https://www.facebook.com/357394504282815/

LeahMouse, PO Box 5943, Grand Forks, ND (2026)

01/14/2026

So, I guess there's an Autistic Barbie now...

She will have typical autistic accessories like headphones, a fidget toy, and an AAC tablet. Her clothes are sensory-friendly, and her arms bend in ways that simulate stimming and hand-flapping.

I don't think this is the worst idea in the world, but I'm slightly put off by it. Maybe just because I'm an old fart and never liked Barbies to begin with, I dunno.

But autism isn't typically something that is visually noticeable (accessories aside). You know, the whole "BuT yOu dOn'T LoOk AuTiStiC!" thing we all just love to hear so much...

It's about thoughts, feelings, actions, and behavior. So I'm feeling weird about it being represented in an inert doll. Know what I mean?

Autistic characters in cartoons and other kid's shows would be awesome - representing the struggles of autistic children in a relatable way in a more real world type setting. Like how their classmates interact with them, classroom challenges, encountering food/texture/sound sensitivities, etc.

Just making a doll with headphones on it seems... I dunno... icky to me.

I see a lot of people excited about this Barbie, which is great. I'm glad there actually is a market for it and I hope it does bring more comfort to the children (or adults) who buy it.

But I see a lot of people upset about it, too - for basically the reasons I stated above. At the end of the day, you can't please everyone, of course.

I'm wondering how my fellow 'tism folks feel about this Barbie. Let me know! (And please keep it respectful. I'm growing weary of breaking up fights in the comments sections, haha)

01/13/2026

I don't know if this is my autism or what...

But I HATE both eating and sleeping. Hate them.

I do them because I, like, have to and stuff... but they both annoy the crap out of me.

Eating is annoying because I don't like food (except cheese, haha), and it's frustrating having to take time away from what I'm doing three times a day to figure out what to eat and how to obtain it. (Fun fact: I suck at cooking and I hate it more than I hate eating)

Sleeping is annoying just because it takes up so much time. I do like it more than eating, but I wish I didn't require it. I have to stop being in my reading, tea-drinking, writing, drawing, etc. zone... so I can go to stupid sleep. It's just aggravating.

If I had the option to exist and live a healthy life without having to eat or sleep, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Stupid bodily necessities and stuff... argh! *shakes fist*

Does anyone else feel this way?? Or am I a super weirdo? Haha.

01/13/2026

Don't be this person... make sure your pickup address is correct before requesting your Uber. And don't expect your driver to come to where you actually are because of your own mistake.

Yes, I was curt, and yes I immediately canceled. I don't have the time or patience for stupid.

01/12/2026

That time at Universal Studios Florida that my boyfriend got "recognized"...

We were boarding the boat taxi from the Royal Pacific resort to go to the parks, and the boat attendant hesitantly asked my boyfriend, "Don't I know you...?"

My boyfriend was like, "I dunno... do you?"

Boat attendant furrowed his brow and looked at him closely. "You've been here before, right?"

Well, we had been there twice before... but how would a boat attendant remember one random guy over the course of several years?

Boyfriend said, "Yeah, I've been here a few times."

Then the boat attendant confidently said "You're Mark Wahlberg."

Boyfriend laughed and assured him he was not Mark Wahlberg.

Boat attendant guy was not convinced. He had a look on his face like Mark Wahlberg was totally messing with him and he didn't like it.

He insisted once more, and my boyfriend once again corrected him. Then we went on our way, leaving the boat attendant looking confused and a little insulted.

Pretty sure that boat attendant was positive he had met Mark Wahlberg that day, but ol' Marky Mark just really didn't want to admit it.

01/11/2026

That time we both worked for Coca-Cola...

We worked there before and during the pandemic - he drove the semi to deliver pallets of products, and I was a merchandiser (I stocked the product on shelves at various locations).

We did our jobs separately and didn't work together, but it was neat when we would get the same town assignment on the same day (usually Crookston, MN).

I would often be behind his truck on our way to Crookston in the wee morning hours, and he would drop off a load at the Hugo's grocery store first. I'd go with him to assess the size of the load, since I'd be working it later in the day. It was nice to know ahead of time if I'd have an easy day of one pallet, or a crappy day of five/six pallets.

Then we'd go over to the Walmart for his second drop-off, where my day actually started. He'd drop off, then go about his long delivery route while I stocked the Walmart shelves for hours with all sorts of Coca-Cola products.

In my break before going to Hugo's to stock, he was usually rolling back through town, so I'd meet him at the Casey's gas station for his final Crookston drop-off and help him stock the coolers, and grab some lunch. Sometimes, I would have a shorter day and already be finished with Hugo's when I met him at the Casey's, so I would go with him for the rest of his route to help out.

We had a lot of fun being Coca-Cola buddies, and always kept it so professional while we were working, that I often saw gals flirt with him right in front of me, not knowing we were a couple 😅

We naturally work well together with good teamwork, cooperation, and communication. Heck, we originally met by being coworkers at Papa Johns, so it's no surprise. But that teamwork translates so well into our relationship and has made us so close over the years. And it's cool to look back on stuff like this 🥰

01/10/2026

This is (partly) why I drive for Uber, and have no interest in finding another job...

