On Hiatus

I won't be back until after the first of the year.  I will probably have a lot to tell.  I look forward to telling you.

Frozen

I came home yesterday afternoon and thought it felt a little chilly in the house. I looked at the thermostat and it was dark(it's digital).  OMG, the furnace was off.  It was 24 degrees outside.  What are we going to do?
Well, we bundled up and DH started making phone calls.  Every place he spoke to sent him to another place.  Finally, the guy at Honeywell told him he had to call the furnace guy, the one who replaced it LAST YEAR!  He also said to wait til morning or else it would cost us more money.  Then I  got nervous.
Well, we made it through the night thanks to our electric fireplaces in the family room and front room.
DH called the right guy this morning and got talked through fixing it so it didn't cost us anything!!  YAY!
I had visions of my Christmas money flying out of here in the pocket of the furnace guy.  But that didn't happen.
Apparently, someone(DH thinks it was probably me) hit the switch on the furnace.  Personally, I am blaming the power glitch we had yesterday afternoon as the clock on my oven was blinking away when I got home.  I had nothing to do with that!
Right now, I'm listening to the sweet sound of warm air flowing into my bedroom and it is the sweetest sound ever!

Random Thoughts

I followed behind a truck today that reminded me of:

Stunk to high heaven too!

I have probably got the skinniest legs on the planet.  Well maybe I'm third or fourth but that still doesn't mean that leggings are pants.  However swants may make the cut:

Just kidding, do not go out of the house in these.  They are ugly as sin.

 

Faking It

Do you believe this guy?  He had the nerve to get up in front of the world and fake sign language.  How on Earth did he think he would get away with it?  It was televised all around the world.  Did it not occur to him that perhaps some of the deaf community would be watching?  Maybe he thought deaf people don't watch television.
Well, he was wrong about that.  The outrage exploded and for every good reason.  It would be like someone trying to fake English or French. And apparently, this isn't the first time he did the job...just the first time on television in front of the entire world.
So today, the guy has defended himself......because he is schizophrenic! WHAT??  And that's his excuse?  Now he's just insulted a whole different community...the mental illness one.  Did he think everyone would feel so sorry for him that they would stop criticizing him?  I guess I'm a pessimist.  I'm willing to bet a nickel that he isn't schizophrenic!
Oh, that just makes me think of the story of the woman who was trying to steal a colleague's purse and got caught in the act by the owner of the purse.  You know what owner said?  You're stealing  my purse.  The woman stealing(who also had her hand inside the purse) said, No, I'm not.
You know if you screw up that bad just own it.
So to the guy who pretended to be a signer, I say we all salute him with a hand sign he will be able to understand.  I think you know which gesture I'm referring to. 
All together now, salute!

Sorry this was the only picture I could capture but we all know the correct salute,right?

Random Thoughts Once Again

Did you ever go to an event or a movie or a play and everyone with you loved it and you hated it?  That happened to me yesterday and it was totally uncomfortable.  I mean I don't like going against the norm but I won't say I liked something that I don't.  And to boot, I had to get a white elephant gift.
I had a lot of driving to do yesterday and I was behind a young man at a red light and he started combing his hair with so much gusto I thought his hair would all fall out!  When he was done, he started dancing.  No kidding.  His arms were going and his head was bobbing. It was pretty funny.
Physical therapy is not fun.  Did you know they have an "elliptical" for arms?  I have a shoulder injury and that's one of the things I had to do yesterday.  Two minutes forward, two minutes backwards.  Sounded like nothing.  Let's just say it wasn't nothing.
Don't eat lunch at 4pm. It's just too too late.  You are starving and then you don't want any dinner so you wake up starving again.
I guess that's everything.  Have a great day and eat lunch at the appropriate time, will you?

Christmas Thoughts

Well, Christmas is on its way so I was scouring Pinterest for some new ideas when I came across this pin, "How to Have a Family Friendly Christmas."  WHAT???  Christmas is for families. It's about love and sharing, the things you want your kids to learn.  The things you hope all the adults in your family have learned.  But in my mind, I wondered what a family unfriendly Christmas was--Rated R?????  That is just so mind blowing.  I couldn't even look at the pin.
I am listening to the all Christmas music station on my car radio.  I am so sick of What are you Doing New Year's Eve and The Christmas Song, I could scream.  With all the songs about Christmas couldn't they choose a few others?  Those two songs are always sung by different artists but still..................
I walked this morning and in one yard I saw a fake pig dressed as Santa.  Santa Pig.  I kinda like it.  I know that in some countries, a pig at Christmas is good luck.  However, I wouldn't want a pig delivering my presents.
Yesterday, I went shopping with my BFF and she had a Christmas CD going and I thought it was two women.  Altos and one of them was a smoker.  Guess who it was?
Michael Buble and Rod Stewart.  I thought it was hilarious.  BFF, not so much.  Oh well.
Christmas is rapidly approaching and personally, I can't wait.  Santa Pig might bring me the CD of the Two Altos!

Shush!

