Oh, Those Commercials!

I haven't talked about the commercials for awhile now. I am glad to say I have let go of the Viagra boys and the Fibromyalgia woman. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen any of those recently. Funny, until just now I had forgotten about them. Not to worry though, something has stepped up and taken their place.
First, don't get me wrong. I am not sitting watching television all day long so I can critique the ads. It just so happens that I don't fast forward all the time so I see them, ok? There is one ad that makes me glad I have fast forward though. It is not a stupid ad like the Viagra boys but it runs like a hundred times a night. It is the one legged girl, Sarah, who is selling cars. Now this isn't the first time I've seen her. She was a contestant on The Amazing Race a while back and she was on with the man she was seeing at the time with whom she broke up. Smart move, trust me. She is strong and brave and a nice looking girl. And now she hawks cars. A hundred times a night. I am really sick of her and her hydraulic leg.
There are some car ads I love. I love the little Mentor Mitsubishi girl who cant say Mitsubishi and wants you to buy a car because it is the only red one. I love her little brother who keeps telling her that there is another red car off camera. I get a large charge out of the Matia sisters who look so nervous but Dad indulged them and lets them sell cars. They are a modicum more convincing than the little Mitsubishi girl.
But I do have my nominee for the worst ad I have ever seen probably in my life and it has nothing to do with cars. It is an add for pimple wash. I am not sure of the name but it works. Trust them. In it the mom gives the kid the product and then he goes to wash up. We are then bombarded with the closest close up of a zit that I have ever seen (outside of my own mirror) and you get to watch it disappear. I don't know about you but I saw enough zits when I was growing up on my own face and I know what they look like and I don't want to be reminded.
Yuk! Yuk! Double Yuk!!!
What is up with that?? Imagine the gross possibilities if this trend catches on. Close ups of ...oh, sorry even I can't go there.

I Got Nothin' Again

I can never get over how many people read my blog. I don't know if anyone has ever just come across it and read it but I am surprised how many of my invitees read it. And every day! My son is my biggest fan. He reads it every morning when he gets to work. He has some time then and he is "bored" but I know that's not why he reads it. He told me the real reason some time ago. I won't tell you what it is as it is personal but it made me cry. He is amazing.
I have another friend who is a daily reader and she thinks I'm funny. I LOVE THAT!!! I think I am funny too but it is really gratifying to know that someone else thinks so too. She often leaves me comments in my emailbox and I get such a kick out of it.
Another friend told me she read about John Mc Cain on my blog and felt her worst fears were confirmed. She believed what I said because I was a friend. Not that I would lie about John--I mean, please. He is so full of stories there is no need to embellish anything. By the way, he must read my blog too as I haven't seen Joe Leiberman at his side since my scathing report.(LOL)
Hillary is hanging in there. Did you see the t-shirts she has available now?? One of them has her "famous pantsuit" emblazoned on the front. Believe me, it doesn't look any better on the front of the t-shirt than it does on Hillary. Poor dear, I still say she needs a stylist. A friend I saw recently agreed with me. After a couple glasses of wine, I am pretty convincing. My friend thought she shouldn't be judged by her clothing and I agree but she WILL be...so I suggest a shorter jacket and less bright colors. She should stick to pastels.
Oh, and Barack. I get more emails about that poor man being a Muslim. You know, he can't help it that his relatives live in Africa and some of them are Muslim sympathizers. Can you control your relatives?? Can anyone?? Remember Billy Carter and Billy Beer? What about the Clinton kid who wanted to be an actor--Roger, I think? What about Richard Nixon? Oh wait, he couldn't even control himself. Well, anyway, I don't think that Barack is a Muslim or a sympathizer either. I think he has a global concept that we would do well to adopt.
And, what did I tell you, Oprah is a little bit fat! She is going on some cleansing routine and giving up some food and stuff. The only one I remember is red wine. Glad she doesn't follow every trend that comes down the pike(wink, wink).
Well, for somebody who has nothin' I sure rambled on. But as I always tell Megan, that's all I got!

I Really Don't Want to Know

I heard a medical report about Jon McCain last night. I guess he released his medical records for scrutiny on the Friday before Memorial Day. They had three hours to comb through 1200 pages(!!!!!!) that covered the years 2000-2008. There was a litany of complaints from hangnails to skin cancer which caused the deep scar on his face.
If you are 71 years old I guess it is not shocking to have such extensive medical records. I have noticed that as we get older things start to crop up. Some have more than others. I think McCain got more than his fair share but I digress.
The hing that really got me was the report about his buttocks. No, really. I am not making this up. The medical report said that his buttocks were unremarkable except for a light freckling. OHMYGOSH!!! MY EARS!! MY EARS!! TAKE THAT BACK!!!!!! I really don't want to know anything about my president's buttocks or really hardly anybody's backside interests me in the slightest. Especially not the wrinkly old backside of a 71 year old man!
I'm sorry but I just had to share and get this off my chest. Now don't start thinking about his chest. Ew! Start thinking about somebody's chest that you would actually want to see. How about Wally Zee from the Cavs?? He has a lovely chest. Just google his name and you can see for yourself. I would love to add the picture here but I haven't learned how to add a picture yet. I only did it the one time and every other time I tried it didn't work.
There, now. Didn't that take your mind off McCain and his saggy baggy body?? Oops, I did it again. Oh my poor head. I have to stop thinking of it... please distract me anybody..... what, the diet?? How's it going??...................................................................did I tell you about the report about John McCain's medical records?

Diets Coming Out of Our Ears

Recently I was made aware of the "flat belly "diet. It is thirty two days long and you have to eat these MUFAs that include avocado, olives,oil and a couple of other things. 1600 calories a day except for the first four days when it is 1200 and you eat exactly what they say and drink this sassy water stuff. I would love a flat belly as I have never really had one in my whole life but this diet seems so contrived I'm not sure what happens when it is over. Does your belly balloon back up when you are done if you don't keep up with their program??
Then I read about Superfoods and you can lose 45 lbs by July 4 if you start today--that was yesterday so probably only 44 now. That was blueberries and walnuts and some other stuff. They gave you a one day menu in the magazine. SO what do you do eat that same stuff over and over?? Isn't there a day 2??? Or at least a guideline??
So I looked up Superfoods on line thinking I would get some more ideas. Trouble is not everyone is on board with the same superfoods. That is a bit of a problem. Plus one wants you to take fish oil tablets. I tried that once. I smelled like a dead fish the whole time and I was gassy to boot. YUK!!! Never again!!!
Another problem with these diets is that they will cost you a fortune. Have you seen the price of raspberries?? If you eat a pint of those a day--it could cost you up to five dollars a day--oh, excuse me 4.99. Plus you have to drive to the store! You can't really stock up too far ahead on some of these things because they have a short shelf life.
I think I am going to invent a diet called the Cheap Diet. It will have to include casseroles to stretch the super foods that I will choose and some deserts because really people who doesn't want desert at least once in a while????????? My super foods will have to have a long shelf life and not be the most expensive thing in the store. Let's see.......I'm thinking crackers, water....Oh no, that's the prison diet....
Well, I'll keep working on it and I'll let you know if I have any success. I will leave a one day menu on my blog and then you can buy my book!!! Only forty dollars, I mean. 39.99!

