Observations from a Weekend

Did you see John McCain's new buddy? He must have read my blog about Joe Lieberman. This guy was sitting with him as he expounded on some subject and honest to goodness I think the guy fell asleep while McCain was talking! He started awake when the applause started. I don't know who the heck he was but it was funny as all get out.
If you have to hunt for treasure, don't be first to rush through the cobwebs, up a ladder or into a crevice. Oh, and don't be last. For some unknown reason, ancient hiding places that have special openers in rocks or cave walls or whatever ALWAYS WORK even after hundreds and possibly thousand of years. Anyway, after you get in, that is where things start to deteriorate. Sometimes the ancient stuff works for a little while (hence, don't be last) and sometimes it just falls apart when somebody touches it.
Which leads me to another rule of treasure hunting--don't touch anything!!!!! Remember that big rock that chased Indiana Jones in the original movie???? There always seems to be some hidden trap or killing machine in those treasure-y places.
Don't be second either. The ladder might hold for one person or the falling apart staircase might last for one person to go by but then you never know.....oh, don't be third either.
Cooking dinner while watching a movie is probably not the best idea. It really can break up a movie and you could lose the train of thought. Or you could burn dinner. The choice is yours.
If you ever get on one of those cooking shows, be careful what you do in the kitchen. I saw a girl last night try to open a bottle of juice and she broke the darn thing right by the flattop grill--hence, she had to throw away everything on the grill. Her partner was a little unhappy(to put it mildly) she had to throw away a duck comfit(whatever that is) ... Looked like a duck leg to me. And the girl got sent home--Quel Suprise!! Bet her partner(who was picked at random) was relieved. She'll never get stuck with her again.
SO that is the advice I learned this weekend. Don't choose advisers who sleep when you are talking, don't go first or last on a treasure hunt and be careful in the kitchen. Whew!!! That's a lot of learnin' for one weekend.

I Got Nothin'

OOh, yesterday was so much fun! I had my first Margaritas in about 5 years!! Oh they were good and I had absolutely no pain in my foot!! They were limey and cold and oh, I could go on and on. My brother in law is the best bartender on earth anyway so it figures they would be excellent. We were celebrating my nephew's 21st birthday(!!) and it was a lot of fun. Plus I did my best bowling of my life!!!! I think I got 172--I can't believe it!! Even in the boot!! Must have been the margaritas!
My daughter is here for a visit too. I haven't seen her yet as she and my son are attending a wedding so she is at his place today but I can't wait to see her. We have a great week planned and I know we will have fun. We plan to shop til we drop(that won't take long in my case unless she wheels me around the mall!)
My soaps have just been too good...I will probably coerce my daughter into watching with me. We can DVR them and fast forward through the boring parts. One of the girls with a split personality is emerging again and I can't wait to see what havoc she brings to Llanview! This poor girl's husband died in a tragic accident and of course she can't handle it so the alter is on her way. The poor actress has been sobbing and screaming for over a week now so it must be a relief to become her other half--so to speak. Her alter is not the crying type--she is the revenge type.
I guess that is really all I got. Not much happens to you when you are sporting the boot!

Groceries on Wheels

Last night we went to the grocery store. Since I am wearing the boot, I am not supposed to drive...not that I won't but it was just the first day. So I got one of those wheelchair baskets and my husband pushed me around the store. I pointed the way I wanted to go and that worked out well, I was my own little GPS system. We finished pretty quickly and were out of there in less than a half hour.
About 99% of the people in the store were so nice to me it was pitiful. I am used to people pushing past me and reaching in front of me like I am invisible half the time and yesterday there was one woman who seemed to be blind to me and my cart and just kind of pushed me out of her way. I gave her the evil eye but it didn't matter she never even looked at me!
Most people were really KIND...too kind. You could see the pity in their eyes. People smiled at me and said hello. It was really weird. Women and even men. One poor guy looked like he was homeless with a flannel shirt and a scraggly yellowish beard and yet he looked me straight in the eye...his eyes filled with pity and said hello to me!
I don't know how to handle this. I mean it has happened before as I have been pushed around in a wheelchair in the past due to my other foot injuries. Once my best friend was pushing me through Dillard's at the mall and the salesclerk actually sprinted across the store to help us. I didn't even want anything!! Did you ever try to find a salesperson in Dillard's? If you are on your own two feet, good luck to you! My best friend and I had a good laugh over it I'll tell you.
Once my husband was pushing me through Sears and we were in the Woman's Dept.--not Misses--Women's...I weighed 200 lbs at the time. Anyway, the sales woman wanted to help us but she couldn't believe we were in the right department--" a little thing like you"--I guess because I was short in the chair but was she blind?? I mean 200 lbs is 200 lbs!
Anyway, it must be a different world if you are stuck in a wheelchair all the time. Are people nicer to you? I think they might be. Are things easier to get done? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I will admit there are lots of parking places now. And easier wheelchair access...but still, it is not for the faint hearted.
Pretty soon I will be able to walk on my own and I will be back to being invisible woman and I can't wait!!

Sticking My Neck Out

I am going to confess to one of my faults...Oh, yes, I have them in abundance but this is one I have always kept to myself. I think people with short necks look funny...I call them no necks.
Having no neck doesn't mean you are unattractive, it is just sort of a funny phenomenon. It isn't a common thing either--unless you are a linebacker in the NFL and then it seems to be the norm. Although some of them are not official no necks they are just fat necks. Did you know they actually work out their necks to look like that? I guess it makes sense since they butt heads with other big guys with no necks but I often wonder what they do..Neck ups?? Anyway I think they are the only ones who actually want no necks...otherwise, I think it is just .....oh, awkward.
During the war in Kuwait, I was glued to the television for every ounce of news I could get and my "favorite" reporter on CNN or C-Span or something like that was a guy named Zelnick. I forget his first name because I promptly noticed he had no neck so I always called him NoNeck Zelnick. Clever, huh?? SO I wasn't watching the war news to keep abreast of current events, I was busy having a good laugh at NoNeck. Really I wanted to know what was going on there also as I had a student at the time who was here from Kuwait and her family dearly wanted to return home(to my credit).
Now there is the new British Prime Minister--Gordon Brown...or as you may have guessed, I call him No Neck Gordon Brown. Really, his head sits right on his shoulders. I can't even imagine how that must feel. Maybe it's good. Maybe your neck doesn't get tired. Maybe you never get a stiff neck. I know the British are all about stiff upper lips, maybe a stiff neck would be superfluous.
And check out Rachel Ray the next time she's on television. It took me awhile to figure out she was a no neck because she had that long hair. She got it cut recently and I noticed she's one of them too. Apparently having no neck doesn't effect your perky quotient. Anyway, she needs to grow her hair back out cause it is cut right at her no neck and it really points it out.
Now I'm sure you think I am a very superficial person--judging people by the lack of neck but really, I'm not. At least not about that. It just fascinates me. Keep your eyes open. Every once in a while you'll see one and before you know it you will be morbidly fascinated just like me!

