Last night I went off on a 1200 word rant all due to a blurb on a Blog I read while searching online for a possible motorized cart to help me be able to go to places that don’t have them readily available.
Any-who, while I searched I noticed this Blogger saying on the in line items listed for the results of my search that they felt that people who used these motorized carts are lazy sperm whales and if they got their fat a—es (derrieres) out of them they would not need them and could get a job to pay for the insurance that they needed for whatever reason they think that they needed to use them and stop having the tax payers pay their way! Also stating being too fat was not a good reason to use them. (Well, young or old man or woman I really have no idea. I worked for 32 years and they took out Medicare social security, FDIC and everything that was the same that you have taken out that is if you are working, and I am too young to collect Medicare at 58. And we still pay our way, and have always done that. We live off a small pension that my husband earned and social security his both and we save and pay cash for the things we need other than our daily living needs and bills.)
Well, that is my reason for last night’s long essay of trying to reason with this Moron.
Only heaven knows he/she probably doesn’t know that I wrote that, I wish someone would tell him/her.
At the time I found it I was having server problems and got disconnected to the Blogger site where I had clicked on it and was willing then and there to respond to his heartless illogical rationale. Unfortunately, when later on I went back trying to find it again it appeared to be gone.
All I can say is that from a very young age I have been able to see gray when others only see things black or white, and that is why I wanted to know his/her reasoning for being so negative.
Mostly it is an advantage, but sometimes people think you look indecisive, or end up arguing that point that there is more to it than their blanket decision has made them think and that is all they know and so it is true and right, not that there could be two or three sides to each possible problem and all could be right too.
So perhaps this person was ill their selves or drugged or drunk or just had a bad day and needed to pick on someone that they felt didn’t care about anything anymore.
I don’t know if this is anything but some old people that do have a slower pace or heart condition may use them too, and many are capable of walking too?
But if they are slender and old they should be allowed and people who are fat due to listening to the doctors and taking meds that make you gain weight and quit smoking et all, are doomed even if their hip bones are crunching each other and their balance is compromised from Multiple Sclerosis? I think not.
One must expand ones reasoning of structural ideas in logic, which is based on many concepts creating one system to support the ideas of many.
All in all, this world has enough problems with the horrors of foreclosures, the economy, and with jobs being lost daily I think now is the worst time for people to turn on one another, really don’t you?
We must unite and show care and concern for one another not divide.
Together we stand divided we fall.
If us commoners can’t support one another who can?
Now I do believe I am finally done with this topic, and thank you for the venue to express my feelings.
Good night to all and to all take care of one another; we really only have each other, don’t we?
Speaking My Mind is about: Tobi, who is a middle aged, no, oh all right a slightly over the hill woman with all the imperfections that go with that, and this concerns her daily life's perceptions and experiences.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Irony is a very strange thing
The topic of tonight's Blog is 'Irony'.
My best example of irony is me.
I went to the doctor's due to my not feeling well and listened to what they told me to do.
Prior to going I was doing really great for about four years and I was back down to what I euphemistically call my fighting weight of 103.
Going to the gym five days a week where I worked out for an hour and half each day.
Then I slipped getting out of our pool and my knee swelled up.
So after a couple of days of trying home remedies I went to the doctor.
All they could do was to take X-rays and recommend continuing with the RICE, rest ice compress and elevate, treatment I was doing.
Medication was not to be taken since they knew my stomach history of ulcers I could only take Tylenol, since all anti-inflammatories killed my stomach Advil had put me in the hospital.
But I wasn’t able to go to the gym the knee needed rest, within days the swelling went down.
And I went back to the gym.
Katrina hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast that year and brought back those horrid memories of me being hours in our hallway as our home was destroyed around us.
It triggered memories that I would not want to recall.
My knee had a soft swelling behind it that reappeared, and so I went back to the doctors who felt it was a benign cyst, and they chose a wait and see attitude, and so I did and it went away.
But I found myself going less and less to the gym where I had another full year already paid for.
My neck started to hurt and my balance waivered.
So back to the doctors where they started doing an MRI of my shoulder and neck, which we all knew I had arthritis in.
The MRI showed that I did have stenosis in my cervical region, the neck, and a tear in my muscle in my right shoulder.
The Orthopedic surgeon did a neurological test for balance and told me that it looked like I had Ataxia and that I should see a neurologist, and I did.
More MRI’s and in the interim a visit to an ear nose and throat doctor to rule out middle ear problems that test was negative.
