30 Days of 'Not MY Photos'--Shiny

***A couple of the blogs that I follow (and some of their followers)--'Momma Mia, Mea Culpa' and 'Ziva's Inferno'--are participating in a photo challenge for the month of October.  As I really have no energy to try and take 30 pictures in 30 days, I will, instead, use the list of topics and write a post a day for the month.  We'll see how that goes.  ;)***

Today's topic is 'shiny.'  Wow.  So here goes:

My OCD tendencies really get a workout with shiny stuff.  If the article*--refrigerator, TV, range, mirror, etc--is supposed to be 'shiny,' you can bet I'll be after the thing CONSTANTLY to make sure there are no smudges, fingerprints, dirt, grim, dust on it.  I cannot stand a supposedly shiny object that doesn't sparkle.  And, of course, this doesn't make for a calm household--especially for children.  I regret the time I spent 'polishing' while my kids were growing up and am SO happy that I'm not nearly as obsessive these days as I once was.  The only thing that really saved my sanity was the fact that all of my appliances were 'harvest gold' in color, so the fingerprints were not as noticeable as they could have been.  (I could NEVER own stainless steel appliances because they take so much work to look nice.  I shudder to think of the time needed to keep them clean and smudge-free.)

For the past 10 years or so, stainless steel has been the color choice for a big percentage of appliances, but some are predicting the possibility of change coming.  One of the possible 'trends' in the future is a 'matte' finish on appliances--and some manufacturers are already showing gunmetal grey/matte finish appliances to match the stainless steel people already have in their homes.  It will be interesting to see if this would replace stainless steel as a first choice for people.  I, however, will continue with my boring white--I never will have to worry about the color not matching everything else in my kitchen.  :D

(not sure, but this certainly looks 'matte' to me)

*For some reason, non-sparkling windows don't send me over the edge.  I don't know how I can live with the way our windows look, at times, but I don't freak out about 'dirty windows' like I do other things.

OCD Undiagnosed

I find that when I'm driving through town, I avoid all manholes.  This, of course, is not that easy to do.  I know that one of these days I will probably be stopped for driving erratically.  And I won't be able to fault the cop that pulls me over, because swerving to avoid manholes IS driving erratically.  Another way my (undiagnosed) borderline OCD rears its ugly head.

And They Don't Understand The Hate...

(I have been MIA for quite a bit here.  I am planning on an update post, but this has been rattling around in my head, so I will do this first.)

Last weekend in our part of the world, we had two tragic deaths.  First, a 53-year-old man lost his life in a fire and then a 51-year-old man died as the result of an ATV accident.  Very sad, indeed.

Our local TV station has a morning program which I follow on Twitter.  On Monday morning, the following tweets were posted:

1) "2 sad events from the weekend. First, a fatal fire."

2) "...and a fatal ATV crash."

And then they had the links to the stories.

That was fine and dandy--they did just what you would expect from a news show.

After a little while, the 'tweeter' put this tweet up:

"Someone asked me to mention that there were 3 sad things this weekend...the Packers lost."

EXCUSE ME!?!?!?!?!?  You are equating a loss in a FOOTBALL game to the tragic deaths of two people???

And Packer fans wonder why they are universally hated?

***I must say that I DO know some nice people who happen to be Packer fans.  I excuse their douchiness. However, the majority of Packer fans I know are all kinds of disgusting.  And that's why the hatred from me.  ;)***

Just Another Conversation

The other day we got a promo mailing from a local car dealership.  They are holding a contest of sorts and this is the way it works:  They sent a key with the mailing and during certain hours and days, you are to take the key into the dealership and try to see if it will start the vehicle they are giving away.  The vehicle in question is a brand new Toyota truck.  K was looking at the mailing and the following conversation took place:

K (more to himself than anything):  Hmmm.  I suppose I should go in on my days off and see if this key fits.  Although, I just bought a truck and don't really need a new one.  And I really don't think I would ever drive a Toyota.  (We buy 'American' vehicles.)  

--He is VERY optimistic and approaches any kind of contest, lottery, raffle, sweepstakes, etc, as if he WILL be a big winner.--

Me:  Well, if you won the thing, we always could sell it and use the money for something else!
K:  Or we could give it to (oldest granddaughter) for her first vehicle--she will be getting her license soon.
Me:  Really, I don't think THAT is a precedent I want to set.  We do have SEVEN grandchildren, after all.
K:  Okay, but when (second granddaughter) gets her license, we can just tell her it is hers, then, and keep going down the line.
Me:  Fine, but what do we do for (last grandchild--number 7)?  Give her a roll of duct tape and say 'Happy Driving'?
K:  Or we could just tell her 'It's a CLASSIC!'

Yeah, the man is quick on his feet.  :D

I Think There May Be Some Hypocrisy Here

First, I don't follow the Olympics.  I watch ice hockey and curling during the winter games, but that is it.  (And the only reason I do that is because the NHL shuts down during the games.)  So, I have very little knowledge of any of the athletes--other than the ones that are constantly rammed down my throat via news, tweets, and Facebook.  I had no idea there was even a person named Holley Mangold before today--and that is because of the shitstorm Conan O'Brien found himself in following a tweet.  And the tweet was this:

"I predict 350 lb. weight lifter Holley Mangold will bring home the gold and 4 guys against their will."

This made a lot of people get their panties in a bunch because they saw this as poking fun of her weight.  I saw the entire story when I read an article by Mary Elizabeth Williams, a staff writer for Salon.  You will find the article here.  Go on--I'll wait.

I am not an apologist of Conan and I don't watch his show or follow him on Twitter.  However, I see nothing offensive in his tweet.  I agree with some of the (small minority) of people who commented on this article that he was just referencing her strength and NOT talking about how heavy she was.  And why did he mention her weight?  Well, probably because the 'joke' wouldn't have made much sense if the woman weighed 120 lbs, that's why.  I am waiting for Conan's forced apology to come.  So far, I haven't seen anything about a lawsuit, but there still is time.  (Isn't that what the US is all about?)

