Completely Self-Serving

This post is completely, 100% self-serving.  This is to pat myself on the back and make me feel good.  So, here goes:

Earlier, I was at the grocery store and got into a conversation with a woman about the strawberries we were looking at.  She looked very familiar to me--later, I realized I knew her from that very store where she used to work--and we talked more about where we were from, etc.  As it turned out, she was from 'back home' and we were trying to figure out whether or not we ever had come into contact years ago.  After exchanging names and hometowns, she mentioned that she had graduated in 1971.  To that, I responded that I had graduated in 1972.  "Really!?" she said.  "I would have thought you were much, much younger than me!"  Fireworks went off, rainbows appeared, the sun came out, butterflies flew about, flowers bloomed--right there in the grocery store!  I came thisclose to doing cartwheels--and I don't know HOW to do cartwheels!  Talk about an ego boost.  I came home in a very good mood.  ;)

Interesting Things Seen On Our Travels

Part of our time out-of-town last week was spent shopping.  While I do my best to shop locally, I HAVE to go out-of-town to get certain things.  For example, our fabric stores--of which we have one (2?) and Wal Mart (what a joke)--lack anything that I would want or need for most sewing projects.  So, I need to shop whenever we do our road trips.  K, also, needs to shop away from home, at times, and this is where this post comes from.

K is required to wear steel-toed boots at work.  While they aren't hard to find, K has a hard time finding anything comfortable, so he continues to get the one brand that he KNOWS will fit fine.  It has been easiest for him to get his boots whenever we go to Wisconsin, partly because he works for a Wisconsin company and gets a discount at the store he buys from.  This past weekend found us at the strip mall where the shoe store is located.  Because I had no particular reason to go into the store, K went by himself and I stayed in the Envoy and people-watched.   As I was looking around, I noticed the signage for some of the stores:

 

You can see there is a Sally Beauty Supply and a Fantastic Sams and a  Game Stop, along with a cash store.  The sign that caught my eye, though, was the blue one, so I needed a closer look:

 

 

And there, right in the middle of a strip mall is a place called Any Lab Test Now!  Really?!?!  It just blew me away.  Does ANYONE need lab work done NOW! and without a doctor's order?  WHY would you need this?  Maybe I'm just old-fashioned and think a doctor should be the one to order lab tests, but what do I know?  I guess there might be 'emergency situations' where you need lab tests RIGHT NOW!  Might help in determining your kid's Baby Daddy before the wedding, I suppose.

"Oh, What A Night..."

Yes, I went there with the title of this post.  ;)  Anyway, we saw "Jersey Boys, The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons" on Friday night.  O.M.G.  It was a little bit of a play, a little bit of a concert, all rolled into one.  The performances were incredible.  Joseph Leo Bwarie sang the part of Frankie Valli and was simply awesome--his voice is amazing!  The entire cast seemed to really enjoy what they were doing and the energy reached us all the way in the balcony!

So, this play is (obviously) about the musical group The Four Seasons.  It began around the time Valli sang with the group for the first time and brought us through their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Most of the show centered around their rise and break-up, with the very end focusing on the change to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.  While the storyline was very interesting, it was the music that made the play for me.  I still find myself singing one of the songs at odd times during the day or night--they had some memorable hits, for sure.

All performances at the venue where we were, prohibit any form of electronic recording device or cameras.  Fine, no problem if that's the policy.  But, I never imagined there was a ban on taking pictures of the empty stage BEFORE the play began--but there is.  I decided to take a pic with my phone and as I was trying for a second one, an usher practically had a stroke yelling at me that "pictures are prohibited!!!"  You could have sworn that I was trying to copy government secrets, for crying out loud.  And I'm sorry, but using the excuse that cameras, etc, "may interfere with wireless technology" is very lame as a reason for prohibiting the use of electronic devices.  Just give the REAL reasons:  A GOOD REASON--they can be a HUGE distraction for the audience and actors;  A CRAPPY REASON--it keeps the theater/production company/etc, from being able to make a crapload of money by selling overpriced items to the public; pictures, etc.  But, I DID manage to get a decent pic of the empty stage:

The entire play was done on a very minimalist stage--not many props at all.

At this particular venue where we see plays, we have noticed that 'drinks'--and we're usually talking alcoholic here--cannot be brought into the theater itself.  (Water bottles--without their caps, I believe--are allowed in the theater.)  So, before the play and during intermission, you will find people milling about, trying to finish their beverages before the doors are closed and they are not allowed entrance to what they paid to see.  On Friday, we noticed something different:  cups with lids.

 

We weren't sure WHAT these were for, but because they were on the wine tables, next to the wine glasses, we thought (and were correct) that they could be used to bring wine into the theater.  Now, we were happy that we were able to enjoy adult beverages of our own choosing while seeing the performance, but the glasses really left a lot to be desired.  First, the lids on the cups that we bought are blue.  And the wine that was in them was a pale yellow.  Imagine this for a second and you can see how much like doctor's office specimen cups these resembled.  Yeah.  The best thing about these is that we can bring them back the next time we go to the theater and have them refilled--and we don't have to purchase the cups again.  YAY!  (Of course, we STILL have to pay for what we want put IN them.)

I'm already planning on what we will be seeing in the future. The theater has announced some of their performances for next season and there are quite a few that should be interesting:  West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Rain (Beatles tribute band), Les Miserables, Million Dollar Quartet (about the one-time recording session that brought together Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.)  Now, to get K to commit to how many of these we will see...

 

Almost A Life!

Starting from the Doobie Brothers concert, this is how my life is stacking up for the summer:

• end of May:  Doobie Brothers concert
• beginning of June:  Jersey Boys
• early to mid-July:  Pharaoh exhibit at Science Museum of Minnesota
• late July:  Air Supply concert
• early September:  Renaissance festival
• mid-September:  Red Wing training camp, followed by pre-season

And this is only the list of things that we have SCHEDULED!  This doesn't include our regular road trips and unexpected mini-vacations.  I'm hoping that I can put off a too terrible bout of hockey withdrawal by actually having a life.  :D

Surreal

I am the one who played MC5's "Kick Out the Jams" on the school PA system.  As soon as we got FM stations, I left AM top-40 far behind.  I just saw Alice Cooper in concert.  Eric Clapton is my rock god.  I have music by Cream, Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin.  So, could someone please explain to me why, on 22 July, I will be sitting in row 8, center section, at an Air Supply concert?

A couple of weeks ago it came to my attention that Air Supply will be doing two concerts close by here.  The Oldest was THE biggest fan when she was quite young.  I KNEW I had to offer to take her to the concert and she gladly accepted.  So, we will be seeing Air Supply the end of July.  I still can't believe I'm saying that.  ;)  While I'm not a huge fan, I can handle their music in small doses.  I mean, it's not like it's country and western, right?  I will know most, if not all, of the songs, as we owned all of their albums at one time.  And even if I were to absolutely LOATHE the concert, seeing The Oldest's face will be worth whatever I have to go through for two hours.  I think this will be my happiest concert because a person I love will be ecstatic.  I can't wait.

Adventures With Wildlife

I would never go into a court of law and SWEAR everything happened exactly the way I am saying it did, but this is how I remember the events...

