One of the first things that you are told when you call tech support is, "Make sure all cables and cords are plugged in tightly." It is really surprising how often they loosen--and of course this causes all kinds of problems.
Way back when, there used to be TV repairmen who actually came to your house. One day, a friend of The Mother's had just gone into the living room to watch her 'stories' but was unable to because the TV wouldn't turn on. We were lucky to have a small TV store in our town and the repairman was able to get to her house within the hour. He walked into the living room, went to the TV, plugged it into the outlet, and turned it on. He then charged her $25. She was NOT amused--and called the store owner to complain. His answer: "We fixed your TV, didn't we?"
Yesterday, I got out of bed and headed to the Bunn to make my coffee. After I poured the water into the Bunn, I turned on the switch that starts the heating of the hot plate. The light blinked on and off once, and refused to do anything else. The coffee came out fine, but there was no heat to the hot plate AND the heating element didn't heat the water I had just poured in. (With a Bunn, the water is heated and stored in the coffee maker until you pour a potful of cold water into the machine--and then THAT water is heated after your coffee is made.) Great--ANOTHER Bunn bites the dust--and this one I only bought about three months ago. At least I could return it.
First thing I had to do after drinking my first cup of caffeine, was look for the register slip to make sure I could still return the Bunn. Sure enough, I had bought it on 26 May, so I was still in the time frame to return it--barely. Next I went into the basement to find the original box it came in. And it was gone. After all these years, K has decided to try and organize the basement and the first thing he did was get rid of all of the cardboard boxes that we had down there--and one of them was the Bunn box. I called the store where I had purchased the Bunn and they said it would be okay for me to return it in a paper bag. AND they said I would get a full refund, as it was less than 90 days since I purchased it. HOORAY! Now I knew what I would be doing after dinner.
I started to clean the Bunn to a certain extent. I rinsed and dried the carafe and started to move the Bunn so that I could empty out the water and the plug fell out of the outlet. Oops. Could this POSSIBLY be the source of the problem? I plugged it back into the wall, turned on the switch--the light came on!!!!--and listened to see if the water would start warming. Sure enough, after a few minutes I could actually feel the heated water through the sides of the coffee maker. I didn't need to take it back for a refund, after all.
Obviously, if I EVER have a problem with something electrical/technical ever again, I will check all cords and cables and make sure it is fully powered. Within the last two weeks, I have had TWO different instances where I thought something was broken and it just was a power issue. I couldn't do a thing with the printer one day and was SURE I needed to go and buy a new one. I fretted over this for most of the day and when I decided to move it to another room to try the power from another outlet, I noticed that it wasn't plugged into the power strip where it usually is. OF COURSE it wouldn't work without power!!!!! And a few days ago, I thought my NOOKcolor was completely bricked--possibly due to my turning it into a tablet--but NOOOOOOOOOO, it just needed to be charged. And still I didn't check the Bunn before I panicked. I'm really getting the feeling that I will NEVER learn this lesson.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Bits and Pieces
A few days ago, I posted a police log about a woman who 'saw electricity traveling outside the wire.' While I think it is one of our whackos who reported this, Janet did question whether this actually could happen. So, I decided to ask K about this. After all, he DOES keep the machines going that make electricity, so he might know more than I do on the subject. He thinks this is questionable, but he shared some thoughts about it. First, he has walked around the power plant property extensively through the years. He has seen the power lines arc, but THAT is NOT a good thing and is usually connected to a problem. He also said that in the right conditions, you can 'hear' the electricity flowing through the wires. AND during the proper conditions, some people have said they can see a 'halo' or 'glow' around the power lines--but K has never experienced that. So, that is as close to an explanation as I can give for 'escaping electricity.'
**********
K went to open the door on the storage shed last week and when he did, a swarm of yellow jackets flew out. They had begun building a nest on the inside of the shed door and got it to the size of a large silver-dollar pancake. K didn't want to spray the nest with Raid because it was so close to our tomato garden, so he took a shovel and slammed it on the nest, causing it to fall to the ground. For many hours after that--actually for a few days--I watched 6-12 yellow jackets continue to figure out what happened to their home. If the queen would have been killed, I believe that would have been the end of it, but she was still around, being tended to, a day ago. I believe the nest is being rebuilt. Yuck. Anyway, I digress.
The day after the nest was knocked to the ground, I watched a chipmunk go to it. He ripped it apart and stuffed whatever was in it into its pouches. When he was done, there were just tiny little bits of grey 'paper' left on the ground. I never knew chipmunks would do something like this. I may start liking them after all. ;)
Our neighbor said that they had a huge paper wasp nest last summer and after the first frost, a half dozen blue jays ripped that one apart. They proceeded to eat everything that was inside. And THAT was surprising to me. So, am I the only one that didn't know this about our wildlife?
**********
I'm sure I have mentioned that I got a NOOKcolor a few months back. As it turned out, I had a lemon and had to get a replacement in July. Of course, I didn't know that it was a lemon until it completely crapped out and I got one that actually works right, but I'm pleased with my replacement. But, obviously, I'm not pleased enough, because I have now turned the NOOK into an Android tablet.
Almost from the beginning, the geeks have been working out a way to turn the NOOK into a full-on tablet. I started reading about this before I even got my NOOK and figured it was something I may do down the road at some time. When everything finally was working right and the geeks figured out a way to change the NOOK without changing anything on the inside--no hardware or software changes to the original machine--I knew it was time to see what the NOOK could do. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this was something pretty easy to do, there seemed to be a lot of information that had to be read and sorted through before I could attempt this transformation. And I dragged my heels, not wanting to spend the time necessary. Basically, one had to take an SD card, download some files, put the card in the NOOK, boot it up, and there you have a tablet! (Of course, there was a bit more to it. ;)) And all it cost was the price of an SD card and your time. Still, I couldn't bring myself to do this on my own.
A couple of months back, an enterprising young man realized that there were a lot of people like me and decided to cash in. He started doing all of the work involved in this transformation and selling the cards to people who didn't want to do the work themselves. Last week, I bought my card. And so far, I couldn't be much happier! The NOOK is now like a bigger version of my phone--without the ability to take pictures or make calls, of course--and I can put almost any app I want on it. I'm pretty pleased and hope everything keeps going well.
The thing that amazes me most about this is the cost. If someone wanted a 7" Android tablet, they could buy a refurbished NOOKcolor for $170 and a card to transform it into a tablet for $35. For a little over $200, a tablet could be had--much, much, much less than the $300-600 or more that full tablets are going for. A good deal all around.
**********
And so we get back to wildlife. Specifically, the cardinals that have been frequenting our window feeders.
I know this isn't the greatest picture, but it will have to do. As you can see, there are Mr and Mrs Cardinal eating out of the same feeder. Not only am I thrilled to have them at my window, but they are quite fascinating. Whenever the two of them are together, one feeds the other. Most of the time, it is the male that feeds the female. He will take the shell off of the seed and then give her the nutmeat. One day he did this for a couple of minutes. Adorable!
It would be great to get better pictures of these birds, but they are extremely skittish. And, for the most part, they like to come to the feeder at low-light times, like just at dawn or right before dusk. Those aren't times when you can get good pictures. I certainly hope they stick around for the winter--it will be nice to have their red coloring along with the blue of the jays during the long, white, winter months.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Real Downer
In advance, I want to apologize for this post. I am, by nature, a pessimist and this is more of a 'downer' post than I really want it to be. But, this blog is my way to vent and journal, so, you are warned.
Before and just after every election--presidential, mostly--I find myself fearing for this country. It doesn't matter who is elected, it always is the fear of the unknown--even if the guy is RE-elected. This last election scared me more than most--and it seems as if my fears were NOT unfounded. But, this ISN'T a gripe session about Barack--even though I dislike him even more than I did before he was elected POTUS. This is a gripe session and I have no idea WHO to aim it at--everyone in power seems to be at fault these days and with the crop of 'wannabes' that are trying to get into office next year, I am not optimistic that things will be any better in the next few years. For the most part, before this last presidential election, we were able to live our lives--and this is personally, not necessarily as a nation--pretty much in a 'business as usual' manner, no matter WHO was POTUS. Things have certainly changed in the last couple of years.
So, personally, the big changes in OUR lives are health care and retirement. With the state of the economy, K's retirement account is nowhere near what it was a few years ago--and this is with him adding to it with every paycheck. He has always talked about working for a few more years, but there always was the possibility of him just saying 'the hell with it' and coming home one day and say he's done. No, we wouldn't probably be able to live quite in the manner we have become accustomed to, but we would have done okay. Because of the way things are, he will HAVE to work at LEAST two more years, like it or not.
Right now, I haven't seen any huge changes in our health care, but we also haven't needed anything more than routine doctor visits or medications. However, it certainly seems as if there ARE big-time changes for those who have retired from the company. And that will be a (possible) disaster for me. I really don't think that my Enbrel will/would be covered under retirement benefits--and that scares me so much. Before the Enbrel, my psoriasis covered MUCH more than 10% of my body--I had it on my back, trunk, knees, elbows, scalp, fingernails, buttocks--and now I am ALMOST symptom-free. (Actually, I have some problems with my fingernails and a couple of smallish spots on my elbows and knees--and that's it.) After going off of a biologic medication, many people experience a resurgence of their psoriasis that is MUCH worse than anything they experienced prior to using the meds. Of course, this doesn't mean that EVERYONE has this happen, but I worry, nonetheless.
Another major worry I have for K and me is housing. Before this economic downturn, we had every intention to build a new house. As of right now, we can't see any way that could be possible. This leaves us with an old, old house with major problems--problems that we will NOT be able to deal with as we get older. So, we have to have things fixed--new siding, new windows, new roof, electrical, plumbing, etc. And those are just the things that HAVE to get done--we would LIKE to do something about the basement, but THAT is not an all-year problem, so it is way down the list of things needed. As we get older, a garage would be nice to have, but we've been without one THIS long, so we have to set priorities. Right now, we're just happy to have a roof over our heads--for as long as that roof STAYS over our heads and doesn't fall down. ;)
And all of my concerns for K and me pale in comparison to how I'm feeling about the future for our girls and their families.
The Youngest and her husband both work. They don't work at the lowest paying jobs, but they certainly aren't even in the middle-middle class, either. At the best, they are in the lower-middle class, but I don't know if they are doing that well. And they are barely keeping up, much less getting ahead. Every time things look like they are getting better, something else happens. Right now, they are facing the probability of having to get a new vehicle. In all actuality, they should be looking for a SECOND vehicle--they both work and their work sites are in completely different directions--as it would be much easier for each to have their own. But, that won't happen any time soon. They want to adopt a child, but THAT is equivalent to BUYING a baby and the money just isn't there. Both of them still have student loans to finish paying off, so they can't really think about trying to get a house or new place to live. (Frankly, I think they are overpaying for the place they are living right now, but that is just an opinion.) Still, they MIGHT be staying even, or not falling back too much. At least, I hope so.
And so, we get to The Oldest and her family. I know a lot of people don't have much sympathy for her and her husband--after all, they did nothing to permanently prevent having 7 kids--but the size of their family is a moot point. They have to take care of the family, no matter HOW big or small it is. And they just are not making it. Up to a couple of months ago, things weren't SO bad for them. Okay, they weren't making much--if any--progress toward getting ahead, but they aren't even breaking even these days. And I can't see any possible way for them to cut costs any further than they already have. She makes all of her own laundry detergent and cleaning products that she can. She never buys 'brand-name' ANYTHING and makes everything she can from scratch. They have no cable and just went to 'basic phone' with their landline. Other than underwear and socks, I don't know the last time she bought any brand new article of clothing for any of the kids--unless it cost less than $5 on sale. While I admire her ingenuity, it can't be easy to do all she does while trying to raise 7 kids AND homeschool at the same time. Plus, she does a couple of part-time jobs to bring in a little extra money--just so they can have the NECESSITIES, NOT the WANTS. And I worry.