So, what does any of this have to do with hypocrisy?  Well, here we go.  I am willing to bet not one of these people who have vilified Conan for talking about this woman's weight would defend any other 350 lb woman who was not an Olympic athlete.  Any other woman would be told to have will power, start exercising, push herself away from the table, etc, etc, etc.  All that would be seen is a woman who is morbidly obese and pretty much scum-of-the-earth for not taking better care of herself.  And it wouldn't matter how much of a life this woman had.  She could be a wife, mother, businesswoman, social butterfly, whatever, but to most people it wouldn't matter--all they would see is a failed individual because of her weight.  And there is where I see the hypocrisy.

I am very sure that Ms Mangold is a fine young woman.  I am sorry that her athletic talent means nothing to me, but I wish only the best for her.  However, being a world-class athlete--even one in a sport that most people don't follow--does not give her any idea what the real world is like.  Very few, if any, would defend her OR her weight if she was not an Olympian.

Police Log

This will be presented with no comment.

--5:20 PM, report of a disturbance; subject swearing in a residence, unknown if it is a domestic disturbance; no domestic; subject was setting up home gym equipment and it was not going well.


:D

Thank Goodness For Trust...

The other day, K and I had this conversation:

K:  So-and-so--you remember him, he retired last year--and his wife just got a divorce.
Me:  Really!?!?!?
K:  Yeah.  They were married all those years and divorced after he retired.
Me:  Maybe she couldn't handle his being around all of the time.  {said with a smile}
K:  Rumor has it that there was more going on.  She supposedly started running around on him.
Me:  Well, I think it probably wouldn't be considered a mid-life crisis--she would have needed to do that 15, 20 years ago.
K:  What would possess someone to start that after so many years?
Me:  Well, how does he KNOW that she JUST started running around?  If he worked shifts, it would have been very easy for her to be meeting someone while he was on night shift, for example.
K:  That is true...

Tonight, at 11:00, the phone rang.  I was in the bathroom WITHOUT a phone.  I didn't get to the phone in time to answer it.  Caller ID told me that it was K, who is on night shift.  Thank goodness we trust each other completely.  Otherwise I might be doing some 'splaining in the morning.  :D

Wheels!

This past Thursday, after 5 or so months, we once again became a two vehicle household!  K finally got 'the bug' and went out to get himself a truck--thank goodness!

It's not as if my life was that horribly terrible without a vehicle at my disposal 24/7, but it certainly will be easier for me to get some things done with having one.  When you have to make appointments around someone else's work schedule, it makes it very difficult to actually come to terms with wherever you need an appointment.  I was having a hard time trying to get in to the tanning salon because they changed their hours for the summer.  K gets home from day shift at 6:15 and the salon closed at 6:00, so I was left with only his days off to go in.  This meant the MOST times I could go in was once a week, except for when he was on his long weekend.  I also have not been able to get an appointment for a mani/pedi--something I DESPERATELY need.  I'm hoping I will be able to work something out with my manicurist within the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, the truck.  K FINALLY got a grown-up truck.  It is a 2011 Silverado--this is the first time he has had a full-sized truck.  Every other truck he has had is a small one, so he is due to have something this size.  He will actually be able to put a plow on the thing if he wants.  It only had 20,000 miles on it--barely broken in for a truck--and it has 4 wheel drive.  YIPPEE on the 4WD!  Now, this isn't some Hollywood version of a truck--it is 'only' a work truck.  There is nothing spectacular about this truck--no power windows, no Onstar, no CD player--all it has is the 4WD and air conditioning.  And that is all you need in a work truck.

This very possibly will be the last truck K will ever get.  By the time he would need a new truck, he will be retired and we most likely will go back to having only one vehicle again.

And now for some pictures:

If you noticed, the truck sits considerably higher than the Envoy--something I am painfully aware of.  It was certainly a task for me to get in and out of the thing--I actually had to JUMP to get out of it!  Anyway, the running boards--thank you, K--will be installed next week.  I am waiting to take the thing out for a ride--I think I'll like driving a full-sized truck.

Another Concert

On the 15th of June, we went to see a performer that I never really thought I would go to see--and enjoyed every minute of the concert.  We found ourselves at the Barry Manilow concert--and this happened, mainly, because my best friend is a huge fan and wanted to go.  I was pretty much surprised at how much fun we had.  Don't get me wrong, I AM a fan, just not a 'Fan-ilow.'  ;)

The venue where this concert was is an ice arena where they hold other events.  And we had fantastic seats. We sat in the first row of seating that was off of the floor and I think we had better viewing because we didn't have to worry about the people in front of us.

For some reason, my phone makes things look much further away than they actually are.

Anyway, we were given 'glow sticks' when we first sat down and it was really cool to look across the arena and see everyone waving the lighted sticks:

So, we finally got to see Barry Manilow:

Once again, I took sucky pictures with my phone.  I really don't know how to take good pics at a concert.  And then K told me to just take a pic of the Jumbotron and I got this fairly okay one:

It is hard to imagine he will be 70 on his next birthday.  He still is a very good performer.  The only problem is that whatever plastic surgery he has had makes him look like a caricature of himself, but other than that, he is not much different than he has always been.  He always was, and always will be, an entertainer--something that all performers cannot aspire to.

Of course, he sang 'Copacabana.'

And here is a short video of the song--I will hope that I won't be asked to take it down.  ;)

I'm happy we decided to go.  It just goes to show that you need to take a chance once in a while.  This is the second time I went to a performance that I wasn't especially excited about--the other one was to see 'Wicked'--and found myself having a great time.  I hope this is a good sign, because I have been 'coerced' into seeing 'Mamma Mia!' in August--and I most definitely am NOT an ABBA fan.  ;)

Again, About a Hotel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Own R2D2

I mentioned a while ago that we can't do central air conditioning in our house because of the heating system we have.  Our house is heated with hot water, so that means our furnace is a boiler and the hot water runs through pipes, which heats the house.  Because we have no forced-air heat runs, we can't cool our house with our heating system.  This leaves us with the easiest/cheapest option and that is window units.

