Either The Oscar movies are getting better or my brain is breaking.

 

The Oscars, the one and only awards show I watch with any sort of full interest, is airing in a couple of weeks which means that, in spite of my protestations to the contrary, I'm scrambling to see all ten of the Best Picture nominees.  Last week, I wrote reviews for the 5 best known pictures of the group.  Today, I want to talk about my brain.

I'm pretty sure my brain is breaking.

Either that, or the movies Oscar is nominating are getting better, less stupid, more coherent, more worthy of views.

Emilia Perez was the first surprise. I can't stop talking about how great a story and how great the writing is on this film.  

But I thought that was the last surprise because the remaining five movies looked wildly stupid and I'm not about to spend time and money going to theaters to see a movie I'm 98% sure I'm going to hate. I'd rather do that in the privacy of my own home.

But, yesterday, I broke my vow (The one I made after BUYING "Nomadland" from Amazon) that I was NOT going to buy or rent any of these films.  I rented "The Substance" from Amazon and watched it.  Bob and Brian had been mocking this film on their show all week and since I had the afternoon off I figured I'd give it a look.

Six buck and two hours later I was agog, aghast, and everything else.

I not only didn't hate it, I liked it, I was entertained by it, I GOT IT!

"The Substance" starring Demi Moore, opens as a commentary on society's value of women over the age of 50.  Set in Hollywood in what I believe is the 80's or early 90's (based on the clothes and the omnipresent mauve carpeting in Moore's apartment, although they do have cell phones, so take that for what you want). Moore is Elizabeth Sparkles, and aging actress who's starred in her own jazzercise show for decades. On her 50th birthday her boss (Played wildly by a clearly deranged Dennis Quaid) fires her and begins the search to find someone younger, hotter, newer.

In the immortal words of "How I Met Your Mother's" Barney Stinson, "New is Always Better."

Elizabeth Sparkles is in a car accident on her way home from work.  In the ER she meets a fairly weird male nurse who slips her a card for "The Substance."  She follows this weird rabbit hole, taking the substance which creates a younger alter-ego.  Each one lives 7 days and then switches, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Pretty cool, right?

The new girl let's call her Sue, because that's her name in the movie, auditions and gets the job as the star of a new jazzercise show.  She works and lives 7 days, then switches and Sparkles lives for 7 days. In the meantime, the one lives the other lies comatose in the bathroom, living off of some premeasured goo through in IV.

Still with me?

Almost predictably, Sue's life spins upward, with talk show appearances, screaming fans, all of it.  Sparkles' life is a complete downward spiral sinking into the world of TV watching and late-night binge eating.  The Sue starts to take extra time: at first a few hours, then a day or two.  What can that hurt, right?

While the ending of this film does devolve into some kind of over-the-top 1950's era space horror, the message is clear:  Women of a certain age are not valued in this country.  Not for employers, not for the younger generation, not for themselves. There's a scene where Sparkles is getting ready for a date with a man her own age, someone who thinks she's the prettiest girl anywhere.  The scene is heartbreaking for me, a woman in that age group, to watch this beautiful, glamorous star doubt herself to the point of violence.  

This is not going to be everyone's cup of coffee, I know. There's a ridiculous amount of nudity, although it's hardly there for titillation, more a sterile, medical, comparative look at women's bodies as they age.  The language isn't terrible, just turn off the sound when Dennis Quaid shows up.  There is a ton of blood and gore, I'm not going to lie. I had to cover my eyes a couple times.  That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this weird picture.

Demi Moore should absolutely be the front runner for Best Actress. Unlike when she did "Striptease" (And everyone said she was so brave) she really shows courage here, allowing her body to be used and abused by the Substance and by Sue.  I haven't seen her do emotional work like this since "St. Elmo's Fire" and I'm very excited to see a 62-year-old woman look as awesome as she does and then be confident enough in herself to allow the film to twist her into something unrecognizable.  

It's doubtful "The Substance" will win best picture.  I won't be shocked if it does, but it's unlikely.  There are too many other films that are just better and more accessible.  But it's worth the six bucks for a rental on Amazon Prime.

You be the judge.  Is it a good movie is my brain really broken?

Five for Friday (On Saturday) It's OSCAR MOVIE TIME!

