Thursday, December 25, 2008

Random Articles Found In My Desk Drawer

I don't know if it is true that you can tell alot about someone by what you find in their desk drawer. I know my desk at work has some rather disparate objects however nothing overly embarrassing in case someone else had to access my desk for some unknown reason, maybe looking for something important.

I have a junk drawer in my top left drawer where unusual things tend to collect. Sometimes things just get shoved in there when there is no place else to put them at the time. I also put things in there that I might need during the day. There is always a piece or two of candy preferably Reece's P'nut Butter Cups, breath mints; hey you never know when you're going to do some close talking. Chapstick and also lipstick which is sometimes applied when the lips get dry or on special occasions that added little smudge of color to the lips. A pair of dominoes left over from a board game I no longer know which one. A small measuring tape which actually has been used at times to measure the space on my desk so that I could buy a file organizer which is also a catch all now for memos I have read that might (or not) be important. Extra paper clips; the big kind and also the small kind. Extra eraser heads for my pencils. Rubber caps that are colored which you put over the tops of keys to distinguish which ones open your desk and office door, etc. A stick pin of a Husky dog which I wore on my blazer lapel one day. Extra ID "chains" to hang my official work ID on. (As if someone in my office doesn't know who I am) An electronic dictionary - word speller to help me with my atrocious spelling, I use it daily. It also has a calculator button so I can add up my comp time hours earned or taken. Birthday candles in case it is some one's birthday and on short notice you can stick a candle in "something". Tylenol, doesn't everyone have it nearby? An extra pair of eye glasses, disposable eye glass cleaning wipes. An electronic dictaphone which is used to dictate reports and spare mini tapes. A comb and small pocket sized mirror. Rubber bands, not too many though because you don't want it to look like you obsessively collect such things. White out which is out dated in our world of computers, just hit the delete button. Hand cream and also hand sanitizer. Small broken pieces of things I no longer remember what they are a part of. A nail file which I never have time to use. The directions on how to program my telephone. Spare change for the vending machine.

My right hand top drawer is more serious containing writing implements, some of which no longer have any ink, including dried up Sharpies. I confess that I have quite a collection of various sized blocks of post it notes. The smaller post its are plastered all over my appointment book of things to remember. Scissors that are not pointy on the ends in case I have to use them around a kid. More lists of projects and things I'm trying to do.

While I'm at it I might as well describe the articles hanging on the bulletin board over my desk. I like to stick things up there that are pleasant reminders of fun things I have done so when I'm having a bad day I can glance up there and adjust my mood. Sometimes people will lean over when they see something of interest. I have concert tickets from the Almond Bros.,Steve Miller and Neil Young, a picture of Steven Tyler in the "got milk" advertisement. Baseball tickets when the Red Sox played Toronto (date unknown), Hockey tickets Clarkson Univeresity ECAC Playoff games. Various cartoons that are innocuous however twisted. Thank you cards regarding various occasions, pictures of my daughters doing interesting things (not overly personal), staff extension numbers, billing codes. If you think about it you spend approximately seven or eight hours per day at your desk so it is kind of nice to have pleasant remembrances to gaze at. Someone once told me we tend to erect "shrines" and that is likely accurate at least in my case.

What this is all about is the random stuff that tends to migrate into our drawers when we don't know where else to put things. You have to be careful as mentioned earlier because if for some unknown reason someone has to unlock your desk you don't want to appear too weird but I forgot they probably already know that about me.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Questioning Our Own Mortality

It's a fact we are all aging and eventually we die; Eros and Thanatos. People with whom I am acquainted have been discussing their aging and ill parents. Been there done that. Quite a few years ago my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and slowly deteriorated into dementia. Eventually he had to be put in a nursing home in Florida after it began to have an effect on my mother's health and well being. When parents retire there are choices they make about moving to Florida for the good weather and the positive effects on their health. Someone once said "Florida is where old people go to die". I cannot credit anyone specific with this quote but unfortunately it is true.