Boy Oh Boy

Yesterday we took my daughter to the airport. On the way there I saw a sign for a Big Boy restaurant at W. 130th St. I couldn't believe my eyes. There hasn't been a Big Boy around our area for a really long time. I love Big Boy. It was an icon while I was a teen and a college student.
In Euclid, it was Bob's Big Boy. In Kent, it was Frisch's. I love a good Big Boy or a Brawny Lad. It is where I learned to love onion rings and french fried mushrooms. After a football game(if there wasn't a mixer) or after the movies, you went to Big Boy. In Euclid, we could pull up and use the microphone to order and there were still car hops. I remember when I worked at Giant Tiger(a discount store--probably the first--it went on to be Gaylord's) we used to get out at 9, hurry to the late show and then get big boys. My sweetie and I would take a bag back to my house to enjoy them. Could you imagine eating that kind of food at 11:30pm or even midnight now?? It would be the death of me!
We used to stop outside of Columbus at a Big Boy's when we drove Megan out to Oklahoma to go back to school. We always ended up there for lunch on the first day. We hadn't been to one since she has finished school and that is three years ago.
So we went. I did eat a Big Boy but I took out the third piece of bread! That was my bow to watching what I ate(HAHA). With coleslaw and fries! I felt like I was 18 years old again. We bought a little present for someone we know too. Hope he will be pleasantly surprised. Oh yeah, and I belonged to the clean plate club too. Somebody call Captain Penney!

All the Knowledge of the Universe Part II

Remember when I wrote about the guy in the Batman cartoon that wanted all the knowledge in the Universe for his reward?? Well, we just went to see Indiana Jones this weekend and Cate Blanchett(in a black wig, severely cut in a bob looking very evilish--kinda like Natasha from Bullwinkle with a haircut) was the bad guy and guess what she wanted??? You guessed it, all the knowledge in the Universe. She was "ready." She wanted it all......so she got it and guess what? First her eyes exploded and the rest of her followed shortly after. Not before she went "Ok, that's enough...no more please." I know this is a "spoiler" but not really. What else would you expect? Nobody just walks away from all the knowledge in the Universe except those alien beings that are so far advanced that they come and mess with us every now and then.
What did I tell you? Ignorance is bliss. I've said it for years and I am so right. Poor Cate. Poor bad guys. Lucky us!

NOT AGAIN?!?!!!

Tomorrow I have to go back to the dentist. Yes, I have to get one of those teeth capped. It has a temporary filling in it and sometimes it aches like the devil but I have been ignoring it. Nothing like a little dental pain to keep you on your toes.
Anyway, the girl called me last week to set up the appointment and oh by the way, this is the portion your insurance doesn't cover....WHAT????????????????????????? It's HOW MUCH???????????? Oh my gosh and what do I owe for the last visit which I affectionately refer to as the INQUISITION??? WHAT???????????????????? I have to pay for that test of endurance? I didn't say any of this to her(oh, that I had the nerve) but I was thinking it as I was saying, "Yes...Okay..."
I know what you are thinking. I am setting myself up and I am anticipating the misery before it's even here. I am not in the now...I am worrying about something I can't change... Well, tough, I hate going to the dentist and I have every good reason. My heart is pumping a little harder than it usually does and by ten o'clock tomorrow morning I will have worked myself up into heavy breathing and sweating under the pits and down the cleavage. So there!
It has to be over by noon, don't you think? If it goes longer than that I will be a basket case. I hope that Novocaine is not involved but it probably is so that means I will have a stomach ache and I won't be able to eat.
I will make a smoothie though so that is one plus. I love a good smoothie and I know I have bananas and raspberries and vanilla yogurt. Wait, is that a light I see at the end of the tunnel???

My Heart is Full

My kids are both home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn't happen but about twice a year (if we are lucky) so I am pretty much in heaven. My daughter looks wonderful and happy. My son looks great and is happy. SO, I'm happy.
The most important goal for a mother is that her kids are safe, secure and happy. Even when they are grown, especially then. My kids have good jobs, opportunities for advancement, good friends and lovely homes.
It is really hard to let them go though. I still want to tell them what to do and my tongue sometimes gets sore from biting it. But I think back to when I was their age and think "who told me what to do?" And, frankly, the answer is nobody. Maybe someone should have(haha) but they didn't. And I sure wouldn't have listened to my mother.
Everyone has to make their own choices so they can grow and learn. That was a hard thing for me to swallow. I have been in charge of them (and hundreds of other kids) my whole adult life. To take a backseat role was a lesson I had to learn.
Actually, enlightenment class helped me a little in that regard. My kids aren't that old so I am not an old hand at keeping still. I still give my opinion but I try to do it with no ulterior motive--like guilting them into doing what I want. So I try to give up my influence and exchange it for trust and openness.
And you know what, I think it's working!

Really, Where Does the Time Go?

Last night somebody asked me if it bothers me that my kids are in their late twenties. They wanted to know if I wanted to put a cap on them at say 16 or so. I had to say it really doesn't make me feel old that my kids are adults. What really makes me feel the fleeting passage of time is how old all the kids of my former colleagues are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Kids who I thought would be ten are fifteen. Some have graduated from highschool and are in college. How on earth did that happen??Then I saw old, dear friends who I haven't seen in quite some time and as we discuss it, it's been ten years or four or two or twenty since we'd seen each other. These are people that I want to stay in touch with and I'm pretty sure they want to stay in touch with me. How on earth did the time go by so quickly?Anyway everyone looked great. We are all a little older, a little grayer, and for some a little bit fatter(no offense it's an age thing, we really can't help it...refer to my remarks about Tina Turner). However, as someone pointed out, some parts of our female anatomies are fatter but they give us cleavage(FINALLY!!! and now who cares?).We all agreed that our time together when we were working was a precious time filled with fun and laughter and really, who can ask for more than that??So, here's to old friends and colleagues. Thanks for the memories. (OH GOSH, now I sound like Bob Hope...time to go!)

Where Does the Time Go?

