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.

The Challenge

DD and DH hiked the Grand Canyon.  No kidding.  I am so proud of them.  They didn't have to be helicoptered out of there or anything.  They are tired and sore and it was really, really hard but they did it!!!
What did I do?  Well, I stayed home.  I spent some time alone and spent some time with family and friends.  I ate a lot of burgers(easy to fix) and made as little dishes as possible. I exercised and walked.  The time went really fast for me, I'll bet it flew for them.
They will be home later today and I am happy to say I'll be happy to see them.  Hope they'll be happy to see me too!

Girls' Night

So last night two of my girlfriends and I headed out to the wineries to have some fun.  There were three of us. My friend K is in her forties, WP is in her fifties and I am the senior one at Sixty something.  We have a lot in common.
First, we all like wine.
We all were fat in 2000 but not now.
We all have good men in our lives.
We all think the same stuff is funny.
We never run out of stuff to talk about.
We were so wild last night we closed down two wineries!  One closed at 8 pm and the second one at 10pm.  How wild are we???????
I know, we think it's funny too.

The Dashboard

 My blog has a dashboard.  It looks kinda like this one but not exactly.  This pictue will do for my purposes.
See the graph line?  How it makes peaks and valleys?  Peaks are good.  Valleys not so much.  I like seeing peaks.  It makes me feel proud of my work when I see them.
I have noticed though that I have been looking at my Dashboard way too much.  I mean waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much.  Like an obsession.
If I get a peak I am all excited but a valley makes me feel as low as ......well, a valley.
I wish tons of people would read my blogs but I can't force them to, now can I?
So I have made a rule.  No dashboard until the end of the day  like 5 pm EST.
What do you mean that's not the end of the day??

The Cowardly Lion AKA Me

If you don't know it, I write a second blog on Mondays and Thursdays called Read Around Sue.  I am pretty proud of it.  I research and do my job.  I review young adult books and recommend kids' books.  I have increased my readership and it is pretty exciting.
So I got this great idea to have some guest bloggers.  I asked a friend of my DD's who is a librarian and I wanted to ask the local librarians if they would like to write something.
I had no trouble asking the friend but I have been putting off asking the librarians for almost a month.  I would start to get up and then I would sit back down.  I'd get all the way up to do it and end up roaming the stacks instead.
So today I was determined to ask.  Well, I did. I said good morning all friendly like and pitch my blog to them.  One seems a little interested and the other one looks like she wants to crack up.  I felt a little weird but I carried on.  One of them asked me what my favorite kids' books were and I told her Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  It was sort of true but not precisely.  I love too many to pick. So I think my voice was shaking because I felt put on the spot. Then they asked me for the site and I said let me get you my card(which is really just a strip of paper but I was that nervous.)  I walked over to the table I was sitting at and they were no where to be found!  So I had to slink back and tell them.  And guess what?  I started out giving them the address for this blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So I had to start again. By the time I was done, I was a sweating ball of nerves and fear and apprehension.
I'm thinking being such a cowardly lion wasn't so bad after all.  Courage is over rated!

Emmy Gowns--Hits and Misses

Well, I may as well start with the hits first.  I thought there were a lot of almost hits and almost misses so I just concentrated on my favorites.
Tina Fey looked gorgeous.  Her dress fit her flawlessly and it was a beautiful shade of blue. I loved ,loved, loved it!

Then there was a surprise for me.  Zooey Deschamel  got all dressed up ala Audrey Hepburn and she looked wonderful.  No little cotton dress for her at this show.

Kerry Washington looked lovely in a blush dress with lots of flower embellishment.  It looked a little bridal to me but she pulled it off.

 

In spite of myself, I found I liked the dress that Julianna Maurgulies wore.  It was different and it moved when she walked on stage and it looked really lovely.  I am not a big fan of the hair though so just ignore that.

Now when you miss, it's by a mile.  I could not believe Julianne Hough wore a sparkly,sheer dress over her bathing suit. It looked goofy in photos. I don't know how it looked in person.