When a couple has been married for fifty years or so it is an awful sense of loneliness when the partner dies and leaves the other to somehow carry on. I have heard many anecdotal stories how one will pass on and the other is soon to follow. ( Some people have actually found someone else to be with but this can be a mixed blessing if health problems in the new partner begin to surface and it can get very complicated between family members on both sides; who owns what.)

My mother tried for awhile to live on her own in Florida without my father but even with the help of a close family friend the situation began to unravel. The adult children who live "somewhere else" are then faced with what to do with the surviving parent. It is often left to the daughter to pick up the responsibility and take care of Mom. So the condo is sold at a very modest price and Mom is moved up to be near the daughter. Adjustments are made and accommodations pondered.

My mother stayed with us for about 2 or 3 months and then announced she felt ready again to live independently in a nearby senior citizen's complex. Reluctantly daughter agrees to this but within a very short period of time Mom cannot seem to manage and there is growing concern she isn't eating properly and this necessitates frequent- multiple daily visits to check on her well being. Soon after she develops pneumonia and is hospitalized. While in the hospital she takes a fall and the Doctor advises she needs daily care. Now comes the difficult decision of whether to place dear Mom in a nursing home or bring her back to the family home and quit the job to take care of mother. Hey, didn't she do this for me when I was a child and now the tables are turned.

Society has evolved from the days when relatives stayed in one place and did not move too far. Children become adults, follow their own lives, and often times live a great distance apart. In the "old days" elderly were taken care of in the home. When I was growing up my grandfather lived with us and so did my uncle for awhile. My mother took care of them and also worked the night shift as a nurse. I don't know how she did it, she just did. I have feelings of guilt that I wasn't able to do that for my mother but I had a professional job that paid well. A significant number of families have both partners working in order to maintain adequate finances in the family.

I have heard variations of this story over and over. No one tells us this is going to happen. It seems to be one of those topics that is avoided. I think part of the reason is that it is hard for each one of us to accept our own mortality. As we begin to age and our parents age it begins to dawn on us who is going to take responsibility for caring for the aging/ill parent and who is going to take care of us when it's our turn? Are our children going to be willing to alter their lives and help take care of us when we become elderly and infirm?

Friday, December 5, 2008

License Plate Slogans

When driving on the various highways it is interesting to notice the slogans on various state license plates. Some of them are intriguing and others are plain hilarious. Recently on a road trip while at a rest stop I encountered a New Hampshire state license plate;"Live Free or Die". I think that is my all time favorite because it is so declarative. Yes, it is certainly meant to display patriotism which I have no problem with however it is rather reminiscent of the cold war era when America felt threatened by Russia and the phrase "better red than dead" was popularized. Maybe an updated state license plate should declare "beware of terrorism". Would that maybe make a reflective patriotic statement?

South Carolina and South Dakota may be mad at each other or someone is being a copy cat."Smiling Faces.Beautiful Places." is on the S.Carolina state plate and a similar expression on the S.Dakota state plate reads "Great Faces.Great Places". Wasn't there a popular song at one time about smiling faces telling lies? Alabama also used a song quote on their license plate slogan "Sweet Home Alabama".

There are quite a few state plates that appear to reflect an appeal towards tourism as Florida has "The Sunshine State" and Maine has "Vacation Land". I think some of the smart people from Maine might migrate to the Sunshine State in the dead of winter for their vacation.... Of course if you are a sportsman you might travel to Louisiana ,their license plate is sure to attract people who enjoy sports, "Sportsman's Paradise".

Why would Tennessee feel compelled to put a slogan on their state license plate that says "The Volunteer State"? That is really not too different than Indiana's slogan of "In God We Trust". I imagine their are residents of both these states who do not share or endorse those particular beliefs.

Massachusetts' state plates display" The Spirit of America" probably because they still hold on to their pride of being the origin of the American Revolution. Maybe it's time to change that to "The Best Sports Town" (go Red Sox). North Dakota apparently feels the same way because their license plate reads "Discover the Spirit". I don't think N.Dakota has a sports team to cheer for but they definitely have discovered the spirit.

