You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. (Does anyone else remember Hee Haw?)

Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me!

Things happen in 3's, they say.

And we've all heard of Murphy's law.

All I know is YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!

 Six weeks ago, I underwent a partial shoulder replacement.  My recovery has been normal so far.  The pain I have is to be expected, and I wear my sling most of the time, even sleep in it, and I go to physical therapy. (# 1)

During this time, my mom was in the ER and hospitalized twice , had major surgery, and is now in rehab. I can't drive, so my DH has been taking me to see her(So thankful for him).  Six days before my sling was scheduled to come off (which is now tomorrow), and wouldn't you know it?  Bet you can't guess! 

 My ankle rolled, and I broke my foot!  So, we ended up going to the ER for me. DH had to get a wheelchair to get me down there (remember we were at the hospital already).  Some of the nurses even recognized me. (You can't miss the girl in the sling, right?) (# 2) Can you say embarrassing?

So yes, now I'm in a boot AND a sling!  I have what is called a Jones fracture.  If my bones stay aligned, I will need a boot for about six weeks.  If they are displaced, I will need surgery, as if I haven't had enough of those! To top it off, I have cough and cold symptoms (# 3) which I probably picked up at the hospital.🙄

I hope and pray we all get through this!

Have a great week!  And don't forget to visit my friends at Happy Tuesday and  Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Acronyms for Those Like Me Who are Getting Older

 Having a little fun with aging today.

BFF no longer stands for best friends forever; it's best friend fainted!

FWIW - Forgot where I was

LMDO - Laughing my dentures out

BYOT- Bring your own teeth

CGU-Can't get up

WIWYA - When I was your age

LOL - Little old lady

TMI - Triggers my indigestion

ROFL - Really old and farting loudly

BTW - Bring the Wheelchair

DWI - Driving While Incontinent

TOT - Texting on toilet

BMH - Broke my hip

As you get older, three things happen.  The first is your memory goes, and I don't remember the other two!

Hope you had fun visiting my post today! Visit Thursday Thirteen!

What is a Boondoggle?

 

What the heck is a boondoggle?  We have a great pub around here called boondoggles, but I never knew what it meant.  It was a jeopardy question yesterday.  No one got it. 

So... the dictionary says it is a worthless or wasteful project undertaken for political or personal gain such as a government project funded by taxpayers.  Additionally, it is work of little or no value.  As a teacher, that's what I would call busy work.  We usually left busy work for kids to do during our absence.  Actually, when we were absent for professional development... that was definitely a boondoggle!  What is a boondoggle you have experienced?

And now for some funnies...

Have a great week, and don't forget to visit Happy Tuesday and Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Sunday Synopsis

 

The Waltham Murders by Susan Zalkind
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was not as enlightening or as true crime-ish as the blurb promised. The Waltham murders refers to a triple homicide that took place exactly ten years after 9/11 in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was extremely brutal. The victims, who were part of the drug culture, were also robbed, but the police did not seem to give the crime high priority. The case went cold, but the author, who was friends with one of the slain and who was also an investigative journalist, wouldn't let the case die, especially after finding what she considers ties to the Boston Marathon bombing.

There are a lot of characters, and the author gives complete backgrounds on all of them, including herself. The number of characters gets very confusing, particularly when she discusses parents of some of the victims and possible perpetrators that are tangential to the entire topic. It is difficult to tell who is who and how they relate to the murders, if they actually do. Some of the events have nothing to do with either the Waltham murders or the bombing.

The link between the bombing and the Waltham murders, according to this author, is that Tamerlan Tsarnaev is guilty of both crimes. That is the only connection between these two crimes. There is only circumstantial evidence in the murders, which also exists for a few other people besides Tamerlan who were in the same social circles and could just as easily be guilty. No one has ever been arrested or tried for the Walthum murders.

I feel for the author's personal situation, losing a friend to a heinous murder, but the book is mostly assertion of opinion as opposed to cold, hard facts. Much of the information is unnecessary and repetitive and does not point to any person definitively. No one was ever held accountable; in fact, both of the men the author believes to be involved are dead.

I was hoping to get more clarity on exactly what happened in Boston during the bombing and its aftermath, but the author was brief on that topic, nonchalantly stating where the bombs were placed, and that Dzhokhar was found in a boat. The book is based on hours and hours of interviews, and I respect that process, but the book is mostly the author theorizing on what could have happened. We will never know for certain.  It is more memoir than true crime.

View all my reviews

Happy Random Tuesday

I heard the term scot-free on the news a few days ago (in reference to one of our embarrassing public officers), and I agree with the newscaster, which is actually besides the point. What exactly does scot-free mean?  To me, it means with no punishment. 

Disappointingly, it has nothing to do with being Scottish! It actually originated in Icelandic from the word skot meaning tax or payment.   It was also referred to as bescot and escot.  Now we just say scot.  So literally, it means, without tax or without payment.  That could be seen as not paying for one's transgressions, I suppose.  So that was my language lesson for today.

How about some funnies?

and this is actually the truth!

Have a great week!  Don't forget to visit my friends at Random Tuesday Thoughts and Happy Tuesday!