Future City Traveling.

Daily writing prompt

What cities do you want to visit?

United States:
1. Galveston, Texas
2. Branson, Missouri
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. New York City, New York
5. Jamestown, New York
6. Las Vegas, Nevada
7. Boston, Massachusetts
8. Cambridge, Massachusetts
9. Portland, Maine
10. Bar Harbor, Maine
11. New Orleans, Louisiana
12. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
13. It’s not a city, but the four corners
14. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
15. Anchorage, Alaska
16. Honolulu, Hawaii

Canada:
1. Toronto

Overseas:
1. Seoul, South Korea
2. Beijing, China
3. Cairo, Egypt
4. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
5. Auckland, New Zealand
6. London, England, United Kingdom
7. Berlin, Germany
8. Dublin, Ireland

&& no, I’m not very traveled. >Broke<
I didn’t add reasons behind it because some are a “duh”. The ones that aren’t, meh, that’s my secrets.

Ode to Him

His smile gives her pause,
momentarily lost, in a sea of wonder.
His laugh makes her smile,
a tone, for only she ca hear.
His touch freezes her,
surrounded by Arctic, a breath she forgot to take.
His thoughtfulness makes her weep,
in a cloud of dust, alone in mangled emotions.
His child-like spirit makes her feel young,
like the kid, she had long forgotten.

He was there but gone,
a thought in the past, that seemed to be glued to her.
He rose from the depths,
a secret, she didn’t want to share.
He entered her world,
a giant aspiration, shielding her from hurt.

He didn’t know she needed him,
nor did she, until he arrived fueling her fire.
He didn’t know he fixed her,
small patches at a time, until she felt whole again.
His love sparks security,
shielding her, from the ugly world.

Him existing gives her purpose,
a challenge, he won blindfolded.
His crystal-colored eyes see through her,
baring her soul, leaving her limp and wild.

Gods Library

Walking through Wal-Mart parking lot. I see a bumper sticker that said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, God’s already there”.

Which got me to thinking.

I tell people a lot that He already has a book written of your life – so He knows what’s happening tomorrow. Then started thinking about what His library would look like. 📖

Photo Credit goes to Nemanja Sekulic.

He said he used photoshop to do this with a picture of his dad in the middle.

The Moon

TV Shows – Rewatching

Daily writing prompt

What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

View all responses

I watch two shows yearly: Buffy the Vampire Slayer && Charmed.

I have been watching these two shows yearly for a while now, I don’t think I can even tell you how many years. I have even bought the whole series of Buffy on DVD, just in case they stop streaming it.

I saw the other day that they were in talks of remaking it. Not really “remaking it” but bringing back the cast and making another season. I’m not sure I like the idea. But the child part of me likes the idea. Sarah Michelle Gellar said she’s willing to come back and do it, and she’s the one that has been in talks with Hulu to bring it back.

Here’s my thing. I love that show – I watched it as a child when it was first put on screen, so in 1998ish – I was 11. I used to watch it weekly with my mom, which is probably half the reason I find the show comforting. But honestly, if we are being honest here, they should have cancelled the show around season four. When they blew up the high school && Angel and Cordelia left.

Or, okay, let ‘s say four wasn’t the end – they probably should have stopped when Buffy jumped off the tower and into the swirly bits to protect Dawn. Honestly, they should have never brought her back to life. Because let’s be honest – the fact that they even remotely thought that she was in Hell was a complete sham. Buffy Summers saved the world, a lot. She wasn’t evil. She might have done some things that might have seemed evil, but Buffy was far from it.

&&& I hate what they did with the character of Dawn. She was made from Buffy. I think she should have been stronger. I think they should have made her a slayer. && if not, they could have made her a Guardian. They only spoke of them once, && I’m not sure they were called Guardians. But I think they could have done so much with that character. && sadly, now, we’ll never have a chance. Because I swear to everything green && holy, if they bring back that show, and they recast Dawn with another actress – I’ll riot. Michelle Trachtenberg is the only Dawn I’ll ever want to see in that series. Remember. I. Will. Riot.

People are still mad about David Boreanaz not wanting to reprise the role of Angel. He moved on. Let him stay moved on. Don’t get me wrong, if he wants to come back and be Angel again, let him, but don’t be mad at him if he doesn’t want to. You still have James Masters, he’ll reprise Spike.

Then of course there is the ones who said, “I don’t watch this show if they let Nicholas Brendon come back”. I will end that thought there, I have no thoughts about it.

The only thought I have about bringing back Buffy is…. you saw what they did to Charmed, right? Yes, I know it was a whole different cast && they didn’t allow the old cast to even be a part of it. But it wasn’t good. It looked like, from what I could tell, I only watched season one, that they followed the plot line of the original. Start with three sisters. One dies. Then finds out they have another sister.