We have a rule at our house. No talking to the television.  You know, when something happens and you go, Oh come on!--like that.  We don't want to do it and we try really hard not to do it. It might spoil the show for the others in the room.
Which is why my family doesn't let me watch football.  I can't help myself. I get all wrapped up in the game and shout at the players and the coaches.  I don't know why.  It's just the way I roll.
But yesterday, I couldn't help myself.  Really.  See the girl in the picture?  She's been "dead" for about two years.  Her husband is about to be remarried.....OK, let me pause here for a moment. (Don't you have to be gone 7 years before you are legally dead?)**
Anyway, she hovers at the door and watches the whole blamed thing before she makes her presence known.  WHATTHEHECK????????????????/  She is letting her husband be a bigamist.  Supposedly, he is the love of her life. But bigamy?  I guess it's not that big of a deal to her.  I think a man can go to jail for being a bigamist.  Did she ever think of that?  No she was too busy wallowing in her own self pity. Oh poor her, she was gone for two years and her husband found someone else.  What did she expect?  This is a soap opera, people.
Oh, yes there was a touching scene of her reunion with her little girl but still.  The kid wasn't a potential bigamist.
I kept yelling at that girl.  OMG, just go in there and say anything. and other stuff not quite as polite.  Let me tell you, I'm really glad I was the only one home!
** I was just reminded that charred remains were at the scene so she was legally dead.

Black Friday II

So I have to say this about Black Friday.  It sure wears a girl out.  We left at 11 and came home at 5 and I was wiped out.  That's not me in the picture but that's what I felt like.
However, much was accomplished.  Everything we wanted to buy, we bought.  Every coupon we wanted to use, got used.  Every store we wanted to go into, we went.  Every item we wanted, they had. So, it was all good.
DD got her whole shebang done! I still have a tiny bit to do but it's stuff to do on line.
So the potential for a relaxing Christmas is closer to becoming reality.
So, thanks Black Friday! (although, I wish you'd change your name to something less gloomy)

Black Friday

I can't believe I got talked into this but I'm going shopping today with DD and DH!  They have the whole thing mapped out and I figure it will only take until 10pm or so to finish all they have planned.  They are both positive thinkers.
Well, I'm positive too.  Positive that everything will take at least twice as long as usual.  Interesting that DD could forget the time we went to Kohls on Black Friday and the two lines for registers wrapped around the store!
I'm pretty much done with shopping so I don't care if there is a crowd or if I don't get a fabulous bargain.  I'm going for the thrill of it all!  HA!
Really, I'm going to be the sensible one.  The one who says, I think we've had enough.  Let's finish this another day.  Or,  there are always sales.  Or, you don't really need to get him/her another gift.
I will be their Jiminy Cricket.  Hey, I like that.  Wish us luck.  If it is interesting, you'll read about it here!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

To one and all!

Thanksgiving Eve

I know I'm supposed to be all grateful and stuff today and tomorrow, well, I guess, all the time but today I am wallowing in a little self pity.
No particular reason.  Just being self indulgent.
I feel fat.  I hate my hair.  None of my food seems to be turning out right.  I have to make dinner for my family and I don't want to.  I'm too hot.  Then I'm too cold.  I hate my slippers.
See? None of that stuff really matters.  Well, the dinner thing might be a problem but the other stuff is not that big of a deal.  Yet, I feel defeated.  I am sure my rolls didn't rise enough.  I'm sure my cheesecake didn't totally gel in the center.  I have a gigantic zit on my face.
Whew, I guess I wasn't done.(haha)
Well, I hope you feel all grateful and thankful today and tomorrow and every day, for that matter.  Me?........well, tomorrow is another day.

At the Library

Well, when I went to the library this week, the most amazing thing happened.  First, I noticed a police car parked in the lot which seemed weird. I never saw one there before.  As I parked, I turned my head and there were five patrol cars all clustered at one end of the lot.
WOWZA!  Stuff like that never happens at the library.  I wondered what on earth they were all doing there. As I approached, I saw an officer handcuff this old, scruffy looking guy and another officer handcuffed a blond woman.
I couldn't stop staring.  Well, to be honest, nobody could from the little baby with his grandpa to the library workers all standing in the lobby.
I can't imagine what they did.  Maybe they had huge outstanding fines.  Probably not, but what would bring them to the library???
I'll never know, but it was the most exciting thing I've seen in a long time.

Gobble Gobble Yuck

I'm not a big fan of turkey.  Ever.  I'll eat it on Thanksgiving but I'd much rather have stuffing or sweet potatoes or broccoli casserole.  On Thanksgiving, I could easily be a vegetarian.  When I saw this:

 I just about threw up.  I think it is the grossest thing I ever saw in my life.... Thanksgiving food wise that is. Who would do that?  I know there are giant bacon fans out there.  My gosh, there's even bacon scented deodorant.  But this just looks crazy to me.
A turduckhen grosses me out too.  Why would anyone stuff a turkey with a duck and then a chicken?  I never ever want to eat duck.  And I sure don't want it stuck in a turkey.  Turkey is bad enough on its own.
I guess that's why I'm a big fan of Thanksgiving stories for kids where the turkey reigns supreme and the pilgrims eat corn and bread for the feast.  Go on over to http://readaroundsue.blogspot.com/ and you can read about a couple of them.
Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving whether you like turkey or not.

