McDonald’s “curbside ordering”..wtf?

February 12, 2018February 12, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 17 Comments

This is just wrong on so many levels!!!!!!

I am literally still smh (shaking my head) at this one…smh

I saw this advertised at McDonald’s today while I was in the drive thru. Let me give you the back story before I start my attack on McDonald’s.

I am moving into a place that I believe has mold behind the ceramic tiles in the bathroom. Not wanting to deal with mold in any way shape or form, I decide better be safe than sorry, and just rip out the ceramic tile around the tub. (yah it will give me something to do to occupy my mind too) Doing physical labor has always been a great stress release for me.

So I headed over to the new place this morning, tools in hand and started work on the tub. I had my safety glasses on, a mask for dust, broom and vacuum ready for post cleanup. I had the first wall taken down without issue, and decided to take a clean up break so I didn’t fall on the tiles.

I forgot the damn gloves….smh. I cut my hand on the tile, and I know how to bleed….What a mess!

I finished the remaining walls, swept up the area, but my finger was still bleeding, so I decided to give it a rest. On the way home I stopped at McDonalds for a fresh coffee. I used the drive-thru because it’s convenient, though I could tell you I didn’t want to walk in with Blood everywhere, truth is I am lazy.

While waiting for my coffee, I saw a new advertisement for curbside check in ordering. WTF?!?!? How is this good or helpful on any level?!?

Of course NO ONE would ever consider texting their order into McDonald’s while driving
It’s a great idea to mix cars and people in the parking lot!!! I can already see someone pulling in while texting their order and not paying attention to the person delivering food to someone else.
How about all of the cars pulling in and backing out at the same time??!?! At least with the drive thru there is some semblance of order ( although I have seen that get pretty dicey too)

Ok, I’m done bitching. Can someone tell me how this could be a good idea in any way shape or form?!?!? I really don’t get it…. Mentally, I am done for the day. It’s funny I was telling someone on the phone earlier that it’s ok to just be done and take a break for a day, their issues, problems, etc will still be there tomorrow. Now I am going to take my own advice and focus on the positive.

Before

After

nothing more than a paper cut

Today was a very productive day in spite of my minor injury…. (it really is minor) Maybe you are starting to see how I got the name Grace?

Maybe I should start wearing pants?

January 31, 2018February 9, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 12 Comments

It probably won’t happen, but MAYBE… I should?

As I was getting ready to leave for my doctors appointment last week, I slid a pair of sweats on, and both of my dogs went to the door looking at me expectantly….“Where we going mom??!?!” Note I did say SWEATS, as in sweat pants, NOT my shoes, or coat. The simple act of putting on my pants told my dogs that I was leaving the house?!?!?!?

If you are a dog owner you have probably experienced this before when putting on your coat, or shoes, or whatever your “routine” is as you get ready to leave the house. Admittedly though, I think for most people it is putting on your footwear. This morning mine did it when they saw my pants in my hand??????

Ok time for a test. The next day I put my tennis shoes on to walk on the treadmill, and received absolutely NO REACTION from the dogs. Normally shoes would symbolize that you are getting ready to leave, but literally NO RESPONSE!!!!!

(probably because I wasn’t wearing pants)

Later that afternoon, I remembered that I needed to take the garbage cans to the curb. I grabbed my sweats, and again BOTH DOGS ran to the front door…..smh Seriously?!?!? I literally laughed out loud.

How do your dogs react when they think you are leaving the house?

MORE Tests….

Do they only do that when I put on sweat pants? Would they react the same with Jeans or Leggings? Are they doing that because I chose to come out to the living room to put my pants on instead of my bedroom?

After a week of changing variables, I have concluded that when my dogs see me with pants on they think we are going somewhere. ANY KIND OF PANTS!!! My “poor dogs”.

So now what? Stop taking them with me everywhere so they don’t think they get to leave the house when mom puts clothes on? Do I have to start wearing pants all the time? Or do I just laugh it off and be happy that I am as important to them as they are to me?

The bond animals have with their humans is incredible. I found another picture this morning of all 5 of my animals, (2 dogs and 3 cats) refusing to leave my bed after I had back surgery a few years ago. Thing 2 literally had to drag them out of my room to feed them and take them outside to relieve themselves.