So I am going to a retirement party tonight and I am looking forward to seeing old friends and colleagues. It got me to thinking about my retirement party. It was very nice--like a wedding reception-it was so elaborate. Six of us retired together so that is why they went whole hog. I even had a good time. I remember that the same weekend was my niece's first birthday party. We just went to her birthday party last weekend. Guess what? She's nine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did that happen?
I went to lunch this week with a friend of mine and we met at 1:00. I hadn't seen her in a while so we had a lot to catch up on and ohmygosh when we checked the time it was almost 4:00!!!! It had only seemed like an hour at the most! I had to get to the grocery store and actually make some dinner so we wrapped things up. How did that happen?
I was talking to my daughter this week and thinking how happy I was that she was coming home this weekend. She lives so far away we don't get to see her often enough. Then I got to thinking she has lived away from home for almost three years now. How did that happen?
I was talking to my son this week. He is saving for a house and an opportunity came up that he wasn't sure he could take advantage of. He is very serious about moving to the downtown area as he loves the feel of the city. I couldn't help but think how he sat on our couch with his savings(money from selling toys at our garage sale) and waited to go buy a new Star Wars toy. How did that happen?
Time goes by so fast, doesn't it? Unless you are a six year old waiting for Christmas or your birthday. I sometimes think I didn't really appreciate all the time that has passed. Then I remember what I learned from Ekhart Tolle. I try to appreciate fully the now. How did that happen????

Wedding Bell Blues

There is nothing like a soap opera wedding. There have been two in the last few days on my two soaps. On All My Children, Jesse and Angela got married after he was presumed dead for twenty years. Really, the actor left the soap then and so did the actress after a while but the show has very bad ratings so they are hauling out the old popular couples from the show. On The View, Jesse admitted to doing it for the money!! Now don't think he is a mercenary or anything, he just has good business sense. I always liked him. He is cool and a very good actor.
Anyway, he finally got his life back(as in SSN and driver's license) so they are getting married again. While she and her daughter were getting dressed for the wedding, they found little jewelry boxes about the size of a ring box in their things and they were gifts from Jesse. The daughter opened the note on hers and red a few lines of poetry he chose for her and opened her gift. Angie did the same and opened the little card and proceeded to read about 18 lines from a Walt Whitman poem, "I wander lonely as a cloud..." Jesse must have the world's teeniest writing, he should get a job writing names on a grain of rice!!!!!!!!
Anyway, Angie looked beautiful. Her dress outdid Jenna Bush by a country mile, she was glowing and he was touching. They said their vows, their were tear-jerking moments and a chuckle or two and it is a done deal. They even found a black minister in Pine Valley! That is a pretty amazing feat considering they and their children and one other kid and his father are the only people of color on the whole show. Must be a small church! Anyway they are married once more---but wait til tomorrow!!
On One Life to Live, Rex and Adriana got married. They are a young couple who have faced a lot of trials because of her mother and recently, his highschool sweetheart and her son moved to town.(Rex is unaware that the kid is his.)
Anyway the mother convinces the sweetheart to speak up and stop the wedding so the poor girl does and tell Rex she loves him.(Still leaves out the important thing--the paternity of her son) The bride turns politely, glides down the aisle,(in the loveliest dress) and slugs the poor girl right in the chops. Mayhem ensues which I won't bore you with but the bottom line is when the smoke clears, Adrianna and Rex tie the knot in spite of everything. So at the reception,(I love this part) the couples all dance with the newlyweds for their first dance and one of the couples is Marcy(the sweetheart's friend who is married to a doctor who couldn't get the day off as he appears to be the only doctor in Llanview) and Bo Buchanon's twelve or thirteen year old son!! It was a hoot and a half. I laughed my head off. Last week they made her be one of the dancing girls with Snoop Dogg and she didn't look too thrilled then--you should have seen her face during this dance!
Anyway, that is one reason I love the soaps. The weddings are always wonderful which is probably why they have so many of them!!
P.S> if you want to see the dresses here are the links I found for AMC (Angie)www.allmychildren.about.com go to the left sidebar and go to photo gallery and you will find them for One LIfe go to www. soapnet.go.com/soapnet/article/path_articleNum_4416/category_show

About Moms

So I forgot to tell you about a story I heard in enlightenment class. It was about Indian men who are very religious and when they reach a certain age they leave their families(of course they are taken care of--that is a direct quote from Mr. Tolle!) and go to live alone in contemplation.
So could you imagine a mom doing that?? Oh sure, you kids are in high school or college now--see you all around! Ha, like that would ever happen. How do you think those Indian families are "taken care of" when dear old dad goes to find himself?? That's right-Mom.
I just thought it was a little ironic that men all over the world are pretty much the same. How many dads in the USA would like to drop out say when they're sixty? How many do in one way or another?
Not moms. Moms are there through thick and thin. Some of us are interfering control freaks until the day we die. Some of us are understanding and indulgent for their whole lives. Most of us are somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. You know where you are. But drop out of life at a certain age? Please, who has the time?

Final Enlightenment

Well, I watched the last show about Eckhart Tolle's The New Earth. Remember when I said I thought he was from another planet? I might be right. He says he is 60 years old. I told you he doesn't have a wrinkle on his face. I guess that is because he is so enlightened! I also saw a picture of him and his partner, Kim. She is probably his girlfriend also but they never really said on the show and I haven't read the O article either. My best guess is that he wouldn't tell even if she was. Wonder what it would be like to be his girlfriend. I'm betting it is kinda boring. Well, he is a little boring having little emotional output.
So what did I learn beside that? Well, I learned that we need to let go of the past. I am willing to do that as the past is not all it's cracked up to be. My kids always tell me I worry too much about the past so I am trying hard to let go.
I am also trying not to worry and carry a burden around with me all the time. That is a little easier as the kids are grown now so they are less "worrisome" than they used to be. I listen to what they have to say and I do give advice but I don't really expect them to take it.
Let's see. I learned that everyone has a pain body. Why do we let ourselves think that we are the only one going through a hard time?? Everyone has some kind of pain in their life a lot of the time. It's how we handle it that is important. Even that we handle it at all is important instead of expecting someone else to fix it for us or to share our pain. That isn't why we're here.
I'm not saying you never need to unburden. Sometimes you do and if you are lucky someone will listen willingly. If not you can pay someone to listen. But you have to deal with it-- not someone else.
I also learned that there is more to me than just this little mortal "husk". I learned that expression in a Johnny Appleseed cartoon years ago. The angel that takes him to heaven tells him that. )"Oh that's just your husk, John, your mortal husk") I like the idea of being more than just this body and these thoughts. It was thrilling to realize there is more to me (and you...yes, you) than meets the eye.
The challenge now is to take what I learned and apply it to my daily life. If I have troubles I want to put them into perspective. I want to appreciate everything I have and am capable of doing. I want to see the good in others (yes, even John McCain-- although that will be hard).
So enlightenment hasn't been half bad. The next time you see me maybe a little of the light will shine out on you!

