Tuesday, December 31, 2013

It’s high time to begin the Howdygram’s official New Year’s Eve festivities.

In this post: Crappy crap, pickles & biscuits, poor Sam.

I have NOT had a terrific day. The crapola started before sun-up with a variety of body maintenance issues (see previous post) followed by seven consecutive hours of intense intestinal distress, several frantic trips down the hall and half a quart of Imodium. (If this is too much information for you, get over it.) By late afternoon I felt so lousy I couldn’t even face a can of Hormel tamales for dinner so I had pickles & biscuits instead. Stop laughing.

L’chaim, y’all.

In this post: Kvetching, New Year’s Eve, a treatise on Vienna sausages.

It’s 6:30 in the morning and I woke up sneezing about 15 minutes ago. This is a good thing, actually, because I was also thirsty, I had to pee, and I just discovered that I’m having a mild hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode. So — for all of the aforementioned reasons — I’m wide awake, writing a Howdygram post and enjoying my first Marcytini of the day. L’chaim, y’all.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Here’s an end-of-December feel-good story.

In this post: Mental health, braunschweiger, a big win.

Let’s talk streamlining for a minute, okay? In my ongoing effort to avoid the hives and a cerebral hemorrhage, during the last 24 hours I’ve successfully “unsubscribed” myself from approximately four dozen assorted left-wing political email lists that were hounding me multiple times a day since the 2012 presidential election cycle. These included all of the following.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

At no extra charge we also get the intriguing and ever-delightful Omar Sharif.

In this post: Sunday diversions, the jelly beans from hell.

It’s been another weird and sleepy day here at Howdygram headquarters. For the most part I’ve only managed to stay awake long enough to open a can of Dinty Moore beef stew and watch half of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) starring the late Peter O’Toole. (In reality this is even stranger than it sounds.)

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Sleep is a healthful alternative to falling down.

In this post: Saturday sleep overdose, food news, a product review. 

I know this might be the understatement of the century, but I think today was the laziest day of my entire life … and we’re talking about more than SIX DECADES here. Need proof? I slept until noon, ate lunch with Sam, decided it was time for a nap and conked out on the chaise in the family room for another three and a half hours with Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) starring David Niven. Truth be told, I’ve been fatigued lately due to diabetic autonomic neuropathy — which includes being short of breath and getting dizzy — so sleep is a healthful alternative to falling down.

Friday, December 27, 2013

McDonald’s hopes you remembered to tip your masseuse.

In this post: Urgent emergency crap, McDonald’s fails.

Apparently the nationwide UPS and FedEx holiday delivery fiasco isn’t quite over yet, as I have two mysteriously missing packages that were due to arrive today. One was shipped FedEx from Wal-Mart in Albany, New York, but can’t seem to get itself out of Ohio; the other is an Amazon package that’s been stuck at the UPS sort facility in Fort Worth since Tuesday. Let me be perfectly clear about this: both shipments contain URGENT EMERGENCY RATIONS and I WANT MY URGENT EMERGENCY RATIONS NOW! This includes cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, La Choy Chow Mein in various flavors, two jars of Wal-Mart’s knockoff Arthritis-Strength Tylenol and a large jug of McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix. All are pictured below for your possible interest.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Mazel tov to creepy Edward Snowden. Hope you’re enjoying your first Russian winter.

In this post: The Great Pizza War, a retirement milestone, Snowden’s accomplishment.

I forgot to include an important issue in my post earlier today: OUR LOCAL PIZZA HUT WAS CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Closed! Therefore I would appreciate a considered explanation of Pizza Hut’s corporate policy and/or a FORMAL APOLOGY regarding why these yokels refused to make a thin crust with extra cheese for the only Jewish residents of Mesquite, Texas. I consider this an outrage! This is politically incorrect! PIZZA HUT IS AT WAR WITH JEWS IN TEXAS! Thank you, have a nice day and oy.