Last night I had to go out to buy a new coffee maker.  When I woke up yesterday, I poured the water into the Bunn, as usual, but all I got was light-brown colored cold water instead of coffee for my efforts.  To say I wasn't pleased, is putting it mildly.  And I knew I had to go out shopping.

K is on night shift, so I waited until he went to work before getting myself ready to go out.  After putting myself together--which is a job in itself--I finally was ready to leave the house.  Just before I open the storm door to leave, I ALWAYS look out the window to see if there is anything sitting on the porch that might impede my exit.  I could have seen the neighbor's dog looking for a hand-out, a raccoon scouting for garbage, a bear checking out the bird feeders, or any number of other scenarios.  What I DID see in the middle of the porch, was a chipmunk.  Because our chipmunks are so tame, I refuse to open the door with one anywhere close by--I'm too afraid it will come into the house.  And we don't want THAT to happen again.  The chipmunk looked up and we glared at each other for a nano-second.  He KNEW I wanted him gone, but I could see the look in his eye that said, "In your dreams, lady."  Being much, much bigger than the chipmunk, I figured I could scare him off of the porch.  Yeah, right.  To try to get him to move, I decided to make some noise.  After I yelled at him, he laughed.  I stomped my foot and he stuck his tongue out at me.  I banged on the door hard enough to break my hand and he gave me the finger.  Finally, he sat up, looked at me as if to say, "I leave when I want leave," and s-l-o-w-l-y moved to the edge of the porch and jumped down to the ground.  The last I saw of him, he was going into the entrance to his den that is right next to our sidewalk.  I distinctly heard a maniacal cackle as he went underground--and I believe I heard him say, "I'll be back."  It's going to be a long, long summer.

A Shared Belief

Many people don't understand others who have strong religious/spiritual beliefs.  Now, I'm not talking about the ultra-conservative, right-wing nut jobs that the media would have you believe are what ALL people of faith are--I'm talking about your everyday people who live their lives according to their faith and use their faith to help them get through.  Two of these people I would like to talk about.

The first man I want to tell you about, I don't REALLY know.  The man is Brian Rafalski and he is a hockey player.  Today, he retired from the Red Wings and had a press conference to announce it.  In his speech, he gave his reasons for walking away from the $6 million he was to earn next year.  Among the reasons were his health and his family.  He said that this past year had been hard on him physically, mentally, and spiritually and after talking to his wife and advisers, he felt that God was leading him in a new direction.  He said that his life is now about serving God, his family, and others, and that hockey is not a priority, so he is retiring.  He made it clear that God was very much in his decision-making process and was very humble about it.  Quite a few people were extremely bummed about his saying this.  As a person of faith, everything that he does WILL involve God.  He didn't stand there and try to get anyone else to believe the way he does, he just gave his reasons for what he is doing and the process involved in coming to this decision.  If he would have come out and said he used voodoo dolls and a Ouija board to decide his life, I really think there would have been much less of a hullabaloo.  I'm very saddened by the way some people reacted to this and the amount of intolerance, which bordered on hatred.  If someone were to say they called on their earth goddess to help in all decisions, I certainly wouldn't belittle them in public.  I don't know why Brian Rafalski wasn't given the same consideration and why, at the least, his remarks were considered 'eye-brow raising.'

I have known the second man for somewhere around 45 years.  Pete is a shirt-tail relative of mine, but I have always considered him more of a friend.  We used to talk on the phone a lot and we would go out as friends to the movies once in a while.  As we got older, our lives took us on very different paths.  We saw each other only a few times the last 30 years, but we seem to take up where we left our friendship the last time.  Whenever we were together, we had an easiness between us that comes with being friends for many years.  And, no romance between us--we're both long-time married.  ;)

A few months ago, I got some very distressing news about Pete.  On 22 July of last year, Pete was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia--AML.  He had a sub-type that killed half of all those diagnosed with this devastating disease within 9 months.  He underwent chemotherapy, but was told he needed a bone marrow transplant to ever be considered 'cured.'  And so, he has been working toward that end for months and was expecting to have the transplant in the next couple of months.  Pete, too, is a man of faith and through this entire ordeal, he has had the attitude that whatever happened was how it should be.  He never wavered in his belief that God was in control.  The other day, he was told that his chance of ALREADY being cured is in the 20-40% range and each month he has no signs of the cancer, means he is closer to being declared cured.  Somehow or another--and the doctors don't know why--the chemo worked, despite the odds being extremely low, and he has had no cancer since December.  As it stands right now, having a marrow transplant might be the worst thing for his condition, as the procedure isn't without risk.  He will continue to take it a day at a time and see what God has planned for him.  He will trust that any advice he gets will be the correct advice.  He will use his faith to make the decisions he has to.

Both men have a deep faith and both men rely on it for help in making life-changing decisions.  Neither one is shy when it comes to acknowledging where his strength comes from.  In private and in public, both let people know Who is in charge of whatever happens to him.  Neither one is obnoxious about his faith, but many would deem it inappropriate for them to say what role their faith has in their lives.  Why there is so much intolerance, I don't know.  It seems as if people would be so much happier and easier to accept if someone was to say that advice came from the neighbors or psychic or deli owner than they are when God is given the credit.  It really is a sad state in our world when tolerance is at such an all-time low--especially when everyone 'says' how tolerant they are.

Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)

Today, we'll play another, shorter, version of Good Idea, or BAD?(tm).  (I'm STILL trying to trademark this and get someone to give me millions of dollars for the idea, but it isn't happening.  {sigh})  And here goes: 

DREAM LOOK INSTANT EYE LIFT

I really have the feeling that this picture is a bit over exaggerated.  While I can see where the product might do something, I don't believe it will make as dramatic a difference as this pic suggests.  Putting a piece of tape on the eyelid just doesn't seem to be enough to give an 'instant eye lift.'  But then, if it is anything like the BARELIFTS, it might actually work.

I am probably the first person who would gravitate toward any product that makes it this easy to appear younger.  I don't do surgery, unless it is absolutely necessary--pain is NOT my friend.  But, I don't really mind looking my age--I have earned every mark, wrinkle, and age spot I have and am proud that I'm still standing.  There are no 'boy toys' standing out in my yard, wanting me for themselves, so I have no reason to want to look less than my age.  After all, K is not looking like a spring chicken, either--so we are a good match.  However, if these actually worked, I could see using them for a special occasion--something to make the photos that will be taken look a bit better.  But I really have my doubts as to whether they work or not. 

So, Good Idea, or BAD?

Best T-shirt

I saw the BEST t-shirt on Saturday night.  A guy--our age--had one on that said:

"I MAY BE OLD BUT I GOT TO SEE THE BEST BANDS"

I thought that was hysterical.  :D

Weekend

We went to the Doobie Brothers concert on Saturday night and had a great time!  It is nice that all of the bands/acts that we were unable to afford when we were younger are still around--and we get a chance to see them.  Yes, they all are getting old(er), but so are K and myself.  ;)  The friends we went with had never been to a casino, so THAT was also a fun part of the night.  I think they realize now how much fun a person can have in this atmosphere and that it does not have to involve gambling--which they don't do.   I do believe a trip to Vegas is in our future--they want to see Elton John before he decides to retire.

