Just Spooky or Downright Creepy?

Last month I went on a quilting retreat with my besties.  Or as my boys call it, "hang'n out with a bunch of grandmas".  Youth .... 🙄 

Anyway, I was 65 miles away and sewing my heart out, in my own personal sweat shop, at a fabulous retreat location.  Look, I might work like a dog to create adorable baby quilts for my Etsy shop... and truth be told I'm probably making $3.96 an hour for my effort... but dang it... I'm doing it in style. So, there's that.  

So, it's all the grandmas and me (incidentally, the grandmas bring killer snacks... just say'n) and I'm working on a red, white and blue baby quilt.  Because Americana sells, baby!  Then I hear, "ding", the 2026 version of "You've Got Mail"... except it’s a text...whatever.  I open the text to see this delightful meme from my husband.  

"Awww.. that's really sweet.  He's thinking about me in my sweat shop".  LOVE.

THEN I took a closer look and, with a what-the-actual-heck-is-going-on-here expression, asked hubs how he knew what I was wearing that day.  He replied, "I didn't”.  He then sent me his meme instructions for ChatGPT.

So, let's talk about what Army Guy did NOT tell Chat GPT:

When this meme was created:

• I was wearing a black, V-neck t-shirt with 3/4 sleeves
• I was wearing silver hoop earrings
• I was working on a red-white-blue baby quilt with blocks posted on a design wall near me.
• I had clear nail polish
• There was a stack of folded red, white, and blue cotton prints on my table.
• I had a white coffee cup filled with sewing tools near my machine. Not filled with pins... but close enough.
• There was a green cutting mat with a rotary cutter beside me on my sewing table.
• I was using a clear ruler with yellow markings.
• I had not yet taken any photos of myself, or "the grandmas", or my quilts, at the retreat.

What ChatGPT got wrong:

• I have a Brother machine. Not Bernina. 
• I was working with white thread.  
• I was sitting on a black, rolling office-chair. Not a wooden, dining chair. (Though it does look like the exact chair I use daily at my home computer!!!)

That's it.  That's the complete list of errors. 

How am I supposed to process this? Is my phone spying on me and sharing my image, along with my surroundings, to the greater network of internet overlords? Or is this just a really, really good AI guess? I Have questions, ChatGPT. Serious questions.

But major props for making me look 28. Way to use human vanity to distract from the massive creepy factor of this meme. 

So what do y'all think?  Do our phones spy on us constantly, storing images on the web, which are accessable to AI agents worldwide? Or is this just a spooky coincidence?  I fear the truth is not as innocent as we'd like to think.

I Lived With An Eight Foot Inflatable Tiger

Back in my high-school mom hay-day, Andrew, and his Cheeto Life, provided plenty of awesome content for this blog. But I couldn't write about every fantastic Cheeto event without the risk of creating a one-topic tribute to all things orange-powdered and deliciously cheesy. But here we are, four years later, and this one is begging to be told. Because this gem just slays me. But first, be sure to catch up on the first two Cheeto stories here and here. 

Back in the height of Andrew's Cheeto-life-spectacular, he came home from school with an adorable 8-foot inflatable Chester, the Cheeto mascot.  Like a 4-year-old experiencing his first inflatable bouncy house, Andrew was beside himself with glee. Indescribable Joy even!  

Apparently one of his teachers, with killer observation skills, noticed Andrew's obsession with all things Cheeto.  I mean... how hard is that when the child shows up in one of five Cheeto hoodies EVERY. DANG. DAY? And the entire school knows him only as "Cheeto Guy"?  

So on this magical day, this amazing teacher sent Andrew into sheer bliss, when she presented him with this folded "thing" she had drug out of her garage, which had been placed there, likely, before Andrew was even born.  Apparently, Chester was a relic of her sister's days working for the Frito-Lay company in decades past. When Andrew got home, he went straight for the electric pump from our inflatable air-mattress. (translation... He scoured our black hole garage for the required tool in which to bring his newest best friend to life.)  Please enjoy the images below:

 

Delight. Elation. Euphoria. Ecstasy. Textbook joy

I'm not sure what is happening here, but it looks like a 

Cheeto Sith Lord is about to take Chester out.