 

Okay, it's that time of year again, when the Academy of White Guys who Judge Movies nominates a bunch of films most people hadn't heard of.  However, thanks to investing in MULTIPLE streaming services I have, so far, been able to watch the five most accessible films nominated for the big award.  And I'm here to share my thoughts on those movies and what I believe their chances are for winning.  Ready?

WICKED:  Based on both the stage play and the book by the same name, "Wicked" the movie is a good bridge between the two.  Not as fluffy cotton candy as the stage musical, but not as dark as the book, the movie musical is a feast for the eyes and ears of theater kids everywhere. It's also a very good movie.  (And one of the two I saw in a theater.)  My personal feelings about Arianna Grande aside, Wicked is beautiful set, directed, dressed, all of it.  

But it will not win Best Picture this year and here's why:  Much like the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, this movie is not yet complete. There is a second chapter to it.  And like LOTR, the Best Picture is going to go to the final chapter, not this one. However, I give this 5 out of 5 stars, even with Arianna Grande. You can buy this on Amazon Prime.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN:  Timothee Chalamet is not only a revelation with his brilliant singing (Yes, he did that on his own) but he absolutely carries this film about music's ultimate anti-hero, Bob Dylan. I am not a Bob Dylan fan, but I went to the movies with hubby who is.  I loved this movie.  I loved the music, I loved seeing the evolution of a cocky kid from Minnesota as he turned to a beloved folk singer and then threw it all away so he could play an electric guitar.   TC reached way beyond his young years and I believe this will be his crowning moment. The movie is a 5 out of 5 stars. TC should win best actor and this movie would be my favorite to win best picture. This is still only in theaters.

CONCLAVE:  While a movie about the voting on a new Pope might seem super dull for most people, especially non-Catholics, Conclave can, and does, grip the viewer with its stealthy pacing and slow burn drama. The payoff is movie perfection.  Long time favorite, Ralph Fiennes is nominated for best actor, but he, like this movie, is a runner up to "A Complete Unknown."  Very good movie, 5 out of 5 stars.  It's on Peacock, so definitely check it out.

DUNE PART TWO:  I'm going to be honest, I may never fully understand what the blazes is going on in the Dune universe. Back in the 80's I tried to love the first movie. I didn't. I hated it.  It's still the only movie I've ever walked out on.  But I did really enjoy Dune part one, mostly due to the work of Timothee Chalamet (There he is again) and Zendaya.  The two young actors take what is a wildly unwieldy, sprawling story and give us a good foundation to explore that universe with them.  However, this movie will not win Best Picture.  Why?  Again, the Lord of the Rings reason.  Dune 2 isn't the end.  Dune 3 is the one that will garner all the statues.  I give this movie 4.5 stars out of 5 only because, as I say, I don't yet fully understand what the blazes is going on.  This is on Netflix and you can rent it on Amazon Prime.

EMILIA PEREZ:  Okay, when I sat down to watch this musical (Yep it's a musical) about drug cartel kidnappings in Mexico, I was all set to hate it. So much drama around lead actress Karla Sofia Gascon's tweets and so many negative viewer reviews on IMDB had set me up to just really not enjoy this movie. 

I LOVED IT.  The premise might be the single most brilliant movie idea ever in the history of movies.  A worn out, under-appreciated lawyer (Zoe Seldana) is kidnapped by a cartel kingpin and tasked with organizing that kingpin's gender affirming surgeries.  The cartel kingpin then fakes his own death. Now a woman, "Emilia" presents herself as the kingpin's cousin, and takes her former wife (Selena Gomez) and current children in to live with her without telling them she's actually their husband and father.  Emilia then forms a charity organization focused on finding the victims of cartel kidnappings so that the families have closure.  Emilia becomes powerful and turns some of the focus of her charity to punishing cartel guys and other evil men.  The final twist is so wicked and brilliant I can't even explain it, you just have to see the movie.  Yes, it's 90% in Spanish. Yes, some of the musical numbers are a little odd and yes, Zoe Saldana uglied it up for this part.  So what?   This film won best musical or comedy at the Golden Globes.  Unfortunately, there is no such category at the Oscars, but they do have Best Foreign Film. The Academy will wuss out and give Best Foreign film to Emilia, and lead actress Karla Sofia Gascon will NOT be best Actress. Too much nonsense floating around her right now.  That award will go to Cynthia Erivo probably.  However, Emilia's story is a once in a generation brilliance.  I know the specific Spanish grammar and a few other inconsistencies have come under fire, but the general viewer is not going to get their undies in a wad about that.  This is a spectacular movie. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it.  5 out of 5 stars and a Best Foreign film Oscar. This is on Netflix.

