Police Log

Guess what?  We finally have a few good stories to pass on!

(These all happened on different days.)

--1:43 AM, subject on the roof refusing to come down.
Just one thing to say about this:  IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING WINTER!!!!!  I don't think I WANT to know why s/he was on the roof.

--9:41 AM, report of neighbors banging on walls, was just ice falling.
I kind of have the feeling that the person doing the reporting has some ISSUES with the neighbors.  ;)

--6:07 PM, two subjects arguing, throwing snowballs at each other.
So now we can't do snowball fights?  {shaking my head}

--6:30 PM, complaint that a snowman in front yard has male genitals;  removed by builder.
First of all, just wait two days and the genitals will either be covered with snow or will have melted enough that they would not be evident anymore.  And secondly, WHO examines a snowman enough to actually tell that it has male genitals?  Unless the builder made them so big that they couldn't BE ignored...  And I'm not too clear on WHAT was removed by the builder:  The snowman or the genitals?  :D

A Working Dog

Almost every time we take one of our road trips--like we did this past weekend--I visit one of the 'named' pet stores in the town.  Our cat is a bit picky in her eating habits, so I have to get to a bigger store with a better and larger selection of food.  The strangest thing about our cat is that I cannot buy the same food two bags in a row--in other words, she will be happy with food for one bag's worth and then needs something new.  At least these days she WILL eat seafood--something she wouldn't touch when she was younger.

When I get into the pet store, I must walk all through it, just to see what is new.  I always enjoy looking at the animals they have ready for adoption from the Humane Society--and those animals are almost always cats.  This past Sunday there were six young cats--not kittens, though--ready for adoption.  I loved seeing that none of them were distressed in any way.  Some days when I go there, some of the animals will be crying for attention, where these cats seemed to be quite content to wait for someone to take them home.  They all were healthy looking and very calm.  If we lived closer to this store, I would have a hard time not to take every one of the animals home with me.  And it was very hard for me to leave one of the cats:  a Russian Blue mix.  Kind of like this:

Just look at that face!  But, our cat will not tolerate another feline in the house, so I can't even think about adopting.

A lot, if not most, pet stores will allow pets to visit the stores with their owners.  It is always fun to see the different pets shopping and be able to pet and talk to different breeds than what I normally get to see.  On Sunday, I saw a real working dog--and he was gorgeous.  He was a German Shepherd and was wearing a 'drug detection dog' vest.  The handler also said that he was a cadaver dog and had been in some disaster areas doing his job.  

(The dog looked a LOT like this.)

While I love the look of German Shepherds, I do have a healthy respect for them--as well as a bit of a fear.  I was shopping on the other side of the store from the dog  and all of a sudden I heard a very deep, loud, and frightening barking--which I assumed was the drug/cadaver dog. I know for a fact that if I was confronted by a dog barking like that I would confess to anything--including the crucifixion of Christ!  But, when I got to the checkout, the dog was laying down calmly and a three-year-old boy was petting him--so, obviously, he only sounded vicious.

It seems as if most working dogs that I see--seeing eye dogs, for example--have a look about them that makes me want to cuddle them.  I know you are not to talk to or distract a working dog without asking permission first, so I usually just leave them alone.  But I find it very, very hard to do.  Anyone else just want to touch and talk to working dogs, too?  And why is that?  Do we respect what they do so much that we want to 'reward' them with some affection?

Is Someone Watching Me?

The other day I was reading some comics online and came across this:

I couldn't help but wonder who is spying on me.  Remember this post?  :D

If we can't laugh at ourselves, we'd spend all of our time crying, right?

Bite Me!

The first thing I had done to our cat when she came into our home, was to bring her to the vet to have her 'fixed' and declawed.  Most people would applaud me for being a responsible pet parent by having her spayed.  However, a good many of these same people would vilify me for the declawing.  It seems as if the declawing is actually the amputating of the first joint of the cat's toes and not just removal of the claws.  I'll accept this, as I know nothing to dispute it.  However, all of the 'side effects' that people say a cat has to live with because of this procedure haven't cropped up in my cat--as far as I can tell, that is.  She has always been a HOUSE cat, so she never needed her claws for defensive purposes or to hunt.  (And she has never given the impression that she ever WANTED to hunt, so...)  I believe she has been a happy animal for her entire life and I know she has lived a good, long life BECAUSE she has been declawed.  I KNOW I never would have put up with this:

:D

Days of Our Lives

Every year, between Christmas and New Years, my 'big' project is getting the new calendars ready for hanging.  I transfer all of the birthdays and special days and whatever appointments we already have scheduled.  The biggest task is blocking out K's work schedule--something that I MUST do because it is crazy.  Even though his work days rotate through the same 28-day rotation, I can't figure it out in my mind and HAVE to have it written out for me to look at.  And so, I sit and 'take care of' calendars the last week of every year.