The first pic is what I made in only 4 hours of work - $114. That's just over $28/hour. (Yes, there is gas cost etc., but it's negligible with my gas mileage and how small the town is.)

The rest of the pics are just some of the better-paying jobs on my local Indeed.

Required hours for much lower pay per hour - not in charge of my own schedule, can't go in/leave whenever I want, have to deal with coworkers, have to wait till payday (Uber lets you instantly cash out whenever you want), not conducive to my disabilities... it just seems pointless to look at anything else.

It's also BS that I can make so much money just by driving my car around at literally my own leisure, with full say on which rides to take or not, when to start and stop - when people who work these other jobs have to be constantly burned out on someone else's time.

These other jobs should really pay much more than they do, and I feel gross that I have it so easy with my job when others have to struggle and worry about making it till payday.

I dunno... it just bums me out that everyone knows how stinky this economy is, yet the wages are paltry compared to what people need these days. It just sucks, man. But I am very grateful for the job I do, and I enjoy it. I'd be screwed without it, I'll tell ya.

01/10/2026

What the...? Is this real?? Is this really what we're supposed to be wearing now? 😳 Girlfriend looks like she got dressed in the dark while drunk 😂

01/09/2026

This is the very LAST EVER batch of Underworld Connection...

I finally got around to getting through the remnants of the candle/wax melt supplies I had left after closing, and made myself a little personal stash 🤪

I got 33 candles and 60 packs of wax melts out of what was left... so I think I'm set for a while 😆

(Like I don't already have about 50+ other candles sitting around from over the years... pffft! 😵‍💫)

Thanks for all the support y'all have given me during my glorious 14 years of candlemaking 💜 It was a helluva ride and so much fun 🥰

(I'll be selling this stash on eBay for $300 per item... just kidding 😜)

01/09/2026

This is why I shouldn't be allowed to touch things...

Came home from another grueling Uber night (everyone was actually really nice, which I needed), and thought some late-night pancakes sounded like a fantastic idea!

Threw together the batter, heated up the skillet, and got to cookin'.

Feelin' fine, yeah! I'm the s**z!

On the very last pancake, I reached with my finger to scoop the dregs of the batter out of the ladle into the pan... misjudged the distance of my hand to the skillet... and burned the bejeezus out of my finger.

Wait, it gets better...

My instinctive reaction was, of course, to jerk my hand back... which was still in control of the ladle... which was still full of pancake batter.

So when the ladle je**ed backward, it flung with impressive accuracy the entire contents of its pancake batter onto my face and shirt.

😑🙄

I felt and looked like Bozo the Clown in a pie-slinging comedy skit.

And had a burned finger, to boot.

Sorry I didn't get a photo of my pancake batter humiliation - I was more concerned with getting the raw flour and egg off my face as quickly as possible...

But please enjoy this photo of the delicious late-night pancakes that my suffering produced 😁

01/08/2026

There's a silent race happening betwixt the family girlfriends right now...

JJ and I have been together for almost seven years, and for most of those years we've discussed eventually being lawfully joined.

JJ's younger brother has been with his girlfriend for two years, and they've discussed the same plans.

JJ's adult son has been with his girlfriend for almost two years (I believe), and are already planning their eventual wedding "off the record".

I told JJ that if his brother and/or son beat us to the punch on this... there's gonna be a doghouse with his name on it.

😆

01/07/2026

Boyfriend JJ gets mega props for giving me the laugh I needed today...

I'm from the rural Ohio country, and he's from North Dakota (heavy drinking area). And we like to tease each other about it.

Me (still in a bad mood): "Poetry is dumb."

JJ: "Tell that to Shel Silverstein."

Me: "He did stuff besides poetry..."

JJ: "FRECKLE JUICE!!!"

Me: "Well, that was Judy Blume. We read a lot of Judy Blume in school."

JJ: "I don't think we did, here."

Me: "Then there was 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle', by Beverly Cleary. Oh! Did you read 'Harold and the Purple Crayon'?"

JJ: "Man, you guys read some weird sh*t on your side of the country."

Me: "Those are CLASSICS!"

JJ: "WEIRD. SH*T."

Me: "Sorry... 'How to Be an Alcoholic Before You're 18' wasn't part of our curriculum."

JJ: "No... you guys had 'Flannel As An Everyday Color'."

Me: *bursts out laughing*

JJ: "And 'How to Properly Prepare a Possum'."

Me: *laughing even harder*

JJ: "Christmas Classics for the Banjo."

Me: *dead*

JJ: "How to Court Your Cousin?"

Me: *wiping laugh-tears from my eyes* "Well-played, my friend. Well-played."

01/07/2026

It's been a rough few days, y'all 😔

I promise I'll be back to my normal self soon. I'm really trying. I'm out of the anger phase, and now I'm just... sad.

Drinking lots of tea, watching my comfort shows, getting puppy, kitty, and stuffy snuggles, eating Cheez-Its... just trying to recalibrate.

Thanks for sticking around 💜

LeahMouse

01/14/2026

01/13/2026

01/13/2026

01/12/2026

01/11/2026

01/10/2026

01/10/2026

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

01/08/2026

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category