Monday, March 31, 2008

Monday, Monday

Monday morning and it's off to the races. I have such a busy schedule on Monday. It is grocery shopping day, laundry, mall walking, drugstore shopping, dusting and vacuuming day.
Then when Kevin gets home and says "what did you do today?" I will say "nothing much." What a liar! That is a ton of stuff to do in one day.
Why do we women so often put our daily accomplishments down as nothing much? I know I'm not the only one who does it. Doing the laundry alone is a big deal. Even when there are only two of you or one for that matter! It doesn't really give you a lot of time for sitting around. Sometimes I read a book during the wash cycles but usually I am dusting or sorting or folding, oh, you know!
Dusting is not that big of a deal. Then why do we all hate it so much? I'll tell you why. IT IS NEVER DONE!! A lot of housework is like that and I guess that is why it is such a(pardon the expression) chore. It kills me when I have just done a whole day's worth of laundry and I have to throw my undies in the hamper at the end of the day. Just like when you wash the dishes and then you go out in the family room and there is the one glass you overlooked!
Daily grind is a grind. I don't know anyone who goes around doing the house work singing and dancing. Oh, except Snow White and we all know how dumb she was. (after all, she did take an apple from a scary old witch) Most of us just take a deep breath and just do it. Kinda like NIKE. or is it Reebok?? You kinda put yourself on auto pilot and the next thing you know, you smell like Mr. Clean and you have gone through 6 Swiffers and as soon as somebody walks in the door it will all go to pot.
I knew being a housewife had its drawbacks. I never was one until I retired and I just knew I would take the time to do all the things I didn't have time for when I worked. My house would be spotlessly organized and I would be Mrs. Clean.(No relation to Mr. Clean. I just don't want a bald head and one earring) Well, it didn't work out quite that way.
You see, there are all those books I never had time to read. There are all the pictures I never put into scrapbooks. There are all the movies I never got to see. There are my soaps to finally catch up on and not get lost because I have to go back to work and then something major happens and I missed it. There are three hour lunches and drives to malls I never went to when I worked.
You can see I have been entirely too busy to be Mrs. Clean, so I have made peace with Mrs. Sortaclean.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Getting Enlightened Part Deux

So I haven't told you about my enlightenment journey for awhile now so I thought I would bring you up to date. Becoming enlightened takes time and patience. One I have plenty of and I'll let you figure out which one that is!! If you know me, it is not much of a thought process.
Anyway, I have been going to my Oprah class and trying to ignore those ads(still the same ones, still the Post-it girl whose passion is reading) and listening for the words to inspire me to be a better person.
I am not doing this for anyone else. I am doing it solely for me. I want to live a life of peace and contentment. I want to accept and live with the decisions I have made in the past and not worry about the ones I will make in the future.
I am trying really hard not to put myself down as this is a function of the ego according to my class. So in that vein, I have stopped getting on the scale. Isn't that a good idea? Every time I gain a pound I suffer from guilt and remorse so I just won't get on the scale.
Wait, what was that you asked me?
Why don't I just watch what I eat and then I wouldn't have to worry about the scale anyway?
That, my friend, is your ego talking and I will choose to ignore what you are thinking and just remember that you cant help yourself as you are a product of an "egoic "world.
Also I learned about my pain body. According to my class we seek out people who have compatible pain bodies to our own. I am still being nice to everyone though as I am not exactly sure what my pain body is except I am getting fat. Oh wait, that isn't supposed to bother me anymore.
I don't like the idea of having a pain body. It sounds like something that is heavy and hard to drag around all the time. I am hoping they are going to teach me how to get rid of it because I felt a lot better before I knew I had one!
Isn't becoming enlightened a fun ride?? I still have six more classes to attend so I am sure I will have all the answers in just a few weeks and i will be happy to share them with you. In the meantime, I will not look at the scale, eat what I want and be nice to everybody.
And if that doesn't work, I will just hold on to my pain body and do the best I can!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

John and Joe

Have you noticed that John McCain has a new buddy? It is Joe Lieberman, the old vice president nominee. He was at McCain's side on his trip overseas. He was seen whispering into McCain's ear at every turn.
What is up with that? Do they go everywhere together now? I don't have anything against Joe Lieberman, mind you. I don't really know anything about him. I just don't think any candidate should have a "wing man" telling him what to say or how to say it or how to correct it. He did it when McCain said Iran harbored Al-Kaida terrorists. That was one time the press publicly noted his interference.
Since then I have seen him on numerous occasions, talking into McCain's ear right in the public eye like it was a normal, every day occurrence. He's like McCain's Jiminy Cricket!
I can just hear him.
JL: Excuse me , John, but you don't want to say that. We are in the Middle East. You should know the difference between Iran and Iraq. Be careful what you say. We don't want your nose growing, now do we?
JMc: Huh? This isn't Pennsylvania?
JL: Uh, John, you already won the nomination. We don't have to go to Pennsylvania.
JMc: Oh, yeah.
I read an op/ed piece the other day about John McCain answering that now famous"3a.m. phone call." The writer put Joe Lieberman in bed with McCain and his wife. Not for any reason except to advise him on what he should do. Poor Mrs. McCain.
Mrs. McC: Joe, what the...?
JL: Sorry, Cindy, but we don't want him to blow it.
JMc: Who goes there?
Mrs. McC: It's just Joe, honey.
JMc: Well, quit hogging the covers!
I don't know about you but I want the president to say whatever he says to be his own words. I know they all have advisers but let them stay in the background and out of sight where they belong.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Stealing Childhood

I just saw a news story about a website called Miss Bimbo.com. At this website(which is very popular in France and England with little girls starting at age 8) a girl can take diet pills and get plastic surgery so her avatar can be the "perfect" weight and have the "perfect" look.
I wont even bother to expound upon the fact that this site was created by two young men. You can draw your own conclusions from that. My point is once again we are robbing children of their childhoods. What little girl, age 8, should be worried about perfection? How can we even introduce the concept of diet pills and plastic surgery to a child even if it is only in a virtual setting?
Childhood is a time when there should be no superficial worries. Childhood is a time to explore and learn and experiment with one's environment. Kids should be outdoors riding bikes and skipping ropes. Kids should be having experiences like carving a pumpkin or dying eggs. They should have time with other kids learning how to get a long and work as a team.
Kids are such a precious commodity and we are wasting them. We are in such a rush to make them independent and grown up. We want them to make their own decisions and then only the right ones.
Childhood is the time to make mistakes. It should be safe to do so. It is the time when you call you great aunt "old" to her face and tell your best friend that you don't like her anymore you like somebody else better. Children need to see the consequences of their actions in the real world and begin to decide the kind of adult they want to be. You can't do that in the virtual world.
Kids spend so much time in solitary activities like watching television and using the computer that they have little time to interact with peers. They don't get into the little spats that children should have so they learn how to disagree but still work together. They need to see the effect that their words and actions have on other children for good and bad.
All those childhood experiences teach one to function in society as an adult. Without those experiences, what kind of society will these children form. Virtual reality is fun but you can't live there forever.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Come Fly With Me