Now, when I say I lived with an 8-foot tiger, I mean that booger left Chester up there, on the bridge, for a few months. Chester, staring at me morning, noon, and night, made me smile... in a sort of annoyed-but-joyful kind of way. It wasn't until the Christmas garland came out that I insisted Chester needed to move along. Where does Chester live now?  I have no idea.  Likely he was neatly folded shoved into Andrew's closet, never to be seen again.  Honestly though, I do hope Chester will make a re-appearance at some point down the line. And if I know Andrew... he's saving that fantastic blast-from-the-past for a day when I least expect it.  Andrew loves to surprise me like that. So fun, this kid.

Olympian Effort at the Magic Kingdom

 

It was an Olympian Effort.  Herculean even!  Last July we had ONE day to do all the things at the Wonderful World of Disney.  Of course, getting six people to agree on ONE Disney park was not in the cards. Because, here's the problem... Disney has brilliantly placed at least one must do attraction at each park.  I can't blame them for that... really can't.  What I can blame them for is charging $246 for a one-day park-hopper pass.  PER PERSON!  Really Disney? You cut me.  

Anyway, we had a plan: Visit the highlights of each park in ONE DAY. 

Here's how the day unfolded...

We began at Disney's Hollywood Studios because Galaxy's Edge was the top priority for the Ducklings (is it okay to still refer to a 6'6" fully grown man as a "duckling"?)  Things to ponder.   

Galaxy's Edge did NOT disappoint. We were sure to stop by Oga's Cafe for a snack. That was weird and cool and fun all wrapped up into one delicious Star Wars immersion experience. 

Our next stop was Epcot where we were sure to hit Soar'n and Test Track.  We then dined at Le Cellier, the steakhouse in Canada.  Holy Wow... amazing meal!

Onward to Animal Kingdom for "Flight of the Avatar", my hands-down-all-time-favorite-ride-at-any-amusement-park, ever!  Sadly, Matthew could not ride because they couldn't get his tall, tall body with those long, long legs secured into the seat-contraption. I had so much sad for Matthew. It gave me a flash-back of the major trauma Ikea caused when they decided he was TOO TALL to enter the children's play place.  HE WAS SIX!  I think Matthew still carries scars over that. Disney just doubled down on his childhood trauma. All for the price of $246.  Way to go Disney.  Epic Fail. Clearly being super tall is not all lollipops and roses. There are real world problems no one ever discusses. (Imnagine this paragraph with In the Arms of an Angel playing in the background). 

At this point it was 6:45 pm and Animal Kingdom was about to close for the day.  And this is the exact moment that Army Guy and I decided we were OUT.  Scratch that... WE didn't decide... OUR BODIES did.  There comes a time when age smacks you in the face with a massive dose of reality.  And let me tell you... doing three Disney parks in one day might have been a cake-walk for 43-year-old-me with three babies and a double stroller, but my 60-year-old self was NOT HAVING IT!  My feet said "NOPE" and Army guy's back was about to quit - FULL STOP!  So, we pulled the "I'm-old-and-tired" card and let the kids run wild.  

Here's the part that slays me.  While Army Guy and I shuffled off to the car singing Just Put One Foot in Front of the Other... Andrew and Cali decided they could run across the park to catch a ride on Expedition Everest once more before the park closed.  Yes, these kids had the energy to RUN, while Army Guy and I were barely functioning as actual human beings. Truth... we had to stop for refreshment on the way to the car.  What?  It was July in Florida. Hydration is paramount to life. Fact.  Meanwhile... across the park, Andrew and Cali rode the coaster TWICE before heading to the car.  And here's the kill shot - They reached the car a mere three minutes after Army Guy and I had arrived. Aging is a %$^*&. Am I right?

But there was one park left to visit, and the Magic Kingdom didn't close until midnight.  My brain said "YAY... I love the Magic Kingdom". I still held out hope.  But then reality smacked me in the face again.  Three steps out of the car and my feet urgently reiterated, "NOPE".  Swallowing my pride, I crawled back into the car with Army Guy, where we sat for five hours, with the A/C running and listening to 80's music, while our offspring enjoyed the Happiest Place on Earth.  And let me tell you something:  That air-conditioned Jeep Wagoneer, in the parking lot, with the music of my youth, and the love of my life... it was a pretty happy place.  If I couldn't run with the kids, at least I had my love, who was so, so, soooo happy my body had given up too. Because that man would have continued to drag his sorry behind through another park just to be with me.  That's love. And I'm blessed to still have that after all these years.  It might not be romantic to watch the fireworks from the parking lot. But we had a/c... and we had each other… and that was bliss for a couple of old folks. 

