Nurture? Nature? Talent? Money?

An article in The Hockey News this week tells how much it cost the family of Patrick Kane (19 year old phenom for the Chicago Blackhawks) to help him become an NHL player. It is estimated that the family spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $150,000 from the time he started playing hockey till he signed his first NHL contract.

Hockey is a very expensive activity for kids to be involved in. The skates, helmets, protective pads, and sticks just to BEGIN playing are cost prohibitive for many people. And if a kid shows any talent at all, and wants to get to higher levels of play, the costs mount. Most pro players had to leave home at some point just to play in a more elite league--one where he can learn by playing with the best and where he can show his talent and be seen by those who could decide if the pros need to see him. When the kids leave home, the family needs to find a place to board their child--and this will cost. In some cases, the player will go to private school because of team travel and it is easier for private schools to work around the player's schedule. And at different levels the player has to pay for the privilege of being in a better league AND they have to pay all of their expenses when they travel. Of course, during the off-season, there are the hockey schools/camps which the player will attend to help hone his skills--and they all are expensive. Especially the ones where NHL players do the teaching. (Several summers, Kane attended 10 schools WHILE playing in the summer leagues.) This is NOT a sport for poor people to be involved in.

All of the money spent is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. When a member of the family is involved in hockey, the entire family is. Most NHL players will talk of their younger years and being on the road by 6:00 AM just so they could get to an ice rink on which to practice. Many players here in the States have to travel great distances in order to play the game while they live at home--and that usually means a member of the family will be doing the driving. Not all places in the US have the ice availability that we do--and many of our ice arenas are open almost 24 hours per day because ice time is in such demand. To raise an elite player, one who will make it into the pros, requires a great amount of dedication from the player as well as the family.

This all got me to wondering: Did I do enough for my girls in terms of helping them develop their talents? We allowed our girls to try most anything they wanted--and quit when they decided it wasn't something they wanted to do. We wanted them to have a well-rounded idea of what was out there so they could find what they were passionate about. But I still wonder if we pushed them enough when it came to their talents.

C went through her figure skating phase at an early age. She was in a club for two or three years and decided it wasn't for her--which I whole-heartedly agreed with. She also did her stint with the 'gifted and talented' group, but that ended when she went into middle school--NOT her decision, it just wasn't offered anymore. She really found her gift when she started playing the flute--the girl was phenomenal. We did the basics when it came to 'pushing' her, but took our cues from her. Basically, we got her private lessons and that was about it. We never looked into Interlochen or any other music school, but with her not living with us after ninth grade, it wasn't completely our fault. I do wonder if we would have done more for her if she would have been at home through high school. I think I always will have a small amount of disappointment because she never did anything with her musical gift.

With A, we did more--which was easier, cause she was, in essence, an only child for most of her school years. She did the swim lessons, until she didn't want them anymore. She played basketball, but didn't have a great talent for it, and didn't play after grade school. There were several things she thought she wanted, signed up for, and then never pursued. She also had a talent for music and played the flute. We gave her private lessons and an upgraded flute, as well as a piccolo. Her and I even talked about Interlochen, but she wasn't motivated enough to do much about it. And her lack of motivation is what kept her from realizing some things she could have accomplished. But, it wasn't all her fault because I didn't push her, either. I gave her the opportunites and she either took them or didn't. She DIDN'T push to be on the boys' wrestling team, which I would have supported. She DID become a basketball ref, but didn't take it as far as she could have. She gave up her opportunity to go to school in Denver, for whatever reason. And I am a bit disappointed that she hasn't completely lived up to her animal-handling talent--even though she does work for a vet, she could have done a lot more.

My whole point of this post is this: Whose 'fault' is it that my children haven't used their God-given gifts to their full potential? Did I drop the ball by not being a pushy mother and MAKE them do things they didn't want to at the time? Did I allow my children to make decisions that I should have made? When does encouragement turn into bullying when it comes to pushing your child to do something? I think my biggest regret with raising my girls is not knowing if I did right by them in terms of their talents. I will always wonder if I could have pushed a little more and helped them into very different lives than they have now. And would they have been better off with different lives? We can never look back and say 'if only,' and I have to banish the 'if only' thoughts from my mind--or I will go mad.

Celebrate

Here are this week's celebrations:

31 August
Love Litigating Lawyers Day

1 September
Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day
Chicken Boy's Day
Emma M Nutt Day

2 September
V-J Day

3 September
Australian National Flag Day

4 September
Newspaper Carrier Day

5 September
Be Late for Something Day

6 September
Read a Book Day

Who Da Thunk It?

A couple of weeks ago, A noticed one of her cats wasn't 'quite right.' The next day she took him in to be checked over. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure. He is now on blood pressure medication. This is something I NEVER had heard of before--and neither had A. And she works for a vet!

By the way, a cat's blood pressure is taken on the tail. Hmmm, interesting.

If he is THIS lazy, maybe that's why he has BP problems. :)

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This Could Be Trouble

As I mentioned earlier this year, some of my ancestors are Sami. I have been reading about the Sami culture and history off and on since then. One of the aspects of the culture is jewelry making--specifically bracelets. They use reindeer hide, pewter thread, and reindeer antlers. And I found a website where I can get 'inspired' or authentic bracelets made by present-day Sami artisans. Oh, boy. I ordered my first one already--it is the black one:


This style is an 'inspired' one--not traditional.

My next bracelet--and yes, I will be buying more--will be an authentic/conforming-to-ancient-tradition one:


I'm also thinking of one in an ancient pattern, such as this:


I decided to start out conservatively and get the thinnest one I could--I have to be very careful with my overly sensitive skin. I'm hoping I won't be allergic or otherwise not able to wear these. I can see wearing at least three of these as a 'stack' at the same time. Hmmm. I guess I have some serious saving up to do. :)

Hockey season better get here quickly--I have too much time on my hands and I can get into big trouble!

For more bracelets and other Sami-made items, go to NORDartDESIGN.

Links

Here are some cool places I have been to lately:

--Interesting Tricks Of The Body
Some of these things I have heard of before, but they still are fascinating. I mean, really, how many people have known that if you scratch your ear you can stop the tickle in your throat? You can find that and 17 more tidbits on this site.

--Eight Crazy email Hoaxes Millions Have Fallen For
I have heard of at least half of these and have only fallen for one: the 'Bill Gates Wants to Give You Money' one. (Hey, I have a perfectly legitimate reason: I had just started online and emailing--after all, this WAS about ten years ago!) Anyway, it is a good read.

--Making Homemade Pop-Tarts
Pop-Tarts were never my favorite food--however, Toaster Strudels make my mouth water! And the recipe on this site looks closer to the Toaster Strudels than the Pop-Tarts, so this may be something worth trying. How cool would it be to give your kids homemade Pop-Tarts for a snack?

--Six-Word Memoirs
I really can see this as a meme: Using only six words, can you tell your story? On this site they have a bunch of readers' submissions to inspire you to write your own story. It is very fun--and frustrating--to try.

A Place To Live

I could be happy living in the Envoy--that is, if it had a frig, coffee maker, and bathroom. But, other then those few things, I could be happy living in it. It is very comfortable with seats that recline completely. It is extremely quiet--so quiet that you pretty much have to open a window to make sure it is running. There is Onstar and the Onstar phone--you can ask the operator for directions or call for a pizza. What more can you want? And finally, you have XM Radio--hot damn! There are so many great stations that I can't make up my mind what I want to listen to--so I wind up pressing buttons just to see if there is something better playing elsewhere. Every musical style imaginable is offered, plus news, talk radio, and sports. AND hockey!!! There are even a couple of comedy stations. Wow.

