The Un-reality of Reality Shows

On G+, Food Network recently asked for fans to describe the segment they'd like to see on one of the FN shows. I submitted that they should have a "real" non-chef person trying to create chef recipes with a normal budget. That got me thinking about TV in general.

Let's be honest. There's very little reality in the reality shows on TV.

When the Real Housewives first came on, the women didn't represent the average housewife - unless "average" meant married to someone very wealthy (or temporarily kind-of-sort-of wealthy) and living under/caving in to a lot of peer-pressure.  The current housewives are a little more established in their own rights as businesswomen, but are still extremely shallow and self-absorbed.

A true reality show about housewives would show more of the juggling and struggling that women in the home have to cope with nanny-free. There'd be no personal assistants, mansions with indoor basketball courts or trips to places that are on the average woman's "Dream Vacation" or bucket list instead of as a notation on the next film schedule. We'd see more women not wearing full-makeup and Spanx at 7 in the morning. We'd also see more of the kids and husbands. Oh - and those kids and husbands wouldn't be so interchangeable that no one would notice if the families did an overnight swap.

Real people, real kids, real life. It happens.

While I am on my rant about the Housewives, let me  just say that I have seen some of those wives when the camera catches them in full-on sunlight and at the wrong angle. They have bulges, sags and wrinkles just like other women past thirty (and all those heffas are waaaay past thirty, no matter what their lying mouths say), and if they don't it's because they: never eat carbs, ever; don't smile with any abandon; don't go anywhere without a hair-and-makeup person on standby; or they are constantly in pain from sucking it in.

What reality TV would have you think

(Maybe this post will be just about the Housewives. I've gotten on a roll here.)

Have you ever noticed that the kitchens and dining rooms in the Housewives homes are always perfectly clean? I mean, spotless. Even if they are making a batch of Rice Krispy Treats with the (clean and name-brand-attired) kids? There are never crumbs on the floor, goo on the counters, or mysterious stains on the sink back wall. I mean, I know they all have maids and such, but I just don't trust the nutrition or love of a meal made without wrecking the orderliness of the kitchen. When I feed kids, I want to see some evidence that they enjoyed the meal. They don't have to leave the mess of untrained animals being fed at the table, but it would be nice to know that a five-year old doesn't have the social manners of an 80-year old dowager.

Now let's talk about the Housewives' attire.

I would like to think that any woman who has ever been married and had - or has even been within 5 feet of a child - owns a raggedy pair of jeans. Or an ugly, stretched out sweater, or a sweatsuit without "Juicy" or "Victoria's Secret" stitched on it. All the Housewives on TV have perfectly fitting clothes (well, usually) with matching accessories for any occasion. Their sandals never have those little loose threads that show wear and tear from more than one use. Their toenails are always perfectly painted and the heels of their feet are never ashy. Ever. It's as if their skin oozes lotion.

I don't trust a woman who doesn't have to occasionally check her feet or elbows for ash. I have to keep a bottle of lotion on my person at all times and I have had to apologize about the state of my feet before whipping out my dogs for the doctor to do an examination.

What do I know? I'm not a housewife. Even if I one day marry the man of my dreams, I hope to God I never turn into a Housewife. I don't have the willpower. I'm just a single woman with no kids and there are days when I have to do a wheat grass shot before I have the energy to put on makeup. So enough about those women. Let's talk about the food shows.

I have a couple of food show favorites. Guy Fieri is my hero. I love "Diner, Drive-ins and Dives". Lots of real folks cooking and eating real food. That's cool stuff. Except it makes me hungry. I once wanted to move across the coast because of an episode on the best hamburgers made from scratch. Plus Guy looks like a big, tall cute Teddy Bear with cool shades.

My least favorite food shows are the ones where supposedly "real people" do everyday meals.

An "everyday meal" for me doesn't involve fresh-caught lobster or farm-grown ingredients that come from a market in some famous New York district to be cooked up in my cozy kitchen with two ovens and a built-in prep station. I shop at Walmart. I want to see some shows about how to jazz up my tuna casserole without using ingredients that are trending on Twitter among highbrow foodies.

A bit much?