I met my friends,M and J, those beautiful and thin women who are such good friends of mine, for lunch. I was a little late because I was flying. No, really.
My sister told me about a website called secondlife.com and I finally went there to start my second life. We read an article about a woman who had a singing career there and it piqued our interest. So I made an avatar(a tiny little me) and off I went to what they call Orientation Island. I was going along slowly and carefully because I am new to this and I feel a little intimidated. I was doing all right too. I followed the signs they had for you and learned a little more at each link.
Then came the link of my dreams! You could fly. Like Superman. Just like I had always dreamed. I have had flying dreams my whole adult life. I have flown after enemies and chased them through the woods. I have flown just for the joy of the wind in my hair and the feeling of lightness. Just think of the freedom! The whole idea thrills me to the core.
Anyway, I was supposed to fly from the spot I was in to a red beacon. I couldn't see a beacon on my screen so I thought maybe I had to get going and it would appear so I took off. You had to press the up and down buttons and the arrow buttons to move around and it was a little hard and required concentration. I was doing ok until I realized I still didn't see the beacon and I suddenly started going up and over and around and I tried to retrace my steps and find my way back to where I started and suddenly I was in the sky and it was black and the stars were out and I think I was in outer space so I panicked and tried to get back. After flying around a bit I finally saw another person hovering around so I went to ask for help.
Well, the guy was a hawk guy. He had a hawk face but I still asked him and he just typed back a?. He didn't get what I was saying so I tried again. You can see the little avatar typing--the little arms go up and down-- so he was taking a while so I thought I would just go up a little to see what else was around and all of a sudden I was flying all over the place and I couldn't get back to the hawk guy. He must really think I am rude or dumb or both. OH, well.
Anyway just about that time I heard the beginning strains of All My Children from the TV and OHMYGOSH I was supposed to be at lunch at 1:00! Lucky for me, we met close to my house so I wasn't that late. I explained to J and M why I was late a little later and you have never seen two women laugh so much! I told them the whole story and also that half way to the restaurant, I realized I had left myself hanging in thin air! What a goofball!
Just think if any other person came by me. It would sound something like this.
New Avatar: Hello
Susan: SILENCE
New Avatar: I said hello
Susan: Silence
New Avatar: What is the matter with you?
Susan: Silence
New Avatar: You BI-OTCH!!!
Susan: Silence
Oh, dear. I probably have a reputation of a stuck up snob now and I was only there one time! Oh well, I'm no Superman!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Eeny,Meeny, Miney,Mo

Last night we were both tired and decided to just watch a little television not really caring what was on. I was reading a novel and Kevin was perusing the paper while the TV was on. After a little while, the genital herpes girl came on. You know her, she wants to be careful and so does her boyfriend(especially him, he doesn't have it) We HATE that ad so we muted it and continued reading after discussing how much we hate that ad.
We watched and read companionably until the fibromyalgia woman came on. She is so fragile and everything hurts so much but she has managed to write a journal that is as thick as a dictionary. We HATE that ad so we muted it after discussing how much we hate that woman. We discussed how annoying she is and wussy after we muted the ad.
Now don't think we are cruel and think genital herpes is the consequence of bad behavior or that fibromyalgia is all in your head. We don't think that at all. But the ads! Why, why,why?
Then came the highlight of the evening--the Viagra boys. I'm sure you've seen them. They have their own band now. They are so annoying they make us want to scream. So once again, we used the mute button until it was over and our show resumed.
So now the question is this?? Which one is the most annoying? The herpes girl, the fybromyalgia woman, or the Viagra boys? I am taking an informal poll so if you read this blog let me know what you think. It only takes a second to open a Google account and it doesn't cost a cent. Oh, who am I voting for? I'll let you know--the jury is still out.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Be Careful What You Ask For

I always wanted satin sheets for my bed. To me, they sounded like the height of luxury. Imagine the softness against your skin... The smooth coolness against your skin... Your head sliding off the pillow five times a night...WHAT????
Oh yes, I finally got satin sheets. They are beautiful. The are a golden yellow that match my bedspread perfectly. They are a shiny/not so shiny stripe. They are generous enough that they don't come off the corners of the bed during the night. The pillow cases are plenty big enough for our king size pillows. They were on a deep discount sale so they were even a bargain.
Some bargain. The first night my head slipped off my pillow about 20 times. I am getting better. I must hold my head a lot stiller but the upshot of that is I have a crick in my neck.
In the morning I have to strip the bed down to the bottom sheet because somehow in the night one of us (we share the blame) has pulled the entire sheet into a tight little wad on their side of the bed. Once I woke up in the middle of the night and the only thing covering me was about six square inches of bedspread and that was over my feet. Now we turn our thermostat down to around 65 at night so my little fanny was freezing!
Kevin doesn't get a better deal even though he is bigger and stronger. The slippage plays no favorites. This morning when I made the bed the top sheet was hanging on my side of the bed and about a foot out onto the carpet. He is warmer than I am most of the time so his fanny was probably fine.
I know what you're thinking...so take the sheets off the bed!!! Oh, but you should see how pretty it looks. And rich and fancy and pulled together. It looks decorated in my bedroom instead of I just made the bed.
So for the sake of beauty I am willing to suffer. You know what they say you have to suffer to be beautiful--oh, wait that was for beauty products. Maybe there is a beauty product for this crease on my face from where my head landed after I slipped off the pillow the last time.

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Egg and I

Yesterday I made that old standard, devilled eggs. How funny that became an Easter treat! You know--devilled... On Saturday, I boiled the eggs. Now recently, I have had some trouble doing that. I have burned(yes,burned) them, boiled them until the pan was dry and then some, and have forgotten more pans cooling on the burner and don't find them until much later. SO on Saturday, I paid attention and took them out when they were just right--just before we walked out the door to go shopping! I almost did it again.
Peeling hard boiled eggs can be easy or hard. I had no trouble with most of the eggs. They must have been older. Martha Stewart says those are the easy ones to peel. The fresher--the harder to peel. AND she said there can be old ones and fresh ones in the same package! So the last egg was quite a challenge. It gave me a dickens of a time--in other words it took forever. That shell came off in microbits. Thank goodness it was the last one. And then about halfway down the egg suddenly-- poof-- it slipped off the egg with the greatest of ease. SO does that mean that the egg was half old and half fresh?
The devilled eggs turned out well although not as well as my daughter's. When she is home for the holidays, they are her job. For an inexperienced cook, she makes killer devilled eggs. They are just the right consistency and the right amount of spiciness from the mustard. She really does love mustard, maybe that is why she does so well. Her real specialty is mustard chicken which is delicious. When she was little she even put mustard on peas!!
Chocolate eggs are my downfall. I love those Cadbury eggs that are all milk chocolate. Hershey makes them too and M&M makes them now. I love the crispy shell and the silky chocolate interior. This is about the only time of the year I really crave candy. I'd rather have cake most of the year...or cookies at Christmas. I think I bought about six bags this year--I gave the last one to my nephew yesterday to take back to college because today I am going on a candy hiatus. Most people give up candy for Lent--not me. I only eat candy during Lent.
I even made candy this year. I made chocolate butterflies for the top of the cupcakes. Ok, I had to practice a lot. It was a little hard to get the shapes and then to blend the dark chocolate into the blue chocolate so it looked a little like the pattern on a real butterfly wing. I used M&Ms for the body and even squeezed out dark chocolate antennae. Does this sound like a lot of work? It was. I only had to make six of them and all told it took me about a week. Why do I bother?
Because it was Easter and there were no signs of spring outside and I love my family and they love that I do these crazy things.
Anyway, no more chocolate eggs or devilled eggs for that matter. It's back to hard boiled eggs and fruit. Happy Easter!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Chicks and Bunnies