The Onstar phone is pretty cool. You dial just by talking--or you say the 'name tag' for whoever you want to call. So far, I have been using up all of my minutes just to call people and 'make sure' it works. ;) I did do an 'oops' tonight, though. There are three buttons to use Onstar: the phone button, the Onstar button, and the emergency button. These are all placed on the bottom of the rearview mirror. I went to call A to 'make sure' the phone was working fine and pressed the wrong button. I realized my mistake when the Onstar operator answered. I had to tell her I pressed the wrong button and only wanted to make a phone call. She laughed and said it was okay--I'm sure they have this happen all of the time. But I still felt like an ass.

The one thing that is bothering me about the Envoy is the color. It is called 'deep crimson metallic.' Now, doesn't this make you think it must be red? Wrong. At the very best it is a very, very dark wine color--and that is only apparent in bright sunlight. The other evening, as it was beginning to get dark, the color changed to a very dark blue-violet. I know, I know: HOW can crimson metallic turn into blue-violet? I just know it did. I think I am just going to have to say "dark" whenever the Carside-To-Go girl at Applebee's asks what color the car is. Great--another thing to stress over. :)

Celebrate

Here are the celebrations for the next week:

24 August
National Peach Pie Day
National Waffle Day

25 August
National Banana Split Day
Kiss and Make Up Day
National Second-hand Wardrobe Day

26 August
National Dog Day
Women's Equality Day

27 August
Global Forgiveness Day

28 August
Dream Day
Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day
Crackers Over the Keyboard Day
Dream Day quest

29 August
More Herbs, Less Salt Day

30 August
National Toasted Marshmallow Day
National Holistic Pet Day

I Think I'll Whine

Okay, so I should be in a very good mood because of the new Envoy, but I just realized something that makes me want to go in the corner and whine: The students are coming back into town this weekend! {screaming like a banshee!!!} Now I not only have to get used to driving a new vehicle, but I have to do it while trying to avoid the idiots that will be driving around town. Or walking in the roadway like they own it. Or riding bicycles like they were Corvettes. When the students get here, our town becomes the perfect example of the younger generation that believes it is entitled to everything. Everyone is supposed to watch out for them as they eat, drink, talk on their phones, listen to their iPods, while they are walking, driving, etc, and not paying attention to the roads around them or the vehicles driving on them. Looks like I have to become a hermit for a couple of weeks. UGH!!!

Happy, Happy

Tomorrow at 1:00 PM we will go and pick up our new vehicle--a 2008 GMC Envoy. Right now, I'm so pumped--and this will last until we make the first payment. AAACCCCKKKKKK!!!! But it WILL be nice to have a new vehicle.

We have been talking about getting something new for a while now--the Jimmy is a 2000 and we bought it used in 2002. There were a few things wrong with it--the back wiper, for example, was broken--and it seemed as if we were having small mechanical problems off and on. It got to the point where we were having to make the decision as to whether it was actually worth it to sink more money into the thing, or just go out and buy new. With the employee discount pricing, the incentives given, and our GMC card points, we got an excellent deal--and had to take it.

The Envoy doesn't QUITE have everything the Jimmy did--the Jimmy was top-of-the-line in terms of options--but it comes very close. I am going to miss some of the storage that we had with the Jimmy, but that can be dealt with. One thing that I can't wait for is the three-month trial of XM radio! I almost think I might be able to convince K to keep the subscription going once we listen to our first Wings' game--or even the talk portion of NHL radio! We still will have to get the remote start put into the Envoy and look into running boards--I REALLY would like to have them, as I am short on one end. :) This will be fun.

And here is a picture of what our new Envoy looks like--but the one we're getting is colored 'dark crimson metallic.' I'm not too sure WHY the color is called that, because it looks black except under extremely bright sunlight--unbelievable.

Dropping The F-Bomb

I have never had the word f*** as part of my vocabulary and at this late stage in my life, I don't think it will become common usage for me. In all my years of living, I probably have said the word a couple dozen times. And if you remove the times I 'sang' along to MC5 and their song "Kick Out The Jams,"--"Kick out the jams, motherf***ers" is the way it begins.--then you probably have less then a dozen times I have uttered f***. But, I don't necessarily run and cringe whenever someone else says the word--unless it is a little smart-ass, under 18-year-old trying to act like a big-shot! ;) (CAN'T stand kids who use the word.) Only on rare occasions will I quit watching a movie or show because of usage of the word. I live in the real world and realize people use it in the same way I use 'damn' or 'shit.' But that being said, I don't like the word and would rather not hear it. That makes my love of hockey an even bigger mystery than it already is.

Of all athletes, I think hockey players are the biggest users of the word. Every few games, an announcer will apologize for the on-ice mics picking up 'inappropriate language.' Even though I have never HEARD the word come over the air, I have SEEN almost every player say it at least once--and sometimes more than once per game! I truly believe it is the first word of English that the European players learn when they get here.

I have a theory about usage of the word in the NHL. I think somewhere, in every European's contract, there is a clause that states he MUST use the word at least once per season--preferably as often as possible. (The North American players don't need such a clause--they come by usage of f*** naturally.) At the beginning of last season,the only thing that kept me from believing my theory 100% were three players: Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Filppula. Last year I THINK I saw Lidstrom use the word--surprising, I know. After all, he IS 'the most perfect person,' as his teammates refer to him. Now, I only need to see Datsyuk and Baby Boy say it to know that my theory is true. I have high hopes that Datsyuk will use it this year--after all, he DID show a feisty side during the playoffs. (He had a couple of tussles and led the team in hits.) Despite his being the perpetual winner of the Lady Byng, he does have a darker side to him. Then we are left with VF. He never argues or says a word whenever he is sent to the penalty box, so I don't know if he will prove my theory. He's not too physical, yet, and doesn't get hot under the collar even when he gets hit illegally, so I don't know if he will 'honor' his 'contract.' So, I have one more reason I can't wait for the season: Seeing who will drop the f-bomb this year! :)

Let's Get Ready To Ramble

It feels like fall. The temperature is 20+ degrees less than it was yesterday--unbelievable. Now, I'm not sad if we have an early fall, but this is freaking crazy.

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I found out on Saturday--it was just announced that day--that the Eagles will be in Green Bay the day before we see them in Minneapolis. Great. It will take us eight hours to get to Minneapolis and it takes us three hours to get to Green Bay. Just where do you think we would have traveled if we had had a choice on the day I bought the tickets? The only good thing about going to the Twin Cities is the fact that A and her husband will be with us. That is worth the travel time.

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This past weekend I ate calamari. THAT is one sentence I NEVER thought I would say. It was a bit chewy and tasted like Mrs. Paul's fish sticks--or the fish sticks we used to get in school. I'm not sure which. While it wasn't TOO bad, I still think the only place for octopus is in the ocean or on the ice at a Red Wings' game. I won't go out of my way to eat it again, but I probably won't run away screaming if I'm ever served it. Kind of interesting.

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I have a wonky thyroid, so that is why I was always cold. Having a medically-induced menopause caused me to have hot flashes and heat sensitivity. I always figured putting the two together would make me feel 'normal' in terms of temperature. Didn't happen. I have turned from being very cold all of the time to not being able to handle ANY kind of heat whatsoever. That is one of the reasons I hate it when the temp is above 68. When we were out of town this weekend, it was very close to 90--I was NOT happy.

My friend cannot handle cold of any kind and this weekend was no different. Every time we walked into a place that was air conditioned, she put on a sweater and mentioned how cold she was. (I STILL think if she would eat a sandwich once in a while and put on a couple of pounds, she would do much better. She is VERY thin.) Anyway, at one point I turned to her and said, "If you don't stop it already, I'm going to do something to make you understand just what the phrase 'bitch slap' means." We both got a good laugh out of it, but I'm not REALLY sure I wasn't serious! ;)

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Other than being a good emotional support, there is another reason why I talk/spend time with females I am close to. Talking to other women and being around them and their significant others gives me a chance to see how others live. And to compare K with other men. I told K a few days ago that I am SO happy to be married to him--if I was married to some of the other men I know, I would have committed murder within six months of the wedding.