This past December, I took all of the calendars that I needed to get ready and decided to get the job done.  It seems as if I'm adding more calendars every year and the task takes longer each time.  This year, I had four to work on--one for the kitchen, one for the computer room, one for the sewing room, and one for the bedroom. I got myself situated in the kitchen and proceeded to work on calendars while I watched the hockey game.  I had a 'master' calendar that I used as a reference for copying onto the 'permanent' ones.  Everything went well through the first three calendars--and then I got to the fourth one.  The 'Bunny Suicides' calendar.  I pulled out the gel pen and started to write in the upcoming special days for January when I realized things didn't look right.  K's birthday is on 4 January--a Wednesday in 2012--but 4 January was in the TUESDAY space on the 'Bunny' calendar.  WHAT?!?!  It took me a minute or two to realize what was going on:  The 'Bunny Suicides' calendar started the week on MONDAY and not on Sunday.  Who does that?  I know that 'Bunny Suicides' is a British thing, so is this a common practice in Europe?  Or is this common for business?  After all, the business week begins on Monday, not Sunday.  Needless to say, a thankless, annoying task was made just a bit more complicated by this--and I will try my hardest to NOT go through this again.  Sadly, no more 'Bunny Suicides.'


***I bought this from Barnes & Noble and there was no mention of the format.  Last year's calendar had the days in the 'right' order, so I never expected any problem.  Even though reviewers mention this fact on Amazon, it would never have helped me, as I had purchased this early.  I just have to remind myself of the format each time I look to see what day it is.  :)***

A Different Time

A lot of people entertain their children by allowing them to play with their cellphones.  I realize that smartphones are much, much more than just instruments to talk on--I have one myself, after all--but this is something I don't understand.  To begin with, smartphones are HELLA expensive and not what I would want a one-year-old to play with.  I am almost OCD when it comes to my electronic gadgets and the thought of letting ANYONE, much less a child, mess with them makes me break out in a cold sweat!  (As an aside, after two years of usage--when I go in to replace my phone and extend my contract--the sales reps are astonished that it isn't a right-out-of-the-package, brand new phone.  I take extra-special care of my gadgets.  ;))  I pay insurance on my phone monthly--something I felt was prudent on my part--and still I would need to cough up $100 for a replacement phone, if need be.  And how often would you need to replace a phone that a child played with regularly?  I also cannot imagine trying to pry the phone away from a kid who is engrossed in his/her game if a call came.  Talking on a cellphone is difficult as it is, if you are around a lot of noise, and it would be TRIPLE difficult if your child was having a tantrum because the phone wasn't in his/her hands anymore.  Because I don't have any children messing with my phone, I don't know how many parental controls can be utilized.  So, can the child make calls to China without your knowing?  What about buying apps that you don't want to pay for?  And, of course, there always is surfing the interwebs on the phone.  While I have an unlimited data package for my phone--something most carriers aren't giving as options anymore--most people don't.  How much would someone be paying in overage fees, etc, if a kid got his/her hands on the phone?  And do people even think about this stuff, or care?

When I was a kid--yes, I went there ;D--the telephone was something that was not played with.  I barely knew how to use the thing, but it didn't matter because it WASN'T a child's toy.  Of course, those were the days when you paid for every long distance phone call and even your local calls, after a certain amount.  And the calls were charged at different rates according to what time it was.  This all was confusing enough for adults to remember, much less kids, so the phone just was off-limits to the young-uns.  And the biggest reason why kids didn't use the phone as much as they do today:  NO call waiting!  In the parent's house, the phone was a lifeline and for any kid to tie up the line for hours at a time was a big no-no.  When we WERE allowed to use it, we would make our call, say what was needed, and hang up.  The amount of shit I got into as a teenager when I had marathon phone sessions with boyfriends, was unbelievable.  Do kids even HAVE limits these days?  And if we needed to say something to the person in the next room, next door, or even a couple of houses down from ours, we would just go TO them and talk face-to-face--a concept I don't think kids even understand.