Shall I go on or am I beginning to bore people? New Mexico does not think they are boring they live in the" Land of Enchantment". Illinois declares they are the "Land of Lincoln". If Lincoln gets lost somewhere he can go to Missouri the "Show Me State". That could also be interpreted as a rather provocative statement as is West Virginia who wants to be known as "Wild and Wonderful".

I think I have pretty well exhausted this subject but at the very least I need to mention that there are several states who refer to their topography as being special "The Green Mountain State" of Vermont, the "Big Sky Country of Montana, and Utah "Life Elevated".


I'm really not making any of this up you can go look it up and depending what state you reside in you might nominate a slogan "Land of Google".

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Visiting Another Country

It's nice when we allow ourselves to operate a little out of our comfort zone. When we travel it is sometimes necessary to be flexible when we encounter challenges to the way we are used to thinking and behaving. Being a good observer helps too, especially reading other people's body language and inflection in their voices. It is hard sometimes to not feel a tiny bit vulnerable.I have discovered humor can often diffuse an uncomfortable situation or unfamiliarity with local customs.

We are forced to be outgoing in order to communicate and negotiate what it is we need. This is hard for me because I tend to be quiet and reserved so my husband is often the spokesperson while my Spanish is somewhat better. I will feed him certain phrases if we are in a certain situation. My vocabulary is survival Spanish; "Donde esta el bano?" I definitely have to work on the verbs and grammar. Anyway he will just forge ahead with gestures until some of it might be understood. This is when humor comes in very handy. You can't start to worry too much about whether they like Americans, just be polite and hope for the best. You do however need to have a certain level of awareness so you do not intentionally offend someone or their customs.

So here I am sitting in this nice little internet "office" which fortunately, is airconditioned. Am I that addicted to blogging that I have to find a place to post something? I do not take myself too seriously,but being too far out of touch is a bit out of my comfort zone. I think it is time to head out to the beach, slather on the sun tan lotion,read my book, and not do too much of anything else.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

My List of Lists

I believe making lists are a way to stay organized and a reminder of things not to forget. Who ever invented the sticky post it notes has my vote as saving us from ourselves. Technology has given us the Blackberry and Palm Pilot but there is nothing as simple or easy as the the post it. You can have them all over the place: at home, the office, appointments and calenders, the list is endless. Why would someone wax poetic on something so plebeian? I don't really know, I do know that I can't seem to function without my lists. You have to be careful though because if you spend all your time making lists then nothing will get done! It is a very good idea to have a short list of goals of things you want to accomplish each day.It may not be necessary to write this down. Keeping it to two or three items helps us to feel less overwhelmed and more likely to actually do the things on the list.

"Procrastination is the thief of time." I'll do it tomorrow, admittedly we all have done this to some degree. There is an old saying that if you ask a busy person to do something it is likely to get done. Maybe it's because they possess momentum and energy besides the concept of timeliness, and organizational ability.

When does being organized shift over to being an obsessive tendency? I'm not sure but I'd guess that if it becomes an obstacle to being able to "function" then that might be a problem. Is it really necessary to have all the soup cans in the cupboard with the labels facing out or to have the clothes in your closet grouped by color and having the hangers match in color. Don't laugh, there are people who might not admit it but they have to line up their shoes a certain way and everything has to be in it's place, but I digress.

When we make plans to travel I start making lists of things to pack. If we are just going away for the day it's not necessary. I like to have a grocery list when I go to the store, not that I follow it. At work I keep a list of people whom I need to return phone calls to and a list of projects I am trying to multitask. It's a great feeling to check something off that has been completed.

I have to confess that I keep a little notebook in my pocketbook and when I have a spontaneous creative thought of something I might like to blog about I write it down. How do you think I came up with this idea to write a post about lists?