I am not, in any way, saying these men are not good. They all have their good points, otherwise why would the women I know be with them? They just so happen to be suited to one another--but DEFINITELY not for me. And I am sure the other women I know must feel the same about K. It is true that there is someone for everyone. I'm just happy I found my 'someone.'

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Remember when we had to write a paper with that title whenever we went back to school in the fall? I NEVER had anything interesting to write--the last vacation I remember taking with The Family was when I was 8-years-old. Now, at my advanced age, I came so very close to having the ultimate 'what I did on summer vacation' story. Alas, it didn't happen.

Before the Eagles concert came up, K and I were supposed to be in St Paul this weekend. We decided not to go because we'll be there next month, so we took one of our regular road trips instead. I had made our reservation for Saturday and let our friends know we were going to be in town and everything was normal. Then, on Friday, I got a phone call. "How would you like to see the Stanley Cup?" my friend asked me. I don't think I was able to answer. As it turned out, her husband works at a veteran's facility and Brian Rafalski was going to be there with the Cup on Saturday morning. Excitement, anticipation, ecstasy...words don't describe.

K and I were on the road shortly after 6:00 AM on Saturday so that we could get there in time for the viewing. Just before 10:00 AM, we got to our friends' house--just in time to get to where the Cup was. As it turned out, they weren't ready to leave, but rather assured us that we would get there in time to meet Rafalski. I guess it made sense that he would stick around for at least an hour, so we had plenty of time. WRONG!!! When we finally got there, we had missed him and the Cup by ten minutes. The whole visit was only announced internally at the facility--no newspaper, no TV or radio--and he stayed until he had greeted everyone that was there when he arrived. He just figured that was it, so he left. (He also had other obligations, so...) And I missed it.

I still can't believe that we were so close to the Cup and didn't get to see it. I was going to get my picture taken with it and everything. WAHHHHH!!!!! I'm trying to be a big girl and suck it up, but I'm still disappointed. I must keep telling myself, "Everything happens for a reason." Maybe the first Red Wing autograph I get has to be from my Baby Boy! Just a thought. :)

Celebrate

A little late, but here are the things to celebrate this week:

17 August
Meaning of "Is" Day

18 August
Bad Poetry Day

19 August
National Aviation Day
National Potato Day
"Black Cow" Root Beer Float Day

20 August
National Radio Day

21 August
(World) Daffodil Day

22 August
National Tooth Fairy Day
Southern Hemisphere Hoodie Hoo Day

23 August
National Sponge Cake Day
Valentino Day

Turn Left Now

Anyone who drives has made left turns numerous times. You put your blinker on, you look both ways, and then you turn left. Easy--unless you are in Michigan. We have something called a 'Michigan left' here--at least that is what K calls them. It goes like this. You come to an intersection and want to make a left turn onto a divided highway. In a common-sense way, you would think you could cross over two lanes and then turn left, but no, you have to turn RIGHT before you can come to a place where you can find a left-turn lane and then do a U-turn so you can go in the direction you wanted to in the first place. Got that? You must turn RIGHT before you can make a left turn. That is what is called a Michigan left. We have MANY places in this town where you have to make a left turn this way--and it is one of the most confusing things tourists have to contend with. While it isn't surprising that tourists are confused, I still would like to shoot the next one who doesn't read the signs that say HOW to make one of these turns. I once was caught in the middle of a four-lane highway when the light changed because a tourist wanted to make an illegal left-turn--fun. I was going straight, as I was ALLOWED to do. And I was the one that got honked at by the other drivers! How humiliating. So, consider this a warning if you ever have to drive in Michigan: beware the 'Michigan left!'

Me and the Mountain Man

We went to the state fair yesterday and it was the 'same old, same old.' Our day began as it usually does with a walk-through of the grounds, ending at the animal barns. We got to see the rabbits and chickens and ducks. There was a pair of peacocks and a lot of geese. We didn't go into the sheep barn and did a quick run-through of the swine barn--they were moving them in and out for the judging and I wasn't in any mood to be mowed down by a 200 pound pig, so we got out. We didn't do the dairy barn and went through the beef barn quickly, also. I like seeing the very large animals and, again this year, there weren't any that caught my eye. I went into the miracle of birth tent, but there weren't any females in labor--however there were a few newborn lambs and newly hatched chicks. I don't know if I could handle watching a calf be born, though, so it probably was good that birth wasn't imminent. As usual, I had to go and say hi to the llamas and alpacas--they are neat.

As I have said before, my main reason for going to the fair is the food. Again, I wasn't very pleased with the offerings. My main focus this year was to find a deep-fried Twinkie. While I found the deep-fried food tent, they didn't have any Twinkies. So, I had to settle for a Snickers bar. This is a Snickers bar on a stick, which is dipped in batter, then deep-fried. After frying, it is sprinkled with powdered sugar. You bite into this concoction and you have a melted Snickers bar inside of a fried donut--and the chocolate and caramel and nougat is all melty and gooey. NOT hard to take, but it wasn't what I had my heart set on, so I wasn't happy. I really think you have to go specifically for the Snickers bar in order to enjoy it to full capacity, otherwise it is just kind of okay. One of these days I WILL find my deep-fried Twinkie AND I will find deep-fried Coke--I think those will be the ultimate disgusting and nummy things I will be on the lookout for.

The other reason I went to the fair was to buy some fur. For many years, I would go to the 'mountain man' booth and buy bags of fur scraps for my cat. She always 'adopted' these as her babies and I get her new pieces every few years. A also wanted some for her cats and C wanted some for her kids--it is really good for sensory skills for her son and if one of the kids has something, the rest want it, too. :) Well, for the second year in a row, there were no fur scraps. However, when I asked about them, the older of the 'mountain men' said I could call him and he would send some scraps for me--and he remembers me from years past when I asked for the fur pieces. So now I guess I will begin a relationship with a 'mountain man.' It is a little scary.

If you don't know what a 'mountain man' is, remember the movie Jeremiah Johnson. (And if you have never seen the movie, by all means, do--it is really good.) Montain men are trappers who live hermit lives--or at least they did in the early years of the US. The ones I have personally met--at least the older ones--have long hair and full beards and have a 'wild' look to them--very stereotypical. And 'my' mountain man is no exception. We lives in an extremely rural area around here and--if the picture on his brochure is any indication--lives in a log cabin. He isn't completely socially inept, so I would assume he doesn't live the life of a hermit. But, his life revolves around furs and making items from the fur he 'catches.' And I am about to start a relationship with the man. Oh, my. The things I will do for my animal and my kids. :)

Yes, I'm Excited

On 30 September, K, myself, A, and her husband, will be at Target Center in Minneapolis at 7:30 PM. We will be getting ready to greet the Eagles as they come onstage!!! Hot damn! I just got the tickets and could only be more excited if they were tickets to a Red Wings' game. (Who am I kidding--I would probably be in a dead faint on the floor if I just bought Red Wing tickets!) This is almost--no, not quite--as exciting as when I bought the tickets to see Clapton.

In my early years, I wasn't a big Eagles' fan--K was one when we started dating, so I followed. Their music was DEFINITELY different than what I was a fan of, but I have come to appreciate them more and more with each passing year. (At the time I listened to Black Sabbath, Cream, Alice Cooper, Led Zepplin, etc, and had a lot of distain for 'Top 40'-type of music. I loved hard-, acid-rock--anything with great guitar riffs. Is it any wonder my love of Clapton borders on hero-worship?! ;)) A became a fan through default, I guess--she was held captive in the car while I played their CDs. :) She shares a lot of my musical tastes simply because that is all she heard in her early years. When I asked if her husband was going to come to the concert she said, "I don't care, I AM!!!"