The MRI results showed plaques in my brain that indicated MS, but also TIA’s.
Since both my parents and my now I know my brother died from strokes it was recommended that I quit smoking.
But I was not readily convinced until the MS doctor said that if I quit my MRI might not show anymore TIA’s, and he could get a better diagnosis of my MS, and so July 11. 2006 I finally did.
But now I had been taking seven prescriptions’ dedicated to each of my many symptoms and each doctor insisted that they’re not responsible for my weight gain, which was 30 pounds at this point.
So my dilemma to quit smoking was another weight gain which had happened each time I had quit before, which had been six times, adding fifty pounds each time and then I would miraculously take it off when I exercised and returned to smoking.
But this time was different I had tangible evidence that the smoking was causing something serious, and so that was my motivation.
I looked at it this way the threat of a stroke would be lessened and I would feel all better from not smoking so then I would exercise and lose the weight and not gain anymore.
Hah! Not to be, the weight that I already gained was causing me havoc and was making it difficult to do many things. I was too embarrassed to go back to the gym so I tried weight loss clinics and at two different ones wasted over $2400 and not losing a pound. Not one of my doctors would admit that the meds were causing the weight gain I only found out from doing my own research and by then I had gained all that quit smoking weight on top of the medication weight.
But I didn’t let that stop me I was determined to lose it and so I decided I would walk around my neighborhood since many times before I had walked to lose that smoking weight and it did work. I was even a race walker for a while able to complete 3 miles in 40 minutes. I even took myself off the medications that I felt were causing the weight gain, but two I could not. Cholesterol and blood pressure medications when I went off them it proved that my cholesterol went up significantly and so did my high blood pressure which until this weight gain I never had before.
So walk I did I started slow but eventually got up to one hour five to six times a week and I lost 12 pounds!
But then the summer came and the heat is hell for MS with our humidity, and so I switched to the pool, which is more range of motion than weight loss for me being a certified Aquacize Instructor and all.
So in the summer I gained it all back.
In the fall I began again this is now the fall of 2008 and by November my what I thought was bursitis is constant and with my cane I walked with for my balance issue of Ataxia my shoulders felt like they had bursitis too, which I know I did have in my past, both hip and shoulder bursitis so back to the doctor again.
In my heart and all my training I knew that bursitis wasn’t this chronic for months and this debilitating not being able to sleep from pain for nights and nights.
And so when I went to the doctor and asked if now it might not just be Osteoarthritis of those two areas he said yes, and told me not to walk and that I would need my hips replaced and surgery on my shoulders so to try to lessen my cane use inside.
So this is why I use one of those motorized carts in the stores since both hips have bone on bone that I can sometimes hear but always feel, and my shoulders are shot too, which makes even pushing the motion buttons on those carts, hurt.
So the next time you see someone in one of those carts think twice before you crucify them.
Oh yeah, get them fixed you say, well, it just so happens that when my husband was injured on the job of being a deputy, which he gets disability for we did try, but COBRA wants $1200 a month for their insurance, which is nearly 40% of our income, not good, and four other companies turned me down due to me being pre-existing, so please people don’t assume things when you see someone in a difficult situation most do not want to be there, actually all; who would want this?
Good night to all and to all do not judge people without knowing all the facts, no change that to don't judge people ever, no one should.
My best example of irony is me.
I went to the doctor's due to my not feeling well and listened to what they told me to do.
Prior to going I was doing really great for about four years and I was back down to what I euphemistically call my fighting weight of 103.
Going to the gym five days a week where I worked out for an hour and half each day.
Then I slipped getting out of our pool and my knee swelled up.
So after a couple of days of trying home remedies I went to the doctor.
All they could do was to take X-rays and recommend continuing with the RICE, rest ice compress and elevate, treatment I was doing.
Medication was not to be taken since they knew my stomach history of ulcers I could only take Tylenol, since all anti-inflammatories killed my stomach Advil had put me in the hospital.
But I wasn’t able to go to the gym the knee needed rest, within days the swelling went down.
And I went back to the gym.
Katrina hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast that year and brought back those horrid memories of me being hours in our hallway as our home was destroyed around us.
It triggered memories that I would not want to recall.
My knee had a soft swelling behind it that reappeared, and so I went back to the doctors who felt it was a benign cyst, and they chose a wait and see attitude, and so I did and it went away.
But I found myself going less and less to the gym where I had another full year already paid for.
My neck started to hurt and my balance waivered.
So back to the doctors where they started doing an MRI of my shoulder and neck, which we all knew I had arthritis in.