The next concert I might be going to is at the end of July.  The Oldest is one of the biggest Air Supply fans and I told her that we could go if she wants.  I am waiting for her decision before buying the tickets.  While I really am not that big of a fan, I think it will/would be a good time--I would love to see her reaction when they first come on stage.  :)  I would imagine it would be pretty close to how I was when I saw Clapton for the first time--basic idol worship.

This is just a short update to what has been going on and I will do a longer post within the next few days.  Until then...

This Is News?

I have said, ad nauseum, that I don't bother with the news anymore.  I really think I used to be a news junky, but the stuff that passes for news these days has completely turned me off.  And we have three 'stories' that put me over the edge--the kind of things that make me want to shoot my TV.  (Again, there IS a reason I don't own a gun...)

Our first story deals with a group of organizations trying to strong-arm McDonald's into retiring Ronald McDonald.  Their idea is that HE is a big part of the fattening of America's kids.  Bullshit.  I'll say it again:  BULLSHIT!  Okay, okay--I see what everyone else sees and I do realize that there is a problem here in the US when it comes to weight.  (Believe me, all I need do is look in the mirror.)  But, cartoon characters selling food is the least of the reasons for it.  The number one problem in this country is this:   a family can be fed McDonald's food OR Kraft Mac & Cheese or any number of processed foods for MUCH, MUCH less money than it costs to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.  Until the cost of fresh, 'healthful' (sorry, but I HATE that word) food is as cheap as processed food, people WILL gravitate toward what they can feed their children for less.  And, with the number of mothers who also hold jobs outside the home (I also HATE the term 'working mothers'), time is also a factor--and it does take a lot more time to cook a meal with fresh foods than with packaged.  Obesity in America is more than commercials and it would take days for me to write my impressions--which I won't do here.  Food and exercise are not the only factors at play here--we have society and career choices and other things, as well.  I'm sorry, Michelle O, but getting kids to 'move' is NOT the big solution to the problem we have here.

The second story that sent me reeling was about a 'pageant mom' who Botoxes her 8-year-old daughter and then went on Good Morning America and TALKED about it!  Is there ANYTHING that can be said about this story?  To begin with, I have hated 'beauty pageants' since I was quite young--I always thought the participants were ridiculous.  And then when they came out with pageants for little girls--who, by the way, dress up like little sluts--I was completely appalled.  To find out that these poor little tykes are getting Botox injections isn't surprising, but IS completely disgusting.  This is another reason why the rest of the world hates America.  (And with that statement, I'm thinking that little girl beauty pageants are mostly a US thing--although I COULD be wrong.) 

Story number three has to do with the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver split.  To begin with, this is a non-story for me.  I'm really surprised they lasted as long as they did--they just looked awkward together.  So, the split isn't surprising.  The story that sent me over the edge comes from the LA Times and it is titled 'How To Talk To Kids About Arnold Schwarzenegger's Infidelity.'  Really?  Is he relevant enough these days for kids to even know who he is?  I asked The Oldest about this and she said the story wouldn't even be on her kids' radar, as not one of them knows--or cares--who Arnold is.  So, who exactly is making this a much bigger deal than it is?  Don't most kids have friends who have gone through parents splitting up and haven't parents had the 'talk' with them?  This is a topic that most parents have to get to at some point--just like they have to do the 'facts of life' talk.  So why is this a topic that is so upsetting to kids just because it involves Arnold and Maria?  Am I smelling a publicist at work here?  Unbelievable.

When stories such as these are headline-inducing, I wonder if it IS true that the world is going to hell in a hand basket.  Far too many issues are being ignored by the news people and we allow it.  If we quit 'following' the junk news and actually tried looking for relevant stories, maybe we would go back to the days of insightful and meaningful and informative journalism.  But I highly doubt it.  And so, I will continue to ignore the news and wrap myself in a little cocoon of isolation.



 

Getting A Life

Last Thursday, my heart was ripped out of my chest, thrown to the ground, and stomped into the mud.  Yes, the Red Wings lost and their season has ended.  And now that I no longer have a horse in this race, I am done watching hockey for the year--I don't care who wins the Cup and will pay very little attention to what is going on.  And all this while--well, for a few weeks, anyway--the IIHF World Championships have been played in Europe and no one here knew/cared.  Surprise!  Something is happening in another part of the world--something HUGE in an another part of the world--and no one in North America gives a damn!  But, isn't that the way it is--we are either TOO involved in other parts of the world or we don't give a shit at all.  Oh well, it is what it is.

So, the other day the championship game was played between Finland and Sweden.  It only took two days for me to be able to watch the re-play of the game.  But, North America didn't care because Canada and the US didn't even make it to the semi-finals.  We only have 4,396,265 sport channels here in the States--and we get about half of those on our cable system--but no one broadcast the game while it was being played.  So be it.  I was thrilled to be able to watch the re-play.  Finland beat the snot out of Sweden--and don't even try to imagine how big a deal THAT was in Finland--and they get to have the finals in Helsinki next year.  I loved watching the game because the names of the Finnish players were so familiar to me.  I would say almost half of the names are names that I know from here--many, many people that I know personally share the last names of Finnish players.  I was thrilled and surprised to see one of the players with the same last name as The Mother's maiden name--a name that isn't very prevalent here in the US.  Quite cool.

So, what will I do with all of my free time?  I think I will be able to get some more of my crafts done--sewing is a possibility.  I have already begun to watch some of the DVDs that I own and haven't gotten around to.  Right now I am watching Homicide:  Life On The Street--only one of the best shows ever made.  Of course, I will watch my hockey movie trio that I watch every summer:  Slap Shot, Mystery Alaska, and Miracle.  And before I know it, I will be getting ready for next season.  YAY for October, the end of summer, and hockey season.  I know, I have problems.  ;)

The Slobby McSlobbersons Have Left The Building

*I write this post with a great deal of amusement and amazement--and NO amount of meanness is intended.  I have a lot of affection for the persons named.*

I have never raised boys, but I think I can say this without much worry:  While boys are messy--and dirty, at times--girls are the biggest slobs on the face of this earth.  I am totally amazed at how slobby girls are.

In the past, we have opened our home to young men to stay with us while they attended our local university.  The first time, G was trying to stay in school for one more semester.  He was having a great deal of financial difficulties, so we offered up our basement family room for him to stay in.  He was with us for only one semester and then he took a break from school, finally completing his education a year later.  A couple of years ago we had one of K's nephew's sons here for a semester.  Both guys were absolute sweethearts and didn't really make much more work for me than I normally had--extremely low maintenance.  And then, we had a couple of young women stay with us the last two weeks...

Another nephew of K's has a daughter who just completed her 3rd year of nursing school.  She was required to come to our town for six shifts at the local hospital.  Because she was only going to need a place to sleep for six days/nights, she asked if we would let her and a friend stay in our spare room.  This was a no-brainer for me and I said 'yes' immediately.  (I figure this is the generation that will be taking care of me when I'm in my dotage, so I better be nice to them.  :D)  Two weeks ago this coming Wednesday, the girls arrived.