This is definitely an event I didn't want to miss. After all, with all of the in-fighting they have done over the years, you never know WHEN their last public performance will be. It will be great to be able to share the experience with A--I will always regret her not being there for the Clapton concert. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to go at the time and I couldn't afford to treat her to a ticket--I HAD to sit on the floor and get as up close and personal as possible to Clapton as I could. (We had AMAZING seats to that concert--14th row on the floor, if I remember correctly.) All in all, it will be another memory of a lifetime. I can't wait.

Sometimes Squeaking Helps

The day before C and her family came into town the last time, we were having a conversation about what they were planning to do when they were here. She mentioned they were going to visit the children's museum and also mentioned the trouble they had the last time they went. All eight of them went to the museum together, and expected to pay the 'family rate' as was posted. It turns out that they were told families were two parents and up to four children. This seemed odd to C and her husband and they questioned it--and were told 'this one time' that they could get into the place for the family rate. Well, I had not heard this story before and it rather got my back up. The more I thought about it, the more I felt I needed to do something.

The first thing I did was to call the museum to see if I could confirm what the family rate was. Sure enough, the person I talked to told me the exact same thing. WTF??? I thought the reason for family rates was so large families could participate the same as small families can. I then called the YMCA to ask about THEIR family rate--and their's was the way I thought it should be. The policy at the YMCA is: A family consists of how ever many members live in the same household. (Or something along those lines.) So, with THAT straightened out--I thought maybe the policy of the museum was something unique to our city, which wouldn't have surprised me!--I decided to pursue this further. (I think our city motto is : Anything for a buck!)

My next step was to contact--by email--the director of the museum. Now, my email wasn't the most pleasant, but it definitely was NOT mean. I just questioned her as to why someone who decides to have a large family should be penalized because of it. Well, THAT got such a fast reply that I didn't even think anyone could type that quickly! She wanted more information and wanted to assure me that the policy of the museum was NOT as I was lead to believe. For the remainder of that afternoon, we emailed back and forth with her last email stating that she would get to the bottom of this the very next morning during their daily meeting. Wow.

The following morning I received another email from the director thanking me beyond words for brininging this whole matter to her attention. It seems as if the 'cheat sheet' the volunteers used DID state the pricing policy as C was told--and this was TOTALLY WRONG! Somehow or another, the sheet had been typed up incorrectly and who knows how long this had been going on. It just so happens that no one had bothered to take this up with the director before, so it couldn't be corrected until I told her about it. As an apology, she offered C and her family a free pass to the museum--and she thanked me over and over again. So this proves that--at least some times--the squeaky wheel DOES get the grease!

glitter-graphics.com

National Duran Duran Appreciation Day

After reading burg's comment on my 'Celebrate' post, I had to make sure that today we celebrate the BAND that is/was Duran Duran and not the character from 'Barbarella.' And it seems as if it IS the band we celebrate today. So, with that in mind, I give you 'Hungry Like A Wolf.' And here is where you can find links to many more of their songs. Sing it out!

Celebrate

And here are the celebrations for the week:

10 August
National Duran Duran Appreciation Day
S'mores Day

11 August
Play In The Sand Day

12 August
Sewing Machine Day
Vinyl Record Day

13 August
International Lefthanders' Day
National Underwear Day

14 August
Yukon Discovery Day

15 August
National Relaxation Day
Best Friends' Day
National Men's Grooming Day

16 August
Joke Day
Sandcastle Day

And So...

I am a very happy camper! Today we experienced what would normally be considered the first day of fall--if it was later in the year! The temp never got higher than 65 degrees and it is now 52. Absolute heaven. I know, there is something wrong with me. :)

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Talked to the youngest tonight while she was 'baby'-sitting. Her 'babies' were a male Westie named Itzhak and a female of mixed breeds named Delcie. The couple who own the dogs don't like to leave them alone for too many hours at a time, so they hire a babysitter for the evening. Unbelievable.

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Two months from tonight--9 October--I will be a very happy person: the Red Wings will have their season opener. The Stanley Cup banner will be raised that night, etc. Now THAT would be a game to be at! {sigh} It is getting harder and harder for me to go through a day without being able to look forward to a game. I need a life. :(

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I haven't been doing much online for the past few days, but I HAVE been on the computer. I finally decided to order--and received--my anniversary gift. I know I had a hard time deciding, but after realizing that I had some unwritten rules about the gift, the decision came easily. It had been suggested to me that I save up for a really spectacular gift at a later date, but my 'rules' wouldn't allow that. My 'rules' seem to be: the gift has to be something I WANT and not need; I must have immediate--or as close to--satisfaction as possible; and it has to be a bit of a luzury--as in an upgrade of something already owned, for example. So, this year, my anniversary gift wound up being--drum-roll, please--a Creative Zen X-Fi 32GB music/multimedia player. Awesome! Not only does it store 32GB of music, etc, but it also has a slot for an SD card--so even MORE room for music. There is an external speaker, so it can be listened to without earbuds--but the sound is much better (actually is spectacular) WITH the earbuds. It has an FM radio and enhanced X-Fi technology for sound. It also has wireless capability to transfer music from your home network. Quite a neat little piece of technology--and it is the NEWEST player Creative makes, so I am a happy little tech nerd! Here is a pic of my newest toy:
I have almost completed transferring EVERY piece of music that I own. I am loving this thing--it is nummy! :)

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Now for a few entries from the police log:

--10:23 AM, belligerent, cursing workers

Well, I guess if you have to work on Monday...


--10:57 AM, shirtless male yelling obscenities

I wonder if he knows the belligerent, cursing workers?


--11:35 AM, blue office chair found

I want to know where it was--and if 'a missing chair' report was called in.


--8:45 PM, used syringe needles found near property

SCARY!


--12:20 AM, bonfire in back yard

YIKES! And the area of the city where this is has houses EXTREMELY close together.

The Great Soap Opera

If you have been living under a rock or have been in space for the past so many days, then you haven't been aware of the Great Soap Opera. It involves Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. And it continues. And WILL continue throughout the football season. Every time Favre scratches his nose, it becomes 'breaking news.' The story is front-page news in our local newspaper. Every time the GB coach has something to say, the Wisconsin TV stations preempt regular programming. The early national news breaks for Favre's arrival in New York. Even the evening news talks about what is happening. Will it ever end? Will I be able to put up with much more of this? Will someone finally go 'postal' and put us all out of our misery? Stay tuned.

Great Insults

On Frozen Blog has come up with a great idea: a contest to find the best insults hurled at a ref during a hockey game. Some people are so damned creative. Here are some of my favs:

--If you had another eye you’d be a cyclops!
--Save a Deer: Shoot a Zebra
--Bend over and use your good eye!
--Hey ref, I thought only horses slept standing up!
--I’m blind, I’m deaf, I want to be a ref!
--Hey ref, I’m leaving with your wife — even she’s disgusted with you.
--Hey ref… get off your knees! you’re blowing the game!
--Were you the lookout at Pearl Harbor?
--Even PETA agrees - KILL THE ZEBRA!
--Hey ref, I think I’ve got your cell phone here… it says you have a bunch of missed calls!
--Hey ref, wanna borrow my phone so you can make a #$&%ing call?!?
--Hey ref! Next time buy dinner before you screw us!
--Smith! Your own mother doesn’t even love you!
--Hey ref - go back to Foot Locker!
--Hey ref! While you were out takin’ a whiz, there was a hockey game goin’ on!!!
--Ref, you suck like a newborn calf!!

And my favorite--yelled out by a 70-year-old woman:

--Hey ref — you must be pregnant, ’cause you’ve missed three periods!

You have GOTTA love your job to put up with this kind of abuse! :)

Time With Stanley

You can tell it is the off-season with the lack of real hockey stories. But, then, this IS about My Boy, so indulge me!