This Boot Was Made for Walking

So I am hanging out with "Arnold Schwarzenegger". That is what the podiatrist calls the god awful boot I have to wear on my foot since my misstep on Saturday. I have to wear it for at least 3-6 weeks. I have to wear it to bed this week even! I can take it off to shower thank goodness. It is heavy, ugly, black and HOT(as in temperature not Paris Hilton hot).
I have a tertiary sprain and a chipped bone in my left foot. I have injured this foot in the past like three or four times now and it has always been something stupid like Saturday.
Once I broke my foot getting up from the couch. My foot had fallen asleep and I stepped on the top of it and not the bottom--I know-creepy isn't it?? The second time I slipped on some ice and hit my foot on the edge of the open car door...at the nursing home...with my kids who thought I had disappeared---until they came around to my side of the car and looked down!!
Then I injured it by mall walking. I think I have expounded on that once before so I will spare you today.
I HATE MY LEFT FOOT--what is left of it. The doctor couldn't believe I could even walk into the office-- it is that cranked up. (You can substitute whatever word you like for cranked--my favorite starts with "f".) I will be living on Motrin and my behind for at least this whole week. My husband will have to live on carry out and he will have to carry me too if it gets too painful but I know he will do both cheerfully, bless him!
My family will be great. My daughter is coming home next week and has already volunteered to cook and my son will pitch in wherever he can. My sis is always on my side so I have no worries!
I DO have to wear the darn thing to two weddings though. It sure will cramp my fashion style but oh well, it could be worse right?? And who says a rose color dress and a GIANT BLACK BOOT don't go together???...the fashion police??? What do they know?

P.S. Do you believe that Schwartzenegger is in the spell check???!!!???

Oldies but Goodies

I was so sorry to hear of the unexpected passing of George Carlin. I really loved his humor and thought he was irreverent and funny. He was raunchy sometimes and politically incorrect at times and disrespectful at other times but it was always with a wink and a nudge. I never really thought he was offensive but I know some did. His "Wonderful WINO" bit was my favorite and also his riff on words you couldn't say on television.
On my soap opera yesterday, they dragged out the oldest living cast member for the first time in a long time. Sh is probably in her nineties now and looks to be in fragile health. She has always been the confidant of one of the main characters and he is in a bad way right now so he needed her. When he came back (from beating someone up...I told you he was in a bad way) to his office, there she was sitting behind his desk looking all wise and frail. She had a dialogue with him and then they cut to another scene. When they returned to the conversation, the old lady had been moved to the couch in the office. I just had visions of someone telling a stage hand to pick her up and plop her on the couch! She still looked frail but to her credit she had a large tumbler of whiskey in front of her!
In the Plain Dealer yesterday, there was a list about old people. Some of the facts were pretty interesting. For instance, did you know that Kirk Douglas' personal trainer is 95 years old?? Did you even know that Kirk Douglas had or needed a personal trainer??(by the way Kirk is only 91)
The world''s oldest living clam was 405 years old when last year scientists decided to kill it(!!?).
Oh and CHeeta(you know, Tarzan's old buddy??) is 75 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even more surprising is that he has a Myspace.com page. REALLLY????????????????????
And then on the news I heard about a man who is 101 years old and still has his driver's license and he drives every day. YIKES!!! He also went on to say that he lives alone and does all his own cooking. They are not sure he is the oldest driver in Ohio though because the DMV only keeps your records until you're 99 years old..............what a bunch of slackers!!
Anyway, old people are more and more in the news because we are living longer and heck, we baby boomers will be there soon and there are SO MANY OF US! I'd love to be the oldest living something...I'm just not sure what! Not a 405 year old clam, that's for sure.

NOT AGAIN?!?!!!

Ohmygosh...I just wrote an entire post about my skipping my dentist appointment and my injured foot and my CHeap-O diet non success and it got eaten by the darn computer and I don't know how to find it. It was my most inspired work....really.
I told you how I called and said there was a family crisis so I couldn't get my tooth worked on on Saturday and there was. I DIDN'T WANT TO GO! Instead I went over to my inlaws and I misstepped on their flagstone path and reinjured my aching foot. My niece was with me and she didn't know she had to guard me as she doesn't know how often I have stupid accidents like that!
The stupid scale has been stuck on the same number for a month so I am really going to do the Cheap-O diet and see how it goes. Oatmeal with brown sugar(1 tsp) and walnuts and blueberries for breakfast today and guacamole and chips for lunch. I will let you know how it goes. This is not as inspired as the original but that is the gist of it. I'll let you know how my foot goes and the dieting to by the end of this week. I'm hoping I can nudge the scale and I'm also hoping that in spite of the foot injury I can still work out!

Saturday Night, Date Night

Yes, two dates in one weekend. I can't even believe it myself. This one did not require any profuse sweating! We went to the Greek Festival at my sister in law's church. What a madhouse!! There were wall to wall people. We thought that it would be less crowded because it rained but oh no...it was packed.
We got a drink and got in the food line to decide what to eat...whoops, wrong line. We got in the gyro line and got gyros and fries from my nephew and proceeded to find someplace to sit and eat. Not easy finding a place for three adults at tables of eight but we finally did and sat down with two very nice ladies who were not Greek either. They had shared a plate of food that was so filled they could hardly eat their way through it. It was a middle age woman and her mom who had some kind of accent. It was really hard to hear because of all the people and I just kept smiling and nodding when the mom talked... I could have been agreeing to a world takeover and domination for all I knew. Her daughter was sitting closer to me and she was friendly and told me a funny story about being on a flight to Minneapolis when her boss called and asked her to come in to work!
My son loves baklava. In case you don't know it is a pastry made from filo dough(paper thin crunchy sheets when baked) encasing a rich nut and honey mixture. It is VERY SWEET. Personally it makes my teeth ache but he loves loves loves it. It is really funny that he loves that and marzipan so much(made with almonds FYI) as his dad has terrible allergies to food and if you fed him a piece of baklava he would have to go to the emergency room and would probably die. If I eat something with nuts I can't even kiss him until I brush my teeth. He has had two attacks since I have known him and believe me they are terrible and frightening although now that I think of it one was pretty funny. He looked like a chipmunk with his swollen cheeks. I still wouldn't want to go through that again!!!
They also make these Greek donuts that are smothered in honey and ohmygosh, they are straight from heaven. The honey gets all soaked into the ball of dough and look out!!! They are amazing.
Isn't it funny how almost every culture has some sort of fried dough?? It might be donut like or sometimes crispy like such as elephant ears and angel wings. My old Swedish gramma had some kind of kitchen tool that was shaped like a star and she dipped that in batter and fried it and then put powdered sugar on them. You used to be able to get a reasonable facsimile of them at Geauga Lake when I was a girl.
Anyway after stuffing our faces and drinking some Greek wine and beer(for the boys) we marched back to the car which was FAR and went home. And guess what, got a whole box of Greek donuts to take home with us and once again we were in bed by 10:30. Another hot date for us!

