kernyen-xo

[kernyen-xo]

Here we go. It’s a long one.

My aunt is dying. Any day now, her son told the family. So, everyone flocked to see her, including mom, which entailed a 17-hour train ride from San Diego to Sacramento. My brother and I usually meet up in Bakersfield to deliver the momster because she refuses to fly and now refuses to take the train. Of course, doing the Bakersfield thing is a pain, especially if you’re not a morning person because I have to leave by 4:30 am to make sure I’m in Bakersfield by 10. Now, really, I’m glad for it in the end because I’m back home by 2:30-3p.

This time around, mom had to take the train because she was afraid her sister would die before she got to see her. So, mom was insistent she had to leave asap, which meant no Bakersfield trip since my brother and I had to work.

Easy-peasy.

That is, except this last weekend. Mom arrived Friday night near midnight (17-hour train ride, remember?). The next day we see Auntie Sally. That night, I go to the birthday celebration for me, the kid, and grandkid. Mom didn’t want to go.

Anyway.

I assumed my brother and I would meet up in Bakersfield the following weekend, which is a-ok. I have plenty of time to rest and mentally rev myself for the trip, which is something I need to do. Otherwise, without this precious time, I don’t handle it well.

Guess what? Mom wants to leave the next day. I’m like, wait, what? But, I just say ok and quietly freak out inside. This really changes everything. I tell my granddaughter, who is staying the weekend with me to shower at night, that all she has to do is roll out of bed the next am and get in the car where she can sleep.

Easy-peasy, right?

Except, when we arrive in Bakersfield, my brother is not at our meeting place. He’s always there first - always. The guy is an extreme morning person, up every day by 4am. In fact, I thought it was weird that he didn’t call once asking me for an update of my progress.

Long story short. I know, too late.

He thought the mom delivery wasn’t taking place until the following weekend. I was thinking, ok, we’ll head back home and try this again next weekend. But mom? No way. She refuses to go and suggests I leave her there to wait for my brother. Really? Like, I’d do that, and she knows I’d never do that.

So, after drinking a lot of beverages, shopping at WalMart and Nordstrom’s Rack, my brother arrives. He must have booked it because what’s usually almost a 5-6 hour drive, he made it in 3.

The grandkid and me were home by 6:30. I apologized to her for how the day went. She said, what a day! I agreed. We really didn’t get to spend quality time together. I was supposed to take her home that night, but I was so exhausted that I asked if the kid could take her instead, which she did.

The last-minute trip was hard on me. I remember the days when I could drive in a pinch no problem! Those days are gone. I missed work on Monday to recuperate. Ya, this old gal ain’t what she used to be.

And now, I need to get ready for work.

Thx for reading.

Have a good day :)

Toods!

#this has been a kernyen update #20240425

[kernyen-xo]

How’s everyone?

I’m doing ok. A lot going on. Wait. Not really, per se - just a lot of bouncing going on in my brain.

I got promoted to senior executive assistant along with a 10% raise.

I had my annual physical and received a good bill of health :)

The kid is still looking for work. I know she’ll eventually find something, and when she does, I hope she’ll be as happy as she was at her last job.

I have projects that I want to start, but I can’t bring myself to start any of them because I’m stuck in a rut. All I want to do is read, play the Happy Color app on my phone, and watch tv shows. Right now I’ve been binge watching 9-1-1 Lone Star.

Being in this rut is not good because I am not doing things that I find pleasure in doing. Instead, I’m just vegging out. I mean, reading is good, but there’s more that I like doing and I am just not motivated to do any of it. I know that I’m dealing with depression.

One of these days I’ll shake this off but in the meantime…

Currently reading:

If you love libraries, you’ll enjoy this book. It tells the true story about the 1986 burning of the Los Angeles Central Library. It was a disaster. The fire burned for 7 hours and after the fire was extinguished, 400,000 books were completely burned and 700,00 more were damaged. Many investigators descended on the scene, but to this day, the mystery remains. Was the fire purposely started?

The author also shares her own investigation into the mystery while weaving stories about libraries and the people that ran them. It’s a good book.