Every spring/summer, K has to haul up our window air conditioners from the basement.  To cool our house, we need a minimum of three units and that means quite a bit of work for K every spring and fall.  (We have to remove the a/c units because of our winters--we really couldn't afford to keep them in throughout the winter, as the heating costs for the house would skyrocket!)  He is constantly trying to figure out a way to make less work for himself--aren't we all always doing the same ;)--so he keeps looking for lighter/different units we could use.  When he first heard about portable a/c units, he decided we needed to go that route for cooling.  This year he went out and got one.  And here is a picture:

That is our R2D2 unit in the dining room.  It completely took up all of the space between the dining room table and the window--and as hard as I tried, there was no solution to the problem.  Not only did it block the pathway, but I had to move the table further out into the middle of the room and that created an even smaller path through the room from the kitchen to living room!  This did not make me a happy camper, at all.

After running this thing for a few hours, K realized that he did nothing to drain the water from it!  Anyone who has an a/c unit knows that they pour water out the entire time they are running, but with this thing being completely inside, we had to come up with some way to drain the water.  And this is where the bucket came in to the picture.  (And no, I didn't take a photo of it.)  So, a hose was hooked up to the unit and it was put into a bucket to drain.  Problem solved--NOT!!!  For some reason or another, the hose wouldn't screw properly, so the unit poured water onto the floor.  After fashioning an aluminum foil 'pan' to place under the leak, things were a LITTLE better, but I still was cleaning up water every couple of hours.  Obviously, this was NOT going to work.  And K had to agree--finally.  Two days later, the window unit was put in.

We now have a (horribly) expensive R2D2 air conditioner sitting in our basement, unused.  K said he will be hooking it up to use down there, but it hasn't happened yet.  I do believe it will help a lot with cooling this house, but it has to be RUNNING for that to happen.  We find ourselves halfway through the summer and I'm not too positive this thing will run anymore this year, but we always have NEXT year to look forward to. 

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger!

(Read the title in a stern voice while mentally hitting me on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper.  :D)


I cannot believe that it has been almost a month since I wrote a post.  Now, my life isn't especially busy and I haven't really forgotten about this blog, so the only explanation is pure laziness.  And I am going to try to be better.  Yes, I make false promises all of the time.  I guess I should be a politician!  :D

Since I was here last, a few things have happened.  The weather has turned warm enough for us to need a/c, so we installed two of the units we have.  Tomorrow we need to put the one upstairs because The Youngest and her husband are coming here on Wednesday and it is impossible to be in that bedroom without air!  So, tomorrow is planned for us.  I can't wait for them to get here--I do miss her so much.

Of course, we have the 4th of July coming up on Wednesday.  I am not a holiday person, so I don't get caught up in any of the festivities and don't miss it at all.  And K is on night shift, so it isn't as if I have the opportunity to do anything anyway.  What I WILL be doing on the 4th is getting ready for company.  Not only is The Youngest and her husband coming to stay, but The Oldest and her family will come here for the day on the 5th.  So, I will be entertaining and feeding 13 people that day.  And that is what I will be preparing for on the 4th while others are eating, drinking, being merry, and watching fireworks displays.  And I am okay with that.

In other news...

I have, over the years, talked far too much about our chipmunk problem.  Because we live in the city, we can't shoot the little buggers.  And K won't poison them for fear that someone's (illegally) roaming pet might accidentally get into it, so we are pretty much screwed.  With K working full time, he just doesn't have enough free time to live trap, so we just try to deal the best we can.  I have been getting increasingly worried that our yard might collapse from all of the underground tunneling, but we haven't seen any indication of that--yet.  I can't begin to count the number of holes we have in our yard--it is starting to look like a prairie dog village.

The biggest reason for our chipmunk problem is our neighbors.  They have a food pile that they keep year-round, so wildlife of all kinds are in our neighborhood every day/night.  They set up their trail camera and found that deer, raccoons, skunks, fox, and coyotes show up.  Of course, part of their food pile is strictly for birds--they feed the ducks--and that is what mostly attracts the chipmunks.  They finally figured out that the chipmunks were getting to be a problem when they started going through 50 pounds of sunflower seeds per week, so they decided to do something to decrease the population. Also, the rodents were tunneling under their driveway and it was beginning to affect the stability of it!  Both are retired, so L decided to do live trapping--his wife won't allow killing the little rats, so he had no other choice.  L put out three traps and as of last week, he has already caught and relocated 108 chipmunks.  And I am definitely seeing the difference.  Chipmunk sightings have decreased--a lot!  I was seeing multiple chipmunks every time I looked out one of my windows and now it is a bit rare to see two at once--or even one--whenever I look outside.  I am ecstatically happy about this and can only hope he will continue to trap.  The only way I could be happier is if we get rid of every single chipmunk from our neighborhood--something that I know will never happen, but I can hope.

Responsible Dog Ownership

Last weekend, The Youngest's boss ( a veterinarian) and his partner decided to take advantage of the nice weather and walk along the river there in the city where they live.  As it was, they walked along just enjoying the day and not paying particular attention to what was going on around them.  Suddenly, a dog attacked the vet and bit him in the crotch and immediately let go.  However, there were four puncture holes through the man's pants and boxers and blood was present.  The dog was on a loose lead and his owner wasn't paying attention to what was going on.  The vet didn't even SEE the dog, much less engage him in any way.  He didn't talk to the dog and didn't make eye contact.  Yet, the dog--a Rottweiler mix*--attacked with no provocation.  And to make matters worse, the dog was not vaccinated and is now in custody of animal control and under quarantine.  Meanwhile, the vet almost lost his junk--he is considerably bruised and battered--and must wait the proper time to find out if he needs rabies shots.  This freaked me the hell out!

I LOVE big dogs and would love to have one, but this is just an example of how you MUST be in control of your animal at all times--and I'm not sure I have the wherewithal to be able to control a big dog.  Despite what people say, you can never completely trust an animal.  As I have always said about my animals, "S/he hasn't bitten/scratched anyone--YET."  Too many people--and I'm making assumptions about the dog's owner, now--don't do enough research about a dog/breed before getting one.  Many people just go by what looks cool or is the 'in' thing at the time.  But there is much, much more that is involved in RESPONSIBLE pet ownership and it's time people started to realize this.  Maybe we should have to have a license in order to GET an animal, rather than waiting until we already have one.