In so many ways, I just don't recognize the world today.  I'm not saying that things were 'better' when I was young, just much, much different.  The kids who had their own cars, extension phones in their own bedrooms (I would have KILLED for a princess phone), and access to the 'pricier' stores to buy clothes were considered 'spoiled.'  (And the rest of us kids were jealous as hell.  ;))  In the world today, our local high school had to expand the parking lots because so many kids felt 'entitled' to drive their own cars to school and kids as young as 10 have cellphones plastered to their ears, constantly.  Far too many kids would give you a 'if looks could kill' glare if you even suggested they went to Walmart to look for clothing.  Every kid has at least one computer--sometimes two or more--at his/her disposal at all times and they wouldn't have it any other way.  In our fast-paced world, there is no such thing as the word 'wait' for kids.  They believe in instant gratification and won't accept less.  But then, how many adults are the exact same way?

Change Isn't Always Bad

I was watching 'House' earlier today and realized something:  I don't miss the character of 'Cuddy' at all.  There were many things I never liked about the character and I'm really not sad to see her go.  First, this was a woman who was supposed to be at the top of her game, a professional in a very demanding and prestigious job.  Yet, she dressed in a way that would be frowned upon in the 'typing pool!'  Really now, how many professional women dress with their 'girls' hanging out like she did?  I'm not saying that the character had to dress in turtlenecks and long skits, just in a more professional manner, is all.  I also didn't like how she was so wishy-washy.  She would piss and moan to House about how he shouldn't be doing what he did, yet she never punished him in any way.  Everything she did was with reluctance.  And when she finally showed some backbone when she stood up to the rich guy over House, she pissed and moaned about it.  Every chance she got, she let House know that she threw away millions of dollars and it was his fault.  These are just a couple of things I didn't like about her.  Looking back, I don't think the character was all that well written and I am not missing her in the least.  So, what do you think?

At The Movies

If you haven't seen the trailer for 'One For the Money' yet, you soon will.  This is the movie adaptation of the first of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels--the first of 22 she has written.  The first one was published in 1994 and I started reading the series in 1995.  I've read all of the books and am still enjoying them--even though some of them are starting to seem like Evanovich is 'phoning it in,' so to speak.  For the most part, I laugh until I cry while reading these books and have been known to wake the household with my laughter--at 3:00AM.  I certainly hope she doesn't continue this series too much longer because the books are not as good as they once were--it is best to get out when you still are on top.  Anyway, before I start with the movie, here is a bit about some of the characters:

The main character, Stephanie Plum, is a Jersey girl.  In Book 1 she is recently divorced and laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer.  Desperate, she gets a job as a bounty hunter/apprehension agent.  Having no experience is no deterrent, as she is in real need of a job--and the bail bondsman is her cousin.  Stephanie lives on her own in a nondescript apartment building with her hamster, Rex.  She is quite close with her family and often goes to her parent's house to eat--especially when she is having money trouble.  Stephanie describes herself as being of Italian-Hungarian descent, that she has a fast metabolism, has brown curly hair and blue eyes.

Stephanie's parents live five miles away and her maternal grandmother lives with them.  While The Parents try and cope with a daughter who is involved with serious situations, they also have to cope with grandma, who is more than a little 'off.'  Grandma's favorite thing to do is attend wakes at the local funeral homes.  She often will open the casket to 'take a peek'--and this usually has hysterical consequences.  At some point, she acquires a gun and will whip it out at very inappropriate times--she manages to shoot a (cooked) turkey during dinner in Book 1.  

Stephanie gets two men in her life in the first book.  Joe Morelli is someone she has know almost her entire life. Joe--or the Italian Stallion--is a bad boy turned vice cop in the 'Burg.'  She gave up her virginity to him when she was 16 and they have had a love/hate relationship ever since.  They renew acquaintances in Book 1.  The second man that Stephanie becomes involved with is Ranger.  He is Cuban-American and a fellow bounty hunter.  Ranger is gorgeous and mysterious and a man of few words.  (He has the ability to turn Stephanie's knees to Jell-o just by whispering "Babe" in her ear.)

Vinnie--Stephanie's cousin--owns the bail bond office where she finds work.  He is a complete and total sleazoid--it is rumored that he once had a romantic encounter with a duck--and most people can barely tolerate him.  Most of his time is spent avoiding work of any kind and talking to his bookie.