I love Easter. It is a time of renewal and peace. The weather is getting warm, the little crocuses are starting to bloom, the tulips are pushing their way through the earth...wait, what's that you say? There are six inches of snow? It is 25 degrees outside? I better wear my boots instead of my Easter bonnet? Oh, well.
You can't take the joy of the season away from me. Jesus still died for our sins and came back from the grave. He still gave the message of love and peace and inner beauty. That is still there no matter what the weather.
Now , I love bunnies too. Not real bunnies. Yuck!!! Just those cute stuffed ones. The kind you find in gift shops and discount stores. I love how they are so soft and have big eyes and pretty eyes. Real bunnies are a real letdown after fake bunnies. They look kind of dumb. They are always twitching their noses and pretty much just sit around in the pet shops. If you see one outside it is just jumping.
I really stopped liking real bunnies in Europe. There were blind bunnies at this one campsite I stayed at. They were so bold because they couldn't see and they were all over the place. Then at our first house, we saw bunnies doing the mating dance in our front yard. You never saw anything like it in your life. That male bunny jumped and spread its legs out so high and far I thought it would split in two. They made babies all right(what girl could resist that?) but left them to die in our pachysandra.(now I really didn't know how to spell that thanks, spellcheck) Oh, yuck.
Now chicks are really cute. Fluffy little things and so sweet and chirpy. We used to see them at the mall. They would have eggs hatching all through the season. The only problem with chicks is that they grow up to be chickens. Now chickens are gross. They smell. I know because I had a friend who had a farm and we took the kids there. Oh, yuck.
Anyway, as a kid, I always loved those tiny little fake chicks made out of fluff. They come in packages of 12 or so in the craft stores now and they are really tiny. Not Peeps, that is a whole different story. These are just for decoration.
When we were kids they used to dye chicks for Easter but that is inhumane now. I always wanted one of those when I was a kid but knowing what I know about chickens now, I am glad I never got one. Who wants a smelly pet?

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Ooh! LALA!

I have been watching French films. With subtitles,even. I took French in high school and even went to Paris back in the seventies and before that I loved French poodles in elementary school. People like me are called francophiles. It means we like French stuff.
I love croissants. Not the kind you get around here. They are okay but I have never had one like the one I got from a street vendor in Paris. It was as big as my head! It was flaky but not in a crispy way. The outside had crunch and the inside was soft as a feather. It had melted butter on it and I had a big mug(really big about 6 inches across) of cafe au lait with it. I will never forget that experience.
A couple of weeks ago I bought an instructional CD of conversational French. I thought I would brush up on my skills. Knowing how to say the book is on the table doesn't get you very far if you are going to watch French films. Isn't that funny? I still remember how to say the book is on the table from the seventh grade!! Oh, how our minds work. Anyway, I listened to the CD and was pretty happy that I could remember a lot of the phrases. The ones I couldn't remember sounded about as familiar as Japanese! I guess I have a lot of work to do before I am fluent.
Anyway, back to the movies. The first one I watched was about a student who went to live in Barcelona with students from other European countries. They all spoke different languages but some spoke two or three. It was mostly in French and Spanish with a little English so I just amused myself by trying to notice when it was French. I did pretty good.
The second one was a romance about a young girl, a pianist, a rich old man and his son. It was about being true to oneself. It was set in Paris and it was fun to see the city again. It wasn't just at the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre but just on the streets that I still recall to this day.
Anyway, I am going to try to watch more French films and brush up on my language skills but til then........
Au Revoir, mes cheries!!

Friday, March 21, 2008

One- more or less

I was making cupcakes yesterday and the package said it made 24 cupcakes. That was fine since there are only six of us for dinner. However, the batter only made 23 cupcakes. So, ok what if you really needed 24, I thought to myself.
That got me to thinking. You know the box of cake mix makes 24 and then of course, your kid had 25 children in his class so you had to make 48 cupcakes just to get that extra one. Would it kill the cake mix folks to make a mix that makes 30 cupcakes?
When my son was in kindergarten, he wanted to take cupcakes to school for this birthday. What kind did he want? Tom and Jerry--you know, the cartoon characters. There were no Tom and Jerry little toppers so I cut brown and gray construction paper ears and made tan and gray(yes, gray) frosting and used uncooked spaghetti for whiskers. Oh my gosh, I even had a full time job then!
For my daughter's first birthday, I made a Raggedy Ann and Andy cake. It was one of those with a mold and you had to squeeze out the little rosettes to cover it. OHMYGOSH! I nearly sent myself to the loony bin! I had never done such a thing before and it is harder than it looks and takes forever. I will never forget that cake--I just didn't even want to cut it or (especially) eat it after I was done.
I am a real cake hound. I love cake of all kinds. Old fashioned wedding cake, with white frosting and white cake is my favorite. Oh, I miss old Hough bakery. They made the best wedding cake. I love coconut cake too. Oh, and chocolate. I love cake that has lemon filling between the layers or raspberry filling. I love cake with lots of layers or just a flat old picnic cake.
I have made two cakes from scratch in my life. This year. I made a chocolate three layer cake with chocolate ganache frosting for my husband's birthday. Doesn't it sound yummy? I watched some old lady on Martha Stewart make it so I knew I could do it. It was AWFUL!!! Very dry and kind of crooked(the crooked part was all me).
Then I just got a taste for cake and decided to make a 1234 cake like I saw on Paula Deen. I got the recipe from the website and whipped it up one evening. It made three layers too and I didn't really make enough frosting so it was just okay.
My son told me the other day that he thought the second cake was good and I was getting better at cakes. I told him I thought I would stick to the box and he said good. He is right. I think I'd rather have not enough cake than too much!
Remember how Marie Antoinette said Let them eat cake? I'm all for it as long as the group is not any bigger than 24 and there is a box mix in the house!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hey, it's a sunny day!