BooHoo

The Cavs lost. That really makes me sad--not for me but for them. They are a really good team and I for one am sick of saying wait til next year. They did have an excellent series and it was exciting basketball so a big shout out to them(0f course they read this blog LOL) and hearty thanks for some great sports television.
Yesterday, I spent the day alone as my son and husband went to NASA for some open house. I had all kinds of plans so I really didn't mind. I wanted to return something to Kohls and do some window shopping. I had a book from the library and I was going to the YMCA to ride the stationary bike.
Instead, I was stuck at home as I left my keys in my husband's car and didn't realize it until after he was gone. So now I felt trapped at home and that is not good. I hate feeling trapped. I watched two movies! First I saw DREAMGIRLS. Finally! It was so excellent. That Jennifer Hudson was amazing and what a voice the kid has. She brought tears to my eyes. Then I watched Miss Potter with Renee Zelweiger(apologies if that is misspelled). It was a good movie too and I enjoyed it. Neither film was something my husband would want to watch anyway. I also watched and tried a little yoga but I didn't have a mat and it was kind of hard to follow along. The space is a little narrow too and I ended up with the tip of my nose about 1 cm. away from the entertainment unit. Not a comfy position for exercising so I gave that up. At least I moved a little.
The biggest problem was I had not much food as I had planned a grocery store run also. So I ate a little bit of peanuts and that was it. Also I had no dinner to prepare so that time loomed ahead.
I spend so much time on my own you would think I'd be used to it but yesterday really got to me and by the time my husband returned(with pizza) I was about in tears.
So today I am outta here. I will go window shop and to the grocery store and to the foot doctor. I plan on coming home about 5 minutes before it is time to fix dinner. And we are going swimming tonight at the YMCA. The bike will have to wait!
Now that sounds like my kind of day.
Oh, and those keys?? They were in my library bag all along. BooHoo!!!

I Still Got Nothin'

I was a little bit right about yesterday. Nothing that thrilling ever happened. We did go swimming and a funny thing happened there. Two couples stopped us outside the Y and asked us to take their picture. It had to be of them doing the YMCA moves and the sign on the building had to be in it too. We helped them out gladly and then Kevin had to sign a paper validating the whole process. They told us they were in a contest and then, here's the best part, the directions were all in Spanish. They said they stopped at a Mexican Restaurant and had the thing translated . It was pretty funny. We wondered if they went to that Jalapeno Loco that had the immigration problems. At least they had authentic Spanish speakers there and it is pretty close to the Y.
When we got home we watched the Preakness. We missed the parade of horses so we just decided to be for Big Brown. What a beautiful animal he is. When he came on the screen he just took my breath away. It made me even sadder about what I heard the day before. UPS and the owner of Big Brown made a deal and now the company is a paid backer of the horse. The jockey had a big logo on his leg and it really ruined the effect of his otherwise patriotic outfit. However, the race was a runaway and exciting and I can't wait for the next one in three weeks.
We finally caught up on the finale for ER. Things have been really dicey on the show for some weeks Luca left his wife, Bettina is really sick and Greg is falling in love with her and Sam and Uncle Jesse(I know it's not his name but he will always be Uncle Jesse to me) are romantically involved. So it seemed like everything was going to be resolved happily but I haven't watched soaps for all these years for nothing. I even knew who shot J.R. At the end, there was a giant explosion with a bunch of people in the vicinity and we won't find out who made it until the fall. Oh, crap! I hate when that happens. And that's all I got.

I Got Nothin'

Whenever I have talked too much to my daughter I always say I got nothin'. Today that might be the case too. I have had a busy day but nothing worth mentioning. I am going to the library and swimming later so not much more will happen.
I found out that my favorite BBC show, Life on Mars, is being ripped off and will be on American television next season. Wouldn't you think I'd be happy about it?? Not really. I already know what happens!
The show isn't really about life on Mars. A police officer has an accident and wakes up in 1972. It was quirky and all the characters were just regular looking people like you and I...now I am sure that the lead actor will be hunky and the love interest will be a size 0. That is a little bit sad to me.
I also just heard that Ted Kennedy was taken to the hospital. He had a seizure or something. Poor guy. I hope he will be all right. The next generation of Kennedys, I don't know so well other than Caroline. I know the others are in politics to some degree but that is all I know. A government without a Kennedy??? I don't know--I hope Ted will be fine.
I also read that Leann Rimes lost all her baby fat on a particular belly busting diet. So of course I bought the magazine. What a waste of money!! Same old thing they always say fruits veggies lean meat and whole grains and eat six times a day. You know that is really hard to do unless you stay at home the whole darn day. You can't go out shopping or anything. On Friday, we went to Lowes and Kohls and were gone almost four hours. I probably should have eaten in there somewhere. I ate breakfast at 8 and lunch at 3. See what I mean?? And what if you have a dr. or dentist appointment?? You can't eat there either.
Now I've rambled too long but that is my life today. No stinging political commentary, no soap opera critique, just a few thoughts. And now(I tell my daughter this all the time) that is really all I got!

OHMYGOSH

Some people in West Virginia think Barack Obama is a Muslim. Some are tired of Hussein. That's his middle name. I wonder if they know he is a different guy from Sadaam Hussein? I am starting to wonder. West Virginians aren't the only ones who think that either. Some people want him to prove he is not a Muslim. Well, are we going to ask John McCain and Hillary to prove that too?
John McCain said that Obama is naive. Well, I'm not so sure about that. He may be somewhat new to the political game in Washington but he seems to be a smart man who catches on fast. HE sure has learned that the campaign trail if tough and that not everyone is going to love him. He has fielded criticism and harsh accusations that most of us would have been crushed by. McCain thinks he is naive because he wants to talk to the governments that are in the Middle East and are not our allies. Those are terrorists according to McCain and others and are not to be trusted. So who said that Obama trusts them. You can at least try to have a dialogue with someone you don't trust--who knows what may happen? Since when is talking a sign of weakness?
John McCain felt at ease saying these things because our present leader of the free world(that would be George Bush) said some critical things at a speech in Israel. He didn't mention any names but he opened the door and McCain stepped right through.
McCain is old school. I keep telling you he is a war monger. Obama represents change. Possibly change in the world. That scares a lot of folks. It scares me a little too but in a good way. Maybe we can keep war to a minimum. Maybe the soldiers won't have to do three tours of duty. Maybe the USA can retrieve its standing in the world. Maybe the economy can improve if we focus on it instead of war. Maybe there could be more jobs generated. Some would say maybe is not good enough. I say maybe is better than the sure fire path we are on now.