Hopefully, the vet will be fine--and the chances are that he will.  This could have been much worse, but for him, it was terrifying enough.  I don't even WANT to think what the results would have been if the dog had attacked a child!  Horrifying!


*In no way am I trying to vilify Rottweilers OR any big-breed dogs.  This is only mentioned as it IS relevant to the story.  Little dogs can do just as much damage as a big dog--in different ways, of course.

Pass The Knitting Needles

Two gadgets that I have in this house have saved my sanity more times than I can count.  Between the DVR and TV remote/s, I am able to ignore commercials that I find particularly annoying.  And anyone who knows me, knows that when I'm annoyed by a commercial, I'm REALLY annoyed.  Right now, the most annoying commercial I know is for the Honda Pilot--and every time it comes on I want to run away from home while stabbing my eardrums with knitting needles.  And I will now share it with you:

Not only is the 'music' annoying, I want to know just who the hell is the black kid?  Sorry, Honda, but I definitely have to pass on EVER considering buying your product.  But then, we 'buy American,' so it is kind of a moot point.  ;)

I'm Impressed

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

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

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

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

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

Was It Something I Said?

Our town is run by a city commission.  The commissioners are voted in to 3-year terms and can only serve 6 years in a row.  The commissioners, in turn, vote in a mayor, who can only serve one year at a time.  This works as well--or as poorly, take your pick--as any of the types of governing bodies we have here in the US.

One of our neighbors was a commissioner/mayor several years ago.  For the most part, our commissioners aren't voted in as party members, but it isn't hard to deduce which side of the fence they are on.  The Neighbor and I are polar opposites in almost everyone of our beliefs.  However, I don't know how HE knows this fact.

K is opposed to having signs, posters, decals, bumper stickers on ANYTHING we own.  I'm surprised he 'allows' me to have a Red Wings Skin-It on my cell phone.  ;)  While I DO have a few smaller Red Wing  Skin-Its on the Envoy, K would be just as happy if it was devoid of any personality whatsoever.  (Of course, I would have the entire Envoy covered, but that is another topic.)  We never have political signs in our yard.  We don't have bumper stickers of any kind.  We don't go to political rallies and never endorse, in any way, political candidates.  Yet, our neighbor knows that K is closer to his political views than I am.  And the only way he knows/thinks this about K is that K is a union member.  Frankly, even *I* am not sure how far left OR right K leans.  Politics is not something we discuss often.

As I said, our neighbor has some experience in the political arena.  He wants more.  A few years ago--after his time on the city commission--he tried to get elected to the State House.  I'm not sure he even got out of the primaries.  A few weeks ago, he came by the house with a petition so that he could become a candidate for the commission once again.  Nothing unusual about that, except for HOW he presents these petitions.  And this is the story:

The doorbell rang in the early evening.  This in itself is a very unusual occurrence, but seeing The Neighbor at the door was even more so.  We are neighbors and friendly, but we aren't what you would consider 'friends' with him and his wife.  I opened the door and he asked if K was home.  When K came to the kitchen, The Neighbor told him that he was going to run for City Commission again and asked if K would sign his petition so that he could get on the ballot.  K agreed and The Neighbor left.  Without asking me if *I* wanted to sign the petition.  This is the second time he has done the exact same thing, so I'm assuming he knows that I don't particularly like his politics.  But I don't understand HOW he knows this.  I find this very perplexing.

After The Neighbor left, I asked K if he thought there was any chance of the man getting on the commission again.  K said he didn't know, only that he would NEVER vote him.  I really had to chuckle over that one.  ;)

Police Log

Today we first start out with people who have too much time on their hands--otherwise, they wouldn't feel the need to bother the police with these calls.

--12:22 PM, possible domestic disturbance reported; no domestic, subjects jumping on mini trampoline.
How loud WERE these people?  Or did we just have a little old lady with nothing better to do than butt into her neighbor's business?

--12:35 AM, subjects on the football field; 40-year-old guy running laps on track.
The person who called this one in obviously didn't watch what was going on long enough before calling.  MYOB!  This is the advantage to living in a small town:  you CAN run the high school track at 12:30 AM and not have to worry about your safety.  And then the cops get called...

And then we have the 'just plain weird:'

--11:40 PM, report of person walking into home while resident not there and taking pictures with camera.
Just HOW did the resident find out about this if s/he wasn't home?  Was this someone 'casing the joint?'  And if so, why would the person do this at night and take pictures with a flash--which I assume is how someone knew pictures were being taken?

--9:15 AM, report of semi tractor-trailers speeding.
This made me giggle as I am imagining two 18-wheelers drag racing down the street--at 9:15 in the morning.  :D

--9:15 AM, two garden gnomes stolen from porch last night; male and female.
I LOVE the 'male and female' part.  :D

Police Log

Today we will find out that some people don't pay attention, I guess.  But, what ever the reason behind these calls, the people doing the calling are completely clueless.

--6:52 PM, request for well-being check on male in residence; not home, he is in jail.
I applaud whoever it is that worried about this guy's well-being, but just how worried is this person if s/he had no clue the guy was in jail?  Obviously there was some amount of time since the guy and his caretaker/friend/family member were in contact--and they probably aren't very close if he didn't use his one phone call to contact them.

--8:44 PM, runaway located; was not runaway, was with mother.
What?!?!?!?!  WHAT?!?!?!?!?!  Just WHO was the one who called about THIS one?  Unbelievable.

--11:01 AM, suspicious female in area; meter reader.
Are we in the middle ages where we can't even consider a woman is doing this job?  I can't believe this was called in.

And then we have THIS guy:

--7:50 PM, report of a possible stolen vehicle; owner not sure if vehicle stolen or friends playing a joke; vehicle located by owner where he had parked it last night.
HOW drunk did this guy have to be that he couldn't remember driving and parking his car the night before?  And why was he even driving in the first place??  Good grief!

