Golden Girl

All the Golden Girls are gone now. Rue McClanahan passed away from a stroke. We only have Betty White left and boy, she seems to have a lot left in her!

I loved the Golden Girls. I loved that Blanche was a sexpot and that Dorothy's mom called her Pussycat. I loved the made up Scandinavian words that Rose would use. I loved their clothes but not their hair styles so much.

I loved when Rose had Rhoda's dad for a boyfriend. I loved Stan--he was such a lovable schmuck. I loved how surprised Blanche always was if Dorothy was going out.

Most of all I loved Sophia. She was a hoot and a half. She claimed to have slept with every famous Italian in modern history. She was not afraid to speak up ( I always thought she used her medical condition as an excuse) and sometimes she was wise beyond words. I loved when they showed her and Dorothy's little dad.

I always loved the show because it showed that life went on as we women get older and it's still interesting and unexpected things happen. There is still humor and love. Nobody could say that these women were old and used up!

Thank you for being my friends, girls... and Betty, don't hurry off now, you hear?

It's a Long Way to Tipperary

I only picked this title because it has Tipper in it and I want to talk about the Gores.

Forty years is a long, long time. Really, it is. Yay for them for making it this long.

He's been given a lot of press and prestige from his work on global warming.

She's been a mom and an advocate of parenthood...for which she gets little or no press or prestige.

Women must chase after him. He has money and power and fame.

Men probably don't chase after Tipper...after all she is a mom and she is over thirty.

I don't feel sorry for her. She might be happy as a clam to get out of the whole thing.

Maybe she is sick of sex. Remember that big sloppy one he laid on her when he ran for president or vice president? (I forget which one as I try not to think of that weirdly uncomfortable moment in our history) She seemed kinda surprised then...like it didn't happen very often(Thank Goodness)

She'll have plenty of money and a house or possibly houses. Her kids will still love her. Maybe she'll take a lover like Jackie O...oh, sorry I mean a friend and escort.

He'll be fine fine fine...don't you worry about that. Even if she told him to take a hike for no apparent reason except that she's grown apart from him...he'll be fine. Bet he gets married within two years!

Anyway, I'll miss you Al and Tipper. You always reminded me of couples I knew in college who got together and married. You were successful and most of the time, fit and healthy. Now that you've grown apart, I am not all that surprised. I mean 40 years is a looooong time!!!

In My Opinion

You know I 've been reading the Yahoo news bits lately and boy, I sure have learned a lot from the world of entertainment to what to cook for dinner that is easy and fast. I don't ever comment on any of them. After all, that is what this blog is for!!

I read a little about Lady Gaga on Larry King's show and she sure is something. I only ever saw her on the Grammys when she played the piano and performed with Sir Elton John. I was not impressed but she could play a mean piano!!

I guess she is pretty out there because there were 9 pages of comments about the article. If you don't believe me go see it for yourself. I only read one page because the opinions were giving me a stomach ache. I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion but really folks, this is only some young girl who is in the entertainment business. You all seemed pretty riled up under the circumstances.

Why don't you get riled up about something important like the oil spill or unemployment and let Lady Gaga alone. I mean, the kid calls herself, Lady Gaga....what would you expect from her???

She isn't claiming to be Beethoven or even the fifth Beatle for that matter. So maybe she's gay..maybe she's a man(these are some of the opinions I read) so what?? That really doesn't impact us very much.

Maybe your neighbor doesn't have enough to eat today. Maybe the old lady across the street can't afford her medications. Maybe someone you love found out they have a catastrophic illness. Maybe your coworker had a huge fight with the love of her life. Maybe Al Gore and Tipper won't get back together...oh, wait I digress.

Seriously, we have a skewed idea of what's important when we spend that much time worrying about anything concerning Lady Gaga. Get a grip, folks.

Brown Eyed Girl

OHMYGOSH! I can't believe that Clevelanders chose Brown Eyed Girl as the number one rock song of all time! The Beatles, who everyone knows were geniuses, weren't even in the top 100. What is wrong with you people??????

First I have to admit to prejudice against the B.E.G. as someone I knew in college thought it was all about her and truthfully, she wasn't my favorite person so every time I hear it I think of her and I would just rather not. Funny thing though I can't even remember her name--brown eyes and all!

Second, I think the radio station just put their playlist out there and people had to vote from it. So not fair considering they play the same songs over and over and over. Personally, I like variety. So why am I listening to the radio, right?

Geez, I don't even have a good answer for that other than I am just a creature of habit. Plus, I only have one cassette left for my cassette player and my CD player is not in working order. Hence, the radio.

I don't even listen to that channel frequently. But I just had to know what they picked as their number one.

Believe me that isn't the only sin on the list. Get a load of this:

At no.19 Build Me Up, Buttercup Beat out It's Been a Hard Day's Night and I Wanna Hold Your Hand(which now that I think of it isn't even on the list)

The Archies" Sugar, Sugar was on the list but nothing by the Police or Sting!!! The Archies weren't even real for crying out loud!!

At no. 28 Still the One beat out the Turtles' Happy Together. My gosh, they named a whole tour after that song!

Dancing in the Moonlight beat the Beatles...for heaven's sake, Paul McCartney and Wings beat out the Beatles at 264!

Don't get me wrong other than B.E.G. I like all these songs. But better than the Beatles?? Come on now.