Friday Night, Date Night

We were out last night and while we were gone, my brother in law called and wanted to ask something. He was sure we were out on the town, dancing or clubbing or out to dinner or a show as we are empty nesters. His kids are younger so they are still steeped in all the driving and kids' activities we all go through when we have kids.
Oh, we were out all right. On the most thrilling date--we were WORKING OUT AT THE YMCA!!!!! I know you all cannot contain your jealousy. By 7:30 p.m. we had worked up a giant sweat each and were almost ready to come home. We stopped and got dinner after our workout and got home by 8 pm. I know, I know, lucky us.
Kevin worked the treadmill and I did my usual minus the treadmill as I had cut the grass earlier in the afternoon and that was as much walking as I had in me yesterday. Kevin hopped on the machine I usually use and I felt a little pang of ownership but I slapped it down. After all, I wasn't even going to use the thing.
Every time we go we learn a little more about the machines. I learned how to up the resistance on the stationary bike yesterday and got a better work out for it. I also added time to my step machine--a whole two minutes!! Kevin has been working out the incline on the treadmill and has found his favorite now also.
For the two laziest old things to ever come down the pike, I am really proud of our progress. We made not be Arnold Schwarzenegger and I don't know...who is the female Arnie??? Probably one of those female American Gladiators. But we are getting strong and healthy.
Pretty good for two couch potatoes! So anyway, after all this we were in bed and probably snoring by 10:30!!! So what a date night we had!

OHMYGOSH!!!!!

I get a lot of guff about the expression I use frequently...OHMYGOSH!!! I use it instead of the OMG that is so popular or any other little acronym like that. Really, it came from an old student of mine way back in the day who wrote it in a joke for a end of the year writing assignment. Here it is:
What did the woman say to the nekid(sic) man?.......You guessed it..... OHMYGOSH! This was a second grader and it was probably the funniest joke I ever heard. Luckily for me she did not feel the need to illustrate. My aide and I laughed until we nearly fell off our chairs. I still remember that kid to this day. By the way, she did write another joke that I don't remember and that is the one we edited and she turned in as a final product.
OHMYGOSH!!! Tomorrow is my root canal. I can't tell you how much I am dreading going to this appointment. You know how much I hate the dentist and frankly, I don't even know what a root canal really is...I just know I don't want one. The office called me yesterday to confirm and the girl was really shocked when I said I was coming but I wasn't sure if I would have the procedure as I haven't had any pain recently. She just said that it would just be worse the next time. What does that even mean?? She couldn't really say.
My heart is already pounding and I know tomorrow will be miserable because of the Novocaine and I bet my tongue will get beat up again and it will be a few days before I feel better. So I am already a little shaky and distracted. I feel sorry for the dentist tomorrow as he will probably have to pry my jaws open with um....the jaws of life. I don't like being like this and wouldn't Eckhart Tolle, the enlightened one, be disappointed in me. I am not living in the now...I am living in the tomorrow!!!!
OHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!! Did you ever want to just close your email box and never open it again?? Probably everybody does once in a while and this while is mine. I am so sick of Obama knocking emails and slandering comments about him and people complaining. I have email to keep in touch and enjoy communication with my friends and family so spare me the downers and the doom predictions. Really!
OHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a bunch of crazy dreams last night. I haven't had any dreams I can remember for a long time. I used to take a certain medication that gave me the most wild and realistic dreams. Sometimes I miss it but it did sap me of some of my brain cells for during the day so I am glad to be off it. Last night wasn't realistic but at least they were memorable. I love dreams and remembering them. I'm not telling about them though as they are fading from my memory even as I write this. They were good though, I didn't even want to wake up this morning!

Hail to the(possible) Chief

Okay , I keep getting emails that Barack Obama is the antiChrist. Please, you think the evil antiChrist would be so obvious that someone could pick him out in a trice??? I think that the evil one is more clever than that. Poor Barack is just too too obvious and so many are already against him, I'm pretty sure he's not it.
Anyway, I hope I stop getting those emails. I saw Barack Obama on YOUtube yesterday giving a speech at a church in Chicago about fathers. He was very forceful and his message was strong. Men aren't men when they shirk their responsibility. Conception doesn't make you a dad. We need to have high expectations of our children. He talked about how his father left them and how his grandparents helped to raise him. He talked about how he didn't want to be like his father and he wanted to stay and raise his daughters. It is a pretty good speech. You can listen to it on YOUtube-- just search for Obama and father's day and it should pop right up. The most telling 18 minutes we've had concerning the man and what he thinks.
Michelle Obama was on The View yesterday too. I was at work but I caught that on YOUtube too. First, she looked really pretty. She had on a cute dress and her hair was not helmety. She spoke graciously of Laura Bush, affectionately of her husband and proudly of her children. This is a woman you would want to be friends with. She was funny too. Even the staunch Republican, Elizabeth, was respectful of her. Barbara Walters seemed a little out of it. Maybe it's time for her to retire(?). She wanted to know if Hillary would be the VEEP candidate. Like Michelle was going to tell her(!) but in a quiet aside Barbara said we probably wouldn't get an answer to that question. REALLY?????? The candidate's wife wasn't going to spill it on national television??? What kind of celebrity is she anyway?????
Oh, that's right. She's not a celebrity. She is the wife of a politician and the now most influential man in the Democratic party. Luck for us, she looks and acts the part!

The Morning After

http://www.darfurscores.org/files/docs/mccain1.pdf

Go ahead...read it. I was going to regale you with some more bike riding experience but this is way more important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the speech from the Oklahoma University graduation. A friend of my son's found it on the Internet and shared. Thanks, Adam,you are an evil genius!!

The race is on in Family Circle magazine also as they are having their annual presidential bake off. They went to press before Hillary dropped out so Bill's(WHA????) recipe is in the running. You can probably find them on the magazine's website or just glance at the mag in line at the grocery store. It's right in the front.

They seem to think there is some correlation between the winner of the bake off and the winner of the Presidency. So Bill's(HUH???) recipe probably won't win. I think Cindy McCain's recipe is on the back of the butterscotch morsels bag(I'm just sayin'......) and poor Michelle Obama put in shortbread cookies made with Amaretto( A little elitist but a great idea) and optional dried fruit(Really? I am making a big face you can't see--oh, wait maybe you can.)