Police Log

After a holiday weekend/road trip, I am finally able to settle down and write a post.  Actually, this will be a few posts, as I have collected enough police log entries to break them up into multiple posts.  Today, we will deal with animals.

--6:47 PM, report of a dead duck in the roadway; unable to locate.
It baffles me as to why someone would even report a dead duck in the road--or what is otherwise known as 'road kill.'  Nature takes care of the dead animals and the only time I feel they should be removed by humans is when the animal is very large--such as a moose or a deer.  As to being unable to locate said duck:  we have crows, ravens, turkey vultures, various critters that will eat dead stuff, etc. Problem solved and it probably was taken care of by Mother Nature herself.  Then again, the duck could have just been 'playing possum' and wasn't dead after all.  ;)

--8:38 PM, turkey in parking lot; captured and relocated.
This one had me floored.  While we have all sorts of wildlife wander into town, this is the first turkey I've heard of.  Wonder if someone will have wild bird for Thanksgiving this year?  :D

--11:32 AM, kitten at large.
I want to know more!  Is this the owner that called or did someone see a kitten and report it?  I'm so conflicted about this.  It can either be someone very concerned over a little furball or someone who needs to mind their own business.  And there always is the possibility that someone saw a furry animal in their yard and only THOUGHT it was a kitten when it very possibly was a squirrel or chipmunk.  SOME people DO need new glasses, you know.  :)

Zombie Apocalypse

Scandinavian model

(don't worry, the reference becomes apparent later on)

Many women hate to go into department/clothing store dressing rooms because of the extremely unflattering mirrors they have.  (Seriously, HOW can we possibly look as bad as those mirrors make it seem?  Wouldn't we all be arrested for crimes against humanity if the images were true?)  I hate the dressing rooms for one more reason:  the lighting.  I'm not sure what kind of lighting they have in those places, but it doesn't come anywhere close to being flattering.  BUT, I know of someplace where the lighting is even worse.

We did a road trip this weekend.  (We went to see 'Rain-a Tribute to the Beatles.'  FANTASTIC and a whole lot of fun.)  For a few years now, we have stayed at the same hotel when we go to Appleton, even through a change in ownership and hotel designation.  (It used to be part of a chain and promoted as a 'business hotel.'  While it still is advertised for business travelers, it now is a 'boutique hotel.'  I'm really not sure what a 'boutique hotel' is.  ;))  Anyway, the place is well-kept and reasonably priced, the rooms are large, there is free wi-fi, and the staff is friendly--AND it serves eggs for breakfast in the morning--so we keep going back.  My biggest complaint about the place is the bathroom lighting.  Oh, my.

First, I have never been blessed with a 'peaches and cream' complexion.  Despite being 100% Finn/Scandinavian, my skin has NEVER looked like the beauty queen/model/actress versions of Scandinavians that we have been fed all these years.  My skin is olive--probably from the Sami blood--and has never been great-looking since I was an infant.  Actually, the skin on my face looks exactly as my ancestors' skin looked: as if it saw too many harsh winters and had snow, ice, and wind assault it while caring for the reindeer herd.

I completely admit to not taking care of my skin as I should have over the years.  With me it has always seemed to be 'feast or famine' when it came to skin care.  There were times when I would put myself on a skin-care regimen and keep up with it diligently for months.  Then there were other times where I would just say "The hell with it." and do nothing more than wash it with soap and water.  Sadly, it never seemed to matter which cycle I was in, my skin never looked great.  I also will admit that I have done more damage to my skin than I should have.  Other than not taking care of it properly, I have tanned for most of my life, I have smoked, I have 'picked at it,' I haven't eaten the proper nutrition for healthy skin, and I neglected it far too often.

So, along with age, my years of abuse/neglect have left me with quite a myriad of problems.  And this isn't only the skin on my face.  From head to toe I have numerous varicose veins, broken capillaries, spider veins, age spots, scars, dark spots of no known origin, moles, along with dry patches--other than the psoriasis--red patches, and plain yucky looking areas.  Okay, so it sounds as if anyone would run every time they saw me walking down the street, but it isn't as bad as all that.  For the most part, most of my imperfections are mild enough that most people would never notice.  Also, I do a good job of covering up the worst of it with clothing.  And other than when I'm naked in the bathroom, I don't see most of the problems.  And I can live with it.  Until we go and stay at the hotel with bathroom lighting from hell.

I have not been able to figure out why the lighting in this place is so bad.  First, the room itself has such muted lighting that I'm sure the 'business' part in their advertising must have little or nothing to do with offices.  It is the exact kind of lighting that would be used in a romantic setting--something to make a person look better.  And it really hasn't been a problem for me, as the main reason for us to be there is to sleep, so I don't need exceptional lighting in the room.  Then you go into the bathroom and you have a whole different story.  The lighting is so bright in these bathrooms that you can actually see several layers INTO your skin!  I kid you not!  You can see veins under your skin's surface that aren't visible anywhere else.  And that isn't the whole story.

The first time I saw myself in this harsh lighting, I almost screamed.  It was horrifying.  As I said, you can see veins practically popping to the surface.  The pores in your skin are so large, it's as if you are looking at them through a magnifying glass.  You can see hairs you never knew existed.  Any blemish that you have is now visible--even the ones you never knew you had.  Even the lines--NOT wrinkles, but those, too--in your skin are magnified.  (This is where I found every one of the imperfections listed above.)  And to top it all off, for me, my coloring turns from 'olive' to a shade that is closer to 'yellowish-grey.'  I truly look like I am on the verge of becoming a member of the zombie apocalypse--as a zombie, not a victim.  Not surprisingly, I only look in the mirror when I am putting on my makeup--and even then I have been known to go into the bedroom to apply in less harsh light.