The MRI showed that I did have stenosis in my cervical region, the neck, and a tear in my muscle in my right shoulder.
The Orthopedic surgeon did a neurological test for balance and told me that it looked like I had Ataxia and that I should see a neurologist, and I did.
More MRI’s and in the interim a visit to an ear nose and throat doctor to rule out middle ear problems that test was negative.
The MRI results showed plaques in my brain that indicated MS, but also TIA’s.
Since both my parents and my now I know my brother died from strokes it was recommended that I quit smoking.
But I was not readily convinced until the MS doctor said that if I quit my MRI might not show anymore TIA’s, and he could get a better diagnosis of my MS, and so July 11. 2006 I finally did.
But now I had been taking seven prescriptions’ dedicated to each of my many symptoms and each doctor insisted that they’re not responsible for my weight gain, which was 30 pounds at this point.
So my dilemma to quit smoking was another weight gain which had happened each time I had quit before, which had been six times, adding fifty pounds each time and then I would miraculously take it off when I exercised and returned to smoking.
But this time was different I had tangible evidence that the smoking was causing something serious, and so that was my motivation.
I looked at it this way the threat of a stroke would be lessened and I would feel all better from not smoking so then I would exercise and lose the weight and not gain anymore.
Hah! Not to be, the weight that I already gained was causing me havoc and was making it difficult to do many things. I was too embarrassed to go back to the gym so I tried weight loss clinics and at two different ones wasted over $2400 and not losing a pound. Not one of my doctors would admit that the meds were causing the weight gain I only found out from doing my own research and by then I had gained all that quit smoking weight on top of the medication weight.
But I didn’t let that stop me I was determined to lose it and so I decided I would walk around my neighborhood since many times before I had walked to lose that smoking weight and it did work. I was even a race walker for a while able to complete 3 miles in 40 minutes. I even took myself off the medications that I felt were causing the weight gain, but two I could not. Cholesterol and blood pressure medications when I went off them it proved that my cholesterol went up significantly and so did my high blood pressure which until this weight gain I never had before.
So walk I did I started slow but eventually got up to one hour five to six times a week and I lost 12 pounds!
But then the summer came and the heat is hell for MS with our humidity, and so I switched to the pool, which is more range of motion than weight loss for me being a certified Aquacize Instructor and all.
So in the summer I gained it all back.
In the fall I began again this is now the fall of 2008 and by November my what I thought was bursitis is constant and with my cane I walked with for my balance issue of Ataxia my shoulders felt like they had bursitis too, which I know I did have in my past, both hip and shoulder bursitis so back to the doctor again.
In my heart and all my training I knew that bursitis wasn’t this chronic for months and this debilitating not being able to sleep from pain for nights and nights.
And so when I went to the doctor and asked if now it might not just be Osteoarthritis of those two areas he said yes, and told me not to walk and that I would need my hips replaced and surgery on my shoulders so to try to lessen my cane use inside.
So this is why I use one of those motorized carts in the stores since both hips have bone on bone that I can sometimes hear but always feel, and my shoulders are shot too, which makes even pushing the motion buttons on those carts, hurt.
So the next time you see someone in one of those carts think twice before you crucify them.
Oh yeah, get them fixed you say, well, it just so happens that when my husband was injured on the job of being a deputy, which he gets disability for we did try, but COBRA wants $1200 a month for their insurance, which is nearly 40% of our income, not good, and four other companies turned me down due to me being pre-existing, so please people don’t assume things when you see someone in a difficult situation most do not want to be there, actually all; who would want this?
Good night to all and to all do not judge people without knowing all the facts, no change that to don't judge people ever, no one should.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Illinois Governor ousted... peanut products still on recall
Governor Rod Blagojevich has been voted out by his state representatives, the vote was 59 to nothing. And the man tried so hard on all those NYC talk shows Monday to be so charming and likable, so much for saccharine sweetness, I guess there is no fooling a true New Yorker. I watched as sweet Barbara Walters questioned the man and she was not at all easy on him, no tree questions at all, even Joy Behar got him nearly to do an impression of Nixon’ s famous line, “I am not a crook!” These TV interviewers are not, by any means, easily fooled, which is so refreshing.
Now to that notorious horrendous deadly recall on peanut products over five hundred ill and 8 dead.
Peanut Corporation of America out of Georgia knew for two years that they had bad unhealthy products that tested positive for salmonella, rats and roaches were found within the plant, and did nothing, criminal.