FIVE HOURS LATER... the kids came running back, high on sugar, adrenaline, and youth. Their happiness made my heart sing. 

And that is the tale of our epic four-parks-in-one-day Olympian Disney extravaganza. The kids took the gold for completing the quest. Army Guy and I settled for silver for our solid effort. My phone logged 17,000 steps that day.  Andrew's logged 37,000!  All-in-all it was a pretty great day. 

And also… HUGE apologies to my mother-in-law, who I dragged through the Disney gauntlet 20 years ago.  I get it now!  I do!  So, so sorry! :) 

Another Re-boot (The One Where They All Got Big)

Deb Walker has always been my number one fan.  She has cheered me (and my silly stories) on for decades.  Recently she shared a post of mine from 2017 titled "The Blog Lives On" with a comment that simply said, "still a fan".  This caused other friends to respond with joy that the blog had been revived.  Unfortunately, the blog hadn't been revived, even though I've often thought I should start posting again.  Here's my problem:  The Ducklings grew up.  And when I say "grew up"... I mean reaching heights in the 6'0" - 6'6" range.  The boys are big, y'all. And I am very, very small next to them.  But that's a story for another post. 

So, since the boys are men now, how do I tell their stories without seriously invading their privacy?  This presents me with a brand-new reality in which to navigate. Being a mom without "littles" is just…. different.  So, until I have grandchildren, who will provide me with pages and pages of wonderful content, I just have no direction.  

But this got me thinking... there ARE still stories to tell.  And gosh-darn-it... I plan to tell them. My grown-up people simply cannot kill my sense of humor.  I press on. 

So, let's get this thing rolling again.  First an update since my last post:

Matthew: (aka Huey) graduated high school in 2023.  He is 6'6" and currently pursuing a career with the Secret Service.  He fears my blog will somehow interfere with his background investigation.  Yes dear, the Secret Service is concerned that you were sued by your brother for skipping out on a bill, and that you discovered how to game the system so you could ditch kindergarten and hang with the school nurse.  Clearly you have a wicked criminal mind!

Matthew nearly killed me one day with these words "Mom, I'm buying a motorcycle". Five words that strike instant fear into a mommy heart. This mama held her breath for two years. And prayed... A LOT!  I am happy to report the Lord had His hand on my son until Matthew decided, on his own, to sell his bike. So, as of last month, I can breathe again. Thank you Lord! 

Daniel: (aka Dewey) graduated high school, Magna Cum Laude, in 2024.  So proud! Daniel, who goes by "Dan" now, (except he'll always be "Daniel" to me) is 6'0" and currently in his junior year at a university here in Texas, studying computer science. Yes, AI is giving him a bit of anxiety about his future job prospects, but we hold out hope that AI will create more jobs than it takes in the long run. He is also minoring in Psychology to hedge his bets a little. 

Daniel is currently going through a "I just want to have long hair before I go bald" phase.  I don't know why he believes he'll end up bald (cough... his Dad... cough) but he's not going down without a fight... for sure. So, Daniel now has a beautiful head of curly locks that would make any woman jealous.  And it's working for him. Respect. Daniel is living his best life and running Door Dash between classes.  Props for finding a way to earn a buck in a highly competitive, college town job market. The day he negotiated a fair wage I knew he'd be scrappy enough to work through any issue life threw in his face. 

Andrew: (aka Louie) graduated high school in 2025.  Andrew is 6'4" and is also attending a Texas University (a different college though because having two at the same school would be way too easy for the parental units... but what-ev!)  Andrew is in his sophomore year and is studying Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensics.  His ultimate goal is the FBI.  

Cheeto Guy gave up the Cheeto life during his senior year in high school. Sadly, we never got to see his Cheeto Prom attire. Tragic! I suspect a sweet girl had something to do with that.  Enter Cali; the most wonderful girlfriend a mom could ever dream up for her son.  I love her like my own and will be destroyed if they break up.  FOR REAL.  Plus, she got him to ditch the Cheeto way, which earned her a special place in my heart. She has my back and I am forever in her debt.

 

So that brings y'all up to date since I last posted.  I'm not sure where we go from here.  Will I tell stories from decades past?  Or will we just focus on recipes, books, and quilts?  At this point I'm not too sure, but anything is on the table. What I do know is that I kind of miss writing, and I'm ready to think about the sequel to "Laughing All the Way to Kindergarten".  So... here we go.  A new direction for this mom.

I'm learning to navigate life without all the chaos kids bring.  Wanna join me for the ride?