In the first book, Stephanie meets Lula--a hooker.  Eventually, Lula 'gives up the life' and goes to work in the bail bond office as a file clerk.  She is best described as a plus-size black woman who attempts to shove a size 16 body into size 10 spandex.  She favors bold and bright colors in her apparel.

While this series of books are described as crime novels, I find them to be more comedy than anything.  The first few books had more dire and serious aspects to them, but the later books seem to be much more light-hearted.  One of the best things in the books are the crazy, kooky characters.  A running joke throughout all of the books is Stephanie's inability to keep cars in one piece--she has the tendency to get several destroyed in every book.  (Although, she isn't always entirely culpable in the destruction of the vehicles.)  The one car that never gets damaged in any way is the one designated as her 'go-to' car whenever she is in need:  Her uncle's powder blue '53 Buick Roadmaster.

Almost from the time The Youngest and I started reading these books, we could see them being turned into movies.  We would sit and discuss who we wanted to play each part and pretty much agreed on who would be best suited for each role.  And now the first of what may be many movies has been filmed and is about to show up in the theaters.  To say I am more than a little disappointed, is an understatement.  I realize that the people who would have been perfect for these roles are 10+ years older (or dead!) and wouldn't work anymore, but still.  (Actually, some of the actors probably were too old ten years ago even.)  I'm not sure I will be seeing this, as I cannot tolerate the actress who will be playing Stephanie:  Katherine Heigl.  Anyway, here are the actors cast in the movie and the ones I think would have been a better fit.

Stephanie:
Katherine Heigl was cast.

I always thought that Stephanie Zimbalist (remember her?) would have done wonders with this role.

(Of course, I remember her from her 'Remington Steele' days and she was WAY too old even ten years ago.)  Other suggestions were Debra Messing and Sandra Bullock.   I'm REALLY not feeling Heigl in this part and I hope it won't hurt the movie too badly.

Joe Morelli:

Jason O'Mara was cast.

I favored Joe Penny in this role.

Once again, I remember him from his younger days.  Some people thought that Joe should have been played by Joe Manganiello or  David Boreanaz.  I'm not too sure which of today's actors I would pick...

Ranger:

Daniel Sunjata was cast.

I could never see anyone but Benjamin Bratt as Ranger.

One suggestion for Ranger that I might be able to get behind is Jason Momoa, but I'm not too sure about Vin Diesel or 'The Rock' in this part.

Lula:

Sherri Shepherd was cast.

The only one I could ever see as Lula was Marsha Warfield.

She probably was too old to play Lula even when she was on 'Night Court,' but I could see her in this part. The other actors suggested instead were Mo'Nique and Queen Latifah.  I could see Queen Latifah doing this part well.

Vinnie:

Patrick Fischler was cast.

I really can see this casting, but my first choice would have been Danny DeVito.  No one plays sleaze like he does.

Some thought that Steve Buscemi was made for this part--and I could see him doing it, as well.

Grandma:

Debbie Reynolds was cast.

I could see no one but Estelle Getty playing Grandma.

Most people think that Betty White or Ann Morgan Guilbert would have been much better choices.  I agree that Ann Guilbert would have played the hell out of this role.

Now the question is, have any of you read these books?  How do my picks match with yours?  And other than these books, have you ever made up your mind as to who should play certain characters in movie adaptations of books you have read--and how pleased or disappointed have you been?  Do movie adaptations ever live up to your expectations or are they always worse than the books?  Discuss.

A Shower, A Shower, My Kingdom For A Shower

As I said yesterday, while I'm wired up, I can't shower.  While I, basically, shower every night before going to sleep, there are times when I don't, for one reason or another.  I'm not necessarily okay with that, but I can make it through the day after not showering with little thought about it.  A swipe with a washcloth and a tie to put my hair up and I'm good to go for the day.  For some reason, this is NOT working for me right now.

To begin with, I can feel my skin 'crawling' underneath every one of the patches that are in place.  Is this my imagination or is my skin REALLY that itchy?  It could very well be mind-over-matter.  But, that isn't the only itching problem--I seem to have the 'creeping crude' right now and every place I scratch just moves the itch a couple of inches further away.  I can't seem to stop the itchiness--and, again, I don't know if this is all in my mind or not.  I just feel as if there is a layer of 'stuff' that I don't want on my skin and scalp--and it itches.

I get to have these patches removed about 2:00 PM tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I will be in the shower by 3:00--and I can't wait!  FYI:  You don't EVER want a shower more than when you CAN'T shower.