Let me say this, whenever someone is a guest in my home--whether it is short- or long-termed--I try my hardest to not invade their privacy.  However, there are times when I have to go into their space, and it isn't always convenient for me to let them know ahead of time.  When the guys lived here, I had to go into their rooms a couple of times, and it usually was to get towels on laundry day.  Of course, the beds were never made and the guys had some personal items spread out, but for the most part, I 'spread out' much more whenever we stay in a hotel.  Not horrifying, in the least.  The girls?  A much different story.

On Thursday, less than 24 hours after the girls descended on our house, I had to go upstairs to close the windows.  They had left the windows open and the rain had started, so I needed to go up there.  O. M. F. G!!!!!  First, there BARELY was a path for me to walk from the stairs to the window.  They had, literally, dumped everything they brought with them onto the floor and spread it out from one end to the other.  Every flat surface, every inch of floor space, was covered with their stuff.  And I'm not sure WHAT they did to the bed.  I didn't even SEE the quilt or blanket that had been on it and the top sheet was in one ball in the middle of the bed.  I didn't know anyone could cause that much destruction in that short of an amount of time.  It just blew me away--but it was fine.  If they wanted to live like that, more power to them.  ;)  (At one point, the blanket found its way onto the curtain rod--I believe they were trying to shut out the sunlight so they could sleep during the day.)

The other thing that amazed me was the condition of the bathroom after it was used.  Now, the guys weren't great about cleaning up the little hair bits after shaving, but very rarely did they make the mirror unusable--at least, not like the girls.  After the girls were done in the bathroom, there was water and face-cleaner residue from one end of the vanity top to the other.  There were spatter marks on the mirror and other things I couldn't identify.  The room was just a mess.  And this wasn't just them being inconsiderate, because there always was an attempt to clean up after themselves--they just didn't succeed very well.  On first glance, things didn't look TOO bad--they took all of their possessions with them, as well as their wet towels--but things were FAR from well.  ;)  I still have a hard time believing what they did in that bathroom.

Part of me wonders if my OCD tendencies make me see some things as horrible, but are only 'normal' in other households.  When I was a teen, my room wasn't always neat as a pin, but I NEVER came close to these two girls.  And both of my girls were slobs, but not to this extent.  So, I don't know if these two are 'normal,' or not.  However, from talking to others, I think I can say with a great bit of confidence that girls ARE the Slobby McSlobbersons of the human race.



*And, to give these wonderful, adorable, sweet, and friendly girls their due, they wrote a marvelous thank you note to K and me and gave us a gift card to a local restaurant for us allowing them to stay here.  NOT something that we expected or needed, but a wonderful gesture on their part.  Still, I can't help but wish we had a guest bathroom that they could have used instead of us all sharing the same one.  :D

Blogger Problem--Again?

Once again, comments seem to be disappearing from this blog.  And now I'm wondering if they might not even be showing up at all?  Is anyone having problems with commenting?  Let me know at chrkos@gmail.com if there have been any problems lately.  Thank you.

Comfortable?

My cat was a bit pissed at me because I piled pillows on my recliner so she couldn't sleep there.  She decided not to let a few pillows bother her and climbed up to go to sleep.

Tell me she REALLY looks comfortable. 

A Wonderful Friend

When K and I joined a church here, I found a woman who became one of my best friends.  She was a year older than me, a stay-at-home mom like I was, and had three children my girls' ages.  We connected instantly and have been great friends for 20+ years.  She has been there for me throughout all of the problems K and I had with our girls and she was always a shoulder for me to lean on.  She has listened to me, cried with me, and given me great advice.  She has been a spiritual adviser and one of my 'rocks.'  And I love her dearly.  To top it all off, we share the same first name.  :)

After many years of marriage, C's husband divorced her.  She didn't want it, but there was nothing she could do--we live in a no-fault divorce state.  C is a very private, stoic Finn and she never told me why her husband divorced her--although I have my own opinion on that subject.  I hope I was able to help her in some small way while she was going through her worse days.  She has said that she will always love her ex, but she has moved on.  Today she has a male companion, but she has said she would never remarry.

C is a very funny lady and whenever we get together, we laugh until we're on the verge of peeing our pants.  We try to go out to dinner once a month in order to keep up with each other's lives, but we don't always succeed.  Tomorrow night we will get together for the first time since before Christmas.  And that is a shame that we have let it go so long.  We will have a good time, as always.

As I said, C is very funny.  She has a subtle, dry humor which I gravitate to, because it is the same as my own humor--and I have two examples to share.  First, she is 'suffering' from age like most of the rest of us and has that 'middle-aged spread' and accompanying weight gain that is all too common.  Whenever she goes to see her doctor, as is usual, the nurse wants to weigh her.  C allows herself to be weighed only once a year and that is at her annual physical.  Every other time she goes in, she tells the nurse to put down 'Still fat' as her weight.  :D  Second example:  She just went to see her doctor recently and the office is putting all of the patient records on computer.  This meant that the doctor had to retake C's health history.  When the doctor asked C if she had any STD's, C said 'I wish.'  :D  C said the appointment went downhill from there.  A funny, funny lady--and I can't wait for our dinner and a visit.

 

Selling Snow to Eskimos

PT Barnum has been credited--erroneously, it seems--with saying 'There's a sucker born every minute.'  I will take that one step further and say that there is at least one customer for ANYTHING that someone wants to sell.  If you don't believe me, look at Craigslist or Etsy--OR have a garage sale.

I have had a few garage sales in my time, but not enough to consider myself an expert, by any means.  BUT, when I say that people will buy ANYTHING, I mean that literally.  Not only have I sold books and audio tapes and VHS tapes and household goods, but I have actually sold bottles of spices that were half-full.  Yes, people will buy used spices.  I haven't tried to sell used bars of soap, but I may the next time I have a sale.  I'm sure someone will buy them.

So, with the idea that people will buy anything, I have come up with a product that will probably make millions:  hypoallergenic, fragrance-free perfume.  I know, I know, you laugh.  But think about all of the people you have ever known.  You done?  Now, defy me by NOT finding one person who would think this is a good idea.  We ALL know that one person who is so ditzy that she would buy this product by the gallon.  And if each one of us can think of one person that would buy this perfume, I KNOW I could make millions of dollars selling it.  :D

He and She and She and She

I KNOW this isn't the right way to begin this post, but I have to do it like this.  I am NOT trying to be judgmental with what I am about to write--I really am confused and wanting to understand.  The questions I have concerning this topic have nothing to do with my feelings of whether any of this is right or wrong.  Now, with that said, on to my post.

I remember when Renee Richards became a woman.  It quite possibly was the first time that a sex-change was talked about openly, even though it still was discussed in slightly hushed tones.  Now, almost 40 years later, sex changes are discussed quite matter-of-factly on talk shows and in magazines.  A bit of a difference.  Agree or disagree, this is something that is here to stay.