My first thought for people who are under-employed is 'just go somewhere that jobs ARE available'--and I know a lot of people feel this way. This would be a solution for someone who is single--after all, there would be a lot of travel involved and that means money to travel to job interviews and looking at places to live, etc. NOT something that is readily available for either family. To go somewhere else for a job, they would have to have one GUARANTEED for them. AND moving expenses would be a great bonus. Neither family can just up and move on a whim--there is no money for them to do so. At this point, our girls are 'stuck' where they are.
At this point in time, K and I are discussing what we can do for the girls. The only solution we can come up with is to send them money. As K said, "It's either THAT or have them move into our house."--and that isn't a solution at all. But, this also means that his retirement is probably further off than even HE imagines it is. While I want to feel sorry for myself, I do have to be thankful that we have enough where we are able to help the girls--little as it is. {sigh}
Before and just after every election--presidential, mostly--I find myself fearing for this country. It doesn't matter who is elected, it always is the fear of the unknown--even if the guy is RE-elected. This last election scared me more than most--and it seems as if my fears were NOT unfounded. But, this ISN'T a gripe session about Barack--even though I dislike him even more than I did before he was elected POTUS. This is a gripe session and I have no idea WHO to aim it at--everyone in power seems to be at fault these days and with the crop of 'wannabes' that are trying to get into office next year, I am not optimistic that things will be any better in the next few years. For the most part, before this last presidential election, we were able to live our lives--and this is personally, not necessarily as a nation--pretty much in a 'business as usual' manner, no matter WHO was POTUS. Things have certainly changed in the last couple of years.
So, personally, the big changes in OUR lives are health care and retirement. With the state of the economy, K's retirement account is nowhere near what it was a few years ago--and this is with him adding to it with every paycheck. He has always talked about working for a few more years, but there always was the possibility of him just saying 'the hell with it' and coming home one day and say he's done. No, we wouldn't probably be able to live quite in the manner we have become accustomed to, but we would have done okay. Because of the way things are, he will HAVE to work at LEAST two more years, like it or not.
Right now, I haven't seen any huge changes in our health care, but we also haven't needed anything more than routine doctor visits or medications. However, it certainly seems as if there ARE big-time changes for those who have retired from the company. And that will be a (possible) disaster for me. I really don't think that my Enbrel will/would be covered under retirement benefits--and that scares me so much. Before the Enbrel, my psoriasis covered MUCH more than 10% of my body--I had it on my back, trunk, knees, elbows, scalp, fingernails, buttocks--and now I am ALMOST symptom-free. (Actually, I have some problems with my fingernails and a couple of smallish spots on my elbows and knees--and that's it.) After going off of a biologic medication, many people experience a resurgence of their psoriasis that is MUCH worse than anything they experienced prior to using the meds. Of course, this doesn't mean that EVERYONE has this happen, but I worry, nonetheless.
Another major worry I have for K and me is housing. Before this economic downturn, we had every intention to build a new house. As of right now, we can't see any way that could be possible. This leaves us with an old, old house with major problems--problems that we will NOT be able to deal with as we get older. So, we have to have things fixed--new siding, new windows, new roof, electrical, plumbing, etc. And those are just the things that HAVE to get done--we would LIKE to do something about the basement, but THAT is not an all-year problem, so it is way down the list of things needed. As we get older, a garage would be nice to have, but we've been without one THIS long, so we have to set priorities. Right now, we're just happy to have a roof over our heads--for as long as that roof STAYS over our heads and doesn't fall down. ;)
And all of my concerns for K and me pale in comparison to how I'm feeling about the future for our girls and their families.
The Youngest and her husband both work. They don't work at the lowest paying jobs, but they certainly aren't even in the middle-middle class, either. At the best, they are in the lower-middle class, but I don't know if they are doing that well. And they are barely keeping up, much less getting ahead. Every time things look like they are getting better, something else happens. Right now, they are facing the probability of having to get a new vehicle. In all actuality, they should be looking for a SECOND vehicle--they both work and their work sites are in completely different directions--as it would be much easier for each to have their own. But, that won't happen any time soon. They want to adopt a child, but THAT is equivalent to BUYING a baby and the money just isn't there. Both of them still have student loans to finish paying off, so they can't really think about trying to get a house or new place to live. (Frankly, I think they are overpaying for the place they are living right now, but that is just an opinion.) Still, they MIGHT be staying even, or not falling back too much. At least, I hope so.
And so, we get to The Oldest and her family. I know a lot of people don't have much sympathy for her and her husband--after all, they did nothing to permanently prevent having 7 kids--but the size of their family is a moot point. They have to take care of the family, no matter HOW big or small it is. And they just are not making it. Up to a couple of months ago, things weren't SO bad for them. Okay, they weren't making much--if any--progress toward getting ahead, but they aren't even breaking even these days. And I can't see any possible way for them to cut costs any further than they already have. She makes all of her own laundry detergent and cleaning products that she can. She never buys 'brand-name' ANYTHING and makes everything she can from scratch. They have no cable and just went to 'basic phone' with their landline. Other than underwear and socks, I don't know the last time she bought any brand new article of clothing for any of the kids--unless it cost less than $5 on sale. While I admire her ingenuity, it can't be easy to do all she does while trying to raise 7 kids AND homeschool at the same time. Plus, she does a couple of part-time jobs to bring in a little extra money--just so they can have the NECESSITIES, NOT the WANTS. And I worry.
My first thought for people who are under-employed is 'just go somewhere that jobs ARE available'--and I know a lot of people feel this way. This would be a solution for someone who is single--after all, there would be a lot of travel involved and that means money to travel to job interviews and looking at places to live, etc. NOT something that is readily available for either family. To go somewhere else for a job, they would have to have one GUARANTEED for them. AND moving expenses would be a great bonus. Neither family can just up and move on a whim--there is no money for them to do so. At this point, our girls are 'stuck' where they are.
At this point in time, K and I are discussing what we can do for the girls. The only solution we can come up with is to send them money. As K said, "It's either THAT or have them move into our house."--and that isn't a solution at all. But, this also means that his retirement is probably further off than even HE imagines it is. While I want to feel sorry for myself, I do have to be thankful that we have enough where we are able to help the girls--little as it is. {sigh}
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Good Idea or Bad
I certainly hope no one invites me to one of these parties. Maybe it's my age, but I really don't think I'd be too comfortable. So, what do you think? Good idea, or bad? Discuss.
Police Log
--10:45 PM, subject dressed in black walking on road
We have the politically correct police, we have the 'guvmint' getting up in our faces, now we have 'colors you are not allowed to wear.' Do some people REALLY have so little in their lives that they have to call the cops about things like this? Good grief.
We have the politically correct police, we have the 'guvmint' getting up in our faces, now we have 'colors you are not allowed to wear.' Do some people REALLY have so little in their lives that they have to call the cops about things like this? Good grief.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
No Words...
From notalwaysright.com:
Me: “Hello, this is ***** Healthcare line. What can I help you with?”
Caller: “Hi, I’m calling because my son just ate a bunch of ants.”
Me: “I’m sorry? Your son ate ants?”
Caller: “Yes! I was wondering if I need to take him to the hospital and see a doctor.”
Me: “Well, ma’am, I don’t think you need to worry. I don’t think the ants will make him sick, but I advise that he doesn’t eat any more of them.”
Caller: “Well, I gave him some ant killer to get rid of them.”
Caller’s friend: “Get him to the emergency room, now!”
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Police Log
--1:00 AM, caller reports she can see the electricity traveling on the outside of the wire; unfounded
Okay, is this something like 'I see dead people?' Or is this a phenomenon that actually can happen? As far as I'm concerned, I think this is a case of 'the crazies are BACK!' :D
Okay, is this something like 'I see dead people?' Or is this a phenomenon that actually can happen? As far as I'm concerned, I think this is a case of 'the crazies are BACK!' :D
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Youthful Stupidity
The late 60s-70s was a turbulent period of time in our nation's history--actually, in the WORLD, not just the US. During that time we saw protests of all kinds. Women's lib, civil rights, sexual revolution--an entire re-thinking of society came into being. Growing up and living in the UP kept us a bit isolated from the worst of the turbulence--Really, now, were the Finns going to riot against the Italians? Were the people of the UP going to march on the French-Canadians?--but we WERE aware of what was going on. The local universities had a semi-diverse population, so we did see some unrest, but not to the extent that the rest of the US did. And just like everywhere else, we had our locals who described themselves as 'anarchists'--and THEY turned out to describe themselves as that in order to disrupt our classes and waste time, more so than because of any ideological beliefs. Two of these 'different' thinkers were in my high school class. And these two are who this story is about.
I graduated from high school in 1972. The Vietnam War was raging and the country was still reeling from the riots of a couple of years earlier. Anti-war protests were still being held and 'Black Power' was still something that many feared. While things were 'quieting down' to a certain extent, there still was a sense of nervousness because we had no idea what could trigger an explosion again. (As it turned out, we were about to 'get out of Vietnam' and become more united as a nation as we watched the downfall of Richard Nixon.) But this was still in the future.
The school I graduated from is small. The ENTIRE enrollment in grades 7-12 was smaller than The Youngest's graduating class--by quite a lot. Our graduating class had less than 40 kids in it--and some of those were in the 'special education' classes, so we weren't REALLY 'classmates.' (This was many, many years before anyone even CONSIDERED 'mainstreaming.') One of the traditions with graduating classes was the 'class trip.' And with less than 40 kids, the options opened up considerably. Our class went to Chicago for several days--and that is where this story takes place.
To put it mildly, the UP is very much 'backwoods.' TV, the internet, newspapers, magazines, etc, etc, all have helped us move into the 'modern age,' but we pretty much live our lives in an 'outside looking in' sort of fashion. We ARE getting more diverse here, but race and ethnicity still aren't all that much of a factor. We pretty much are 'white-bread, middle-America,' even though we are changing--slowly. So, you can imagine how 'backward' we were in the day. Other than TV--which still was pretty much in its infancy (maybe adolescence)--and some 'underground' publications like 'Rolling Stone' magazine, the only other avenue that there was for ANY news about what was going on in the world were university students--and THEY didn't have all that much use for the 'locals'. But, there was enough interaction and news coming in if someone wanted to know--and our 'anarchists' trolled to find every piece of info they could. And they had some information that they were going to use in Chicago.
For the most part, every minute of our time in Chicago was mapped out for us. However, we were given an afternoon of 'free-time' to do whatever we wanted. Some of us went to a baseball game while others went shopping. And our two anarchists had other plans: They were going to find the Chicago headquarters of the Black Panther organization and go and visit. And that's just what they did. (This story was told to the rest of us at our 25th class reunion--NO ONE knew this had happened until then.)
So, here is the scene: Two 18-year-old kids from the UP of Michigan. They have NO concept of the world. They come from a part of the country--the UP--that has less of a population than a Chicago suburb, decide to present themselves to a BLACK (possibly terrorist) organization. (I'm even wondering if either of them had ever TALKED to anyone who was black, at this point in their lives.) And the only way these two could be WHITER is if they lived in Scandinavia. They make their way to the front door of the Black Panther building, walk up the stairs, ring the bell. When the door opens (by a person with a full-on Afro, wearing a dashiki, and carrying a gun), they introduce themselves and say they would like a tour. AND THEY ARE INVITED IN!!!! They are given a tour--complete with being shown their weaponry, etc. And from what they said at the reunion, they were treated quite nicely. I'm sure it was only because the members couldn't believe anyone could act as stupidly as these two did.
I don't want to label every Black Panther member as 'bad' or a 'terrorist,' but the reputation of the organization was NOT a good one. And from what was reported, they certainly didn't look kindly on 'whitey' at all. And two idiots--who should have known better--presented themselves to this organization on a platter. For all they knew, they could have been murdered and buried along with Jimmy Hoffa--and no one would have known! They went off on their own and never told anyone where they were going. They could have 'disappeared' and the entire thing could have remained a mystery for all time.
Ah, the stupidity of youth...
I graduated from high school in 1972. The Vietnam War was raging and the country was still reeling from the riots of a couple of years earlier. Anti-war protests were still being held and 'Black Power' was still something that many feared. While things were 'quieting down' to a certain extent, there still was a sense of nervousness because we had no idea what could trigger an explosion again. (As it turned out, we were about to 'get out of Vietnam' and become more united as a nation as we watched the downfall of Richard Nixon.) But this was still in the future.