I'm Really Wired Tonight

The title of this post isn't a euphemism at all--I am LITERALLY all wired up tonight.  And I will be until Wednesday afternoon.

Last Thursday, I had my annual physical--and, once again, I had an EKG.  After I got home, the nurse called me and said the doctor was a bit concerned because my heart rate was so slow.  First, she wanted me to quit taking the atenolol--a blood pressure med--and then come in to have a Holter monitor put on.  I really think I could have told the doctor what the cause of my slow heart rate was:  the atenolol.  Not only does this drug lower blood pressure, but it slows...the...heart...down.  If I had MY druthers, I would have just stopped the medication and seen what happened.  But, the doctor wanted me monitored, so I went in today to have that done.

The first thing the nurse did when I got to the office was to attach the patches and then attach the electrodes to those.  The wires then got plugged into the recorder and I was set to go home--looking something like this:

Of course, I have larger boobs and less hair on my chest, but you get the idea.  ;D  I was given a diary to record my activities so that the recording could be compared to what I was doing if there happens to be any 'incidents.'  And, as I said, I will be wearing this thing until Wednesday afternoon.

I'm not really worried about what is going to be found with this, because I don't think anything is wrong.  I still think stopping the atenolol is all that is needed for me to raise my heart rate--and it is a bit higher already.  Unfortunately, my blood pressure is up already, too.  I don't know what the doctor is going to do about that, but I hope it isn't putting me on another BP med--I don't do well when my BP meds are messed with.  But right now, the thing that is upsetting me the most is that I can't bathe while wearing this thing--and I'm going to have one wicked stank after 48 hours!

The Love of My Life

After being married for 38+ years, it is easy to forget why you married your spouse--or, at the very least, to take him for granted.  On Thursday, K reminded me--without knowing it--why I love him so dearly.

Wednesday night it started to rain.  THEN, it cooled off and the rain turned to snow.  Of course, the roads became very snow-covered and slippery--that ice under the snow is particularly greasy, especially when covered by a wet(ish), heavier snow.  I had mentioned to K how nervous I was about getting myself to my doctor appointment Thursday morning, even though the office is only about 5 blocks from us.  But, driving defensively and slow, I knew I could make it with little trouble.

Thursday morning, I got up and noticed that K's back-pack, lunchbox, and other work paraphernalia were still where he puts them when he gets home from work--and he was supposed to be at work at that time.  I tracked him down in the computer room and asked him what he was doing at home instead of at work.  His answer?  "I took the day off so that I could drive you to the doctor's."  And that melted my heart all over again--just as he did so many years ago.

Eating Well

So, does this ^ look good to you?  Does it remind you of a peppermint shake or smoothie?  Well, it has no mint in it whatsoever.  It is an example of a 'green smoothie.'  Green smoothies seem to be the big thing these days.  There are green smoothie diet plans and other diets that use them as a big part of the daily menu.  What exactly is a green smoothie?  Green smoothies are vegetable based, for the most part, and a lot of them are made with spinach.  Here is a common recipe:

1 1/2 cups fruit juice
1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
1/4 cup yogurt
2 cups fresh spinach 

Directions:
1 (Peel the banana BEFORE you freeze it!).
2 Pour juice into a blender jar.
3 Add chunked banana, yogurt, and spinach.
4 Blend thoroughly on High.
5 Enjoy! This recipe obviously can be tweaked to your heart's content -- add other fruit, use flavored yogurt, or even add ice cream or sherbet. It's an especially good way to use fruit that's slightly past its prime.

It seems as if most of these recipes have 60% fruit and 40% vegetables in them.  This is a good way to get veggies into your body, especially if you aren't a very big veggie lover.  I don't particularly like vegetables, so I am always happy to find a way to get more into my diet.  The surprising thing is, you DON'T taste the veggies in these smoothies!  Of course, depending on what you put in them will determine how they taste.  And the recipes are VERY forgiving--you just add whatever you have on hand and blend.

Today I made my smoothie with a banana, a container of vanilla yogurt, a bit of orange juice, some frozen strawberries, and two handfuls of spinach--and the darn thing was very good.  I used my immersion blender instead of a regular blender and it worked very well.  I do believe these will be on my menu for quite a while.  And I can pretend I'm doing something to eat better.  :D

TMI--Once Again

Most women, as we get older--and especially if we have gained weight and/or ever been pregnant--tend to get incontinent.  This just is another way our bodies turn on us with age.  As I have been pregnant twice,

 have gained far too much weight to talk about,

and have stepped over that 'woman-of-a-certain-age' line long ago,











 I have three strikes against me and do have problems.

