And Your Mother's Aunt's Middle Name Is...

Last week, I renewed my subscription with SiriusXM. I wasn't going to do it because I'm not in the car all that much these days, but I now can stream it through my Bose, so I said, "What the hell." I was able to negotiate the same price as last year, so I thought that was fine. As a bonus, I received an Amazon Echo Dot for free. I didn't know this was going to happen until I got the email, so I ordered the thing. This was the first of it's kind in my house. I only use "Okay Google." on my phone very, very infrequently and have never used any other device such as this to 'connect.' To me, it just seemed as if you are BEGGING to have your privacy invaded. And so, the Echo Dot sat on my counter for a week...I just didn't know if I was going to keep it or give it away. Last night, I finally 'connected.' I'm going to give it a go and see what I think...I really don't know if my privacy can be compromised any more than it already has been. And this goes for EVERYONE'S privacy, as well. Here goes 'the rest of the story...'

A 'shirt-tail' relative posted this on Facebook**: 'I'm sitting at Starbucks, crowded with people. A couple of tables away from me were two people, talking loudly between each other, making phone calls, talking on the phone with clients. I am not eavesdropping, but I hear every single word they say. They were loud. One of them, on the phone with a client, asked the client for his/her SSN. He repeats every--EVERY--digit OUT LOUD: xxx-xx-xxxx. Then he repeats it again, out loud, to "make sure I got it correctly."' 

This lady lives in New Jersey, but frequents the New York City area...I have no idea just where this incident took place. Suffice it to say, there was a HUGE breach of privacy here. My question is:  How many times a day does something like this happen? I guess it isn't JUST Facebook, Google, Apple, etc, etc, putting us at risk...looks as if those we 'trust' with our information are just as bad about protecting us.

I'm not as concerned about Amazon 'stealing' my privacy...I don't think I have any left for ANYONE to steal!


**I edited what was posted on Facebook for clarity and punctuation.

A Day in the Life

I am slowly getting used to the new normal. Some days are busier than others and some days I do absolutely nothing. It works. Today, I was out-and-about, so time moved a bit quicker than normal. I actually am thinking about getting ready for bed here and it is not even 9:30! Yeah, life has changed...

For whatever reason, I woke up at 7:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I tried, but my body said 'NO,' so I started to move around by 8:00. I made coffee, turned on the computer, emptied the dishwasher, and got all of the kinks out that I could. The older I get, the harder it is to just get up and running after sleep...my muscles atrophy overnight, I believe. I think if I stayed in one position for more than four hours straight, I would just turn to stone. Age has plenty of disadvantages.

While I drank my coffee and ate breakfast--and I can't for the life of me remember what I ate--I read my email and the news headlines. (THAT will give you heartburn in a mighty hurry...thankfully, I take Prevacid every morning!) I putsied around the interwebs for a bit--Twitter, Facebook, etc--and then went to shower.

I started out early enough today, so I was able to be very leisurely about getting ready to go out. I had a hair appointment across town and got there in plenty of time. After I had my hair 'did,' I went to the produce store on that end of town. They have as many local items as they can, and if not local, at least grown in the state. I have had good luck with the produce from there...it seems to stay fresh longer than what I get in the grocery stores. For the first time, I bought cotton candy grapes. I found them to be quite good and they did remind me of cotton candy. I think what I like best was the lack of tartness that green grapes usually have...these were quite sweet and mild. I also bought some peaches and I will be interested to see how happy I am with them. I usually buy nectarines, so we'll see.

Also, since I was on that end of town, I stopped at our local pet store. This is not your ordinary pet store, however. They not only cater to household pets, but they have what you might need for your horses and other grain eating animals. They have gardening supplies and whatever is needed to feed any outdoor critters. The place has almost a warehouse atmosphere and has been a staple in our town for quite a few years. As winter is fast approaching, I decided it was time to start stockpiling food for my winter critters. The Youngest and her husband gave me a galvanized garbage can that they no longer need, so I have a great place to store what I buy. I figure I'll get a little at a time and have more than enough to get through the first part of the winter, anyway.

I am doing a little more of this type of 'running around' as time goes on. These are the kinds of things that The Husband and I would do together, so it is an adjustment to do these on my own. It is nice to be in a small city, however, as I don't feel 'alone' when I'm in these stores. The people working in them are so nice and sweet that I want to take them all home with me! It's nice to see that there still are some businesses that like to take good care of their customers.

When I got home, I put my purchases away and got into more comfortable attire. (I'm relying on my slippers a little too much these days.) I had grapes for a snack while watching a hockey game and that pretty much brought me to this point. Nothing earth shattering, just a pleasant day running a few errands in a leisurely fashion. I can do days like this.

Home Sweet Home

The first thing we did after The Husband retired, was build a new house. The house we were in was old, had been moved from one location to where it was when we bought it, and needed a lot of work done to it. No matter how much money we would have sunk into the place, it still would have been an old house that had been remodeled...and it still would have had some of the same problems. The biggest problem was the damp/wet basement that had a very low ceiling. There really wasn't much we could have done to fix that, so we tore the old place down and had a new house put on the same lot. We did this in anticipation of future age and health problems. We wanted a house with no stairs--or a minimal amount. And this was done nicely...there are only two steps to come into the house and the only stairs of any consequence are the basement stairs. It was very lucky that we built this place, because the health issues came a lot sooner than either of us ever expected. We never could have continued with the upkeep on the old place, and I probably would have had to find a new place to live, had I been in the old house last winter...I don't think I could have managed by myself. All well and good...and costs are kept to a minimum. HA! Owning a home ain't for sissies...or people with no money.

In this part of the country, we get snow. It is expected, it is no surprise. But last winter was one for the books. I had so much snow in the backyard that it was higher than the railing on the deck. The ground was frozen much deeper than usual and that caused a lot of issues in the spring. The snow started to melt a lot faster than the ground thawed, so the water had nowhere to go. My sump pump in the basement did all it could to keep my basement dry, but the water had nowhere to go, so I had water that I never expected. It could have been much worse, but I never dreamed I'd have a wet/damp basement ever again...and it was a big disappointment. As the snow melted, the water table just kept getting higher and higher. The water that the sump pump pumped out, went into the backyard...and it soaked right down into the ground where it drained for the sump pump to expel it back into the yard and on and on. It was a vicious cycle of water recycling...and it would have continued for most of the summer, but we put a hose directing the water to the front of the house and that FINALLY took care of the problem. But, this left me with needing a solution to what might happen NEXT year. So, I called in the plumbers...