The school I graduated from is small. The ENTIRE enrollment in grades 7-12 was smaller than The Youngest's graduating class--by quite a lot. Our graduating class had less than 40 kids in it--and some of those were in the 'special education' classes, so we weren't REALLY 'classmates.' (This was many, many years before anyone even CONSIDERED 'mainstreaming.') One of the traditions with graduating classes was the 'class trip.' And with less than 40 kids, the options opened up considerably. Our class went to Chicago for several days--and that is where this story takes place.
To put it mildly, the UP is very much 'backwoods.' TV, the internet, newspapers, magazines, etc, etc, all have helped us move into the 'modern age,' but we pretty much live our lives in an 'outside looking in' sort of fashion. We ARE getting more diverse here, but race and ethnicity still aren't all that much of a factor. We pretty much are 'white-bread, middle-America,' even though we are changing--slowly. So, you can imagine how 'backward' we were in the day. Other than TV--which still was pretty much in its infancy (maybe adolescence)--and some 'underground' publications like 'Rolling Stone' magazine, the only other avenue that there was for ANY news about what was going on in the world were university students--and THEY didn't have all that much use for the 'locals'. But, there was enough interaction and news coming in if someone wanted to know--and our 'anarchists' trolled to find every piece of info they could. And they had some information that they were going to use in Chicago.
For the most part, every minute of our time in Chicago was mapped out for us. However, we were given an afternoon of 'free-time' to do whatever we wanted. Some of us went to a baseball game while others went shopping. And our two anarchists had other plans: They were going to find the Chicago headquarters of the Black Panther organization and go and visit. And that's just what they did. (This story was told to the rest of us at our 25th class reunion--NO ONE knew this had happened until then.)
So, here is the scene: Two 18-year-old kids from the UP of Michigan. They have NO concept of the world. They come from a part of the country--the UP--that has less of a population than a Chicago suburb, decide to present themselves to a BLACK (possibly terrorist) organization. (I'm even wondering if either of them had ever TALKED to anyone who was black, at this point in their lives.) And the only way these two could be WHITER is if they lived in Scandinavia. They make their way to the front door of the Black Panther building, walk up the stairs, ring the bell. When the door opens (by a person with a full-on Afro, wearing a dashiki, and carrying a gun), they introduce themselves and say they would like a tour. AND THEY ARE INVITED IN!!!! They are given a tour--complete with being shown their weaponry, etc. And from what they said at the reunion, they were treated quite nicely. I'm sure it was only because the members couldn't believe anyone could act as stupidly as these two did.
I don't want to label every Black Panther member as 'bad' or a 'terrorist,' but the reputation of the organization was NOT a good one. And from what was reported, they certainly didn't look kindly on 'whitey' at all. And two idiots--who should have known better--presented themselves to this organization on a platter. For all they knew, they could have been murdered and buried along with Jimmy Hoffa--and no one would have known! They went off on their own and never told anyone where they were going. They could have 'disappeared' and the entire thing could have remained a mystery for all time.
Ah, the stupidity of youth...
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Good Drivers
Way before there were driver ed classes, people were taught to drive by other drivers. Here in this part of the country, it wasn't a bad deal, as there are plenty of country roads--read that as 'not busy'--that can be used for driving practice. While I DID take driver ed in high school, I didn't get my license until after getting married--K kind of forced me into it. (Actually, he told me he wouldn't pay for the insurance on a car that wasn't used, so I got my license rather than letting the car sit.) I did most of my practice driving on the country roads and it worked out well. I remember The Mother practicing when I was very young, as she needed to drive when The Father went into the hospital for that year. And not too much before that, my paternal grandmother learned to drive. And that is the story...
My grandfather died before I was born and my grandmother remarried several years later. Her second husband taught her to drive. One day, The Mother was riding with Grandma through our little town. The Mother wasn't too comfortable riding with Grandma, as she wasn't the best driver. Rather than taking the highway back to The Parents' house, Grandma took the other 'main' road which had numerous stop signs on it. As Grandma drove straight through EVERY stop sign, The Mother saw her life pass before her eyes--she was SURE that she would never make it home alive. After the two of them finally made it to the house, The Mother asked Grandma why she didn't stop at the stop signs. Grandma answered, "[Her husband] said good drivers don't NEED to stop at stop signs."
And my grandmother drove for 20+ years after that--and never had an accident. I guess she WAS a good driver. :D
My grandfather died before I was born and my grandmother remarried several years later. Her second husband taught her to drive. One day, The Mother was riding with Grandma through our little town. The Mother wasn't too comfortable riding with Grandma, as she wasn't the best driver. Rather than taking the highway back to The Parents' house, Grandma took the other 'main' road which had numerous stop signs on it. As Grandma drove straight through EVERY stop sign, The Mother saw her life pass before her eyes--she was SURE that she would never make it home alive. After the two of them finally made it to the house, The Mother asked Grandma why she didn't stop at the stop signs. Grandma answered, "[Her husband] said good drivers don't NEED to stop at stop signs."
And my grandmother drove for 20+ years after that--and never had an accident. I guess she WAS a good driver. :D
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
12 Years
On Friday, I will celebrate 12 years since I had my last cigarette. And every year I buy myself an anniversary gift. But, this year I have no idea what I'm getting for myself. The whole idea behind this gift giving was to spend some of the money I saved by not smoking--and so far, I've never even come close to spending what I would have spent on cigarettes for the year. I have one rule when buying my gift: The item must be something I WANT and definitely don't need. And so far, almost all of the items have been electronics/tech gadgets. Over the years, I have gotten cell phones and PDAs, music players and TVs, and everything in between. And this year, I don't have anything in particular that I want. NEXT YEAR, I might be in the market for an Android tablet, but they're too new right now and I DO have the nookCOLOR, so I'm not looking for one of those yet. And it isn't as if there aren't things I WANT, but I DO have a price limit to what I want to spend--and the laptop that I REALLY want is far too expensive for me to get right now. So, I will wander through some stores and surf the interwebs and come up with something that will make me happy. If nothing comes to me, I'll probably get a new TV for the computer room--after all, hockey season isn't far off and there will be 82 games to watch. :D
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Gassy
In so many ways, I feel very, very old. I remember when ALL phones were hardwired and had cords, when computers were accessed through punchcards, and when TV stations actually went off the air at night. These are things that many, many people don't remember...
Something else that I remember are 'service stations.' At one point in time, The Father and his brother owned a 'service station'--a place where you would go and say 'fill 'er up' and get your gas tank filled, your windshield washed, your battery checked, and your oil checked. (They also 'fixed' cars--The Father was a very good mechanic.) The attendant would also walk around your vehicle and give it a 'once-over' look to make sure the tires were properly inflated and that nothing was about to fall off. A lot of high school students--read that as 'guys'--would have these jobs. While they were minimum-wage jobs, they filled the need before fast food restaurants became the normal place for high school students to work. And once self-service became the norm, these jobs became a thing of the past--and I mourn their passing.
I have never pumped my own gas. It isn't because I am lazy or stupid***, it just is because K has always done it. I never wanted to pump my own and as long as someone else will do it for me, I'm happy to let them. (Hey, when the wind is whipping at 40 MPH and the temp is -10, I appreciate not having to get out of my vehicle.) I realize that there probably will come a time when I will HAVE to learn how to pump gas, but I can wait. Over the years, there have been times when I needed gas in my vehicle and K wasn't around to fill it, but I always had the option of going to the full-service station that was down the street from us. Sadly, that place is now gone. One other station in town had full-service, but earlier this summer THAT was discontinued. And if you think THAT didn't create quite a stir around here, you are deluding yourself.
As I said, I've been lucky to have someone do this--in my opinion--very distasteful job for me all of these years. But, there are many who HAVE to rely on someone else to do this--and these are the ones who were hurt the most when this service was discontinued. Many handicapped and elderly people were quite distressed over the thought that they would have to find some way to fuel their vehicles, as too many of them were UNABLE to do it themselves. People in wheelchairs--besides making it inconvenient and time consuming--have problems reaching some gas pumps. Elderly people, especially with arthritis, can find it hard to remove gas caps. These were who relied on the last station in town to offer full-service. And they were NOT happy. Of course solutions were 'suggested'--'honk' when you get to the pump and 'someone' will come out to help you, or come into the station and ask for help, etc--but these really weren't good options. After about a month, the station relented and now has an attendant on hand one day a week, for certain hours, to pump gas for those who need the help. NOT the greatest solution, but it is better than nothing.
mental_floss did an entire story about 'pumping your own' and the states that don't allow this. Personally, I wish full-service stations were the norm in ALL states--I really think it would help with the unemployment rate. This could also be a way for some to learn a new skill, as so many guys learned how to do minor repairs and maintenance of vehicles when they were attendants. It's ALWAYS a good thing to learn something new. With all the talk about us becoming a 'service society,' it is strange that this is one 'service' that has gone by the wayside.
***If you go to read the mental_floss article, take some time and look over the comments that were left. I'm amazed at the *hate* some people have for those who live in Oregon and New Jersey, and for those states not allowing self-service. (As well as for those of us who never have, or don't want to, pump our own.) I also can't understand those who 'don't want ANYONE to touch their vehicles' and WON'T allow anyone else to fuel their cars. I guess they do all repairs themselves, too--and are completely self-sufficient in every aspect of their lives. ;) The things people get hot under the collar about...***
Something else that I remember are 'service stations.' At one point in time, The Father and his brother owned a 'service station'--a place where you would go and say 'fill 'er up' and get your gas tank filled, your windshield washed, your battery checked, and your oil checked. (They also 'fixed' cars--The Father was a very good mechanic.) The attendant would also walk around your vehicle and give it a 'once-over' look to make sure the tires were properly inflated and that nothing was about to fall off. A lot of high school students--read that as 'guys'--would have these jobs. While they were minimum-wage jobs, they filled the need before fast food restaurants became the normal place for high school students to work. And once self-service became the norm, these jobs became a thing of the past--and I mourn their passing.
I have never pumped my own gas. It isn't because I am lazy or stupid***, it just is because K has always done it. I never wanted to pump my own and as long as someone else will do it for me, I'm happy to let them. (Hey, when the wind is whipping at 40 MPH and the temp is -10, I appreciate not having to get out of my vehicle.) I realize that there probably will come a time when I will HAVE to learn how to pump gas, but I can wait. Over the years, there have been times when I needed gas in my vehicle and K wasn't around to fill it, but I always had the option of going to the full-service station that was down the street from us. Sadly, that place is now gone. One other station in town had full-service, but earlier this summer THAT was discontinued. And if you think THAT didn't create quite a stir around here, you are deluding yourself.
As I said, I've been lucky to have someone do this--in my opinion--very distasteful job for me all of these years. But, there are many who HAVE to rely on someone else to do this--and these are the ones who were hurt the most when this service was discontinued. Many handicapped and elderly people were quite distressed over the thought that they would have to find some way to fuel their vehicles, as too many of them were UNABLE to do it themselves. People in wheelchairs--besides making it inconvenient and time consuming--have problems reaching some gas pumps. Elderly people, especially with arthritis, can find it hard to remove gas caps. These were who relied on the last station in town to offer full-service. And they were NOT happy. Of course solutions were 'suggested'--'honk' when you get to the pump and 'someone' will come out to help you, or come into the station and ask for help, etc--but these really weren't good options. After about a month, the station relented and now has an attendant on hand one day a week, for certain hours, to pump gas for those who need the help. NOT the greatest solution, but it is better than nothing.
mental_floss did an entire story about 'pumping your own' and the states that don't allow this. Personally, I wish full-service stations were the norm in ALL states--I really think it would help with the unemployment rate. This could also be a way for some to learn a new skill, as so many guys learned how to do minor repairs and maintenance of vehicles when they were attendants. It's ALWAYS a good thing to learn something new. With all the talk about us becoming a 'service society,' it is strange that this is one 'service' that has gone by the wayside.