Phone-y Baloney

I was taking my daily walk at the mall this morning.  It was a pretty cold morning so I wimped out and didn't walk outside.  Anyway, as I was walking, a young man was coming toward me(going in the wrong direction, of all the nerve.  All of us walkers know the rules and which way is the right direction!) and he was talking to himself and shaking his head.  I felt sorry for him because I thought maybe something was wrong with him as that isn't natural behavior usually.  Silly me, he was on the phone.  As he got closer I saw the wire that went to his earpiece.
Then, later I saw a lady who was talking and not even moving her mouth.  Was she a ventriloquist.  But the longer I listened, I realized, she had her speaker phone on.  She wasn't talking her friend was.
Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

AH CHOO!

I hate having a cold.  You know you feel lousy but not lousy enough to take to your bed and just stay there like when you have the flu.  No medicine really seems to help the situation either.  I stood in the drugstore yesterday looking and looking at all the choices, picked one and hoped for the best.  I didn't get the best.
I have drunk about a gallon of water.  I have a dry mouth and probably a dried out head.  My head should be totally empty because I've blown my nose about ten million times in the last two days.  I have used up three entire boxes of tissues and a roll of toilet paper( what can I say I ran out of tissues except for the Christmas ones I'm hoarding until Dec.1).
Food has no taste.  My eyes are totally red and dried out.  People keep asking me what's wrong.  Somebody even said, Look at her eyes. She's sick.  Thanks, pal.
I know I'm sick and I know I look sick.  At least Sis thought something was wrong.  I assured her all was fine, I just had a cold.
DH has been great.  He brought me pizza last night and will cook dinner tonight since I managed to get to the grocery store today.  I can just sit...........and blow my nose.

Open for Business

In case you don't know, I have another blog. It is called Read Around Sue and it is a review blog.  I review Young Adult, New Adult, Adult Fiction and once a week, I recommend children's books.
Well, today I opened up for submissions for the first time.  If you know anyone who is a budding author and needs exposure send them to http://readaroundsue.blogspot.com/
and I'll check out their book.
I don't promise to read all the books that are submitted but the rules are right there on the blog so there shouldn't be any confusion. 
Thanks in advance and have a great weekend.

Not So Savvy

When it comes to my computer, I think I know what I am doing most of the time.  Until I started to blog.  There is a graph to show how many people read you and also a number count.  They are never the same!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is so frustrating!!!
I thought I knew how to download a picture or something into a document but I didn't know about HTML. Would have never figured that out if I wasn't blogging.
I guess it only goes to show that there is always more to learn.  I'm still just a little novice, working my way through a labyrinth.....I mean, a computer.
The fact that my entire family is completely computer literate is not helping.  Oh, they are willing to help me...if I let them do the task for me.  That is  not how I learn.
They aren't meaning to be mean, just helpful.  But there is such a thing as too helpful.
So I just keep plugging along, learning one thing at a time.  I guess that's not so bad.
I just wish I knew it all...right now.  This minute. Not gonna happen, is it?

Great Advice

I probably haven't mentioned that we now have a big ass TV in our house.  In my opinion, a little too big but that's just me.  Everyone else who sees it thinks it is just dandy.
I have been utilizing the tube(hey, I bet you can't even call it that anymore..no tubes anywhere) a little too much while I recuperate but you can learn a lot from it.
Yesterday, I found out that you should not let the vial of eye drops touch your eye for fear of contamination.  Fear of contamination???  What about blinding yourself?
So in the spirit of public safety, I suggest the following:

Don't put your hand in a hot frying pan.
Never read a book upside down.
Don't try to read and watch television and eat popcorn all at the same time.(Now this one is really practical)
Don't try to swim in your bathtub.
Don't try to skate in your stocking feet across the living room floor, especially if it is carpeted.
Don't watch too much television........or should you?  Look what I learned and surmised from my viewing.

Lining Up

I've been watching a lot of television and I keep seeing women my age who don't have any wrinkles on their faces.  Some of them have had the lifeline lift and some have just had a few treatments of Botox or whatever else they use now.
So I got to thinking maybe I would get a little face lift or some kind of treatment.  I thought about it a lot and I decided I wanted to do it......
But, not the little lines between my eyebrows.  They show I have been wondering and thinking about things.
Not the lines at the corner of my eyes.  They show that I have been laughing a lot.
Not the lines from my nose to my mouth because that shows I've been talking up a storm and laughing my way through this life.
So, I bet you can guess what I decided to do.  That's right, nothing.

Idling

I am not good at being idle.  Even though I love to sit and read or watch my soap, it is hard to sit around all day and evening.  Trust me, I'm not cut out for it.
I want to dust when I see dust on the furniture.  I want to do laundry when it is nearing the top of the hamper.  I want to do.........well, pretty much anything.
How do you stay idle?  I don't know.  Do you just have to turn off your brain and let it take a vacation?  My brain hardly ever turns off and in the contest of wills between me and brain, brain always wins. That song I can't get out of my head?  Doesn't stop until brain tells it to.  Worrying about the kids even though they are successful, grown adults?  Stop it, says I.  NO WAY, says brain.
All I'm saying is I can only watch so many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress and old repeats of  What Not to Wear before I go stark raving mad.