On Monday and Tuesday, VF had his time with the Stanley Cup. He brought it to his home town of Vantaa, which is a suburb of Helsinki. This isn't the first time the Cup has been in the area, however--Teemu Selanne brought it to Helsinki last year. I'm not sure just how many Finns have won the Cup over the years. The whole thing was well covered by the press--and it is all in Finn. With a little bit of translating luck, a site here in Michigan was able to get the gist of what was going on in the videos and articles. Finnish is one of the most difficult languages to learn and even the 'translator' programs online aren't able to do much with it, so what actually is going on is just a guess. However, after reading the 'translation' and watching the videos, I was able to recognize some words and the person who 'translated' seems to have done a decent job. VF was asked about his new contract (he isn't sure how he will spend his $15 million) and whether he was planning on taking the Cup for a sauna (he is) among other things.

I LOVE listening to the Finnish language--I think part of what is so fascinating to me is the fact that it is spoken so quickly. Natural-born Finns talk so fast that I don't know many people here who could follow along with a conversation, despite their life-long use of the language! And for that reason--and the fact that Baby Boy is so damn cute--I post this video of one of his interviews:

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135238352710

(By the way, don't you just LOVE all of the little blond Finnish kids in the pic? Just what so many of the kids look like around here! :))

True Friendship

I tried to not post this, but it is impossible. I am not a sentimental person--hell, I am a cold bitch, if truth be told--but THIS story and video made me reach for the tissues. If you haven't seen this yet, be forewarned. I present Christian the lion.

My First Job

When I was in high school, there really weren't a whole lot of jobs for teens. Those that got any job other than babysitting were lucky. To become a salad girl in a restaurant ten miles from our town was big time. The closest fast-food restaurant was 100 miles away and in a town of less than 1000 people, the jobs were few and far between. That is why my first job was something special--in so many ways.

The summer before I was a senior, I worked for our intermediate school district as a teacher's aid. The summer program was for mentally and emotionally handicapped people. More than a handful of the students were older than I was. I'm still amazed that as a 15-year-old I was able to talk my way into that job--I still don't know how I did it!

The summer program for these students lasted eight weeks. We were in the classroom for three weeks, then we were at Camp Wayoutinthewoods for one week--and repeated the same. This was the summer right after I had been to Camp for the first time. THAT part of the job sucked eggs big time. In a cabin full of mentally handicapped females, there were three aids, myself and two young college-age girls. And a lot of the students could barely do more than dress themselves without help. One girl got her period during the week--and couldn't take care of herself. Fun. Showering wasn't any better.

While I don't know how the classifications are today, the students I worked with that summer were considered 'educables' and trainables.' The 'educables' were a rung up the ladder in terms of what they could/would be able to do. They actually could be taught simple things up through the later elementary school level. The 'trainables' could be 'trained' to do things in a way that there would be no thinking involved--personal hygiene and living skills, basically. Most of the students I worked with could never be expected to live on their own--at best, they would be able to live in group homes and some wouldn't even be able to do that. Even after all these years, I still remember some of the students vividly.

Autism wasn't a term that most people had ever heard of during the time I worked with the mentally disabled--but I know now that at least two of the students were autistic. The girl who started her period while we were at camp probably was autistic. I remember her 'flapping' her arms like wings whenever she ran--one characteristic of autism. She also had no/very little vocal skills. I don't know if I ever heard her speak. There really was little or no social interaction with her. Thankfully, she never had any tantrums, that I remember. One boy, on the other hand, probably was a high-functioning autistic. He talked, but only about the things he was obsessed with: sewers/pipes/drainage ditches and alarm clocks. One day I had to follow him as he tried to find the end of the roadside-drainage ditch. I finally had to stop him--I didn't want to continue for 50 miles, something that HE would have done. While there wasn't much of a personal interaction with him, he at least talked and was very interesting. He, on the other hand, had meltdowns.

Quite a few of the students had Down's syndrome. I'm sure it is a cliche, but I found most Down's students very easy going and sweet--for the most part. One of the girls/women--she was MANY years older than me--was the sweetest person you could ever meet. She always had a smile and hug for you. And she would do anything she was asked--and do it very well. Her mother spent a lot of time making sure she was as self-sufficient as possible. I would have taken her home with me in an instant.

The student that I disliked the most that summer, had Down's. She was in her early twenties, was very large--approaching 200 pounds--and had parents that indulged her at every turn. She DEFINITELY didn't fit the cliche. Her personality was not sweet and she was very difficult to handle. And here is the story about her. In the classroom, there was a teacher and four aids--myself, two other girls and one guy. Part of the guy's job was to transport one or more students to school every day--and the one he had to transport always was this girl. One day he was driving--with her in the backseat--and she told him she didn't want to go to school. They were more than halfway to the school and he told her his turning around just wasn't going to happen. She insisted that she didn't want to go to school and he insisted she WAS going. After a couple of minutes of this, she leaned over the back of the seat--with her metal lunchbox raised--and screamed, "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY!!!!" Thankfully, they were at the school by this time and the teacher was able to take over and calm her down. Frightening.

Those eight weeks, way back then, taught me many things. I learned I COULD be around mentally handicapped people--and that I didn't want to be. In that I mean, I never wanted to be a special education teacher. While I don't have a prejudice against the mentally disabled, I also don't have the disposition to be around them all of the time. I found the whole thing to be too nerve-racking for me--that summer is when I began smoking full-time. I learned tolerance and compassion--which is a very good lesson at such a young age. And I learned that I could do much more than I thought. While those eight weeks weren't the most fun I ever had, they were very interesting and educational. I admire anyone who has the passion to work with the disabled--and am grateful that there are people who have the passion. It is something I could never do.

Oh My!

I can tell it is the off-season for hockey: several of the sites/forums/message boards that I read daily have posted about Zetterberg's engagement. Now, this isn't so unusual except for the fact that almost all of the people posting on these sites are male. And while I COULD make an argument that the guys are only interested because of the nekkid pics of her, that doesn't make sense. During the days after the Cup win, there was an unusual amount of interest in VF's girlfriend/fiancee and what her relationship to HIM was. And there are NO nekkid pics of HER. I guess there are a whole lot of girly men out there. No, it just proves that men gossip as much, if not more, than women. :)


--Henrik Zetterberg and Emma Andersson. Photo by Rebecca Cook--

HA!!

Celebrate

Celebrations for the week:

3 August
Watermelon Day
Sister's Day
Friendship Day

4 August
National Chocolate Chip Day

5 August
National Night Out

6 August
Wiggle Your Toes Day
National Fresh Breath (Halitosis) Day

7 August
Lighthouse Day
Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day

8 August
National Waffle Day
The Date To Create
Happiness Happens Day
Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

9 August
National Garage Sale Day

It's Hard To Say Goodby

It is always a sad day when one has to break it off with a friend who has outlived all usefulness. Years of closeness, keeping of secrets, going everywhere together--all has come to an end. But I must move on.

Okay, before you start feeling sorry for me, I must explain. My friend is not a person OR a pet--it is my Palm Zire 72. After four+ years, I have had to put it to rest. It doesn't want to keep a charge anymore and the thing is just too darn big. It is more than twice as big as my cell phone and it feels like a brick sitting in my purse. And frankly, I don't use it very much anymore. Other than using the calendar to schedule appointments, it just sits.

The Zire is the third or fourth Palm I have owned--can't remember for sure. When I got my first one, I thought it was the greatest invention ever. I carried around every piece of vital information I could possibly ever need PLUS I always had a game or two on it for whenever I got bored. With my Zire I also had a music player--which I only used a couple of times--and a camera--which I ALWAYS forgot I had. I had a program where I could write Word documents and much, much more. It was my lifeline and I always felt 'naked' without it.