Hooray! The sun is shining this morning and it seems only right since this is the first day of spring. Of course, you have to ignore the snow that is piled up on the lawn since last night. But who cares about snow when there is sun.
Everybody I know feels better when it is a sunny day. I don't know very many people who love day after gloomy day of grayness. Oh, I know. Eeyore, the donkey! Just kidding, I don't think he is a person.
A sunny day helps you feel ambitious which is a good thing. It even makes you think about washing windows. That is one chore that I have such a hard time with. I can never get those darn windows as clean as I would like. There are always streaks when I am done. I have used every trick that I have heard of. Newspaper for wiping, white vinegar and water, the newest products and still there are those darn streaks. You know those birds who advertise Windex? Well, they're liars.
Another chore I hate is dusting. I don't know why. It is pretty easy. Now those new products really work. I love my swiffers and dust cloths. In no time, the whole house is dusted with little effort. I should do it every day it is so easy. But I don't.
I thought when I retired I would be Mrs. Clean. My house would be immaculate and I would be so proud. Guess what? My house is not immaculate and I am still proud. I have too many other things to do and people to see to worry about a perfectly clean and spotless house. I don't ignore chores around the house but I am not possessed with getting things done either. There is always tomorrow!
A sunny day makes you feel like smiling. I always try to settle a pleasant look on my face out in public as I know I can look pretty unapproachable. My mouth has a tendency to turn downward so I force it upward. Even when I am home alone I try to keep a smile on my face. At least a little one. It is kinda hard to keep a smile on my face when I am carrying a load of dirty laundry or on hold on the phone, but I try. There was an old song that said "let a smile be your umbrella." Old Eeyore should take that advice!
I used to love Eeyore. I really identified with his plight. I still love him but now I feel sorry for him and amused by his need to be noticed. Being noticed is important but it isn't everything. I always wanted to be famous when I was younger. First as a Broadway star, next as a famous educator, then as a children's author, then as an expert on early childhood, and then I figured out that being famous had a tremendous price I didn't want to pay. Privacy was gone. That smile I make myself have would become force and phony instead of natural and easy.
So I guess sunny days make me think too. This one is making me think I should wrap this blog up so I can get out there and enjoy this sunny day before my smile isn't the only umbrella I need!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Me and Spellcheck

I am a lousy typist. I have trouble keeping my eyes off the keyboard and my hand never stays in the correct position for very long and I end up with a string of gibberish. It all started in the seventh grade when I had my typing class. My parents insisted that we take typing because it would serve us well in the future. If they only knew!!
Anyway, we had to type different strings of letters from a book that was propped up next to the typewriter. I hated that book and worse I hated timed tests. I had a lot of trouble typing then and I never got any better.
In college, typing a paper was the worst. No backspacing to rid yourself of those silly mistakes all typists make. No white out until I was a senior. We used to have little bits of paper with chalk on them so you could type over your mistakes but if you typed a line of gibberish as I still do...you were out of luck and had to start over. Usually that happened to me after I had typed three quarters of the page perfectly. Needless to say, it took forever to type a paper and I always avoided it until the last minute which was really counterproductive.
You had to do those footnote things too. There were a million rules and I never did figure the whole thing out. I was so happy when my classes required more presentation and less paperwork.
Then came computers. I still was a reluctant typer for all the same reasons. Except now you could backspace errors. I love that and do it all the time(about thirty so far just in this text)!
The best thing though is spellcheck. I love it that I don't have to worry about spelling all that much. If I make an error the spellcheck will catch it and with one touch of a button--it is respelled correctly. It is heaven!
I only have one bone to pick with spellcheck. When I type "dont" and press the key to spell it correctly the first choice in the box isn't "don't". It's "dint." What the heck is that all about? What kind of word is dint? I never heard of such a word and I can't believe that is the first choice. If I type "cant" instead on "can't" the first choice in the spellcheck box isn't "cint."
Who wrote this program anyway?
I kind of have lost faith in spellcheck because of it. If it doesn't know that I probably mean "don't" how can I be sure it knows how to spell, say...Albuquerque?
If I dint know better, I'd think first graders wrote it!!!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Getting Enlightened

I am taking the Oprah course that goes along with the book THE NEW EARTH by Eckart Tolle. It is very cerebral and sometimes hard to follow but I am really trying to apply it to my life.One thing I am trying to do is not live in the past. I am trying not to worry about what happened before in my life and just let it go. I am trying to live in the present with no expectations for the future.Doesn't that sound wonderful?
It isn't very easy to be so enlightened. You should see this author. He is the most calm person I have ever seen in my life. He has a soft voice and doesn't get riled up or passionate. As someone who is riled up and passionate at the drop of a hat, it is difficult to believe I could ever come close to being like him. He is sort of driving me nuts!
Then, there's Oprah who has no problem viewing herself as an enlightened being. She is always telling him what he means or what he is saying. He just sits there and looks benign. I would have strangled her about umpteen times by now.How am I doing on the enlightenment so far?
Also, there are ads. You cannot fast forward through them. Now I understand that. But if you are going to make me watch ads how about coming up with MORE THAN ONE!! The post it girl is going to drive me into putting my fist through the computer because I really want to strangle her and her "passion" for books(really for those post-its she has about 100 of them on the book)Then there is the car guy. I haven't really paid too much attention to him--I don't even know what kind of cars he is selling--maybe Chevy. Any way, he marches around with a bunch of little kids. At least there are three or four different ads with him so I am not as inclined to strangle him. Oops, I am forgetting my enlightenment lessons. Stay in the moment. Don't self criticize.
Then there are the Skype callers. I love them . They are all so enchanted and moved by the book they are changing their whole lives. Oh, please. I am a pretty intelligent girl and I didn't get half of it. They all are so thankful to Oprah they could start their own cult.Oops, I did it again. Don't self criticize and don't criticize others.
Also, there is me. The voice in my head has a hard time being quiet during those classes. It is thinking that Oprah looks a little fat and Eckart has bags under his eyes. I am thinking it is a little cold in my room and if I should move my computer to another place. I am thinking maybe I am a little hungry.
Anyway, you are supposed to embrace stillness--of the body and the mind. I never had trouble keeping my body still--the mind is another matter. So far, I may be a miserable flop as an enlightened being. It can't happen overnight, I know that. But just between you and me, Oprah does look a little fat!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Ms. Lucky

It's St. Patrick's day and this day hasn't meant much to me since I left my twenties. If I wasn't married to the world's biggest leprechaun, the day would pass with no mention at all. When I was still teaching we had a little celebration with green food and drink. Mostly to teach the concept of the color and to share food together.
I don't know much about St. Patrick. I think he had something to do with rats. I can't figure out how a guy associated with rats also got associated with luck but he did. Maybe that is why he is a saint. It must be rough to be a saint. I have a hard enough time just being nice. It is so easy to be mean. Just look around at the way most people treat each other!
I will probably wear something green today. I try to keep at least one piece of green clothing in my wardrobe. It wont be fancy though. Too many errands to do today to get too fancy. We will have dinner with my son. Not corned beef and cabbage though. Not at our house! I'll probably just serve broccoli with the roast.
Everybody is going green now. Even in home decor, the natural colors are popular. They even make clothes out of bamboo! That just sounds itchy to me. I try to be green. I have fabric grocery bags now and I turn off lights all the time. I try to wash clothes less often(now that is an easy one!) by making larger loads. I don't drive around as much and I plan my route to be as efficient as possible.
I feel pretty lucky too and I am not even a saint and I have nothing to do with rats. I am healthy and smart and have a wonderful family and great friends. I don't have too many problems and I handle my daily life pretty well. Too me that is luck. Now I never won the lottery or a giant prize or even much money in Vegas. That kind of luck has eluded me so far. I don't really mind though. What in the world would I do with a lot of money anyway? Well, I'd travel and see this country of ours. I'd buy a house in Santa Fe and Orlando and keep the house I have now. I'd go and buy a whole new wardrobe. I would donate money to all my favorite charities. I'd buy a new Beetle(yes, really). I'd give my kids and my family money too...... I could go on!
We used to have kids write about their three wishes. If I got my three wishes, life would sure be different. I would ask for tolerance, prosperity and world peace. We'd all be lucky then!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Soap Suds

