Vegas 2009

I have learned a few things since I have been here.
1. You know you are really really old if you wear a wool hat and a sweater with long pants in 95 degree heat.
2. If you are over 45 you should probably avoid short shorts and for goodness sakes wear a bra in public!
3. When someone says it is all downhill from here, it doesn't mean it is going to be easy.
4. Some people act really really weird in public.
5. There can be too much whipped cream on a dessert.
6. Beer has restorative powers.
7. One woman's whining is another woman's talking!

FLIPPED

Well, I was watching an old movie starring Carole Lombard(if you don't know who she is--look her up) and they were at a nightclub that had a spectacular floor show which included famous women making their entrances on horses. There was "Lady Godiva", "Joan of Arc", "Pocahontas" and Greta (I forget the last name) who stuck her finger in the dike and saved all of Holland from destruction. (in case you don't know Holland is below sea level).
Each gorgeous woman came out and presented herself and her horse and then the Emcee asks Greta from Holland to show everyone the famous finger that saved Holland. Out came the one finger salute except that it was wrapped up in a big white bandage with a bow on top. It was as big as her head!! It was hilarious.
The audience gave a round of applause and Greta finally put that thing away.
The other day when I was driving to my sister's there was a gray haired lady in a big fancy white car behind me and she didn't like it that I was going the speed limit. She honked, she rode my tail, she shook her fist at me and last but not least she showed me the finger that saved Holland! I did not applaud. I did however pass her by while we were waiting at the red light as there were less cars in the lane I chose so as I passed her by I flipped her right back!! (I felt pretty safe--she was old and my car doors were locked).
Obviously, the meaning of the middle finger has changed since the simpler days of the forties unless you lived in some parts of Europe but obviously not Holland!


PS I will be on hiatus for a short time but when I return I hope to bring a guest blogger along as she and I will be on a road trip. If we can figure out how to do it we will post blogs every day.

Random Things

I heard there is something going around the Internet called 25 Random Thoughts. Here are a few of mine from yesterday.

1. JayZ tries to look like a gangsta but he looks like a cute little kindergartner(in his face) to me.

2. Nothing is more important than maintaining your dignity. Patrick Swayze did that.

3. LeBron James is the sweetest thing and smart and loyal and I could go on and on.....

4. Having a vacation can be life renewing.

5. I don't know why people think Jerry Seinfeld is so funny.

6. Soap Opera addiction is not all bad.

7. The right haircut can make you feel like a million.

8. A pedicure is the ultimate in spoiling yourself.

9. Having a conversation with a stranger is really difficult but can turn out fine.

10. Some people just don't get it.

11. Spaghetti sauce in a jar is a Godsend.

12. Sometimes time doesn't fly.

13. A crossword puzzle can be a bear.

14. How old is that Kanye West anyway??? 12??

15. I don't get Mad Men.

OHMYGOSH!!!!!

Things are really hopping in Llanview, PA. these days. There has been a drug ring that the Mayor and some Russian Mafia guys were running(where the mayor of Llanview met any Russians is beyond me.) They were duped by Cole, the teenage father and boyfriend of Starr (he's not her father they have a child named Hope) so to get even and out of town, the Russians kidnapped Starr and the baby.
For the rescue, there were stunts!! There are hardly ever stunts. First John McBain threw himself through an open window and then Bo Buchanon(the police commissioner--you know how they get involved in all the crimes in your fair city) did a somersault right through said window. He's around 60 years old. It was pretty impressive let me tell you.
At the hospital where the only doctor to be seen for months was John McB's baby brother, Michael, there are now 3 doctors and even a couple of nurses and good thing too, as my friend, Shaun got shot at least twice and is in need of brain surgery which his brother will perform.(!)
In the same rescue, former Navy Seal, Brody Lovett, got reamed on a metal pole and he needs surgery stat!! He is (of course) the boyfriend of the girl whose husband just died around a year ago. He did save Starr and the baby though. That Starr!! She just hightailed it with Brody and into the boat that was waiting for her and she paddled her little arms of to get outta there!
Will Shaun die? Will Brody?? Will Bo have a spastic back for the rest of his life? Will John Mc Bain's brother ever find out it took three doctors to replace him?
I don't know but I can't wait to find out!