Last week the work was done to fix my water issue. The drainage from the sump pump was redirected to a pipe running underground to the front yard and ending in a perforated pipe that should just let the water seep into the ground. I won't know if it takes care of the problem until next spring, but I'm hoping. Of course, this wasn't the entire story...

The plumber noticed where water had leaked from around the sewer pipe going out of the house. This is something we were aware of for a couple of years. The Husband was going to seal it, but never got around to it, so the plumber said he'd take care of it for me. Great! Go for it! When he was down in the basement, I was washing clothes, and he noticed that there was more than a leak that needed sealing. He opened up the sewer pipe and it was cracked inside of the basement wall! YAY! I got to spend even MORE money than I had planned on in the first place! But, it needed to be done, or a very, very big disaster could have occurred within the next couple of years. I am thankful that he was in the right place at the right time and caught the problem early.

I'm also waiting for the gutter guys to come and install gutters on the entire house. Right now, there are gutters over the front porch, but they don't work properly...I'm not convinced that they were installed correctly. Now, the experts are coming in to do the work the right way...just another thing to keep the water away from the foundation, hoping to keep the basement water free. Again, I will have to wait and see if this corrects the problems. I can only hope.

So, as much as I wanted to believe that a brand new house was going to be close to maintenance free as possible, it hasn't happened. I'm not faulting the builder or the sub-contractors or anyone else...it is mainly the fault of Mother Nature and our wanting to build over an underground stream. (I was told there probably is one under the house.) You have to take the good with the bad. I love where I live and will do what needs to be done so that I can stay here. Even though it might continue to cost me...

And Then The Cops Were Called...

One of the things that I hope(d) would happen with my getting a personal trainer is an end to some of my joint pain.  Carrying too much weight and not exercising enough is a recipe for aching joints--and I have had some aches and pains for many years.  I have a knee that has bothered me since high school and as I've gotten older, the rest of my joints have joined in to cause me discomfort.  And add to that my carpal tunnel and I am a bit of a mess.  But this is something that my trainer says can change.

We have been working on my knee(s) for some time now and there might be some improvement.  But, I have had problems for 40+ years, so it isn't going to get better in a short amount of time.  Also,  I haven't been consistent enough in what I need to be doing at home, so things aren't getting better fast enough.  Change is in my hands and I have to do what needs doing.

Last week I woke up to a carpal tunnel flair.  My thumb was causing me considerable pain and I told this to my trainer.  He has told me that there is no reason to even consider surgery--which I wouldn't until things got terribly bad--and that we can take care of the problem in the gym.  (And by what I do at home.  ;))  The gym is a proponent of something called trigger point therapy.  Here is a short description of this.  And if you want a bit more, you can go here for the Wikipedia article.  As far as I can understand, this is basically deep tissue/muscle massage to the nth degree.

Anyway, last Wednesday G started to go to work on my arm/wrist/thumb.  I could feel the easing of the tight muscle/s when he was working them.  (Of course, this is not 'permanent' and has to be done over and over until the muscle learns to work properly.)  One thing that I have learned at the gym is 'what you do on one side, you do on the other.'  After working on my right side, he went to work on the left arm.  And we found a couple of very tight, nasty muscles in that arm.  And he went to work.  And it hurt.  A lot.

Imagine, if you will, having a pea sized, hard-as-a-rock spot in one of your muscles.  (Okay, it could be bigger, it could be smaller.)  With trigger point therapy, this 'mass' is massaged out and pressure--a LOT of pressure--is put on it to help ease the tightness.  And it does work.  This is what went on with my arms last Wednesday.  And this is what my arms looked like later that night:

It's hard to believe, but my arms looked MUCH worse the next day.  As of today, the only bruising that is left is on my upper arms and that is fading fast.  I actually will be going to the gym in short sleeves on Wednesday.  :)

On Thursday, K had his session with our trainer.  K told G that, looking at my arms, ONE of them will be going to jail.  :D

Oh, my left arm is feeling much better.  My carpal tunnel is still bothering, but it is doing better, also.  And I am continuing to do what is needed at home.

I HAD Good Intentions...

I was all set to post on a regular basis this year and here we are, 13 days in, and I already went almost a week without posting.  Oh well, I THOUGHT about it, at least.  ;)  Anyway, here is what I have been up to:

I only made it to the gym three times this past week.  Last Monday I got up to go to class and realized that my yearly physical was scheduled for tomorrow and I needed to go in for some blood-letting.  As this is one of my LEAST favorite things to do in my life, I figured I should just bite the bullet and get it over with.  So, I went to the medical center instead of the gym.  Thank goodness--otherwise, I probably would have put off the lab work until Friday, when I would have been forced to go.  The tech who drew my blood did EXCELLENT work--as do all of the ones who work in that office--and I didn't feel a thing.  She did leave me with quite a nice bruise, but that is more ME than HER.

I made my regular appointments with my trainer and we did my evaluation, so not much in the way of regular training.  And Wednesday I just couldn't get out of bed because of tiredness!  But I was back there on Thursday and Friday, feeling refreshed and rebooted!  YAY!

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As I said, I have my yearly physical tomorrow.  While I don't like going to doctor appointments, I am liking it even less now that I have this woman as my primary care physician.  We STILL haven't clicked and I don't think we ever will.  It doesn't help that I only see her once a year--you can't bond when you have no interaction.  Tomorrow will be interesting, to say the least...

This doctor had a problem with me right from the start, because I use Enbrel.  She had a patient die while on the med and doesn't want ANYONE using it--she feels as if it is the direct cause of the patient's death, which I question.  So, my insisting on staying on the drug does not sit well with her.  Tomorrow I will let her know that I want to stay on my hormone replacement therapy and THAT probably will not go well.  She wants me off of estrogen and the sooner the better.  If I wouldn't have resisted, I would have been off of it the first time I saw her.  As it is, she has been decreasing my dosage for the last few years and--I think--has every intention of taking me off this year.  I'm not going to let that happen, if at all possible.  Since lowering my dosage, I have lost so much of myself that I can't even imagine what I would be like without any estrogen replacement.  My memory and cognitive abilities are for crap these days.  I find myself 'searching' for words that I can't remember--and not always 'finding' what I'm looking for.  There are most definitely subtle changes to my personality--I find that my reading addiction is not what it used to be.  And everything is so subtle and came on so gradually, that I'm sure no one else notices but me.  I won't even get into the PHYSICAL changes I have noticed, as so many of them could be considered 'vanity' issues, and I'm NOT a vain person.  So, tomorrow there may be a battle.