Oh, Claire Danes.  You are supposed to wear a dress that isn't the same exact color as your complexion.  Plus get a bra and push those puppies up there.  I like her haircut though.

Now Julie Bowen erred on the side of embellishment.  Beautiful dress if it wasn't for the flounce and the bow thingys and all the tucks around your waist and the flounce is diagonal.  Calm down next year and wear the same color as it really suited you.

These are just my opinions.  I can't wait for ET tonight to see what they say.

 

Lip Lock

I have really thin lips. An old boyfriend used to say I looked like a Muppet because I didn't have any lips.  Don't worry--dumped him. Now that I am older, they are so thin that sometimes they look blue.  I just try to remember to wear lipstick.
Lips are a funny thing.  A lot of women want nice,big,juicy lips. I guess I wouldn't mind having my lips puffed up a bit but every lip job I've seen is just ridiculous and the woman looks more like a duck than a sexy woman.
When I was in college, a girl I knew used to say her lips got numb when she drank 3.2 beer(look it up, young'uns).  I never believed her.
On Saturday, the family took DD to a bourbon bar for her birthday.  I had the best tasting drink ever.  I don't remember what all was in there but bourbon, almond liqueur and gingerale were. I had two. And guess what?  My lips were numb on the way home!  Honest and truly.  It was a really weird experience.
If we hadn't been in the car, I would have made DH kiss me to see if I even felt it.
I might make myself some scary lips for Halloween.  I've already seen tiger stripe and leopard lip covers.  I guess you just glue them on.  Yikes.  That is weird.

Fashion Tips

If you are under thirty years old and in top physical condition, there is no need for you to even read this post unless you are just the curious type.
Lately, WP and I have been walking at the mall and besides all the white hair we've noticed a few fashion faux pas.  In an effort to improve the world, we highly recommend the following:

Leggings are not pants.  They are leggings, as in hosiery.  If you have bumps and lumps, this look is not for you.  Trust us.   If you do wear leggings, make sure your top covers your butt...oh, and your thighs.  DO not wear a tube top or a crop top.  Honestly, don't do it.

If you are pregnant, keep your belly covered.  DO not wear your pants under your baby bump and a tee shirt stretched over most of the rest.  No one wants to see a strip of an eight month pregnant lady's belly with stretch marks.  Really.

If you are going out at night, don't wear beach clothes.  Wear something that has a little glitz or shimmer.  DO not wear your shortest shorts and a crop top as you may be mistaken for someone who is not just out for the evening if you get my drift.  Dress like a girl and act like a lady.

If you are over 50, don't wear those polyester pants and matching top outfits.  They make you look 80.  Suck it up and get into a pair of jeans.  I may mean that literally.
As a matter of fact, try to avoid complete polyester flowered tops with sequins or rhinestones all together.

Follow these few simple rules and you will be looking better.  I promise.

Dearest Daughter

Dear DD,

One of the happiest moments of my life was when I found out I had a little girl.  You know, at first they said you were a boy!  Ha!  Not likely.  My doctor was totally disgusted with whoever said that and said, Oh, no, she's a girl!( He didn't call the person stupid but it was really really implied)
Well, you turned out to be one of the loves of my life.  I can still see you running through our back yard to the swings with your little blond curls bouncing in the sunshine. 
I remember the watermelon trip.  Nobody before or since has ever hung on to my leg that hard.  It was quite the workout.   Luckily, Joanie still speaks to both of us.
I remember cutting out the teeny weeny accessories for your American Girl paper dolls while you were in surgery for your hand.  Never prayed so hard in my life.
Wow, remember when you were in your first play?  You were so nervous but it worked out that it enhanced your character to look a little fidgety. Or when you won the award for the most participation in school clubs. I should have gotten that award for sitting in the parking lot waiting for you!  No iPhone to keep me busy back then.
You went far away for college but what fun I had visiting you.  Remember Pat the Bunny?  Oh, you got so mad at me for calling him that.  Or what about Carmen the Baldy? Now, that goes way back to kindergarten.
When you came home and worked at the day care we both knew it wasn't the life for you so I kicked you to the curb, not really, just to Vegas.  Now that was a place to visit!!
We had a long car trip together when you moved to your present home and we invented the game "Or"--  like Brad Pitt or George Clooney? And how we shopped all the way there.
I just want you to know how precious you are to me and  to wish you a happy birthday.  Don't worry--I won't mention any numbers.  LOL