There is no solution to this problem.  And I will continue to scare myself a little bit whenever we are on road trips.  But things could be much, much worse, of course.  We COULD be on the verge of the zombie apocalypse.  :)

Curious

Dear anonymous young woman (I would call you a young lady, but you showed no indication that you know what a 'lady' is)--

What did you think you were going to accomplish when you leaned out of the car window and screamed at me "You're fat!"  Did you think I was going to collapse into a puddle of tears?  Did you think I would get angry?  Did you think the weight would just melt off of me if you brought it out into the open?  Do you REALLY think I don't know how much I weigh?  I have mirrors in my house and I DO use them.  You were telling me nothing more than what I say to myself each day.  So, honestly, you accomplished nothing other than showing how ignorant and disrespectful you are.

I don't know why people say such hateful things.  Without knowing a thing about the other person, they become judge and jury and find the target 'fat.'  For anyone thinking to judge an overweight person, think about this:

• You have no idea if the person has health issues that contribute to weight gain.
• You have no idea if the person is taking medications that cause weight gain.
• You have no idea if the person has a metabolic condition that makes it difficult to lose weight or keep it off.
• You have no idea if the person is physically unable to do exercise.

AND

• You have no idea if the person is celebrating because s/he just reached the goal of losing 50 pounds.

A lot of overweight people have self-esteem problems or depression and eat as a 'solution' to the way they are feeling.  Congratulations young woman, you just may cause someone to go on a very long, very destructive eating binge by your actions.  Thankfully, your words did not affect me in that way.

While I am overweight--by quite a lot--I don't know if I eat all that much more than you do.  Because of your age, I would think that I may even eat healthier than you--I just turn every bit of what I eat into fat.  There obviously is more going on with me than just overeating, but I haven't figured it out yet.  I certainly hope that you don't find yourself in my predicament 30+ years from now, because it isn't a fun place to be.

I'm sure your words had some affect on me, or I wouldn't be writing this.  I won't dwell on this incident and one way for me to 'put it behind me' is to write this out.  I know you will never see this, but I hope one day that someone can explain how wrong your actions were--and I hope you find out sooner rather than later.  I feel sorry for you because it seems as if you don't know any better.  You will have a difficult life if you don't learn.

Thank you for your time,

cmk

Say Hello to My Little Friend

Yes, I'm quoting a movie I have never seen.

The only air conditioning we have in our house are window units.  And we usually run three of those every summer.  I guess most people would wonder why we don't just put in central air, considering I rely on the a/c units so much, but we can't do that very easily in this house.  Our 'furnace' is a boiler and we heat with  hot water, so we have no hot air vents that are used by central air units.  To change our house over to ductwork, etc, is just too much of an undertaking, so we use window air.  And this isn't a very efficient way of cooling.

Our house is old--probably late 50s, early 60s era, so we still have proper rooms.  By that I mean, our house is NOT of the 'open' design that so many newer places are.  This poses a big problem when it comes to cooling, as air doesn't circulate very well through doorways--and the hottest room of the house is not one where we keep a cooling unit.  The kitchen has casement windows--the kind that open and close outward instead of by raising and lowering--so it isn't easy to find window units that fit.  Also, when you DO find an air conditioner for a casement window, you usually wind up losing the light from the entire pane--something that isn't true with 'normal' units.  The lack of air flow leaves us with a dilemma and the solution for us has always been fans.  We usually have one or two fans--along with air conditioners--running for most of the summer.  Such fun.  But they do the job.

My BIGGEST problem with regular fans is trying to keep the damn things clean!  Some fans have screens that can be taken off so that you can access the blades to clean, but most of them aren't that easy.  At least twice a season, I will take the fans (along with my tool box) and disassemble and clean them.  It usually takes me a couple of hours to do this.  And I hate it.  I have come close to throwing out the fans every fall and buying new ones every spring, but the ones we have are good, so I mess with trying to clean them.  And then along came the Dyson company.

This is the new Dyson 'fan.'  (It might be called an 'air circulator' or something equally as ridiculous.)  There are NO viewable fan blades, so they can't get grungy like a normal fan.  It is really quite cool--at least in appearance.  (No pun intended.  ;))  Unfortunately, as with ALL Dyson products, the cost is extremely high.  Luckily, Sam's Club came through with an 'e value' deal one day when we were there and the price of this fan was half off the normal cost, so we bought one.

So, what did all those dollars buy us?  The air circulation is different than with a conventional fan--it seems to be smoother, but not necessarily more forceful.  When run at high speed, it can be a bit noisy, but it seems to be more of a 'white' noise rather than the drone of a regular fan.  It is very easy to clean, very lightweight, and SAFE.  Without fan blades, I never have to worry about the cat getting too close or one of the grandkids sticking their fingers in it.  I'm pleased with the fan and I would buy another one if I got it at a good price, but I don't know if I'll be shopping for one any time soon.

Remembering a Friend

The Butchart Gardens--not one of Pete's designs (that I know of ;))

My last post was about my friend Pete and the fact that he was living his last days here on earth.  Five days later, he breathed his last.  I have been so incredibly saddened by all of this and came to the conclusion that I have to write this post before I can move along.  Here is the story of Pete.

Pete's mother and my uncle's wife were half-sisters.  It seems strange that Pete and I didn't meet until I was in the later years of elementary school, as 'back home' is a very small and close community.  As it is, I first met Pete after my mother began working for his family and she took me to work with her.  He was two years older than me and it was obvious that his task was to keep me entertained so that my mother could get on with her work.  Even though Pete was in early middle-school, he never gave me the impression that I was a pain-in-the-ass or that he didn't want to spend time with me.  And this is the kind of person he was.

Pete's family owned greenhouses and a floral shop.  I still believe that my experiences there are what have made me love flowers and floral design as I do.  (I am not now, nor have I ever been, a professional designer--I have taken several classes and enjoy the process of making arrangements very much.)  We would walk through the greenhouses and see all of the flowers growing--I remember being shown how they planted poinsettias.  Pete and I even 'manned' the road-side store/hothouse on numerous occasions.  Other than this, I don't remember much of what we did on the days I spent there.  This is when we became friends.

As the years went on, I quit going to work with my mother, but Pete and I then became 'phone-buddies.'  The phone was about the only way we kept in contact, as we lived in different towns and went to different schools.  This is not to say we didn't get a chance to see each other, just that it wasn't very often.  Whenever I would babysit, Pete and I usually had marathon phone sessions.  I have no idea what our conversations were about, but I'm sure it helped solidify our friendship.