Fortunately, Lance cheese and crackers and others of those product’s line are not affected, neither is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or even peanut butter in jars, and when I think about it those would be the only peanut products I would be using.
Just in: a woman in Naples Florida of the age of 90 years young was just reunited with her six digit lost money situation, stocks that she sold back in 1993, but forgot about when she moved. When asked what she would do now with that found monies she said that she would pay her taxes, remodel her kitchen and then go gamble at the Seminole Casinos. My husband asked did she say she was giving it away charitably, he shouted from the other room and I said she said she was going to gamble at the casino, and I said yes, she is giving most of it to the Seminole Indians, isn’t that nice?
Back on the home front the weather here was just beautiful today, sunny and still in the 80’s, but not for long supposedly tonight we are getting another cold front coming with a possibility of much needed showers; tomorrow the prediction is for only mid 60’s, brrr. The low on Saturday morning will only be in the upper thirties!
This is the coldest winter that I can remember in Florida in all the years that we have been here!
Makes you wonder about Global warming, and I am sure most of my northern neighbors are questioning the concept now too. Below are two sites that may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
Any-who, the 819B was passed yesterday in the senate; now it goes to the house, and so was the law to be able to sue for pay discrimination, to gain equal pay for equal work no matter who you are. 'The Lilly Ledbetter Law', based on her problem with her salary and where Lilly worked in Alabama for Goodyear who paid her less than her male counterparts, her own case was thrown out due to it being filed too late. The old deadline of 180 days from when she took the position was how it had to be filed, but now it's from when you received your last paycheck. Consequently, Ms. Ledbetter did not profit from the new law but many others now will.
Well, that’s all for tonight.
And so good night to all and to all keep in touch with everything around you the world seems to be changing nearly in a blink of an eye!
Now to that notorious horrendous deadly recall on peanut products over five hundred ill and 8 dead.
Peanut Corporation of America out of Georgia knew for two years that they had bad unhealthy products that tested positive for salmonella, rats and roaches were found within the plant, and did nothing, criminal.
Fortunately, Lance cheese and crackers and others of those product’s line are not affected, neither is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or even peanut butter in jars, and when I think about it those would be the only peanut products I would be using.
Just in: a woman in Naples Florida of the age of 90 years young was just reunited with her six digit lost money situation, stocks that she sold back in 1993, but forgot about when she moved. When asked what she would do now with that found monies she said that she would pay her taxes, remodel her kitchen and then go gamble at the Seminole Casinos. My husband asked did she say she was giving it away charitably, he shouted from the other room and I said she said she was going to gamble at the casino, and I said yes, she is giving most of it to the Seminole Indians, isn’t that nice?
Back on the home front the weather here was just beautiful today, sunny and still in the 80’s, but not for long supposedly tonight we are getting another cold front coming with a possibility of much needed showers; tomorrow the prediction is for only mid 60’s, brrr. The low on Saturday morning will only be in the upper thirties!
This is the coldest winter that I can remember in Florida in all the years that we have been here!
Makes you wonder about Global warming, and I am sure most of my northern neighbors are questioning the concept now too. Below are two sites that may help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
Any-who, the 819B was passed yesterday in the senate; now it goes to the house, and so was the law to be able to sue for pay discrimination, to gain equal pay for equal work no matter who you are. 'The Lilly Ledbetter Law', based on her problem with her salary and where Lilly worked in Alabama for Goodyear who paid her less than her male counterparts, her own case was thrown out due to it being filed too late. The old deadline of 180 days from when she took the position was how it had to be filed, but now it's from when you received your last paycheck. Consequently, Ms. Ledbetter did not profit from the new law but many others now will.
Well, that’s all for tonight.
And so good night to all and to all keep in touch with everything around you the world seems to be changing nearly in a blink of an eye!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Imagine not having any entertainment to distract you from your personal woes...
Well, the crime rate I am afraid may just be going up a wee bit more; something no one needs in these times, another problem.
Remember those converter boxes to give you access to the new digital TV age if you didn't have cable or some other form to change it like a satellite to be your combined entrée to digital, but now you will be out of luck, or more than likely out of pocket with another useless expense?
Those discount cards that were going to give you a total of eighty bucks off on those two converter boxes… well, the money is not there anymore, and they have not delayed the change over like they were trying to.
I know it is awfully unimaginative of me to think that because of no free at home entertainment that crime will go up, but think about it, so many who sat quietly twiddling their thumbs staring at the box were off the streets at night not causing any havoc will now have to find something else to do to keep busy with.