Saturday, November 1, 2008

spontaneous Wine buzz

It's Friday night, time to unwind. A few glasses of wine and lowered inhibitions. Do you say things that ordinarily you might be protective about....? Too bad you can't say or think those things while not under the influence of the wine buzz. Why is it necessary to get a buzz going and why not be real all the time? Maybe you think you are more amusing or funny after having a few. Why can't you just be real or spontaneous without the effects of alcohol? Sometimes it serves as a social lubricant for people to be less inhibited. The danger in that is you may sometimes make choices or decisions that you might not otherwise make. Hopefully, it isn't something major. Why do we need this in order to feel less inhibited, maybe more outgoing or less self conscious in social situations.Unfortunate as it is, it applies to alot of people of all ages and economic backgrounds. I myself have no problem with that. I think I'm much more amusing and jocular after a few glasses of whatever. It shouldn't be used as a crutch though , but unfortunately it often may be so.Maybe it is more about people being less unguarded and more real but alcohol doesn't necessarily make anything real. What's wrong with having a a bit of fun, but why do we need alcohol to feel that? Why can't we be less guarded and real with out the effects of alcohol?
My family has a few embarrassing stories they like to tease me about because I am a lightweight when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. Not like the old days at all. With age, we hopefully learn moderation, however for addictive personalities that is likely somewhat different. Not everyone who imbibes too much has an alcohol problem. I won't even get into those who have a few tokes of the weed.You really can't do that because the illegality and consequences are too high risk in today's society besides not wanting to be a space cadet anymore and seeking legitimacy.I guess the whole point is to try and be in control even though you might not be but don't know that. There is nothing worse than being around an obnoxious drunk who has had too much to drink. I have seen people whom I love and respect make utter assholes of themselves but hey, who am I to judge. All is forgotten the next day unless you do something really bad. UNwittingly you can develop a bad reputation and may not even know it, things you may have done in your younger days may come back to haunt you, embarrassingly so. When I was in my twenties I went to an outrageous Halloween party that got way out of hand and the last thing I remember was puking my guts out in someone's bushes. So much for being the future mother of two children.Please forgive my youthful indiscretion. Thank god I don't do those things any more. My adult children unfortunately saw the old side of me when I had a few too many, not by much, but enough for me to act somewhat foolish. Apparently, while trying to put a parka on over my head, I put it on backwards, they still laugh about it but I wonder if somehow I became diminished in their eyes , or perhaps they just thought it was hilarious to see their mother having a few. I'm not really sure, but I have also seen them have a few too many and prefer not to judge, so maybe they won't judge me. Maybe we just shouldn't judge each other too harshly since we really don't know what is going on in other people's minds. I don't really care what other people think of me. I'm rather fearless when it comes to that. I do deeply care what my husband thinks of me, and he thinks I'm okay. I don't necessarily need his validation but if he disapproved of something I would definitely take that into consideration, unless he also was under the influence and then who knows really. Alas, confessions of a hope fiend, an unguarded moment.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Halloween is not Christmas

Where did anyone get the idea to decorate the front of their house with orange pumpkin lights? Stuffed scarecrows,carved jack o' lanterns,ghosts and a few ghouls all okay. Not okay,blow up dolls. I mean the ones that are those large objects in the shapes of Halloween figures like witches and skeletons. Where did people get the idea to put these monstrosities out on their front lawn? I don't like them at Christmas either when there are reindeers pulling Santa's sleigh,etc.When I leave my house I drive by several of these displays wondering why the people living there think this is decorative. Why not blow up other things and put those on the front lawn too. Oh I forgot they also do this at Easter with a big rabbit or for some odd reason Winnie the Pooh or Peanut's characters.Yes,people have a right to put anything that is not"objectionable" or in bad taste out in their yards but that seems to be a matter of taste. Now when people put pink flamingos out there it is supposed to be in good fun which most of us understand,but what about those figurines of Shepard girls in frilly outfits minding their sheep? Then there are the old lady's bent over showing their bottoms and little boys peeing. I'm not making this up unless I have been living in the Twilight Zone which at times might be entirely possible. I've also seen silhouettes of mysterious "cowboys" with one leg bent leaning against the garage.Has anyone noticed that their seems to be a new craze of mounting nautical stars on their house and shutters? Are they waiting for a cruise ship to go by or what? Riding around once in awhile I have seen these angel ornaments mounted on people's homes which must signify some type of religious message.
I think people should actually get those blow up dolls and stage a porn scene for the neighbors to really enjoy.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Texting in Haiku