Being There

One thing about being housebound with a caretaker is that you can't escape one another.  I don't mean that in a bad way.  I find it has helped us to become even closer than we are already.
My DD, Son and DH have spent many days with me as they are able to work form home.  That in itself is a miracle to me.  Having been a teacher, I couldn't have phoned it in if I wanted to.  I guess that's not even true anymore since there are on line school now.
I have gained new insight into the world of work while they have been home.  I can really listen in and hear the problems and have stopped wondering why they are so frustrated at times.  I know more about their colleagues and managers.  It's not all great.
I also found out that in their own ways, they are all nurturers.  DD is the most obvious.  I wonder if it is because she is a woman.  Maybe.  I never thought that DH and Son would be worried about me so much.  Neither one of them goes for more than a half hour without asking me if I'm ok and if I need anything.
All three of them are so present.  I am trying to return the kindness by being there for them too.  Not that I am not involved with my family but you know we all get used to each other and become a little complacent.  Well, no more for me.
I am loved and cherished and I don't want the other members of my family to have to become ill to feel that way.  I am going to put more effort into letting them know they are special and loved by me.
My Sis and WP have been there every step of the way too.  Sis made a birthday that had the potential to be totally boring a wonderful tea room like experience.  WP keeps coming over with food and funny stories.  Just don't make me laugh too hard yet.
Listen, I always knew all these folks loved me.  I just never expected them to go so far to demonstrate that love and caring.
I am so appreciative of who is in my life.  If you are reading this, my caregivers, I love you and always will.   xo

HB to Me

Yep, today's the day.  I turn 64 years old today.  I only wonder where the time went?  I know I've been busy but did I remember enough?  Did I appreciate all I had and have?  I hope I wasn't too dumb or mean or sarcastic.  I hope I made some people happy and made them laugh.
Next year will be 65 and then a lot changes.  I can officially retire.....Oh, wait, I did that when I was 50.  I will have to go on Medicare.  Say what???  I've been told you have to start the process early and with all the problems the website for affordable health care is having, I believe it.
But I'm only cruising at 64 for now and I plan to enjoy every minute of it.  I'm going to share my life with my friends and family and do everything I want to do.(within reason of course.  After all, I'm 64 not 24.)
I'm going to take  better care of myself too.  I'm going to continue my exercise program and healthy eating habits although the latter may have been taken care of with the recent loss of my gall bladder!
I'm going to wear make up and buy only clothes I like....even if they aren't on sale. I'm going to wineries and the movies. I'm going to book club and invite new members to join.  I'm going to get another tattoo.....I think.  Just a tiny one.
So that's the plan.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Getting Better All the Time

That was me a week ago.  I could barely move and I think I still had my catheter.  I'm not sure because Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of last week are a little hazy.  I thought I heard my family talking about some things.  Some were right and some I must have dreamed.
So only last Sunday I had an extensive gall bladder removal that required cutting.  The gall bladder fell apart in the doc's hands. Gross, I know.  Just be glad I'm not posting the picture!!
But this is about today.  Today I walked around my neighborhood twice.  I ate three meals.  I stood up nice and straight (oh believe me, it isn't easy to stand up nice and straight after abdominal surgery).  I not only walked but I didn't have to stop every ten minutes to catch my breath.  I was like normal.
My pain is not all gone by any means but it is definitely manageable.  Actually, hardly hurts at all.
Isn't that a miracle?  Aren't we just the most amazing beings?  I have to pinch myself to believe it is true and I'm not just dreaming this incredible improvement.
I also spent a lot of time thinking about people who were wounded in the really really old times and didn't die. Wow!  I needed the help of a lot of drugs to come this far but imagine if you didn't have any.  Or just something that didn't hardly work. Yikes.
So no more talking about operations or surgery or gall bladders.  I'm back to my old self and look out everyone!!

Are You Scared Yet?

That guy is just a vampire.  The other thing is some kind of monster and I don't really think it's that scary but I'm not working on all cylinders here.  Monsters and vampires are supposed to be scary and now that Halloween has been and gone we've seen plenty of both.  I even watched a special about Vampires on television last night.
I know they are scary but you want to know what is really scary?  Pain that doesn't stop.  Knowing you are not yourself. Feeling a thousand years old.  Trying to keep up your spirits for your family's sake.
No kidding.  It is a scary time in my life.  Good thing I'm not scared of vampires...or monsters.

Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy

When I was a kid I had this game called Uncle Wiggily.  Well, what do you know?  There it is. Up there in the picture I mean. Well, it was a dumb game and I never understood the rules and who in the heck is Uncle Wiggily anyway?  I never heard of him. One thing I always liked that one of the characters in the game was Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy.
That name stuck with me for my whole life.  If I had to take care of a sick kid, I called myself Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy.  Not out loud, just in my head because come on now.
My DD is my Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy as I recuperate from surgery.  Nurse Jane is nobody's fool.  If she tells  you you have to eat protein even if it tastes horrible you eat it.  If she says no doing dishes no matter what you think you can do you should listen to her.  If she takes you for a walk she will pretend to believe you when you say you have to rest but in your head you are running ahead....when you won't be running even in your head for a VERY LONG TIME!!!
She is compassionate but not to a fault.  She wants you to get up by yourself if you can but not split open in the process.  She cooks and cleans and still does a full time job with little or no help from her minions.

I love that Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy!  And there she is!  Up there in the picture...only my Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy is much cuter and animated and real.