Everybody knows that spooky crap happens all the time on the Internet.

In this post: Weird shit and spooky crap.

I didn’t write a Howdygram post yesterday because Sam and I enjoyed a non-holiday celebration of naps, food, movies and joyous slugdom. (Mostly because we’re Jewish.) However, please allow me to wish y’all a happy day-AFTER-Christmas, and I hope you snagged a pile of thrilling presents and ate enough indigestible fruitcake to sink a freakin’ battleship.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas from the Gefilte Fish Squad at Howdygram headquarters.

In this post: The ongoing imaginary war on Christmas.

Happy Tuesday, people! I’m here to make good on the promise in my last post by introducing the Howdygram’s latest Putz of the Week honoree. Meet Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado, another religious Republican manure-for-brains fighting back against the imaginary war on Christmas. With a comb-over, no less.

I’ve never tap-danced in my entire life.

In this post: Frozen solid, couch picnic essentials.

I’m almost too cold right now to type the word “hypothermia” because my body temperature is 94.8° AND I’M SHAKING. It doesn’t seem to matter that the house is 72° inside and I’m wearing the warmest fluffy robe I own. Holy crap, people. This really sucks. And in case you’re wondering what the hell is going on, my low body temperature issue is one of the many symptoms of diabetic autonomic neuropathy, where nerve damage sends wrong signals to (and from) the brain. This is also why I get lightheaded, short of breath, lose my balance, have difficulty swallowing and had to stop tap-dancing. (I might be kidding about tap-dancing. I’ve never tap-danced in my entire life.)

Tonight is Christmas Eve. This is no big deal to Sam and me for any reason whatsoever.

In this post: Insomnia, Tuesday shopping, holiday favorites.

It’s 6:20 a.m. and I don’t know why I’m hanging out in the study at this hour of the morning. I woke up at 5 for my middle-of-the-night senior citizen bathroom adventure but couldn’t fall asleep again when I went back to bed, so here I am … armed with a keyboard and ready for trouble. Shopping always helps kill a little time so I just ordered the following fine products from my friends at Amazon: 1) a gigantic jug of tasty McCormick Italian herb spaghetti sauce seasoning mix (all you do is moosh it up with canned tomatoes); and 2) Sparkle Dent for the whitest dentures in North America. I’m not sure they actually sparkle, per se, but this stuff is pretty damn AMAZING.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Today’s holiday treat: 45 minutes of “Gladys Knight Sings Shitty Christmas Songs” on a continuous loop.

In this post: Holiday weather, many happy returns, menu options.

In case you’re planning a holiday visit to the Dallas area to eat barbecue, drink beer and pet the cattle, I’m pleased to offer the following EXCELLENT WEATHER FORECAST through December 28. It would have been nice also to include December 29, 30 and 31 but my screen shot tool didn’t reach that far. I know you’ll forgive me. Carry on, people.

Drive-by Christmas cards and a visit from Schwan’s.

In this post: Bah humbug, pleasant frozen whatnots.

As I write this post Sam is embarking on a post office “drive-by” to mail our six Christmas cards. I realize we’re probably a week late with this activity, but it’s apparent that nobody really gives a crap about Christmas cards any more since we’ve only received TWO this year ... and both are from people I don’t even know. (Sam’s co-workers.) Therefore, here’s a big fat Howdygram PHOOEY to all you humbugs out there and a Merry Festivus to one and all.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Disappointment and braunschweiger.

In this post: Crappy merchandise, a dinner dilemma. 

The verdict is in, people. MY CRAPPY NEW OFFICE CHAIR IS GOING BACK TOMORROW. What a total disappointment after waiting three months for this damn thing on back order, then watching Sam assemble and disassemble it three times today trying to figure out why the angle of the seat (which isn’t adjustable) tilts so far forward that a handicapped senior citizen like yours truly has to put excessive pressure on her already-lousy knees to keep from sliding onto the floor. Holy mother of crap.