I used to believe it was only the "20 somethings" who texted each other until I realized how it was another way of communicating and keeping in touch. Don't misunderstand ,I think it is very annoying when people answer their cell phone when I, who is the most important individual that the world revolves around is trying to have a conversation here (lol).
Sometimes texts are random but then I began to notice there was something else occurring. You often have to think of an abbreviated version of your message,succinct,concise when you are attempting to compose what you are trying to convey.I am not suggesting that Haiku is not a much appreciated art form in it's own simple way so beautiful.

Could you please call home
have not heard from you lately
Let's catch up on things

____________________


I work thru lunch and
bring something to eat at my
desk by saving time

____________________

You sound like a guy
No I'm just married to one
That is so funny


____________________


That guy is a jerk
he takes me to nice places
don't be a loser

_____________________


U R very sweet
thank you for helping me out
no problem,peace out

_____________________

Dad is on his way
when will he be arriving
not sure,pick me up

_______________________

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Navigating The Linguistic "Mindfield" Of Political Correctness

What can I say? Or more importantly, what can I not say? I fear I have been slowly tippy toeing into the nether world of resorting to euphemisms . There are numerous examples,too many to list. Sometimes we may not know when we have said something offensive until the PC police arrive to take us away.Usually I will try to be somewhat tolerant of other people's step into that mindfeild unless they are repeat offenders. It isn't necessary to lecture either. It is hard to know all the rules.Is their a guide somewhere?
There are some fairly obvious ones that should be avoided. You may mistakenly refer to someone else's race or cultural background in an uncomplimentary way. There are still parts of the country where people still utter the "n word". It can be addressed in a diplomatic comment of "I don't think they like to be called that anymore perhaps referring to them as African American might be more appropriate". Native Americans no longer wish to be called Indians. The word retarded is no longer used and instead you must say developmentally disabled or cognitively limited. Dirty old man are now referred to as pedophiles. Dirty old women are cougars.
We have all encounter our share of jerks or idiots. They now wish to be referred to as people lacking social skills. When it comes to family matters and relationships there is subtlety in the way you must refer to unmarried individuals occupying the same dwelling as significant others and if you have a child born out of wedlock your are a single parent. My mother had her on lingo and it was called shacking up. In the 1960's if you had an illegitimate baby it was called a love child. If you are a stepparent you are the nonbiologocal parent. If you are in a long term same sex relationship you may be living with your life partner.
Now that I've probably offended about 50 percent of the population let's have a go with the rest then shall we. When you encounter an accomplished outspoken women there may be some who mutter unkind words under their breath "b-otch" but perhaps she is just being an assertive women.
Individuals of short stature assert they no longer approve of being called midgets and prefer the term little person or dwarf.Perhaps unattractive people should now be called esthetically challenged. A long time ago people that drank too much were drunks now we call them alcohol abusers as are junkies called chemically dependent self medicators. It was never nice to call emotionally disturbed people raving lunatics or crazy it is much nicer to refer to them as mentally ill.When we encounter an aggressive driver we describe them as suffering from road rage needing anger management training classes. I think I will just stick to calling them anal orifices. So if any of you like to gossip you can now call yourself information disseminaters. And anyone who lacks a sense of humor can sign up as watchdog for the PC Police. When you are writing words rather than speaking your words you are an author. This author may have to go hide out for a few days in case they are looking for me. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and the author was definitely under the influence and not in her right mind and will claim insanity.