So there you go.  The five most easily found movies nominated for Best Picture.  I'm going to try and see the other five, but honestly...if I tell Hubby I need to rent movies even after he got me Paramount Plus for Christmas, he might not be thrilled. Plus, I still own "Nomad" from a few years ago...and I regret every penny I put into buying it!  

2024: Sarah got her chill back.

 

Okay, so here we are, 2025. And my last post was in February of 2024. So... yeah...a lot has happened.

I somehow managed to float through one of the weirdest, busiest years I've had in recent memory without actually feeling like I took part and now it's 2025 and I realize I need to take the reins and get back on the horse and any other horseback riding metaphors that mean I need to focus on writing and entertaining people on the regular again.

So, here's a nutshell of my 2024:

1)  Started a new job on January 2. No phone. No computer.  What do I do? I sort medical documents all day. Stacks of paper.  Just me, a rubber finger, and paper. And I love it.  I'm finally in a company that honestly believes if you're sick, you should not be in the office. It's a company that offers paid sick time and PTO, not just a lump of PTO you're expected to burn when you're sick.  It's amazing, and I can't believe that tomorrow is my one-year anniversary because it's gone so fast.  The one downside is I really can't write at work...which is somehow a good thing and annoying at the same time. My work days fly by because every minute is busy.  Not a bad thing!  

2) I started in on what I like to call MAJOR speaking engagements.  I did a 90-minute presentation for a women's conference in April and that's given me the confidence to market myself more, not so much as just an author talking about books, but also a legit conference speaker who can entertain and educate all in one.  (I'm available for bookings any place, pretty much any time.  Except February. I'm booked solid in February.)

3)  The knee replacement.  Yeah, 2024 was all about the right knee.  Pretty much the minute I started my new job I knew the knee was not good.  (Probably got super damaged at the IT office job I had, those stairs where a menace. But the knee wasn't great to begin with...) So, in July I got it replaced.  And that surgery, which was supposed to be outpatient one day, turned into an ambulance ride, a four day stay at a hospital, endless appointments with lung doctors, a sleep study, and a new BI-PAP machine.

Way too much fun!

4) The kids really made 2024 interesting!  Peaches announced she's buying the bakery she works at (She's still looking for investors if you'd like to invest some cash in a small, local bakery that makes the world's best cinnamon rolls!).  Negotiations continue, but the sale should be final around Easter, and we can't wait to see what she does with that little shop!  

Not to be outdone, Skippy also did a thing and got engaged!  (Yeah, this just happened yesterday, so...yeah.)  We love Skippy's young lady and are so excited for this couple to start their lives together!  Of course, if means Skippy will be moving out, and I'll lose my TV buddy, but they won't be too far away.  Skippy's lady will forever in this blog be known as Dearie!

5) 2024 was the year I realized I'm not a young person anymore.  Oh, I'm not that old, but with both the kids doing serious adulting stuff, I realized I'm the older generation.  I'm needed less by my children and more by my parents.  My dad had a stroke in late 2023, and that's sort of been the focus of a lot of our energy. He's doing perfectly fine, but my mom's taken sort of hit, realizing that she, and he, are the OLD people and maybe can't do everything all the time.

6) Writing continues, although at a slower pace.  The knee replacement took me out of Farmer's Market action much of the season, but people found my books anyway, especially the new Max Marchino Mysteries which is a series I'm really excited about.  I did Nanowrimo again this year, but the week I traveled to the Dells for my writing week, I wound up getting a yeast infection in my throat from the BIPAP machine and didn't do nearly the amount of work I wanted to. Oh well.

7) Hubby managed to keep one of his resolutions in 2024:  he didn't do anything bloggable and therefore stayed out of the blog.  (As did most people because I didn't blog at all, but you know...let him have this win.)  He actually was my hero in so many ways this year, I can't even count. He's truly a gift from God and I would be lost without him.  

8)  Ray-Gun.  Come on. Who wasn't obsessed with this?  