My new office chair is creating a lot of negative hoo-hah.

In this post: Chair fail.

If you’re like me, you might need a little something to cheer you up right now.

Nothing relieves pain like a can of beef stew.

In this post: Unexpected naps, cheap eats.

It’s two hours before sunrise at Howdygram headquarters and I’m wide awake, the end result of two long and unexpected naps on Saturday, the second of which ended around 9 p.m. — Sam actually slept until 11:15 — followed by a ridiculously late dinner at midnight. Obviously we’re both upside-down but we don’t give a crap. We sleep when we’re tired and we eat when we’re hungry. AMERICA!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Cottonelle Clean Care with Very Stupid Ripples is ruining my life.

In this post: Water from the sky, bad toilet paper.

It’s a dark and crappy Saturday morning due to substantial very cold rain all around the Dallas metro area. For your possible interest the map below indicates: A) Howdygram headquarters in Mesquite; B) Hong Kong Royal in Carrollton where we can’t go for dim sum today because it’s too far, too cold and too wet; and C) the location of our favorite Costco in Rockwall. (We’re not doing Costco today, either.) I, for one, plan to stay indoors with Sam, The Bishop’s Wife and a can of Hormel tamales.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Please feel free to drop in if you’re hungry because I’ve got a lot of fantastic snacky crap.

In this post: Shipping nightmares, snack attacks. 

UPS and FedEx are a total disaster right now in the Dallas metropolitan area. Deliveries are late, rescheduled, misdirected and then vaporize. Yesterday FedEx didn’t deliver the office chair I’d been waiting for (on back order) since September so I checked online around midnight to see if they rescheduled it. I find out the package had been “delivered to front door” at 11:45 p.m. so I open the front door and guess what: NO DAMN PACKAGE. It’s past midnight when I finally reach somebody at FedEx to rip them a new one, and the customer service agent puts me on hold and sends a text message directly to the delivery driver. Two hours later I hear a truck engine idling outside and my carton mysteriously shows up at the front door ... at 2 o’clock in the morning. Holy crap.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

I find it ironic to have a toothache but no teeth.

In this post: Crap held hostage, a Putz of the Week.

There’s something amiss right now at Howdygram headquarters. UPS and FedEx have totally loused up their pre-holiday deliveries, and all the packages I was expecting yesterday and today have been rescheduled until tomorrow (hopefully) for no apparent reason whatsoever. The online tracking information simply says “EXCEPTION.” Really? An exception to what, exactly? You’re holding my damn crap* hostage! I WANT MY DAMN CRAP AND I WANT IT NOW!

Sam is overworked.

In this post: Just come home already.

It’s almost 5 a.m. here. I just woke up for my middle-of-the-night senior citizen bathroom adventure and discovered that Sam isn’t home from work yet! I called his office (no answer, which is very weird) and then his cell phone, which is when I find out that Sam is jogging across downtown Dallas on foot trying to deliver a hard-copy document proof to a client who’s staying at the Ritz. AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, PEOPLE. He was out of breath, his legs are hurting, he’s crabby and he’s exhausted.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

I’ve been sitting on a broken chair since mid-summer. My butt deserves much better treatment than this.

In this post: A tardy office chair, too many maracas, ongoing drought.

I’ve been trying to write a Howdygram post since 9 o’clock this morning but haven’t been able isolate any interesting topics or assemble the necessary sentences. I don’t know if I’ve got enough motivation now, either, but it’s 12 hours later and what the crap, I’ll just give it my best shot. Each paragraph will have a title so you’ll know what’s what, okay?

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

I’m a retired senior citizen now and this is probably all the excitement I can stand.

In this post: Exciting options for retirees, heavy lifting.