About four years ago, I had an 'incident' on a day trip that we took.  As we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant where we were going to eat breakfast, I had a coughing fit.

Considering we had just driven for almost four hours, I had quite a full bladder and the coughing made my body 'give it up,' so to speak.  That day taught me to take an extra change of clothes whenever I was away from home for any length of time.  AND I also learned that there were products for women to use for incontinence.  After this, I don't leave the house without wearing a 'pee-pad.'

And I never had a big problem again--until earlier this week.

On Tuesday, we went for a shopping trip.  I know better than to have a lot of liquid before a trip, so I was looking forward to stopping into the IHOP

for breakfast--I NEEDED my morning coffee.

We pulled into the parking lot and K jumped out of the Envoy.

Just as I was getting ready to get out, an H3 pulled in next to us.  The guy--an early 30-something guy with wife and kids in tow--looked straight at me and gave a 'hey, lady, YOU can wait to get out of YOUR vehicle because I'M driving a Hummer' look.

(As if an H3 is a REAL Hummer.  :-P)  So, I sat and waited for him to get his kid out of the backseat before I opened my door.  Of course, I had to be VERY careful that I didn't hit his precious vehicle and I wasn't paying quite as much attention to the condition of the Envoy's running boards OR the parking lot as I should have--and they both were icy.


So, as I stepped down onto the running board, my foot slipped and I bounced off of the running board--and peed myself.  I then bounced off of the parking lot TWICE and peed some more.

 Immediately, I could tell that things weren't good.  As I peeled myself up from the pavement, I gingerly made my way to the back door of the Envoy so I could get my change of clothes.  I didn't stop for anything when we got into the restaurant--I just went directly to the restroom and proceeded to get out of my wet clothes.  We ate our breakfast and had no more incidents for the rest of the day--something that I was grateful for.

Okay, so I had an incident--AND I had myself prepared.  I was wearing a pee-pad, as usual, but it did NOTHING for me.  I am now contemplating the possibility that--on trips, at least--I may need to 'graduate' to something that will offer a bit more coverage.  YIKES!!!  Does this mean I have to wear full-on Depends?

 Or do I have to think about adult diapers?

I think I'm far too young to consider either!  Whatever I decide, my story gave my girls something to laugh about--little do they realize that the same problem just probably is in THEIR futures.

From a Facebook Post...

I will grant that 'we' didn't do everything right, but 'we' also can't be completely to blame for the state of the world.  Some of these young whippersnappers are just WAY too judgmental and self-righteous.  But, isn't every generation?  ;)  Nevertheless, a good come-back...

Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." 

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." 

She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have....

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. 

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. 

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day. 

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. 

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then. 

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. 

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. And isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? 

On Second Thought...

For some reason, my body decided to leave 2011 and begin 2012, sick.  I'm not too sure what I actually have.  At times it seems as if I'm suffering from flu and at others it is as if I 'only' have a cold.  Either way, I don't think I should have been allowed to get near this computer the last few days, as my mind is a bit cloudy.  So, if I have left any disjointed comments on your blogs or if anything I've written here lately seems a little 'off,' I apologize.  I've just been under the weather.  :)  I do plan on being well by Tuesday, however.

Another Day, Another Year

As humans, we aren't ever satisfied.  We always are looking to 'change' and 'do better.'  Tomorrow is a new year and many people will make resolutions.  And most of those will be broken before the month is done.  I don't make resolutions--I can't deal with the guilt of broken ones.  ;)

I don't know if it is because I'm getting older, but holidays and 'special occasions' don't hold the same fascination for me that they did when I was younger.  I don't know if there is one holiday that we celebrate that isn't man-made, so why is it that they are so special?  If one doesn't have family or friends to celebrate with, the day is the same as any other--there is nothing to make one day different from another.  Anniversaries, of one form or another, are different--THOSE are days when we commemorate something and aren't arbitrary in any way.  But, the specialness of those days even begins to weaken when you've celebrated the same day for decades--after a while, the only ones that are special are the 'biggies.'

Years ago, I used to come close to having a panic attack on New Year's Eve--I always worried about 'what the new year would bring.'  Everything was an unknown and frightening.  I would wonder what the year would bring to me:  Death?  Birth?  Health?  Illness?  Financial gain or financial ruin?  The good/bad things that could happen were endless and I worried.  These days, I know there is very little I can do about what will take place--and why worry about something you may not be able to change?  Of course, I know I can do SOME things to steer my future in one direction or other, but for the most part, what happens will happen.  So, why worry?  And so New Year's Day becomes just another day to me.