Wednesday, September 24, 2008

So Proud

There are times when you feel so proud of a child's accomplishments. It may be getting good grades or doing well at a sport. I feel very lucky to have two wonderful smart and accomplished daughters who are really just starting to realize their potential. They're ahead of me because I was sort of a late bloomer but eventually life began to make sense and developing a sense of purpose. I think when we discover motherhood it alters the way we view life.It can be very rewarding and at the same time humbling. You don't know how it's all going to turn out. There are many challenges to raising children especially daughters. I never realized how my mother may have felt during some of my more "difficult" years.Now I think I have better insight and I wish I knew then what I know now. I definitely think I would have been nicer to her but I thank her belatedly for her patience. You can't really predict sometimes how they are going to turn out. I think my mother was very proud of me, and I have grown very proud of my own daughters for different reasons. One daughter seemed a bit more easy to raise and reason with where the other one was very assertive about her own individuality and everything was a "test". Now that they are both young adult women I can step back into the role of advisor and only try to give my opinion when asked. I'm still working on that one so they tell me.
What influenced me to write this present commentary has to do with my youngest daughter and two recent experiences she had. She had a few rough weeks trying to reset her path after a bad work experience. When she was able to be placed in a temp job she did not know how it would turn out. On her first day of work she was called upon to render emergency medical assistance to a man suddenly stricken with cardiac arrest. She remained calm and confident of her EMT training and helped save this man's life. She said she did not feel she needed anyone's praise because to her it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Well, it was a very emotional experience for her and we were so very proud of her. Then this other thing happened. Her boss was also stricken by a heart attack at work this week and again she was placed in the role of assisting a victim to help save his life.This shook her up a bit because this time she actually knew the person she was doing CPR on and shocking him with the paddles.She does not see herself as a hero but co-workers have said she is. She started this temp job and who knew that her presence would be important at saving two people's lives. I'm not sure she realizes yet that she is not only a hero to those two people who needed her assistance but also a hero to her mother (and father). I don't think I will ever see her the same way as I have maybe in the past as my difficult child to raise. She has grown up so much and I think she is beginning to understand how precious life is . I think she may have a different way of looking at life now. Life can be humbling and rewarding.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Canine Worship

The rule about not discussing politics and religion is no longer applicable. Debating and discussing leads to more open ways of looking at things. Right? There are so many paths to the belief in a higher being (thank-you AA) anything goes these days. So why not worship our pets.
There are many childless couples who dote on their dog or cat and they are often treated like privileged "beings". They get only the best and are showered with attention. Dogs in particular seem to have this uncanny ability to read our moods. When someone is sad or upset our pet will often come over to where we are sitting and attempt to console us. Many a time when I had a bad day and would come home in a not so great mood my dog would trot on over wag her tail and rest her chin on my knee. She would gaze at me soulfully with her liquid brown eyes .Actually she was a Husky with "watcheye",one blue and one brown.....sort of spooky. She would patiently wait for me to pet her and not give up till I did. Somehow that action of petting her soft fur and her wiggling with delight made everything in the world seem all right again. In a way it tended to bring about calmness and a sense of being in the moment forgetting what it was that made me sad or upset in the first place. Dogs only want our affection and attention,they bring out the best in us. When I have not felt well my dog would sense that and stay by my side. She would curl up and sit on my foot. Not at my feet,on my feet. So why do I wax on so about my dog? You see I have this rather novel theory and probably either crazy or blasfamos that maybe dogs were put on this earth for a reason. They are very loyal and loving and they do bring out the best in us. Our love of a dog has a spiritual component. After all, we know what dog is spelled backwards don't we? Yeah , so call me weird and crazy. All I know is that when my dog and I were connecting with eachother there was nothing else in my mind and the world felt a lot less scary. What else could it be.......