The positive thinking ones will say, well, they can read, or go to or rent a movie, or play board games with their children, but alas how will these poorer people afford that if they couldn’t afford the forty bucks in the first place for the converter or the monthly cable charges? And what if they are now part of the multitude of unemployed?
Think about it, the news has said that over six million people in the US are still using roof antennas; do you really think that those people would spring for the full price of those converters?
I think not, we didn’t on those first two, but we used our discount cards last June fortunately when we received them, but on our third we did pay out of pocket, only fair.
They tried to delay the digital procedure until June 12th of this year instead of the 17th of February, which our government as of today they did vote and are allowing that to be the date still!
Stimulus bimulus if people don’t have their boob tube you can bet your sweet bippy that sooner rather than later they will be up to no good!
Kidding, I really have more faith in our fellow man and woman to be more creative with time on their hands.
Some may go to see TV at a friend’s house who’s has the works, or go for a walk to let out that pent up energy and walking is a freebie. Or maybe they will just steal one or the cable like people unfortunately do all too often, so I am told.
But that last sentence proves my crime theory.
No, no I will not allow that negativity to cross my mind, people are good by nature and resourceful and the human race will prove that little curves in our daily lives are just that minutia and not worth our fretting over just to endure and find a better way to conquer the problem whatever it might be!
Now as I write this they are talking about shortening the mail delivery week to five from six days, but get this, they are talking about taking away the mid week delivery that is where they might cut, confusing our bill and medication distributions on both ends. Let’s get real… aren’t we already confused enough?
More challenges for us all and silly me I just worry about my health, but in the bigger picture it is such a small thing, isn’t it? As I said before all of this is just a minuscule blip in the time continuum. When or once we can step back and try to look at all of this objectively, wow, it would be similar to seeing the world from the space shuttle, really tiny.
PS today was the anniversary of that horrid day in our past when the Challenger blew up January 28. 1986. My Dad saw it live, the day after his 79th birthday also his last birthday, while standing on his vacation balcony at a condo in Flagler Florida.
So people I beg you to do not harp on the bad but enjoy the good and even why not, the ugly!
Remember this too will pass… eventually.
Good night to all and to all sorry you northerners but it was 80’s here today in Southwest Florida! We each can find some good in each and every day, just look harder.
Why just today I had a surprise visit from my neightbor from across the canal and it was a very pleasant surprise!
Remember those converter boxes to give you access to the new digital TV age if you didn't have cable or some other form to change it like a satellite to be your combined entrée to digital, but now you will be out of luck, or more than likely out of pocket with another useless expense?
Those discount cards that were going to give you a total of eighty bucks off on those two converter boxes… well, the money is not there anymore, and they have not delayed the change over like they were trying to.
I know it is awfully unimaginative of me to think that because of no free at home entertainment that crime will go up, but think about it, so many who sat quietly twiddling their thumbs staring at the box were off the streets at night not causing any havoc will now have to find something else to do to keep busy with.
The positive thinking ones will say, well, they can read, or go to or rent a movie, or play board games with their children, but alas how will these poorer people afford that if they couldn’t afford the forty bucks in the first place for the converter or the monthly cable charges? And what if they are now part of the multitude of unemployed?
Think about it, the news has said that over six million people in the US are still using roof antennas; do you really think that those people would spring for the full price of those converters?
I think not, we didn’t on those first two, but we used our discount cards last June fortunately when we received them, but on our third we did pay out of pocket, only fair.
They tried to delay the digital procedure until June 12th of this year instead of the 17th of February, which our government as of today they did vote and are allowing that to be the date still!
Stimulus bimulus if people don’t have their boob tube you can bet your sweet bippy that sooner rather than later they will be up to no good!
Kidding, I really have more faith in our fellow man and woman to be more creative with time on their hands.
Some may go to see TV at a friend’s house who’s has the works, or go for a walk to let out that pent up energy and walking is a freebie. Or maybe they will just steal one or the cable like people unfortunately do all too often, so I am told.
But that last sentence proves my crime theory.
No, no I will not allow that negativity to cross my mind, people are good by nature and resourceful and the human race will prove that little curves in our daily lives are just that minutia and not worth our fretting over just to endure and find a better way to conquer the problem whatever it might be!
Now as I write this they are talking about shortening the mail delivery week to five from six days, but get this, they are talking about taking away the mid week delivery that is where they might cut, confusing our bill and medication distributions on both ends. Let’s get real… aren’t we already confused enough?