***If you go to read the mental_floss article, take some time and look over the comments that were left. I'm amazed at the *hate* some people have for those who live in Oregon and New Jersey, and for those states not allowing self-service. (As well as for those of us who never have, or don't want to, pump our own.) I also can't understand those who 'don't want ANYONE to touch their vehicles' and WON'T allow anyone else to fuel their cars. I guess they do all repairs themselves, too--and are completely self-sufficient in every aspect of their lives. ;) The things people get hot under the collar about...***
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Like Glitter?
The Youngest and her husband were here for a long weekend the beginning of July. Before they came here, they spent a day and a half with The Oldest and her family. After they left to come here, my 2-year-old granddaughter was talking about Auntie A and Uncle A to her mom. "Mom," she said. "I miss Auntie A--she is so pretty and she sparkles!" We still aren't sure what 'sparkles,' but it's nice to know she's loved. :D
Friday, July 29, 2011
Some Common Courtesy, Please
There are some jobs that I really wouldn't want--for example, knife-thrower's assistant or Mafia hitman. But, those are jobs that SOMEONE has to do, just as the job of telemarketer--another one of those 'not for me' jobs. For the most part, I understand that telemarketers are trying to make a living, trying to pay their rent and feed their families. And I am okay with that. What I am NOT okay with is the attitude of too many of these people.
As I said, I don't want the job and I can imagine it is a very frustrating way to make a living, but I wish they would understand ME, as well. For the most part, I try to be as nice and courteous to the caller as I can. (I take issue, though, with the companies that call repeatedly, day after day after day. I don't need to be HARASSED.) As I said, I try to be courteous and friendly, while trying to get off of the phone as quickly as possible. And I usually can do all of this with a minimum of hassle. There are more times than I'd like to think, that I HAVE to be rude to these people or I would be on the phone with them all day long. Some telemarketers are like a dog with a bone, they just won't give it up! One thing that I will say is that I'm not interested and don't want to waste their time and then I'll say good by and hang up. I feel bad when I have to be rude, but there are times when it is just necessary.
I think what annoys me most are the times where the telemarketer is my BEST friend in the world until I make it clear that I am NOT buying from him/her. When s/he can just say good by and hang up, WHY get 'that tone of voice' and be rude to me? I wasn't rude in the first place and this is one of the reasons why telemarketers have such a bad reputation: They get all pissy when you let them know you are not falling for their sale's pitch. I want to tell them to suck it up and deal with the rejection--sorry to say, but this IS what you signed up for when you took the job. (I DO know that jobs are hard to come by, but it isn't a secret how people feel about telemarketers.) And while I know the majority of people ARE rude, please be happy that there are some, like me, that don't want to be.
As I said, I don't want the job and I can imagine it is a very frustrating way to make a living, but I wish they would understand ME, as well. For the most part, I try to be as nice and courteous to the caller as I can. (I take issue, though, with the companies that call repeatedly, day after day after day. I don't need to be HARASSED.) As I said, I try to be courteous and friendly, while trying to get off of the phone as quickly as possible. And I usually can do all of this with a minimum of hassle. There are more times than I'd like to think, that I HAVE to be rude to these people or I would be on the phone with them all day long. Some telemarketers are like a dog with a bone, they just won't give it up! One thing that I will say is that I'm not interested and don't want to waste their time and then I'll say good by and hang up. I feel bad when I have to be rude, but there are times when it is just necessary.
I think what annoys me most are the times where the telemarketer is my BEST friend in the world until I make it clear that I am NOT buying from him/her. When s/he can just say good by and hang up, WHY get 'that tone of voice' and be rude to me? I wasn't rude in the first place and this is one of the reasons why telemarketers have such a bad reputation: They get all pissy when you let them know you are not falling for their sale's pitch. I want to tell them to suck it up and deal with the rejection--sorry to say, but this IS what you signed up for when you took the job. (I DO know that jobs are hard to come by, but it isn't a secret how people feel about telemarketers.) And while I know the majority of people ARE rude, please be happy that there are some, like me, that don't want to be.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Little Obvious
Living in this part of the country, I find I don't have nearly as many options as people in other parts of the US when it comes to purchasing items. While things are getting better, we REALLY are limited in what we can get in a brick-and-mortar store. We don't have the 'common' places that more urban areas have--for crying out loud, we JUST got a Walgreen's within the last couple of years! Our chain stores are limited and the mom-and-pop stores just don't always have the inventory where you can pop in and buy what you want. This is why the interwebs have been such a great addition to our lives--we can go online and order anything we can think of and have it shipped to our houses. HEAVENLY--except, of course, for the waiting for delivery. ;) But, I have gotten used to the fact that I have to be patient--at least for a few days--when I want something. It also means that UPS and FedEx have trucks that can navigate their own way to my house.
Today I got a package. When we were in St Paul, K decided that he needed to upgrade our GPS system and bought a new TomTom. While it has a bigger screen and free lifetime maps, I don't see much of a difference from the old one, but I'm not the one that uses it. With the gadget being bigger, we now face the problem of where to put it when it's in use. K used to just place the old one in one of the cup holders and things were okay--not so much with the new one, as it is just too big. K won't mount the GPS system on the dashboard or window, as he doesn't like 'marking up' the vehicle permanently. (And that makes it VERY difficult for me to turn my Envoy into a 'Wing-mobile,' but that is for another discussion.) So this, along with needing an in-house charger, brought me to the interwebs for a solution and shopping. I found what I wanted, placed the order, and waited until it was delivered today. Nothing earth-shattering to report, just that I got a package, which was left on my back porch. The thing that pretty much put me over the top about this whole thing is this: There was a label slapped onto the package--obviously put there by whoever delivered it. The label stated "Your package has been delivered." Excuse me!?!?!?!?!? I'm holding the package IN. MY. HANDS. And you have to put a label on it to tell me it has been delivered? Okay, I have, rarely, had a package put somewhere that wasn't obvious because of weather or such--they HAVE put packages in one of the vehicles or delivered them to the neighbor's if we weren't there to accept delivery--and a label has been put on the door telling where it was left, but I've not seen this. It just kind of seemed to be a waste of a label AND the deliverer's time.
Today I got a package. When we were in St Paul, K decided that he needed to upgrade our GPS system and bought a new TomTom. While it has a bigger screen and free lifetime maps, I don't see much of a difference from the old one, but I'm not the one that uses it. With the gadget being bigger, we now face the problem of where to put it when it's in use. K used to just place the old one in one of the cup holders and things were okay--not so much with the new one, as it is just too big. K won't mount the GPS system on the dashboard or window, as he doesn't like 'marking up' the vehicle permanently. (And that makes it VERY difficult for me to turn my Envoy into a 'Wing-mobile,' but that is for another discussion.) So this, along with needing an in-house charger, brought me to the interwebs for a solution and shopping. I found what I wanted, placed the order, and waited until it was delivered today. Nothing earth-shattering to report, just that I got a package, which was left on my back porch. The thing that pretty much put me over the top about this whole thing is this: There was a label slapped onto the package--obviously put there by whoever delivered it. The label stated "Your package has been delivered." Excuse me!?!?!?!?!? I'm holding the package IN. MY. HANDS. And you have to put a label on it to tell me it has been delivered? Okay, I have, rarely, had a package put somewhere that wasn't obvious because of weather or such--they HAVE put packages in one of the vehicles or delivered them to the neighbor's if we weren't there to accept delivery--and a label has been put on the door telling where it was left, but I've not seen this. It just kind of seemed to be a waste of a label AND the deliverer's time.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
What's In A Name?
After all of the emotional excitement of finding out you're pregnant, one of the next steps is coming up with a name for the bundle of joy. Considering what passes for names these days, I don't think everyone spends as much time deciding on a name, as I did.
One of the main considerations in a name, for me, was that no matter HOW you arranged the initials, nothing embarrassing could be spelled. And this included all possible combinations of letters for a last name--this, if and when, my daughters would get married and change their names. I spent HOURS working this out.
The first step of the process with each potential name was the straight-forward initials--first, middle, last. Considering our last name starts with a 'K,' I didn't see too many problems. I could have named my daughter 'Annie Sue' and her initials would have spelled 'ASK,' which wasn't too bad. However, if she married someone with the last name of 'Smith,' THEN we'd have some trouble--the initials would, of course, spell 'ASS.' Every name I could think of went through this scrutiny. Also, I checked all combinations that would come up with a traditional monogram--where the last initial is in the middle and the first and last are on either side of it. This brought up an entire set of additional problems. To say this was a long process, is putting it mildly. (Thank goodness I had almost full-term pregnancies--it took the entire eight months to go through all combinations!)
When picking names for the girls, I also had other considerations. For my first, I wanted to give her a variation of my own first name. Using the middle name of 'Marie' is a bit of a tradition, so my first was getting that as HER middle name. (My great-grandmother's name was Marie, my grandmother's middle name was Marie, and The Mother's middle name is Marie. My first's middle name is Marie and my first granddaughter's middle name is, too. Five generations and, hopefully, it will continue.) This gave The Oldest the initials of CMK, same as mine. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with anything too embarrassing using those three letters--or any letter she could possibly marry into. As it turned out, she married someone with the last initial of 'H' the first time and 'G' the second time--nothing awkward there.
The second daughter's naming took a different turn than the first's. I wanted to give her a traditional Finnish name, but The Mother was horrified--said NO ONE would be able to pronounce it--and, like the obedient daughter I was at the time, changed my mind. I then decided to give her names of great-grandmothers--but I needed to decide WHICH of the four to use. (One of the great-grandmothers was named 'Josephine' and I wasn't naming MY kid THAT.) She wound up with my M-I-L's mother's first name and The Mother's mother's first as her middle name. THIS naming was a bit trickier, as the initials wound up being AEK. A traditional monogram--after marriage--for her could have spelled 'ACE' or 'ATE,' but nothing overly embarrassing. As it turned out, she didn't even have to change her initials, as she married someone with 'K' as his last initial.
I know we are 'the land of the free,' but there really are times when I don't think other countries have it so wrong with the naming of babies--some countries have an 'approved' list of baby names that you HAVE to choose from. This would really stop the crazy names and crazy spellings altogether. And I'm sure it would make things a whole lot easier for teachers.
***Believe me, I KNOW how OCD this sounds--but that's just the way I roll. :D***
One of the main considerations in a name, for me, was that no matter HOW you arranged the initials, nothing embarrassing could be spelled. And this included all possible combinations of letters for a last name--this, if and when, my daughters would get married and change their names. I spent HOURS working this out.
The first step of the process with each potential name was the straight-forward initials--first, middle, last. Considering our last name starts with a 'K,' I didn't see too many problems. I could have named my daughter 'Annie Sue' and her initials would have spelled 'ASK,' which wasn't too bad. However, if she married someone with the last name of 'Smith,' THEN we'd have some trouble--the initials would, of course, spell 'ASS.' Every name I could think of went through this scrutiny. Also, I checked all combinations that would come up with a traditional monogram--where the last initial is in the middle and the first and last are on either side of it. This brought up an entire set of additional problems. To say this was a long process, is putting it mildly. (Thank goodness I had almost full-term pregnancies--it took the entire eight months to go through all combinations!)
When picking names for the girls, I also had other considerations. For my first, I wanted to give her a variation of my own first name. Using the middle name of 'Marie' is a bit of a tradition, so my first was getting that as HER middle name. (My great-grandmother's name was Marie, my grandmother's middle name was Marie, and The Mother's middle name is Marie. My first's middle name is Marie and my first granddaughter's middle name is, too. Five generations and, hopefully, it will continue.) This gave The Oldest the initials of CMK, same as mine. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with anything too embarrassing using those three letters--or any letter she could possibly marry into. As it turned out, she married someone with the last initial of 'H' the first time and 'G' the second time--nothing awkward there.