Seeing Red

Holy Cow! Did you see American Idol last night?? I don't care which David wins the contest. They are both talented young men. So far as I am concerned they could share the title. That was not what shocked me.
Did you see Fantasia?????? Or was that a stand in?????? Her hair is as red as a crayon and was swirled and gelled and smushed against her head. And no offense, she is just a little bit fat.(seems to be a lot of that going on lately) When she opened her mouth to sing, it didn't even sound like the Fantasia I remember. The song was the stupidest thing I've heard since Sensual Seduction. Actually, the song she sang made Snoop Dogg's anthem sound like an Oscar winner. Poor thing(Fantasia I mean).
Then she was in an outfit that was really not flattering at all. And there seemed to be something wrong with her back as she didn't stand up straight the entire time. She was kinda bent back a little. I can't remember too well as I think I was in shock. I really liked Fantasia. I wanted her to win back in the day. I heard she was on Broadway even. Then there she was. Yikes!!
One look at her and I would think both the Davids would pray NOT to win! Wouldn't you hate to think that was your fate?
So I also flipped channels back and forth so I could see the Cavs game. Oh, I would sure like it if they could win this. How exciting that would be! That Lebron deserves to be in a championship game. I really am getting to like some of the players too. I have to admit that before this series I only knew Lebron. I am really liking Wally Z. He is really cute and would make a fine boyfriend for my daughter.(that is, if he isn't married or engaged)
Then I love the kid with all the hair. I think his name is Barajou. I'm not sure of the spelling. (I said I was a new fan) Anyway he could be the little brother of an old character on my soaps.
I even had a favorite Celtic.(I know I know) His name was Rondo. That is a nickname of someone in our family so I had no choice now, did I?????
I also watched America's Top Model on the commercials during the first half. The full figured model was the winner this time. This show has become one of my guilty pleasures. I watched it the first time with my daughter and now I sneak a peek whenever I can.
All this channel flipping was good practice as the cable provider has once again changed things up. I really hate that. It makes me see red!!

Girls, Girls, Girls

There is nothing like a good girlfriend. I have several and I feel blessed indeed. Some of them I see frequently, some of them not as often as I would like. Some I have known for a long, long time and others I have met recently.

Some of them are in the same age group as I am. Some of them are older and others are younger. They don't all know each other although some do.

I am lucky that among them I can count my sister, my daughter and my cousin. We share a bond that cannot be broken. The genes shared between us makes us alike and different but with a history that no one else can share. Not all woman relatives manage to have a friendship too. That is so sad for them. It is fun to reminisce and analyze the past. It is fun to see who remembers which events and what they thought of all the relatives that have passed on before us. They are the ones you can truly bare your soul to and not be judged.

One friend I have had since college. She and I don't see one another very often as our lives have taken such different paths. She is already a gramma and I haven't even got married children. She lives pretty far from me so meeting for lunch or dinner is a planned event not a spur of the moment thing. She and I had many "adventures" during our college years and those cannot be replaced or forgotten. I might not see her for the longest time but our hearts are connected and when we meet again we just pick up where we left off.

My teaching friends bring fond memories and lots of funny stories. We not only shared our kids growing up but all the students around us and that makes for a lot of memories--mostly funny but some sad too. That school was like a family for so long that we all have a special bond.

My newest friends are my volunteer friends. They are the friends I am still discovering and getting to know better. They are the most diverse group too. You would never have thought we would all become such good friends but working toward a common goal(in this case helping kids who are in the hospital) seemed to bring us together fast and close.

I guess I am saying that I don't want to take any of my friends for granted. They all bring something to my table and for that I am eternally grateful.

Do the Fandango

I had a new fan installed in my living room yesterday. The guy got here around 9 and was gone by 1 so it didn't take up the whole day. I had a miserable head cold so I didn't want to go anywhere any way. The guy worked hard and didn't bother me much. He just went along and got the job done. He was going to fix the fan in the back room too but that has to wait for another day.(long boring story)
Anyway, I had to laugh at myself. I was possessed with looking busy. I felt pretty crappy but I still did laundry and made the bed and cleaned the bathroom and cleaned the utility room. By the time he was gone I was exhausted. Why did I feel I had to impress this guy with my housekeeping skills? I must have blown my nose one hundred thousand times so he knew I was sick. I don't think he would have judged me too harshly if I had been sitting around reading a book or watching television.
What silly notion did I have in my head? That he would tell the Housewife Police that I was a slacker? He would go home and tell his own wife what a lazy old thing I was? As I collapsed on the couch after he left, I realized that I really did too much. I didn't even move the rest of the afternoon except to pick up a tissue or a throat lozenge.
The funniest thing is I probably will never see this guy again! Oh, if he can fix my other fan I will but he is not a permanent fixture in my life. What silly standards we set for ourselves sometimes.

Wedding Belle

Ohmygosh! Did you see the pictures of Jenna Bush's wedding? She had on the most beautiful dress! It was full of embroidery and lace and tucks and swirls and yet it was a slim lined beautiful creation which enhanced how lovely she is. Her sister looked equally elegant in what appeared to be grey chiffon.
I only saw a few of the pictures that were in the newspaper and a little coverage on the news but I did see former President Bush who is finally looking old and had to be escorted. I didn't even see my favorite Bush, Barbara. I am sure she had on an elegant silk shantung suit and pearls, doesn't she always?
Now Laura Bush could have used Stacy and Clinton for this event. She is an attractive woman and has kept a nice figure but that dress made her look like a paper doll-- all stiff and she looked totally uncomfortable. She seemed to think the top was going to fall down or something.
As for our fearless leader, he was his usual jovial self and did his little dance and had been joking about letting his daughter go. They did report that he cried twice at the ceremony and that got me to thinking. No matter how much I can't stand the man or his policies I bet he is a good dad.
He and Jenna picked You are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker to dance to and I'm sure that caused a few tears too.
Then there is the groom.. nice looking boy...wait, can it be? Look at the pictures again. He looks (creepily) like the young George Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH NO-O-O! Really, go look again. The one where they are cutting cake is the one I noticed it in first and then the one with the pastor. They say all girls marry their father but this is ridiculous!!!!