It’s 3:45 p.m. and here are my options for the rest of the day: 1) take another nap; 2) eat things; 3) clean up the kitchen because my maid comes tomorrow and I don’t want her to think we’re slobs; 4) items 1, 2 and 3 followed by watching The Thrill of It All (1963) starring Doris Day and James Garner; and 5) folding underwear. If you think my life sounds boring you’d probably be right, except I’M A RETIRED SENIOR CITIZEN NOW and this is probably all the excitement I can stand ... not counting a hot shower and tonight’s season premier of “Hardcore Pawn.”

In the early stages of hypoglycemia it’s a lot like being inebriated.

In this post: Hypoglycemia, Internet groceries.

I woke up half an hour ago in the middle of low blood sugar episode. I can always tell what’s going on even if I’m still half asleep because all of a sudden my knees don’t hurt, which is due to my brain powering down from a serious lack of glucose. This is not a wholly unpleasant feeling, mind you. In the early stages of hypoglycemia it’s a lot like being inebriated. Unfortunately, in the later stages it’s a lot like being a cadaver. I guess you can’t have everything.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Amazon’s shopping fairies sometimes drop the price when you’re not looking.

In this post: Condolence call, shopping diversions.

There isn’t very much to write about today because I never do anything interesting unless you give a crap about laundry, so I’ll begin this post with a brand new Howdygram feature!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Sam has changed his name to Mister Productive today.

In this post: Wider is better, meet Mister Productive.

It’s entirely possible that some of you may not be aware that the Howdygram is 20 pixels wider today. While this might be no big deal to you whatsoever it’s a very big deal to me because 20 extra pixels can change a person’s life, and as soon as I think of a few examples you’ll be the first to know. Meanwhile, in case you don’t quite know what 20 pixels looks like you can check out the red box in the illustration below.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

I’ll risk damn near anything if unlimited egg rolls are involved.

In this post: Dense fog, giant pies. 

Here’s some breaking news on Saturday afternoon from your friends at Howdygram headquarters! We’ve just decided NOT to drive all over town looking at Christmas lights tonight because it’s too cold and damp outside and also because Sam wants to spend some quality time with the gigantic apple pie he bought this afternoon at Tom Thumb. So I won’t feel left out I purchased the following essentials today from a variety of my favorite Internet retailers. I ordered 100 insulin pen needles from Wayfair.com, a foamy soap dispenser thing from Amazon and McCormick Brown Gravy on eBay.

Friday, December 13, 2013

“Millionaire Matchmaker” is a Howdygram favorite.

In this post: Folding socks, matching millionaires.

I regret to report that very, very few of you have volunteered for the Howdygram’s Friday the 13th after-hours sock-folding party.

Okay, technically none of you volunteered, but there’s still plenty of time to do the right thing. Click here to reserve your spot now! As a bonus, we’re serving a large volume of nutritious yet tasty snacks — canned Vienna sausages, soy milk, low-carb rye bread and dill pickles — with your choice of a quality Doris Day movie or last night’s episode of “Millionaire Matchmaker” on Bravo. Thank you in advance for your valuable participation.

Favorite holiday films and corny Christmas hoo-hah.

In this post: TCM holiday movie schedule.

Those of you who read the Howdygram regularly know I’m a big classic movie fan. I love the good ones, the cheesy ones and practically any genre you can think of except for chainsaws and gladiators. That said, December is a great time to watch TCM because I love holiday movies AND because they do a retrospective montage thing of all the famous faces who died that year. Click here to check out the montage on TCM’s website. (I tried to embed the video but it screwed up the rest of my post formatting.)

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Nothing says “Happy Birthday Baby Jesus” like an outrageous waste of electricity.

In this post: Kvetching, raining, laundry and lights.

I’ve got another kvetch report to share in conjunction with my standard list of ongoing complaints that includes shitty knees, shitty feet and a terrifyingly low body temperature. Now I can add SHOULDER PAIN ever since I woke up yesterday with a really sore right shoulder like I just pitched an extra-inning baseball game. Ow, damn it.