It is unbelievable to think that the Zire had more processing power than our first computer. And yet, it seems so slow to me these days. My cell phone does things faster--even though it is in a much different way. The last couple of days I have transferred all of my contacts, calendar, etc, to my phone so that the Zire can retire in peace. I will have to be satisfied with the differences between the phone and the Zire--that is until Nokia comes out with a smartphone!

Rest in peace, my friend. I'll miss you!

5 More Years

Yes. Yes! YES!! YES!!! YES!!!! The Red Wings have signed Valtteri Filppula for 5 years/$15 million. My Baby Boy is staying at home. I am a truly happy woman today. Now let's start the damn season already!

--Detroit Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula, is shown in this June 4, 2008 photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn--

Police Log

Can you believe it? Two days in a row! :)


--Monday, 12:33 PM, car alarm going off since Saturday

Excuse me?!?!?!?!?! You wait TWO FREAKING DAYS to call about a car alarm that is blaring? WHERE is the logic?


--3:37 PM, squirrel in fireplace

Really now, is THIS a problem for the police?


--8:19 PM, disorderly juveniles swimming and climbing flag pole

Why would swimming be bad? I think this is just very badly worded.


--1:45 AM, destruction of property, people writing in new cement

I understand the destruction of property call, but HOW long does it take for cement to harden? This happened at 1:45 in the MORNING! I'm sure the cement was poured MANY hours before that!

Police Log

For some reason or other, the stupid police calls have stopped around here. All I have been seeing are about drunks and failure to pay for gas, etc. Very, very dull, boring stuff. But there is always hope and I was rewarded for my patience over the past couple of days. I now present the police logs:


--11:08 PM, woman with finger stuck in ironing board

Ouch? But, HOW do you do this? And why do you call the police?

--1:56 PM, lost cell phone and envelope containing bridge cards

Okay, I understand the cell phone, but lost bridge cards????

And now for the 'stupidest person in the world' award--AND an award for 'making lemonade when you are handed lemons':

--1:55 AM, caller reported orange light on lake, possible boater in distress, turned out to be the moon rising, but officer found minors partying on beach

Really, we AREN'T all this stupid around here!

OOOOOOO-EEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOO!!

A couple of weeks before I had my LASIK done, we purchased a Tomtom GPS system. It was one of the best purchases we ever made. It got us to the clinic where I had the surgery done with NO trouble at all and has gotten us everywhere we wanted to go with only one exception. The Tomtom didn't have directions for us when we went to my family reunion, but that isn't a real surprise. It was held in an EXTREMELY rural area which recently had its roads re-named for fire safety purposes.

Today--for the second time since we got it--the Tomtom turned itself on and announced, "Turn left now!" (We don't keep it in the Jimmy for fear it will be stolen.) K was in the kitchen when it happened and really had a bit of a startled look on his face. The first time it happened, I was home alone and I don't think he completely believed me when I told him the story.

After a great deal of thought, I have come to one conclusion as to why it turns itself on like it does: Our house-ghost wants to cross over and doesn't know the directions--the Tomtom is just trying to help. :)

6 Things I'm Proud Of Meme

Janet tagged me for this one. I won't tag anyone specifically, but it would be interesting to read what ALL of my readers have to say--go for it!

Here are my six--in no particular order.

1. I am extremely proud of my Finnish heritage. The Finnish people are amazing and I am glad to be one of them. The amount of 'sisu' they have has been passed to me--I DO hang in there for the long haul! It takes a special kind of person to live in the harsh climates of Finland AND they DID beat the Russians during the Winter War. For whatever reason, the Finns were looked at as 'lacking' and 'dumb' by the Southern European peoples that also lived where I grew up. Don't know why, but that was the way it was. Many people that I grew up with turned their backs on their Finnish heritage and only 'remembered' another branch of their family, but I never did. And, considering I am 100% Finn, I guess I couldn't turn my back on my 'Finn-ness.' :) (And this in no way makes me any less proud to be an American. THAT is something so very different in my mind.)

2. I am proud to say that I have been married only once and that we have been married for 35 years this October. (Please, I am NOT dissing anyone who has been divorced.) I guess my 'sisu' is at work on this accomplishment. :) There have been several times when I thought we wouldn't make it, but we have. We love each other just as much--probably more--as when we got married, but it is a different kind of love. We now are comfortable with each other--and that isn't bad. We like to spend time together, but we also can spend time apart--there isn't that 'neediness' associated with our early years. That being said, I can't imagine life without K--and I hope I never have to know what it would be like.

3. I am proud of my daughters. While there were some VERY rough times with each one--times where there was NO communication at all--we did come through it stronger and closer. Both of my girls have amazing musical abilities that I envy beyond words and they each have personalities that I would die for. Whenever I see them in social situations, I take notes--they are who I want to be! I am proud to see a little of myself in each one--it shows that I DID teach them some things. I am constantly amazed whenever I see them doing something I used to do, something I was SURE they never GOT--I didn't do too badly as a mother, after all.

4. I am proud of the things I can do--and the fact that so many of them I taught myself. I am a very good seamstress--and I taught myself to sew. On an old treadle sewing machine! I am very good at crocheting--something my oldest friend and I taught ourselves to do out of boredom. I embroider, make jewelry, bake, cook, scrapbook, etc--all things I taught myself. Most of what I know about computers I taught myself. The gardens I have planted have been a learning experience--and I taught myself. (I must admit I had one GORGEOUS mum garden before I killed it. Oops--nothing to be proud of, I guess.) I also do floral arranging, but I have taken classes for that. :)

5. I am proud that I have broken free of my family. Now, many will find that statement awful, but read on. All my life had been about family and being together. But, it was IMMEDIATE family only--The Parents, The Brother and his family, and my family. That is all--NO extended family whatsoever--unless it was someone from The Mother's family that she thought was worthy. And the 'wanting to be together' was out of guilt, not out of any desire to be there. The Mother is a pro when it comes to making people feel guilty. I broke away and am much happier today. Which leads me to the last point...

6. I am proud that I am no longer under The Mother's power. The world sees her as a wonderful, loving, caring, giving woman who would do anything for you that she could. And, yes, that describes her to a 'T'--except to those who see her 'behind the scenes.' She will give of herself, do volunteer work, have people over, but she bitches, pisses, and moans the entire time to those she is closest to. She is also the most manipulative person I have ever known. The 'dirty work' I have done for her because of her manipulation is amazing. I have made enemies because of her. I have made phone calls and told people to leave her alone because 'her nerves can't take it' and I have come off as the bitch of the world--the whole while she sits and has EVERYONE--including the person I bitched out--feel sorry for her. She is so good at manipulation, that most people don't even realize it is happening. I have seen her 'interrogate' people and they tell her things--GLADLY--that they possibly wouldn't even tell a therapist--and she gets away with it ALL OF THE TIME! BUT, I found the strength to break free of her--and am living a much healthier, happier life.

I know I could have written about any of the volunteer jobs I have had or any number of selfless things I have done--there HAVE been a couple :)--but I thought these would make a much more interesting read. AND it gave a bit more insight into me.

Links

It is Saturday, K is at work, I have nothing much to do, so here I am surfing the web. And, that means I have more links!

--How To Fold A Shirt
Okay, this is a very short, very fast video--AND it is in Japanese (?). I watched it over and over again until I was able to get the 'fold a shirt' thing to work, but work it does! AMAZING! Shirts actually come out looking good with this method.

--Cake Wrecks
This site hasn't been up too long--thank goodness! This makes it very easy to read ALL of the posts--and read them all you must. This blogger posts pictures of decorated cakes that people actually paid for--and there are some very bad cakes here. I had to keep myself from peeing my pants several times--very funny stuff.

--Bomomo
There is a better than even chance that you will only visit this site once, but it is fun the one time. You start with a blank canvas and by using your mouse and the buttons on the bottom of the screen, you can paint your own one-of-a-kind picture. Quite neat.