I stopped watching it because I’m not one of those females that walk around screaming “GO WOMEN”, “WOMEN ARE GOOD MEN ARE BAD”. That’s what they did to that remake. They made it all about women && they didn’t have to.

Here’s a concept to think about. The original Charmed TV show was about women. Women doing great things and having power that men didn’t. Taking men down and women too. It was very much “woman powered”, but it didn’t throw it down your throat – the remake of Charmed, did. (That’s also why I stopped watching The Connors – well, besides it not having Roseanne in it, and they said that she died of an opioid overdose. Don’t get me started on how messed up that is. But when the Connors continued without Roseanne, and Darlene basically became the main star, they turned that into “women good – men bad”. && I hated what they did to the character of David.)

Basically, I’m not a feminist. I’m telling you right now, there are things men do I refuse to do. I don’t want to do it. && I’m also not one of the ones who think men are allowed to do things women aren’t. Tell me one thing ((&& do not tell me ‘not get raped’)) that men can do a woman can’t. Change my mind.

P.S. For anyone out there that has strong convictions that Buffy needs to be remade with a black slayer. Did everyone just forget about Kendra? The slayer who replaced Buffy when she died in Season One. The slayer who was a better character than Faith ever thought about being. The slayer they let be killed off by Drusilla so Faith could bloom. Forget about her?

P.P.S. I really hated the character of Kennedy.

P.P.P.S. I don’t think they should have killed Amber.

P.P.P.P.S. Sineya, the first slayer, was black. Try to tell me otherwise. Nikki Wood, Principal Wood’s mother. Remember? Spike killed her in the train in New York. Black. I could probably keep going on this for a while. Stop saying that Buffy was a bad show just because the main slayer on it was a white, blond girl. The second most powerful slayer on that show, Kendra, wasn’t white. I was always sad that they killed her – I think they should have let her stay. Faith was fine – but I liked Kendra better.

“I am Kendra. The Vumpire Slaya.”

Welcome to 2025!

Happy New Year!

It’s been a little bit, I think I began an entry a few weeks ago, but I never finished it. Then forgot. So, I haven’t posted in a bit. That’s okay.

It’s 2025, January, and here I sit. Normally I would do a recap of the previous year and tell what my resolutions are, but let’s be serious, no one ever keeps their resolutions – so, why make them?

I will at least update on my progress. It has been two months and three days since surgery. I have lost 49 pounds. A BMI change of 8.9 – which the paperwork they gave me at preop says in three months I should be down 10 points on the BMI charts. I guess I’m just grooving along.

Luckly, I haven’t had any complications. I prayed hard before surgery not to have complications – that was my biggest fear. I read stories of individuals who have had this surgery previously and they talk about all of their issues. One – that a lot seem to have – is puking for the first 4 months, every time they eat. Or having foods that they try not settle well and they end up with excruciating pains from gas. I have been lucky so far, I will say so far, I’m only two months in, but I haven’t had anything horrible. I have had raw vegetables and cooked – they settle well. A lot of people talk about lettuce and cabbage not settling well and that they give them horrible gas pains – I did get gas from the cabbage, but let’s be honest here – y0u and me both get gassy from cabbage.

I think if I pick any type of issue that I have would have to be not hitting protein or water on my days off. You’d think being at home it would be easier to hit but for some reason I am more religious about stuff at work. I have put a lot of reminders on my cell phone for “drink water”, “vitamins”, && “protein drinks”. So far, they have been working.

I would like to say that I am going to write more this year, but I attempted that last year. && as y’all know, that didn’t work. Although, I did a wonderful job starting out last year but then fell off the wagon.

I think if I pick any resolutions this year would be to write more, read more and not get overwhelmed with planning my wedding. Yeah! That’s this year. July of this year! Right now, every time I think about it I feel like my head is going to explode because I have never done this.

I have never helped anyone plan a wedding.
I never had thoughts about a wedding because I didn’t think I would be getting married.

The only things I have made decisions about is who is making the cupcakes, the officiant (which is going to get ordained just for us), the DJ, the food, and the location. That seems like a lot, but now it’s to the part that involves money – the only thing I am close to having is the money for the DJ.

&& I still kind of, sort of, a little bit of me, wants to turn this blog into a food blog. Even if the other day I told Boyfriend that people don’t make the money off food blogs anymore because it is so popular to do. The only question I ask myself, will I do a huge life story before I put anything about the food?

People do that.

Journey Restarted: Part Six

We have to back track just slightly. Let’s go back to June – where my insurance denied me the first time.