While I don't understand why someone would want to undergo a sex change--sorry, sex reassignment surgery (damn PC police!)--I don't think those of us who are comfortable in our own skins are really supposed to.  This is another of those things that is supposed to be between a person and his/her doctor and shouldn't concern anyone else.  From what I understand, a person is supposed to go through quite a bit of counseling and therapy so that it can be determined if there is a just cause to having the surgery and not just some whim--and thank goodness for that!  I would assume that reversing the surgery wouldn't be a walk in the park, by any means.  A psychiatrist/counselor is supposed to determine that the person seeking sex reassignment is, in fact, a male/female trapped inside a female/male's body before the surgery takes place--and this is for the good of everyone involved.

Now we will examine the story of an individual who had reassignment surgery.  We'll use a male as an example.  We'll call him Sam.  Sam always felt as if he wasn't 'right.'  He always gravitated more towards the feminine and as he got older, he KNEW that he was in the wrong body, that he was meant to be a girl.  Over the years, he tried to deny his true self and be 'one of the guys'--he drank, played football, dated, had sex, but it didn't 'feel' right.  Eventually, he sought sex reassignment.  After the surgery, Sue--as she was now called--was happier than she ever had been.  She loved to dress in feminine clothes and have her hair and nails done.  She embraced her femininity to the point where she was almost a stereotype/cliche, but she was happy.  And, finally, she began to date again.  And she dated women, because she now was a lesbian.

Using the above example as a starting point, here is my problem:  If someone wants to be the opposite sex because he is 'in the wrong body,' shouldn't he have been gay BEFORE the surgery?  Wouldn't he have been attracted to men because he truly was a woman inside?  Doesn't this just prove that he WASN'T a woman trapped in a man's body all along?  It doesn't make any bit of sense to me and I really wish it could be explained in a way I could understand.  But then, I guess I'm not meant to understand.

TMI To The Max

The other night, I went to Office Max to pick up some printer paper.  As I hadn't been in the store for quite a while, I walked through all of the aisles to see what there was to see.  (I have an obsession with office supply stores--I HAVE to have a 'talk' with myself before I go in them or I will spend far too much money.)  Anyway, I stopped to look at the mouse pads in the computer accessories aisle and I saw this on the packaging of several of them:

"...stain and odor resistant..."

Thank you, but I DON'T want to know WHAT you are doing if you need a stain and odor resistant mouse pad.

REALLY??? I Mean, REALLY??????

According to a mental_floss tweet earlier today:

"The Journal of Animal Ethics says the term 'pets' should be replaced by 'companion animals.'  'Owners' should be 'human carers.'"

What?  Are we afraid we'll hurt their feelings if we call them pets?  I love my cat, but REALLY????  I think some people have too much time on their hands AND need to get lives.

All About The Silver

When K and I were about to celebrate our 25th anniversary, The Oldest started making noises about giving us a party.  I quickly put an end to that talk.  We were in the middle stages of problems with The Youngest and considering how close we came to breaking up over the problems with The Oldest, I had very little hope we would be together at our 26th anniversary--I really didn't think we would weather the storm a second time.  I couldn't see myself sitting around and smiling and pretending everything was hunky dory, so I said 'Nyet' to a party.  Now, so many years later, I wish we would have had the party.

Despite what people think, I believe a 25th anniversary party is less about the enduring love a couple has for each other and much, much more about the gifts they might get.  It is just like getting married all over again--and everything that is given is needed just as much after 25 years as it was when the couple was just starting out.  Think about it, after that many years, things are wearing out--all of the linens and small appliances need replacing, so a party with gift-giving is called for.  Okay, a lot of the stuff HAS been replaced during the 25 years, but, more likely than not, with the cheapest stuff that could be gotten away with.  Those 25 years are when the family is growing and the money is very, very tight--not much is left over for expensive towels and blenders and sheets and toasters.  So, bring on the party and bring on the gifts!  By my being so stubborn and pessimistic, we missed out on all that.

So, when do we get a second chance on a big, blowout party?  At the 50 year mark.  I really don't think we'll be needing any new linens and appliances at that time.  Hopefully, we won't be needing gripper railings for the shower and walkers.  ;)  Unfortunately, I think there will probably be an overabundance of these types of gifts:

 

There isn't anything really WRONG with these gifts, but just how many 50th anniversary tchotchkes does anyone need?

Ridiculous, Bizarre Fear

I am a neurotic--I freely admit that.  I probably should be in therapy five days a week--I freely admit THAT.  However, for the most part, I don't think I'm much worse off than most people are--except, possibly, when it comes to my fears.  All I have to do is THINK about stinging insects--bees, yellow jackets, wasps, etc--or being in the middle of a lake/ocean and I can cause myself to have a full-blown panic attack--a panic attack that makes my heart race, my blood pressure go up, my breath to become rapid, my stomach to start churning.  JUST by thinking about my fears, I could make myself faint.  But still, I don't think I'm all that different than a lot of people--until I admit to one very ridiculous, bizarre fear.  For years, whenever I'm near my washing machine when it goes into the spin cycle, I worry that the agitator--or another piece of the machine--will break off, fly through the side of the machine, and cut me in half--killing me in the process, of course.  THAT is bizarre.  (This doesn't keep me from doing laundry, however--I just suck it up and stay away from the washer during the spin cycle.  :D)

Police Log

And for your amusement:

--11:50 PM, possible domestic disturbance;   no domestic disturbance, trying to give their dog a bath

I have nothing...no words at all.

My New Toy

I LOVE tech gadgets.  I always want to have the fastest, the best, the newest, etc, etc, etc.  I learned my lesson about that after purchasing my first Dell, but that's another story.  While my newest toy is one of the newest and best, it will be obsolete before I know it--so I will enjoy the hell out of it while I can.  And what is my newest toy?  My HTC Inspire smartphone!

And my feelings about this gorgeous piece of technology?  WOW.  Just WOW.

I have had a cell phone since 1996 and bought a Nokia every time I got a new one.  I LOVE Nokia products, but as phones got to be 'smarter,' Nokia wasn't keeping up--at least in North America.  (They have AMAZING phones that you can get/use in Europe, but for the most part, they are unavailable here.  And if you can get them here, the cost is prohibitive.)  It got to the point where I was using a phone that seemed like it was made for the 20th, not 21st, century.  I was beginning to feel left out when everyone else could surf the net and play games and get all sorts of 'apps' for their phones and my phone did little more than make phone calls.  (Really though, what is a phone for, right?  ;))  But I was jealous and wanted what everyone else had, so I started my research.  My contract wasn't up until August, so I had plenty of time to decide on my next phone.  I searched the interwebs and talked to people.  I read magazine articles and listened to talking heads.  I looked into Blackberry, Windows, AND Android phones.  They all had something to offer, but I liked what Android had the best.  And going with an Android phone meant I was part of the crowd and could have what I envied others having.  ;)  Besides, my carrier had some of the top-rated Android phones there are.  Then I was offered an early upgrade from my carrier and I was off and running.  I picked up my phone last Wednesday and I have been as happy as a pig in mud ever since!