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The gym has announced 'big changes' starting this week.  I don't think things will change with my trainer, but the class I take might have a complete make over--and I'm not too happy about that.  I don't mind new music and new routines, but it almost sounds as if the class will be a bit more advanced than it is now and that doesn't make me very happy.  This class is the closest thing to a 'beginner's class' that they offer and I STILL can't do it easily.  There still is 'too much of me' and I'm still not flexible enough to do everything, so if they advance the class too much, I may be left in the dust.  And THAT won't be a good thing.  I won't find out what the changes are until Wednesday, so...

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I also have an appointment at the dentist office tomorrow.  WHAT was I thinking?  But, by the time I realized I had made two appointments on the same day, it really was too late to do anything about it.  My PCP books yearly physicals a year in advance and the dentist office schedules cleanings every 6-8 months--closer to 8--so to change an appointment would have made me have to wait months more.  And this is why  I will be running around like crazy in order to get to both appointments.  YUCK!  

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We have lost almost all of our snow.  There are large areas of bare ground in our yard and this is just not the way things work out here.  But, the last week or so has been crazy warm--we have had highs in the 40s, so the snow has gone bye-bye.  Today the temp has 'plummeted' to the lower 20s, so we are back to seasonal temps.  This is supposed to last for the next ten days and actually be even colder with temps in the teens.  We should get some snow, but it doesn't look as if it will be too much.  But anything is possible with The Lake, so weather forecasting is little more than guessing here.

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I finally jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon last week.  I'm finding it to be a very good substitute for most of the lotions/oils/moisturizers I use/have used and it costs WAY less than almost everything I have ever tried.  (And believe me when I say 'I've tried them all!')  I will give this a while to see if it is something I will stay with or if it is one of my 'tried it and will move on' things, but as it is right now, I will probably keep it in my arsenal as one of, if not THE weapon of choice for my dry skin.  The only problem with the coconut oil that I can see is that my cat LOVES it--as in, she licks my skin after I use it!  ICK!  I am able to get her to stop rather quickly, but I wish she wouldn't even START!

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And for something that most, if not all, readers of this blog are totally uninterested in:  The hockey season is beginning on the 19th!  The Wings are in training camp and I will finally get to watch them on the ice on Tuesday when their scrimmage will be aired on TV!  Right now I have a permanent smile planted on my face--and that will stay there until the Wings start tanking.  THEN I will get surly--and THAT isn't necessarily a good thing.  ;)

Again, About a Hotel

On 15 June we were in Green Bay for a concert.  (More about that in a later post.)  The concert took place at the Resch Center, which happens to be across the street from Lambeau Field, home to the Green Bay Packers.  The hotel we stayed in was only 0.10 miles from the Resch Center.  In other words, the only way we could have been closer to the home of the Packers is if we stayed on the field itself.  ;)  So, the hotel we stayed at is 'party central' for Packer fans on game weekends.

First, all of the parking lots in the area of this hotel are open for tailgating on game day.  There are a number of hotels, bars, and restaurants where those who watch the game--either at the field or on TV--celebrate a win or mourn a loss.  We stay as far away from the Green Bay area--and surrounding towns--on game weekends as we possibly can.  From what I understand, Green Bay and the surrounding towns are overrun with rabid fans who do an awful lot of partying and drinking, no matter if there is a win or loss.  Obviously, a lot of these people are males--and we all have some degree of knowledge as to how a group of guys can get when they overindulge.  So, when I made the reservations at the hotel, I was a little worried as to what we would find.  But, I made the reservations anyway because of location, location, location.  We knew how great it is to just walk to an arena for a show after we saw Clapton in St Paul, so we went into this with fingers crossed.

The hotel is older, that was apparent.  However, on first impression, you could tell that it was well cared for--at least the outside and the public areas.  I certainly wasn't expecting much in the way of how well the rooms were, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Now, the room was nowhere near in perfect shape, but unless you are one of the first people in a newly constructed hotel, you are not finding perfection.  The carpeting in the room definitely needed upgrading, but other than that, the room was well kept.

If you ever read any of the articles that say 'The 10 Filthiest Surfaces in a Hotel Room' or anything like that, you know that remote controls are something that you don't want to touch until you disinfect them.  So imagine my surprise when I saw this:

They now make remote controls that can be CLEANED!!!!  How cool is that?  This was the first time I have seen this and certainly hope it isn't the last!

One of the first things I do after unpacking is to sit down and look at the hotel folder that has all of the particulars of that hotel and the surrounding area.  Usually the folder will have information such as check-in/check-out times, 'things to do', escape plans, and area maps.  I HAD to take a picture of the map I found in this particular folder:

I had to laugh, very loudly, when I saw what was highlighted on the map:  where the liquor store was located!  :D  That most definitely was another first for me.

Considering we go to so many concerts/events, there is a better than average chance we will be back in Green Bay for something.  After the decent stay we had, I won't hesitate at all to stay at this hotel again.

I'm Impressed

I don't normally endorse products on this site.  And I never have received compensation for anything I've posted about and now is no different.  However, I do have to tell about something that I'm pretty impressed with.

I don't know how many have heard of the Clarisonic line of products.  These are skin care electronic devices that are supposed to clean your skin better than you can do by 'just washing.'  (There are other products that help tighten the skin around the eyes, but they mainly do cleansers.)  The first time I heard of these, I was intrigued, but the cost just seemed far too high for something that was just going to cleanse my face, so I put the thought of purchasing one out of my mind.  Then they came out with the smaller, cheaper models.  (Although, the price was/is STILL very high.)  And one day I got an offer for a special price on one and I began to consider making a purchase.  So, I began my research and decided to buy one.  And I did in January.  I am impressed.