Yes, that's the one. I made that face at John McCain's speech too.

I try not to make it in public but I just couldn't help it. If you read it you know why.

I was going to post this tomorrow hence the title but I just can't wait. Read it. Believe it. Then vote for your favorite cookie. Is this some kind of a country or what?

Just Like Riding A Bike

I've been pedaling my little heart out at the Y. The stationary bike is a good challenge and it is strengthening my legs for the real thing. I had that innocent and naive idea since I started working out. HA!
We got our bikes fixed up at a nice bike shop and they look like new. All the gears work and the brakes are fresh. The seats are at the right height and the tires are new. All that was left was to get on and go!
Easier said than done! I got my leg over--think cowboy trying to get on a horse that was too high. I finally took hold of my leg and hoisted it over the bike to the other side. AH, that was better and I was ready to go. Now I haven't ridden a bike since my kids were little so I was a little nervous. But you know what they say--you never forget how to ride a bike. So I looked down our driveway and the curb at the end of the driveway and decided I didn't remember how to handle a curb so I just straddled and walked my bike to the street, held my breath and got on. I started pumping and it all came back to me.................
OH NO IT DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wobble, wobble the front wheel careened from side to side. I knew I was going to fall off but I didn't . I adjusted and calmed myself and started to peddle down the street and it was going very well. After two or three minutes, I was headed back toward home and I remembered the curb again. So I thoughtfully slowed down at my neighbor's drive and walked the bike up the curb got back on and promptly fell off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wasn't even riding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I caught myself before I hit the ground, thank goodness. The humiliation however was hurtful enough. Because, of course, in our quiet neighborhood nobody saw me streaming down the street, the wind ruffling my silver hair, my bike not wobbly,oh, no, that would be too good to be true.
When I fell, they were out in droves. A man went by on his bike(not wobbly at all), a couple was walking their dog and another couple was on their evening walk. I felt so embarrassed I could barely walk my bike up the driveway(What? You thought I would get back on and ride...Puh-leeze!)
So the next time I ride I will need full body armor but there will be a next time. I will just make do with a helmet!

Potpourri

I don't have any particular subject on my mind today so I will just drop a few thoughts I've been having lately. Over the weekend I watched Shanghai Noon with Jackie Chan and Owen WIlson. I don't usually get all crushy over movie stars but I loved both of them. Jackie Chan has the most beautiful body and when he does his martial arts moves he is just poetry in motion. He is smooth and graceful. It is pretty impressive to watch him. That Owen Wilson is just a likeable kind of guy. He seems self effacing and down to earth. I hope his recent problems don't keep up. He is a talented guy and cute to boot.
Yesterday when I went to go work out, I found that our YMCA is doing a major overhaul. They are in the midst of a remodel so you had to take a new route to the locker room and the work out room. I got lost--twice. Once coming and once going. I got myself out of the first one by backtracking and the second time a nice young man led me out. One of the employees told me just to retrace my original steps but that had been 45 long and sweaty minutes earlier!!
So when I go back will I know y way around? Maybe, maybe not. But leave it to me to get lost in a medium size building that I've been in at least 20 times before!
I have also been fighting an overwhelming urge to eat candy. Yesterday afternoon, I should have gone to the grocery store but I didn't because I knew I would buy candy. I am really trying to resist and it isn't easy. I even had a dream last night about eating candy. As much as I wanted!! I'm surprised I didn't wake up with a stomach ache. If it happens again(the urge for candy) I might give in but I won't feel guilty as I am pretty proud of myself right now.

What's the Matter with Kids Today?(In the soaps)

It is really tough to be a soap opera kid. They keep you off camera a lot, you have major medical problems, and you grow up too fast(usually a ration of 7:1). You have to be cute but you always have to behave. You can't act like a real kid because then adults would have to pay attention to you. It isn't pretty. Let me explain in no particular order. Here they are.
First, there is Spike.(oh, yes, that's his name--not a nickname) He is my favorite. He had a difficult birth. He's deaf but has an implant. He has a brother that was born a preemie on the day Spike was kidnapped(almost). He just turned two and has had more problems than any normal adult. His dad was a sperm donor who turned out to be his mother's former fiancee. She got impregnated by an evil doctor so she could have this guy's kid for another woman. It didn't work out so she kept him.
Then there is poor little Bree. She is on a different show than Spike. She just turned two also. She has real parent problems. Her mother has a split personality and her father just died...on her birthday. They actually took that poor kid to say goodbye to her father as he lay dying. He was all bloody and had tubes coming out....she is definitely on her way to the family illness---split personality like Mom and Grandma. But no worries because her cousin Sam (formerly known as Tommy) will be right there with her. His mother was murdered after he was born, he was adopted twice, reclaimed by his insane father and now is being fostered by his father's ex wife. He will come by his alters legitimately and how lucky is he??? He already has two names!
One of the longest lasting children on One Life to Live is Starr Manning. She is Sam/Tommy's half sister. She has been a pip from day one. She has gone through her father being missing, almost killed for murder(falsely accused of course), found a man who was being tortured and saved him and now at 16 years old she is pregnant by her boyfriend after only one night together. She has doubts about becoming a mother and her insane father doesn't know she is pregnant. She has more sense and brains than the entire adult population on the show. She will do the right thing. Oh yes, she likes snakes too. The most interesting thing is ,though, Starr has always been played by the same actress. Since she was about 5 or 6, I think. She is the only soap kid I know who has been allowed to grow up naturally and hasn't been sped up at the 7:1 ratio.
Her poor brother Jack is a different story. I don't know how many kids have played him but at least they keep him younger than Starr as he should be.
Then there is poor Kathy on All My Children. She is the child of Tad and Dixie who was adopted not once but twice(noticing a theme here?) and has finally after almost 7 or 8 years has finally been reunited with her father(mom is dead...another common theme). I read in the spoilers that she is going to have some adjustment problems.........REALLY????????????
Petey Courtland is coming back after a long absence(7:1 I'm betting), Emma is off the show as the mom is being let go(unless they kill her off and then Emma can stay with her dad, the sperm donor), Michael Corinthos is in a coma for 7:1 purposes, Frankie(who is an adult now but was a kid and at the age of 25 has been a doctor, fought in Iraq, and is back to being a doctor) was just reunited with his dad after 20 YEARS!!! Shane Marasko has a fake father as his unaware real father is kept in the dark.......I could go on but I think you catch my drift.
I have only scratched the surface. I'm sure I could think of many more examples but I think you have the idea. It's tough to be a soap opera kid!