Next weekend the kid, granddaughter, and yours truly will celebrate our birthdays together, 14th, 44th, and 63rd.

Until next time ;-)

Toodles.

#this has been a kernyen update #20240414

[kernyen-xo]

The New James Bond

I’m open to it. I’m looking forward to see how Aaron does in the role.

#the new James Bond #20240319

[kernyen-xo]

I made a taco salad and went crazy on the veggies. I made the salad in my favorite bowl and the show FBI is on the tv. I’m going through this phase of watching crime shows, including true crime. Seriously, though, I need to stop. I’ve been sleeping with my lights on for the past 2 nights.

Oh yeah. I’m pretty sure reading Stephen King novels doesn't help 😳

Yeah, that.

I need to get back to Bob’s Burgers and K-dramas.

#scured #pooD #schaturday #20240309

[kernyen-xo]

It’s Friday!

I have no idea what I’m going to do this weekend, but that’s ok. I have a few projects to get started. I have books to read, errands to run, and eateries to try. Wait. Reading this I’m starting to feel overwhelmed :D

Currently, I’m listening to:

I’m late in the game reading the Bill Hodges trilogy, but I liked Holly so much, I had to go back to when she first made an appearance in Stephen King’s novels. So far, this book is good. The first book, Mr. Mercedes was good as well, a little better than this book. Will Patton is great, which makes the novels good audiobooks.

I’m reading:

So far, this book is so-so. I hope it gets better. The premise of the book is good, but I’m not that fond of the lead character.

Things have been happening that gets my stress levels high, like worried for my daughter, hoping she’s employed soon. Mom called and wants to move back and I have no idea how she’s going to even do that. She mentioned maybe staying with me. I can’t even.

The kid: wait, she can’t move in with you. I may have to move in with you if I can’t get a job!

😬

Anyway.

Generally, things are ok. I try to be grateful for the good stuff and know that the stressful stuff will pass.

So, to cheer everyone up, here you go!

You’re welcome. Heh, heh.

Peace out!✌️

#toodles #this has been a kernyen update #20240308

[kernyen-xo]

It's my 8 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

#8 year tumblrversary #tumblr milestone

[kernyen-xo]

Friday

I got out of bed at 3:30p because I’ve been sick and slept a lot. That’s what I get for working instead of healing.

I just spent almost 2 hours browsing Temu and put about 100 journal stickers/acrylic stamps in my Temu cart, and then promptly deleted every item from my cart.

The kid got laid off on Valentine’s Day :(. My heart broke. She loved her job. I’ve never seen her so happy. She is devastated to say the least and still can’t believe it because she never saw it coming. After returning from her leave of absence, she specifically asked her boss if her job was safe, knowing that the company was going through layoffs. Her boss told her yes, you’re good. That was back in December. Since then, they got a new CEO and obviously things changed. The kid told me their revenue was below expectations in 2023, plus they lost crops. Others in the department were also laid off. I believe a company should be transparent to its employees that will be impacted by a layoff.

The kid is a strong woman, and I’m proud of her accomplishments. Not only has she gained valuable experience, she’s very good at what she does. I wonder what she’ll do next :)

Even though I’m sick, I feel warm and cozy. This feeling brings up good memories of my childhood. I have nowhere to be this weekend, so I plan to rest and kick this virus out of my body.

I tried Zicam RapidMelts. I couldn’t handle it. It was horrible and the orange cream flavor couldn’t disguise the grossness.

I watched the K-drama, Gyeongseong Creature. Han So Hee and Park Seo Joon star in the show. They’re both very good. The show was good, not your typical K-Drama, which made it extra-good. It looks like they will be coming out with Season 2 sometime this year. I enjoy Han So See. I’ve watched other shows she’s been in. She’s played some bad-ass characters, including her role in Gyeongseong Creature. She was also in the music video Seven with Jung Kook, which was a pleasant surprise.

I’m glad we have Monday off. More time to recover. I would like to go into the office next Tuesday. Actually, I’d rather retire, but you guys already know this :D

Toodles -xo!

#this has been a kernyen update #20240216 #k dramas #the kid

[kernyen-xo]

if you get this, answer w/ three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs. anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog

I love Good & Plenty candy.