Mother's Day

Well, another Mother's day has come and gone. I always wonder what on earth my kids and husband have cooked up for me and yesterday was the best ever. It made me remember why I wanted to be a mom and why all those years of hurrying and working and keeping house were worth it.
My kids have turned into wonderful adults. Oh, they aren't perfect, but who is?? I am so proud of both of them it fills my heart. My son and I had a heart to heart talk. We hardly ever get a chance to do that. He is busy and comes to visit for short bursts. Yesterday, we had more time together and I cherish that opportunity. He is a terrific young man and has so much potential. He is really enjoying his new place and I loved hearing all about his neighborhood.
My daughter lives in Las Vegas and she of course could only call. We will see her shortly as she is coming home for a wedding. We have heart to hearts all the time so we didn't really have one yesterday but it was good to hear her voice and find out how her weekend had been.
The greatest gift my kids have given me has been their willingness to listen to what I have to say about their lives. They seem to think I have a little wisdom. It is the greatest gift to be able to talk with your children even though they are adults. I try not to tell them what to do since they are grown up. Maybe all that enlightenment paid off after all.

On your Mark, get set, GO!

We have really been on the go this week. First, yoga which I really liked, then T'ai Chi which I liked not so much and now two days of swimming laps. For someone who was just a mild mall walker, that is a big change.
So am I creeping along, every muscle aching? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't hardly believe it. I feel good. My shoulders are a little sore as I haven't swum(swam??) in a long time but I did laps for twenty minutes today and it felt really good to be in the water. I am no fancy swimmer though. I do side stroke and back stroke and a kinda froglike front swim,no fancy crawl or anything. I don't like to put my face in the water so the crawl is not for me.
All this swimming made me think back to when I was a kid and took swimming lessons. Ohmygosh. When I was around six I took lessons at the Memorial Pool in Euclid at like 8AM. It was cold and I was a skinny little thing and in about two minutes I had blue lips and wanted to go home. I got taken to the head lifeguard about a hundred times because I complained that I felt sick. I really was just cold and wanted to go home.
Later, I took swimming lessons with my sister at the YWCA. Really, it was called that then. It shared a building with the YMCA and boys and girls went there on different days. So anyway, I did ok until it came to front crawl and I was a miserable failure and couldn't go on to the next class. My little sister did much better but in a show of solidarity stayed in the class with me. She was a good swimmer. I'm sure I held her back from her full potential.
I don't get blue lips so fast anymore as I am not a skinny little thing anymore. And now no instructor is trying to make me put my face in the water and blow bubbles so it's all good.
I hope to swim two other days during the week but we will see how that goes. It will be senior swim and I am not exactly ready to go there, if you know what I mean.
The locker room has really improved too. There is a cool machine that you can put your suit in and it dries it almost completely. Still have to take a shower though. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

Twenty three Skidoo!

I can't get over the Papa John pizza thing. It was crazy but I can't tell it better than my friend Ipsilon so if you want to go to clevelandrisinglog.blogspot.com/ and read that It is funny! Also a pretty fair accounting of what happened.
I would like to say that I think Lebron is an amazing talent but he has nothing on my buddy, Snoop Dogg. Mr. Dogg(I will respectfully call him that) was full of charm on day two of his appearance on One Life To Live. He kissed Marcy's hand, congratulated the girl who is getting married(or thinks she is), and had a reunion with Bo Buchanon who apparently is an old cronie of his. Go figure.
As he left the night club, Mr. Dogg, got to say good by to Llanview and again I've never seen anyone so happy to be on a show. He can hardly say Llanview PA without grinning from ear to ear like a six year old! He had to turn down Foxy Roxie's invite to come over to her hair salon for an after show party too. It must have broken his heart.
Lucky me! He sang my favorite song again, Sensual Seduction(I've been told it wasn't sexual) and I got to hear some more of the lyrics which I'm afraid are not worth repeating. Although for the sake of accuracy, he sang "we smoked us a cigarette and then went to sleep." Sorry for the oversight.
Anyway, who knows who might show up in Llanview next?? What do you say, Lebron, I hear Llanview has a Mean, lean, basketball team!!

One Life To Lizzle

Well, he was finally on. Snoop Dogg made his appearance on my soap opera yesterday. I think he will still be on today. He came on as himself and sang his song at one girl's bachelor party. I didn't know he was available for that kind of thing. We have two nephews graduating highschool and one turning 21--maybe I can get him for those...
Anyway, I never laughed so hard in my whole life. He wasn't trying to be funny but the little song he sang sounded like the tune to a cute little song I would have taught my kindergarteners. The only difference was the lyrics. I think he was saying sexual seduction or sensual seduction but I think it was the first one. There was a line about smoking a cigarette after and then going to sleep. Oh brother, it was a hoot.
It reminded me of the old Madonna songs and how they were all bouncy,cute tunes, and then you'd see the video and she spent the whole time feeling herself up. The song and the actions were so contradictory. It always drove me crazy because little kids would get sucked in by the bouncy tune and the cute lyrics. I know she sang some cutting edge things but mostly I heard the cute bouncy ones(being a kindergarten teacher and all)
OK, back to Snoop DOgg. He also had a giant rhinestone(oh wait, probably diamond) thing on his hand that said Snoop Dogg in case you didn't know who he was. I would have loved to seen some of the old, old ladies who watch their "stories" and how they reacted to him.
Anyway, thanks Dogg for the laugh riot of the decade. I heard you sing that you are "freaky" but I don't know. You were glowing like a school boy when you got to say Llanview.

Lambs to the Slaughter

Last night we had our pictures taken for the church directory. 7:20 pm In and Out. No such luck. Apparently they were behind because the computer software had a glitch and decided to glitch before we got there. There were 4 families waiting when we got there. Oh, boy, here we go.
We never had much luck with church pictures. The very first one we had as a family was with my mother and my sister and brotherinlaw. We all looked very nice. My daughter who was days old was even all dressed in a cute little office. The man arranged us to his satisfaction, looked in the camera and said to me, "Ma'am could you hold the baby up a little more? She looks dead." I swear that is the truth. I did hold her up and she looked fine--just newborn.
We had our picture taken again when my kids were in highschool. It was after school, we were all tired, wrinkled and late. I met my kids in the parking lot and we went in and just got it over with. I hated that picture.
The next time, the kids were in college and out of the house so just my husband and I went. I bought a special jacket for the occasion--turquoise blue--to look good in the picture. My hair was in a non cooperative mood and decided to go into a flip. I never wore a flip since the eight grade so I looked nothing like myself in that picture. We hated it.
So this time, I didn't buy anything special to wear. I wore a green shirt and my husband wore light blue. We got a little rained on but with all the waiting we were dried out by the time we went in. We fluffed our hair and took our seats and did just what they told us to do. Don't photographers make you pose in the weirdest positions?? Tilt your head, slide your leg over, blah, blah, blah...but I was confident it couldn't be as bad as the last time. It wasn't.
IT WAS WORSE! We saw the immediate results and I could have just started laughing. I held it in though as the poor salesman started his pitch. We looked at all the sample photos, our proofs and then told the guy we weren't buying any. He looked shocked but wished us a blessed evening and we left.
We could hardly contain ourselves as we passed up all the waiters. Someone said Are you done and I made the sign of a hangman's noose around my neck. They all laughed so finally we could too and I laughed my head off all the way to dinner and halfway through.
Next time, I'm saying no thanks to pictures. I will be on the last page "Not pictured."