And that's sort of been my year.  Kind of a mix between "ugh" and "Whoo-hoo" which gives 2024 pretty much an "Oh well" grade.  

Do I have resolutions this year?  I haven 't put much thought into it.   I mean, all the usual stuff: Lose weight, eat better, exercise, don't use the credit cards, blah blah...

I think 2025 is going to be a good year.  My family is good, my faith life is good, my friendships are good.  I'm not looking for fireworks and lottery winnings this year (although it would be nice, I've got some serious house repairs we need to do.)  But mostly, I'm looking to keep the chill, floating feeling going on because in spite of all the drama, this has been a good year, now that I'm taking time to look at it.  Maybe I felt like I didn't do much, didn't have an active role in the year, but looking back, I realize it's okay.  This was a year of figuring out that it's okay for others to do things while I take a seat on the sidelines and rest a bit.   And maybe, maybe that's what we're supposed to resolve at the start of each year:  rest more, accept help from others, and just chill.

So, happy new year everyone.  Be good to each other.  Turn off the TV news.  Take deep breaths. Drink the coffee, eat the cinnamon rolls, and let's be chill in 2025.

And now, some 2024 pictures from the Bradley family:

Happy new year everyone!

New Year's Resolutions: Let's see if I can do better this year.

 

I'm fully aware that it's almost the middle of February, FAR past the time when I give out the grades from my New Year's Resolution from the previous year. In this case, the previous year being 2022.   Oh yes, 2023 was that kind of year.

So here are the resolutions I made in 2022:

5) Stop using my Visa after February 1, 2023.

 Yeah, that's an F.

4) Time at the computer means working or writing. Not shopping.

Please refer to #5.  Also F.

3) Get back on the program!

Okay, I was actually sort of okay with this. I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't gain anything from my start of 2023 numbers.  Give me a C+.

2) Take a class.

I actually looked around for a class to take.  And then I got bogged down in getting hired by two companies at the same time, quitting my job with Stuff Recovered, and starting at "Stuff Sorted."  So, figuring out 2023's version of applying for and interviewing for jobs and then starting a new job, that's kind of like taking a class, right?  At least I'll give myself a solid D.

1) Replace guilt with self-care.

And we're back to failing.  F

So, in review, 2023 wound up being Three F's, a D and a C+.  Not great. 

I made one simple resolution in 2024.  Ready?

DO NOT USE THE KOHL'S CARD OR THE TORRID CARD OR PAYPAL.

2023 Was kind of rough on the credit cards. I was easing my general sense of depression with online shopping. A LOT of online shopping. A LOT.  So, this year, I've put away my two store cards and promised myself not to online shop with PayPal this year.  

Six weeks in, how am I doing?

Well, I used PayPal one time. In my defense, it was the first time I'd been on eBay in two years and it was muscle memory.

okay, clearly I have no defense. LOL

As for Kohl's, so far, so good.

Torrid, well, I found a wee loophole.  They let me use my Torrid awards and all that even if I pay with my Visa. So...I shopped AT Torrid, but not WITH Torrid.

So, now Lent is upon us, and as you may know, I like to give up something for Lent.  So, here we go:

Yeah, I'm not giving up coffee. That would be silly.

No, here we go:

NO ONLINE SHOPPING FOR LENT.  That's right.  40 days of no online shopping. 

I have to be organized enough to get my book order in for the big event I'm doing in April.  I'm the keynote speaker for the Sisters in Christ Retreat in Michigan April 19-21. So, yeah, I have to get my book order IN before Fat Tuesday.  (That'll be a huge hit on my poor, over-used credit card.)  And then....NO ONLINE SHOPPING for 40 days.

Which will be fine, since I'm trying like the dickens to get my newest MAX MARCHINO novel out by April 1.  I'm way far away from that. So, yes, what I need is 40 days of NO SHOPPING.

Oh, BTW, here's the new cover for the newest book:

Pretty great, right?

So there you have it. I'm doubling down on giving up retailing.  Let's see how we do!

And now for something completely different...

 

Howdy all! I know, I know, two blogs in two days? Who is this?

Well, I promised I'd tell you all about my continuing job saga, so here we are.

okay, back in the spring of 2022 I was laid off from what I thought was going to be my job until retirement. Turns out, the owner sold the company, the new owner didn't know jack or squat about running a company, and the result was Sarah had to find a new job.  (The two owners are doing just fine, so how is that fair?) 