A while back, I did a post about the bad lighting in the hotels where we stay and mentioned the condition of my skin.  One of my biggest skin problems has always been blackheads on my nose--this despite the fact I never use makeup unless I leave the house.  I have tried every mask, cleanser, face brush/cloth I could find and yet I never have had luck in taking care of my problem.  The Clarisonic is the first thing I have used that actually helps my skin--and I feel as if it was money well-spent.

I won't try and say that my skin is as good as it could be.  The only way for it to be 'perfect'--or as perfect as I could get it--is to go to a professional aesthetician for regular facials.  Or I would need to spend big bucks for a dermatologist to do all of the chemical peels and whatnot to get me back to 'baby skin.'  I really am not willing to spend the money, so this is a good substitute.  The only 'problem' I have is that I have to use the machine almost every day or my skin goes back to 'normal.'  However, it only takes one minute to use, so it isn't like I need to spend a lot of time to improve my skin.

My point for this post is this:  If you ever have considered buying a Clarisonic, don't hesitate.  I am well pleased with the results that I get and, hopefully, you will be, too.  But, please buy from somewhere with a liberal return policy--I purchased mine from Ulta--in case it just doesn't suit you/your skin.

Business As Usual?

Quite uncharacteristically, we haven't had any snow here in the UP for several weeks.  Typically, we would be experiencing melting and (depending on the temperature) the possibilities of flooding.  While there usually is a late-season snowstorm of some consequence, the time is fast approaching where we don't have to worry about it.  Of course, I always like to point out the SNOWSTORM that we had within the first few days of May 1973, where the UP--or parts of it, anyway--were pretty much closed down.  It was blizzard conditions, the roads were impassable, we had white-outs and drifting, and the only way to be completely safe was to stay indoors wherever you happened to be stranded.  The biggest positive about the late storms is that the snow melts very quickly afterwards and we are back in the business of springtime.  And this year we have the strangest weather to ever be recorded.

Since we had record-breaking temperatures in the 80s during the month of March, the temps have been quite normal.  Basically, we have experienced 30s and 40s with fluctuations into the 60s.  As I said, this is quite normal, but without any snow on the ground--it all melted during the heatwave--things just don't seem 'right.'  And to make things even a bit more unusual, it really was a bit surprising to see snow actually stick to the ground here today.  And that is something I never thought I would say.  :)

At 7:30 this evening, here is what our yard looked like from our back porch:

You can't really tell from the pictures, but we have some hyacinths that have flowered near the side-fence and the chipmunk-replanted tulips are already quite high.  It will be interesting to see what this snow will do to those plants.  I'm not too concerned because these are all leftovers from years gone past, but I do worry about what this snow/cold will do to the just-emerging leaves on all of the trees.  And I don't know what will happen to our neighbors' magnolia tree.  It is/was in full bloom before this snow and it certainly isn't going to escape unscathed.

I am feeling fairly confident in proclaiming this the last measurable snow of this winter.  If things had been 'normal,' I never would make such a declaration, but I don't fear saying as much this year.  :)

It's 'THAT' Time, Again

For those who don't follow, the NHL playoffs began this past Wednesday.  And the Red Wings are in the playoffs for the 21st year in a row, thankyouforasking.  This, of course, puts my mindset just a little bit worse than a mother black bear when someone threatens her cubs.  So, for the foreseeable future, my posts here will probably NOT be very amusing.  I find when I'm in this kind of a mood, things that have been 'irking' me for a time come to the forefront of my mind.  And when this happens, I usually post here.  Just a warning to the two (three?) people who come to visit regularly.  ;D

I Hate Political Correctness

Very rarely will you find me reading the 'advice' columns, ala 'Ann Landers.'  Once they were a regular part of my newspaper-reading experience, but quickly fell into disfavor with me when the answers given began to be more 'all-inclusive' rather than 'morally, socially correct.'  It seems as if these advice columns were politically correct even before the term became common.  And I find that they are absolutely unreadable today.  The advice given is usually what 'should' be done in a 'perfect' world--something that does not exist in reality.  Anyone could be an advice columnist these days--all you have to do is open a copy of "Political Correctness for Dummies" and use it to guide your answers.  You certainly don't find the "Wake up and smell the coffee." advice of years gone by.

For one reason or another--not that I can remember why--I found myself reading 'Dear Prudence' on Slate one day a few weeks ago.  And I read a letter and answer that absolutely astonished me.  I believe this is political correctness gone WAY too far.  I will post the entire thing here:

Dear Prudie,
I have a fifth-grade son who is white and plays basketball on a mostly black team. He has made friends with many of his black teammates and hangs out with them a lot. I’m happy that he's so colorblind, but then I heard him call his new friends "my niggas." I was horrified and immediately talked to him about it. He said that his black friends use the term all the time and told him it was OK for him to use it with them, too. He said that he understood the history of the word and knows that it can be hateful when used wrongly. My son clearly isn't intolerant, but he could get in a lot of trouble throwing that word around. I don't even know if it’s OK for a white kid with black friends to use that word if they all do, and no one means it in a bad way. I usually feel confident guiding my son, but on this one I have no idea what to tell him.

—Stumped

Dear Stumped,
If only our 10-year-olds could stay so innocently well-intentioned. Unfortunately, even though you’ve had one conversation about this, and your son knows some of the history of this word, you have to revisit this so that your boy doesn’t find himself the subject of a complaint and the object lesson in a lecture at a school assembly. Perhaps when he was tiny you had some comic, endearing names for your son such as Mr. Stinkbottom or Sir Droolsalot. (If not, pretend you did.) You can tell him that within families people can call each other things that might be insulting if said to an outsider, but among relatives it’s done with a tone of teasing affection. That’s what’s going on with his friends on the team. Yes, the whole team is a kind of family, but for many people their ethnic or racial group also has the feel of a family. Because of that, there are things that the black players can call each other but which sound very different coming from his mouth. You can say you know his teammates have encouraged him to say it, but if a teacher, parent, or coach heard him, it’s likely that person wouldn’t understand. It’s possible that a parent of his teammate could be offended and report his remark, no matter how affectionately it was said. Say you know this doesn’t seem fair, but the history of this word still has the power to cause great pain. So as a sign of respect to those who might be hurt by it, he needs to understand that his friends can use the phrase with him, but he must refrain from returning it.    