That's All She Wrote

I would be very proud to write a book.  I can't do it but I would be proud.  Instead I write for my own enjoyment here on this blog.  It's a fun little hobby and I hardly ever discuss a deep subject.
I get some flack about that once in a while but I don't really care.  For me, this is an online diary.  Something my family can look back on and have a few laughs, even after I'm gone.
I get a kick out of thinking that my great grandchildren(hi, you guys) would get to kind of know me.  They aren't here yet but they will be one day.  I hope it will help my kids remember what a nut I can be or how astute I can be, really, only occasionally though.
Writing is a difficult undertaking.  First, you need a topic.  Since nothing outrageous happened to me today, I decided to write about writing.  Oh, except I saw a dog driving a car.

Fellow Book Reviewers

So listen you guys, there are an awful lot of books out there.  Some are wonderful, some are terrible and some are just okay.  I get it.  What I don't get is why you would rate a book one or two stars.  Why not just tell the author that the book isn't for you?

Everyone has different taste.  You(or me either) are not the final authority on what is good or bad out there.  These works are the author's life dream.  Many of them have spent years trying to get their book out there.  Many of them work hard every day to make  the best possible product.

Then someone like you comes along and pretty much annihilates them.  Does that make you feel good?

I know some of these authors who aren't famous or largely read.  They have talent and have written some fine stories.  It hurts them to read a lousy review especially when they have sent the reviewer the book at no cost.  Who do you reviewers think pay for those copies??? The author.  The lousy reviews I have read have been unfair and just mean.

I have a theory about the one starrers.  They are just mad that they can't write a book.  Well, too bad.  Get over it.

There are a multitude of books to read and surely you can find some to your liking and turn other people on  to those books.  Being negative doesn't help anyone.  It doesn't help a reader to choose a book and it trashes the author's efforts.

When I became a reviewer, I felt I was privileged to get a chance to see some authors I wouldn't have been exposed to before.  Not every good book is in the library.  Not every good book was written by someone famous.  I have found real pleasure in getting a chance to read the books I have.  Have I loved all of them?  No.  Did I give a one star review?  No.  I told the author that I was sorry but the book was just not for me.  Easy.  Not mean.  The author doesn't feel like they've been kicked in the face.

So come on you one and two star reviewers, find books you do like and review those.  We'll all be a lot better off.

 

On Top of Spaghetti

So about a week or so ago I unthawed some spaghetti sauce and grabbed the whole wheat spaghetti to go with it.  DH and I don't eat pasta often so it was kind of a treat for us.
So I go to put the noodles in the pot and somehow the spaghetti spilled up and out of the box and all over the kitchen.   A little actually got in the pot!  Well, I had a back up box and the noodles were  dry so no problem right?
Well, first one caught on fire.  Then I had to clean up all the noodles on the stove while DH dealt with the fiery one.  Then I went to pick up the noodles on the floor.  OMG, the spaghetti was the exact same color as the flooring.  No kidding.  It took us forever to find it all.....or so  we thought.  The next day I stepped on two of them.  Then for a couple days after that either DH or I would step on a piece.
So surely now they were all gone.  HaHa on us.  I just vacuumed my floor and guess what I found?  A big whole strand of uncooked pasta just sitting in the middle of the floor!!  Really, spaghetti?   See when we eat you again.