Hospital

Let me tell you it is not any kind of fun being in the hospital.
First, I thought I was having a heart attack.  I wasn't.  That's good, right?
Well, not so much.
 I had a gangrenous gall bladder.  Hurts like a heart attack that doesn't go away.  It is gone now and I will get better but it will take a while.  In the mean time it hurts.  A lot.

Anyway, I don't want to talk about the pain.  I want to talk about the hospital experience.  How nurses are angels among us.  How the food sucks.... a lot.  How my family stepped up to the plate.  How Son's girl intervened on my behalf. She's one of those angels, ie a nurse.  How DD dropped everything to be with me.  How Son told the Gall Bladder doctors to send a letter to the heart doctors who should have never ever sent me home.  How DH is depending on his kids as adults for the first time in his life.  How I can see DH is scared half to death but is trying to be brave.  How he wants to help but doesn't know what to do.
I met one of our former students in hospital this week.  She was the nurse floor manager.  I didn't have her myself but I had her older brother.  She was so happy to see me and I was so proud of her.  What a bonus when a teacher sees and hears about  students' accomplishments.  It doesn't happen often.
I didn't meet any hospital employee who wasn't kind or nice or fun to talk to or interested in me.  And you weren't just a number either.
I know this because Sis was in the same hospital for a small procedure and we had the same post op nurse who remembered me when Sis mentioned my name.  Plus another nurse told her I'm not old.  I really like that one!
If you have to go to the hospital, I'm not saying it will be fun or you will enjoy yourself.  I am saying you'll be among people who really care about others.  What more could we ask for?

Ever Hopeful

Today I looked at the front of the newspaper and I was so happy with what I saw.  It said Conservatives Learning.  Boy, oh, boy I couldn't wait to see what they learned.  I picked the paper up and my eyes had played a trick on me.  There was the big headline: Conservatives sue to block expansion and below that article was the headline(not quite as big) One big tent for learning.   I can't tell you how disappointed I was.  I really thought somebody finally learned something in the government.  But, no, it was a trick my eyes played on me.
It's happened before that I see things a little mixed up.  I always get mixed up so it is upbeat or happy or  hopeful.  But it never is.
Wouldn't it be nice if Conservatives learned and Radicals learned and everyone met in the middle?  Now that would be nice.  Then maybe we could get something done in Washington or Columbus(where my particular Conservatives live).
So I'll go on being hopeful and probably still reading things the way I wish they were instead of the way they are.

Pollyanna and Polyvore

Pollyanna was a fine Disney film.  I watched it while I was blowing my nose and not moving off the couch.  I came in on it toward the end where she went to the Bazaar and came home and fell out of the tree trying to sneak back home.  She was paralyzed and the Doctor was taking her to the hospital somewhere to get fixed up and the town's people were all waving goodbye.  The end.  What????  I thought I remembered her coming home in a wheelchair and then Aunt Polly turned nice and the Doctor was her boyfriend or possible fiancé  and everyone was so happy and Pollyanna got out of the wheelchair. That's The end.  Right??  Or am I making that up?  I mean what Disney movie doesn't have closure and a happy ending?

Anyway, Pollyanna is a perfect child.  She is upbeat and well behaved(for the most part) and everyone loves here even the most curmudgeony of the curmudgeons.  It could make you ill it  is so saccharine. 

Polyvore.com is a perfect world too.  You can see from the picture that I imagine myself to be  a size four, young and a perfect body.  I love playing Polyvore.  I have made so many outfits some of them have even accidentally ended up here!  That was a while back and before I learned how to turn off the share button.

Anyway, I guess my  point is that we all need a little bit of perfect in our lives.  Mine is Polyvore.  Pollyanna's was...... well, her.  I hope you have a little bit of perfect in your life too.

Suicidal Squirrels and Other Signs of Fall

 

 

I love Fall....for the most part anyway.  I always wonder why squirrels suddenly start running into the street right in front of cars at this time of the year.   Not some of them, ALL of them.  Mass suicide is not the way to propagate the species, Squirrels.  And let me tell you something else.  If this is some kind of game you all invented to weed out the weak among you, it may not be working.  I've seen more squashed squirrels in the last two days than I did all summer.  WTF, Squirrels????????

I really love the changing leaves....for the most part.   My favorite is when they all fall and the wind blows and they all go over in our neighbor's yard.  Well, I'm just being honest.  I bet you wish that happened at your house.  We have one less tree this year so it won't be as bad....for them.  Why our neighbors on the other side's leaves never come into our yard is a mystery.

I love apples.....but not apple cider.  Well, that isn't really right either.  I found out yesterday that I love apple cider with bourbon and vanilla and caramel and pumpkin pie spices.  Who knew?

I don't really like pumpkin pie either....well, maybe a little.  What I really like is pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin muffins and even that jello pudding they make at this time of the year--stir it up with a little Cool Whip and you have a real treat.

I HATE Halloween.  I think I already covered this but I have to admit I'm going to a Halloween party and I got costumes for me and DH and I'm making tortilla chips shaped like bats.  And, oh yes, I'm lovin' me some Halloween candy.