—Prudie

I understand the reasoning behind telling the kid to stop using 'that' word, but how sad is that he has to be frightened for his safety when he's done/doing nothing wrong?  I can't help but think of a foster/adopted family situation where there might be kids of different races NOT being allowed to tease each other or use 'improper' words while talking to each other.  Things are just getting so out of control!

This reminds me so much of the problem we had with our local high school's logo/mascot/nickname a few years ago. The logo is a Native American in full headdress and the nickname is 'Redmen.'  (The nickname has NOTHING to do with Native Americans--it is in reference to the color of iron ore that is mined in our county and the fact that the miners were 'red' after a long day's work.)  As in so many other communities, the usage of a Native American as a logo upset some people.  There was a drive to get the high school to abandon the logo and nickname and it divided our community and caused long-term bad feelings amongst many.  My youngest was in school at the time, so we watched this very closely--the meetings were even broadcast on our cable system for those who couldn't attend.  When it was finally all done, the logo/mascot/nickname remained the same, despite the efforts of a certain group of people--and I believe the community is happy with the results to this day.

So, how did we manage to keep a politically INcorrect logo for our school?  I believe it boiled down to one thing:  the people/group who were opposed to it in the first place.  As it turned out, the people who were 'hurt' by this were part of the university community and NOT natives to our town /county/community.  Someone decided that this was disrespectful and got a bunch of PC supporters to make a protest about how horrible this entire thing was.  This, in turn, got the school board to run scared and decide that 'something had to be done about this atrocity!'  Funny thing is, very few of the locals--which includes a large group of Native Americans--had ANY problem with the logo, whatsoever!  So, a problem that WASN'T a problem, became a problem and was solved through a lot of unnecessary fighting, yelling, and tears.  How sad.

How did we get to this point in this country?  When did EVERY community have to be exactly like every other community and have to think and do things the same way?  What made this country so exciting and vital was the fact that anywhere you went would be an adventure--you could find something you were unfamiliar with and learn something new.  It seems as if we are slowly being forced into a homogeneous blend of absolute mediocrity--NO segment can be any more colorful/interesting than any other segment of society.  And some people won't be satisfied until there are actually NO differences among us.  Again, how sad.

And Then My Brain Went For A Walk...

I'm not sure how many people's minds work like mine, but I think mine is rather unique--even if it isn't.  (I like to think of myself as special--it helps my low self esteem.  ;))  Most of the time when I have a quiet moment, my brain will go off on its own and lead me to places I wouldn't dream of going by myself.  I kind of have a game of 'six degrees of separation' going on all of the time and it is quite interesting.  Most of the time when I'm in the shower, my mind takes a break--that is why I'll get out of the shower and not remember whether I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair or not.  And that will lead me to get back IN the shower and re-rinse, just to be sure.  But I digress...

The other night, I was thinking about how most people have a favorite movie, favorite song, favorite actor, etc, etc.  I tried coming up with ONE favorite to fit each category and it just didn't happen.  I tend to have a lot of 'favorites.'  There are a number of movies I will watch over and over again, but not one of them is my absolute 'favorite.'  I could tell you my top 10*--or any random number--movies that I love, but couldn't narrow it down to just one.  So this got my brain to working and I came up with a DIFFERENT way of telling you all of some of my favorites.  So, here goes:

--The first movie I remember sobbing about until I was sick is:

        Brian's Song

I know this was a made-for-TV movie, but it is categorized as a movie, nonetheless.  While other movies have made me cry, this one just did me in--and it continued to make me sob every time I saw it for the next several years.  I watched it again a few years ago and it didn't have the same emotional edge that it had years ago, but it WAS a good crying-time movie.

--The first movie to make me LITERALLY jump when I watched it:

Aliens

This was the first of the Alien movies with Sigourney Weaver and by far the best of the lot.  While Psycho was OMG! frightening--and kept me from showering while alone in the house for YEARS (I STILL have a hard time showering when I'm alone)--Aliens just made me jump right out of my seat.

--The movie that made me fall in love with Al Pacino was:

Serpico

He was so drop-dead gorgeous in this movie!  I had already seen him in 'Panic in Needle Park,' but this movie was why I have the biggest crush on him.

--The first movie I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants AND that I quoted for weeks after:

Young Frankenstein

To this day, I'm not sure I ever laughed as hard at another movie.  And I still haven't found another one with  as many funny quotes as this one had.

And that concludes my very short list.  My brain had to stop its wandering because I was done with my shower--AND I remembered to rinse the conditioner out, so I didn't need to reenter.  This brings a couple of questions for you:  Do you have a favorite movie, or several?  Does your mind take off and invite you along for the ride?  And are you ever afraid your mind WON'T come back when it's done walking around?  ;D

*The movies I will watch over and over again:

Slap Shot

Miracle

Mystery, Alaska

Jeremiah Johnson

Blues Brothers

Animal House

Arsenic and Old Lace

Secondhand Lions

Anatomy of a Murder

Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House

And that is only a partial list.  ;D

At Least I Thought It Was Interesting...

Quite an interesting article here.

The first time I heard/read of hair receivers ^ and human hair jewelry was when I was much, much younger.  I'm sure they were referenced in some Victorian-set novel that I read.  I found the whole thing rather fascinating, probably because I--like anyone else my age (males included)--had very long hair at the time.  It has been years since this subject crept into my mind, but with the interwebs at our fingertips, strange and intriguing subjects are always just a click away.  And for some reason, this subject came to me a couple of weeks ago.

Hair receivers were a common item on a woman's dressing table during the Victorian era.  Most women never cut their hair at the time and hair was considered a woman's crowning glory.  Also, women were taught to brush their hair 100 strokes every evening, so there was quite a bit of hair floating around.  All of this led to hair receivers--a place for a woman to put the hair she removed from her brush.  The hair was then gathered up to make 'poufs' (rats) for hairstyles, stuffing for pillows, or jewelry.  By the Roaring Twenties, this fad had pretty much played itself out--most likely because women were bobbing their hair and there wasn't product to use anymore.