--The Credit Card Prank
Have you ever used your credit card/debit card and had to sign your name on the slip? Does your signature in any way resemble your normal one OR the one that is on the back of your card? Well, one guy decided to see just how badly he could sign and get away with it. Here is the story of his credit card prank--a bit long, but definitely worth reading. Make sure you read all the way through Part II--he meets the electronic credit card machines and CONTINUES to get away with his experiment.

--The Internet? Bah!
Way back in 1995, Newsweek ran this article by Clifford Stoll. It is so much fun to look back on people's 'predictions' about how computers and the internet are going to impact our lives in the future. This is just one person who was SO wrong!

--Fundrace 2008
So, just how nosy are you? Do you really dislike your neighbors--and would you like another reason to dislike them? This site will tell you who gave what amount of money to which candidate in this year's presidential race. OR you can find out if your favorite celebrity contributes. Either way, this is one fascinating site.

Celebrate

And here are this week's reasons to celebrate:

27 July
Take Your Houseplant For A Walk Day
Walk On Stilts Day

28 July
Hamburger Day
National Milk Chocolate Day
Singing Telegram Day

29 July
Rocket day

30 July
Cheesecake Day

31 July
Jump For Jellybeans Day

1 August
Girlfriend's Day
Spiderman Day
Work Like a Dog Day
World Wide web Day

2 August
National Mustard Day

{sigh}

When we went up north for my family reunion, it was the first time I had been there since I had LASIK done. After sitting at The Mother's kitchen table for about a half hour, K came in and asked her, "Did you notice that C isn't wearing glasses?" She looked at me and asked, "Did you have THAT surgery?" "Yes, I did." Well, I'll tell you what I told your brother after he had his done: You look MUCH better WITH glasses than without."

There is a T-shirt I plan on getting. It says: "If you met my family, you'd understand."

So Sad

Masks

I find goalie masks to be absolutely fascinating--and could even be considered quite beautiful in some cases. I guess my fascination began way back when Gerry Cheevers was the goalie for the Boston Bruins. His mask looked like this:


Cheevers was the first goalie to decorate his mask. After he took a shot to his face during practice, the trainer painted stitches on the mask where he would have gotten cut if he hadn't been wearing a mask. After that, stitches were added after every face shot. And that was the beginning.

I believe every goalie in the NHL--as well as college, etc--has a painted mask these days. That is, except for Chris Osgood from Detroit. He now stands out because of the lack of artwork--which he prefers. Not much to look at, but unique.


Most goalie masks have some meaning for the wearer. Some are deeply personal and most have a connection to the team he plays for. ALL are very interesting, colorful, and, no doubt, horrendously expensive!

Cam Ward--Carolina Hurricanes

Manny Fernandez--Boston Bruins

Rick DiPietro--New York Islanders


Nikolai Khabibulin--Chicago Blackhawks


Manny Legace--St. Louis Blues


Josh Harding--Minnesota Wild

You can find a photo-gallery of 39 masks here--these were from last season. Here is another gallery from SI--from a couple of years ago, I think. You will find some of the same masks and a few different ones. Some of the goalies pictured in these galleries are no longer in the NHL or with the teams listed. Always changing.

As I said, there are reasons for what is painted on a goalie's mask and here you can find the stories behind some. (Click on the picture to zoom in and read the captioning.) A very interesting read.

And for the person who wants even MORE to look at, here is a listing of past masks. Again, some are just amazing.

Sadly

It was announced that Estelle Getty--best known as 'Sophia' in 'The Golden Girls'--passed today. She had been in ill health for quite a while, so it isn't exactly surprising. She was 84. mental_floss has re-run an article about the show in honor of Estelle. Avery interesting read, as they all are at mental_floss.

Let's Get Ready To Ramble!!!!

I haven't really done any posts worth reading for a few days, so I will TRY to write something halfway decent. Here goes.

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We went for one of our road trips this weekend. Last month when we went during the weekend, things worked out decently--not that many people in the restaurants or shopping. At least not so many that I was TOO cranky. This weekend was a different story. No really good stories, just too many irritating people around--enough to make me REALLY happy that I don't carry a gun.

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Last night we went to an authentic Mexican record--authentic in the way that ALL of the employees were NOT American. GREAT food! Our waiter made a fresh salsa right in front of us--to DIE for. I had a chicken taco salad that I could eat every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of. Yum.

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Didn't do much in the way of special shopping except for getting a new pair of Birkenstocks. I didn't get any new ones last year and was due. I REALLY needed new ones after the great volcanic toilet incident. My one pair of Birks didn't make it through very well--seeing as I couldn't clean them, I had to throw them away. Considering how comfortable the new ones are, I guess I have to continue spending the big bucks for them--not much else fits well on my 'cabbage-patch doll' shaped feet.

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Last night in downtown Appleton there was a 'classic car cruise.' Anyone with a classic car drove up and down the main drag for all to see. There were people sitting on the sidewalks as if a parade was going on. Really cool. There were some very nice rides, for sure. I wish we would have known ahead of time and could have sat and watched, too. It would be nice if they did this here in our town.

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One of the best parts of last night was the looking at old pictures we did. When we were getting ready for C's 30th birthday party, we had to look through old pictures and came across several of our friends. We have decided to give any pics we come across to the people who they were of--we figured THEY would appreciate them more than we do. This will save a lot of trouble in the future--like after K and I are no longer on this earth. After my aunt died, it was discovered that she had about an inch of old pictures in the bottom of her trunk--and NO ONE knew who any of the people were. How sad is that--pictures that could be given to families and no way to know who would want them. Hopefully I will be able to keep my kids from having this dilemma in the future. Anyway, we had a GREAT time laughing at what we looked like way back when. And to think we actually thought we looked good. :) Old pictures--always good for a laugh.

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Since having my LASIK done, I have realized that I can't put my make-up on without a magnifying mirror. Not a big problem at home: I HAVE a mirror that works. However, I didn't have one for when we travel. Of course, I had to go out and buy a traveling mirror--NOT cheap. Trouble is, it really didn't matter whether I had a magnifier or not--I STILL don't look that great. :) I REALLY need to make an appointment with my make-up consultant--the circles under my eyes are terribly noticeable since getting rid of the glasses.

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I've decided to pick up two new shows to watch this summer. First is 'Mad Men' on AMC. It will be starting its second season next Sunday, so I have had to record the entire first season today to catch up. Fun. But, I watched the very first episode and got hooked, sooooooo.....

The second show I'm going to start watching just aired the third episode on Thursday. I remember thinking of watching it this past winter on the CBC, where it started, but I was too into the programs I started at the beginning of the fall AND it was hockey season, so I passed. Well, I saw part of the show on Thursday and now I HAVE to watch it. It is the PERFECT summer show--a REAL guilty pleasure. It is the sleaziest form of soap opera and looks to be so over the top to put it in the 'campy' category. The show is called 'MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives.' WHAT could be more perfect for me? Of course, it is just about as real as a puck-bunny's dreams of meeting and marrying her favorite player, but the guys they have as the players are very nice eye-candy, so it should be a fun watch. Thankfully SoapNet--where the show is being run--re-ran the first three episodes tonight, so I was able to record.

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There are two sayings that I have heard for my entire life that I don't understand, at all:

'He talks like a man with a paper ass.'

'Go piss up a rope.'

HUH?? Does anyone understand what these mean? Obviously, they both are insults, I just don't know what they reference. If anyone knows. please let me know.