I love Thanksgiving......for the most part.  I just really hate turkey.  No white or dark meat has ever made me go YUMMY.  Now I love stuffing and I love broccoli casserole and sweet potatoes.  I hate hate hate mashed potatoes.  I have a really good reason but that is for another post.  If you don't really believe me, just ask my Sis.

So that is the fall season to me.  Oh and I forgot to say, I hate football.  Sorry.

Double Helping

Yesterday, a cold knocked me off my feet.  I think I blew threw 1,000 tissues.  I couldn't get up from the couch and all I wanted was mint tea.  I was sick...and bored.
Television was my friend and showed the movie, The Fifth Element.  I LOVE that movie so much.  Don't ask me why.  It is dumb as all get out.  I love that flamboyant character that Chris Tucker plays.  Gary Oldman is totally creepy.  The bad guys look like something form Star Wars so they aren't that scary.  And what is it about Bruce Willis that is so darn likable?  I'm sure I don't know but I like him a lot.  I've seen it about a hundred times and love it every time.
When it was over, I was sad because what would I watch now while I blew my nose a thousand more times?  OMG, the television is my best friend.  It is playing 12 Monkeys.  I LOVE that movie too.  I think Brad Pitt is just wonderful as the crazy guy.  He does all kinds of crazy stuff and enjoys every second of it.  The story is weird and I don't think it's all that great and I kinda hate the ending but mostly I like it a lot.
I think it is the Bruce Willis thing again.  I don't know what it is about that man.

Time Flies

OK, I was so mad at AT&T because they sent me an email saying I hadn't paid my mobile bill.  Oh, yes I did.  It was right in my checkbook and there was a confirmation on my phone.
I called and finally got a real person and asked her why in the world I would get a bill when I always pay on about the same day every month.  I said look at my history.  I always pay on time.  See in August?  See in September?  Why am I suddenly late??  WTF????????( I didn't say that but I was thinking it)  Now here's the clincher.  And then I say Why can't I just pay on October 7?
A little silence met my tirade.  Ma'am she says it is October  It's the 18th.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I said I'll call the "pay now" number.  Thanks.
I'm sure I gave her the laugh of the day.
See what I mean?  Time flies.

Really Scary

When I was a kid, I was scared to death of Godzilla.   That's right.  He ate Tokyo after all.   We had a theater close to our home and it was in the shopping district that we used so we would see the movie posters hanging outside the building.  It's old fashioned but it is true.  I hated walking by those theaters.  What if they were showing a scary movie?  I might see a monster.  Well, Godzilla was my first.  I must have been 5 or 6 the first time I saw him.

OMG!! Do you even blame me?????????  He is terrifying.......Well, actually he looks like a bad cartoon but I was just a kid, OK?  He gave me what my Sis and I called "the creeps."  I walked to school then and we went on a cinder path through a wooded area behind our neighborhood and came out in a neighborhood of post World War II projects.  They were little houses built fast to house the returning GI's and their families.   I was always positive that Godzilla would come down one of those streets and catch me unaware.         It never happened.

Now, I'm not afraid of much.  Well, that may not be completely true.  But I'm not scared of Godzilla anymore!

 

Everything Will Work Out

When I go on vacation I try to work out in the gym facility where we stay.  Some of them are real nice and some are kind of bogus.  This weekend I woke up before 7 AM each day so I decided to work out even though the room was small and there wasn't much equipment.
There was one bike, one treadmill, on elliptical and one stepper.  I am a walker so I was happy to see that the treadmill was open and there was a gentleman on the bike.
I really don't like working out with a stranger but what could I do?  I didn't know the neighborhood so I didn't want to walk outside.  Plus this was air conditioned and had a television.
So the guy had the remote. No surprise. He did get there first.  He was watching The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  After that was over he changed to Criminal Minds.  Not the choices I would have made but oh well, not so bad.  I could just ignore the TV.  I did kind of kick myself for leaving my iPhone and headphones in the room.
Well, I'm working along and all of a sudden, there was the most unpleasant smell.  At first I thought it was something cooking outdoors but suddenly I realized that the guy had farted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   FARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
He didn't say excuse me or anything.  Not even anything lame.  What did he think?  That I would think I had done it?  There was nobody else around.  I think there is a rule that if you fart in a small room with a stranger you have to say excuse me.....and look embarrassed.
YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spooky Elegance

I just went to the coolest wedding.  That's why I wasn't around.  We had heard all kinds of rumors about it but it turned out not to be crazy.  It was beautiful.
The bride looked elegant.  The groom looked tall and handsome.  The zombies didn't hang around for long.  The cake looked like a chain saw gear was stuck in it and they cut the cake with a hacksaw.
The bride's shoes had zombies on them.  The groom wore purple tennis with the Swedish flag embroidered on them very discreetly.
The music was loud and young.  The dancing was frenetic to watch.  Everyone had a good time.
How you combine sophisticated and spooky takes a creative mind.  The bride had so many good ideas.  You could trick or treat at each table because part of the centerpiece was Halloween candy--a different type at each table.  The centerpiece was a white pumpkin wrapped in lace with pearly lights around on a black wrought iron stand.  Beautiful.
There was lots of purple.  Lots of lace.  And lots of little ones in skeleton pj's at the reception.
Weddings are really interesting now.  Most brides pick a theme and stick to it in all the décor and clothing.  I think I like it.