Just before I began dating my first love, Pete and I went out a couple of times to the movies.  It was as friends having fun together, but I often wonder if he would have wanted to move into a different direction.  This was not something I was interested in, so any spark was extinguished before it even began.  And this worked out well for each of us.

During my 'dating years' of high school, Pete and I had very minimal contact.  We both were busy with different aspects of our lives and with him being older than me, he moved onto college and the real world sooner than I did.  Pete got his degree in biology at our local university and spent many years working the family business before moving to Oregon.  When he moved to Oregon, he got his master's degree in horticulture and met and married his wife.  They returned to the family business and he helped make the area just that much more beautiful with all of his gardening skills and advice.

I must say a bit about Pete's skills with everything green.  He was the go-to guy when anyone had problems with their lawns or plants--and everyone in a 100 mile radius of where he lived knew him and went to him for advice.  Not only did he have his own call-in talk show on the local radio station, but he also taught the master gardener's classes for many years.  My sister-in-law tells the story of bringing a tree branch into his store in order to ask advice.  She said he told her more about the tree the branch was from than she ever wanted to know and he was able to tell her what was wrong with it and how to take care of it.  His knowledge was immense.

Pete and his wife ran the business for 25 years before retiring and returning to Oregon.  He continued with his love of 'beautifying' places and worked for the town they lived in as their master landscapist/gardener.  After being diagnosed two years ago with leukemia, he was only able to get back to his job for a few short weeks--something that must have saddened him beyond words.

Since high school, Pete and I saw each other rarely.  Actually, we had almost no direct contact with each other.  We didn't write and we didn't call.  This may seem strange, but it is what it is.  The most surprising thing, though, is that whenever we DID get together, it was as if we had just talked to each other the previous week.  We had a strong connection somehow and time didn't seem to diminish that in the least.  When we would see each other, after the first few minutes of catching up with each other's lives, we would settle into our friendship and just be able to talk.  It truly was an amazing relationship.

What can I say about Pete, the person?  He had the kindest, gentlest spirit of anyone I know.  As I said, he was a genius when it came to growing things, but I also remember he played the organ beautifully.  (I'm not sure if he continued playing after high school, but I remember him playing for me when I would visit at his parent's house.)  He was very spiritual and a very dedicated member of their church.  His wife had a particularly bad bout with breast cancer a few years ago and I'm sure her getting through it was partly the reason they were so optimistic about his chances of beating the leukemia.  Sadly, it didn't happen.

Arrangements are still being finalized for Pete's memorial services.  There will be one in Oregon and another 'back home.'  I don't think I will be attending the one back home, simply because of the enormous amount of people that will be there.  If less than 500 people attend the service for him, I will be shocked.  And in that crowd, I won't be missed by anyone.  I will send a card and note to his wife and remember him in my own way.

Dear Pete:  I am saddened by your death, but happy that you are now at peace.  I cannot imagine the joy you felt when you got to see the gardens of heaven and realized you get to spend eternity doing the very thing you loved best, taking care of flowers.  I will never forget you, my friend.  With love.

RIP

So Very Saddened

Almost a year ago, I shared the story of my friend Pete who was battling a very virulent type of leukemia.  He was doing quite well, but he (along with his wife and medical professionals) decided he would go for the 'permanent' cure and do a blood marrow transplant.  At the time, no cancer cells had been found in his body for over six months, but the doctors recommended the transplant as an extra step toward cure.  Pete and his wife decided to go along with the recommendation and he had his transplant on 8 August 2011.  Since then--as well as before--I have been following his 'story' on his webpage on CaringBridge.  This morning I read the latest post, written on 1 May:  Pete is going to stop struggling and hanging on and make arrangements to go into hospice.  It has been quite a while since I have been so saddened by something I have read.

The transplant went well for Pete and he even managed to go back home for a short period of time, but that is all.  Most of his time has been in a medical setting of one kind or another, whether a hospital, a long-term medical care facility, a rehab/physical therapy facility, or 'halfway' house.  He has struggled with emergency surgeries, enormous amounts of medications, side-effects from the medications, and other horrifying problems.  I'm not sure if he has gone many days without pain of one sort or another.  The struggle has been enormous and the doctors have said it is time to come to an end, they have no more that they can do for him.  It is at times like this that we realize how much medicine is still in its infancy.

I will spend the next days praying for Pete.  I will pray that his last days on this earth are as pain free as possible and that he and his wife can have the closure they need.  And I will pray that they will not look on the attempt to prolong his life as a mistake.  That last prayer, more than anything.  Go with God, Pete--I know He will welcome you with open arms and say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."  (Matthew 25:21)

Guilty Pleasure

The other day I happened upon a website that is a new guilty pleasure for me:  STFU, Parents.  It basically is all about slamming parents who have too much time on their hands/are too self-absorbed/think they have THE cutest, best, smartest child in the world/need to tell everyone what 'little Elvis' or 'tiny Daisy' did today--and that includes descriptions of all their bodily functions ad nauseum.  This is all about the world's worse Facebook status updates with snarky comments following.  If you don't have anyone who abuses Facebook like the people featured on this site do, then you don't have enough Facebook friends.  ;)  Unfortunately, I have far too many who could be featured here any day of the week.  (One of the things that is regularly 'discussed' on this site are the horrible names people name their kids.  Far too many people give their kids made-up names.  One of my 'friends' has a girl named [sorry, but I HAD to get rid of the name--it is too unique and I'm afraid this blog could be found by 'mommy dearest' through a search]*  UGH!)  If you can ignore the language--as well as some of the things that piss people off (I don't agree with all of the 'pet peeves' people have on this site)--then head on over and read a while.  I defy you to read too far without wondering what the hell this generation is doing.