More challenges for us all and silly me I just worry about my health, but in the bigger picture it is such a small thing, isn’t it? As I said before all of this is just a minuscule blip in the time continuum. When or once we can step back and try to look at all of this objectively, wow, it would be similar to seeing the world from the space shuttle, really tiny.
PS today was the anniversary of that horrid day in our past when the Challenger blew up January 28. 1986. My Dad saw it live, the day after his 79th birthday also his last birthday, while standing on his vacation balcony at a condo in Flagler Florida.
So people I beg you to do not harp on the bad but enjoy the good and even why not, the ugly!
Remember this too will pass… eventually.
Good night to all and to all sorry you northerners but it was 80’s here today in Southwest Florida! We each can find some good in each and every day, just look harder.
Why just today I had a surprise visit from my neightbor from across the canal and it was a very pleasant surprise!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tonight I answer my own questions with a little research
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary definitions of:
Acquaintance:
Results 1-1 of 1 | more
1) Knowledge gained by personal experience, such as: Tiffany’s acquaintance with cows is limited to a visit to a petting zoo when she was three
Synonyms: cognizance, familiarity
Related Words: association, experience, exposure, intimacy, involvement; initiation, introduction; awareness, comprehension, conception, inkling, notion, understanding; education, enlightenment, grounding, information, instruction, learning, schooling, training
Near Antonyms: callowness, greenness, ignorance, inexperience
Antonyms: unfamiliarity
Friend: Results 1-2 of 2 | more
1) A person who has a strong liking for and trust in: another really close friends who like to do everything together and are always sharing secrets
Synonyms: buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal
Related Words: acquaintance; associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, partner, peer; brother, sister; accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate; benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher; friendly
Near Antonyms: adversary, antagonist, opponent, rival; archenemy, nemesis
Antonyms: enemy, foe
2) A person who actively supports or favors a cause such as: hopes that the new governor will be a friend to environmental causes - see exponent
Now this is not that confusing; is it? Then how come I didn't know until just now that most of the people over the years that have touched my life in some way or another have mostly been acquaintances? Is this just sad or foolish of me?
I truly believed that I had people that had my back so to speak.
You know what I mean when all goes wrong in life they were there for me to vent to complain to and just support my decisions and ideas or just hear me cry; does anybody really have someone that wants to hear that?
Even spouses realistically don’t want to know that.
And so here I am with my own 21st Century venting, complaining listening machine, but I have not been getting any feedback and that might be a little more helpful or not. Just writing my thoughts down in black and white does put some things in perspective.
It’s hard to be a human being in the times we live in since almost everyone you know has some sort of problem, and of course theirs is worse than yours when you think of it by their viewpoint, right? Yes, it does seem that way, and so helping others worse off than yourself has always been the best way for me personally to help myself by helping others but now I can’t. You see physically I am unable to due to my medical difficulties.
I guess that I am virtually up a creek without a paddle; and that is not at all a very nice feeling.
So here I sit writing about my wishes and desires.
When in previous days I was able to cure their ills as well as my own.
I did try to touch others in a good way with helping as I could when I could.
Dwelling on negativity the professionals say is not productive.
So I will not get specific here, but I was very disappointed in many people in my recent past that I thought were friends, but apparently proved to be just acquaintances.
You know when you feel like someone was supposed to have your back, be there, in a hard upsetting situation and they fizzled in that respect, and euphemistically dropped the ball so to speak? What a disappointment. Sadly when this happens you feel you will never let anyone in that close to you ever again and trust becomes an extremely big issue with anyone too anxious to show camaraderie or the desire to be the so-called, ‘friend’; I really though that I left that type of uncertainty back in my childhood.
Growing old is definitely not for sissies.
But old is what I hoped I would always get, since the alternative to not getting old, is dead.
I used to tell the seniors that I taught that I will get old if I am lucky.
Well, guess what I am on my way!
And so I will suck it up and be brave and try harder to not let a little thing like not having any true friends not bother me anymore, OK? Actually my husband is my best friend, as corny as that sounds, it is true.
And take hold of my own self as a plus for leaning on, and give myself a good talking to when necessary to straighten me out, and laugh in the face of incapability’s and count all my still have abilities.
I have seen thousands doing that on so many TV programs with heroes and survivors of all sorts of horrid life’s tests, and they get along just fine with their own strengths.
So that is what I will do.
You see I just gave myself a really good talking to, a pep talk so to write, and it is slowly working…I guess.