UPS drivers are a bunch of whiny little girls.

In this post: Constipated deliveries.

So here’s the thing. Apparently UPS’s distribution facilities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area remain seriously constipated due to last week’s ice storm. Package deliveries, including two of mine, are backed up all over the damn place, so UPS has reassigned 2,000 extra employees — let’s think of them as human suppositories — from across the U.S. to get things moving again. Stuck somewhere in the backlog are my glass stacking canisters from Anchor Hocking and Sam’s new underpants from Amazon. Both deliveries should have been here on Tuesday. In a word, I’m REALLY CRUSHED. (Okay, two words.)

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Deadbeats, milestones and dinner.

In this post: Clingy clients, a farewell to Ovation Creative.

For the record, even though I’m collecting Social Security now (see earlier post) it doesn’t really mean I’m 100% retired since a handful of desperate clients are choosing to hang on till the very bitter end. I assume this is because they love me, although the feeling is NOT reciprocal and I’d be overjoyed if they all just disappeared already.

Is this some kind of warped right-wing Tea Party anti-shopping conspiracy?

In this post: Coordinated cows, consolation prizes.

Yup, I did it again. I updated the Howdygram’s banner this afternoon and decided to throw a nice color-coordinated cow up there for added visual appeal in case you’re partial to livestock. (You’re welcome.)

Holy crap, everybody! It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!

In this post: It’s here.

I just checked our bank balance. My first Social Security check was deposited this morning, and now it’s official:

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

I’ve just discovered my new favorite cheap canned meat: Armour Vienna Sausages.

In this post: Recalls, a Wal-Mart addiction, Vienna sausages.

I’ve been receiving frantic emails today from the Amazon Product Safety Team with news that Abbott has recalled a bunch of their popular FreeStyle Lite glucose test strips due to lousy results when used with older-model FreeStyle blood glucose meters. So far I’ve received six emails (one for each purchase, I guess) except none of this actually applies to me because I don’t have an older-model meter. Also because I used up those test strips at least nine months ago.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Listen up, Caribou Barbie. Go roast a moose for Christmas dinner and leave the rest of us alone.

In this post: Everybody’s favorite Putz.

Sarah Palin, vapid mouthpiece of the religious right, made a claim today on the Christian Broadcasting Network that “angry atheists” are trying to “abort Christ from Christmas” and “threaten the American way of life.” Because apparently Baby Jesus was one of the Founding Fathers.

Insomnia, the kvetch du jour.

In this post: Guess who can’t sleep ... again.

This will be a stupid blow-by-blow description of a day without sleep. Welcome to my world.

MONDAY, 6:47 A.M. I’ve been awake all night. All damn night. I’m not sure I can pinpoint the reason, but it’s most likely a combination of electric shocks in my feet (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), heel pain (plantar fasciitis), mild indigestion, a general feeling of overall shittiness and the fact that I’m not even tired. I tried to go back to bed twice and even stretched out on the chaise in the family room ... but no luck. So I figure I’ll just stop whining and wait until I finally get sleepy. I guess you can’t win ’em all, right?

Exciting crap for the week ahead.

In this post: Deliveries, dough, refunds, frozen fog.

Here’s the exciting crap that’s coming up this week at Howdygram headquarters!

DELIVERIES. On Tuesday and Wednesday we’re expecting: 1) Shirataki noodles, spicy sauces, canned straw mushrooms and a box of tofu from Asian Food Grocer; 2) Jimmy Dean Country Gravy mix, a shower cap, toilet paper, butt wipes and a bottle of DaVinci vanilla syrup from Wal-Mart; 3) my lovely new ecru bedspread from Brylane Home; 4) underpants for Sam from Amazon; 5) four nice glass stacking canisters from Anchor Hocking; and 6) fluffy memory foam slippers from FootSmart. All of these purchases were illustrated for you in earlier posts, but in case you don’t remember them please click here, here, here and here. Thank you.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

I’m sorry if this post was boring. They can’t all win a Pulitzer.