D.O.G. Waiting to be lifted into the car….not at all spoiled

I should probably mention at some point why I don’t wear pants. Its simple really, I don’t like clothes, BUT ESPECIALLY pants. The only reasons I wear clothing have to do with warmth and to portray some illusion of modesty. (Ok I also don’t looking at my belly, which in my opinion makes me look several months pregnant) Remember, no core muscles?!? However, I am going to blame MS for this one. While some areas of my body have lost “feeling”, ( like drop a 500 lb weight on my foot and I wouldn’t flinch), others have become SUPER OVER sensitive. My left leg is an example of this. When my pants move against my leg, it feels like bugs are crawling all over it…. EWWWW! Very creepy! Not to mention uncomfortable.

The second reason I blame MS, is bladder and bowel urgency. I have rushed to the bathroom too many times to count and “not made it” just because of my inability to remove my bottoms quickly enough, so you see it’s easier to just not wear any, at least that’s what I will keep telling myself until the next embarrassing or “questionable” thing happens …. like my kids bringing friends home unannounced and yelling, “Mom?!?!? ARE YOU WEARING CLOTHES?!?!?”…. smh.

I am sure my dogs will survive just as my kids did, but in the meantime I chuckle. I hope you did too!

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NOT your “Typical Blogger” Award

January 28, 2018September 23, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 22 Comments

In my opinion, the Liebster Award and Mystery blogger and whatever name you want to call it awards are about promoting your friends or other bloggers that you follow.

Nominating someone for the award not only let’s them know that you appreciate their work, but it helps them to grow their following. To those of you that have nominated me for the awards… THANK YOU!!! I really do appreciate it….. BUT…..

I don’t follow or play by the rules well so instead…..

I have decided to share some of my favorite blogs with you and you can decide for yourself if you want to follow. The blogs that I have chosen to list are the ones that make me laugh the most. I have purposefully NOT included the blogs I follow about MS, or other chronic illnesses, because today is just NOT an MS day for me.

If you have time, check them out. Links to their blogs are in blue. If you like their blog leave them a comment and let them know Grace sent you?

AND TO MY CHILDREN (because I know you secretly read my blog) check out the ones I have told you about 😛

Up first is HANDS DOWN my all time Favorite blog. I love her sense of humor, her bluntness, and and and…. I will caution you though… Do not drink anything while reading her blog, I have had to replace my keyboard from the coffee spillage. If you do check out DGGYST...don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Up next is The Incurable Dreamer. She writes from the heart and is another that you can not drink anything while reading. I haven’t known her as long as DG, but I have not read on post that I didn’t love. My Favorite is the sticky side always goes down.

Next on the list is Superman. I “met” him a little over a month ago, because he commented: “You have a shepherd. I love all dogs but GS’s are my favorite. Anyone with a GS is worth following. Great post” My first thought was WTF?!?! I responded saying “so you like me for my dog?…that’s a first :P…Thank you for following 🙂” Since that time, I think I have read every post he has ever written. ( ok and maybe I went back and read more…shhhh) He writes everything. I can’t put a label on it, but again, I assure you, his blog is worth a look!!!! I can’t decide on a favorite, so I just picked one or two What If, installment 1.

And FINALLY….. Bloggingwithbojana. I have to throw in another coffee warning here though, this time it is to drink ALOT of it before you read her posts. (Not because they will put you to sleep, but because she really makes you think) She is very articulate, and for those of us not so articulate DEEP!….I ponder her posts for days…..

Well there you have it, my recommendations for the “Grace loves these guys blogs”.

Thank you for stopping by. If you have a favorite blog, or one that you think I might like, drop the link below, or send me a message please!!! If you think someone might like mine, pimp me up!!! 😛

Am I strong?

January 26, 2018February 9, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 10 Comments

Lately, I have had several people tell me how strong I am. I laugh and I quickly deny it thinking…… “If they only knew.”

I am not strong..but.. I am resourceful. 😉

I have an ARMY of POSITIVE people (ok some VERY strong) in my life that push me to get back up when getting out of bed is a struggle. I don’t mean butterflies and rainbows positive, I mean the ones that will literally drag me out of bed, and tell me to put my big girl panties on. People that REMIND me of the things I have survived, and that they NEED ME too.

I joke all the time that if not for bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all…..But I am lucky.

I have incredible parents, friends, and family that are always there to kick my ass back into reality when I need it. They won’t LET me feel sorry for myself. They remind me that although I have made 10,000,000 mistakes, I have learned something good from each of them. They remind me that there is always someone else that has it “harder” than me.

Not only do my friends listen to and support me, by offering an ear or a shoulder, some days lots of kleenex, and the occasional “ass kicking”, but they share THEIR imperfections and learning experiences with me, and I LISTEN!!!! Not as in taking advice listening, (I am bad at that), but I LISTEN and HEAR that EVERYONE has struggles, EVERYONE, has done things they aren’t proud of, has made mistakes, and taken some hits.