Get Ready

I have the hardest time getting ready for a trip and I am going on a long one real soon. Oh, I've got my hair appointment(today) and a pedicure scheduled. My suitcase is handy and I have done a mental list of all the toiletries and make up I may need.
Sounds like I'm all ready, right? Well, there is one little problem. I don't know what clothes to take. That's a problem, isn't it? We are travelling to Las Vegas and then to Oklahoma City and then to St. Joseph, MI. I know it will be hot as the blazes in Vegas and pretty hot in OK City and not hot in St. Joe's.
I know I will take jeans but I better have two pairs in case I spill something on the road and then I would have stained jeans the whole time. I will take my leggings and easy tee shirts for on the road but I better take some shorts too.
Should I take nice long sleeve tops or just short sleeves? Do I need a jacket or a sweatshirt and what about pj's--warm ones or not?
Should I coordinate it all so it all goes together? Do I take just enough so I have to do some laundry at my daughter's house? Or do I just take 15 pairs of undies with me? Oh, see what I mean?
Do I try to cram it all in a medium suitcase and have a carryon for the plane or do I just use my giant suitcase and gamble that it won't be over 50 lbs? Do I take my giant purse or just a medium one that has a lot of pockets. Will it be summer or autumn? Duh! I don't know. Technically it will be fall most of the time but then you never know about the weather any more do you?
I will be all organized and pick out my clothes(I will come up with some scheme) and then as I put them in the suitcase I will second guess myself the whole time and toss out a bunch and add a few that I decide will work better.
All during the trip, I will wish I brought something or other that I don't have and I will be kicking myself about it.
So as much as I love to travel(and I do--even road trips) I hate to pack!

A Tweet Thing

Twitter is a fascinating place. I don't follow too many people nor do too many follow me but I can barely keep up with all the tweets going on. Some days there are so many that I can hardly read them all.
Sheri Shepherd (from THE VIEW) always has a lot of tweets. You know, I don't need to know every time her kid makes a "poopie"...You know???? Why does she think she should write about that or her insomnia or who she has a crush on(and then tell her tweet pals not to tell--uh, Sheri PUBLIC DOMAIN) but then again this is a woman who got a Brazilian wax job on national television.
Ashton Kuthcer is a feast or famine kind of tweeter. He will tweet every couple of minutes for around a week and then there is a long silence. I always wonder what he is doing then! He does support a lot of charities and good causes in his tweets as well as sending us some funny videos he likes via Utube.
Remember when none of this existed? How did we ever manage not knowing all these little details about people we know and people we don't know? I can remember a time when I didn't even know if a celebrity had a Brazilian or not! And I was fine with that! I don't really care if Demi(or Mrs.K as she is sometimes referred to) has her 1 million followers or not! Oh, and Asher I'm not following her no matter how much you beg us to send her some love(REALLY?).
I hardly ever say anything on Twitter. I try not to be too specific or tell too much. If I talk to someone who I follow and who follows me, it is short and sweet.
I don't know how to download links and all that stuff so I am probably missing out on the complete experience but c'est la vie. I'm having enough trouble "following as it is"!

Oh, the Joy!!!

My daughter is living in Las Vegas and we have gone out to visit her many times and she has come home once or twice a year. She calls frequently and we SKYPE on Sundays. No matter what,though, it is a long long way from here.

We are going to visit her for the last time next Saturday. Why the last time, you ask??

BECAUSE SHE'S MOVING TO MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can drive to her house in 4 and 1/2 hours. We will live in the same time zone. She can come to Thanksgiving dinner and family birthdays. She'll be close to family as both sides have Chicago residents and they are only about an hour away.

After DH returns to Cleveland from our already planned vacation, I will stay behind and drive with our daughter to her new home. Ohboy, ohboy! A girlie road trip!! We've done it once before when she had an internship in California. We had a swell time until the last day when she was sick as a dog from whatever the heck she ate at dinner the night before.

Oh and our car broke down in Kingman, Arizona where it was 113 degrees!! But we "manned up" and kept at it.

Hopefully, this trip won't involve car repairs or sickness. I can't wait to play the "Or" game..ie. Brad Pitt or George Clooney, chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies...get it?? We will listen to our favorite music and some nostalgic stories will be shared. We will not eat fast food and we will drive too many hours in one day but it will be wonderful!

Every mom should be as lucky as I am. My daughter is my friend.

A Lassie Named Bill

I never knew that Lassie made so many movies. I just watched one where the poor old gal(although sometimes she was actually a male but never mind that) was named Bill.
First off, who names their dog Bill anyway? Elizabeth Taylor, that's who! She was the star of the show along with Lassie.
Anyway, Lassie...I mean, Bill.... was trained to be a sheep dog and saved the lambs and saved Liz from a snowy demise and then saved her from drowning and THE END, right??? Oh no my friend.....Bill gets lost and ends up as a war dog.
He leads the men to safety of course. While he was being trained Bill, now named Duke, his trainer kept saying that he knew the dog was trying to tell him something. I think he was trying to tell the dope that his name was BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After the war, Bill is suffering from post traumatic disorder and growls at everyone in sight and escapes from the train that is taking him to a rehab hospital and heads straight home to Liz. Now that isn't so surprising to anyone who saw The Incredible Journey. Anyway, on his way home, Bill wreaks a little havoc at the other farms in the area before reuniting with Liz who he growls at and scares so she trips and hits her head and is down for the count.
Suffering from remorse (and probably delayed recognition) the dog tries to revive her and he does and they are happily reunited!!! THE END, right??? Oh no my friend....Bill gets arrested(or at least the dog equivalent and goes on trial)!!
During the trial the old judge refuses to hear anything but the facts so it looks like Bill is doomed but then the Wizard of Oz(oops, forgot to tell you he was in it as the local vet) pets his head and sees his Army tattoo. During the lunch break he calls the Army(after all, he is the Wizard) and finds out that Bill is a decorated hero and of course, he is reunited with Liz. The END, right???
RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I rate this movie 3 dog bowls!!!