In this post: Practically nothing.

SUNDAY, 6 P.M. We’re still ice-bound in north Texas and I can’t think of anything to write about. I’ve basically been sitting around the house like a slug since I got out of bed this morning with the exception of an afternoon nap on the chaise, during which I reclined for four hours under a fake mink blanket named Mister Furry. I didn’t even bother with a normal lunch and opted instead for insulin and potato chips. (Don’t call the diabetes police. I had a craving, okay?) I honestly don’t know if Sam ate anything at all today, although I vaguely remember watching him toast a bagel. Or maybe that was yesterday.

Welcome to “ground zero.”

In this post: Freezing fog, empty shelves.

For at least the next several days north Texas will be ground zero in the Zombie Ice Storm Apocalypse. We’re currently experiencing FREEZING FOG until 9 a.m. Sunday morning, which is depositing EVEN MORE ICE on top of the inch we’ve already got. Freeways and surface streets are virtually impassable and about 200,000 residents are still without power ... including most of NorthPark Center, Nordstrom, the Apple Store and Keller Hamburgers. Breaking news on our local NBC affiliate says Whole Foods has been ravaged and you can’t even find a box of freakin’ SALTINES. For the most part, supermarkets are empty all over town because deliveries can’t get through.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

The Howdygram’s official Ice Storm Survival Guide.

In this post: A frozen wasteland, amusing diversions.

In case you’re wondering why I didn’t write a Howdygram post yesterday, Sam had to work from home because his office was closed due to the entire Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex being entombed in half an inch of ice, so I decided to give him a day of privacy in the study without pestering him.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Waiting for the ice storm from hell.

In this post: Bedding 101, dire warnings, crap weather.

I’m having an issue with hot hands and feet tonight — diabetic peripheral neuropathy again — so I thought I’d hang out in the study for a while and post a picture of the new bedspread I ordered this afternoon. In case you’re interested I didn’t buy the coordinating pillow shams for three reasons: 1) you really don’t need them with a bedspread; 2) they’re generally annoying; and 3) king-size sham stuffers are too heavy to lift with my nerve-damaged hands. Therefore I’ve decided to make our bed the “old-fashioned” way ... with our regular bed pillows folded underneath the spread. Click here if you have a problem with this. Please feel free to offer a detailed explanation.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Introducing Addison Elizabeth.

In this post: Happy faces.

Hey, people, I almost forgot! Here are the first official photos of my teeny new grandniece, Addison Elizabeth, who was born on November 26 to my niece Melissa and her husband Tom. Also included here is big brother Tyler, 5½, who’s apparently getting a huge kick out of all this.

Marshall Field’s was the best damn department store God ever created.

In this post: Remembering Frango Mints.

Know what? FedEx will deliver my sugar-free Russell Stover chocolates ANY MINUTE NOW, and I can hardly wait! This time I included two bags of their French Mints because I’m hoping they’ll remind me of the unforgettable Frangos I used to buy at Marshall Field’s — THE BEST DAMN DEPARTMENT STORE GOD EVER CREATED — a million years ago when I lived in Chicago. (I still dream about Frango Mints. Also Italian beef sandwiches.)

I have the most phenomenal husband on the planet.

In this post: An ode to Sam.

I have, without a doubt, the most phenomenal husband on the planet, and I don’t say this just because he’s 6'5", debt-free and deliriously entertaining. To prove the first part of my opening sentence I am proud to list Sam’s Wednesday morning accomplishments.

Starvation is not a possibility.

In this post: Winter storm warning, emergency provisions.