What Not to Wear

One of my guilty pleasures(and I do have many) is watching the show on TLC called What Not to Wear. On the show, the hosts, Stacey and Clinton, take someone who dresses poorly and changes their wardrobe and makes them look stunning(or as stunning as they can look).
I saw a girl the other day. She had hair down to her bum and wore absolutely not a touch of makeup and she was not very attractive. She was not interested in her appearance but she did nominate herself for the show(?) so I feel I can discuss her at length.
She had no idea how to shop so they helped her. They taught her what looked good on her body(she was 6 foot 1) and helped her find a wardrobe that suited her lifestyle as a nanny. She got a lot of nice things as they give you five thousand bucks!
Next came haircut and make up day. She REFUSED to get her hair cut. It was in no style and was a dishwater blond but she called it beautiful and REFUSED to let Nick the hairdresser touch it. So he didn't. (By the way, he only wanted to cut 6 inches to get rid of the damaged hair).
Then came the make up. I thought she would refuse that too but she actually let the girl apply makeup. And GUESS WHAT???? She looked BEAUTIFUL!! I mean really lovely. A girl that you would notice. So the makeup girl says "Will you keep this up?" And the girl REFUSES. Maybe lip gloss once in a while she says.
This girl is trying to look ugly! I swear the transformation was unbelievable. She chose to be plain. I couldn't believe that she made that choice. She is just a young woman. So what can you say?? She went home with new clothes but not a new attitude about herself.
You know who should go on that show?? Besides me, I mean? Hillary Clinton. That poor woman was on the television yesterday in flood pants. Really?? Hillary, you don't have a stylist?? Your daughter didn't say Mom, not those pants?? She also wore a jacket that was long and went over her hips about halfway to her knees. She should never wear a jacket that long. She has a pear shape body just like many women have. She looked terrible. Stacy and Clinton, where are you when your nation needs you??

Random Throughts

I went to Yoga!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even make a fool out of myself either. It was really not so bad. And it was a real work out. I can see that it can make you stronger--just what I was hoping for. It was HOT in there though I will wear less clothes next week.
I also went to the next to last Enlightenment class. Even that was not so bad. I just fast forward through Oprah telling that poor guy what he means and concentrate on him. Even the people who asked questions made sense this week and didn't seem so smitten. I don't think I am any more enlightened but I enjoyed listening this week.
Oprah had Barbara Walters on yesterday. OHMYGOSH!! She is a piece of work. She has had quite a life(of course) and she makes no bones about it. She was very revealing and looked elegant in a white suit. She is SKINNY SKINNY SKINNY!!!!! She probably looks like a little picked chicken when she isn't wearing her designer clothes but so what(??) she has all her faculties and she has to be getting pretty old by now.
Then Oprah showed a glimpse of today's show. Cher and Tina Turner. OHMYGOSH---Tina Turner is just a little bit fat. If somebody who shakes her booty and is as active as she is can gain a little weight I think I am going to give myself a pass for gaining a few pounds. She even had a double chin...now she is 68 years old(can you believe it??) so I guess she is entitled.
Volunteering is easier said than done. I am looking for a volunteer position in Lake County. So far it has been a wild goose chase. For one thing, I talked to about seven people who kept transferring me to someone else. OHMYGOSH I could never work for that place they are so unorganized! Another place didn't answer the phone and the third place just didn't sound like my cup of tea. Too much like a real job if you know what I mean.
SO I continue my journey towards enlightenment, health and giving of myself to others.. Don't I sound like such an idealist?? Well, I guess I am!

If They Could See Me Now

Tomorrow I start Yoga. Thursday--T'ai Chi. Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday-swimming. We joined the YMCA. I am not a real physical person so this is a new chapter for
me. I really want to do it too. I think it all sounds fun. I always wanted to try yoga but when I tried the different tapes I just didn't get it. Now I will get some instruction and that will be good.
T'ai Chi is something that old people in Japan do. If they can do it at 80 I can do it too. I am sure of it. It is supposed to be good for the spirit and the body. Wouldn't Ekhart Tolle like that??
Swimming laps will be hard but I really can't be a walker. I tried but I injured my foot and now I have to have orthotics in my shoes and wear a brace an hour each day. That is so not worth it. I cant injure my foot in the water plus it will be good for the hip pain I sometime suffer. I was told a couple of years ago that swimming was a good activity for me but I was just too stubborn to go for it. So now I am.
I am feeling pretty good about myself for making these decisions. I am looking forward to being a healthier person than I am in a few weeks and I plan to keep sharing my progress on this blog. I am pretty sure things won't go as smoothly as I have planned in my head. I am a little bit of a clutz so hopefully I will have some funny stories.
Until then I am regarding myself as an athlete training for the race. The race of life.

RIP II

We always try to watch the Kentucky Derby. I love the beautiful horses and the ladies in their outrageous hats and the little jockey guys. When I was growing up, on Derby day, we would plunk down a quarter, pick a horse(usually by the name) and watch with my Dad. Whoever had the horse who was the winner or closest to the winner got the quarters. It's a great old memory.
We did the same thing with our kids but not every year and since they are grown, my husband and I try to remember to watch. It is nostalgic for him as he attended a Derby once in his college days. I just think about my Dad.
This year we took our seats and watched the crowd sing MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME and watched the parade of horses to make our picks. I jokingly said I would pick the horse with the name closest too "I'm just a little bit fat." Don't ask me why. I was just feeling silly and tried to pick something outrageous to amuse my husband and myself.
Then I remembered there was one filly running so I picked her-Eight Belles. Then a couple of horses later came BIG TRUCK!! That in my mind was pretty close to"I'm just a little bit fat." So I picked him too. My husband liked Bob Black Jack(just back from Vegas, remember?) and Cowboy Cal( loves the South west) for his two.
Big Brown was the favorite and in the last position and he was a beauty but we stuck to our guns.
It was a thrilling race. Big Brown proved his mettle and won the race by five lengths. And to my delight, the filly, Eight Belles came in second. What a great showing for that little gal! I was so happy and proud of her. We only had a relationship of a couple of minutes but she was a fellow female and up against some tough odds so I bonded with her, ok?
On the cool down, Big Brown got spooked and his rider slipped off and in the ensuing confusion it was revealed that Eight Belles had suffered a fall after the race. Oh no, it is never good when a horse takes a fall. Everyone knows how delicate they are--Look at Barbero. Anyway the horse ambulances surrounded her and then the consulting vet gave the news. Eight Belles had broken both her front ankles and had to be euthanized immediately.
What a tragedy! That beautiful animal ran her heart out and that was her end. She did go out doing something I presume she loved. I hope she felt beautiful and free and didn't suffer too much pain. I hope her spirit is soaring in the great beyond and she knows what pleasure and excitement she brought to us in her final moments. Thanks, Eight Belles.