I gain something from EVERYONE I come into contact with, even if its a lesson in how I do not want to do things.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety etc. may I suggest that you consider “cleaning out your closet” and removing the things or people that don’t make you feel or push you to be stronger?

Let me again state that by positive people, I don’t mean all smiles all the time. Here are some “strange examples”…

Me: I need to lose weight

Positive influence: What are you gonna do about it?

Me: Um….. good point, it does start with me…

or another

Me: I hate being broke!!!!

Positive influence: Have you quit smoking yet?

Me:….grrrrrr, Ok Ok

So by positive, I mean the ones that call to say…..”Have you walked on the treadmill yet today?”….. The ones that genuinely care and celebrate your victories as their own!

But Back to my original question…… “Am I strong?”.… no, NOT even a little…. but I do have great “resources”.

Can you ride a horse on a subway?

January 16, 2018February 12, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 29 Comments

Planning My Next Adventure

I am going to Boston for 4 days in April…..You call that an adventure? YES I DO! But, The adventure I am speaking about now though is the PLANNING part. I am excited, nervous, and to be honest, a little bit scared. You see…. I know how to ride a horse, but not a subway, or even a bus for that matter….So there you have it….Country girl meets Big City? Not that I have never been to a Big City, but it is something I try to avoid since being diagnosed with MS. When I do go to Chicago now, it is only to see my “MS Specialist”, at the same place, taking the same route that I have taken numerous times a year for the last 7 years. I drive my own car, and use the valet parking at the hospital (yah discount because I have a handicap placard? …. If you call $13.25 for an hour a discount….smh) I have that routine down pat. But a new city where I don’t know my way around? The fact that I have continuously heard that Boston is the “Walking City” makes me a bit nervous.

Anyone up for a road trip?

On New Year’s Eve, Einstein and I had his best friend and his wife over to celebrate. Us girls, were making small talk in the kitchen while the guys played “Kung Fu Jenga” in the Living Room. “K” was telling me about a “you-tube” conference that her daughter wanted to go to in Boston during the month of April, but she was a bit nervous (also not liking big cities), and not knowing much about You-Tube. I told her, I thought it sounded like fun!!!! (I want to learn more about making videos for You-tube, I love meeting new people, and YAH ROAD TRIP!!!!) She asked me if I wanted to go……. UM HELL YAH!!!!!!!!!!!

As the excitement built in the kitchen, the guys came in to see what we were making such a fuss about. We told them that we were planning a road trip to Boston. Before the night was over, it was decided that we would take my car, they would pay for gas and the hotel. I just had to “get the girls there and back in one piece” .”D” (Einstein’s best friend even offered to throw in a lobster dinner) DEAL!!!!!!

Let the adventure begin.

I spent the next week trying to plan the best route and times to travel. If we drove 10 hours the first night, we could make it to Niagara Falls, New York, get a hotel, crash for the night, see the Falls in the morning, AND still make it to Boston Thursday evening in time to get rested for the big conference the next day. We could do the conference on Friday, lobster dinner that evening, and head home on Saturday morning. Easy peasy right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Who the hell was I kidding?

INTRODUCING LIFE WITH MS

Now the doubt, insecurity, and anxiety come in (another invisible symptom of MS). It’s NOT that I COULDN’T do it, it is more that I shouldn’t do it. I fucking HATE MS! If I spend that much time in a car, my body is going to be in SO much pain for at least a week afterwards. (How could I have forgotten this after last year’s 15 hour road trip to see my niece get married?!?!?) I ended up in the hospital on steroids for a flare up, and another new symptom…Sciatica.

Traveling with Multiple Sclerosis

What if the car breaks down? It’s not like I can WALK for help. What if I fall? Will my insurance cover me for an accident in Boston? and so on and so on…

Ok pity party over. Ok Grace you’re scared so what? MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! Did I mention I am not Dead yet? I also am NOT going to let MS make me feel like I am. I may have to make some adjustments, but this is going to happen!!!

Back to the drawing board. Yah determination!!!! Just for the hell of it, I decided to see what it would cost to fly in comparison to driving. After adjusting our dates and times a bit, I was able to find round-trip airfare for $136.00 a person. NOT bad at all! Obviously it isn’t first class, but sitting uncomfortably for a couple hours on a flight sure as hell beats 17 hours of it. First hurdle handled!

I have no clue how I am going to navigate my way around Boston without my car, but I’m up for it. I still have a few months before we leave, so plenty of time to research and you guessed it…..BLOG about it….. Challenge Accepted!

If anyone has any tips or tricks, or must see things in Boston please let me know!!!