Rachel Ray is annoying, but she's kind of down-to-earth with her meals. Of course, if I wanted to use her branded kitchen items, I'd have to hock my mama's jewelry to make a down-payment on one pan. Bonus points: Walmart carries the Rachel Ray line. They also carry a Paula Dean set that rubs way above the budget of a regular Walmart shopper. I'd need to give up a PFD to accessorize a kitchen with Ray and Dean.

I enjoy watching Giada sometimes just to marvel at how perfectly even and white her teeth are. I do get a little depressed watching her chow down like a truck driver while wearing size-two clothing. Bonus points: she actually seems to enjoy eating.

One day someone is going to do a cooking show for the person who has an oven with a faulty temp gauge and that one burner that always leans a little to the right. Most of the ingredients will be variable. No arugula or Tibetan pepper? No problem. Just use the Mrs Dash that's been sitting in the back of the pantry so long that you have to pound the can against the sink to loosen the flakes. Tell us how to make a decent meal from the fatty ground beef that's always on sale - because not everyone can afford the low-fat, choice ground that they keep behind glass at the butcher's counter. Not all of us shop at a butcher's counter.

So, yeah, I'm kind of over the b.s. of most of these shows.

Reality shows are going to be a joke until they are about "real" people living real lives. Most of us don't have sex tapes for sale, clothing lines in the works, or famous exes. Most of us are just seriously real people trying to survive in a seriously real world.

My "real world" makes me want one of these!

Peace
--Free

I Have a Cold So I'm Sharing It

Ugh.

I'm starting an apartment hunt, continuing a job hunt, dealing with a family crisis, and .... now I have a cold. If my situation gets any better, I'm going to tie a balloon to my butt and do the Happy Dance the next time I sneeze.

What is it about something as common as the "common" cold that zaps your will to even get out of bed and brush your teeth in the morning (or just get out of the bed)? Well, since I have to be running around the rest of the day, and since I am sitting up just to breathe without strangling myself with congestion, I thought I'd look into this.

So, if I also had a fever, this would be the flu? Huh. I don't get fevers. Ever. I can be under attact from some strange and oddly-named  disease and not get a fever. I have been under attack from such a disease. No fever. I get the chills and sweats and hacking and sensation of creeping towards the gates of Death, but, nope, no fever for me. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just saying.

As far as my cold being caused by the rhinovirus, I say, "Hah! That's what 'they' say." I say my cold was caused by the rhino-baby of terror that is called D.J. That little brat nephew of mine gave me this misery when he was slopping kisses on me the other day. If I just have to be sick, I'd rather think of his slobbery little face-kisses causing it than some prehistoric-sounding something-virus.

It's not being sick that I mind so much - because I know there are worse things to be sick with - it's just that this comes when I have too much else going on in my life. I don't have time to be sick.

I don't want to be that person who doesn't stay away from others while ill, keeping their germs private, but I don't have the luxury of hibernating right now. I have jobs to seek out, apartments to find, appointments to meet, and errands to run. Dangit, I envy people with a less complicated life! Guess I will just have to keep my purse-sized bottle of Purell full and on the ready.

At any rate, that first video was informative (and took my mind off my misery for 3 minutes) and a bit reassuring. Except for the whole "lasts about 7 to 10 days for a person with normal health. There's always a kicker, isn't there?

By the way, as much as I learned from the two videos, I could just sum up my cold situation with pictures:

My personal little virus

Always trying to drive!

 Hahaha

Peace
--Free

I'm a Survivor

My latest Netflix marathon was one of watching "I Shouldn't Be Alive". It reminds me a lot of another favorite: "I Survived".

Since the show is about people who came out of situations that should have broken them, body and soul, I kept relating to each episode on a personal level. Every time someone said something like "Help was so close, yet so far away" or "It was just within my reach, but I just couldn't catch hold", I found myself thinking about my own life and trials.

I know the Master of the wind

After I watched half a season worth of shows, I wanted to be depressed. Then I thought of something: all those people, in all those precarious situations, had come out alive. They had survived, mainly because they had just refused to give up.