The most interesting part of all of this 'saving of the hair,' is the hair jewelry.  Human hair watch fobs, necklaces, bracelets, brooches were all commonplace.  (Hair also was used in 'mourning jewelry'--a way to remember a loved one who passed and keep a part of him/her with you always.)  Today there are collections in museums showing some of the work that was done with hair in the past--such as here.  (There are quite a few articles to read, should one be interested.  As usual, do a Google search.  ;))

Human hair necklace that is part of the collection at the Minnesota Historical Society.

For some reason or other, human hair jewelry creeps me out.  I understand and have no problem with human hair wigs, but the thought of wearing jewelry made out of someone's hair just doesn't seem right.  While some the examples I've seen are quite lovely, I don't want any--even anything made from my OWN hair would give me the willies.  And, of course, there are people trying to bring back the craft--again, search Google.  OR you can go here to see what is happening in the world of hair jewelry today.  I did find the prices that people were selling their hair for quite amazing--hundreds of dollars, as a matter of fact.  However, when/if I cut my almost waist-length hair again, I believe I will just donate it to Locks of Love or something of that nature.  I most definitely don't need to be selling my hair for profit just so someone can wear it on their wrist.

TMI and FYI

I know a lot of people are excited over the fact that the Oscars are on tonight, but I am left quite cold about it.  I don't believe I've seen any of the movies nominated and I KNOW I have never even heard of most of them.  And I really don't mind.  If I get interested, I'll just watch the movies I want to when they make it to HBO, Showtime, etc.  I have a few other things on MY mind tonight.  Now on to the TMI...

Already I have started my prep for my colonoscopy tomorrow morning.  Oh, yay.  Ten years ago I had my first one--it was done earlier than a 'normal' baseline colonoscopy is done because there were some 'issues' that needed checking out.  So, here we are, years later, getting ready again.

I began my 'prep' five days ago.  The first thing that I had to 'give up' were some of my meds and supplements--namely, the baby aspirin I take and my iron pills.  Then, three days ago I had to stop eating anything with 'bulk'--fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain foods, etc.  I have been on only liquids since midnight and won't be eating any solids until after the procedure is done.  I WON'T go into more details about the prep other than saying it involves taking pills and drinking Powerade that has powdered laxative added, in ENORMOUS quantities.  Needless to say, I'm not going anywhere until I leave the house to go to the hospital in the morning.  I KNOW this prep is different than the one I did before and I'm very pleased that it is a bit quicker than the last one.  And I keep telling myself, "Tomorrow at this time it will be ALL OVER!"

The other day I was thinking about when I had this procedure the last time and couldn't remember the name of the doctor who I saw.  Actually, he probably isn't even in the area any longer--the turn-over rate for some doctors in this town is astounding!  This, of course, made me start thinking about how I would even find out who did the exam the last time and it got me remembering something that I found out at my PCP appointment in January--and this is where the FYI comes in...

Over the last several years, I have had to find new doctors a few times.  I have had some difficulties in getting my medical files transferred to the new MDs and I STILL haven't found my GYN files.  While talking with my PCP this year, she asked me a question about what my last doctor prescribed and why.  I assumed she could just look up the info in my file, as my old doctor had been in this same office before he moved on.  Come to find out, this office only has my medical records for the last 5-8 years--or whenever it was that he moved in from his LAST office.  He was not allowed to take my records with him, as the last practice 'owned' them.  I wasn't aware of the fact that medical practices 'own' your records and don't necessarily move with your doctor if s/he goes into another practice.  While I THINK you can get copies of your records for yourself, I don't think I want to pay what would be charged for 35 years worth of medical records.  And this is assuming that I could find all of my records.  It's unbelievable to me that there is that much private information about me, SOMEWHERE, and I don't have access to it--and I don't know WHO has access to it.

When I got a bit upset over the 'losing' of my GYN records, I was told by the doctor (or nurse, I don't remember) that it REALLY doesn't matter that they don't have them:  They only worry about looking at the last couple of years worth of records and don't bother with the rest.  (And this is the main reason why you shouldn't 'doctor shop' and should find one MD and stay with him/her--as s/he knows you and your issues.)  While I DO realize that the pain in my right foot that I had 25 years ago probably isn't relevant to anything going on with me today, it doesn't necessarily mean it ISN'T something that the doctor should be aware of.  For example:  Almost anything that occurs during pregnancy--gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, etc--will show up as a medical issue at some later time in your life.  I do think it would be a good thing for your current MD to know exactly what the MD had to say about the issue that many years ago.  (I KNOW that doctors talk differently to their patients than they do when dictating their notes--so records are going to be more relevant to another doctor than what a patient might have to say.)   And frankly, I have no idea what some of the meds are that I have been on over the years--and I'm talking about all antibiotics, anti-depressants, pain meds, etc.  How many of us have a list of all of the meds we've been on?  Don't we just assume our MDs will take care of knowing this?

With all of this, I will now give my advice.  If you haven't started yet, write yourself a medical history that you can update as time goes on--and put as much info into it as you can, with dates, if possible.  A few years ago I did just that and keep the document on my phone.  I am amazed at how many times a year I am asked "Did you get a flu shot this year?" or "When did you have your last tetanus shot?"  My memory is getting so bad that I can't remember the answers without them being written down.  Also, it is hard to remember exactly when these every 5, 10, 15 year procedures have been done.  For the last four years I have been 'sure' that the doctor was going to send me for my next colonoscopy because 'it's been at least 10 years since the last one.'  The memory just isn't good enough to rely on it if you have to give some (potentially) life threatening information.  We are constantly told that we need to be good health consumers and being able to have relevant information at hand when needed is a good start.

I Love Furry Dogs, But...

I have always said that if I owned a dog, it better be BIG.  I'm not too thrilled with 'pretend dogs'--although I think Westies are about the cutest damn things I have ever seen and would seriously consider getting one.

But, if I had my druthers, I would LOVE to have a dog like Banshee (see last post), an Alaskan malamute.  Other than being rather large and needing quite a bit of exercise, malamutes have one other thing that is annoying and that's the fact that they 'blow their coats' every year.  Now, my long-haired cat sheds, but when a malamute blows its coat, that is another thing altogether.  And if you have never experienced this, it is hard to imagine, so here is a picture of Banshee being brushed by her mom when she is blowing her coat:

 All of that white in the picture is NOT snow, that is her fur.  And the dogs that shed like this need to be brushed multiple times per week--especially during this phase.  This is just one more example of how important it is to research the type of pet you want to get before actually doing the getting--it would save a LOT of animals from being brought to the shelters.  AND this is one reason why I DON'T have a dog like this:  FAR too much upkeep.