The Thin Man

I wish you could have known my dad. He was a great guy. He was handsome too. Think young Frank Sinatra only with better hair and mix in Robert Powell of The Thin Man and you have a close facsimile.
My dad had a memory like a steel trap. He might not see you for twenty five years but he could walk right up and call you by name. It was the most amazing feat. He was a purchasing agent so he met a lot of salesman and he attended Case Western Reserve University so he met a lot of people. He was friendly and open and had a great sense of humor and he was well liked for it by his colleagues, friends and business acquaintances.
He loved having daughters. He loved us unconditionally and we knew it. He was funny and shared a lot of inside jokes with us sometimes to the dismay of my mother. For some reason, I can't recall any more, we started calling him Googus and the name just stuck. He was great at giving us nick names and even had names for some of our boyfriends--all in good fun of course.
I remember going to a square dance with him when I was in bluebirds. I was seven. All the other girls were there with there dads--there was Mr. Pesec--he was little and wore glasses. There was Mr. Biondi, he was very urbane with a mustache. Mr. Wallace was the tallest man I ever saw and had dark wavy hair and my dad had silver hair and was the most handsome of all.
I don't remember much about that dance except the dads. They were all so different. I guess as a little kid I didn't appreciate the variety of people in our world.
My dad loved sports. All sports. He could watch a golf tournament on television and listen to the baseball game at the same time on the radio. He would have loved the little screen in the big screen televisions. I can still see him sitting there on a Saturday afternoon!
He tried to teach me to cut the grass. I just couldn't go straight enough to save my life. He just shook his head. I started cutting the grass about three years ago and I thought how proud he would be of me.
The time I had all that blood loss my dad was with me. Oh, he had died a long time before but he was with me as sure as I am typing this. He didn't say anything but I knew I was ok. Something about having my feet firmly planted on this Earth. I know he put that thought in my head. As I went under anesthesia, I knew he was standing right by my head. It wasn't the only time he's been around. I don't know if you believe in these things but I do. He's been on vacation with us and he's visited both me and my sister.
See, he left us too early. He was a young man when he passed away. Just the age I am now. He suffered too long and too much so when I feel his presence I feel the joy of the happy and loving man I knew growing up.

Two Graduations, Two Weddings and a Landmark Birthday

Today we are going to my nephew's graduation party. It is the first of many events we have this summer. We will be going from event to event. I figure by the end of August my head will be spinning.
It is so amazing to me how fast the time has gone by and that all these youngsters are all young adults now. I met our one bride when she was just 11 years old. She is a cousin of my husband and at the time she couldn't believe that our baby would eat that rice cereal which probably looked gross to her. She was such a cute little thing and funny too.
Our groom is my cousin's boy and I haven't seen him in a long time. They moved to California and our paths haven't crossed much. When he was a toddler he could sing one mean edition of Oscar Meyer Wiener. Can't believe he is getting married already.
Two of our nephews graduated from high school this year. One lives in Chicago. He is wanting to be a pilot and is going to college to fulfill his dream. Our other nephew lives here(hence our going to the party) and he is interested in politics. Really, really interested. I remember how he loved to sit in my lap when he was little. He's way too tall to do that anymore.
We have a nephew who is turning 21 years old. I remember the first day I saw him and how I fell in love with his cute little self. It doesn't seem that long ago. He is my sister's boy and I have had the privilege of watching him grow into a fine young man. It seems like yesterday that we were reading The Jolly Postman and Kevin was helping him put together his new toys on Christmas Eve.
Well, they say time stops for no man and I now know it is true. But does it have to go by so fast?

At A Loss for Words

You know weird things always happen to me. I went to work out at the Y on Thursday morning. I was really feeling proud of myself. I had purchased some new workout clothes for the summer--a halter looking top and shorts so I wouldn't get so sweaty as I did the other day. The last time I went I headed straight into the shower after meeting "Granny Underpants" because I was still a giant sweating ball of sweat(I was really sweaty) as soon as I walked in the door. I even drank my bottle of water in the shower!

Anyway, now that I was properly dressed I was sure things would go better and I would sweat but not to such a degree. So I felt pretty cocky as I walked into the Y. Oh, did I tell you the pool is closed for repairs? Well, it is and has been for over a week. It is empty, empty, empty.

As I check in and prance for the door, the lady at the desk says to me "Are we going swimming?"...HUH????? WHO, me?????? Isn't the pool closed????? I thought all those things but I just looked at her and said no. Oh, says she and she goes back to work.

Now I ask you, just because I had on a halter top do you think she thought I was in my bathing suit? And if she did, why didn't she just say the pool was closed, did I know? Wouldn't that have been more direct?

Now she should have felt like a dummy and maybe she did, I don't know because I was so busy being embarrassed myself?? Do I look that dumb? Do all the swimmers come in their bathing suits and carry a plastic bag? It was a little one too. You couldn't even get a beach towel in it if you try. It is just for my water and earphones. Maybe she thought it was so hot that I was just going to air dry my pitiful, uninformed self!

Oh, I wish I could have said. "Lady, that was a pretty giant leap you just took there. Look at me. Do you really think I'm going swimming? Hasn't the pool been closed for a week? Do I look that stupid to you? Wait, don't answer that. Just think before you speak would you? It isn't that hard if you keep practicing." Then I would turn on my heel and flounce off to my workout. Instead I tucked my tail and slunked down to the workout room.

I really was at a loss for words!

I Want Candy

The night before last, I wanted a candy bar. I probably haven't had a candy bar in the better part of a year so what was up with that I don't know. I just wanted one. My husband readily agreed to get me one and asked me what I wanted. So many choices!!! How could I possibly pick one? I decided to pick something that I hadn't had in a VERY LONG TIME......so I came up with Nestles Crunch. Yummy. I used to love those. I loved the crispie part of it as much as the chocolate. So it was a good choice or so I thought.
When I got it I proceeded to break it up while still inside the wrapper so I could savor it a little at a time and then I opened it. It happened to be crispy side up and to my surprise the crispies looked very tiny. Kinda like the little bubbles in gingerale. Wha...? That's not right. They should be bigger like Rice Krispies almost. Well, I had my first bite and guess what? IT IS NOT THE SAME CANDY BAR! It tastes different. Not as crunchy. Not as chocolate-y. Oh my gosh I just wasted all those calories on something I didn't even like.
So that is a new rule for the CheapO diet. You can have a little candy but make sure it is something you REALLY REALLY like. And oh yes, it should be small. Not one of those regular size candy bars. Choose a junior or even better a miniature. If you do that just hide the bag in the freezer and take out one at a time. If you can't resist more than one, have your husband or someone hide the bag from you. Hiding the bag never really worked for me as I would spend the better part of the day ripping the house apart looking for it and before you knew it I knew all the hiding places Kevin chose. So if you are like that just have a candy bar. Just do it only once a year!
Now don't think that means you only get something sweet once a year. Just wait til I reveal the birthday and holiday plans...