Another reason I LOVE the site:  I learned the word 'bajingo.'  My new, favorite word for 'lady parts.'  :D

*I will tell you the name if you email me--IF you need to know that badly.  :)

Just For Laughs

Some amusement for a Thursday afternoon:

Men

I have a problem with men who wear colored nail polish.  I can deal with long hair--and in many cases, really like it.  I have no problem with guys who wear an earring and will tolerate two or more.  But nail polish just doesn't go for me.  And a lot of v-neck shirts--especially the DEEP v-necks--are just not acceptable at all.  I'm sure this is another one of those 'age things' that keep cropping up.  ;)

Hipster Barista

Hmmm...maybe the v-neck shirt is the worst offender of the group.  :D

Mom Loves YOU Best

I believe that everyone who is not an only child has, at one time or another, said/thought "{brother/sister's name} is Mom's favorite."  It is an inevitable part of growing up.  And in my case, when it seems as if the sibling has received far more from the parents/Mom than you have, the proof is right in front of you.  I am one of two children and I am the mother of two, so I have seen this issue from both sides.

Whether it is true or not, I feel as if The Brother was always the favored one.  He DID have privileges I never did, simply because of his gender.  Also, because he could never sever the apron-string ties, he has gotten more materially from The Parents than I ever did.  While I *think* I have gotten over most of the 'slights' I believe I suffered, it is kind of hard to go through life feeling as if you were not the favored child.  But life goes on.

I have tried my darndest to be as even-handed with my girls as possible.  I know I haven't succeeded as well as I would have wanted to, but I have tried.  These days it is difficult to give equally--materialistically, that is--because of where each lives.  The Youngest lives 8+ hours away and The Oldest is only 2 hours away.  Also, with The Youngest not having any children, we give much more to The Oldest and the grandchildren.  Yet, we do the best we can.

The Oldest has ALWAYS been the one who cries "You love A better than me!!!!!  She has ALWAYS been your favorite!!!"  I can't say that A doesn't feel as if SHE isn't the favored one--and she probably DOES feel as if we 'love' her sister best--simply because she is quite closed-mouthed about most things.  This is just part of growing up with siblings--kind of like "Tell him/her to stop touching me!"  :)

The Oldest can't believe that I actually did this, but I have attempted to analyze whether or not I have a favorite child.  Over the course of several days, I thought about each of my girls and what I felt.  I looked at their good and bad sides and tried to determine if one had the 'edge' over the other in my affections.  And my conclusion was:  I do NOT have a favorite daughter.  I love them equally, but in/for different ways.

The Youngest is possibly the sweetest person to ever live on this earth.  She is kind and helpful in ways that put me to shame.  She is The Animal Whisperer--her connection with animals is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.  She isn't a complainer--actually, she keeps things to herself that she SHOULDN'T.  Soft-spoken, always with a smile, and with the greatest dimples ever to be seen on earth.  Kind-hearted is much too tame of a description for her.  She has become a world-class baker and enjoys doing it--and this has freed me from having to do the baking that I did for so long.  I love spending time with her and we get along very well--she was my rock, my friend, when we had so much trouble with her sister.  (She DID give us trouble, also, but right now I'm just going with the positives.  ;))

The Oldest is the most amazing woman on earth.  She manages--I have NO idea HOW--to keep a household of 9 people running rather smoothly.  She loves her life and wouldn't change anything about it--other than have more money, but which of us DOESN'T want that ?  ;)  My Oldest could/would/and does talk to doorknobs, and can get a response!  Social situations have never appeared to frighten her--her confidence around people is something that I envy more than I can say.  She will MAKE time if someone needs her help.  She is bold, opinionated, and she doesn't care what others think of her.  In many ways, she is who I want to be when I grow up.  :)

If I needed to pick a favorite of my two girls, I would have to admit it is not possible.  Each is amazing and the only thing I could possibly want more is to have one person that combines the best of each of them.  But then I wouldn't have the pleasure of loving TWO such awesome women.

Business As Usual?

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

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

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

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

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

In Other Words...

A few years ago, Michelle Obama was described as 'uppity.'  This caused an entire sh*tstorm across the country.  The media got involved as well as the interwebs.  (I guess everyone was talking about it, but I personally didn't follow the story, so I'm just assuming.)  From what I understand, the word 'uppity' is racist.  Well blow me away!  I guess my family has been racist all these years and never knew it.  We knew quite a few 'uppity' people and not one of them were black--probably because we didn't have many blacks in our part of the country.  But we certainly knew an 'uppity' person when we saw one.

As unpopular as it might be among some people, I have to say that I DO find Michelle to appear quite snobbish.  (I won't use the 'U' word because I don't want to appear racist.)  In no way, shape, or form can I imagine this woman down here in the trenches with us 'little people.'  I cannot see her shopping at Walmart or taking an hour and a half to do grocery shopping because of comparing prices.  I could never see her driving a used, American-made vehicle or eating at anything but a high-end, elite restaurant.  I really don't think she knows what a Holiday Inn is and would never find herself IN one.  Cost Cutters is beyond her realm, completely.

Now, before anyone accuses me of being racist, I feel as if there was no one more snobbish than Jackie Kennedy.  As much as people admire/d the woman, I believe she didn't even know there was more to the US than the east coast--specifically New York City and Massachusetts.  She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and died with it firmly in place--and she certainly acted the part.

And don't think I am only targeting Democrats:  I have to voice my disdain for Nancy Reagan.  I think THIS woman didn't even realize that anyone outside of her social circle existed, much less know there was a middle class or middle of the country.  She built an ivory tower for herself and occupied it and only allowed her 'equals' to come and visit--or so it would seem.

The bottom line to all of this is the word 'uppity.'  The dictionary goes along with how I have always understood the word:  self-important; arrogant; conceited; haughty.  Nothing racist here, for sure.  However, I guess it means something different to people in the South?  Oh, well.  I guess I'm completely ignorant, because I never knew this.  And this is just one more reason why I hate political correctness so much:  How can we ever know just what is and what isn't offensive?  Can't any/every word be offensive to someone?  Are we going to have to have a list of approved words, eventually, that we can use just so someone's feelings aren't hurt?  When is all of this bullsh*t going to end?

It's 'THAT' Time, Again

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