I will try harder to be a better person and discuss my non short comings, and find many life’s options for interests to be a daily research project that will make me more interesting, I hope.
Good night to all and to all… if you play it right you can be your own best friend.
If not try to see what an acquaintance might have to offer, keep an open mind.
Acquaintance:
Results 1-1 of 1 | more
1) Knowledge gained by personal experience, such as: Tiffany’s acquaintance with cows is limited to a visit to a petting zoo when she was three
Synonyms: cognizance, familiarity
Related Words: association, experience, exposure, intimacy, involvement; initiation, introduction; awareness, comprehension, conception, inkling, notion, understanding; education, enlightenment, grounding, information, instruction, learning, schooling, training
Near Antonyms: callowness, greenness, ignorance, inexperience
Antonyms: unfamiliarity
Friend: Results 1-2 of 2 | more
1) A person who has a strong liking for and trust in: another really close friends who like to do everything together and are always sharing secrets
Synonyms: buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal
Related Words: acquaintance; associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, partner, peer; brother, sister; accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate; benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher; friendly
Near Antonyms: adversary, antagonist, opponent, rival; archenemy, nemesis
Antonyms: enemy, foe
2) A person who actively supports or favors a cause such as: hopes that the new governor will be a friend to environmental causes - see exponent
Now this is not that confusing; is it? Then how come I didn't know until just now that most of the people over the years that have touched my life in some way or another have mostly been acquaintances? Is this just sad or foolish of me?
I truly believed that I had people that had my back so to speak.
You know what I mean when all goes wrong in life they were there for me to vent to complain to and just support my decisions and ideas or just hear me cry; does anybody really have someone that wants to hear that?
Even spouses realistically don’t want to know that.
And so here I am with my own 21st Century venting, complaining listening machine, but I have not been getting any feedback and that might be a little more helpful or not. Just writing my thoughts down in black and white does put some things in perspective.
It’s hard to be a human being in the times we live in since almost everyone you know has some sort of problem, and of course theirs is worse than yours when you think of it by their viewpoint, right? Yes, it does seem that way, and so helping others worse off than yourself has always been the best way for me personally to help myself by helping others but now I can’t. You see physically I am unable to due to my medical difficulties.
I guess that I am virtually up a creek without a paddle; and that is not at all a very nice feeling.
So here I sit writing about my wishes and desires.
When in previous days I was able to cure their ills as well as my own.
I did try to touch others in a good way with helping as I could when I could.
Dwelling on negativity the professionals say is not productive.
So I will not get specific here, but I was very disappointed in many people in my recent past that I thought were friends, but apparently proved to be just acquaintances.
You know when you feel like someone was supposed to have your back, be there, in a hard upsetting situation and they fizzled in that respect, and euphemistically dropped the ball so to speak? What a disappointment. Sadly when this happens you feel you will never let anyone in that close to you ever again and trust becomes an extremely big issue with anyone too anxious to show camaraderie or the desire to be the so-called, ‘friend’; I really though that I left that type of uncertainty back in my childhood.
Growing old is definitely not for sissies.
But old is what I hoped I would always get, since the alternative to not getting old, is dead.
I used to tell the seniors that I taught that I will get old if I am lucky.
Well, guess what I am on my way!
And so I will suck it up and be brave and try harder to not let a little thing like not having any true friends not bother me anymore, OK? Actually my husband is my best friend, as corny as that sounds, it is true.
And take hold of my own self as a plus for leaning on, and give myself a good talking to when necessary to straighten me out, and laugh in the face of incapability’s and count all my still have abilities.
I have seen thousands doing that on so many TV programs with heroes and survivors of all sorts of horrid life’s tests, and they get along just fine with their own strengths.
So that is what I will do.
You see I just gave myself a really good talking to, a pep talk so to write, and it is slowly working…I guess.
I will try harder to be a better person and discuss my non short comings, and find many life’s options for interests to be a daily research project that will make me more interesting, I hope.
Good night to all and to all… if you play it right you can be your own best friend.
If not try to see what an acquaintance might have to offer, keep an open mind.
Monday, January 26, 2009
So this is a day in my life?
Have you noticed how I have gone off topic many times?
Well, let me explain, I needed a working title for this Blog, and that one sounded good to me.
Don’t you think it is slightly provocative?
Keeps you guessing never knowing what to suspect.
I like that, since in my soul I am still a mystery writer at heart, an unpublished one, but definitely one of those, and of course a rambling idiot too, but hopefully lovable.
