Shoulder Pads for Everyday Use

OK.  This is gonna be weird.  You know how shoulder pads were really big in the 1980’s? To me they seemed a bit much, so I took them out of my clothes.  I liked the patterns though, so I kept a few.  Then an idea hit me.  A list called “101 Ways to Use Shoulder Pads.”  I have no idea why I came up with that, but it seemed silly at the time.  Although I never completely found 101, here is what I did come up with.  Let me know if you can think of any more.

 

1. dashboard dusting
2. keep propped up items against walls from scratching
3. ear muffs 
4. knee pads for gardening
5. stuffing for pillows
6. pet pillows!
7. bra stuffer
8. ankle protectors when breaking in new shoes
9. shoe arch support
10. general household dusting
11. window/mirror cleaning
12. extra padding on top of crutches
13. Barbie doll throw pillows and cushions
14. eyepatches - or play a pirate!
15. dog footies
16. drool or nose drip catchers
17. emergency wipes for cleaning or stopping bleeding
18. chair bottom of legs cover to keep from scraping floor
19. make animal toys - put catnip inside
20. baseball mitt extra padding
21. shoe shine
22. hamster or gerbil beds; mice love it too!
23. athletic support cushions
24. freeze them to use over eyes or forehead for headache
25. door knob bumpers
26. door/window draft stoppers
27. elbow pads
28. pin cushion for needles in your sewing kit
29. sweat pads
30. emergency feminine hygiene pads
31. pot holders
32. tailbone support on a chair
33. eyeglasses cleaner

So, have you tried any of these ideas?  I actually have!  The pin cushion for needles, shoe arch support, dusting, and pet pillows.  See, silly ideas can come in handy.  It’s good to just let yourself think freely and come up with ideas that may or not be of use.  At any rate, feel free to send me more ideas or come up with your own list of ideas for something.  And enjoy being silly.  It’s fun!   Theresa M

 

Carol Burnett GIF from Tenor

Do Your Best

Something I saw on Bluesky got me to thinking about my work history.  A simple little meme - I think it’s a hamster, maybe a gerbil, sitting at a desk with cup of coffee. Question: “What do you do for a living?  Answer: “I do my best.”

unknown source

For me being retired, I would use the past tense:  “I did my best.”

A simple yet profound statement.  I worked many jobs either part- or full-time and temporary ones.  A few I got fired from; some I quit, some went out of business.

Battling the demons of addiction and depression, I struggled throughout those years, even in recovery.  So I did my best, basically to survive.  That is the exactly the right way to summarize it all.

Now being retired, having the opportunity to write when I want, fix things, be free from bosses (ha!) I feel so much more content.  How fortunate I am, even if I am poor.  My spirit, my sense of well-being is much improved.

I hope others don’t have to struggle so much as I have.  Life is hard.  There are no guarantees for job security.  All I can suggest is take care of yourself.  Stick to positive principles, be honest.  Be true.  Ask for help when you need it.  Just do your best.      Theresa M

📷 selflovehannah on IG

Fix It Myself

Well I’m at it again.  Finding ways to fix things on my own.  If I absolutely do need help with something I will ask someone for that help.  But I like the challenge of learning and doing things myself.

Recently I wanted to get back into an old desktop computer with Windows 7.  I do not connect online with it any more due to it no longer being supported/secure.  However, I wanted to ensure that I had transferred all photos and videos from there to the cloud storage.

📷 geralt on pixabay

I was able to sign in and look around.  Before reviewing pics, I decided to remove a Linux application I had put in years ago.  Just on a whim - didn’t need to do it - but I deleted the space it was allotted by Windows.  I logged out. Well, since I didn’t look up the proper way to delete it, the computer decided to give me a grub error when I tried to log back in.  Couldn’t get past it.

It took lots of searching about grub errors, commands, etc.  Bottom line is I needed help.  But heck no way I wasn’t gonna pay for computer service for an old desktop.  Tried my best to download a Windows 7 repair boot on another computer, but couldn’t find a free one.

So I spent a little money to buy a disc that had it.  It was perfect.  Ran into some more requests for certain commands, to fix partitions, etc etc.  But I did it!  I got through!  I fixed it myself.  And I got to see my old pictures and videos - a few of which I did not, in fact, have in the cloud already.  Thank goodness I can retrieve them now.

Some of you might have no idea what I’ve been talking about: grub errors, partitions, commands.  You know what?  Neither did I know what they all were till I researched them by using Google, Duck Duck Go, and YouTube Videos.  So much learning is easy to obtain these days.

I love the challenge.  I feel good about at least trying, even better accomplishing these tasks.  Now I’m off to learn something easy - replacing the toilet fill valve.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Theresa M

📸 my pic Luke & Lilly 2017 from the archives

PS - The toilet fill valve replacement was a breeze!  Thanks YouTube!