At least the Rolling Stones got in the top ten-Mick Jagger will be so proud!

Boozin' the Soaps

OHMYGOSH!!! I hate it when people drink on the soaps. Today a girl with a broken hear downed the better part of a whole bottle of booze, drove to a man's apartment, drank more and she could still carry on a coherent conversation. She should at least have alcohol poisoning and at the worst, she should be dead on the floor! All this booze is to excuse what comes next--sex with the wrong man to ease the heartbreak of losing another. This is another ploy I hate on the soaps.
Also there is a girl who has a brain tumor and about six months to live( now in Soapland this could stretch out over the next two years or be over by next month..you never know how time will travel). She is with her best frenemy and they are drinking wine! WINE!!! Who gives somebody with a terminal disease booze???? Even refined booze, like wine?? And then guess what? The brain tumor girl got a headache and double vision just as she was about to spill her guts about some secret she has. Well, of course, she just drank a giant glass of wine!
I hate it when they do this kind of stuff. Mostly, I love my soaps but sometimes they just go too far!

Some Motherly Advice

Since today is the day after Mother's Day I thought it would be a good chance to hand out some advice about things I learned this weekend. Ready?

1. If someone invites you to a baseball game and it is 50 degrees outside and the worst wind storm in your area in a looooong time, just say no thanks. Here's why. If it is 50 outside it is 40 in the stadium. If the wind is blowing a t 20mph then in the stadium it is 100 mph. If you are extremely unlucky the wind will blow a sandwich and it will hit you. If you wear gloves, you can't eat. If you wear no gloves, you will wish you had. If you wear a hat make sure it is snug--and I really mean tight and even then you might want to hold it down with a scarf or at least your hand.

If you wear a hood make sure you tie it so only your eyes and nose appear. You will look crazy but you will stay somewhat warm. If you do try to eat something--don't take off your gloves. Eat a hotdog with no mustard. Then at the beginning of the 4th inning, you should leave. Go to a nice warm bar and drink beer.

2. If your kids want to feed you, don't say no. It was a magical experience having two(yes, two) meals show up and I didn't lift a finger. It was like, well, magic! Brunch and dinner. How lucky can a mom be?? Your kids might be little and they might make something that is less than yummy but let them do it. When they are the age of my kids they will be experts! My daughter has turned into quite a cook and her brother was the sous-chef. They actually hollered at me if I tried to do a thing. From eggs and fruit salad with Michigan Mimosas to LOBSTER( oh, yes, they did) it was a wonderful day. So suffer through burnt toast and a bowl of Rice Krispies. It so pays off in the end!

3. Don't get your panties in a bunch. Relax and enjoy each and every day. Read a little, exercise a little, stimulate the brain a little, laugh and talk with your family a little and rest a little. It makes for a perfect day.

4. If you think you should go for a healthy outdoor walk through the neighborhood and it is 48 degrees outside, rethink that idea. It is really really cold and the wind goes right through you. If you must go because you missed your yoga session, change into warm pants. Even a bracing cup of coffee won't prepare you for how cold it is outside when the wind is blowing and the sun isn't shining very much.

If you trust me on these things you will lead at least a moderately happy life. Trust me!!

Time After Time

It was a blast from the past for me this week. I was reminded how time flies by and some of our memories go with it. I always thought I would remember every student I ever taught and they would all be successful and happy.
I met one of my former students and her mom for lunch this week and I was amazed to hear that all the kids I had loved so dearly from the first three years I taught were a mixed bag of super success and failure and just plain everyday folks with kids and jobs.
Roosevelt School had a wonderful family feel to it when I started teaching there. The principal, Ed DeTomaso, was instrumental in making that a fact. We knew the parents of the kids and we had events they were invited to. We had social gatherings of the staff which bonded us together. It was a great place for kids to grow up and thrive.
I was young and naive and thought all those kids would be top shelf. How silly I was not to know that time can damage even the bravest and strongest of children.
On Tuesday, May 4, we went to our old Alma Mater, Kent State University to pay homage to the kids who were slain in the shootings of 1970. It always makes me so sad to go to that event. I didn't really know any of the Kent 4 but Sandy lived in my freshman dorm and I remember her as a pretty girl who always looked like a fashion plate.
Allison was in the freshman dorm where I worked in the cafeteria with my roommate. I always remember her with her flowing long hair with flowers in it(I think that is just a memory I made up in my head) and a peasant blouse and skirt pushing her tray towards us in a most leisurely manner. It is really hard for me to believe that either of those girls were a threat to the US!
I spent the better part of the day today emailing back and forth with my roommate as we struggled to remember everything that happened that day. We can hardly remember how in the world we got home. It was a most surreal day and we remember everything up til then.
Isn't that funny?? The person who got us home is such a faded memory neither one of us is sure who it was.
My roommate didn't know where her sister was and my husband didn't know where his brother was. They were students at the time also. My mother tried to drive to Kent to get us and she had a gun with a bayonet shoved through her driver's window at the border of the town of Kent.
My poor high school age sister and her boyfriend were huddled in the back street and the soldier thought mom was bringing in more dissidents. My little gray haired mother of all people. That's how crazy things were that day.
Time has a funny way of putting most things in perspective. I will never understand how one of my students ended up in jail and I'll never understand why someone ordered those soldiers to fire on a bunch of students.