With everything going crazy in my life right now, I've decided that I'm going to come out a survivor. When I look back on this past few months (and maybe a future month or two) of my life, I'm going to remind myself that I survived. Anything and anyone trying to break me is going to fail.

I'm thinking now of a Bible verse. I'm going to write it on a piece of paper to keep on my person. On the days when I feel myself getting tired, I'm going to pull out that paper and read it.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise

My hair is pretty happy right now. Between the shampoo and conditioner that I am so in love with and this new leave-in, I feel as if I'm wearing someone else's hair. Someone else with soft, moisturized and nourished hair.

I'm a little bit ticked off. Here, I've been using all kinds of pricier potions, lotions, curl butters and creams and this four dollar and sixty-four cent product is sitting right there on the shelf. I had noticed it before but passed on trying it. I've tried other "hair mayos" and they just coated my hair with a greasy, messy slime that I couldn't wait to rinse out. Not this stuff.

$4.64 at Dimond Walmart in Anchorage

I'm too freaking tired to try doing a selfie - plus the light is horrible right now - but, I'll try to describe what my hair feels like. It's soft and moist without being wet (get Prince off your brains!). I can touch my hair and not leave prints on paperwork. It's just a perfect leave-in follow-up for my new shampoo and conditioner duo. I can certainly see why it will stop breakage. I'm not sure how it would work for ladies who want to use heated curlers or irons on their hair, but it's really handling the heck out of this problem of dry hair for me.

Looks icky. Smells okay. Feels wonderful.
Still trying to identify those brown-ish bits in there

I have seen other products from Organics by Africa's Best (which is under the banner of House of Cheatham, which makes the site hard to locate online), and I bet most of you have seen the products. Apparently, the Hair Mayo is new - or at least I have this "new and improved" version of it.

At first, I thought that, despite the "leave-in" aspect, I would have to rinse it to avoid a head full of greasy curls.

I followed the "daily use" directions. Sort of.

The "daily use" directions are to use a small amount, so I did. Until I could almost hear my thirsty hair slurping up the mayo. Because I could immediately tell that my hair liked the cream, I went ahead and applied a bit to my scalp and tips, then did a little curl-massage. And... WOW.

Like I talked about before, I am loving the Adovia shampoo and conditioner. My hair is not as dried out as usual even a few days after washing it. Matter of fact, this mayo is the first product I have applied. Once again, between the shampoo, wash-out conditioner and the mayo, I think I am set for a hair-care routine. Maybe I will start retaining and expanding on the new growth trying to come in lately. My problem has never been growth, it's always breakage.

I took a look at the ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Polyquaternium-32, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lanolin Oil, Dimethicone Copolyol Laurate, DMDM Hydantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Parfum (Fragrance), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Origanum Vulgare (Oregano), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Equisetum Hyemale (Horsetail) Extract, Soluble Collagen, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Ovum (Egg Powder), Yellow No. 5, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1.

I have seen a lot of the same things on other hair products. By the way, as much as I love this mayo, I am pretty disappointed with the brand website. Other than having to hunt it down, once I found it, there wasn't much information about the individual products - like an ingredients list. I had to cop one from the product page on Amazon.

I have seen other bloggers mention this product. Some of them love it and some of them aren't thrilled with the ingredients. I saw a couple mentions of flaking and  Personally, the only problem I have with the ingredients are the little bits and pieces of what looks like remnants of nutshells. So far, I'm not bothered. I'm going to use it for a few days and see if I'm still this happy by then. If not, Walmart is pretty cool about returns/refunds/exchanges.

One last thing for people with different types of allergies/reactions to certain things: be careful to read the ingredients list and do the needed research. The mention of oils, extracts and egg-stuff made me wonder about that.

Peace
--Free

Alaska Run for Women 2014

Big thanks to everyone who came out for the Alaska Run for Women. So many people, so much love.

Oh, the fun we had...

Team Mike shirts for the guys (6:40AM)

My sis is pretty super! Her nephews know this.

This is gonna be a fave
 pic of me, my sis & my nephew

So many people!

Way more people than it looks like!