I am a giant fan of the ABC soaps. I have watched them for many many years. I watched All My Children since the first day it was on. I have watched Erica go from a nasty teenager to a nasty adult and loved every minute of it. I have watched so long I can predict what will happen next even if I pray something different will happen.
Something is going on now that is just killing me. A father beat up a teenage girl's boyfriend because he thought they had sex.(Jury's still out on if they did or didn't) He beat the kid to a bloody pulp. He accused the kid of raping his daughter. He threatened to kill the kid. And guess what? HE IS GETTING AWAY WITH IT!
Now this boy's parents are dead but he does have a guardian and she is the DISTRICT ATTORNEY. Now wouldn't you think she would be insisting on pressing charges? The other person who looks out for this kid is a POLICE DETECTIVE!! What is wrong with these people? This show is One Life to Live and it's life may be over for me. I do tape it so I can fast forward the parts that bother me the most.
I want love in the afternoon. Remember that old saying? I want to see women dressed up in ball gowns and fancy weddings. I even loved it when the soap opera woman wasn't sure who the daddy was! I loved how couples professed their undying love and then six months later they had a new partner that the undyingly loved. I loved how people never really died on a soap. You could come back after a long absence and explain it away with memory loss, an identical twin, a doppelganger, or you stayed away because everyone you loved would be in danger if they knew you were still alive.
Now that was Soap heaven! Soap women used to wear evening gowns to clean the house(not really, they never clean the house) Soap men wore a tux to take you out to the movies(ok, so they never go to the movies but they would if they did)
Now Soap men just take off their shirts. Now mind you, that is fine with me. But they just take them off so randomly. This week a young guy on General Hospital was caught without a shirt on--well, without anything at all on and at least he had the good graces to be embarrassed!
Soap girls never take off their tops of course. They do go to the bra now which is ok. The part that bugs me is after they get down to the bra they always turn their back to the guy's bare chest and he starts making love to her in that position. OH, COME ON! Who does that?
Anyway, I sure would like to see a little more fun and passion and a little less anger and cruelty in my afternoon shows. In the meantime, I'll just have to keep fast forwarding!

Friday, March 14, 2008

How to Trash a Day in Ten Seconds

I woke up yesterday and smiled in anticipation of my wonderful day ahead. I had everything all planned. First, I would go to the cake decorating store and get the items I needed to make my Easter dessert. Then, I would go to the Richmond Mall to look around. Later in the morning I was meeting my sister-in-law for some time together. I was going to meet two friends for lunch and shop at Coldwater Creek who had sent me a postcard for 60% off on clearance items. I even knew what I was going to have for lunch!!
I took my shower and got dressed real nice(no sweats) and got ready to set off. I went into the garage and got in the car. I turned the key and NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! What the???????????????? I tried it about ten times to no avail. I had to accept the fact that I wasn't going anywhere any time soon.
I called my husband who was SO helpful and he said to call AAA. No kidding! So I did and they sent a truck out pretty fast to give me a jump. NOTHING!!! Now what? So the kid called a tow truck and I called my friends at ESS Automotive. They could take the car and they would call me to tell me what the damage(think money) was. I wasn't going anywhere.
Ohmygosh!!!! I called my sister-in-law right away and cancelled our plans. Then, my friends. Wait! Did I have their phone numbers? We are mostly email buddies so I wasn't sure. I had to plough through about 500 emails until I finally found them. Thank goodness. I called them to and changed our plans.
Anyway, AAA sent the skeeviest dudes to my house that you ever did see. The jump guy was just scary--size of a foot ball player with a do-rag and a knitted skull cap. Nicest kid--but still a little scary at first. He called the tow truck and you should have seen those two! They looked like they had just had squirrel for breakfast. One guy had a giant(!) and I mean giant(!!) Afro ala 70's. He was skinny as a beanpole and his hair waved around as he walked. That's how big it was. He wasn't even black either. The other guy reminded me of Darryl, Larry and Darryl. Remember them from Bob Newhart's show? He had stringy hair and a jacket that he must have had for fifteen years and had never washed. They were nice as pie too as it turned out.
I don't like to judge a book by it's cover but really. COME ON! How could you send such unusual guys to people's homes? Anyway, I spent the day at home. My car was fixed by 5:30 and we picked it up later that evening.
Today I have BIG plans....as long as my car starts!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Whadda Ya Gonna Do?

I have had a "date" every day this week. I have met friends for lunch, attended Grand Friends day, and shopped. So this morning Kevin was kidding me --what would I do with myself next week??
I started to say "nothing." But instead out of my mouth came "I will work on my book, and clean the house for Easter. It's Easter week so I have to get ready. I'll have to go shopping and I'll get to see my sister after her trip!" I was so surprised. So many times when someone asks me what I did in a day I say "nothing." Lately I have realized that just isn't true.
Every morning I have to blog. I have to read the paper and have yogurt and tea. I HAVE to go to the store(HAHA) and look around. I have to fix food. I have to talk to my daughter. I have to reply to my email buddies. I have to read all the sites I like. I have to make comments about the soaps on one site I particularly like. I have to read. I could go on but I think you catch my drift.
I thought when I left the work force that I would do nothing. It is just not true. The last seven(!7!) years have been some of the most productive in my life.
That's not to say that doing nothing is wrong. Some days I love staying in my pj's for as long as possible. Staring out the window to "deer spot" to me is not wasteful. Thinking about the past and reminiscing is good too. I have remembered so much more about my parents and my elementary school days and old friends and relatives! When you are a working person, there is very little time for that kind of "nothing".
I used to think that nothing was a bad thing. It was filled with guilt and shame. I have learned that nothing can be healing and helpful to one's soul. I'm not really sure that there is really something we call "nothing" any more.
Maybe we all need to put a little "nothing" into our lives. As long as it is balanced with a good dose of "shop til you drop"!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Pet Peeves

I have a new pet peeve. Yesterday on my way home from Parma, an ODOT crew was filling holes on the freeway. I am all for filling the potholes, mind you. However, they were over on the right berm with their truck and as I was approaching two of the workers, with shovels of asphalt RAN across three lanes of the highway to dump the contents and tamp them down as they furtively glanced back and forth. I was in the fourth lane over, thank goodness. They did have one of those blinking arrow signs but I didn't know that that meant get over THREE LANES!!
My other pet peeve is the drivers who follow so close behind you that they appear to be sitting in your back seat! What is up with that?? What if you have to stop fast? Don't they notice my scowling face in the mirror?? A lot of people do it too. Mostly men.
I have an old pet peeve that I had to give up. When I was young I hated it when women I didn't know(especially old ones) called me hon or honey. I had to give that one up when I started doing it myself. I do it all the time to cashiers and sales people. I think it's friendly.
I was going to replace that one with people calling me ma'am. That really didn't work out though because who am I kidding? I am a ma'am. I sure don't want to be called honey now! Now it means somebody really thinks you are old and possible one foot in lala land. It seems a slightly veiled condescending word.
I got called ma'am at Grand Friends day yesterday. Two boys met me at the entrance of the school and asked if I wanted help to the door!!! I started to say no but they looked so serious and anxious I said sure. They each offered me their arms so we went in together. Those boys called me ma'am. It was pretty cute. And I would have clobbered them if they had called me honey!!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