The second daughter's naming took a different turn than the first's. I wanted to give her a traditional Finnish name, but The Mother was horrified--said NO ONE would be able to pronounce it--and, like the obedient daughter I was at the time, changed my mind. I then decided to give her names of great-grandmothers--but I needed to decide WHICH of the four to use. (One of the great-grandmothers was named 'Josephine' and I wasn't naming MY kid THAT.) She wound up with my M-I-L's mother's first name and The Mother's mother's first as her middle name. THIS naming was a bit trickier, as the initials wound up being AEK. A traditional monogram--after marriage--for her could have spelled 'ACE' or 'ATE,' but nothing overly embarrassing. As it turned out, she didn't even have to change her initials, as she married someone with 'K' as his last initial.
I know we are 'the land of the free,' but there really are times when I don't think other countries have it so wrong with the naming of babies--some countries have an 'approved' list of baby names that you HAVE to choose from. This would really stop the crazy names and crazy spellings altogether. And I'm sure it would make things a whole lot easier for teachers.
***Believe me, I KNOW how OCD this sounds--but that's just the way I roll. :D***
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Yes, Sir, I'll Have Another
For some reason or another, I have always been fascinated with tattoos. When I was growing up, I didn't see many of them and pretty much the only people that had them were military members or hard core bikers. And I didn't spend much time around either group. But, I wanted a tattoo from a young age. As the years went on, my desire didn't go away, but I became a lot more cautious about getting one. What I wanted years earlier were now out of the question, so I thought for a long time as to what should be on my body forever. About nine years ago, I finally decided on my tattoo and I've never looked back.
I went to the tattoo shop, talked to the artist, discussed what I wanted, told her to do the design, and made an appointment. I got my first tattoo--and it was something that was of great significance to me. The design, to me, shows the connection that the Jewish and Christian faiths have--it is a very important spiritual symbol. This was placed on the upper part of my lower, left arm.
After getting my first tattoo, I thought I was done. Unfortunately, I was hooked. For years, I thought about the possibility of getting some more tats. Six years later, I decided to go back for another one--I knew what I wanted. This time, I decided on the symbol for infinity--also, for me, it means 'forever' and 'eternity.' I got this one near my right wrist.
A couple of months later, I went back and got tattoos number three and four. The third one was placed on the back of my right hand, up from my thumb. It signifies the ten year anniversary of the day I quit smoking. I had it put where I could see it if I ever decided to smoke another cigarette--I usually held the cigarette in my right hand, in the day. And tattoo number four was placed under the Star of David/cross tat. It, too, holds a spiritual significance for me: It is a Trinity knot, signifying the three-in-one, or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Of all of my tattoos, the only one that isn't spiritual in nature is the third one:
And here is the last one that I got:
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about getting another tat. I would really like to get something to do with the Red Wings, but I won't get red ink--if a person is going to have a bad reaction to ink, it probably will be red. I'm kind of leaning toward something that involves the Greek letters alpha and omega--again, spiritual meaning--but it isn't as unique as some of my other tats. Whatever I get next, I don't think it will be too long before it is done.
I went to the tattoo shop, talked to the artist, discussed what I wanted, told her to do the design, and made an appointment. I got my first tattoo--and it was something that was of great significance to me. The design, to me, shows the connection that the Jewish and Christian faiths have--it is a very important spiritual symbol. This was placed on the upper part of my lower, left arm.
After getting my first tattoo, I thought I was done. Unfortunately, I was hooked. For years, I thought about the possibility of getting some more tats. Six years later, I decided to go back for another one--I knew what I wanted. This time, I decided on the symbol for infinity--also, for me, it means 'forever' and 'eternity.' I got this one near my right wrist.
A couple of months later, I went back and got tattoos number three and four. The third one was placed on the back of my right hand, up from my thumb. It signifies the ten year anniversary of the day I quit smoking. I had it put where I could see it if I ever decided to smoke another cigarette--I usually held the cigarette in my right hand, in the day. And tattoo number four was placed under the Star of David/cross tat. It, too, holds a spiritual significance for me: It is a Trinity knot, signifying the three-in-one, or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Of all of my tattoos, the only one that isn't spiritual in nature is the third one:
And here is the last one that I got:
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about getting another tat. I would really like to get something to do with the Red Wings, but I won't get red ink--if a person is going to have a bad reaction to ink, it probably will be red. I'm kind of leaning toward something that involves the Greek letters alpha and omega--again, spiritual meaning--but it isn't as unique as some of my other tats. Whatever I get next, I don't think it will be too long before it is done.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Reality
Every time I am channel-surfing and see the movie 'Jeremiah Johnson' playing, I stop and watch it. For some reason or another, it is one of my favorite movies. I have always like Robert Redford and he is the star, but I also like the story. In a few words: 'Jeremiah Johnson' is the story of a guy who decided to go west and become a Mountain Man. He wanted to live a life of solitude and trap, hunt, and fish. And because of circumstances, he got caught up in a 'war' with the Crow nation--and this helped him establish his reputation. It was a story of a man who wanted to be left alone and 'do his own thing,' but it didn't happen in that way. Despite the fact that there was a lot of killing in the movie--very little blood, however--it was kind of idyllic and beautiful in its own way. But what else would you expect from a Robert Redford movie?
A couple of months back, I FINALLY decided to investigate 'Jeremiah Johnson' a little further, after another viewing of the movie. I found out that there was a REAL person that this movie was based on and his name was John Johnson--and as in the case of most of the Mountain Men, he was very much different than the man portrayed in the movie. When I realized that there was a book written about John Johnson, I KNEW I had to read it.
The book 'Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson' is in a genre that I don't normally gravitate to. While I DO read some biographies, I don't know if I would necessarily read one of a 'western' character. But this book was completely fascinating--probably because it was a very truthful look at a period of US history that has been exaggerated so much over the years. This book was published in 1958 and I was amazed and surprised at how 'unvarnished' the truthfulness of the story was. We are so used to the days where the 'red men' were vilified as savages--as so many of the movies and TV shows of the 50s did--and today we are being brainwashed into believing that they did NOTHING wrong, whatsoever, to ANY 'white men.' This book showed the savagery that both groups of people brought down on each other. And this was accomplished in a way that was quite matter-of-fact--this was how living was then and the book showed it. There was no judging, no blame, and both the 'white men' and the 'red men' were shown to be savages, as well as kind and compassionate. The movie did, to a certain extent, have an even-handedness about it, but change was already coming and, while subtle, it was implied that the killing of Johnson's wife was pretty much justified. (He led a group of men through the sacred burial grounds of the Crow, even though he KNEW it was forbidden--so the Crow were justified in their revenge. In the book, it was just a group of young Crow who were on a rampage, who killed his wife. HE was justified in going after THEM for revenge.) Tiny, subtle difference, but very glaring when you examine the book and movie side-by-side.
Without going into the book much further, I must say that it was refreshing to read a book that really didn't have an agenda attached to it. This was a straight-forward history of what this country was like--although it was done in a non-dry way, as too many history books are. With the political correctness today, I really wonder if this book would be allowed to be published--OR if it would be protested because of the 'hatred' that the Native Americans had to endure in it. I really wish we could get more plain truth and less of the PC crap that we have to have today. For crying out loud, the word 'nigger' isn't allowed to be uttered in ANY context--in a news story or as a quote, even--because it isn't PC. In this book, some of the Native Americans were called 'red niggers' by the Mountain Men--and this isn't something you would be allowed to write today without a horrible backlash. I guess I'm just getting old, because I will have to say 'sometimes I wish for the good old days.' ;)
***John Johnson got his nickname of 'Liver-Eating Johnson' because he cut out the livers of the Crow he killed and ate them raw. (This was an insult to his enemies.) Cannibalism as a way to survive or insult another wasn't unknown at this time in history. This is something that I wonder how it would be handled in a book published today--would it be written as it actually was, or would it be white-washed? I DO wonder how much of what I read today has been 'sanitized for others' possible hurt feelings.'***
A couple of months back, I FINALLY decided to investigate 'Jeremiah Johnson' a little further, after another viewing of the movie. I found out that there was a REAL person that this movie was based on and his name was John Johnson--and as in the case of most of the Mountain Men, he was very much different than the man portrayed in the movie. When I realized that there was a book written about John Johnson, I KNEW I had to read it.
The book 'Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson' is in a genre that I don't normally gravitate to. While I DO read some biographies, I don't know if I would necessarily read one of a 'western' character. But this book was completely fascinating--probably because it was a very truthful look at a period of US history that has been exaggerated so much over the years. This book was published in 1958 and I was amazed and surprised at how 'unvarnished' the truthfulness of the story was. We are so used to the days where the 'red men' were vilified as savages--as so many of the movies and TV shows of the 50s did--and today we are being brainwashed into believing that they did NOTHING wrong, whatsoever, to ANY 'white men.' This book showed the savagery that both groups of people brought down on each other. And this was accomplished in a way that was quite matter-of-fact--this was how living was then and the book showed it. There was no judging, no blame, and both the 'white men' and the 'red men' were shown to be savages, as well as kind and compassionate. The movie did, to a certain extent, have an even-handedness about it, but change was already coming and, while subtle, it was implied that the killing of Johnson's wife was pretty much justified. (He led a group of men through the sacred burial grounds of the Crow, even though he KNEW it was forbidden--so the Crow were justified in their revenge. In the book, it was just a group of young Crow who were on a rampage, who killed his wife. HE was justified in going after THEM for revenge.) Tiny, subtle difference, but very glaring when you examine the book and movie side-by-side.
Without going into the book much further, I must say that it was refreshing to read a book that really didn't have an agenda attached to it. This was a straight-forward history of what this country was like--although it was done in a non-dry way, as too many history books are. With the political correctness today, I really wonder if this book would be allowed to be published--OR if it would be protested because of the 'hatred' that the Native Americans had to endure in it. I really wish we could get more plain truth and less of the PC crap that we have to have today. For crying out loud, the word 'nigger' isn't allowed to be uttered in ANY context--in a news story or as a quote, even--because it isn't PC. In this book, some of the Native Americans were called 'red niggers' by the Mountain Men--and this isn't something you would be allowed to write today without a horrible backlash. I guess I'm just getting old, because I will have to say 'sometimes I wish for the good old days.' ;)
***John Johnson got his nickname of 'Liver-Eating Johnson' because he cut out the livers of the Crow he killed and ate them raw. (This was an insult to his enemies.) Cannibalism as a way to survive or insult another wasn't unknown at this time in history. This is something that I wonder how it would be handled in a book published today--would it be written as it actually was, or would it be white-washed? I DO wonder how much of what I read today has been 'sanitized for others' possible hurt feelings.'***
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Cross THAT Off Of The List
I don't know how many people actually have written 'bucket lists,' but I am one who HASN'T done so. Of course, as I get older, there are things I want to do before I die, but nothing so important that I need to actually MAKE it happen. I have seen Eric Clapton in concert, so that is one thing that's off of MY imaginary list. I still have 'see a Red Wings game in person,' and 'see my Baby Boy PLAY a game in person,' on my list, but other than that, not much else. I think most of my list would consist of 'things everyone should experience once in their life'--such as 'see the Mall of America' and 'go to Las Vegas for a couple of days.' THAT list would be much, much longer--but, STILL not anything earth shattering. One thing that everyone should experience at least once in their life, happened to me on Friday--and it didn't only happen ONCE, but TWICE! I met, talked to, and shook hands with TWO famous people! What fun! So now for the story.
As I mentioned a few months ago, Air Supply was going to be in concert less than an hour away from where we live. For the past few days, The Oldest has been so excited by this that I don't know if she slept at all. On Thursday evening, she made it to our house for a little shopping and relaxing before we had to get ready and go to the concert on Friday. I *almost* think she was too excited to miss her family and I had to calm her down a few times because she was a bit over the top in anticipation. (I didn't want her to get her hopes up TOO high and then have them dashed and squashed!) Completely in line with the way she lives her life, we managed to get to the concert and slide into our seats about thirty seconds after it started. And she was overwhelmed! Not only was this a concert featuring the FIRST band she ever LOVED--and still does, by the way--but it was the first concert she had ever been to! Everything HAD to go perfectly for her not to have her heart crushed, to say the least.
The concert was great. We sang along with ALL of the songs and The Oldest was GLOWING when Graham Russell stopped and waited for her to take his picture. (This was during the portion of the show where they came down into the audience and shook hands with the fans. Unfortunately, we were in the middle of the row and couldn't get to the guys.) For an hour and a half, my daughter was as happy as she has ever been.