No WIne-ing

 

Last night we had company for dinner.  It was someone we haven't seen for a long time.  DH asked me to make meatloaf...yes, I said meatloaf and I made broccoli with homemade cheese sauce and baked potatoes.

DH picked the appropriate  wine to eat with meatloaf (who knew?) and we were all set.  I even made some dessert.

When our company arrived, I gave him a glass of wine and poured one for myself and DH.  We chatted whiled I got dinner on the table.

I haven't had a dinner guest in a while other than my own kids so this was going well and I was relieved.  I'll admit I was a little worried.

We  sat and the men started serving themselves up.  The baked potatoes were in a bowl on the table so after our guest helped himself I decided to reach over and grab one.  Now don't think I'm all rude or anything.  It was right in front of me.  I didn't have to reach over anyone but.....

I did have to reach over my freshly poured glass of red wine.  Before I knew what was happening, the wine was all over my plate, my jeans, my lap, my shirt, and even my underwear!   Luckily, not much hit the carpet and DH got it cleaned up right away.

No such luck for me.  I had to go and change before I could eat anything.  Thank goodness there wasn't any food on my plate yet.

I was so embarrassed!  But I didn't "wine" about it.

Weekend With DH

DH had quite the weekend.  He took DD and I on two hikes which turned out pretty well, for me and DD at least.
The first day we had to park quite a way from the trail and there were no other cars around.  On our return, a guy with a butterfly net was there and two old gentlemen chatting in their cars side by side.
The net guy left as we sat and drank our water and ate our snack.  The one old guy left too. 
A sign by the car that was still there was right by the edge of the woods and we wondered what it said so DH went to investigate.  He came back and seemed somewhat perplexed and possibly a little embarrassed.  What in the world could have happened?
Well, first, as DH walked by, the old guy locked his car. OMG, does DH up there look like a robber or a killer to you?  For one thing, he's old too. (sorry, honey)
Then when he stepped into the forest to see if there was a path we could try sometime he said there was an old lady in there wearing a sweatshirt and what appeared to be black underpants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  When DD and I stopped laughing, we figured out that the old woman was probably the wife of the car-locking guy so she wasn't lost or anything like that.
And if she was in her undies, I can't say I blame the guy for waiting in the car!  No wonder he locked it when DH came around.  He probably thinks everybody's nuts!!
And I still don't know what the sign said!

The Happy Wanderer

 

We went on a five mile hike today, DH,DD, and me.  It was a difficult trail for Ohio which means not that difficult.  It was no Grand Canyon trail if you know what I mean.
That didn't stop us from feeling like we were conquering the world.  Especially me.
I never was an outdoors kind of girl.  Or athletic.  These hikes are showing me a different side of myself.
I am strong and a little bit brave.  I can do things I didn't think I could ever do.
DD and DH are gearing up for their trip to the Grand Canyon.  They carry 30 lb. backpacks to get ready.  I carry about 1 pound--water and trail mix in baggies.  That is about as much as I would ever carry.
Those two were kind of pitiful as we ended the hike.  Those backpacks couldn't come off fast enough.  Hope they'll be able to do it on their trip.  We haven't quite made 8 miles completely loaded up like that.
We hiked on the Buckeye Trail but only a part of it since it is 524 miles long and goes around the whole state.  We couldn't squeeze it all in today!  LOL
The whole time I wanted to burst out singing, I am a happy wanderer Valderie, Valdera, Valderie, Valderahahaha.  I learned that song in grade school and hadn't thought of it for years until today.  I stifled my urge to sing and good thing too, we passed up an awful lot of people who were also happily wandering.
If you never went on a hike because you think you are too weak or not athletic enough, I suggest you try again.  Take it easy. Go on an easy trail.  You might love it as much as I do.

The Throne

OK, I officially hate our toilet.  Or John. Or potty.  Or whatever.