"Grand Friend"

Today I am going to my nieces' school for "Grandfriends day." It is their version of grandparents day and this is the third or fourth time I have gone as Erin's friend. I am sure old enough to be her grandma and since both her grandmas have passed I am glad to stand in their stead.
They always do some cute little thing. One year her class sang"When I'm Sixty-four." That was a hoot since they all thought 64 was ancient. They wrote little stories about it and they were a riot. All they talked about were wrinkles and being weak and having grandkids and dying. Oh, if they only knew that when they are 64 they will still feel young inside. They don't know that people who are 64 fall in love and start careers and write books and garden and play sports. Their idea of 64 was more like our idea of 94 or even 104.
I don't plan on living to be 104. It seems like an unlikely goal. An unreasonable goal. I had a conversation with my daughter about unreasonable goals. They discussed them at their morning meeting at work. They chose personal and business goals. The business goal seemed completely doable to me and then she started listing the personal goals of some of her colleagues. One girl wants to live in Europe for a year. (Not too hard, she could do one of those English language teacher things), one girl wanted to got to graduate school and publish a book.(Seemed reasonable to me.) My daughter wants to finish and sell her script. She has been working on it off and on for a few years. (I know she can finish and possibly sell it too). I mentioned to her that none of those goals seemed unreasonable to me. Even the business plan they have is completely doable. And guess what, that was the point!! Things that seem unreasonable or unattainable may be perfectly reasonable in the light of day when shared with others.
The kids in Erin's class had goals in their stories about being sixty four years old. Many of them wanted to have multiple careers. You know like rock star, soccer ace, and pro football player and an accountant. That was just one boy! Some of the girls chose a traditional path--motherhood, being a grandma, teacher, a ballerina and a rock star. All at the same time, I guess. They knew nothing about unreasonable goals. To those kids, it was all possible. They were insulted if some adult laughed. I tried not to laugh at any of them. They should think life is full of possibilities. Why should they feel limited at eight or nine years old?
We self-impose limitations. I wonder if by the time we are 64 we can rid ourselves of the restrictions and go for our dreams? Some, I am sure, do. I hope I am one of them.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Sunshine and Snow

Snow sure looks different on a sunny day. On Saturday, it was chilling and a little frightening. Driving was hazardous and streets were closed. The wind blew and knocked out power. It was dark all day and evening. The snow was desolate and cut us off from others.
On Sunday, the sun was shining and the snow was sparkling. It looked like someone had thrown glitter across the city. The rooftops were covered in sculptures of snow that the wind had carved. Everything was so white it took your breath away and you had to squint.
Saturday we forced ourselves to go out and do errands. Sunday we went out to play. We took a long drive and admired the scenery. We came home and tromped through the front yard to see how high up my leg the drifts were. It was the crunchy kind of snow that you step on and think it will hold you up at first and then THUD! your leg goes straight down to the ground below. I only got in about two steps before I realized I had to get out too! Kevin took my picture and helped me out of there or I swear I'd still be in the snow up to my knees! Not a well thought out plan.
In our backyard we saw a deer just standing and staring. Not a lot else to do in all that snow I guess. We got a picture of it on Saturday but on Sunday there was no sign of it. I wonder where it was? Maybe it went out to play too.
We have our own little mountain in the backyard too. It was formerly known as our air conditioning unit but now it is a snow mountain. It is about 6 feet high--not exactly a mountain but that's why I call it little. There was just one path of footsteps from Kevin going around to photograph all the snow so we could send pictures to our poor (haha) relatives in sunny places who are missing all the fun.
The funny thing was, I didn't feel cold. It was only about 20 degrees out there but I felt warm. I wasn't bundled up too much. I had on my yellow marshmallow coat that makes me look like a PEEP and gloves and boots. I didn't even have on a hat. I stayed outdoors longer than I have since it was summer.
Anyway, we came in the house with rosy cheeks and laughing which made us feel like kids again. Sunshine and snow can do that to you!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

All the Knowledge of the Universe

We were watching a Batman cartoon(I know I know) and all the bad guy wanted from the aliens for his cooperation was all the knowledge of the universe. I got to thinking about that. It sure would be a burden! Of course, a bad guy would use it to take over the world. I always love it when the bad guy tries to take over the world. Somebody, usually the hero's girl or her father says, "You must be MAD!!!!!!" It's my favorite part.
Knowing everything if you were a good guy would be really rough too. Don't you think it would be hard to convince people that you really did know everything??? I mean I would need proof-- a lot of it and I am not even that skeptical of a person. Everyone would have to agree that you did indeed have all the knowledge and agree to let you use it. Even then, what exactly would you do with it? A good guy is not going to take over the world so pretty soon he might just go mad too!!! What if you knew how to fix all the world problems and nobody would listen or cooperate? What if you knew how to generate all the energy we need for the entire world and every one just said, "Sure, sure." If you knew how to stop starvation and the politicians just ignored your pleas? Let's face it. That could happen. Haven't inventors over the years known how to run a car on something beside fossil fuels?? What happened to them?
Everybody might be a little scared of you too. After all if you have all the knowledge then you might realize I'm not the person I say I am. You'd probably end up shunned or something. Then you probably could go mad.
Knowing isn't everything. Feeling is just as important. Take away feelings and what does knowledge really do for you? I know I use my feelings just as often as my knowledge. I'm not sure if it is the way to go... I have gotten into a few messes in my day by using feeling instead of knowledge but a good mix of the two seems to me the way to go.
If you have all the knowledge does it enhance your feelings or obliterate them? I don't know that anyone would want to find out. I know I wouldn't.
Feelings can skew things a bit. Your feelings can misguide or misdirect you. If you aren't really sure of yourself your feelings can rule you. I don't think anyone should be led by just feelings or just knowledge. You need both to make good decisions. You need both to have good relationships with others. I think that is why we have both.
Anyway if you are wondering what happened to the bad guy--his brain was fried. Too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing too.
Knowledge is power, so they say. It just seems to me that if you had all the knowledge of the Universe you could figure out that Batman was really Bruce Wayne!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Thar She Blows

Oh my gosh! I can barely see across the street. It is so snowy and blowing it is obscuring my view out the window. This isn't a pretty snow. This is dangerous snow. This is not snow angel snow or snowman snow. I know because this morning we were out in it. I know, I know. What were we thinking?? Well, we were thinking we would like to eat for the rest of the weekend. We were thinking we should do our usual walk so we don't get any fatter. We were thinking we shouldn't break a date with our son for breakfast in downtown Willoughby. I was thinking I wouldn't have to drive. Kevin was thinking"Goody,goody,gumdrops."
Remember that old expression? We heard it the other day on the show, Mad Men. We just looked at each other and said, Remember that??" And started laughing! Kevin thinks it started on the Jackie Gleason show but I'm not so sure.
I remember kids in elementary school saying it. It was supposed to be an expression of joy but it turned into one of those sarcastic things you say to show how bored or sophisticated you were.(in the third grade!?!) Some kids could say it so snotty that it sounded like an insult. It is so old fashioned sounding I am thinking of starting using it again. See if anybody picks up on it and starts saying it.
Did you ever notice how if a friend uses an expression you start using it too? My sister started calling a certain fabric "boing-boing" and my daughter and I do the same to this day. You know the stuff-that polyester fabric that has alot of stretch to it? My daughter's dress for her first homecoming dance was made out of it and had sparkly roses on it. They make a lot of seperates out of it now. I remember thinking that if Meg twirled to much when she was dancing she might put on quite a show!
When you work with someone, you do the same thing. I know I picked up expressions from my teaching partner and she did from me. Sometimes when she was addressing a child, she sounded just like me. I know I sounded just like her a lot of the time too.
It is really funny when your kids do it. I love hearing my kids use an expression I use. I wonder if they hate it and think they sound just like their mother.I remember when I thought I sounded just like my mother. Sometimes it was fine but most of the time it just made me feel old!!!!
Anyway, the weather people are predicting that the storm will be over by tomorrow and the sun is even going to shine. Goody, goody, gumdrops!