Sunday, September 7, 2008

Top Ten Pet Peeves About Driving

1. Right now the price of gas makes people consider first if the trip is necessary.
2. People who speed up and then slow down. (They speed up when you try to pass them)
3. Drivers who tailgate.Do they know they are doing it or they just anal orifices?
4. People who park too close to your car in the parking lot.Either they have given you a door job or you might give them one.
5. Drivers who are distracted by something along the side of the road.
6.Old people who shouldn't be driving anymore. We'll all be there someday and our relatives will either have to hide the keys or disable the car.
7. Teen age males racing around with loud souped up engines with the stereo blaring. Hey,you are not that cool, really
8. People who talk on their cell phones. I tend to snigger when they get pulled over by the cops. (It's against the law in N.Y.)
9. People who are late for work and then drive like maniacs and try to pass everyone.
10. Drivers who wait too long after the traffic light has turned green. People who have to beep at you to get going.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Going grey

At a different age I thought it was important to cover my grey because it was a sign of getting old.The years tend to go by and the experiences I have had in my life accumulate into found wisdom. At the time you only know you are living your life one day at a time somewhat in denial of one's own mortality. I think that may be why I felt the need to add color to my hair. It helped stop the clicking time of the clock which is life, for awhile to be in denial of the aging process or trying to slow it down. Youth eventually passes but not without a fight. Is it wrong to want to hang on to that for awhile longer? When my hairdresser suggested I might consider letting the color grow out of my hair at first I was aghast. When I began to explore my thoughts and feelings further I had to ask myself why I had felt it necessary all those years to cover my grey. I had to acknowledge you cannot hold on to your youth no matter how hard you might try. Eventually age catches up with all of us even Dick Clark. It's okay now I have accepted the inevitability that there is a life cycle and I have ridden many miles and hopefully have a way yet to go. It is not necessary to be morbid only accept. Maybe as each one of us starts to age we go through a different passage of acceptance. I now let my age be what it is,what it needs to be.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

ODE TO CHOCOLATE

The truth is out there...
Whether it is M&M's,Hershey Kisses,Chocolate Cake,Brownies,Oreo's,just to name a few. I wish they had chocolate pizza or chocolate bagels. What about chocolate bread? They already have chocolate cereal.Do Reeces Peanut Butter Cups count because they are a combination of peanut butter and chocolate? Some people don't like their chocolate mixed with peanut butter. It's all the same to me.
My brother in-law had a rather whacky experience with chocolate. A long time ago he worked for a "drug store chain" and it was Easter so they were selling chocolate Easter bunnies. Mistakenly when they were closing the store for the night someone accidentally turned the thermostat up instead of down. Apparently it grew very hot in the store overnight and when he came in the next morning the Easter bunnies had melted into rather grotesque shapes. I think soon after that he "moved on to other employment". I think I would have eaten them anyway because it's still chocolate,right?
Some people allude to women craving chocolate especially during that certain time of the month. Do we really need an excuse to eat chocolate? Anytime is good for me. Of course you have to be really careful with your chocolate if you happen to have canines. The caffeine in chocolate can be harmful to dogs.I'm not sure though how much a dog might ingest before it's a problem.
Now they have confectionery stores at the mall and it is hard to resist not going in for a little taste. Those truffles with the gooey chocolate in the middle are to die for! Sometimes you buy these but end up eating some of them before you get home and then there are hardly any left and your husband will look at you funny,is this all you bought? Then you can either lie or tell the truth but he knows anyway because he is already aware that you keep a secret stash.In my house I have to hide the bag of chocolate chips to make Toll House Cookies because he will eat them all before I have a chance to bake.There is competition in my house for the chocolate. Chocolate cannot replace "passion" but it comes pretty close!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Top Ten Reasons Guys Play Golf

1. They like to hang with the guys.
2. It's part of their natural primitive hunting instinct to pursue their prey, hit the ball then look for it in the woods.
3. Walking is good exercise. (What about the golf cart?)
4. Being outside is healthy,getting some vitamin D.
5.An excuse for drinking beer.
6. It helps cultivate business opportunities or to get the inside track with the boss.
7. It's an opportunity to show off if you are a good swinger.
8.A little time needed away from the wife and kids.
9. You can avoid the "honey dew" list.
10. They all fantasize they are Tiger Woods.