A fun group at the starting point
 for the 1 mile part of the  walk

We just finished hearing a beautiful
 version of the National Anthem

LOL! DJ was tired in his
Superman attire

Sandra "Mike" (sis)
said her head was cold. Hahahaha

Our sweet Shavonne in charge of pinning us all

Shavonne & Kenyatta hamming while
Mike, JP & Christine maintain normalcy

I loved the ladies in the tutus!

Our sweetheart Katie with Mike, DJ & JP
Me & Kenny photo-bombing them in background

Mike found out we were
in back joking around

Two of Katie's beautiful co-workers who came out
to offer support & walk with us. Sweetness!!!

DJ "wants & need his Auntie Mike"

Shavonne & the little sweeties
(those 3 young ladies did the 3 minute mile RUN!)

Nice spot for lunch afterwards

Is this not the cutest menu?

And... nourishment!

Um... that's what I call a "super" meal. HUGELY super

DJ & his daddy

Much love to Cherie & Shavonne for staying up all night to put the t-shirts together. One of the reasons our life storms are bearable is because of who we share umbrellas with. We're pretty blessed around here! #familyandfriends

(I'll be adding pics to the post as everyone sends me the ones they took!)

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts

When I received my BzzKit with the Dr. Scholl's Orthotic Inserts on Wednesday, I didn't realize how perfect the timing was.

It came just in time

My Thursday started at around 5AM. I stuck the inserts into my Skechers and hopped on my Gazelle glider for twenty minutes of exercise. (NOTE: The inserts are thicker than I expected and they take up a bit of room in my shoes.) The rest of the day was running from errand to errand. I was on the dirt, concrete and grass while outside; then I was at the hospital for a few hours, walking back and forth from waiting room to car to coffee vendor.... It was a long few hours. After that, it was to the grocery store and to one grocery warehouse. I almost made it home before I remembered two more errands.

Basically, I started my day at 5AM and ended it somewhere around 2058 AD. It wasn't until I was finally able to kick off my shoes that I remembered the Dr. Scholl's I'd been wearing all day.

Right there was the proof to me that there is something good about these inserts. I had had a lot on my mind all day, but I hadn't thought about my feet. This is kind of a big thing with me. Ever since I gained all that weight, my arches dropped and, for whatever other reasons, my feet tend to bother me when I am on them for long periods. Usually, during a busy day, I will slip off my shoes just to massage my feet against a chair leg or something.

I think that I gave the Dr. Scholl's inserts a pretty good workout yesterday. Since I really like the way my feet felt at the end of the day, I'm going to be looking forward to Saturday's Walk for Women.

I received my Dr. Scholl's inserts courtesy my membership at BzzAgent. Notice that these are "Custom Fit" inserts. I used the kiosk at a local Walmart to get the correct insert recommended for my feet. The kiosk uses pressure sensors to create a "FootMap" of a users pressure points, arch, and length. Once that's done, the user will be shown which custom insert is best for their feet. (It was kind of a fun process, by the way. Wear clean socks when you go!)

Here's what Dr. Scholl's has to say about the inserts:

• Fit® Orthotic Inserts that are right for you!
• Provide all-day relief for tired, achy feet
• Offer customized heel cushioning to relieve foot pressure
• Contain a CradleFlex® Support System that gives your arches customized support and stability
• Places your feet into a more supported position and disperses pressure levels more evenly

Here's what I can tell you based on my experience:

• After a long day of a lot of walking... my feet felt great.

That's what's most important to me. I don't want to have to think about my feet when I have so much other stuff to worry about. These inserts are not cheap. They run in the $50 neighborhood in my local store. If you can afford them, they are great and worth having at least one pair around. I'm very lucky that I am able to say #GotItFree :-)

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received this product free of charge because I am a BzzAgent. 

The Steps We Take Backward (Pay Attention, Folks)

We spend too much time paying attention to the wrong things. Meanwhile, this kind of storm starts brewing while we aren't watching.

The whole show is good, but the part I'm talking about starts at the 24:30 mark

This is important, people.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Mineral Balsam Conditioner (by Adovia)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Remember this post about the Dead Sea Mud Shampoo by Adovia? No? Then, if you have hair, go over there and read that post.

Done? Good because I have found the perfect conditioner to pair up with the shampoo.