Friday, March 7, 2008

What's the Matter with Kids Today?

Why is it that every time a school system makes cuts, they always cut the human element first? Too many teachers, older kids don't need a classroom aide,psychological testing can't begin because there aren't enough school psychologists to administer the tests but
they will change a textbook every year, spend on new programs, send administrators and teachers to all kinds of workshops and conferences. There is always money for that.
I bet if you asked any teacher they would rather have another pair of capable hands in their classroom than a new text. They would give up workshops too. Children need the human touch. It amazes me how willing we are to let kids be on their own.
Government testing wants our children to be masters of their own learning by the time they are nine years old. How many of those politicians were proficient at that age? I, for one, would love to see the school records of some of those men especially.
Historically speaking it is not that long ago that children were considered possessions. They had no status. Many children died of causes we can't even fathom today. We still don't respect childhood. Studies show that children learn best at play especially when they are young. We have taken the time for play or enjoyment out of the classroom in favor of readying children to take a test.
So they can play at home, right? Well, no. Many children don't get picked up from daycare until 6 p.m. Other children have so many extra activities planned by their parents that play time has pretty much disappeared. The weekends, you say? Well, no. There are the rounds of chores and errands that working families have to do. Also organized sports and activities fill the weekend days.
We need to cultivate a society that respects childhood. We need to give kids time to grow and play and use their imaginations. We need to supply them with the means to make discoveries on their own and under the tutelage of caring adults. We need to stop forcing kids to do higher level thinking before they are ready. We need to teach kids how to be part of a valuable team that recognizes the strengths of others.
Children know something is wrong. Look at their behavior. They are overtired and overworked so they have tantrums in public places. They are mean to other kids to appear cool. They speak in those insolent ways that mimic children on television who we see as precocious-- who are really just rude. Children don't turn to adults for help because no kid on television ever needs a grown up, not really. The grown ups are often portrayed as less mature and knowledgeable than the kids.
Adults-all of us, parents or not-need to step up to the plate. Insist that the politicians let teachers teach children and not just train them. Build relationships with the children in your extended family. It is never too late.
If you see a child misbehaving in public, don't criticize them or their parent. Think of how hard their lives are. Smile instead. Once, we were in Sam's Club and there was a long line at the food counter. We were waiting to get a card or something so I was watching that line. A little baby of about a year or so started fussing. Mom was completely distracted by the length of the line. I knew that kid was going to pitch a fit...so I looked right at her and blinked by eyes rapidly 3 times. She looked so I did it again...she started to calm down so I did it again and again and pretty soon she smiled and then sheBLINKED back at me! She never cried or threw that fit and Mom never knew how close she came.
I didn't step out of societal rules and talk to the child or parent. I respected both of them.
I do it all the time now. You know how babies stare at you sometimes? In line at the grocery or a discount store? It works every time. Even if they aren't upset it fully engages them and gives Mom or Dad a few seconds of a break--even if they don't know it. Real little ones stare(they must think What the heck????) Sometimes older ones play along.
Try it sometime. It may work for you too. Respect the children. Someday they will respect us for it.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Dairy Queen Head

I bet you think I am going to write about my addiction to that creamy confection but you would be wrong. Every morning when I get up my hair looks like a dairy queen ice cream cone. That's right a little swirl on the top and everything. You might reckon it to a Kewpie doll or Bob's Big Boy. I'm sure you are getting a mental image even as you read this. Not a pretty sight to be sure but I have come to terms with the whole thing. Some days I can tame that baby back into the usual style but some mornings it just has to be washed and fussed over. This morning was one of those mornings when the cone would just not be tamed!
Now washing my hair is not a real big deal. It is short and dries in a hot minute if you will forgive the pun. It is shiny and flat as a pancake until I use product. What did we ever do without product?? I have used it to flatten my hair, puff up my hair, curl my hair, straighten my hair, spike my hair, fluff my hair.......need I say more?? Remember when we only had hairspray? It used to turn your hair into a real helmet. Well at least it did for everyone else I knew. Hairspray always gave me a lovely helmet of perfect hair for about 5 minutes and then it was just flat and helmety(is that a word??) Or how about if you got caught out in the rain? Or had swimming class first period?(oh wait, that was in high school)
Now product saves the day If it gets wet you just fluff it back up with a blowdryer and Ta-Da you are back to your sparkling self. Did you love it when we finally got blowdryers? Remember how they were such a new invention? Well, guess what? They weren't! I read Shirley Temple's autobiography(I know, I know) and didn't she write about how they blow dried those cute little ringlets of hers--that was the THIRTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonder what those women in Hollywood have now that we regular gals will get in thirty years from now!?!
It takes a long time to come to terms with one's hair. Girls with curly hair want straight hair. Girls with straight hair want curly hair. You know what I mean. I love my hair now. It is silver and shiny and easy to style. Do you like how I call it silver instead of grey?? Much better connotation. It only has to get cut once a month and only washed every few days.(See above)
However, there is the dairy queen head problem.... oh, well, they probably have a product for that OUT IN HOLLYWOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Weather Or Not

Man, this weather just kills me. On Monday, you didn't really even need a coat. The promise of spring was in the air. A pleasant breeze kicked up to a gale at times but who cared? It was warm outside!
On Tuesday, they said it was going to be an awful ice storm. I cancelled a lunch date because of it. I stayed in all day. Well, it came all right...at night!!! And it is still coming now. First the ice they promised now covered in a layer of snow. Oh swell, more snow. Just what I dreamed of.
It is picturesque but driving will be a challenge if I want to get out of the house.
I have an ongoing affair with snow. Sometimes I love it. Last week the snow was so beautiful that the trees around our house were breathtaking. They looked like something out of a movie or a picture book. I was snug and cozy inside the house. It stayed like that for a couple of days.
Sometimes I hate it. I always hate it when I have to drive. Add ice to the mix and I am a total wreck. You never know when a patch of ice could be hiding and you start sliding. You never know when an innocent turn is going to become a slide. Stopping at a light could mean slipping into the intersection. I know the rules about steering into the slide. I learned that a while back the hard way. One time on my way home from school I was turning onto Babbit Road and the car started slipping...panic clutched my chest. It had never happened to me before. So I turned the wheel into the slide... except not. I turned the wheel the wrong way as I was sliding and the car spun completely around and was facing the other direction after crossing three lanes of traffic. Lucky for me, the other drivers were safe and paying attention. Once I realized the car was steady, I continued on (in the wrong direction now) as if I had planned it all along. I was just so grateful the kids weren't with me. They would have been terrified. So that is how I learned what turning into the slide really meant.
When I was little I loved the snow. I remember when we missed school for a whole week when I was in Kindergarten. In my little head, I thought we were home for a month. It was the kind of snow we don't get anymore. Deep and fluffy--the kind you wanted to eat with a spoon! I know I could go out and walk in the piles Daddy had shoveled so he could get out of the driveway. I made snow angels too. I can still feel the cold stinging my cheeks and the rough scarf against my mouth. It is one of the few things I remember from way back then.
Now I hate being out in the snow. It might be all those years that Brian was a paperboy and he and I had to drive through the snow (no matter what) to deliver the paper. We got stuck in banks and it took us forever to deliver those things. I can remember rocking the station wagon back and forth to get free just down at the end of the street. And it was so cold and windy the snow was whipping all around us. So near and yet so far!!
I think the reason I don't like winter and the snow anymore is because it rules our lives. If it is too cold or too snowy I stay put. That doesn't happen the rest of the year. In fall, spring, and summer I rule not the weather!!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Here we Vote again