When all was said and done, we asked one of the ushers if there was any chance of a 'meet and greet' with the band. She told us that they would be out in 20 minutes at the ticket office window and would sign autographs and talk with fans. About this time, I though The Oldest was going to BURST with happiness. As we stood in line, the anticipation for her just grew and grew. FINALLY, it was OUR time to say 'hi' to the guys. C went to Graham Russell, had him sign his name, and shook hands with him. She told him "Air Supply was the FIRST band I EVER loved--and you were my favorite!." While continuing to hold her hand, he put his other hand on top on hers, looked into her eyes, and asked, "Am I STILL your favorite?" (QUITE a showman. ;)) And she just melted. I shook hands with him, chit-chatted for a few seconds, and moved on to shake hands with Russell Hitchcock. He looked at the tattoo on the back of my hand, ran his finger over it, and looked at me questioningly. I told him it was my 10-year anniversary tat of not smoking. He then showed me HIS tat on the back of his hand and said, "This is for 5 years of...nothing." And he laughed. We then went on and compared and discussed our arm tattoos. To say it was surreal to be talking tattoos with a famous person, is putting it mildly. ;D But they were absolutely great, friendly, funny, and all-around nice. My daughter is STILL flying high from the experience.
While this was on the top-10 greatest days of all time list for my daughter--she HAS given birth 7 times, so I think THOSE days top this ;)--it also was one of MY favorite days ever. To see someone you love SO happy just makes the world seem like a good place--even if only for a short time.
***Afterwards, The Oldest commented on my conversation with Russell Hitchcock. She said, "What was THAT all about with the tattoos? You two talked like a couple of old Navy buddies!" :D**
As I mentioned a few months ago, Air Supply was going to be in concert less than an hour away from where we live. For the past few days, The Oldest has been so excited by this that I don't know if she slept at all. On Thursday evening, she made it to our house for a little shopping and relaxing before we had to get ready and go to the concert on Friday. I *almost* think she was too excited to miss her family and I had to calm her down a few times because she was a bit over the top in anticipation. (I didn't want her to get her hopes up TOO high and then have them dashed and squashed!) Completely in line with the way she lives her life, we managed to get to the concert and slide into our seats about thirty seconds after it started. And she was overwhelmed! Not only was this a concert featuring the FIRST band she ever LOVED--and still does, by the way--but it was the first concert she had ever been to! Everything HAD to go perfectly for her not to have her heart crushed, to say the least.
The concert was great. We sang along with ALL of the songs and The Oldest was GLOWING when Graham Russell stopped and waited for her to take his picture. (This was during the portion of the show where they came down into the audience and shook hands with the fans. Unfortunately, we were in the middle of the row and couldn't get to the guys.) For an hour and a half, my daughter was as happy as she has ever been.
When all was said and done, we asked one of the ushers if there was any chance of a 'meet and greet' with the band. She told us that they would be out in 20 minutes at the ticket office window and would sign autographs and talk with fans. About this time, I though The Oldest was going to BURST with happiness. As we stood in line, the anticipation for her just grew and grew. FINALLY, it was OUR time to say 'hi' to the guys. C went to Graham Russell, had him sign his name, and shook hands with him. She told him "Air Supply was the FIRST band I EVER loved--and you were my favorite!." While continuing to hold her hand, he put his other hand on top on hers, looked into her eyes, and asked, "Am I STILL your favorite?" (QUITE a showman. ;)) And she just melted. I shook hands with him, chit-chatted for a few seconds, and moved on to shake hands with Russell Hitchcock. He looked at the tattoo on the back of my hand, ran his finger over it, and looked at me questioningly. I told him it was my 10-year anniversary tat of not smoking. He then showed me HIS tat on the back of his hand and said, "This is for 5 years of...nothing." And he laughed. We then went on and compared and discussed our arm tattoos. To say it was surreal to be talking tattoos with a famous person, is putting it mildly. ;D But they were absolutely great, friendly, funny, and all-around nice. My daughter is STILL flying high from the experience.
While this was on the top-10 greatest days of all time list for my daughter--she HAS given birth 7 times, so I think THOSE days top this ;)--it also was one of MY favorite days ever. To see someone you love SO happy just makes the world seem like a good place--even if only for a short time.
***Afterwards, The Oldest commented on my conversation with Russell Hitchcock. She said, "What was THAT all about with the tattoos? You two talked like a couple of old Navy buddies!" :D**
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Political Post
While this MAY come off as snarky, I don't think I mean it to be such. Well, not TOO much. ;)
I am not a fan of the Democratic Party. However, the Dems do something that the GOP can't--they can convince the electorate to vote a person into office that shouldn't be appointed dog catcher, better than anyone ever has. If the GOP could do this, Sarah Palin would be sitting in the White House right now. Now THAT'S something to think about. ;)
I am not a fan of the Democratic Party. However, the Dems do something that the GOP can't--they can convince the electorate to vote a person into office that shouldn't be appointed dog catcher, better than anyone ever has. If the GOP could do this, Sarah Palin would be sitting in the White House right now. Now THAT'S something to think about. ;)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Obsessions and a Master Race
I don't understand the obsession so many of my generation have for WWII. It was a war, it was history, but it WAS before our time--get over it! K is one of the obsessed. Whenever he is channel-surfing--ALL the time, by the way--if he comes to anything to do with WWII, he has to stop and watch it. It doesn't matter if it is a movie, mini-series, documentary, or propaganda film, he HAS to watch it because it deals with WWII. It completely baffles me.
Today I was dusting in the living room and caught a bit of the program--a WWII documentary--that K had on. It was all about the Nazis wanting to build a master race and the steps they went through to achieve their objective. Of course, the WAY the Nazis went about this was very, very horrifying, but it got me thinking: What if, at some point in time, humans decided to help evolution along and try to breed the best and the brightest that could be. If race and ethnicity had been taken out of the equation, would people have objected so much to trying to build a better race of humans? Is it possible that this could have been achieved, or would those that weren't 'good' enough rebel? Quite an intriguing thing to think about, right?
Today I was dusting in the living room and caught a bit of the program--a WWII documentary--that K had on. It was all about the Nazis wanting to build a master race and the steps they went through to achieve their objective. Of course, the WAY the Nazis went about this was very, very horrifying, but it got me thinking: What if, at some point in time, humans decided to help evolution along and try to breed the best and the brightest that could be. If race and ethnicity had been taken out of the equation, would people have objected so much to trying to build a better race of humans? Is it possible that this could have been achieved, or would those that weren't 'good' enough rebel? Quite an intriguing thing to think about, right?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A Pet Peeve
First, I have to say I never knew that air could be as hot and humid as it is here, outside of a sauna. I hadn't been out all day and saw my window bird feeders needed filling, so got my supplies together and proceeded to open the breakfast nook window to complete the chore. (That is why I have window feeders: I can fill them from inside the house.) Anyway, the air that came in when the window was opened was like nothing I ever have felt before! I really feel sorry for those people who HAVE to be out in weather like this--and now KNOW why deaths are being reported. So, back to my pet peeve.
If the summer temperatures around here are above normal--or even close to normal--we run three window air conditioners. Just because they are all installed doesn't mean we run them every day, but since coming back from our trip, they have rarely been turned off. Today for sure, they have been NEEDED and can't be considered a luxury. (Combining heat and humidity, it feels as if the temp is over 100*.) All day long, I have felt quite comfortable--neither too warm or too cool. I have been happy. But right now, K is exhibiting behavior that makes me go completely postal: He is on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. AND he will not admit that he would like at least one of the a/c units turned off. The way I see it, if you are cold while a/c is ON, turn it OFF!!!! DO NOT wrap yourself in a blanket for warmth. And I'm just stubborn enough to not turn the a/c off because he won't ask me to. He can have fun paying that electric bill next month...
Yes, I am passive/aggressive.
If the summer temperatures around here are above normal--or even close to normal--we run three window air conditioners. Just because they are all installed doesn't mean we run them every day, but since coming back from our trip, they have rarely been turned off. Today for sure, they have been NEEDED and can't be considered a luxury. (Combining heat and humidity, it feels as if the temp is over 100*.) All day long, I have felt quite comfortable--neither too warm or too cool. I have been happy. But right now, K is exhibiting behavior that makes me go completely postal: He is on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. AND he will not admit that he would like at least one of the a/c units turned off. The way I see it, if you are cold while a/c is ON, turn it OFF!!!! DO NOT wrap yourself in a blanket for warmth. And I'm just stubborn enough to not turn the a/c off because he won't ask me to. He can have fun paying that electric bill next month...
Yes, I am passive/aggressive.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Being a Non-Luddite
Damn You Autocorrect! is one of those sites that can suck you in and cause you to waste far too much time. There have been times when I wondered if people just made things up for the humor, but I have to say, after spending time with the autocorrect feature on MY phone, that I believe most of them are real.
The Youngest and I text each other almost daily. While I would much rather talk to someone, she is more comfortable texting--probably so that she can have numerous conversations going on at once. The other day my autocorrect brought me a couple of chuckles. First, I was complaining about the weather--what else is new--and texted how "I'm not a happy camper!" Of course, my phone changed it and it became "I'm not a happy computer!" Then later in the conversation, she said something I found amusing, so I texted "Hahahahahahahahahaha." My phone corrected it to say "Guadalajara." THAT one I found laugh-out-loud funny.
Even though the autocorrect on my phone makes 'mistakes,' I am amazed at how intuitive it really is. Sometimes I think the phone could write my text messages without any input from me. The thing that I'm enjoying most about the texting feature on my phone is the program/app that I'm using for my keyboard. I'm using Swype and it is unbelievable! Gone are the days of 'hunt and peck' typing--all you need do is slide your finger across the letters and the word you want typed comes up almost magically. I never would have thought that this would work, but it does. When I first got my phone, AT&T blocked third-party apps, so I wasn't able to get Swype, but as soon as it was available, I downloaded it. Now I don't know what I would do without it. Technology STILL amazes me after all these years--and I'm definitely NOT a Luddite, as are far too many of my generation. It's great to embrace and learn new things.
*Yes, I'm back. Actually--other than the few days we were out of town--I have not been away, just too lazy to post. I will be writing about our recent trip within the next day or two, hopefully. I MUST get out of this non-posting rut that I'm in!*
The Youngest and I text each other almost daily. While I would much rather talk to someone, she is more comfortable texting--probably so that she can have numerous conversations going on at once. The other day my autocorrect brought me a couple of chuckles. First, I was complaining about the weather--what else is new--and texted how "I'm not a happy camper!" Of course, my phone changed it and it became "I'm not a happy computer!" Then later in the conversation, she said something I found amusing, so I texted "Hahahahahahahahahaha." My phone corrected it to say "Guadalajara." THAT one I found laugh-out-loud funny.
Even though the autocorrect on my phone makes 'mistakes,' I am amazed at how intuitive it really is. Sometimes I think the phone could write my text messages without any input from me. The thing that I'm enjoying most about the texting feature on my phone is the program/app that I'm using for my keyboard. I'm using Swype and it is unbelievable! Gone are the days of 'hunt and peck' typing--all you need do is slide your finger across the letters and the word you want typed comes up almost magically. I never would have thought that this would work, but it does. When I first got my phone, AT&T blocked third-party apps, so I wasn't able to get Swype, but as soon as it was available, I downloaded it. Now I don't know what I would do without it. Technology STILL amazes me after all these years--and I'm definitely NOT a Luddite, as are far too many of my generation. It's great to embrace and learn new things.
*Yes, I'm back. Actually--other than the few days we were out of town--I have not been away, just too lazy to post. I will be writing about our recent trip within the next day or two, hopefully. I MUST get out of this non-posting rut that I'm in!*
Monday, July 04, 2011
A Little History Lesson
Those of us here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have had to endure the derision of the 'trolls'--those that live 'under the bridge' (the Mackinac Bridge)--in the Lower Peninsula, forever. For all of history, founded or not, we have felt that we have not been given our due and that the LP has all of the power and gets most of the considerations when it comes to money, etc. And while this may be an exaggeration, there is some truth to it. And this all goes back to the days when Michigan was FORCED to take the UP instead of getting the piece of land it REALLY wanted.