The Mineral Balsam Conditioner (MBC) is sub-labeled: "with Dead Sea Minerals, Chamomile Extract and Vitamin E". Whatever. All I know if, this is some of the best dang conditioner I have used in.... ever. And I have tried a lot of conditioners to deal with my dry and nappy hair.

Once again, let's whip out the photos:

This is my hair on its regular shampoo/conditioner:

You can almost hear the tumbleweeds blowing through here...

This is my hair on the Dead Sea Mud Shampoo/no conditioner used:

This is my hair (immediately after a dye job & water-rinse/no shampoo) on the MBC.

No moisturizers & sun-dried.

Dang, right? Right? Yep. I applied no other products because I wanted to show how nicely conditioned my hair is hours later (and after being under a very warm sun all day). Of course, I will be putting in some of my regular moisturizers before bed tonight. But you see my point: this conditioner is the bizness, especially for my thirsty hair.

Now, if this conditioner can do this for my hair - and by "this" I mean keep it from drying up and blowing right off my head - imagine what it will do for a less damaged grade of hair? Matter of fact, I have hopes that my moisturizers are going to work better after this. I will certainly not need to use as much since my hair is less dried out to start with.

I also noticed that my hair felt less fragile than it does when I use other softening conditioners. That's another Plus.

So, yeah, this right here is some mighty fine conditioner for all hair types. Here's a list of the ingredients:

Demineralized water and Dead Sea water, cetyl alcohol, cetrimonium chloride 29%, mineral oil, isopropyl myristate, glycerin, lanolin, fragrance, polyquaternium-7, propylene glycol and chamomile extract and algae extract* and papaya extract and aloe vera extract. (* I find that to be an interesting ingredient because of my Google searches on its effects on hair.)

You can, of course, get the conditioner on Amazon, or you can get it (or with the shampoo) via Cleopatra's Choice where there's a 60-day "Easy Return" policy cited.

Peace
--Free

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

***REVIEW*** Yacon Syrup from Life & Food

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
It's here! I've been  pretty excited to try this Yacon Syrup from Life & Food (lifefoodpro.com) because I've been reading up on it ever since I saw the product on Tomoson.com. The item can be found on the Life & Food site or on Amazon.

So, here's what the syrup looks like on a clear plastic spoon.

looks like molasses, doesn't it?

It's pretty viscous looking, but I find that it's not as thick as molasses - though the taste is oddly similar. I actually could pick up a wine-like flavor under the honey-molasses taste of it. It's not bad, but I don't think I will be eating it right off the spoon, or sucking on it like a honey-stick.

Not as thick as it looks

"Made in an FDA regulated facility"

The suggested usage: To take one (1) teaspoon 3 times a day, preferably taken with or before meals. Can be used as a sweetener in your tea/coffee and other beverages. Can be added to various recipes, salads and/or on top of pancakes.

After I read elsewhere online about the possible effects due to the high fiber content, I decided to start with a low usage. First, I put the first teaspoon in my coffee (along with my caramel vanilla creamer!) in place of other sugars. I was worried that it might not be enough to sweeten my 8 or 9 ounces of java. It was enough. My coffee tasted a lot like it does when I use a small amount of raw or brown sugar. Very much like it, but without being as sweet.

So, for my coffee test: check!

Next up, I added a little less than a teaspoon to some iced tea. It was pretty good, but I kind of wanted to add more Yacon. I resisted because, well, you know, that whole high fiber issue...

This is just the first day. I want to wait a couple more weeks before I tell you whether or not it seems to have any effect on my weight or appetite. For now, I just wanted to let you know about the taste of it. I think that, no matter what else, it will be a good natural low-cal substitute for sugar for people who don't want to go the Stevia-Truvia/blue-pink-yellow packet route.

If I can get my sister to use it (consistently) for a couple of weeks, I'll talk with her about whether she sees a difference in her blood-sugar levels. She is diabetic and is currently using Splenda all the time.

Here is info straight from Life & Food (I bolded some points):

LIFE & FOOD 100% PURE RAW ALL NATURAL YACON SYRUP

Our Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) Syrup is sourced from naturally grown organic Yacon fields in the country of Peru. We use the HIGHEST quality Yacon plant to make a premium pure syrup formula.