The only talent that I have is the art of doing nothing by doing everything ;)

I don’t play the lottery but I think that one day I’ll win the lottery.

[kernyen-xo]

Friday Things

To sacrifice for the better good, I ate a Happy Meal for lunch today because I wanted the toy and the actual box the meal came in. Why? It’s going in the time capsule for my soon to be 1-year old nephew. He’ll get to open it when he turns 18.

Of course, I didn’t have to eat the hamburger, fries, and apple slices, nor did I have to drink the chocolate milk. But, that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

I just read:

I enjoy the character Holly. I first met her in The Outsider. I’m waiting for the book Mr. Mercedes from the library. This is the book where Stephen King first introduces Holly. So far, I’ve read the books out of order. But I won’t any more after Mr. Mercedes.

I finished reading Holly in 2 days. The story was creepy and sad and made me angry. It kept me awake at night. If you read it or have already read it, let me know what you think.

I’m still reading The Killing Floor (Reacher). I didn’t realize this book was what the first season of Reacher was about. I like to read a book before I watch its movie. So it’s been a slow read. Btw, I found out how Lee Child came up with the name Reacher, which I found both amusing and a bit clever.

I’m going to have dinner with the kid and grandkid tonight. Ravioli is on the menu with salad and crusty bread. I’m bringing a pie. It’ll be good to see the girls and Rogan.

Gotta run! Work!

Toodles -xo

#friday things #20240202 #books #reading

[kernyen-xo]

Guys, I look like a librarian! Yes, I’m stereotyping, but I like the look. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a librarian. The closest I came to being one is that I volunteered at the local libraries. I even took a class when I was in junior high where I got to work in the school library. I loved it! The librarian, Mrs. Stork, was a cool lady that wore reading glasses similar to mine and she wore her gray hair in a bowl cut. She pulled it off with panache. She was patient and kind, but could kick ass if any of her aides got out of hand. I learned a lot from her.

My next read:

I’ve been watching the Reacher series on Prime Video, which I’ve been enjoying, so I thought I’d try the books. Thanks for the feedback, @serpentinesheldonserpentine.

Well, I’m at work, gotta go!

Toodles -xo

#books and librarians #20240124

[kernyen-xo]

Upcoming Stuff your Kindle Days!

Jan 25th (dedicated to cozy mysteries) & Jan 27th (dedicated to witchy reads).

Upload as many books to your Kindle for free!

Go here for more info:

#20240122 #stuff your kindle day 2024

[kernyen-xo]

Two Things

One

I took the grandkid shopping. I had a lip quivering moment as I watched her struggle with being a little girl v. being a teen. She was torn between buying slime and a Squishmallow Pikachu or clothes and hair accessories. In the end, she went with the teen. I was sad to see Pikachu and the slime return to the shelf :(

Two

I can only imagine how many times I’ve almost died or caused others to die when I drive. Sometimes I wonder how I’m sitting here typing this.

Have you ever driven all the way home and wondered how the hell you got there?

Today, I drove out of the parking lot at work to get lunch and as I pulled out into the street, 3 things simultaneously registered in my brain at once.

OMG! Did I just pull out in front of that red truck? HOLY SHIT! Did I just pull out too far into incoming traffic in the opposite lane and almost hit that white truck because I was distracted by the red truck? CRAP! Was that a pedestrian that I almost hit when I pulled out because I was distracted by those damned trucks?!!

All that calamity was in my brain. Nobody honked, skidded to a stop, and nobody walking banged the hood of my vehicle in anger. I don’t think anyone even gave me the finger. In fact, I think I was the only person at my car party.

I wanna know what kind of shit goes on in my brain when I’m not thinking! Apparently, brain pranks!

I know. You live vicariously through me because you love weird whoa-man adventures and brain pranks. Plus, I’m pretty sure you think I’m fabulous =:p

Toodles -xo

#brain prank #I think the grandkid is growing up way too fast! #20240117

[kernyen-xo]

2023 Year in Review

Firstly, I’m gonna start out by saying that one thing about having short hair is the wild bed head that occurs.

And…you’re welcome.

On with my year in review:

Feb: 1-year anniversary at my job.