To all I wish a happy, prosperous, healthy, and blessed new year.  I can only pray this comes to be.

Facebook--Again

For the time being, at least, I'm sticking with Facebook.  It certainly doesn't seem as if Google+ has gone anywhere and I don't know anyone who hangs out there anymore.  (Actually, I forget that I even have an account.)  I really don't know why I'm staying with Facebook--most of the people I have 'friended' are terribly annoying and not anyone I'd be around in real life for any length of time.  But I stay, mainly because I find things out I wouldn't any other way.  (AND for the people who are dear to me.  :))  So, here are some of the whack-a-doodles I am friends with:

One of K's nephew's daughters has friended me.  I don't ever remember seeing this girl in person--ever.  She is about the age of The Oldest and lives in California.  With the amount of things she says she has done, she should be about 64 years old.  I can't believe anyone can be quite as accomplished as she claims to be and not be older--or rich, or a celebrity.  If you can do all she supposedly has done at such a young age, you have to have a lot of money--something I am sure she doesn't have.  For several months, she posted every single tornado watch/warning that was issued in the US.  I don't know why, I don't ask.  (If you don't think this cluttered up my timeline...)  She says she auditioned for one of those singing contest shows--while she didn't win, she got praised up the wazoo and encouraged to try again.  She knows three languages, other than English.  She acts, sings, and goes to school--with a double major--all while raising a few children (not sure how many) as a single mother.  (I'm not sure if she works--doesn't seem like it.)  And these past few months she has been deathly ill and the doctors can't find out what's wrong with her.  (I don't believe it is a recurrence of the cancer she has had twice.)  So, is this girl interesting and accomplished, or just a complete and total whack-a-doodle?  I would like to ask my sister-in-law, but how do you ask someone if their grandchild is a head case?  If I'm wrong about the girl, I'm sorry, but I kind of have a feeling she is 'not all there.'

Now, my family is more than well represented on Facebook--and most of THEM are people no one wants to know.  My cousin's daughters, for example.

The youngest of the two girls hasn't been on Facebook as much these days--she now lives with her two boys and no computer, since the divorce.  (I can't understand how her ex actually kept her around as long as he did.)    While she was married, all of her time was spent on Facebook, complaining and belly aching over EVERYTHING.  She hated her life and her step children.  And it didn't seem as if she actually did anything around her house--and yet, she complained about the way things were done.  (It sounded like her ex did most/all of the cleaning and cooking.  She only looked after the boys--the kids she gave birth to.)  Even though she is a presence, once again, the fact that she only can post via cellphone has kept her off of Facebook as much as she used to be.

The oldest of the girls is the biggest drama queen in the world.  And she airs the family laundry every chance that she gets.  These days she has been bad-mouthing her in-laws and her husband's best friend so badly that I'm surprised anyone is still talking to her.  (Not too long ago she berated her father's family, so she is an equal opportunity lambaster.)  She just gave birth to her sixth child and we had to 'listen' to all of her health issues daily--and this is because the doctors told her to never get pregnant again.  She decided to ignore the medical profession.  I believe my Oldest must have the patience of a saint, because she is quite close to this girl--and I can't understand how.

One of my non-relative friends is very dear to me, but he is living vicariously through his kids these days.  He keeps posting about his sons' band and the gigs they play.  I couldn't get through one of the videos he posted, so I'm not too sure how good the kids are, but they really seem like brats to me.  (I've never met them, but some of the things he writes...)  Anyway, I'm just happy that they live far away because I'm not sure I could figure out how to say "No, thank you." to going to watch the kids perform.

Of course, one of the things that gets me the most are the conversations some people have to post--these are conversations with their very young children that THEY find hysterical and interesting.  (NO ONE who reads this blog is implicated here!!!)  Many times I have read one of these and wound up shaking my head, asking myself "WTF????"  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  Not EVERYONE thinks your kids are cute/amusing/geniuses.  I'm happy YOU think they are, but just keep it to yourself, please.

I got on Facebook because of my girls--I figured it would be a good way of keeping in touch with what is going on in their lives.  Come to find out, The Youngest doesn't post often to Facebook--I believe she does most of HER communicating through instant message and texts.  Now, The Oldest shares quite a bit--and a lot of the time she shares too much.  Today, she commented on someone else's status update and I found out something I wish I didn't:  It looks as if she is planning on getting pregnant again next year.  There are no words...