Trouble in Llanview

OHMYGOSH! My favorite soap character just got shot yesterday. Twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know he is going to live but I got a tear in my eye when he went down the first time. That's right I said the first time. He is so brave he got up and tried to stop the bad guys even wounded!! I bet you think it is John McBain but you would be wrong. It is Shaun!
Shaun is a big, African American football player type. He first came on the show as a bad guy's bodyguard who was his best friend too. Then he hardly talked...come to think of it, at first he was kinda like Silent Bob.
Then as his friend got more air time, Shaun started talking and he even had a fake girlfriend for a while(doing somebody a favor). Well, pretty soon the rich folks over at LaBoulee(Boo-LAY) needed a body guard and Shaun got the job. By then, his former friend had been written off the show.
So Shaun has been doing more and more and having more scenes and pretty soon, I was really liking him. I really loved him yesterday when he called Star's baby(one of the people he guards) "SugarLump". I hadn't heard that term of endearment in many years. To hear it out of the big guy's mouth made me tear up a little.
Shaun has been dating Rachel who isn't really mad for him and she is mad for his brother in spite of her protests to the contrary. She just kissed the brother and wait til she finds out that Shaun is shot and very seriously wounded. She will have a giant guilt trip and I'm glad. Shaun deserves a girlfriend. He is sweet, good looking, kind and brave.
I hope the PTB over at One Life to Live give this good guy what he deserves!

O Day

Today the President will speak to the children of the United States and tell them to work hard and stay in school. Some parents mightily object to this and I am so disgusted by them I can't believe it myself!
I was a teacher for 34 years and no President ever told the kids to stay in school and work hard because it was worth it. Only Nancy Reagan and her Just Say No campaign and she was only the First Lady. Plus it was dumb. Tell kids to say no and guess what? They probably will say yes just to spite you.
But I digress. The extreme right has sold a bill of good to a portion of the population that Obama is up to no good. That he is a Socialist and a brainwasher. They say he hates Whites and wants to have a government that interferes in every aspect of our lives.
Well, Obama's mother was white and he was raised by his white grandparents so I find it hard to believe that he hates all Whites. He is called a socialist because he thinks that as a society we should support one another. Oooh, that's scary. Doesn't he know that this is a ME ME ME society and that is all we care about?? Care about others? Are you nuts or even worse, radical??
It's pretty hard to brainwash someone in the 10 or so minutes the President will take to speak to students. I believe it takes some time...like months or years.
Now people are saying that they didn't object to the speech just the lesson plan that went with it. Well, guess what? Teachers could choose not to do the lesson plan! I guess it asked something like what can you do for President Obama and people think that means he is trying to force the allegiance of the children to him. I'm thinking it was trying to make simplify the concept of having allegiance to your country and taking responsibility as a citizen. If it was my classroom that is how the discussion would go. Actually, I taught Kindergarten so it probably would go something like this.
Me: How do you think you could help President Obama?
The Kids: Listen to our moms?.......... Listen to you?............ Pick up litter?............ Learn to read?......... Be an astronaut when I grow up?... How far is it to the moon?.. Can my dog come with? ... My dog is big... I have a cat... My mom said I could never get a dog but I have a fish. Can we get a fish for our room?Let's name him Fred. No, let's name him President Obama. Who's that?
You see, really young kids have their own little thinking process and it's easy to get off track. So, parents, stop worrying. The President means no harm and will do no harm and maybe, just maybe some kids on the street will be able to tell Jay Leno who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Walk the Walk