I Still Got Nothin'

Okay, today it is really true. I stayed home the entire day yesterday because my car decided it is going to sound off its alarm every time I start it. This is not only embarrassing but maddening. It always happens in a parking lot(embarrassing) and when it happens in my garage it is deafening and maddening(especially for the neighbors).

But guess what? When my husband starts it nothing happens. No alarm. It just starts right up and no problemo. Isn't that always the way? It's like that noise your car makes until you take it to the mechanic and then it stops...until you get it home again.

I hate it when things don't work the way they are supposed to. Maybe that is why I always hated exercise. It never seems to work for me. My body never looks stronger and the weight doesn't melt off of me. My stomach never gets flatter and I never get definition. SO I QUIT!! EVERY TIME! This time I am not going to give up because I refuse to be a weak old lady. Not that I am old yet but there's no time like the present to get started. I was always a weakling who would rather read a book than run outside and play(as a child) and now I am a grownup who would rather read a book than garden or jog or just about anything active. So that is going to change.

Now that thing about not working right just happened again. The caps lock was locked and wouldn't unlock. It took me ten minutes to fix it and now I don't even know what I did! Oh well, at least it is working now and I can finish.

I hate it when people don't work the way they are supposed to also. I hate it when someone doesn't carry their weight at work or sits back and watches you do everything. I hate it when your family members let you do all the chores and don't lift a finger. I hate it when somebody should be kind and they aren't. The last one seems to happen the most. Everyone seems to be so busy and self-involved that kindness comes last instead of first. Now I am probably no different. I am sure I have been unkind when I should have been kind. At least I try to be aware and choose kindness as my first reaction(ok, maybe my second... I am only human).

Why don't more people try it? I guess because it's hard. Nobody wants to do the hard stuff any more. That's why the person at work can just sit there and your family can let you do all the chores. It's hard to do those things. It must be such a relief to have someone else do it for you. But shouldn't kindness be easy? Isn't it just as easy to smile as it is to snarl? Isn't it just as easy to accept as it is to reject? Isn't it just as easy to be appreciative as it is to be disdainful?

I'm just sayin'...........

Is it Just Me?

The weirdest stuff happens to me. I don't invite it in. It just seems to find me no matter where I go or what I am doing. Yesterday was a perfect example of this phenomenon. I worked out after I volunteered at the Chamber of Commerce.
I had a great day there. It was busy and varied and it was fun. No weird phone calls like the last time. It was a day of great hope. I worked out well too. I did the stepper and the treadmill and the stationary bike. The whole time there was a man on the machine called the elliptical and he was going like a house afire. I wanted to say OHMYGOSH HOW DO YOU DO THAT??? to him but I wisely kept my mouth shut. He was there when I got there and when I left and he was still going at the same hectic pace. If he hadn't been in the gym you'd have thought he was running from the devil or something. He was that fast. Is it just me or what does that prove? I know we should be healthy and all that but his frantic workout seemed almost silly to me. Mostly, I admired his ability but part of me wanted to laugh until I fell on the floor. He really looked pretty funny, especially with the jaunty scarf tied around his forehead.
Anyway, he didn't look as sweaty as I did when I was done so I decided to go and freshen up in the ladies locker room. I was washing my face and I noticed a little old lady sitting on one of the benches. Now the pool is closed for repairs and she wasn't in the workout room so I'm not sure where she came from but she was only half dressed.
She told me I looked hot and I didn't tell her she forgot to put her pants on. Yes, folks, she was in her underpants!!! I said I was(averting my eyes as much as possible without being rude) and jokingly said, I just can't wait to go outside. I was kidding of course, it was 90 degrees in the shade yesterday. Oh! says she I hate this weather. I can't be out in the sun without getting faint. She had a very fair complexion and was old and weighed about 80 pounds(easier to assess since she was IN HER UNDERPANTS!) so I said well, you are very fair.
Oh no, says she, it's all because she went for a walk in Vegas. It's hot there(REALLY????) and she took a walk at 11 am and thought she would be fine but she fainted. And ever since then(never did establish when this actually was) she couldn't be out in the sun. SO what do you say to something like that? I said I know it is really hot there because my daughter lives there. Oh, she wanted to know, does she like it there? So I said yes, and continued to wash up and get a drink of water and then we bid each other good bye. She was still sitting there in her underpants! As far as I know, she is still sitting there.
This kind of stuff happens to me all the time. It must be something about me.

It's So Smooth

Okay I am still working on the Cheap-O Diet. I haven't lost any weight yet but I am working out and adding muscle and we all know how much muscle weighs!!(wink) Anyway and my tooth that needs a cap and now a root canal hurts like the dickens sometimes so I have been trying to eat soft.
That said, I think I have invented a cheap and filling breakfast which is also liquid. Easy to make and is even portable. So here we go...each smoothie starts with the same three ingredients 1 c skim milk, 1 -4 0z container Activia vanilla yogurt, and 6 ice cubes(you can add more of these if you want or if your smoothie has to stay cold for a long time.
Here are some combos to add to the formula that I liked the taste of:
1 cup blue berries and a handful of crushed walnuts or

1 cup strawberries and a banana or

1 cup raspberries and a banana or

a banana and 1 T natural peanut butter or

a banana and a t. of vanilla

Adding the nuts or peanuts adds fiber and makes the full factor but so do berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. I have used blackberries but there were so many uncrushed seeds, I didn't like that but feel free.
Honestly I have gone from 8 am until 2pm and not felt hungry at all. I know they say now you should eat about every four hours but that doesn't fit into my schedule--if it does fit yours just break up the smoothie into two portions.
Remember, I am not a nutritionist or a diet guru. I am just trying this stuff and reporting to you as I go along. If I like it and it isn't a thousand calories, I will share.
If you have a combination you want to share just add it in the comments and everyone will see it. And oh yes, this is not an advert for Activia use whatever yogurt you want. I like the effects of Activia(if you catch my drift)P.S. forgot one 1 ring fresh pineapple about 1/2" thick, 1/4 fresh orange and 1 banana. Had that his morning!

And the Triple Crown Winner is...