After a few months on Unemployment, which isn't as much fun as one would think, I started the cubicle life at Generac.  That lasted six weeks. Not because I didn't get along with anyone, I really, really liked the people I worked with.  I am in touch with several of them still, more than a year later. Not bad for 6 weeks of work. But the cubicle life was not for me.

So I landed a gig at this wee little IT company. I know, you're all thinking; IT?  Sarah?  Sure, why not?  It was sold to me as a really simple, no stress, gig with an absentee owner and permission to watch whatever I wanted to online.

PERFECTION!

And it was. Until the guy who trained me retired.  Then I went from the part time girl with no responsibilities to the part time office manager who had to run payroll and pay bills online and make sure the rent check got out on time. And all that I managed just fine.

What I couldn't manage was the suddenly not so absentee owner who turned out to be...well, for those of you who've read my Elsie W books (NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIBLE) let me put it this way: Like Elsie, but with paperwork and general disorganized computer stuff instead of food.  Also, when the moon was full he'd freak out over pretty much everything.  Especially me.  And how I wasn't selling anything.  

Um...I'm a receptionist/office manager/ paperwork pusher at a small IT company. What, exactly, was I supposed to sell?

Yeah, so this became a theme: Full moon, boss yellling, Sarah bewildered.  A girl can only take so much of that.  I've heard this song and done this dance (Evil Bossman, NBM) I'm all done with the overlord cray-cray that makes me cry at work.  So, at some point in September I started looking for a new gig.

I actually got a new gig, with a previous employer, but it's a start up and so far, so clients. So that's on hold. Meanwhile...

October: The moon was full and the boss was in the office. In spite of the fact that we had a ton of stuff going on and he was behind on everything, he took an hour or two to listen to all of my incoming phone interactions with customers.  And then he called me up to his office.

He informed me that he was writing me up for insubordination because in all the phone calls he'd listened to, I wasn't acting like a salesperson. In fact, he asked, what was the point of me, he had an automated phone system, that could do everything I was doing in the office, but for free.  I tried to defend myself, explain how a number of the calls weren't even involving any sort of anything, but he said, "If you try to defend yourself, I'll fire you right now. Or you can leave."

Two things: 1)  Home slice doesn't quit without a new gig lined up.  Boss is going to have to say the words that gets me unemployment.

2) This wasn't the first time he'd asked me why he was paying me for anything.

Job search started to get a bit more serious.

November:  The first day back from Thanksgiving, Boss calls me on my cell before office hours.  He says, "When Bob gets into the office, send him home. We don't have enough work for him this week and he's not doing anything anyway."

A little background on Bob:  Boss wanted a sales guy, someone to pick up the slack for tech #1, and someone to maybe sell a new tech product Tech #1 and I had been talking about for months.  The first guy he hired was some guy he met in a bar.  Brought in without any background check or even a resume.  He couldn't work before noon because he had one of those breathalyzer starters on his car and couldn't get sober enough to start the car before noon.

He lasted four days.

Second tech was a younger guy, bright, personable, really quick learning.  Also hired without a background check or any phone calls to what I later found out was a REALLY spotty resume with a ton of gaps in time.  He often called in saying he was "working from home."  (We had no work from home.)  Turns out, he had a raging cocaine problem.  

He lasted four weeks. Showed up to work six days of that.

Boss and I had a long talk after that. I said, to comply with our business insurance we had to do some kind of background check on our employees since they go into people's homes.  He promised the next guy he'd give me time to at least check on references and former employers.

A week later, Bob showed up. Former Navy, older than I was, and with about 10% more tech knowledge than I have.  Nice guy, showed up for work every day, and did what he was told. But NOT a quick learner, took more of Tech #1's time for everything.  However, a solid dude.  (I looked at his resume after the fact and wondered why Boss considered him a "tech.")

Anyway, after three months, Bob hadn't become the salesperson Boss wanted him to be. That was a shock to everyone, because no one else in the office, including Bob, knew he'd been hired to be a salesperson. So when Boss wasn't yelling at me, he was yelling at Bob.

Back to the day after Thanksgiving.  I'm told to tell Bob to go home.  Well, when Bob showed up, it was clear that Boss had already sent him a text. 