Back in the early 1800s, Michigan was not a state. When Michigan asked to become a state, things didn't work out that well because of a piece of land known as the Toledo Strip. Michigan wanted this land and Ohio said it owned it. Blah, blah, etc, etc--things happened, words were exchanged and there came a 'conflict' known as the Toledo War in 1835-36. It turned out to be a relatively bloodless war, but ended with the Toledo Strip being given to Ohio and the UP being given to Michigan. (You can read the entire story here.) Case closed, but Michigan wasn't happy. Everyone was completely convinced that Michigan came out the loser in this deal--and it seemed that way. After all, Toledo was a very important port on the Great Lakes and it was a 'gateway' city to the west. And the UP was nothing more than a wilderness, far, far away--inhabited by nothing more than trappers, fur traders, and Indians. Even though this deal paved the way for Michigan to become a state, it didn't improve the 'oh, woe is me' attitude. And really, who could blame.
As things turned out, Michigan--while not exactly a WINNER--didn't lose at all in this deal. Copper and iron were discovered here and it brought a great deal of money to the state. Despite the copper boom lapsing, eventually, iron ore is still being mined today. There also has been some gold, silver, and nickel mined here, as well. And the UP is most definitely a vacation destination for a lot of people--we have great beaches for swimming, lots of lakes for fishing/kayaking, etc, places to hike, hunting, snowmobile trails, campsites, ski hills, etc, etc, etc. All in all, Michigan DIDN'T get screwed, no matter WHAT the 'trolls' might think. Besides, if it wasn't for the 'great' Toledo War, would we have the Ohio/Michigan sport rivalries we have today? I think not.
Back in the early 1800s, Michigan was not a state. When Michigan asked to become a state, things didn't work out that well because of a piece of land known as the Toledo Strip. Michigan wanted this land and Ohio said it owned it. Blah, blah, etc, etc--things happened, words were exchanged and there came a 'conflict' known as the Toledo War in 1835-36. It turned out to be a relatively bloodless war, but ended with the Toledo Strip being given to Ohio and the UP being given to Michigan. (You can read the entire story here.) Case closed, but Michigan wasn't happy. Everyone was completely convinced that Michigan came out the loser in this deal--and it seemed that way. After all, Toledo was a very important port on the Great Lakes and it was a 'gateway' city to the west. And the UP was nothing more than a wilderness, far, far away--inhabited by nothing more than trappers, fur traders, and Indians. Even though this deal paved the way for Michigan to become a state, it didn't improve the 'oh, woe is me' attitude. And really, who could blame.
As things turned out, Michigan--while not exactly a WINNER--didn't lose at all in this deal. Copper and iron were discovered here and it brought a great deal of money to the state. Despite the copper boom lapsing, eventually, iron ore is still being mined today. There also has been some gold, silver, and nickel mined here, as well. And the UP is most definitely a vacation destination for a lot of people--we have great beaches for swimming, lots of lakes for fishing/kayaking, etc, places to hike, hunting, snowmobile trails, campsites, ski hills, etc, etc, etc. All in all, Michigan DIDN'T get screwed, no matter WHAT the 'trolls' might think. Besides, if it wasn't for the 'great' Toledo War, would we have the Ohio/Michigan sport rivalries we have today? I think not.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Questions
Why is it so wrong to accept the status quo? Why do we INSIST that things have to change? I know that 'change is inevitable,' but why can't we leave some things alone and be happy? As a species, we really are strange.
Friday, July 01, 2011
You Have GOT To Be Kidding
There is a financial crisis in far too many governments--local, state, AND federal--and it seems as if the powers-that-be can't figure out why. Most of the 'common, little people' have a bit of a clue as to the reason: OVERSPENDING! And where is this money going to? Services, salaries, and just, plain redundancy, in many cases. While this story is NOT one of government excess, it does illustrate a problem that is seen far, far too often in this country.
Not too long ago, I told the story of a friend of mine, Pete, and the way he is dealing with his leukemia. As I said in the post, he was diagnosed with AML almost one year ago. He has spent a good deal of his time in various hospitals since getting this diagnosis--dare I say almost 50% of his days? It has been AT LEAST one-third of his time spent in the hospital and much more of this time sick, while being under DIRECT medical care for almost all of this past year. In that time he has been stuck with more needles than he could possibly count, been poked and prodded more times than the average person could be in several lifetimes, had more tests done, and had to give up more bodily fluids to medical personnel than a 500 pound man has in his entire system. You would think they couldn't ask for anything more--especially considering his blood-marrow transplant is going to happen sooner, rather than later. WRONG!!
Yesterday, Pete got a package from the hospital that he has spent so much of his time in this past year. In the package was a 'test kit,' asking him to swab the inside of his cheek so that they could test his HLA type. (HLA testing is what they do to find a bone marrow donor.) Once he did this, he was supposed to send this package back--Fed-Ex Priority Mail, nonetheless. After all of this time, after all of the testing he's gone through, the hospital neglected to test for his HLA type in anticipation of his transplant--something he was told many months ago is probably his ONLY chance for a full and (possibly) permanent remission/cure. So, instead of doing a cheek swab when they actually had him there in person, they SENT a kit to him--via priority mail--and want him to send it back to them--via priority mail. UNBELIEVABLE.
While, in the whole scheme of things, this is a drop in the bucket in terms of cost--I don't even WANT to know how much Pete and his wife are going to have to spend for his 'cure'--it is a redundant cost. If this country--not to mention our health care system--is run so inefficiently, is it a wonder we are going broke? Is it a wonder our health-care is so expensive? If we could only get some common-sense people to become 'powers-that-be,' could we get back to being the great country that we once were? Unfortunately, I don't know if even a change in those in power can help things along. After all, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Not too long ago, I told the story of a friend of mine, Pete, and the way he is dealing with his leukemia. As I said in the post, he was diagnosed with AML almost one year ago. He has spent a good deal of his time in various hospitals since getting this diagnosis--dare I say almost 50% of his days? It has been AT LEAST one-third of his time spent in the hospital and much more of this time sick, while being under DIRECT medical care for almost all of this past year. In that time he has been stuck with more needles than he could possibly count, been poked and prodded more times than the average person could be in several lifetimes, had more tests done, and had to give up more bodily fluids to medical personnel than a 500 pound man has in his entire system. You would think they couldn't ask for anything more--especially considering his blood-marrow transplant is going to happen sooner, rather than later. WRONG!!
Yesterday, Pete got a package from the hospital that he has spent so much of his time in this past year. In the package was a 'test kit,' asking him to swab the inside of his cheek so that they could test his HLA type. (HLA testing is what they do to find a bone marrow donor.) Once he did this, he was supposed to send this package back--Fed-Ex Priority Mail, nonetheless. After all of this time, after all of the testing he's gone through, the hospital neglected to test for his HLA type in anticipation of his transplant--something he was told many months ago is probably his ONLY chance for a full and (possibly) permanent remission/cure. So, instead of doing a cheek swab when they actually had him there in person, they SENT a kit to him--via priority mail--and want him to send it back to them--via priority mail. UNBELIEVABLE.
While, in the whole scheme of things, this is a drop in the bucket in terms of cost--I don't even WANT to know how much Pete and his wife are going to have to spend for his 'cure'--it is a redundant cost. If this country--not to mention our health care system--is run so inefficiently, is it a wonder we are going broke? Is it a wonder our health-care is so expensive? If we could only get some common-sense people to become 'powers-that-be,' could we get back to being the great country that we once were? Unfortunately, I don't know if even a change in those in power can help things along. After all, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
PSA*
*Public Service Announcement (for those who don't know) ;)
Every so often, I feel as if I haven't done enough with my life, so I take it upon myself to do something to rectify the situation. Today, I will pass on some knowledge that you may or may not already know. If you don't know this already, it may save you some time if your doctor ever prescribes a little something for that 'rash' you have.
One of the first things that a doctor will prescribe for psoriasis (for example) is a topical medication. They can possibly be effective and they are non-invasive, so topicals are a first choice. The term 'topical medication' seems to be very straight-forward and uncomplicated, right? WRONG! I have found that there are, basically, three TYPES of topicals that can be prescribed.
The first type of topical that I'm familiar with is the lotion. Now, when you think of lotions, you probably think of hand or body lotion--a creamy, free-flowing liquid that is quite a bit thicker than milk. A topical medicine that is called a lotion is usually thin as water and colorless. Lotions can be used rather easily on the scalp, but aren't usually used elsewhere on the body.
A cream is another form of topical meds. Creams usually come in a tube that resembles toothpaste. The advantage to creams are their being somewhat thicker and are usually quite easy to apply and absorb. Creams are usually white in color.
The third topical is an ointment. Ointments are what they sound like--they are petrolatum based and resemble Vaseline, both in color and texture. The advantage to ointments is that they are great for keeping the skin moisturized, but they are messy and don't absorb into the skin very well.
Many topicals come in more than one form--I have had certain meds in all three forms. And some work better in one form than in others. It takes a bit of experimentation to find what works best--and I had many, many years worth of using them to get to where I know one from another. I hope this little post helps someone at some time. ;)
(Sorry this is so lame, but I am trying to get back in the groove of blogging on a semi-regular basis. I certainly hope all of the topics I pick to write about aren't quite as boring. :D)
Every so often, I feel as if I haven't done enough with my life, so I take it upon myself to do something to rectify the situation. Today, I will pass on some knowledge that you may or may not already know. If you don't know this already, it may save you some time if your doctor ever prescribes a little something for that 'rash' you have.
One of the first things that a doctor will prescribe for psoriasis (for example) is a topical medication. They can possibly be effective and they are non-invasive, so topicals are a first choice. The term 'topical medication' seems to be very straight-forward and uncomplicated, right? WRONG! I have found that there are, basically, three TYPES of topicals that can be prescribed.
The first type of topical that I'm familiar with is the lotion. Now, when you think of lotions, you probably think of hand or body lotion--a creamy, free-flowing liquid that is quite a bit thicker than milk. A topical medicine that is called a lotion is usually thin as water and colorless. Lotions can be used rather easily on the scalp, but aren't usually used elsewhere on the body.
A cream is another form of topical meds. Creams usually come in a tube that resembles toothpaste. The advantage to creams are their being somewhat thicker and are usually quite easy to apply and absorb. Creams are usually white in color.
The third topical is an ointment. Ointments are what they sound like--they are petrolatum based and resemble Vaseline, both in color and texture. The advantage to ointments is that they are great for keeping the skin moisturized, but they are messy and don't absorb into the skin very well.
Many topicals come in more than one form--I have had certain meds in all three forms. And some work better in one form than in others. It takes a bit of experimentation to find what works best--and I had many, many years worth of using them to get to where I know one from another. I hope this little post helps someone at some time. ;)
(Sorry this is so lame, but I am trying to get back in the groove of blogging on a semi-regular basis. I certainly hope all of the topics I pick to write about aren't quite as boring. :D)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Stubbornness--I Has It
If you look up the word 'stubborn' in a dictionary, you probably will find my picture. I really don''t know if it is because I'm Finn (the Finns I have known through my life are THE most stubborn people around); because of my family genetics (The Father is so stubborn that he didn't talk to his brother for over 20 years (long after he forgot exactly why he was mad at him--maybe)); or if it just comes with living here (you HAVE to be stubborn to continue to live where it is winter for much more of the time than it is summer). Whatever the reason, I am quite a stubborn person. And there is no more better example of my being stubborn than when it comes to books and movies.
Whenever I start reading a book or watching a movie, I feel compelled to finish it. I can probably count on one hand how many movies or books I haven't finished after starting them. I do know that I only watched about 10 minutes of 'Burn After Reading' before I had to turn it off and couldn't finish 'The Road' no matter how hard I tried. I'm sure there are others that I couldn't continue with, but they are few and far between--just stubbornness keeps me going. And I think I'm even more determined to finish a book that I start. 'Gulag Archipelago' is one book that I just couldn't get into--and I tried numerous times with it. I haven't given up, though--I still may read the entire thing one of these days. I guess I feel as if I don't want to completely waste the amount of time I have already put into a book or movie, so I keep plodding along--no matter how bad the thing might be.
