable tablets in the trash can sitting right on top of all the trash. I told her - you could have at least hid them in the trash so I wouldn't see them!

Currently reading a Johnny Cash biography and I found a cookbook that his son published that I looked through.  I thought that Cash just went from Vivian to June but come to find out he had several affairs. Well, that is what this book says - author Robert Hilburn.

I was reading John Grisham's book about people who have been wrongly convicted of a crime. My computer updated one night and the book closed and I never opened it back up. I will get back to it eventually.  Another biography by Hilburn is waiting - Paul Simon. 

I also started reading about the serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson by Jack Olsen. I think I saw an advertisement of a tv show or movie about it so I looked the book up online - ebooks.  That is what I read:  ebooks. I got a little ill reading the book so I stopped for a while.

Freedom Rally in my town

 I knew the weather was rainy but I had to go.  My first protest rally.  I lost my voice several times yelling. I was at a point in the sidewalk where if the light was red, traffic stopped.  Some folks had their windows down. Most of them cheered us on and gave us the thumbs up sign and honked their horns.  But once in a while I would see a man sitting in the drivers seat (usually a big four-wheel drive truck) and I could tell by his face he was not happy to see us.  That's when I would do it.  I  hollered "Hi Ho! Trump must go!"  One guy in particular really took offense.  As soon as I started, my comrades around me joined in and he went ballistic shaking his fist at us and yelling something.  We could not hear him. Traffic moved on.

I only saw one person I knew. She and I talked a bit afterwards and it was nice to catch up.  Prior to the protest I made a couple of new friends with a couple of ladies there. We talked and listened to each other.  The signs on display were interesting to read.  One guy walked around with his homemade sign that read "Muck Fusk".   

I finished reading "The Penguin Lessons".  It was a quick and easy read.  I have a couple more biographies lined up and a couple of true stories about serial killers  (two of my favorite subjects).  

I am working on the last two kitchen cabinet drawers to paint and I need to put another coat on the back door. I can't do that one until it is warm enough to keep the door open.  It's getting there and Spring is  taking it's sweet time.  A lot of flooding in the surrounding area.  A lot of puddling and mud in my yard that makes it fun when the dogs come back inside. I have a stack of rags by the back door and they love it when they get wet and we rub them down.  They dance around and arch their backs and you can tell it feels so good.  Funny - I ordered a garden stool (to help me get back up when  I kneel down outside to work in the ground) and it came with this glove that has serious digging claws at the end of it. This is the right hand only (sucks to be left handed - I'm not but I do have 2 siblings who are).  I scratch the dog's backs with the glove. I make sure I don't press too hard.  They love it and when they have had enough they walk away.  I looked them up and you can get them on Amazon for about $6 (both gloves have claws). 

Visiting family on Tuesday.  One year from the eclipse (my great niece's birthday - she will be 2).  This one is our newest addition to the family.  My niece had her at 48 so she was a long time coming.  I am taking cheesecakes that I special ordered.  There is a lady in a nearby town that makes these cheesecakes to die for.  They area  bit pricey but heavy as a brick and so delicious. They should be illegal.