My Time

via tatethegreat.com

It is 3:00 AM on Christmas morning.  The Youngest and her husband and K are sleeping.  The cat is curled up next to the heat run, sleeping.  I have the crock pot cooking our Christmas brunch and I am just enjoying the quiet, by myself.  This is my time.

For the last 48 hours I have been running myself ragged.  I did laundry, last minute cleaning, shopped, cooked, wrapped presents, and about a dozen other things.  I didn't, however, relax or do much sleeping, but I knew my time would come.  And it has.

On Christmas Eve evening, we went to celebrate the season with dear friends, something that has become a tradition in the last ten or so years.  We ate, drank, made merry, and exchanged gifts.  Afterwards, we drove through the silent streets of our town and looked at Christmas lights.  While most were pretty to look at, sadly, there were far more disastrous attempts than beautiful displays.  But, that's the way it is every year.  Too many people begin decorating with a very good idea and then wander off into some surrealistic, modern art sort of thing that makes absolutely no sense--I think they suffer from adult attention deficit disorder.  That is my only explanation for some of what we saw.

When we got home, the four of us opened the gifts we had for each other.  I was pleased to see how more than a few of the gifts we gave turned into some of the favorites of all time.  Gift giving can be such a hit-or-miss affair, that it is great to hit a home run--and I believe I/we hit several.  K and I got a couple more things for the hockey cave as gifts and I got another Nativity--this time, an all-animal-shaped-like-bathtub-rubber-duckies one.  I will have to post a picture of it before I put the decorations away.  And once again, K outdid himself in the jewelry department and gave me a pair of gorgeous diamond stud earrings.  Yeah, I think I'll keep him.

A little bit of time was spent admiring/studying/playing with the gifts we received, but in due time each one of us began to lose our zip.  Conversation grew scarcer and yawns became more plentiful.  I put the crock pot going and the rest of the family settled for some much needed sleep.  And I came to the computer room to be alone.  I have always loved the time when everything is done and I can sit by myself and relax.  It is such a peaceful time and a relief when I get to this stage.  Having grown children allows me to 'be done' so much sooner than when the girls were at home.

In the next week or two, I will put the Christmas decorations away and begin my time of being content.  Winter will bring that out in me, as I stay in more often and don't feel any pressure to leave the house--after all, NO ONE would go out in the snow if they didn't need to.  Sitting in the corner of the couch, drinking a hot mug of tea and watching a hockey game or old movie or reading a book will become my activities.  I will attempt to do all of the 'after Christmas' things that I vowed to do only a week ago, but will probably only accomplish one or two of the tasks.  And I will ignore any guilt feelings I may get--until next year at this same time.

For now, my short term plans are to get through the last of the holiday duties:  the Christmas meal.  The evening will be spent visiting with The Youngest and her husband and then they will leave on Monday for home.  K will go back to work on Tuesday and Wednesday and then on his week off we will take a day trip to do some after-Christmas shopping.  Finally, I will be able to put all of this holiday stuff to rest for another year.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas full of family, friends, food, and festivities.  And I wish a blessed, healthy, and happy New Year to each and every one of you.

via marriageandbeyond.com

Let's Talk Meds

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

And I was given pills that looked like this:

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

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

**********

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

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

To Make Up For The Last Post...

As I surf the interwebs, there ARE times when I actually will read the comment sections of certain stories.  I don't know WHY I do this, as I usually just get frustrated and angry by the idiots who comment.  Yet, I read.  (I'm afraid I might have masochistic tendencies.  ;))  One thing that you find out very quickly is that there are only a few comments that get recycled over and over again.  And Linda Holmes over at NPR noticed this same thing when it comes to the inevitable 'year-end' lists we'll be inundated with shortly and wrote an article about it:  'The 20 Unhappiest People You Meet In The Comments Sections Of Year-End Lists.'

Here are a few of my 'favorite' commentators:

 7. The Self-Punisher. "I always hate your tastes, so I knew this would be a miserable and useless list before I decided to click on it and read the whole thing, and now I know I was right."

 11. The Person Who Thinks You Were So Close. "I like all these picks, but you ranked The Descendants as your #4 and Martha Marcy May Marlene as your #5, and they should be the other way around. FAIL."

 14. The Minimalist. "These blow."

Too funny!  For the rest of the list, go here.