I honestly don't think that the iPhone is better than what I have.  It is different, but I believe they are pretty equivalent.  A lot of people will point out that the iPhone has "SOOOOOOOO many more apps than Android does," but I say "So what?"  Yes, Apple might have 25 'fart' apps and Android only has 15, but I don't want any of them, so it doesn't matter.  With the apps that I CAN get--and I'm not even talking about the ones that ATT won't allow to be side-loaded--I am completely overwhelmed.  So far, I have found everything that I WANT and everything I NEED--and they have ALL been free.  When it comes to the 'free' part, I don't think iPhone owners can say the same--but I will retract that statement if I am misunderstanding something that I read.  With being able to have the apps that I want, I basically carry around a little computer in my pocket whenever I leave the house.  I have my email, my Twitter, my Facebook, my blogs--everything that I used to have to sit in front of the computer to do, I now can do anywhere I go.  And I thought the laptop gave me freedom!

So, for now I am one happy camper--I finally have the phone I should have gotten a long time ago.  I will use this thing to death.  But, I am already beginning to research the next one I buy.  I'm never satisfied, I guess.  ;)

Funny...Or Not?

In many instances, I have a very black, warped, macabre sense of humor.  My favorite comic of all time is/was Gary Larson's 'Far Side'--strange creatures doing weird things.  Hysterical.  Since Larson gave up writing his comic, there has been a black hole in my life that hasn't been filled--until now.  'Bunny Suicides' has filled that hole.

'Bunny Suicides' is all about rabbits trying--or succeeding--to kill themselves.  And the methods they use are quite funny.  Many of them have a very Rube Goldberg feel to them.  While some of the strips are cringe-worthy--really, who wants to see a cute little bunny have his head chopped off--most of them have me chuckling hysterically.  The 'Bunny Suicides' calendar is now the one I get for my kitchen every year.  Yes, I'm sick.

Here are a few of the strips:

 

So, I ask again, are these funny...or not?


*For more, you can go here.

Busy, Busy

Last week was, for me, a very, very busy one.  Something seemed to be going on every single day--and a lot of good stuff happened.

On Monday, K had his annual physical.  Everything is going well, his 'numbers' are fine, he is still losing weight--slow and steady--and there just doesn't seem to be any problems.  YIPPEE!!  Now, if the nephrologist gives him the exact same report when he sees him in August, then I will truly be relieved.  Hopefully, with all things pointed in the 'good' direction, he can avoid that 'almost certain' kidney transplant that was predicted he would need at some time in the future.  Fingers crossed.

On Tuesday, I went and pampered myself with a hair appointment.  I LOVE getting my hair 'done'--it is so relaxing.  I wish I had someone that would come in and do my hair every day--and by 'do,' I mean wash it, as I don't 'do' anything to my hair other than combing.  After the appointment, I decided to go and see about getting myself a new cell phone.  The girl I talked to was so adorable and we talked for a good thirty minutes before I said "I'll take it home today!"  She was back in the storeroom forever and when she came out, she had to tell me they were all out of the phone I wanted.  ACK!  She said they get shipments in daily and would call if my phone came in.

Wednesday started with no phone call about my phone.  BUMMER.  I was scheduled for an appointment with my dermatologist, so I hauled my ass to the medical center for that.  I found out that the doctor was NOT leaving the area as I had been told--I'm SO happy that I don't need to go looking for another new doctor.  I wanted some cortisone injections in a few of my 'spots,' but she is no longer allowed to use the lidocaine spray to numb the skin--it is against the law because of CFCs.  So, I have to go through the process of using lidocaine cream in order to get my skin numbed enough for me to want to be 'stuck' numerous times with a needle.  UGH.  Anyway, I was sent for my annual chest x-ray--because I'm still on Enbrel--and got that taken care of.  Then I moseyed on down to my internist's office to inquire about blood work--I have an appointment coming up next week and needed to know.  Yes, I needed it done and I was able to have the blood draw right then, as I didn't need to do a fast ahead of time.  Happily, that saved me a trip!  The biggest surprise to my trip to the medical center was this:  from the minute I left our driveway to the time I got back, only one hour and five minutes had passed!  I don't think I have ever gotten through ANYTHING medical in such a quick fashion.

Happily, when I got into the house, there was a message telling me that my new phone was waiting for me at the store!  YAY!!!!  I got an HTC Inspire and it is quite possibly one of the greatest pieces of technology I have ever purchased.  I am having so much fun with it and will do a post about it later this week.  After a few more stops for shopping, I got home for a night of hockey.  And the Red Wings won their series in a sweep and have been able to sit back and heal while waiting for the rest of the teams to get finished with the first round.  A great, great day all around.

Thursday found me back to the salon for a manicure and pedicure--another day of pampering!  I got my first shellac manicure and it is absolutely awesome!  The polish is put on in four different coats and each coat is dried with a UV light.  It is guaranteed to last without chipping for fourteen days--and a lot of women go much longer between manicures.  If there was no outgrowth, you could go a month without needing your nails to be redone!  I'm now on day three and it looks like I had my nails done just minutes ago.  I'm loving this.

We took one of our regular road trips on Friday.  While I didn't buy a whole lot, the shopping went well.  We found ourselves at a Korean sushi restaurant for dinner that evening--our friends wanted us to try it.  Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows that I am a very unadventurous eater, so this was quite an experience for me.  I just couldn't bring myself to eat sushi, but I did have bulgogi and kimchi and Korean potato salad.  I tasted K's tempura and FELL. IN. LOVE!  ANYTHING that is battered and deep fried is alright in my book!  I am looking forward to going back to the restaurant and the next time I even think I WILL try the sushi.  And FYI:  sake is powerful and a good sedative.  :)

On Saturday, we finished up our shopping and came home.  Today, we had a very quiet day of playoff hockey and rest.  And this week we will be going up to see the grandkids and bring The Mother her birthday gift.  I believe that will be the extent of what we need to do.  All in all, a good string of days.  :)  And then the second round of the playoffs will start toward the end of the week and I get to be all stressed all over again.

Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)

Today, let's play a rousing round of the game I call Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)*  And here we go:

JumpSnap

You need to exercise...you want a good cardio workout...and the first thing you think of is: ROPELESS JUMP ROPE!  Well, maybe not.  Didn't we all jump rope as kids?  And didn't we all use a rope to do so?  Why do we need to go ropeless now?  AND pay $39.95+$9.95 shipping and handling for NOT having a rope to jump with?  The people selling the JumpSnap want you to pay for the privilege of jumping rope WITHOUT the rope.

While a person could possibly get the same kind of usage out of a homemade equivalent of this, I DO see the advantages--after a lot of thought.  See, I am a klutz.  The thoughts of me trying to jump rope these days has visions of extended hospital stays for me going through my mind.  I DO believe I would be someone who could benefit from having one of these--but NOT at the price of $50!

So, Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)


BARELIFTS

 

As I have said before, I HATE BRAS!  I would do just about anything to never have to wear one ever again.  Unfortunately, my body will not cooperate in this matter.  (Here is a picture of my body--you decide whether I'm telling the truth, or not.  :))  So, any product that would help me towards my ultimate wish is something I will look at more than once.  BareLifts are supposed to be such a product.  Little, adhesive pieces of whatever that you use to 'lift' your boobs into place.

This product intrigues me.  And for more reasons than the 'not wearing a bra' one.  ANYTHING that will 'lift the girls' and give me a (slightly) more youthful look is something I WANT.  I AM skeptical about whether these would work--especially for someone that is overly large--like me--AND hanging quite low, but I may have to try them.  And considering I can get these on Amazon for less than $5, I just may have to order them.

So, Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)


BETTER MARRIAGE BLANKET
(I'll let you read the description of this product, yourself.)

 

I just don't know what to say about this one.  If this 'condition' is such a big problem in your life, I would imagine a visit to the doctor is in order.  I really see no sense in spending $79.95+ (plus shipping and handling) to 'fix' this, when a little bit of courtesy would go a long way toward making everyone happy.

So, Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)


CUCHINI

Wow.  Just wow.  Is this something that is needed?  Or am I too old to see the benefit of this product?  My feeling:  If you are having a problem with camel toe, start wearing clothes that are the correct size/fit properly!  The rare times this problem comes into play for me, are when I'm wearing clothes that are too tight or ill fitting.  Am I right?  For me, DEFINITELY not worth $16.95+$7.95 shipping and handling.

So, Good Idea, or BAD?(tm)


And that's the end of today's game.   Thank you for playing along and hope you come back the next time we play GOOD IDEA, OR BAD?(tm)



*I've decided to try and trademark this game--maybe this will be my way of making millions of dollars.  :D





 

Vengeance Is Mine

"Vengeance is mine...saith the Lord."  Romans 12:19

I don't get all religious and stuff here, and I'm not about to with this post.  However, the quote brings me right to the the heart of what I want to say.

One of The Mother's aunts was possibly my favorite aunt of all time.  The woman was the oldest of all of her siblings and her daughter was older than The Mother by 10 years or more.  The Aunt was quite a rebel in her day:  She was a flapper in the 20s and was the first (?) in the family to ever be divorced.  She married a second time and outlived him by so many years, that I don't ever remember meeting the man.  She lived most of her life in Detroit and 'came home' after she retired.  She lived with her bachelor brother in the family home and stayed there after he died.  With failing health, she wound up back in Detroit with her daughter for her last days.  I loved the woman like a grandmother.

The biggest thing I remember about my aunt was her coming to The Family home on Social Security payday.  She would stay the night and go and do all of her banking business the following day.  She always stayed with me in my bedroom, which had a small bed/cot for her to sleep in.  School days were very hard for me when she spent the night, as the woman snored like a truck driver.  I don't know if I ever got more than a couple of hours of sleep whenever she stayed the night.  I'm not sure I ever had been as angry in my young life as I would be whenever she came down to the kitchen in the morning and complained about 'not sleeping a wink all night.'  Whenever she said that, I was as close to decking her--or any of my aunts/uncles--as ever.  I'm sure I slept through most of the school day in these situations.  Fun memories.  ;)

My aunt had one big 'flaw'--she was an alcoholic.  While living with her daughter in Detroit--both before and after her retirement--I believe she was dry, or mostly, anyway.  Her being drunk would NOT have gone well with her daughter and her husband--they were EXTREMELY religious and wouldn't have stood for it.  However, when she moved in with her brother--who also was an alcoholic--the booze was back in her life big time.  She drank a lot before her health turned and she moved back downstate.  It was a big disappointment to me and it saddened me to no end--but you can't stop drinking FOR someone else, they have to do it on their own.  She just wanted to live her life in an alcoholic fog as her days came to their close.  Very sad.

Visiting with my aunt was a great deal of fun.  (NOT counting the times she was drunk, of course.)  She had led a fascinating life which was awesome AND funny.  We always had a good time talking about the things that happened in the family over the years--and we usually wound up laughing until we cried.  She had done some unbelievably ridiculous things in her day and they always brought us to our knees, clutching our stomachs while laughing, whenever she regaled us with her stories.  I still miss her today--some 30 years after she died.

Okay, I didn't mean for this post to be so rambling or so serious.  My entire point was to show how I am an example of our Lord's 'vengeance.'  One thing that my aunt did was complain about her knees--ALL. OF. THE. TIME.  They ALWAYS hurt her and she groaned and moaned about them constantly.  She NEVER went to see a doctor about them, of course, so we (read that as The Mother and me), never QUITE believed her.  We would talk about how she couldn't possibly be as bad off as she 'pretended' and we would scoff at her, a lot.  We ALWAYS would say that we'd probably pay for our laughing at her some day, but then we would laugh THAT off, too.  Boy, have I learned my lesson.  I find myself having bad knees that get worse every year.  Of course, I try to ignore the problem and say it all is age or weight related--and I, too, have not said a word to any of my doctors.  I know it won't make much of a difference, as I am just getting pay-back for the way I used to view my aunt.  :D


***I know I will have to address my knees one of these days--and I very much may need replacement surgery sometime down the road.  Right now, I'm determined to 'help' myself by losing weight first and seeing how I do.  Also, I'm not too sure that part of my problem isn't arthritis--having psoriasis, I am at risk for having psoriatic arthritis and THAT I will discuss with my dermatologist when I see her next week.  But, I'm pretty much sure it is my destiny to have 'bad knees.'  :)

We'd Rather Have The Money

My husband, K, is one of the last of a dying breed:  He will retire from the only place he has ever worked.  (While he WAS in the Navy, I don't really consider that a job--more of a school/training sort of thing.  AND a way to pay the country back.)  So, he has put in over 30 years at the same power plant he was hired into a few months after he got out of the Navy.  The job is one that he likes and the pay has been good enough that I never had to go out and work.  As far as employers are, K hasn't complained too much, nor has he piled praise--it just is what it is.

A lot of work places have taken the direction that many schools have and that is to reward everyone for everything.  "You did SUCH a good job of washing your hands after using the toilet!  Here's a certificate for that!"  "You got here on time for FIVE days in a row!  Here's your gold ribbon for that!"  And on and on and on.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's good that people are appreciated, but sometimes companies go a bit far--like rewarding employees for doing what they SHOULD do, their normal jobs.  Yesterday, K got one of those rewards.

Working in a power plant can be very dangerous.  There have been severe accidents that could possibly have been avoided.  Many things can go wrong:  explosions, electrocutions, falls, etc.  And it is up to every worker to do everything in his/her power to do right and not have an accident, or cause one.  The company pounds safety into the employees' heads at every opportunity, which isn't a bad thing.  Unless it is because the company is more concerned about how much they would have to pay an employee if he/she was injured rather than the health and safety of the workers.  And sometimes I think it is just that. 

Anyway, the company is constantly giving safety rewards.  We will get $10 gift certificates and the crew will get pizza bought for them.  And they are appreciated, but not really necessary.  However, the reward that came home yesterday just kind of made all the employees who got it say "WTF?"  In a nice enough presentation box--faux velvet-lined, black with gold lettering--was a (solidly nice, I suppose) key chain and a laminated card stating safety 'rules' to be worn on the id card lanyard every employee wears.  Okay.  While a lot of people would wonder what the problem here is, let me tell you.  First, everyone thought the laminated cards were completely ridiculous.  Next, not everyone wants a key chain with the company logo embossed in it--no matter HOW nice it is.  Besides, who DOESN'T have about thirteen key chains laying around that they don't use already.  And last, WHY the hell the special presentation boxes?  While the company gets them at a good price, I would suppose, these are not all that cheap--so why?  I guess the bottom line is this:  Why spend all of this money on something that no one wants or can possibly appreciate?  I think most of the employees would much rather have a couple extra bucks in their paychecks, rather than some of this stuff that the company gives.