Toilets are one of those things that should just work.  Every time.  No getting stuck or not filling with enough water and no getting blocked and no weakling flushes.
Toilets should work every time with enough gusto that nothing but cool, clear water remains at the end of things.(pardon the pun)

I have kind of hated our toilet for many years now.  It just never seemed to have enough oomph, if you know what I mean.  It plugs up too easily and it just isn't right.

So today was the last straw.  I flushed.  I waited.  I flushed.  I waited.  I'm still waiting.
I might try one more flush but if it doesn't work, DH will have  to take over the task.
Lucky him!

9/11

I am not putting any picture here.  If you were alive, you already have the picture branded on your brain.  Probably more than one.
I remember that day.  It started out pretty normal.  I had an appointment in the early morning for some therapy on tennis elbow and after I was to stop in on DH's parents and have a late breakfast with them.
As I pulled in the drive, my mother in law was standing in the doorway with the door open.  She was gesturing wildly for me to come in the house.  I didn't think I was late or anything so I wondered why was she so anxious.
She said, You better get in here.  Something terrible has happened.  I got there just in time to see the horror.  I remember the three of us standing in front of the television with mouths hanging open.  Mother in law said, you better go home.  So I did.
I called  Son at college and said come home at once.  DD was in Oklahoma at school so she couldn't come home but we spoke on the phone.
It wasn't the first time Son and I watched a tragedy together.  The day of the Oklahoma bombing, he was home for some reason and came into the bedroom and said, Mom, you better get out here.  Then we watched that horror together.
Horrible tragedies like 9/11 aren't supposed to happen to us.  Those things happen in other parts of the world and we just accept it as part of life.  When it happens to us, well, maybe we don't want it to be part of life any more.
What motivates someone to kill so many innocent people?  I have no idea.  They say that some terrorists are motivated by religious beliefs.  I don't think that is really so.  What god would want his children to kill one another?  It doesn't make sense.  I know I don't want my children to do any kind of harm to one another and I'm a mere mortal.
Really, in life, we all want the same things.  No matter where you live or how much money you have or what your religious beliefs are, we just want everything to be ok.
Just ok.
Today, pray or meditate or just think about all those souls.  I pray they are ok and that we all will be.

Getting Older

Now I know I am not that old.  I just am noticing things lately.  Like I have way less eyelashes.  They used to be so long that people thought I was wearing false eyelashes.
Which, by the way, I tried and failed miserably.  Most of them ended up half way up my eyelid.
I am not going to talk about wrinkles.  Let's face it everyone gets them.  I just hate the ones that make your face look like you are frowning all the time.  Those ones from your nose to the outside of your mouth.  They make me feel like Howdy Doody.
I have been getting my freckles back on my nose.  I know what you are thinking, those aren't freckles, they're age spots.  But you are SO WRONG.  They are freckles, right where they used to be when I was in about the third grade.  So there.
When I look at my hands, I don't see my hands, I see my dad's hands.  How did they get there?  I want my smooth unfreckled and unbony hands back.  I would also like to be able to slide my rings off with the greatest of ease.  Without the aid of a bar of soap or olive oil.
Ohmygosh, the toenails.  Let's not even go there.
The one good thing is that my legs are less hairy.  It's great not to have to shave every single day.  Plus I used to think my legs looked like monkey legs anyway, skinny and hairy....so now, they're just skinny.
The inevitable happens to all of us, I just wish I hadn't noticed it all on the same darn day!

Uncanny

This is the leader of Syria.

This is a weasel.  Isn't the resemblance uncanny?