Voting at 6:30AM So I just hopped out of bed and got dressed and went to vote with Kevin since it is supposed to be so bad out today. First, not that bad outside, which was a good sign. Ice was all over the car but that was no big deal to Kevin and he scraped it right up and we were off.Not many people were there at that hour but those who were looked surprisingly awake. Nobody was carrying one of those gallon size cups of coffee or anything. I felt surprisingly awake myself!This was all too good to be true. So the girl who was ahead of me and one other woman had changed her address and her last name. Uh-oh! The worker looked a little confused and her confusion grew as the kid kept saying it might be under my old name and the worker kept saying oh no honey. She called the Board of Elections after a bit of a go around and then explained to them 4 or 5 times that this young woman needed to vote but changed her address and name. Finally she got the go ahead. In the meantime, the woman in front of me has steam coming out of her ears! I could feel the anger wafting off of her and I was getting a little nervous. I hate conflict and dont want it to happen right in front of me. The woman turns around and now I am really worried cause I think she is going to drag me into it to...and it is the young woman's mother. They were the spitting image of each other. So now I'm trying not to laugh. I don't know what I thought would happen but I didnt expect twins of different age groups. She was mad as a hornet but thankfully she said nothing.Speaking of twins, our neighbors, the twin sisters were voting. Haven't seen them in years. Boy, they got old!(heehee) like we didn't. They probably didn't even recognize us! Anyway, I like the touch screen we have now. It is easy and quick. I got to vote as a Democrat for the first time and I'm not telling who I chose yet. Maybe in another post.So I came home and went right back to bed and didnt get up until now. The clock will probably say some ungodly hour that I typed this but it is almost 10am and I just got up. How lazy can you get?? I'll probably do this again when it is time to vote for President. Get up early, I mean. Oh, and vote too.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Getting Up

Why is it so darn hard to get up in the morning? I consider myself a morning person but getting out of that bed seems to be a mighty big challenge. Maybe it's because the bed is so cozy and comfy. I love the feeling of being wrapped up in the quilt and blanket like a butterfly in its cocoon.
I also love dreaming. My favorite is a flying dream. I haven't had one of those for a while but I love the floating feeling. I never fly like Superman. More like a bird. I can feel my arms outstretched and the wind pushing past me and my hair blowing in the breeze. I can see the earth below and swoop down to enjoy a lovely sight or to chase a villain.
I used to dream about school a lot. Not teaching so much(although I admit to those too) Mostly I dream about being late for a test I never studied for or going to gym after cutting for a long time and feeling the dread that I couldn't find my locker. For a while I kept dreaming about this old house that was in a not so good neighborhood but Kevin and I bought it anyway. We fixed it up--one dream at a time. There was a pool and if you walked through the back yard you would come to some dunes and crossing over them there was a beach. Inside the house the living room was sunken and had a grand piano. Last I knew we were stripping wall paper in the dining room. Then I never dreamt of it again. Isn't that funny? I must have had ten dreams about that house and I haven't dreamt of it in over two years now. I don't really have nightmares very often. I have learned to turn my dream around if it starts to happen. If I get that dreadful feeling I can often turn over in my sleep and it will stop. Sometimes I just change my reaction in the dream and that works. I read that somewhere.
I used to be quite the day dreamer in my younger days. I don't do that anymore. I don't know why. I sure have enough time on my hands to daydream. Maybe it's because I'm living the dream(Oh Right!) No, I think it is just I have too many other things to do. Just daydreaming seems like a waste of time.. not that I don't still have dreams. I still want to travel and do things that are of service to others. I want to work at Universal Studios in Seussland. I want to live in Florida and vacation in New Mexico. I want to take up drawing again. I want to learn to knit. I want to take classes at the local community college. I want to study my genealogy. That is just the short list.
Anyway now I'm fully awake so it's time to get going. I have work to do and hopefully a little shopping too. It's going to be a great day.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Call Me

So Kevin is on call this weekend. That means every time the phone rings or his pager goes off our life is on hold. I know this is a necessary part of his job but I do hate it. Once a month the whole weekend is blown. Just the anticipation of the calls rules our life. Can't go to the movies, can't shop, can't make any plans, sometimes we can't even go to the mall to walk! And that pager!! I could cheerfully toss that into the nearest dump(after I stomp on it vigorously and jump up and down on it). The worst part is that it goes off even if he isn't on call. Then it is a real pain because he always looks! He pretends not to but he does--every time. I refuse to take it on vacation and I know he wishes he could. Now I thought I was the only one who felt this way but a random conversation with the nurse at the doctor's office demonstrated that you are never really alone. We discovered that we were both going on vacation at the same time. And Sue(she is named Sue too--as was every tenth girl in our generation) says to me "And no way is he taking his beeper and his phone!! It is always going off and I just hate it. It's bad enough that he'll call the office every day if I don't stop him." His beeper will be next to Kevin's in the dump someday!
I really don't like the phone. All those OUT OF AREA calls are such a pain. I don't even answer them. I used to and most of the time it was silence or a computer. What a waste. Hate those telemarketers too. I know they have to make a living but REALLY? If you say no thanks they should have to hang up right away. My daughter tried to be a telemarketer at one time and she just couldn't do it. She was let go after she talked an old woman out of buying the magazines she was selling. The old lady was on a fixed income...she just couldn't go through with it.
I don't like talking on the phone much either. I like email. It is succinct and to the point. Some people don't like email at all. I always thought the phone left too much to interpretation. No one can see your facial expression over the phone but now one email you can add one of those little faces or LOL or whatever and then the other person knows.
That is not to say that I won't talk on the phone. Ask my sister and my daughter. In two days I logged over three hours on the phone with them. The phone is my daughter's and my life line. She calls me every day on her way to work(Well, almost every day) and gives me a rundown of her life. Sometimes we talk philosophically and sometimes we just chat.
Anyway this is getting kinda rambly and I don't want to be a rambler so I will sign off for now. Oh, crap, Kevin just got paged again!!!! And I want to go to Target(imagine that crying smiley face here). LOL!