Do you have a "Meno's Blog" discount membership card yet?

I get the idea of cross-selling, and i know that people in service industry jobs are required to do it, so i don't mind patiently saying "No thank you." several times during any sales transaction, but it seems to be getting totally out of hand.

I was at Barnes and Noble the other day, buying a birthday card for my dad.  Here's how it went:

Clerk: Will you be saving 10% with your Barnes and Noble member card today?
Me: No.
Clerk: Would you like to get a Barnes and Noble member card today?
Me: No thank you.
Clerk: Do you need a Barnes and Noble gift card to go with this card?
Me: No thank you.
Clerk: So you already have a gift then?
Me: (now i'm annoyed because really, is this any of her fucking business?) No, i don't like my dad enough to buy him a gift.
Clerk: (a little startled) Oh.

And at a restaurant two days ago:

Waitron: Can i get you anything to drink?
The Mister: Yes, a glass of Whatever Brand wine please.
Me: A glass of water please.
Waitron: No wine for you?
Me: No thank you.
Waitron: Are you sure? 
Me: Yes.
Waitron: But it's Happy Hour! The wine is half off.
Me: No thank you, i'd just like some water.
Waitron: (sadly) Okaaaay then, i'll leave the menu here in case you change your mind.
Me: (under my breath to The Mister) I wouldn't change my mind now if this was the last glass of wine on earth.
...a few minutes later, as she was delivering The Mister's wine...
Waitron: Are you ready for a glass of wine yet?
Me: (through clenched teeth) No thank you.

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

Also, to the guy who installed a pair of fake testicles dangling off the trailer hitch of his little Toyota pick up truck; Do you realize that what this says about you to the whole world is "I AM A COMPLETE JERK!" ?

more, or maybe it should be less, boob news.

Here's something that's a screamin' deal; At the hospital, they validate your parking if you are having surgery so that you get TWO DOLLARS OFF in the parking garage.  Makes it all worthwhile i tell you!  We've saved FOUR DOLLARS in the last two weeks.

So i had my second surgery yesterday.  Hopefully that will be the end of this shit.


My boob is incredibly sore.  I am walking around hunched over like a little old lady so as to minimize the natural harmonic waves that accompany walking with boobs.  I even have two sports bras on.  Yes, at the same time.  A little wave action still sneaks in there though. Ouch!


And oh, the hospital stories;

• The condescending nurse that speaks to you as if you were 6.
• The farting people in the recovery room who just had colonoscopies.
• The nurse who keeps trying to get you to get up and get dressed and get the hell out of the recovery room even though you just woke up 5 minutes ago, who finally admits, "It's a factory around here."
• One time they insisted that i had to be wheelchaired out of the hospital, the next time i was allowed to walk out to the horrified gasp of a different nurse who said to my nurse, "You can't just let her WALK out of recovery."  (I turned to The Mister and said, "Let's hurry and get out of here before they make me take a wheelchair.")
• The chatty person in the next bay in the 'induction room' who wants to talk at you about her bladder problems.
• The young girl with mental problems who was screaming when she woke up.  (That was sad.)

All in all i can't really recommend it.

I would never admit this....

Last night i missed Em so much that i slept in her bed.

I DID IT!

Today is my dad's 84th birthday.

I used this as an excuse to take him out to lunch without the noise that is my mother.  She was a bit miffed, but that's to be expected as she does not like to be left out of anything.

My dad got all dressed up.  He had on his best old man Norm Thompson sweater (which unless i miss my guess was a present from my mother), powder blue pants (covered with cat hair) to match his sweater and shiny brown loafers with black socks.

It was so cute i almost cried.

I sometimes think my dad is not really doing very well mentally, but most of it is because he is damned near deaf, and despite wearing two hearing aids, has trouble following a conversation, especially in a crowd.

But one on one, he's doing fine.  That makes me happy.

We had a lovely time.  I need to figure out how to get him out alone again.  And don't suggest that i alternate taking my mother out alone, that's a price i'm not willing to pay.

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

Two unrelated things:

• I am wearing a pair of Carhartt  overalls.  That makes me feel good.
• I just put Bag Balm on my new boob scar.  It says it's for chapped teats.......

A bunch of pictures and the results

The Mister and i went hiking over in Eastern Washington last week.  Here are some pictures i took with my own teeny tiny camera.

Purple flowers majesty;

This is the potty at the top of Goat Peak.  If you look closely you can see the guy wires that hold it in place in a high wind:

Doug fir flowers.  Loved the colors.

Adorable mushrooms clustered in the shelter of rock.  Fairies dance here at night, you know it's true;

Okay, now for the results of my excisional biopsy.

No, the lab did not call back on the day they said they would.

Yes, it's a Phyllodes tumor.

Yes, it's benign.

Yes, the edges of the tumor were close the the edge of the excision.

Yes, i will most likely have to have more tit tissue removed. ('Nother appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday.)

Yes, i am likely to post a picture of the scar, but not now, as it is not a scar yet, but a wound.

Yes, i am anxious and annoyed.

My final word on the subject;