Apr: Celebrated my 62nd birthday. The kid celebrated her 43rd birthday and the grandkid celebrated her 13th.

Jul: 1-year anniversary owning my home.

Aug: The lease was up for the silver RAV4, so I leased a white one with a few more doohickeys. I’m still discovering what the vehicle can do, so I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of being dweeb-like.

I discovered the joy of watching k-dramas.

I became a fan of BTS. I discovered them while searching for k-dramas on Instagram. I knew of them, but not about them. These guys are amazingly talented, smart, and humble despite their crazy overwhelming success across the world.

Became a fan of Bob’s Burgers. My fave character is Linda :D

Most scary thing: When the kid was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Most happiest/grateful moment: When the kid told me that she was cancer-free. Thankfully, she had a rare kind of ovarian cancer that was not aggressive as is typical of ovarian cancers.

I read 145 books.

I’ve taken up collecting pop-up books. It’s a fun hobby. If you have any recommendations, let me know :)

I’d like to think I’ve grown wiser with age. I just know my tolerance for bullshit is kissing dirt. Sometimes, I feel like I’m behaving like a persnickety old woman. But, then I think, well dammit, people can sure be stupid silly, and I don’t have time or the patience for it.

Overall, I’m a kind person though. Truly.

Anyway, laugh all you want :D. Just remember, I’m laughing along with you ;)

Toodles -xo

#2023 year in review #20240103

[kernyen-xo]

I made it!

Happy Christmas, everyone! ❤️

#merry christmas 2023

[kernyen-xo]

Remember that scratchy throat? It turned into a head cold. But, I medicated like no one’s sister, and managed to be okay enough to travel.

But did I?

Here’s a clue: I’m sitting in my recliner as I type this. Why? On the night before I was going to leave, I developed a pretty bad UTI. It seemed to come out of nowhere, although I know it didn’t. I just didn’t pay attention to that part of my body. I was distracted by the head cold. Smooth move, body o’mine.

Alas, not all is lost. I’m leaving tomorrow at about 3a so I can make good time. Since it’s Christmas Day, I’m hoping traffic will be light and that the weather will be decent aka no rain or fog.

Wish me luck :)

I hope that everyone has a good holiday. Stay safe and healthy.

Toodles -xo

#this has been a kernyen update #20231224 #btw tested neg for Covid

[kernyen-xo]

Remember, my rock party?

My contribution. You’re welcome.

Puffer totes. No. The AMC Gremlin version of handbags.

Office holiday parties. I remember back in the day that the spending limit for a white elephant gift was $10. Now, it’s $25. The kid: “That’s nothing. Ours was $40.”

What??

We’re doing a potluck too. It’s been ages since I’ve participated in one because of Covid.

I’m traveling to my brother’s this coming Saturday for the holidays. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. But you know what? My throat is starting to feel scratchy. I don’t even remember the last time I got a cold. The kind that kicks your ass for a few days. Please don’t let me get sick.

If you haven’t watched Quiz Lady on Hulu, I recommend that you do. It’s a light-hearted comedy that stars Sandra Oh and Awkwafina. I thought they had good chemistry together. Sandra was funny in her role.

I haven’t done any reading lately :-/. I know. What’s up with that?

Everything above this sentence, I wrote last night.

This morning I woke up with a full-blown sore throat. I can barely swallow. So, today I stayed home, but still plugging away doing work stuff. I ordered drugs via Door Dash. I’m desperate. I have plans, man! I can’t get sick.

Anyway.

Enough of that.

It’s raining like crazy over here, which I enjoy as long as I don’t have to leave my home. I’m gonna make a steamy hot cup of tea and drop a honey flavored cough drop in it.

I got this.

Toodles -xo

#20231219 #this has been a kernyen update

[kernyen-xo]

I’m at work cruising around Tumblr and came across some NSFW photos and all in about 6 seconds, I had a heart attack thinking, “The IT administrator will know where I’ve been and I’ll get fired for surfing inappropriate websites!!! Oh. Wait. I’m on my phone.”

Sometimes. My brain. It likes to prank the shit out of me.

#20231214 #brain prank