So, is this wrong to feel this way?  Is this a waste of money on the part of the company?  Are the employees just being completely ungrateful?  Input would be appreciated.

Police Log

I'm hoping this is a good sign of being a banner year for the police logs--we've got another one!

--9:40 PM, report of male subject standing naked in his window while people walk by on bike path

EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!  Unless he has a nice six-pack, of course.  ;)  (You know you all were thinking the same thing.  :D)

So, I'm A Bitch

 For those who have never seen this, enjoy.  For those who know this well, it is always good to see it again.  :D


When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts, or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

Being a bitch entails raising my children to be strong people who have a solid sense of personal and social responsibility, who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in and who love and respect themselves for the beautiful beings they are.

Being a bitch means that I am free to be the wonderful creature that I am, with all my own intricacies, contradictions, quirks and beauty.

Being a bitch means I won't compromise what's in my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won't allow anyone to step on me. When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak up against it, I am defined as a bitch.

The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid, or when I act a little selfish. I am proud to be a bitch! It means I have the courage & strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I "should" be.

I am outspoken, opinionated, and determined. By God, I want what I want, and there is nothing wrong with that!

So, try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won't succeed. And, if that makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.
 



***I apologize to whoever wrote this originally--I can't give you credit.  I found this reprinted as a comment someone left at a blog.

Police Log

Can you believe it?  I have another one for you!

--4:25 PM, report of subjects screaming;  combination of subjects playing video game and drinking too much Mountain Dew

I always said that Dew'll get you!  :D

Spring Has Sprung

I KNOW spring has finally reached our very-northern part of this country.  And it has nothing to do with the grass greening up or tulips/hyacinths/narcissuses growing or warmer temperatures or any other normal spring-type of activity.  No, the reason I KNOW it is spring is because of only one thing:  THEY are back.  Yes, the sheep have made their first appearance of the year.  Spring has finally sprung.  :D

Stupid Pet Owners

I love my cat, but she is, after all, a cat.  She is not my substitute friend, child, significant other--she is my pet and I own her.  (Okay, I am owned by HER, but you get what I'm trying to say.)  Yes, she sleeps anywhere she wants and pretty much does what she wants, but I don't treat her any differently than most people treat their pets.  She eats her food and drinks her water from stainless steel bowls on the floor--unless The Husband lets her drink from the faucet, but that's another story.  I don't buy her fancy collars or clothes.  She doesn't have a house or jungle gym or special bed.  Her toys are rather routine.  And other then brushing and some fur trims, she isn't groomed by a human.  But then there are other people--the stupid pet owners.

I got this email the other day and it explained how people were painting their cats--as in, painting ON their cats so that their fur depicted something else.  Upon further research, I found out that this is a hoax, that it isn't real, and the pictures are photo-shopped.  They are quite neat, though:

One of the reasons why I couldn't believe these were real was simple:  NO cat would sit still long enough for anyone to do this to them.  Although, I don't think it would be that hard to do the first painting, or these:

The book where these pictures are from came out in 2007(?) so I'm certain someone has tried this--it just hasn't caught on.  Yet.

Painting dogs, on the other hand, is something that IS going on.  Poor puppies:

It really is sad to see some of the things we do to our pets.  Thankfully, these are done out of love and really aren't abusive.  Still, all I can think is 'Stupid Pet Owners.'

The Return of the Police Log

I'm sorry, but the police logs in our paper are not back to what they used to be.  Most everything is very dull--well, dully written--and consists of 'failure to pay' and 'report of an intoxicated male' and 'minor in possession' and not much of anything very interesting.  Until today.  Now, it really wasn't written in a very interesting manner, but the incident is interesting.

--11:31 AM, report of a 4- or 5-year-old walking down the street alone smoking a cigarette;  gone on arrival

Okay, I'm not naive enough to think that there aren't 4- or 5-year-old kids that walk down the street smoking, but I highly doubt that is the case in this town.  We do, however, have some dwarfs--is that the politically correct term these days?--and it is more likely that one of them was the 4- or 5-year-old walking down the street smoking.  And I can imagine what prompted the call to the police.  This is what I'm sure happened:

Set scene:  Edna, age 85, is looking out the front window.  She does this for many hours of the day.  Whenever she sees something that could be reportable to the police, her life is full.  Her husband Jacob, age 87, is sitting in his recliner, half asleep, watching CSPAN.

EDNA:  Jake!  Jacob!  Come here.  Someone's kid is walking down the street.  A little child.  Four, maybe five years old!  And he's smoking a cigarette!  Quick Jacob!  I'll bet he's from up the street--you know, the one whose mother is that slut who has men over all the time.  Jacob!  JACOB!  Are you listening to me?!?!  Call the police right now.  This is a disgrace!  Poor little boy.  He needs a better mother than he has.  JACOB!  Call the police!  Hurry, hurry!!!!!

JACOB (in a stupor from being half asleep):  Anything you say, dear.

Jacob dials the phone and reports the smoking child.  End of story.  :D

On Books

I just finished reading the book 'Decision Points' by George W Bush.  I don't necessarily read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm happy I read this--it gave a lot of insight into things Dubya was criticized for during his presidency.  Now, Dubya wasn't my favorite president, but I also don't think he was the Devil incarnate as so many people believe.  (I'll save that designation for an/other president/s.)  I didn't get the feeling that Bush was making excuses with the book, but I did feel as if he tried to set the record straight on some things.  He apologized and admitted mistakes, but he also stood by decisions he made, whether they turned out the way he wanted, or not.  After reading this book, I may have to read more presidents' memoirs--it certainly makes you look at a president differently.  It should be required of all of us to read presidents' memoirs--especially of those presidents we disagreed with.  It would help us to understand some of the pressures the POTUS is under and how difficult a job it really is.  And it might stop some of the horrible things that people say.

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These days, I find that my 'go-to' genre of books is 'fantasy.'  However, I'm a bit disconcerted over that particular designation for what I read.  The 'Twilight' Series, Harry Potter, and 'Alice in Wonderland' are all considered 'fantasy.'  The books I read are a bit darker than those.  Not only do the books I read have more blood and gore, but the characters tend to be harsher than the villains in some of the other 'fantasy' books.  A lot of what I read has more demons and monsters--and a lot of what I read seems to have more religious-like themes, good vs evil.  I understand how what I read is considered 'fantasy,' but calling the books such makes them sound much more lightweight than what they are.  While I'm sure there are sub-divisions in the 'fantasy' category, I think the books that I read should be in a category of their own.  However, I don't know what it could possibly be called.

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While I haven't been reading as much as I would like, I get a chance to read every day.  Since getting my NOOK and NOOKcolor--yes, I own both--I find that I'm not buying quite as many books.  When I was only buying hard-copy books, I would get them as soon as I saw them.  These days, with my NOOKs, I put whatever books I want on my WishList and then buy as I need.  It is so much nicer to get the books as I want them, rather than stockpiling like I always have done.  No matter what, I will never live long enough to read all of the books I own--whether they are hard-copies or ebooks.