Oh, Here We Go aWandering

Well, tomorrow is the big day. DH and I are going for a big hike and he is carrying 30 lbs. in order to be ready to hike the Grand Canyon.  I will be carrying 1 lb.  Sounds fair, right?
We are going to  hike longer than we ever have in the woods.  We don't count the trek to Son's house and back as that was flat all the way.  No, this one is with ups and downs and turn arounds and requires a map.  DH is in charge of the map.  I am in charge of ....well, nothing.
I like hiking though.  I thought I would hate it but it gets you outdoors and we haven't seen any wild animals (like a bear) so it's all good.  I was never much of an outdoor girl.  As a kid, I would rather read a book.  Mom would kick me outside to "play" and I would sneak my book and sit at the picnic table.  That was my kind of playing.
I wished I could be like the other kids who rode bikes and played all day.  I just couldn't do it.  Lo and Behold!  in my middle age I discovered I have asthma!  No wonder I didn't like to be outside.  It is aggravated by allergies and by activity.  A twofer, so to speak.
Now, with my medication, I can go and have a wonderful time outdoors and I don't even have to sneak a book with me.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

I don't hang out with anyone who smokes and I really don't go anywhere where people smoke....except Vegas but that is a whole entire story in itself.  You know, what happens in Vegas...
So I forget that people smoke.
I saw two babies smoking in the park a while ago.  OK, so they weren't babies exactly.  They were probably 14 or so.  And they had babies, in strollers.  And there they were puffing away.  I wanted to yell at them so bad.  I wanted to say what are you doing to yourself and what are you doing to your baby????????
They probably would have flipped me off or something so I just thought it real hard and made a mean face at them.
I saw two people this week smoking in their cars.  Really?  I didn't think anyone did that any more.  If nothing else, it devalues your car when you go to resell because of the smell.  And, oh yeah, it smells.
What really kills me though is the new electronic cigarettes.  We even have a store called 21st Century smoking or something like that.  So you can still have the addiction without the tar and other chemicals.  I hope it works for people but I think it's a little weird.
I used to be a smoker a long time ago but not when I was 14.  I did smoke in the car occasionally but I had to stop because it interfered with me being able to steer. I am kind of uncoordinated.  Once you drop a cigarette in your car while you're on the road, you have a tendency to not smoke in the car anymore!  Just sayin'.

Nada, Nothing, Zip

Did you ever go through a time where you just didn't think too much about anything?  No deep thoughts, no planning, just day to day stuff that isn't that important?  Me too!
Sometimes though we have so many things going that we can't remember plans we made or places we need to go or things we need to do.  Hence, no post from me in a couple of days.
Yep, I have a lot on my mind.  If you didn't know I started another blog and it isn't just blah, blah, blah like this one. Oh no, ReadaroundSue requires research  and thought and editing and all kinds of other stuff.  My DH and DD are headed out to the Grand Canyon at the end of the month and so I have that on my mind.  I have to make sure DH has everything he needs for a three day hike.  I also have book club and I have to do a reminder to the girls.  Other stuff is on my mind and I won't bore you with the details but trust me there is a lot going on up there.
So when your mind is like that you might make the crazy mistake I made.  Here is the conversation I had with DH.
Me- Don't forget to take that prescription to Drug Mart on your way home.
DH- Why do you want to take it to Drug Mart?
Me-Because that's where the insurance tells us to go!
DH- Since when?
Me- You better hope I never die because you don't even know where to take a prescription!(use sarcastic tone here)
DH- I don't understand why we are going to Drugmart.
Me- Not DRUGMART, CVS!!!!!!!!!!!
DH- You said Drugmart
Me- No I said CVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DD- you said Drugmart, mom.
Me- oh
Now in my head I heard CVS every time I said Drugmart.  Honest.  I know where we go to get our prescriptions filled.   Like I said, I have lots on my mind lately.

Matriarch

My sister in law just called me the matriarch of the family yesterday and sonofagun, it shook me to the core. Oh, I laughed about it but deep down it kind of scared me.
When I think of a matriarch, I picture a woman with white hair in a bun, a black silk dress and tie up shoes like my grandma used to wear.  I imagine her ruling the family with an iron fist.  She talks, they listen.  She commands, they jump.
Believe you me, I have no power.......at all.  Look at the woman in that picture.  Does she look like a black silk dress type?  And that hair is definitely not white or in a bun. The only person who jumps when I give a command is...well, me.
The bottom line is I am just the oldest.
 Rah, me.