Not poor Big Brown. Something happened to that poor horse yesterday and he couldn't force himself to truly run the race. He got kind of squeezed between two horses at the fence and I think he got scared. I don't know much about horses but I do know a lot about kids and isn't the poor dear like three years old?? I think he got scared by the other horses. Luckily, his rider is a good man and jockey and didn't force him to race. They came in dead last. One of the announcers made some oblique crack about the heat of the day and true champions but that was unfair and just plain mean if you ask me. Big Brown is beautiful and smart and made his owners a lot of money. He is not the first horse to lose the triple crown nor will he be the last. It doesn't demean his abilities that he didn't.
The real triple crown winner yesterday was ME! Yes, it's true. I went to my work out. I decided not to swim as I somehow cranked my elbow(I may have mentioned it before) and I just didn't feel that swimming was doing it for me so I have started on the machines. Yesterday I did the step machine(OHMYGOSH) for ten minutes, the treadmill fro 20 minutes and the stationary bike for 10 minutes. It was fabulous...I was so proud of myself. I was a giant sweatball but that was ok, the Y has showers.
While I was sweating my way to the triple crown, another winner was on one of the 6 televisons. Luckily I had remembered my earphones so I was able to listen to Hillary Clinton's concession speech(at least part of it). Now don't think I am such a political admirer, my other choices were a baseball game, a tribute to Jim McKay(may he rest in peace), a decorating show on HGTV, the four millionth airing of You've Got Mail or some guys who were floating around in water for the entire time I was in the gym. So I went for the most interesting choice.
Mrs. Clinton was gracious and poised and intense. She thanked her supporters and talked about some individuals including a little girl from our area who worked on her campaign using the money she had saved for a trip to Disneyworld. She threw herself enthusiastically behind her "friend" Obama(HUH?) and talked about how fortunate she was to have worked with him in the Senate for the last four years(Hey, wait, what happened to he has no experience?) She chuckled over the excellent debates they had(What the...?) and told everyone they should support him in his run for the White House even though it would be DIFFICULT(now that's more like it) and we would have to work HARD to Do it (now that's more like it!) She said she would always be at the forefront fighting for the unions and all her supporters(maybe right next to Obama as VEEP??) and everyone cheered and there were balloons! It was a great speech.
I really do admire Hillary(in spite of all my cracks about her wardrobe). She is the first woman to have made a viable run for the candidacy of President of the USA, her political past didn't ruin her chances for people's votes and she made a gracious exit(although many think it came a little late). In my book that is a triple crown win!!!

Too Darn Hot!

Why does the temperature have to go up into the nineties right away? I miss early summer when it is in the low 80's and it feels like you think heaven would. Those are the days you could work in the yard and ride bikes and sit outside for hours. Yesterday, I didn't want to peek my nose out the door. Mind you, this did not stop me from my usual shopping trip with my sister! However, for the rest of the day, I stayed indoors. In the air conditioning. And now the electric bill will look like the gas bill did this winter!
Don't get me wrong. I love summer. Not as much as fall, but still. There is always something to do. This Summer we have weddings, graduations and a 21st birthday in our family. We are going on a vacation too. Who wouldn't look forward to that?
I just want to be able to wear sleeves. Yesterday was not a sleeve day. Or the day before. I was in the grocery store in a sleeveless top and some old lady says to me "Aren't you Freezing?" I wasn't until she said something.
I hate showing my little bit fat arms and I have a scar on one arm that looks like somebody took a big bite out of me. Actually someone(a doctor) kinda did. I had some skin cancer removed. Anyway I want sleeves and when the temperature and the humidity match at around 90, you can forget it!
Anyway they always say, if you cant stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Well, in my nice air conditioned house I think I'll stay in the kitchen and out of the yard!

Mary, Mary

Oh, that Mary Worth! When she is not busy spooking preteens in the mirror, she is busy with her social life in the comics! She probably still meddles in the neighbors' business but honestly, I don't read it. It just happened to catch my eye this week because MARY HAS ANOTHER BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!What is she? The Queen of Senior dating? I don't know if many people read this comic strip any more but how unfair to lead the public on like that. Mary has an argument with her boyfriend, the doctor, but not to worry the son of a lady who died is there to pick up the pieces. Oh, I understand she has been meddling...I mean, counseling him. So she probably is just friends with him. But the boyfriend apparently jumped to conclusions so now she is dating this other guy. They were going out to dinner in yesterday's strip. So where are those lonely men for all the single senior ladies I see in church or at the grocery store? They don't appear to have men arguing over them. How many women spend their golden years alone because of the death of a spouse?(Mary got rid of hers very early on) Or what if they have been single their entire lives? Is it really fair for some comic strip writer to act like there is a pool of available men lining up to date them?And what's so special about Mary Worth anyway? She must be at least 140 years old!!! She has been an old lady since I was a kid. Did you ever check out her hairdo? Positively antiquated! And her wardrobe leaves much to be desired. Then there is the meddling...er, counseling thing. She picks up every stray that comes down the pike. Recently I noticed she even (finally) picked up a stray dog. I'm surprised the owner wasn't another old fella who wanted to date her! Maybe he was and I just missed it.I guess what I'm saying is that is ticks me off that some cartoonist feels comfortable perpetuating the myth that there is a man out there for every lonely woman no matter what her age. How misleading and how presumptuous! Mature women can function on their own just fine--they make friends, cultivate interests and spend quality time with their families. So who needs an old man with false teeth and a balding head and um, other less than functioning parts?Apparently, Mary Worth does!

I Wonder

I bought a bra today and they gave me the little hanger it came on. What the heck am I supposed to do with that?? I'm guessing nobody(well, maybe one or two) hangs their bras up in the closet on the hanger they came on. It just seems silly and couldn't the store recycle it? They're the ones who will be hanging up bras not me.

I do appreciate it when they give you the hanger when you buy a shirt or a dress. Those I can use. But they hardly ever do that. Now does that even make sense? Not to me. I bought a dress the other day and the salesgirl shoved it into a paper bag about 12"x14". I wonder what she was thinking? It was made of soft material so it will travel well but still... she could have at least offered to give me the hanger. Hmm...I just noticed the bag in the trash, make that more like 9"x11". So see what I mean?

I like to use reusable bags now. I do at the grocery store all the time and I wish I would remember to take them into the other stores I go in. Not that I would want anyone to shove a dress in one of them but for the drugstore and Walmart and the like, the reusable bags would be good. I wonder why I never remember to take them in with me? Must be some kind of mental block.

I met a woman who is a counselor. She is the most negative woman I have ever met. She is sure that Obama will be shot, that nobody can change, that generally speaking we are going to he** in a handbasket. I really wonder why she chose this career path. I have to say I wonder if she has any friends either. I mean who can take all that negativity for very long?

I often wonder ....it's good for the soul. At least it is for mine. In case you were wondering what's up with the cat picture? Nothing, I am just practicing!

A Funny Thing Happened...