And then there were several unpleasant phone calls, all on speaker phone (because Bob's hearing wasn't great) and all loud (because Bob is a loud person and Boss yells a lot).  Tech #1 and I sat at our desks and listened to the fallout.  Bob packed up his desk, gave us the key and walked out.

He said he was fired. Boss said he quit.  I had to deal with the Unemployment paperwork battle between them.

That's when I started going on interviews.

Remember, I do have a job waiting in the wings, but no word from new boss, so I accepted a job in the workman's comp industry, the same industry I had hoped to retire in. I went in interviewing for one job, and came out with an offer for another.  

I'll be sorting medical documents.  No phones. No customers.  NO SUPER SECRET SALES DUTIES.  For the first time since...oh...1993, I won't have a job involving a forced smile and cheerful phone manner.

I cannot wait.

Anyway, so last week I gave my two week notice.  

It's such a small company, I thought about giving longer notice. And then I remember the number of times Boss invited me to be fired or quit.  Well, two weeks he gets. At Christmas.  

Yesterday, Tech #1 suggested I send Boss a list of things I do. Now, Boss is the guy who hasn't been in the office since I gave my notice last week, and only talked to me one time, telling me to pick up Christmas cards for him to put our Christmas money in. (Yep, I had to buy my own Christmas bonus holder.  And he didn't ask me for a receipt.  Just like I dropped $70 on wall hangings to make the office look less like a prison...) 

So I made the list.  For someone not worth the money they're being paid, I sure do a lot when you put it on paper.  And hey, most of it is things like, paying bills, running payroll, making bank deposits. You know, all that stuff that keeps the doors open.  

I sent that list to him. Boss did pop into the office at the end of the day.  He skittered to his office, put some cash in our cards, and handed me the cards. Didn't even sign them. So I can reuse them.  He thanked me for the list, but didn't answer any of the questions I had regarding training the young lass (the one person I hired in the midst of his series of bad hires. I'm 1-1 he's 0-3.) in what I do so Boss doesn't lose his healthcare or gets overdrawn on his accounts.

What he did do was bitch about the state of healthcare in the US because he has to go into the doctor's office each week for allergy shots, and then gripe about being sick. And then he coughed on me.

I have two more days left. I start the new gig on January 2.  I will probably have to go back to the old office at some point to 1) drop off my key because no one else will be in the office on my last day to take it and 2) run payroll so I get my last check.

So there's that.

Well, it all comes out in the wash. Literally.

 

Hello and happy holidays!

Egads!  How is it December 20 already?  I realize my last blog was in September...and I can't believe that!   I have so much to blog about here at the end of 2023!  WOW!

Okay, first up:  I'm once again changing jobs.  As of December 29, I will no longer be working for a small tech company. Turns out, I don't play well with computer geniuses.  Who knew?  More on that  in a later blog, I promise!

New Year's Resolutions coming up. This year was an epic fail. LOL

Also, do I have a story about a storage shed for you!  But that's a blog for another day!  (Since I'm in the last gasps of my time here at the old job, maybe I'll just spend the week blogging!)

But today I'm here to talk about appliances, specifically the washer and drier. I have at least one friend who is sitting there going, "oh yeah..."

This past autumn my washer failed me. More specifically, Peaches sent us a text that read, "I think I broke your washing machine."

I mean, she hadn't. That thing had been making a fairly alarming noise for a while. But Hubby was in Colorado and I wasn't about to alert him to that while he was 2000 miles away.  

Hubby hit his phone and found a new washer for $650.  Could be delivered to the house in a couple days.  I thought, winner winner.

But, Hubby had other ideas.  

He has a cousin who owns a bunch of apartment units in La Crosse, WI.  (Three hours away from us on the opposite side of the state.)  He contacted said cousin who told him, yes, he had a washer/drier pair he could sell to us for $400.  He would only sell us the pair, not just one.

Okay, excessive, but bigger win!

Except, how does one get a washer/drier across the state?  Well, that's easy!  We have some very good friends...at least they were our friends at the time of the broken washer...lol...who live in the La Crosse area. They own a truck with a trailer.  And they are the nicest people in the world who, for whatever reason, like us and will do things for us.  (Seriously, we love these friends, but they are too nice!  We will call them Sylvie and Max.)

