I'll settle this:

SUNDAE! WEAR YOUR SWIMMING GOGGLES WHILE CUTTING ONIONS!

I'ma just gonna buy frozen diced onions as soon as I get my discount card at work.
Already done, not bleeding from the eyes - sorry, watering, just feels like bleeding. And always fresh.

Thanks for the contribs - I honestly can't remember if I had this problem when I wore contacts; my most frequent onion cutting escapades came after I had my eyes lasered. And no, I don't think there was any connection to that because I remember surprising my Food & Nutrition teacher at school at just how badly I could react. She literally sent me to Matron.

This new LEED certified building of ours has a fire alarm system that only goes off on the affected floor, and one above, and one below.

But if you aren't on one of those floors you can sometimes hear the distant alarm. So I'm sitting here and the alarm is going off on other floors. I'm not supposed to evacuate, but WTF? Supposedly, if it's a bad fire, or a big emergency, then the whole building will get the alarm.

I've got a trust issue with this system.

or a training issue.

how do you know the old fire alarms meant evacuate? did you ever see the building on fire? but you were *trained* to respond to a given signal in a given way. now, that's changed and the old training is what's stimulating you to act, even though it's not the same signal, and should not have the same response.

Came home to an open refrigerator tonight. fuck.

13 hours. my poor beer

As I age, I find more and more things that make me think "now THIS is what a man would be good for."

I'm trying to hang new blinds. My cheap ass cordless screwdriver wouldn't go into reverse, so I could fix what I fucked up before (attested to by the sound of blinds falling to the ground in another room.) Now I can't get it to go into forward. I have no stepping device, so I'm working in the air, and the morning sun is blinding me.

So I'm thinking of a man walking in here, power drill in a tool belt. I hear the music from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. The man takes the drill from his holster, twirls it a couple times, and in seconds my blinds are hanging straight and proud.

I look at him with unfettered adoration. I bat my eyes. I invite him to come to supper, but alas, the land is his girl, and he jumps on his horse, tips his hat, and turns to ride off into the sunrise.

Where have all the cowboys gone?

My dad. My dad is a cowboy. I'm so proud of how he's handled mom being sick. When they were married 53 years ago, he meant 'in sickness and in health' and he is doing stuff he never HAD to do, and he's doing great.

I called him to see what time I should come over (I hang out with mom, who is hanging steady for now, she's strong and brave, so he can get some things done...and get out of the house) and I told him about my stupid cheap screwdriver and he has one that he got as a gift from his company, a good one, that he never uses because as is typical he has state of the art everything in his shop. So he's gonna give that to me.

This is just an addendum. Of course my previous post was written with the usual hopes of recognized humor and a giggle or two. This post is to say what's making me happy about the situation. Right now, we are all taking every drop of happiness we can find.

Dads are awesome. And I'm sorry about your mom and the strain you are all dealing with. You should be proud of the role you are taking by being there too. Several hands make a lighter load.

Thanks glatt. I've never been through anything harder. And it's going to get even harder. When I saw my doctor (we discussed my medication and got me on a new regimen that I can afford) he said "you're honoring your mother and your father" and I know he's religious so to some that may seem silly but it meant so much to me. I am trying to be the strongest I can for them, to honor them, because they are the best people I know. I'm so very lucky to have them. I am going day by day, because when I think of the near future I cannot deal. Dad says I'm strong. Who'd have thunk?

Day by day is the best. Even moment by moment.

Nowt silly about honouring your Mum and Dad:) Your Doc sounds like a decent sort. Glad he's got you on a regimen that you can afford. Hopefully that will ease the pressure you're under.

Re: oddjobs and cowboys - My bro is the family handyman/problem solver/ad hoc designer/etc. He's like your dad: has all the tools, good ones at that, and knows how to use them!

Cultural note: don't know if the same applies over there, but 'cowboy' when referring to building, household repairs, craftsmanship etc means shoddy workmanship and quick fixes - a 'cowboy builder'.

Cultural reply.....no....Cowboys are seen as respected and manly heroes. When I first said our house was built by cowboys, the listener thought I meant sturdy in some special way.

IM - You don't want a cowboy. What you need is a good ole redneck who can fix anything with just duct tape or a big hammer.

Hang tough girl. Sorry about your mom

I made a bundt cake for tonight's dinner party. Haven't done one in like forever so I forgot how to take it out of the pan. I found this old pan where the middle hole and base is separate from the sides. Against my better judgement, I listened to my mom's suggestion. I flipped the pan and out came the cake in pieces. I have to make another one now. I guess I'll be making cupcakes since I've run out of time. :sigh:

You could make cake balls out of the crumbled up cake, if you haven't already thrown it out.