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And so you have it, my Sunday ramblings. Hope the wait was worth it. ;)

Celebrate

A day late, but--the celebrations for this week:

20 July
National Ice Cream Day
National Lollipop Day

21 July
Cow Appreciation Day
National Get Out of the Doghouse Day

22 July
Health, Happiness With Hypnosis Day
Rat-Catchers Day

23 July
Ice Cream Cone Day
Gorgeous Grandma Day
Hot Enough For Ya Day

24 July
National Drive-thru Day
Tell An Old Joke Day

25 July
Merry-Go-Round Day
Day Out of Time

26 July
National Cowboy Day

More Hockey

Today the worst kept secret in the NHL was finally made official: The Red Wings and Blackhawks will play the next Winter Classic on 1 January 2009 at Wrigley Field. The announcement was anti-climactic to say the least.

The 2008-09 hockey schedule was supposed to be released today, but it won't be out till tomorrow. What I DO know is that the home opener for the Wings will be on 9 October against Toronto. They will raise the Stanley Cup champs banner that night. I would assume they will sell out the Joe. :)

Still no contract signing by my Baby Boy. There really isn't any word as to what the sticking points are, but it seems likely to be the length of the contract. Holland says he has offered both a long-term and short-term deal. We'll see what happens. I figure a short-term deal will be made--that would be to VF's advantage. If he does very well during the years of his contract, he could negotiate for a much larger raise. Although, the security of a long-term deal is very nice, also. I just hope he has a good agent and not one that is looking out for himself more than for his client.

It Was Time

After 16 years in the NHL, Dallas Drake announced his retirement today. He was drafted by the Red Wings in 1989--NOT 1898!--and played for Winnipeg, Phoenix, and St. Louis, as well as the Wings. He had thought about retiring last year, but decided to try for the Stanley Cup one more time and came back to play with the Wings. Good decision! :) Enjoy the rest, Dally, and thanks for the memories:

The Wings Old?

We are still getting all of the Stanley Cup stuff a fan needs in order to remember the winning season--as if I COULD forget! Last week I got a commemorative magazine and while reading it, I was amazed at all of the horrid typos. Obviously, it was put out JUST to get on the bandwagon of the Wings' win, so I understood--kind of. I STILL can't understand how they were able to publish a mag that had Henrik Zetterberg's name listed as 'Richard,' though--I mean, he is one of the best (if not THE best) player in the league right now. Despite what the Canadian media has to say.

Anyway, I ordered the book the Red Wing organization put out saluting the win/team last week. Today we got it. K sat down and was leafing through it when he started to laugh hysterically. "I KNOW Dallas Drake has been playing hockey for a long time, but I didn't know it has been THIS long," he said. The book said the Wings drafted him in 1898! I guess I HAVE to admit that the Wings are old if this is the case. ;)

Two Things That Don't Go Together

C called yesterday to tell me about the almost three-year-old and almost five-year-old. They decided to play 'beauty salon.' And they had scissors. Yeah--scissors and pre-schoolers: don't belong together. The four-year-old will be able to have her hair cut enough to disguise/fix the haircut her sister gave her--the two-year-old isn't very good with scissors. However, the two-year-old will just have to wait a while for her hair to come back--like three years or so. The two-year-old has the fine-Finnish-fairy-fur mullet that most kids outgrow by the time they are one--except for Finnish kids, that is--and half of the back part of the mullet is missing. Pretty much all the way down to the scalp. You have to admire the four-year-old's scissor skills--she managed to give the haircut without harming her sister at all. I haven't seen pictures yet, but I'm sure they will bring back memories--after all, don't ALL kids cut hair at one point or another?

glitter-graphics.com

Links

You can tell it is a Saturday and I have nothing to do--read that as 'I don't want to do anything--because I have been surfing the interweb and have found some neat sites. Here are some links that are interesting and fun.

--Instructables
This site has instructions for just about everything. You can learn how to make sweet tea or how to make a 1000 watt wind turbine--and everything in between. This is a site where you can waste lots of time, but not feel guilty afterwards. Hey, you're learning something while 'wasting' time--gotta love it!

--Fakebuddy
Are you lonely and wish SOMEONE would email you? Then you need to get yourself a fake buddy! You read that right: when you sign up at this site, you will be assigned a fake buddy to send you emails throughout the week. This way, when you say you have to check if your friend emailed, you won't be lying! (If you upgrade your subscription for a fee, the emails will be more personalized.)

--Deep-Fried Twinkies
So this is JUST a recipe, but I needed to add it. I have NEVER eaten a deep-fried Twinkie, but as soon as I see one, I WILL have it. I KNOW it will be a very disappointing experience, but one I must have. Doesn't it sound like it would be the ultimate eating experience? I don't plan on making my own, but if I have to wait too long to find one, I may have to.

--The Something Store
Do you like surprises? Do you like gifts? This is the site for you. The idea is, you send them $10 and they send you a gift. You just don't know what you are buying. Period. However, they DO show a list of some of the things that were sent out over the past 25 shipping days and most are VERY impressive. I just may have to try this one.

Celebrate

Our holidays for this week:

13 July
International Puzzle Day
Embrace Your Geekness Day
Gruntled Workers Day

14 July
International Town Criers Day

15 July
Gummi Worm Day
Baby Food Day

16 July
National Personal Chef's Day

17 July
Get To Know Your Customers Day

18 July
National Ice Cream Day
Cow Day

19 July
Toss Away The "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day
Woodie Wagon Day

Hearing Set and 'I Told You So!'

The arbitration hearing has been set for Baby Boy on 1 August. Holland is still confident that a deal will be made before they actually get to it. He said they are offering either a long-term or short-term deal for VF to decide on. While several Wings have filed for arbitration over the years, only one has made it through to the actual hearing--which the Wings won. He was traded away shortly after.

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In the 'I told you so' category: Brett Favre wants to come back. He has asked the Packers to release him so he can go to another team. I laughed so hard when I heard this. I told K when his retirement was announced that it wouldn't stick--again. Why am I even mentioning this? We get so many of our TV stations from Wisconsin and this is HUGE news there. It will almost be interesting to see how this is played out. Almost.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

My dear, sweet, wonderful, online daughter, burg, has presented me with a new award--and I am THRILLED! She so very nicely says: "I enjoy everything she writes, I truly do.. I'm even learning a little more about hockey too.. ;)" How sweet. (By the way, burg, if you keep it up you WILL be discussing the necessity of subscribing to the NHL Center Ice package with your hubby--just so you can REALLY understand what I'm talking about! :))

While I cannot give this award back to burg, I do have five people I want to pass this along to. Here are the rules:


1. Pick five blogs you consider deserving of this award, whether for creativity, design, interesting material, or contributions to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Name each nominee and link to his/her blog.

3. Show the award and include the name (and link to his/her blog) of whoever presented you with this award.

4. Link to the Arte y Pico blog so everyone knows the origin of this award.

5. Post these rules.

And now my five picks:

1. First, as always, is meleah. Not only does she have a very fascinating life story, she is one gifted writer. From laughing out loud to crying real tears, I run the gamut of emotions with her posts. She is a good friend.

2. I have to give this award to janet. I'm sure she doesn't feel as if her deafness defines her--and I hope she doesn't mind that I bring it up--but every time I remember that she is, I am amazed by her all over again. Anyone living well with a 'condition' or 'disability' that would cause the rest of us to curl up in a fetal position and hide in the corner, are my heroes. And, besides, she is a mid-westerner, so she qualifies as 'family.' :)

3. I must, must, must give this award to Olga, the traveling bra. Olga travels the world and blogs about it--as simple as that. It is always a 'trip' to read about her adventures.

4. Kristi is being given this award because she makes some beautiful stained-glass creations. And if that wasn't enough, she, also, is a mid-westerner, so it goes without saying that she gets an award. :)

5. I'm sending this to Virgina Belle, also. She is a single, young female making her way in this world with a job, boyfriend, dog, and house--and she lets us into her life with her blog. As I never was any of these things--well, I WAS young once--I find myself living vicariously through her. Her blog is private, but if you ask her very politely, she just may let you read it, too.


Make sure and visit all of these blogs--they all are great places to visit.