September – I’m becoming impaitent so I call the doctors office. At this point, I have done everything that the doctor has asked of me && what the insurance company has asked of me. So, my question was, why am I still not having this surgery? The only thing the office tells me is that I have been denied. Okay, but why?

I call the insurance company myself. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to assist in the decision-making process. They told me the doctor’s office needs to do a peer-to-peer review – which she does send in.

Fast forward to last Tuesday, November 4th – I’m at work && the doctor’s office calls me to tell me that the insurance has denied me once again. She tells me that sometimes if the insured person calls the insurance that sometimes help. I talk to the people around me at work and they pump me up – I end up calling the insurance that day. With one question, “why do I keep getting denied?”

The insurance lady ends up calling the doctor’s office on three-way, so we are all talking together. They “duke” it out. We all hang up. Said they’d let us know something by the end of the week && if they don’t, for one of us to call them back.

Wednesday the doctor’s office calls me. I’m prepared to be told no, again. But this time – it’s actually good news. She tells me that the insurance has approved the surgery && they aren’t really sure why they denied it because the 20-page peer-to-peer that the office wrote should have been enough.

I wanted to have the surgery before the end of the year was up because I’m out of pocket on my insurance. Which means everything has been going very quickly. Friday, I went for pre-op conversation at the doctor’s office. Monday, the 11th, I went for pre-op testing in Frisco. The 12th was my 37th birthday. Today, the 13th of November, is my surgery day.

Yup! You read that right! Today is the day. I’m nervous && hungry. I’m not sure why. People three times my size has had weight loss surgery before && they were fine. It’s not like I haven’t been put under before – even after the heart issues – I came out just fine. (I did warn them, again, that I sometimes wake up a little violent from anesthesia. I always think back to being 19 when I had my gallbladder removed && woke up && almost hit a nurse. I didn’t. She was fine. But I always want to tell them, just in case. When I had the stomach scope, I woke up fine. But sometimes I wonder if it was because I woke up alone when I was 19, when I had the scope, Boyfriend was sitting beside me. So, when I opened my eyes, he was the first thing I saw. When I was 19, my dad && brother were there, just in another room.)

Now, let’s discuss the downsides to having surgery in November. Today is approximately two weeks before Thanksgiving. (&& I’m not just going with the fat part of my brain, I kind of am). I had plans – I was going to make a prime rib! I can’t make prime rib now. Well, I could – but I’m not. I refuse to pay for a prime rib (i was going to buy two, one to roast && one to smoke) && not be able to eat it myself. No siree. I will eventually purchase the prime rib && make it. But I won’t be on solid food before Thanksgiving.

Christmas is next month! That’s my holiday. My favorite holiday. Boyfriend && I always go to a Chinese restaurant and get about 100$ worth of foods, share, while watching Christmas movies before we open gifts. That’s what we have done for years. This year we won’t be able to do that. I will be on solid food by then, technically, but a lot of what I normally order I won’t be able to. I guess I could always just get egg drop soup!

But I will say this much. Boyfriend has been willing to go all out for Christmas decorations this year. Surprisingly, for the last two or so years, I haven’t put up a Christmas tree or any lights outside. I just haven’t felt like it. This year I bought a few new outside decorations and I plan to put my tree up. Probably after we get home from the hospital. Boyfriend is worried about me being sad afterwards. I’m going to be very restricted foodwise for a while && he’s worried that I’m going to be unhappy. Which I honestly might be, but I won’t know until I get to that point. He has been willing to decorate anything I want.

First, though, we have to clean the living room – rearrange – find a spot for my tree. Like I said, I haven’t put one up in years – so the cats took over my living room. But that’s okay, we’ll figure it out. Plus, Boyfriend’s daughter is staying with us so her son will be around && I cannotn fathom the idea of a grandson not seeing a Christmas tree. Maybe that’ll be my motivation from now on?

It’s a little before 8 AM in Southern Oklahoma right now. My surgery is at 2 PM today – I have to be in Frisco by 12 PM. It’s approximately 2-hour drive to Frisco so we have to leave by 10. Before I go, I have to finish packing my overnight bag (it’s mostly just books so I can read) && shower with a special soap. But for now, I’m going to lay in bed && cuddle with my cats, Lucci && Gidget.

I am taking a notebook with me to the hospital, not my laptop, but I will write while there && upload it when I get home. I should be home Friday as long as nothing goes wrong. I will keep y’all up to date.

As I Get Older.

I lost my grandmother when I was in the 7th grade. So, the little things she done I found a little weird. For example, as long as I can remember she called me “Robert”. I don’t know why. By the time I started to get curious, she had already passed away. I never got to ask.

But as I get older I realize a lot of what I thought was weird, prolly isn’t as weird as I thought.