Baby, Look AT You Now

Well, the other day I was watching the food network and saw a show on how they make Fritoes. As I watched, I realized I hadn't had a Frito in probably 20 years. I've been talking to my sister lately about how we only eat stuff that is good for us and seldom indulge and we are still not losing weight, so I figured what the heck and I bought some.
Man, they were good. I forgot. Good and greasy and guilt-ridden. I felt so guilty after I ate them I couldn't even look at the bag--which was not empty or even half full. I only ate a few and still I felt like I probably had gained five pounds.
Then we went to Penney's to take advantage of a sale and my sister and I decided we better try on so we marched into the new and slightly improved dressing rooms. They are still bare bones but they were clean and the one we chose was roomy enough for two(we are sisters after all).
Lo and behold most things fit and I was admiring my cute self in a new top and thought how good I looked--almost too good to be true. Maybe I should get this top in every color they have. But wait, I suddenly saw my head. Was it me or did my head look a little longer than it really is? I have a pretty squarish head and the girl in the mirror had a more oval head--just a little bigger than mine. Wait a minute here maybe I am hallucinating..so I asked my sister, "Does my head look big to you in this mirror?" Ohmygosh, she had to admit I was right. She took a look at herself again and liked what she saw too. I promptly decided I was moving into that dressing room or buying the mirror.
You'll be glad to know that cooler heads prevailed and I went home with the top and not the mirror. So be careful out there...if you think you look especially good in a dressing room then check your head in the mirror. Look a little big?? A little elongated?? Then it is just the Penney Syndrome and you are the same old you. Sorry...but enjoy it while you are there! I know I did.

Stymied

I almost always know what I want to write about. This is the first day that I haven't had a subject in mind from my experiences from the day before. So today I will just write some things that have occurred to me but weren't long enough to make into an essay.
Groceries are costing so much and the quality seems to be not as good. I spend more every week on food and I am disappointed in most of it. Don't you wish they would invent a new food?? Nothing gross--like Solyent Green or anything; just something for a change and to break the boredom. I am not an experimental eater so that would be a challenge. Any scientist/chefs out there willing to give it a try?
I talk a lot about The View but I'm not really a fan. They do a lot of yelling and talking over one another and I think they give women a bad name. I was out to dinner with a huge group of women and we had no yelling and no fighting at all. We even discussed politics. So what is up with these women on The View? Rosie used to get a bad rap for being off the wall and overly excitable but the rest of them are just as bad. I personally miss Rosie. She is legitimately whacko. The rest of them try to act like they're just like you and me. I don't think so!
I still don't have a candidate for the presidential election. I'm not thrilled with any of them. You know how I feel about McCain. The other two have so many problems with their campaigns and credibility right now--I don't know how the Dems will choose. Maybe all those super delegates could get together and choose a dark horse. What? It could happen. After all their votes are worth way more than mine or yours. SO they could do it, I betcha.
Global warming scares me so I am trying to little things. I try to plan my day so I don't drive more than I need to and I am really into the reusable bags from the grocery store. Yesterday, I went to Whole Foods and they gave me credit for my Giant Eagle bag. Just a nickel but I was really impressed. At Trader Joe's I am in a drawing now because I used a Target bag!! I don't know what the drawing is for but I probably wont win anyway!
Nothing else is on my mind right now. I just got my foot taped so I am good to go--so I am off and running!

Double EE's

Elizabeth Hasselbach is the youngest member of The View. She is a staunch Republican and has very conservative opinions. That's fine. Yesterday she went one on one with Whoopi(who is also on the show now) about Rev. Wright, my favorite new celebrity.
Whoopi said that she thinks too much emphasis is being put on the Reverend and that the mistakes or shortcomings or Hillary and McCain have been aired and dismissed while this Rev. Wright issue just won't go away. She thought that was not fair to Obama.
Elizabeth was very huffy and interrupted her several times as she was explaining her (pardon the pun) view and was hollering from the get go. She slammed Obama and said he "snuck" Wright into a basement before some public appearance to pray before he went on stage. She railed about how Obama should have quit the church years ago and severed all ties to the Reverend then. She said his denouncement of the Reverend now is too late. It was all political.
Whoopi said that McCain had spoken at Jerry Falwell's University after calling Falwell and extremist and (three guesses) his speech was all about continuing the war.(Told you) Elizabeth said (my favorite excuse of all time) "That's different." No explanation of how it is different. Different just because he is her candidate.
How such a young girl got so opinionated and severely narrow is beyond me.
Erica Kane has a political agenda also. You might not watch the soaps but I bet you heard of Eric a. She has been the reigning diva of ALL MY CHILDREN since the seventies. She is in prison now for insider trading. She is trying to improve the conditions of the women's prison and the warden doesn't like that so she threw her in solitary "for her own protection."
I imagine being in solitary is horrible. Not knowing if it is day or night, not seeing anyone, trying to stay engaged would be very difficult. Oh poor Erica, she is having a terrible time. First, she pretended to have her talk show. That lasted about two minutes. She found a ladybug and played with it. Even gave it a name but the ungrateful wretch flew away. Then she laid down and tried to imagine herself on a beach. That lasted about thirty seconds as did her fantasy about the man she loves. Then she tried to sleep and dreamed about her dead mother calling her from beyond. Then she had a bad dream about her evil father and a birthday cake(??)
She is a tortured soul and I don't know how much longer she can hold on. Poor dear she must have been in there forever! Wait, her prison friend called her lawyer and not a minute too soon. She's been in solitary for .....ONE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One day??? Oh my gosh, the poor woman will go mad. Whatever will we do?? Don't worry she has her political ties too. In walks politician and wannabe Senator Samuel Woods aka Mario Von Peebles who scoops her up and takes her outta there! Is it a dream? Is it a fantasy? Oh please, you innocent readers, this is Pine Valley. Senators walk into solitary confinement and carry out beautiful inmates all the time. So Erica is out of solitary and watch out, Warden! You're in big trouble now!