Yacon syrup has shown to remain low in calories and low on the glycemic index scale. This is due to the fact that the sugar contains high levels of oligofructose (inulin), a form of sugar that is not metabolized readily by the human body. For this reason, Yacon is ideal for diabetics and acts as a great alternative to conventional low calorie sweeteners.

PRODUCT DETAILS

100% pure Yacon syrup has shown to assist in weight management, increase fiber intake and promotes good bowel function.

Other benefits include: Lowers blood sugar. Prevents and controls hyperglycemia (over activity). Restores renal activity. Is a powerful Antioxidant.

High in prebiotics and probiotics, this syrup contains up to 50% of FOS (fructooligosacharides). It has been found that consumption of FOS does not increase blood glucose, and helps boost your bodies metabolism.

Naturally grown and sourced from the fields in Peru. Organic certified by our manufacturing specialists.

100% pure raw organic syrup formula with no added preservatives. Bottled and tested in a FDA certified GMP facility in the USA.

Of course, the label gives notice that statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and that the product is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. (We need those notices because people get way too excited by possibilities...)

The main things I like can be summed up with this graphic:

Did you notice the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee?
GMP= "Good Manufacturing Practice"

Other than using one's own common sense and practicing decent eating habits, what about the claims of the effect on obesity, diabetes, etc.? Well, you can read up on that here. Here is second viewpoint.

Keep watching this space for updates on my personal experience.

Peace
--Free
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Good and Too Good

My Acer Iconia A500 tablet died. Yes, it was over 2 years old, but I was too sick to use it for the first year. In total, I used it all of maybe 10 times - less than 5 or 6 hours. (I was gonna take a pic of mine for the post, but it won't stay on long enough to see anything other than a really pretty black screen.) This is what it should look like:

We'll see if we can fall back in love

My niece has the exact same tablet, but she at least got more use out of hers before it started doing the same as mind: not charging. At all. Not with the wall cord or with the car adapter. Acer, by the way, makes sure that you feed their bank by not allowing the tablet to use any other charger but their brand.

I'm thinking of having the battery checked out, but I'm leery of replacing it only to find that it's not the problem.

Meantime, while my niece and I were bad-talking Acer, she sent me a link to a site she heard about: nomorerack (which I first read as "No Mo Re-Rack"!)

So, I go over there and do a search for "Tablets" and... lose my freaking mind!

I'll trade my Acer for all three, please!

Then I calmed down because I remember what we all should remember: "It it looks too good.." and all that. Checking them out a bit online, I find that all that glitters is sometimes not gold, diamonds, or even good cubic zirconia.

Yeah so that's the "Too Good" part of my hunt. The "Good" part might be this site:  Deal News.

A more realistic view

That sounds more real-world. Then again, though I had a bad customer service experience with NewEgg, I went over and took another look. (This is where that brick of an Acer came from...)

Realistic and do-able. Maybe.

I'm in limbo right now. I don't even know if I want another tablet. They're useful for packing around in the purse but, since I can't afford to add it to my phone's plan, I have to pray upon a wi-fi connection when away from mine at home. Maybe this is one of those things that I just want more than I need.

If anyone hears of any really super-duper good deals, let me know.

Peace
--Free

We Went for a Little Drive, My Buddy & I

This little guy is too hilarious. We spent lots of "car time" together yesterday. Our family puppy, Shadow ("Saddow," in DJ-speak) was attacked by a big dog running loose. We had to get him to the vet.

Do you know what it's like to sit in a car with a 2 year old for over an hour while he talks your ear off?

It was pretty fun.

"And then I told Shadow not to cry..."

"I lost my train of thought. How do you open this apple sauce thingie again???"

"Oh! And I forgot to tell you - I'll be driving us home today."
"No you won't. Looks like you've had waaay too much apple sauce, kid!"

"What do you mean, I don't know how to drive yet?"

 Hopefully Shadow's badly bitten leg will be okay... I'm not so sure about the waiting room after Hurricane DJ.

Mama just told him he has to stay right there on the bench with her!

Now you know why he and I went out to wait in the car!

Peace
--Free