If you check off more than three items on the list someone is spending too much time at the golf course. Instead go home and read A Good Walk Spoiled.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

About Shoes

Hey, let's face it shoes aren't just for walking are they? Does it really matter how many either? I'd say now at this point in my life I look for comfort before fashion.It is more important to be able to walk without falling down which used to not be a problem unless I was under the influence. Those days I suppose are over too. Growing older doesn't necessarily mean you have to retire your dancing shoes unless you couldn't dance in the first place which my family will point out when given the opportunity.
It isn't necessary to have shoes to match every outfit but there are definite rules that if you are dressing up then your shoes should also be dressed up,but flats are okay if they are not ugly.
Sometimes it is okay to wear sneakers with a nice outfit if you are walking to work and then plan on changing when you get there.In some urban areas this is apparently acceptable.
There are times when I wear a certain pair of shoes to work and they might match my outfit but I will bring a second pair in my tote bag to change into if my feet start to hurt.When you wear cute shoes female co-workers will often notice and gather around to discuss your shoes and talk about theirs.They will ask where you purchased your shoes and certain brand names are often met with positive approval. Of course it then depends on what social/work group you affiliate yourself with. It some circles it is okay to mention you bought them on sale or shop at a discount but if you mention certain low end stores whose names I will not mention the shoes then lose their cachet.
If you are part of a family where there are multiple women that wear the same size shoe sometimes you can borrow back and forth however asking first will avoid conflict especially if they are favorites. There is an exception between mother's and daughters that exists. If a Mom has a really cute pair of shoes it is an unspoken likelihood that the daughter will steal your shoes and not even tell you till you see them on her feet when she is prancing out the door to some social occasion.As Tony Soprano would say, "what ya gonna do?"

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sunday mornings

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Friday, August 8, 2008

Will it ever stop raining?

Summer seems to have slipped by.We haven't really had that many sunny hot days.It's too soon for summer to be almost over. You know what comes next? Fall then the dreaded winter in the North Country. By the way fall happens to be my favorite season of the year. Now it's August and the nights are already growing cooler.Maybe if we are fortunate we will have another hot spell,just not too hot. IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS RAINED NEARLY EVERY WEEKEND. Not so great for us working "stiffs". I guess all the rain has helped increase the water table which is important. It has also made the grass grow quicker which means more frequent mowing, Not. With the price of gas we can let the grass grow a little longer.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Good bye Manny

No more Manny being Manny. The leaving appeared somewhat painful for everyone;The Sox, the fans, and of course Manny. Regretfully he had to act like a jerk in order to get himself traded which was not fair to the team nor the fans.It is somewhat reminiscent of the Nomar trade. He also wasn't very happy and there had been concern his negative attitude was effecting the team. There are similarities.Various news stories have described that Manny's lack of hustle ,not running out a grounder,and taking himself off the playing list with supposed injuries was really lacking class. I also think the fans had begun to lose respect and we deserve better. When Manny had the brief altercation with Youklis it was really the beginning of the end and then when he pushed the travel secretary that was really very poor behavior. Yes, we will miss the fun side of his antics but unfortunately he may be remembered for the bad way he left. I guess when it comes down to it he just wasn't happy anymore and blamed the management for being disrespectful. Well I think that is rather arrogant considering how much they were f'in paying him to play baseball.Big Papi may miss Manny but the fans may be thinking good riddance. Let's see what Jason Bay might do and so far he has shown to be a good addition and frankly a better fielder,some clutch hitting too. Now all we need is for Tek to climb out of his slump. I'm curious what comments Curt Schilling may have on his blog,38 pitches. Let's face it the Red Sox are not hungry enough after two world championships. The Rays apparently are.

Monday, July 28, 2008

10 Things I Dislike About Brad and Angelina

1. She makes out with her brother.
2. He left Jennifer to be with her.(She's a husband stealer)
3. She used to be married to Billy Bob and wore his blood in a vile around her neck.
4. She bragged about having sex in the limo on way to award ceremony with Billy Bob
5. Brad's IQ is probably low average.
6. He mumbles in his movies and is a bad actor.
7. He hasn't been in a decent movie in years.
8. She used to be a cutter (self abuse) and now acts like she is Mother Teresa.
9. She won't talk with her father and won't say why.
10. She uses her children as if they are part of some humanitarian cause.