So Hubby contacts Sylvie and Max and sets up a time for them to bring us the washer/drier. He venmos the money to his cousin and, for $400 we are a GO!

Now, one does not simply expect friends to drive across the state with appliances for free, so we told Sylvie and Max that we'd buy them lunch.  And, Hubby, knowing lunch was just not enough of a thank you, also got a Kwik Trip card for $100 to cover gas.

So on a rainy day, Sylvie and Max delivered and helped install the washer and drier. Hubby bought a bunch of new hoses and whatnot, to the tune of $50.  (A move I don't begrudge, it's just smart to get new connections for new-ish appliances.)

Lunch, with tip, wound up being somewhere north of $125 because we're not just going to take them to Mcd's. We went to a nice place with tables and wait staff and adult beverages.  

Let's look at the running tab:

$400 for the appliaces. 

$100 Kwik Trip.

$50 for hoses

$125 for lunch.  

Total:  $675 for the "cheaper" way to go.

Now, the upside was we got to see Sylvie and Max, which is priceless, so while this is amusing, I'm not griping.

But wait.  The story doesn't end there.

Normally, Hubby is a handy dude. He can, and has, fixed appliances all over the house. So when we started this journey of the broken washer, I didn't question him as to whether or not he could fix it.

Guess what?  He could, and he did.

For $18.

Yep, turns out, while he normally would have checked to see if he could repair the machine prior to replacing it, he didn't do that this time around. Until after the fact. And he got it working beautifully right away.

For $18.

But wait, the story still isn't over.

Our basement is not one where we can keep two washers and two driers happily. I wish it were.  It would ease  a number of arguments with Skippy about whether or not we get to move each other's laundry.  So, we had to get rid of the now extra pair.

Hubby listed them on Facebook Marketplace. He sold when quickly to a fella a couple miles away from us.

For $600.

Here's the best part:  While the guy buying the appliances lives close, he was actually buying them for his daughter...who lived...

IN LA CROSSE!

Are you laughing now?

That's all I have for the moment, except I'm going to leave you with this image:

some of you will find it funny. But, my friend "Jubilee" is going to find this hilarious.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! 

Next thing they'll ask is if I want fries with that....which would be less weird.

 

Howdy ho everyone!  

So this week was my annual women's stuff doctor's appointment.  By the time you get to be my age, and I'm quoting a doctor person on this, "they really aren't all that interested in that part of you."  so really, it's my Biannual women's stuff doctor's appointment.  Except I have been pushing it off, because it's ridiculous, and because it's annoying so, actually, it wound up being my TRIENNIAL women's stuff doctor's appointment.

I won't go into the gory details. If you know, you know and if you don't...TODD...you really don't need to.  

A couple things changed since the last time I was in there for my poke and scrape.  First, my insurance company changed. Hubby got a different job, so I had to go through that whole thing with the card and the copier and all that.

The next thing is I had to sign a sheet saying that this was an appointment ONLY dealing with my annual check up and anything else would be billed separately.  I found this interesting. I mean, what, if I ask a question about menopause, is that separate from the poke and scrape?  

Okay, so I settle with a book, but I don't get to read it because for the first time ever, my doctor isn't in some delivery room someplace.  So we do the weight...yay...and the blood pressure (shockingly good, right on point, which was unexpected because I've had a rough week) and a couple other GYN directed questions from the nurse.  

Then she says something I couldn't believe I was hearing:  "Hey, do you want a tetanus shot today?"

Now, I'm not a genius, and I certainly don't pretend to know much about health insurance.  But I'm pretty sure that I just got upsold on a tetanus shot that did not fall under the canopy of the annual check up.

Oh crap! I asked if the piped in music was new...I'm so totally getting billed for that.

This is the weirdest combo platter of medical stuff I've ever been offered.  I didn't even know the GYN nurses knew how to deal with anything other than, you know, female whatnot.

So, hey, why not. I mean, I'm also due for a shingles, flu, and Covid booster.  Just shoot my arm full of all manner of viruses and let's see what happens. Like getting French fries AND onion rings and Cheese curds at Culvers.

Well they just did the tetanus that day. I have to go someplace else for the rest. Although, given how crappy I've felt since I got the shot, I'm wondering what else they put in there. Oh, and of course I can't wait until I see the extra bill for the shot...and the chitchat about the piped in music.