WEDNESDAY MORNING, 5:45 A.M. Today Howdygram headquarters — actually, the entire Dallas metro area — will experience a last desperate blast of fake summer when our afternoon high hits 81°. This won’t last long, though. By mid-day tomorrow the temperature will be 32° with a 100% chance of significant sleet and freezing rain that’s forecast to continue through Friday night, at which time the temperature bottoms out at 22°. That’s even cold enough for hell to freeze over! Fortunately, we’re well-supplied with emergency provisions here because Sam stocked up on winter storm essentials yesterday at Wal-Mart: 1) two large lumps of braunschweiger; 2) margarine; 3) zero-carb heavy cream; 4) spicy little Jimmy Dean sausage patty whatnots; 5) blueberry Clif Bars; and 6) my prescription refill for Spironolactone. 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

I use a cane for balance and walk with a gait like Godzilla.

In this post: Kvetch report, storm forecast.

That pitiful sound you hear in the background is my screaming knees. This has been a productive yet physically challenging day for Queen Kvetch of Howdygramland, involving two loads of laundry, ironing, pantry reorganization and stacking the dishwasher, an activity that I hate almost as much as emptying the damn thing. In case you’re new around here, I am a mostly-friendly senior citizen with MOBILITY ISSUES. A lot of them. These include arthritic knees, plantar fasciitis in both feet, muscle weakness in my lower back and legs, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in my limbs) and autonomic neuropathy that makes me lightheaded and short of breath. I use a cane for balance, walk with a gait like Godzilla and usually can’t stand for more than five minutes at a time. Holy crap, right?

Slippers from FootSmart are recommended for “feet with issues.”

In this post: Happy feet, new connections.

Take a guess what’s new today at Howdygram headquarters. Give up? SLIPPERS! I usually shlep around here year-round in my bare feet but a FootSmart catalog that came in today’s mail convinced me to take a closer look at the cuties pictured below. They’re recommended for “feet with issues” — i.e., plantar fasciitis, swelling and diabetic neuropathy — and made of squishy microfiber terry with REAL MEMORY FOAM FOOTBEDS and have traction soles in case I decide tap dance outside on the snow and ice. Even better, they only cost $24.99, come in huge sizes (I’m a 12 wide) and I ordered them in black. (I order everything in black.)

Monday, December 2, 2013

Rick Santorum, America’s self-appointed Birth Control Führer.

In this post: Another scary forecast, another Putz of the Week.

It’s a lovely, clear Monday night in north Texas, about 55° at 9:30 p.m., and the lying sacks of poo at Weather.com are again attempting to convince us that a TERRIFYING WINTER STORM WITH ICE is on the way. This time there’s a big orange Special Weather Statement warning about freezing rain Thursday night, freezing rain and sleet on Friday, and another potential round of wintry crap on Saturday and Sunday. However it’s worth noting that Weather.com hasn’t provided an accurate forecast for the Dallas metro area since 1983. I hate those people.

Hypoglycemic delirium and Cyber Monday adventures.

In this post: Hypoglycemia, Cyber Monday, a focus on accents.

I’m just coming out of another scary low blood sugar episode. About 45 minutes ago I woke up to go to the bathroom and knew something was completely screwed when my knees didn’t hurt (my knees ALWAYS hurt) and I had a craving for chocolate, French fries, an onion bagel with braunschweiger, sweet pickles and Hunan Shrimp all at the same time. My blood sugar tested at 47; four tasty tropical fruit glucose chewables from Wal-Mart saved the day. I like the pink and yellow ones.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Who wouldn’t want a case of Hormel tamales delivered by helicopter?

In this post: Amazon does it again.

Hi, people. While Sam is asleep in the family room watching My Favorite Spy (1951) starring Bob Hope I’ve decided to hang out here with the Howdygram until it’s time for my next meal, which most likely will be SOON judging from the noise in my stomach. I’m considering a variety of different menu possibilities, but right now at the top of my short list are Five-Minute Stupid Soup and Marcy’s Low-Carb Mock Matzo Balls. (Point of interest: When you throw in mock matzo balls, Five-Minute Stupid Soup actually takes 40 minutes.)