Let's Talk Meds

We are told that generic drugs are no different from the brand name ones.  I guess this is true, but in at least one instance, this is not--and doctors and pharmacists agree.  When someone has hypothyroidism, the drug of choice--or the name brand drug of choice--is Synthroid.  Over the years, the patent on Synthroid has expired and we now have quite a few different meds to take care of this condition/disease.  After being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was put on one of the meds to control my condition and over the course of time, things got better.  I was relieved when we got to the dose I needed and everything was stabilized--and it all came to pass with the drug Levoxyl, a generic thyroid supplement.  All was going along fine until the day I went in to pick up a refill of my meds and the pills looked MUCH different from what I was used to.  Levoxyl looks like this:

And I was given pills that looked like this:

Same color, VERY different shape.  But, I was told both pills/meds are equivalent.  And I was okay with that until I had my next blood work done--and my blood levels were unstable, again.  It took me another round of blood work a few months later before I realized that my new problem was tied to the change in my meds--and I was correct.  After discussing this with my MD, he prescribed Levoxyl, no substitutions, and my levels have been stable ever since.  Another lesson learned.

**********

A few months back, K saw his doctor and pointed out a bit of a rash/dry skin that he had behind his knees. It was diagnosed as a kind of dermatitis and a prescription for a lotion was written.  K filled the prescription and his rash was taken care of in good time.  The other day, he brought the bottle to me and asked if I would order a refill for him.  The name of the medication--mometasone--seemed familiar to me, so I had to look it up.  As it turned out, K's lotion for his rash is the same medication that I use as a nasal spray for my sinuses, Nasonex.  Same drug, different forms, for two quite different problems.  Interesting.

**********

A while back, I wrote about a friend of mine who was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.  He ultimately decided to have a bone marrow transplant and has had some set-backs and side-effects from it.  He wasn't tolerating a medication called tacrolimus--which is given as an immunosuppresant agent for those having transplants--very well and the doctors were needing to do some adjustments.  The name of the drug sounded very familiar to me, but I put the thought out of my mind.  After all, I knew of no one else that had received a transplant of any kind, so I shouldn't be familiar with the drug.  And then one day, I reached for one of my many lotions/potions/ointments that I use for the psoriasis I still have and there was a tube of Protopic, which is the ointment form of tacrolimus!  I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, as psoriasis is an auto-immune disease and the immune system needs suppressing in order for the skin to heal, but it stunned me, nevertheless.  It's hard to wrap your mind around two such different uses for the same drug. 

With these three examples alone, I can't imagine what it takes for doctors to 'get things right.'  And 'get things right' is what they do more times than not.  While their mistakes can, and often do, have life-ending consequences, it still is a wonder that more mistakes aren't made.  Whenever I think about it, I have a new respect for doctors and all that they know.

War Between The States

We don't often see wars between two states, but for some reason or other, Michigan seems to be a participant (possibly) more than other states.  The most famous war is the one with Ohio, but these days, we are fighting with Wisconsin.  And Wisconsin fired the first shot.  Here is the story...

First, this is what Michigan looks like:

Of course, the thing that everyone thinks of most when they think of Michigan, is the shape of the Lower Peninsula:

The shape makes one think of a mitten--plain and simple.  And we who live here will use our hands to point out different places in the state, just as if we were holding maps--even using two hands so that we can show places in the Upper Peninsula, too, like this:

This concept is so famous and common, that no one could possibly think that any other state would take and run with it for THEIR state.  But we underestimated Wisconsin.

Here is Wisconsin:

Here is Wisconsin next to Michigan:

So, which state looks like a mitten?  Well, Wisconsin thinks THEY do and have a tourism ad campaign going on in which they use a mitten-shaped Wisconsin:

To say that some Michiganders are not pleased, is putting it mildly.  There are YouTube protest songs and there are 'explanations' as to how Wisconsin CAN be seen as having a mitten shape:

Anyway, there are some people who actually have their panties in a bunch over this and then there are the rest of us who are using this as an opportunity to make fun of the 'cheese-heads.'  Bring it on, Wisconsin, we're ready for you!  ;D

On Being Related To Santa Claus

from http://02varvara.wordpress.com/ 

For someone who hates Christmas as much as I do, having Santa Claus in my family tree is a real burden.  I am just about the Scrinchiest (combo of Scrooge and Grinch) person to ever walk this earth, so Santa is probably very disappointed in me.

How am I related to Santa?  Let me explain.  It all begins in Scandinavia...

The Sami (Lapps) are the indigenous people of the northern part of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia (Sapmi or Lapland)--basically, north of the Arctic Circle. Traditionally, the Sami have been the people who are reindeer herders, and in some countries, they are the ONLY people who can raise reindeer.  At least one branch of my family is Sami.

Santa Claus is from the North Pole, north of the Arctic Circle.  He also owns and raises reindeer.  So, if Sami live north of the Arctic Circle and are the only people who own reindeer, then it stands to reason that Santa Claus is Sami.  One of the most famous Santa Claus villages is in Rovaniemi, Finland--which happens to be where some of my 'people' come from.  (It stands to reason that he is from someplace in Sapmi--the North Pole doesn't have reindeer.)

Now, let's put this all together.  We see that Santa Claus is Sami.  I definitely have Sami blood.  Santa very possibly comes from Rovaniemi--my people come from there, too.  The only conclusion I can come up with is that Santa and I are related.  He probably is one of my great-great-great-etc-uncles.  Cool.

How can someone who is related to Santa Claus hate Christmas as much as I do?  I guess the answer to that would include enough hours in a psychiatrist's office that s/he could build a summer home, so we won't exactly go there.  And even though I barely can make it through the season, I am proud to claim Santa as a relative.  Jealous, aren't ya?  ;)


***I did almost this exact same post a few years ago, but for the one or two new people to this blog, I thought I would do it again.  Sorry to bore the ones who have read this before.  :)***

Can Lead To Obsession

Several weeks ago, I got an invitation.  It was from The Oldest and it was for me to become a member of Pintarest.  If you have never heard of this website, here is what Pinterest has to say about itself:

What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a social catalog service. Think of it as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can post collections of things you love, and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.