On Vacation

 

 

 

 

 

Enough said.

Princess

Last night I was at a Facebook party and there was a discussion about princesses.  Like which one would you want to be and what kind would you want to be.  It got to be quite a discussion and I came to some conclusions.
First, Rapunzel is out.  Something about that climbing up the hair thing really bothers me.  Not Cinderella either.  Too much housework.  I guess I decided I didn't really want to be any of them.
However, I most resemble the princess and the pea princess.  You know, she had all those mattresses and still couldn't sleep because of the pea.  I have my sleep issues so I guess I relate.
The girls in the picture are all princesses. One is Pretty Pretty Princess. She is my DD.  One is a Naughty Naughty Princess.  She is not my DD.  I forget what they called the third one but I'm pretty sure it was something about being strong and brave.
I picked that picture because every girl is a princess.  Those three named themselves.  They weren't looking for a prince to save them either.  They were independent.  Now that's the kind of princess I want to be.

Tiny Tyrant

Do not make the mistake of thinking this kid is crying.  This is not about crying children in public. I've had a crying child in public while pushing a grocery cart full of watermelons, thank you very much.
This kid is screaming.  Hence, my story.
I was at the library today doing research for my other blog, ReadAroundSue.  It is nice and quiet and I get a lot done in the time I allow myself.  Plus the little ones come in for storytime and they are just so funny.  Well, most of them anyway.  One pulled his mom all the way to the storytime area.  Another little one was late because his folks couldn't find his shoes.  Little stuff like that just tickles me.
Then, after everyone(including shoeless Joe) got settled, here comes trouble with a capital T.  I'd say he was somewhere between two and three but I'm guessing closer to two because the star of his show was NO.  NO,NO,NO.  Louder and louder and louder as his mom and grandma tried to pull him away from the computer.
I'm starting to pay attention now cause I want to see what they do next. It looked like Grandma was in charge.  She said, OK if you won't leave the computer we're going home.  Let's go.
Three guesses what Tiny Tyrant said.
She walked toward him and he kept yelling his favorite word and then she just threatened him again.  She took no action and Mom just faded into the background, looking scared.
Nobody went and picked him up.  Nobody sat next to him to explain. Nobody tried to tempt him to go to the story time.  They just kept yelling and  threatening and doing nothing.  Tiny Tyrant just kept yelling NO.  Wonder where he learned that?
What would I have done?  I would have gotten that kid out of there and out to the car and home again.  Maybe I'd try next week.  Maybe I'd go early and let the kid use the computer first and then have story time.  He was little, he didn't have much of an attention span.  He would have been bored in five minutes.
Heck, I finally tuned them out and I don't even know what happened.  Suddenly they just weren't there.  Don't forget I was a kindergarten teacher when kids still had playtime.  I can tune out  most anything and concentrate on the task at hand.
Poor Tiny Tyrant. He's in charge. And he's too young.

Two Face

Once a long time ago I read an article that said if you took 2 pictures of your face and cut them in half and put the two right sides together and the two left sides together you would see two very different people.
One face would be most pleasant and the other face not so much.
Today I was getting a haircut and color so I was waiting for my stylist to return with the gunk and I looked at myself in the mirror and sonofagun, it was true.  The side on the right looked nice, no deep wrinkles, the eye wide and open and the mouth was turned up as if it was about to smile.
The left side was a whole different story.  I had deep wrinkles around my nose and mouth.  I had a skinnier eye that seemed to turn down a bit.  And the mouth, it was so frowny, I couldn't believe it....and I was trying to have a pleasant expression.
Wow, I'm glad I didn't get born with two left sides.  You would really be scared of me.
Now it takes the stylist a while to mix up the gunk so I had plenty of time to stare at myself.  The OK magazine could wait.  I didn't really care why Liam dumped Miley anyway.  My weird face was much more interesting.

Back it Up

Well, Sunday night the kitchen sink backed up.  A lot.  It didn't overflow onto the floor or anything and DH said he'd fix it the next day if I would just empty out the cleaning products under the sink.  No problemo.
Yes, there was a problemo.  DH had to work on some disaster recovery thing at work so our disaster got put on the back burner so to speak.  He didn't even get home until midnight.
So this morning he says to me all cheerful-like, The sink is fixed.  It fixed itself. I tested it twice and everything is fine. Mm-hmm.
It did not fix itself.  I was washing out the blender after my morning smoothie and guess what?  The sink backed up.  Again.
I texted DH to let him know he was in for another amazingly fun night.  He couldn't believe it!  Oh, it's true.  DH, you just have to trust me.
See, we have this thing going on. Our toilet plugs up sometimes, well, a lot.  Not bad but enough to be a gigantic nuisance.  I can't plunge because I have a shoulder injury and I just don't want to anyway.  So I leave it for him. Nice, huh?
Anyway, he always tells me I don't know how to flush.  Really????????????  Just push the handle down, right?  I think I figured that out a long time ago, like when I was 5.
I always say there is something wrong with the toilet.  He doesn't believe me.
Now I am wondering(and believe me I hope I am dead wrong) if the two problems are tied together.  Now wouldn't that be lovely?
So if it doesn't get fixed tonight, the plumber is the next call.  Anyone know a good one?