Okay, I worked today and I got the weirdest phone call. Some guy wanting to know if a certain company was still in existence in Lake County. I could hardly understand him as he had a really thick accent but I finally figured it out. Anyway, I told him I would find out and someone would call him back if he would leave a name and number. Well, says he, he will just email us. And then he hung up. Funny, huh?
Then I heard about Hillary Clinton. Seems like she is willing to be the Vice Presidential candidate but guess what?? THEY DON'T WANT HER!!!!! She got more of the popular vote than any candidate since Andrew Jackson or somebody and THEY DON'T WANT HER!!!!! You know why? Is it because of her bad wardrobe or that she is a girl or that she has said some dumb stuff about her opponent? Heck no, it's because OF HER HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently, they have decided that Bill is somewhat of a loose cannon. Hello, they just noticed that?? Can anyone say Monica Lewinsky???????? Funny, huh?
On the Soap opera front, two men have fallen from the heights(one from the sky to the roof and another one down two stories through a skylight) in the last week or so. The roof guy GETS UP and is promptly arrested by the police(he'll be back) and the poor skylight guy is DEAD!!!! Dead, I tell you. Now I may be wrong but being pushed from a helicopter onto a roof and walking away without a scratch is pretty unreal and come on, then I'm to believe that the guy who fell ONLY two stories is dead????? Oh please! Anyway, I don't like to see any characters die especially the cute young men with nice chests but it is a done deal. Funny, huh?
The topper of the day was the French film I watched this afternoon. OHMYGOSH!!! It was about a clown who moved into a hotel owned by a butcher after the Apocalypse. All the food was gone so guess what the clown was supposed to be? You guessed it, dinner. Oh, those crazy French!! They do have la sense of humor don't they?? Anyway, the clown lived there with a bunch of whack jobs and hilarity(Such as it was) ensued until the end when the clown gets the girl and they go up on the roof to play the cello(her) and the musical saw(him, of course). I kid you not. Funny, huh?
I can't wait for this day to be over.... I don't think I can take much more "humor."

Whee!...Bowling

I mean Wii bowling. I got to try to do it at my sister's for the first time today and it was so much fun. I loved the little character we made of me and all the little characters she had already created. I am wearing a pink dress and I have a cool silver hairdo. I am wearing my glasses so I will do well.
I found out I have a bit of a hook to the left and I will have to compensate for that. It took me a little while to figure out how to throw and release but eventually I caught on and I even improved a little.
I actually bowled 106 which is the highest bowling score I ever got in my life. No strikes but I will keep trying. We didn't drink beer either so that probably helped(at least a little).
I was actually on a real bowling league when I was young. I was TERRIBLE!!!!!!!! You know how Barack Obama bowled?? That was me. I drank beer then so now I know what the problem may have been.
The best part was the "ball". It was just a hand held remote on a cord that went around your wrist. Didn't weigh hardly anything. I never could find a ball that I felt comfortable bowling with--oh except once I used a ball that was meant for little kids. That was ok. I don't want to pick up a heavy old bowling ball.
No wait, that wasn't the best part. The best part was you didn't have to wear those stinky, beat up bowling shoes they give you. Aren't those the worst??????? Worse than rental roller skates! I had on my own tennis shoes thank you very much and it was awesome.
We had a really good time but don't worry I wont be Bowling For Dollars any time soon!

Dear Sir or Madame

To the next president of the United States.
Dear Mr(s). President,

I don't know who you are and I can't do much about it except to cast my vote in November but I do have some concerns. Now that you have been elected, I hope you will value the American people and make some changes.
First, I don't know exactly what you can do but hurry up and do it. At this point in time, I don't see things getting much better any time before you take office. So have a plan and just do it.
We need to be able to drive to our jobs and to make a decent wage. The American worker needs to be respected and not just with lip service. You need to encourage companies large and small to keep their work here in our country.
Next, respect the children of this country. Make quality education a must not a goal. Stop the angry criticism of the "system" and the teachers and listen to what experts in child development have to say. Understand that play is children's work up until the age of eight and put fun back in the classroom. Throw away useless testing of young children and save it for when they are in at least the seventh grade. Make highschool education relevant for children so they want to stay in school. Have classes on parenting and balancing a checkbook and how to write a resume and the importance of volunteerism. Have classes on the influences of rock and roll and the Vietnam conflict. Have after school clubs and interest groups so kids can experiment there.
I heard someone say on the news that the real weapon of mass destruction is an eighteen year old with no education and a gun. This is the war you should concern yourself with.
It looks like whoever you are, this country will have a deficit. Make sure it is because we are fixing roads, creating jobs, improving daycare and easing poverty. Make sure that the taxation system is fair. Let the people who make the most money pay the most taxes.
Instill respect for older people. The baby boom generation is not going away any time soon. We are living longer and can contribute a lot to society for a longer period of time. That doesn't mean you should keep upping the retirement age, it means you have a vast army of volunteers who could be mentors to young children and do jobs in hospitals, schools, and businesses that don't require paid employees. Baby boomers get psyched. Remember Woodstock?? The peace rallies?? The right person(I mean YOU) could get us psyched. If we are busy and contributing members of society then the younger generation will have every reason to respect us and not just because we are old. That is a lame excuse. We deserve respect because we are amazing human beings with a lot to offer.
Lastly, please bring home those kids who are at war in Iraq. They are young and have families and parents and little children and wives and husbands. Nobody should have to go there twice. Make the service more attractive with benefits and college scholarships so that the armed forces can be maintained but don't engage in an armed conflict. It is counterproductive to send our best and most willing to serve off to die.
I know I am probably idealistic but someone has to be. You should be. I know it won't be a piece of cake to fix all these things but I know it can be done because we want it to be done. And you should do it.

Respectfully yours,

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

We went out to dinner yesterday and while we were waiting for the food to arrive I got distracted by ESPN. They were airing the NCAA World Series of Women's Fast Pitch Soft Ball. Did you ever see one of those fast pitch games?? They are the most amazing things. The pitcher winds her arm around in a big circle and hurls the ball over the plate. I can never believe that the whole person doesn't go flying with it or at least the person should fall down. BUT THEY NEVER DO!

The first time I saw fast pitch softball was when my brotherinlaw played back in the day. Besides enjoying the cute looking boys on his team, the pitching always fascinated me. I still can't believe that anyone ever hits the darn thing but they do. If I was up at bat I wouldn't be able to take my eyes off the pitcher(for the aforementioned reasons).

I guess I never thought I would see young girls playing the same game. They were serious as heart attacks too. It was Fla. and USC and the girls high fived and the catcher had on a helmet that was a cross between a football helmet and a baseball cap. The pitcher for USC had quite an arm on her and when she was in the dugout a coach was warming up her arm with stimulating massage to keep it loose. The pitcher for Fla had a bow in her hair(how cute is that?) but she was a dynamo too.
In between the innings they showed the girls up close and personal and they were all cute and sweet and self conscious and looked about twelve but out on that field they were pros--all the way. I don't know who won but in a way they all did. I found out that this was the league where the girls of the opposing team carried the runner around the bases after she was injured. So in my book they were all winners!