During the summer, she took cold showers. I found that that strange – even in the summer. Why would someone do that? Lately, I have been taking showers and not turning on the hot. Mind you, I live in Southern Oklahoma, so our “cold water” isn’t cold. It’s… luke-cold. You know when you turn your water hose on for the first time in the summer. The first bit of water that comes out – that’s what the water feels like.
My grandmother would run around her house with a pair of shorts && a bra – that’s it. I laugh about it now but as a kid – that’s weird. But I understand it now. My grandmother lived in a two bedroom trailer house from 1991 until her death in 2001. Her trailer had no AC except for window units. I understand the pain and exhaustion that comes from sitting in your house burning up because you don’t have an AC. I have one – in my bedroom (which is where I am lying while I type this on my phone) – so it is the only cool room. We tried to purchase window units for our living area in hopes that it would cool off in there – but there is too much open space, so it never actually helped. I would need an industrial sized AC && I just cannot afford that.

I’m tired of the summer now. I know there are a few who are enjoying the heat && they want it forever. But today, when I got off work, it was 102°F (38.8°C). It was 3:30 PM when I got home. I tried sleeping last night && it was hard since it was 90°F && even with my AC in my small bedroom – it was hot.

I’m ready for cold weather. Or at least the cooler weather we get during fall && winter. Usually late October it starts getting into degrees that I enjoy. Boyfriend keeps saying September should be better. But lately it’s hot then too.

You want to know what time it gets cool in my room? Between 2:00 am && 4:00 am. Want to know what time I was up for work? 3:00 am.

Just for one day.

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

This is silly. But I would like to work in a Chinese restaurant for just one day.

My reasoning? I really, really, really want to know how Chinese restaurants make their egg drop soup.

I have found a few recipes I like. One more than the others. But it still doesn’t taste or feel like theirs. Theirs is creamy, thick && oh so delicious. Mine comes out good, but doesn’t have that creamy factor that the restaurants have.

Or… a bakery.

I try to do a side hustle of making desserts – who doesn’t love or buy desserts. (Besides me). But I can’t make icing and would love to work in a bakery just to learn how to make it properly.

Journey Restarted: Part Four

June 26th.

We finally have a date scheduled for the actual surgery. June 26th. I had hoped to have it at the end of April to the beginning of May, however, I haven’t got a cardiac clearance yet, so I have to wait a little longer. I’m in the process of changing my cardiologist and I couldn’t make an appointment until June 13th. This is why I have to wait until the end of June.

The main part I have to wait for is approval from the insurance company, which they do pay for bariatric surgery. I think the only thing I wish they’d tell me is how much. It’s like the amount of money through the whole thing has been a huge secret, that they can’t tell me until two or three days before the actual appointment. Then I have to hope I have enough money to even go to the appointment. For example, they scoped my stomach a couple weeks ago. The appointment was on a Friday, they told me Wednesday that I needed $1500 for the actual procedure and 200$ for the doctor.

Don’t get me wrong, they did tell me at the start of this how much the surgery would be with the insurance if I don’t hit my out of pocket. However, they didn’t tell me how much it would be if I do hit my out of pocket, which I did, && I doubt they’ll tell me anytime soon. I’m hoping I have enough saved.

But I am nervous and excited at the same time.

I’m nervous because I have seen a lot of people talk about how their blood sugar is now extremely low && can only do so much to keep it up. I am used to having high blood sugar levels, so the thought of it being low, && not knowing what to do, scares me. They also talk about stinking all the time. I’ve always been paranoid about smelling bad, so that makes me nervous. Although, more people say that they don’t stink compared to the ones who say they do. They have stated that they do smell slightly different, not bad, just different.

I’m excited though. I’m excited about the thought of eating like a normal person. I was talking to someone I work with the other day && they were talking about how they can take two or three bites (they didn’t have the surgery, they use the shots that work for a little while until you stop taking them then you put all the weight back on, no, not a fan of using those shots as weight loss) and is full. I sat there smiling thinking “I can’t wait for that”. Food wise, I’m excited about the pudding, yogurt and Jello. I am also a big fan of soup, so that’s something else I’m excited for. But most of all, I’m excited at the thought that maybe, just maybe, I will not be diabetic any longer.

Being diabetic is hard.

The only thing I have been wondering is what will it do with my heart. I know my heart is doing better now than it was when I was hospitalized, but is that because of the medication I take for it? If I were to stop talking it, would my heart go back to the way it was in 2021? Will this surgery help with that && maybe not be on the medication any longer? I know it won’t fix my kidney issues, but I’m hoping it’ll at least slow down the decrease in function. I know my high blood sugar is not helping my kidney’s work properly. && the fact that one of them is smaller than normal, && then take in the function has decreased. Will the surgery assist in slowing all that down?

Yeah, I don’t know either.