Need to Know

I just found myself sitting in my car in the garage waiting to hear the story behind the dog in the RCA Victor ads. What the heck??
 The caller thought he was named Victor but the DJ(who, by the way, seems to know a lot of trivia) said no he was named Nipper.
Guess how it got its name?  Because it liked to bite people.  OoooKay. Very original.  Nipper got in the ads after he died because his last owner wanted to pay tribute to him.  The expression in the ads was always, his master's voice.  His little ear was cocked up toward a record player.  It seems to me that Nipper never ever listened to his master while he was alive so I don't get it.  Maybe the last owner( now don't you wonder how many owners Nipper had????) just put him in the best possible light.  Or maybe he just thought he was cute.  Who knows?
Why I wanted to know all this I cannot tell you.  I was a little tired from my workout.  I thought it would be interesting. But, no it wasn't.....at all.

Say What??

This man is the biggest hypocrite on the planet.  Ok, maybe just one of them. His name is Congressman Randy Neugbauer. He had the nerve to confront a Park Ranger at the World War II memorial and tell her she shouldn't deny the public access.  She should be ashamed.  How could she turn them away?
She was so polite.  She said it was difficult to send them away, sir.  She said she wasn't ashamed though.  Good for her. Too bad she couldn't go further.  Like tell him she was doing what HE and his colleagues instructed.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea to close down the government.
He was the most condescending and  self righteous he could be.  He berated that poor woman in front of a pretty good size crowd.  Maybe he thought they were all from his home state and he would win some brownie points and get reelected when the time comes.
You know, I don't understand a lot of Obamacare and I sure don't understand why a group of grown men would act like a bunch of twelve year olds but I do understand that you don't blame the low man on the totem pole in public.  That is just plain stupid.
You only do that in private...... Oh, you know I'm right.
We all should feel like a bunch of fools for electing these morons to run the country for us.  We should hire people like that Park Ranger and the guy who stood up for her.  He said he was a government employee too and he would like to do his job so the Congressman should do his.  Neugbauer told him to blame Mr. Reid.   The man told him that he blames ALL OF THEM.  They are not doing their jobs.
 Get a budget and get to work.  If you don't like Obamacare and think it won't really work than COMPROMISE.  Look it up in the dictionary.

Facebook Party

I never got invited to a Facebook party before and I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to do.  I knew how to get to the page.  Of course, I know how to post.  But what do you say?  The party was for an author I know and I really wanted to be there for her.
At first, I felt hesitant.  There was only a post from the author.  Should I reply or post?  I decided to reply.  For a while, it was just the two of us.  Then a funny thing happened.  More people came to the party.
The author posed some questions and people started replying and pretty soon a conversation got going and it was fun.  I even worked up the nerve to start a conversation by asking the author a question and people responded to that too.
Suddenly, through a common love of reading, a group of strangers became friends.  It was just wonderful.
I'm going again next Wednesday, to see my new friends and talk more to the author about her work.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Who knew?

Raise Your Hand

Raise your hand.  Simple request. Easypeasy, really.  Unless you have a frozen shoulder. Then you cannot, simply cannot do it.  Even after a shot of cortisone.
It got me to thinking.
Remember raising your hand in school?  Sometimes it was a little raise like just to your shoulder.  Other times it was  like that ooh-ooh raise because you were the only one who knew that answer.  The smartest one.  Funny how the teacher never seemed to call on the ooh-oohers, only the timid raisers.  Probably learned that in old-fashioned teacher school.
When I taught, I called on some of the ooh-oohers but I have to admit not all of them.  It gets a little aggravating when someone is ooh-oohing their hand right in front of your face, only inches away!
In Kindergarten, most kids are ooh-oohers.  The timid ones just try to look invisible.
Which brings to mind the other kind of student, the never-raisers.  They don't want to be bothered for one reason or another.  Maybe they don't know the answer.  Maybe they don't want to try and think of the answer.  Maybe they are thinking about lunch or puppies or the cute girl in the next row.  Maybe they aren't there at all.  Physically, of course, they are.  But if you had no breakfast, your mom didn't bother to get up, she yelled at you when you tried to wake her and your baby brother is left pretty much on his own after you went to school, well, you wouldn't be there either, would you?
Unfortunately there are too many of those kids now.  It used to break my heart.  It's one of the reasons I retired.  I still think about those kids and wonder what happened to them.
I wonder what happened to the ooh-oohers too.  Did they become huge successes?  Did they just turn into pushy people that none of their colleagues can stand?  I don't know the answer to that but it's fun to speculate.
So anyway, that's what frozen shoulder made me think about.  It's not a completely frozen shoulder.  I got to the doctor as it was just starting according to him.  If you have frozen shoulder, you have my sympathy.  If you don't have frozen shoulder, keep raising your hand.  Apparently, it helps you to avoid it.

Gloomy Day

I hate gloomy days.  Today is one of them.   I don't want to get up.  I have no energy.  I drag myself to the gym.  I drag myself on my walk.  I drag myself to the grocery store.
I hate my lunch.  I hate what I have planned for dinner. I hate my hair.  I hate what I'm wearing.
With all this hate going on, it's not hard to be an Eeyore.  And I only have one other thing to say...thanks for noticing me.