After a long, shall we say, hiatus, I have started my walking regimen again. I walk with an old friend three days a week and with my DH on the weekend. I know it is good for me and I always feel glad I did it but getting out there is a whole other story.
I could put out about a million excuses of why I didn't go for a long time but I'm sure nobody wants to hear them. If my friend can't go for one reason or another?? OH, that's alright...of course, I don't mind! I just dodged the bullet! YAY!!
Why don't I find walking more fun? Well, I hate the sweat. Yes, that's right. If I walk then I need another shower or at the very least I need to drink a gallon of water afterwards. I get sick of the showers and blowdrying my hair so it is easy to just say no.
All the ladies' magazines talk about how to lose weight by walking. Somehow that never seems to work for me. I don't pack on the pounds when I am walking but I don't lose or tone up that much for that matter. I guess I could carry weights like an old neighbor of ours used to do(we jokingly called him Heavy Hands) but I don't want anyone to mock me out like that. Maybe if I lost or toned up from walking I would be more inspired to do it.....well, probably not.
When I walk with my friend, we talk and joke the whole time but I still feel those last few minutes and wish they were over faster than they are. Sometimes, DH and I get carried away and then we are further from home when I get to the "I can't stand this any more" part and then I am really dragging after we get back.
I want to be healthy. I really do. Isn't there a way to do it without all this walking stuff?

KIDTALK

President Obama wants to address the students of this country about staying in school. The conservative right is totally against this speech--like it's a brainwashing ploy. Well, if you have to brainwash kids to get them to stay in school, personally, I'm all for it.
The divisiveness of the right is really getting on my nerves. They have rallied with that fat guy, Rush Limbaugh and are trying to undermine everything the President is trying to achieve.
Take health care. How can we possibly be against a program that will cover people who now cannot be treated at all or take any medication because they can't afford it?? What is wrong with these people??????? Do they think we can just turn our backs on the portion of the country who are unemployed or underemployed and have no insurance. Oh, wait. Some think they will have to wait longer at the Doctor's office. Puh-leeze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An extra ten minutes of your time is not going to kill you. Old people think they will be left to die. Come on!! This is America not Nazi Germany no matter what those on the extreme right may be selling to you. Nobody is going to be left to die because of their age. People are being left to die now no matter what their age BECAUSE THEY CAN"T AFFORD INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why doesn't everyone get that?? It makes me sick to think that the conservative right is using the fears of the seniors and the well to do to make new policy seem like some kind of police state.
Wake up people!!! We need to change. We need to help others. It comes with a cost. How could it not? Your president is trying to make the people with the most money pay the most. He is on your side. Not Rush Limbaugh or any of those other pundits out there.
President Obama does not hate whites or the elderly. He is not growing a mustache ala Hitler.
He is an intelligent man who is trying his best to get us out of the quagmire that the Republican government got us into.
We need to reconstruct the attitude of the 1960's where helping people and supporting our brothers was the ideal not an aberration.

Hair

No, not the musical. The stuff on your head. I was looking at my picture on this blog and already I don't look anything like that. I have been working on a bob--not my favorite look but I felt like growing my very short hair out for a change and it is in that inbetween stage--right at the chin, not a good look for most, if you want to know the truth.

Yesterday, I decided to curl it up with the skinniest of my curling irons. My sister thought I got a perm, probably a bad one, I ran into people I haven't seen in a long time and I can't help but wonder what they thought of my hair. I kinda thought it looked like clown hair but DH swore to me that it didn't(come to think of it he never said if it looked nice or not--very discreet, my man).

This morning it is slightly curly on one side and flat as a pancake on the side where I slept on it the most. It is pretty hilarious. I would take a picture but I'm afraid I'm too vain to do that.

Anyway, I only want my hair long enough to make a ponytail when I am working or a french twist when I have to go to a wedding or other occasion. It should only take about another year or so if I can hold out that long.

My hair looks great when my hairdresser does it. I always tease her that if I win the lottery she is coming over to my house every morning to do my hair!! She can get it so full and fluffy and stylish and then I go home and try to do the same and it is a weak facsimile of her artistry. Thanks goodness it is such a good cut because even with my poor skills, it looks pretty good.

Anyway, I am staying away from the curling iron for a while! Unless, I try the one with the larger barrel...hmmmm, that might work.

Sometimes, there is nothing you can do with your hair no matter what. The pic at the top of this blog is a case in point!

It's About Time, It's About Space

On vacation, my son and his friend were telling me about how if you go out in space for a long time when you come back you are significantly younger than your peers would be. So, in other words, I would come back younger than my sister and my husband, etc.
On the other hand, when you travel in space, studies show that the strain of the solitude and the close quarters(why I would NEVER be in space), that astronauts age more than the average person would. You know, kinda like the President of the USA.
So, it made me wonder, why would you want to go into space if you come back looking younger but feeling like an old fart?? I mean, it would be fun to be the younger one for a change but the trade off seems pretty steep to me.
It kind of made me think of Rip Van Winkle, you know the guy who fell asleep for like fifty years and when he came home nobody knew who he was? That story always made me get creeped out when I was a kid.
Or those guys in the old TV show It's About Time. They ended up back with the cavemen!!
So in order to be younger you have to feel older....well, I don't think so. I think I'll stay right here on good old planet Earth and let it do its worst to me and take my chances!! Older and younger is enough of a challenge here.