How do I add a pin? You can upload a file using the Add a Pin button in the menu bar. We recommend installing the pinterest bookmarklet (in the yellow bar above). It's a special button that lets you pin images from any website. 

Okay, that doesn't REALLY tell you what the site is.  It is quite interesting and a real time-sucker, if you allow it to be.  I joined after getting my invite, but didn't really do much there for about a month.  I now try to go there for a few minutes every day.  Why?  Let me try to explain a little more.

First of all, in my humble opinion, 50% of the people that are there are getting married or WANT to get married, as a lot of the stuff is wedding-related.  Another 50% are homemakers that are trying to save money by doing-it-themselves.  THIS is different than the 50% who do crafts just to do crafts.  And then we have the 50% who love food--quite a few of the 'pins' are recipes.  (Okay, so that adds up to more than 50%, but you'd understand if you spent time on Pinterest.  ;))

From my short time on Pinterest, it is obvious that you can find just about anything you want here.  Just some of the categories people 'pin' to are:  Architecture, Art, Education, Gardening, Humor, Outdoors, Photography, and Others.  Members are able to make their own labels for the things they 'pin,' so the categories are unlimited.  For the most part, I go on this site and look at recipes and crafts.  However, I have found a lot of other interesting stuff as well. I know I'm not explaining this well, but only because this site is not easy to explain.

When you go to the home page of Pinterest, you will find something that looks like this:

 Each of those pictures is something that has been 'pinned.'  Many times, you can click on the picture--maybe click twice--and be brought someplace for more information, or the instructions to make, buy, create, whatever is in the picture.  I have found more craft projects and recipes than I ever will have time to do.  And yet, I continue going there for more.

If anyone wants to get an invite to Pintarest, let me know.  Contact me at outofmymind (dot) cmk (at) gmail (dot) com and I will send one to you.  You just might become an addict--or find you have more will power than you ever thought you had.  :D  Then, get back to me and tell me how you feel about Pintarest.  I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts on this.  Oh, and be sure to follow me if you become a member!

Public Restrooms

A bear may sh*t in the woods, but this is one woman who won't.  I also won't use outhouses, rarely use Port-A-Potties, and am very selective as to what public restrooms I use.  I became overly familiar with a wide variety of public facilities when my oldest was a child. She would RUN to the restroom whenever we walked in the door of a place--even if she just went before we left the house three minutes earlier.  There wasn't a restroom/facility that we didn't go into in the three-county area--for some reason she had a fascination for them.  Anyway, I saw more than my share and I certainly know which ones to avoid and which ones are fine for me to use.

***To completely get away from the point of this post, I MUST mention this.  There now is an app for your mobile phone that lets you find people who will allow you to use their bathrooms for a fee.  This is for those people who don't want to use public restrooms--and for people who are so desperate for money that they will let strangers come into their houses and use their most private rooms to do God knows what in them.  I CANNOT comprehend this, as I wish I had a second bathroom in this house just so I wouldn't have to share with my husband!  There ain't no way on God's green earth that I will let total strangers come into my house to use my 'throne!'  I. Don't. Get. It.  If you must read more, you can go here and here.  I get a great amount of pleasure in reporting that I couldn't find one person who thought this was a good idea--and most find this creepy and very, very dangerous.***

Now that we have traveled a bit, I have a greater variety of restrooms to like or dislike.  For the most part, McDonald's aren't too bad--but I usually go there in the morning or around lunchtime.  I don't have a clue as to how bad they may be in the evening.  Barnes & Noble facilities are more than adequate and decently clean.  I am very impressed with the restroom at the World Market store that we frequent--they even have taken a stab at decorating with some of the stuff from the store.  I have never seen it in a shambles and it comes the closet as any restroom to my bathroom in terms of cleanliness.  I'm very impressed with casino restrooms--both in Vegas and locally.  (Although, I DID get lost in a restroom in the Venetian casino in Vegas--I got turned around and had to ask directions to get out again.  Yes, I have problems.)  And, for the most part, I haven't been in a Sam's Club restroom that isn't taken care of very, very well.

The Sam's Club we usually go to just did a major re-model of the restrooms a year ago.  They put all new stalls and sinks, floors, counter tops, toilets, etc, etc.  The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that they used stainless steel for the stall walls--TRY and keep those looking good without spending hours a day cleaning them.  But they did a great job and everything works well.  I'm real pleased with the self-flushing toilets, but am less so with the automatic faucets--for some reason or other, I can't get those to work for me any more frequently than 50% of the time.  However, I am ECSTATIC over the Dyson hand dryers.

If you have never seen/used one of these, you have no idea what you are missing.  First, you place your hands straight down into this dryer.  Then the air comes on and blows your hands dry.  But, the WAY the air blows on your hands is a lot of fun.  While it doesn't FEEL as if it is strong, when you look at your hands, the skin looks just like those pictures of astronauts' faces when they are getting belted by strong g-force.  It's as if your skin is almost liquid itself, the way the air manipulates it.  I usually use this restroom JUST so I can wash my hands and use the dryer.  (Yes, I know that is off the wall, but these dryers are FUN!  :D)  I'd have one in my own home but 1) I don't know if they sell them for home usage and 2) I probably couldn't afford one even if they WOULD sell one to me.

Whenever I use a public restroom, I will use the handicapped/family stall if available and there aren't a lot of people needing to use the facilities.  I find it so much easier to have the space and the toilets are higher up, which is so much easier on my knees.  (I'm getting old and experiencing the family 'knee trouble.')  If you don't go into the family stalls, you might not have seen the 'seats' that are on the walls for babies.

These are where you strap your child in so that you can 'go' without worry.  While I'm sure busy mothers love these, I find them a bit creepy.  The seats are much too far away from the toilets, so that if the baby isn't strapped in perfectly, a person couldn't just reach over if s/he starts to slip.  And it looks too much like you're hanging your kid on the wall.  I just get creeped out by these things.

I have spent much too much time lately thinking about public facilities, but with our impending trip to the Renaissance Fair, I know I will have to use a Port-A-Potty if needed.    I just hope that if I really have to use one, I don't need it more than once.  I think I'm having a panic attack already.