The other day, I FINALLY finished a book that I had to force myself to read. And at well more than 700 pages, it really was a grind. My stubbornness was evident in this act, as the book was the final one in a series of six that began way back in 1980, the year the first book was published. I just couldn't let all of the time and effort go to waste by NOT reading the final book. I just hope that it really IS the last one, because I don't think I could do this again.
So, what exactly am I talking about? The book I just read is called 'The Land of Painted Caves' and it was written by Jean Auel. This was the last book of her 'Earth's Children' series, which began with 'The Clan of the Cave Bear' back in 1980. Many people only know this title because of the movie by the same name, which starred Daryl Hannah.
I really enjoyed 'The Clan of the Cave Bear.' Now, I don't know if it was because it was so very different, or if my age had something to do with it. (I really think it was a bit of both.) And because I enjoyed it so much, I couldn't wait for the second book. That book came only two years later and the third was published three years after that. As far as books go, they came pretty quickly. And considering the author is very much like JK Rowling (of 'Harry Potter' fame) and wouldn't write a book of reasonable length if she was paid to, that quick output is amazing. Book number four, however, took five years to be published and then we waited for 12 full years for number five. This last book took nine years to write. All in all, I have been following the main character for over thirty years. A long, long time. And I am more than happy to say good-by to her.
Each of the books in this series is quite a 'brick.' I don't believe any one of the books was less than 500 pages--and I can use a paragraph to explain the entire series. Ayla--the main character--is a 'modern' human (Cro-Magnon). She is orphaned and adopted by a Neanderthal woman. She learns to be a medicine woman from her adopted mother and brings 'women's lib' to the tribe--she cannot understand why she isn't allowed to hunt, for example. Of course, this doesn't sit too well with the male leaders, so she is pretty much drummed out of the tribe and has to leave her half-breed son behind for his own good. After she goes off by herself, she continues to improve her hunting skills and along the way learns to make fire using flint and pyrite. She sharpens her medicine woman skills and learns to domesticate animals. Horses are trained to haul stuff and accept riders. A cave lion and wolf become her substitute children. At one point, she heals a man who has been mauled by a lion and they fall in love. She goes off with him and joins his tribe, where she goes into training to be a spiritual leader and medicine woman. Eventually, it is Ayla who brings the concept of monogamy into the world. She also discovers how babies are made. Through her experimentation of hallucinogenic plants--which she has access to with her training to--it seems as if she 'sees' the future and gets a hint of the amount of people that will eventually inhabit the world, highways, and the way humanity will abuse the earth. And that pretty much sums up the series.
While there were quite a few interesting aspects of these books--there HAD to be or my stubbornness couldn't have compelled me to continue on--this last book could have been at least 350 pages shorter and it wouldn't have taken away from the storyline at all. The author is VERY descriptive--to the point of absurdity. And when she has described the exact same thing for the sixth time (plants, animals,) you want to poke your eyeballs out with a pointy stick! And this is what the first 500 pages of this book was like. One of the things that was completely absurd was the descriptions of the 'painted caves' that the title refers to. I understand describing in minute detail one or two of the (supposedly) French caves with pre-historic paintings in them, but to belabor this with descriptions of cave after cave after cave--and I have no idea HOW many there were--is unbelievably painful to read. As I said, I forced myself to get through this book and WON'T be re-reading this series again. And that's too bad, because it could have become one of my favorite series of all time. I'm just happy to move on.
So, do you finish books you start, even if they aren't interesting? Or do you quickly decide to move on if it isn't your 'cup of tea?' I'd be interested to hear how others are when it comes to books.
Whenever I start reading a book or watching a movie, I feel compelled to finish it. I can probably count on one hand how many movies or books I haven't finished after starting them. I do know that I only watched about 10 minutes of 'Burn After Reading' before I had to turn it off and couldn't finish 'The Road' no matter how hard I tried. I'm sure there are others that I couldn't continue with, but they are few and far between--just stubbornness keeps me going. And I think I'm even more determined to finish a book that I start. 'Gulag Archipelago' is one book that I just couldn't get into--and I tried numerous times with it. I haven't given up, though--I still may read the entire thing one of these days. I guess I feel as if I don't want to completely waste the amount of time I have already put into a book or movie, so I keep plodding along--no matter how bad the thing might be.
The other day, I FINALLY finished a book that I had to force myself to read. And at well more than 700 pages, it really was a grind. My stubbornness was evident in this act, as the book was the final one in a series of six that began way back in 1980, the year the first book was published. I just couldn't let all of the time and effort go to waste by NOT reading the final book. I just hope that it really IS the last one, because I don't think I could do this again.
So, what exactly am I talking about? The book I just read is called 'The Land of Painted Caves' and it was written by Jean Auel. This was the last book of her 'Earth's Children' series, which began with 'The Clan of the Cave Bear' back in 1980. Many people only know this title because of the movie by the same name, which starred Daryl Hannah.
I really enjoyed 'The Clan of the Cave Bear.' Now, I don't know if it was because it was so very different, or if my age had something to do with it. (I really think it was a bit of both.) And because I enjoyed it so much, I couldn't wait for the second book. That book came only two years later and the third was published three years after that. As far as books go, they came pretty quickly. And considering the author is very much like JK Rowling (of 'Harry Potter' fame) and wouldn't write a book of reasonable length if she was paid to, that quick output is amazing. Book number four, however, took five years to be published and then we waited for 12 full years for number five. This last book took nine years to write. All in all, I have been following the main character for over thirty years. A long, long time. And I am more than happy to say good-by to her.
Each of the books in this series is quite a 'brick.' I don't believe any one of the books was less than 500 pages--and I can use a paragraph to explain the entire series. Ayla--the main character--is a 'modern' human (Cro-Magnon). She is orphaned and adopted by a Neanderthal woman. She learns to be a medicine woman from her adopted mother and brings 'women's lib' to the tribe--she cannot understand why she isn't allowed to hunt, for example. Of course, this doesn't sit too well with the male leaders, so she is pretty much drummed out of the tribe and has to leave her half-breed son behind for his own good. After she goes off by herself, she continues to improve her hunting skills and along the way learns to make fire using flint and pyrite. She sharpens her medicine woman skills and learns to domesticate animals. Horses are trained to haul stuff and accept riders. A cave lion and wolf become her substitute children. At one point, she heals a man who has been mauled by a lion and they fall in love. She goes off with him and joins his tribe, where she goes into training to be a spiritual leader and medicine woman. Eventually, it is Ayla who brings the concept of monogamy into the world. She also discovers how babies are made. Through her experimentation of hallucinogenic plants--which she has access to with her training to--it seems as if she 'sees' the future and gets a hint of the amount of people that will eventually inhabit the world, highways, and the way humanity will abuse the earth. And that pretty much sums up the series.
While there were quite a few interesting aspects of these books--there HAD to be or my stubbornness couldn't have compelled me to continue on--this last book could have been at least 350 pages shorter and it wouldn't have taken away from the storyline at all. The author is VERY descriptive--to the point of absurdity. And when she has described the exact same thing for the sixth time (plants, animals,) you want to poke your eyeballs out with a pointy stick! And this is what the first 500 pages of this book was like. One of the things that was completely absurd was the descriptions of the 'painted caves' that the title refers to. I understand describing in minute detail one or two of the (supposedly) French caves with pre-historic paintings in them, but to belabor this with descriptions of cave after cave after cave--and I have no idea HOW many there were--is unbelievably painful to read. As I said, I forced myself to get through this book and WON'T be re-reading this series again. And that's too bad, because it could have become one of my favorite series of all time. I'm just happy to move on.
So, do you finish books you start, even if they aren't interesting? Or do you quickly decide to move on if it isn't your 'cup of tea?' I'd be interested to hear how others are when it comes to books.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Who Can Hate Summer?
There is a reason why I won't wear a swimsuit--and I have pictures:
Hope your week is good! :D
Hope your week is good! :D
Saturday, June 18, 2011
WHOA!
I really don't want to know what kind of clientele you service if you have to put this sign in your window:
(via passiveaggressivenotes.com)
(via passiveaggressivenotes.com)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Not Always Right
I found this story on the site Not Always Right--and it made me laugh. Hope you enjoy.
How can people be so damn stupid?
(I have albinism, so I have very pale skin, white hair, and red irises.)
Me: “Hi. What can I get for you?”
Customer: “Are…are you a vampire?”
Me: “Well, my dad is half-vampire.” *laughing*
Customer: “Please, don’t bite me.”
Me: “Ma’am, I’m not going to bite you.”
Customer: “Don’t put any blood in my food either. I don’t want to be a vampire.”
Me: “Ma’am, I’m not going to put blood in your food. I’m not a vampire. We serve regular food here.”
Customer: “Let me speak to your manager.”
(I go and get my manager, and fill him in on what’s going on.)
Customer, to my manager: “Is your vampire waitress going to bite me?”
Manager: “Only if you don’t tip her well.”
(The woman looks completely horrified, but finally ends up ordering and leaving me a 21% tip.)
How can people be so damn stupid?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Follow-Up
Following up the last post about the 2nd granddaughter: She still is being a Drama Queen. She walks around the house, clutching her lower belly and whimpering/groaning quietly whenever someone notices her. Her oldest sister--15 years old--just rolls her eyes. What a kid. ;)
This whole thing brings to mind another story. My oldest sister-in-law went into labor with her oldest. Because it wasn't time to go to the hospital, she went and sat at my in-law's house, to spend time with her mother--hopefully, to get a little sympathy. In typical fashion, my mother-in-law was very laid back about the entire thing and continued with what was on her agenda, which included setting her hair. My s-i-l sat at the kitchen table, groaning and moaning whenever she had a contraction, and said, "But you don't KNOW how much this hurts!!!!" My m-i-l just continued setting her hair and said nothing: SHE had given birth to five kids--the last of which were twins. :D
This whole thing brings to mind another story. My oldest sister-in-law went into labor with her oldest. Because it wasn't time to go to the hospital, she went and sat at my in-law's house, to spend time with her mother--hopefully, to get a little sympathy. In typical fashion, my mother-in-law was very laid back about the entire thing and continued with what was on her agenda, which included setting her hair. My s-i-l sat at the kitchen table, groaning and moaning whenever she had a contraction, and said, "But you don't KNOW how much this hurts!!!!" My m-i-l just continued setting her hair and said nothing: SHE had given birth to five kids--the last of which were twins. :D
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Fantasyland
Our 2nd oldest granddaughter is quite a hoot. Her goal in life has always been to be a princess--and she still wants that at the age of 12. She has told her parents that she will never leave home--and after they are 'gone,' her older sister will take care of her. She is the Drama Queen of all times--EVERYTHING that happens to her is worse than anything that has ever happened to anyone else. She is a bit of a 'space cadet.' Her mother will send her to do a chore and five hours later, when The Oldest asks her if she's done, she answers, "With what?" She is the family 'Informer'--she knows everything that is going on and lets her mom know, too. Also, she is the 'Recorder.' I try to give gifts of equal value to each of the grandchildren and this grandchild makes sure of that--she remembers what everyone has received and lets it be known if the next gift to come into the house is of lesser OR greater value. I can count on her to remember things I have forgotten.
Today, The Oldest called to tell me that The 2nd got her period for the first time. In fine, Drama Queen fashion, she told her mother: "THIS is GROSS!!! NO ONE has EVER had ANYTHING so gross happen to them EVER!!!!"
The Oldest only has six girls to raise--she is going to have so much fun for the next 18 or so years. :D
Today, The Oldest called to tell me that The 2nd got her period for the first time. In fine, Drama Queen fashion, she told her mother: "THIS is GROSS!!! NO ONE has EVER had ANYTHING so gross happen to them EVER!!!!"
The Oldest only has six girls to raise--she is going to have so much fun for the next 18 or so years. :D
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. ;)
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. ;)
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
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:
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...
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