In reality I have twisted and turned my mostly opinionated blurbs into a frantic synopsis of all of our lives playing out in this difficult time in our history.
Each day we find more horrors or mundane inconsistencies.
Life is good when it is mundane, huh?
Yes, there is a feeling of comfort from benignly boring in situations.
Surrounding calmness has its rewards in life.
It’s more than an issue of control of conditions around us; much more it’s the knowing of what’s next.
Surety makes one feel euphoric; it works as a natural tranquilizer to our body’s uneasiness.
You ever hear of a child who knows he or she is loved feel extremely confident in the world and become successful in his or her life?
That’s what serenity of ones demeanor can create.
Zen-like is the image that I am going for.
Unfortunately, in order to get anything close to that type of environment you would have to be totally living in your own hard shell covered world, literally.
So, day dreaming of better times is said to be a little like meditating.
Many years ago I took a class in Yoga, which did exactly that, and for two hours a week it was great, I was in touch with my body and its inner workings, metaphorically speaking that is.
To really, know what was going on in my guts I guess that I would have to be some type of doctor or something, which I am not.
Temporary mind trips without the use of drugs to enhance that affect is fun, nothing more than being child-like with using your imagination.
Humming while closing ones eyes is restful then allow your mind to wander, and off you go!
Place yourself in a forest or on a beach with those trees rustling, or with the waves crashing playfully on that beach, breath in and out with each rustle or wave flow.
This small exercise can be done while at lunch at your desk at work if you have a cubby.
People might think you are a trifle off if they can see you doing it.
And please people never, ever try this while driving in your car!
If you are the passenger than by all means go ahead and do it.
With that brilliant commentary (LOL), I will leave you for the night, and good night to all and to all please sleep peacefully.
Well, let me explain, I needed a working title for this Blog, and that one sounded good to me.
Don’t you think it is slightly provocative?
Keeps you guessing never knowing what to suspect.
I like that, since in my soul I am still a mystery writer at heart, an unpublished one, but definitely one of those, and of course a rambling idiot too, but hopefully lovable.
In reality I have twisted and turned my mostly opinionated blurbs into a frantic synopsis of all of our lives playing out in this difficult time in our history.
Each day we find more horrors or mundane inconsistencies.
Life is good when it is mundane, huh?
Yes, there is a feeling of comfort from benignly boring in situations.
Surrounding calmness has its rewards in life.
It’s more than an issue of control of conditions around us; much more it’s the knowing of what’s next.
Surety makes one feel euphoric; it works as a natural tranquilizer to our body’s uneasiness.
You ever hear of a child who knows he or she is loved feel extremely confident in the world and become successful in his or her life?
That’s what serenity of ones demeanor can create.
Zen-like is the image that I am going for.
Unfortunately, in order to get anything close to that type of environment you would have to be totally living in your own hard shell covered world, literally.
So, day dreaming of better times is said to be a little like meditating.
Many years ago I took a class in Yoga, which did exactly that, and for two hours a week it was great, I was in touch with my body and its inner workings, metaphorically speaking that is.
To really, know what was going on in my guts I guess that I would have to be some type of doctor or something, which I am not.
Temporary mind trips without the use of drugs to enhance that affect is fun, nothing more than being child-like with using your imagination.
Humming while closing ones eyes is restful then allow your mind to wander, and off you go!
Place yourself in a forest or on a beach with those trees rustling, or with the waves crashing playfully on that beach, breath in and out with each rustle or wave flow.
This small exercise can be done while at lunch at your desk at work if you have a cubby.
People might think you are a trifle off if they can see you doing it.
And please people never, ever try this while driving in your car!
If you are the passenger than by all means go ahead and do it.
With that brilliant commentary (LOL), I will leave you for the night, and good night to all and to all please sleep peacefully.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Requests for a BIG stimulus but this time...
Yes, this time it will be used, an 825B for shoring up our tax payer infrastructure, and for also creating 4 million new jobs!
It is also true that 200M has been earmarked for birth control, interesting and what could he be thinking, and other lump sums for pre-kindergarten programs.
I would suspect that some line items will fall by the wayside once picked apart by all giving it a once, twice, and thrice over.
Hopefully, all decisions will be made with bi-partisanship co-operation and without just voting no because it was one or the other sides idea.
Let us all hope for that!
Amazingly that Illinois Governor is acting too bizarre for words; Rod Blagojevich is insisting he is not going to be impeached but his entire state says not true you will be.
Anyway, he’s doing the New York thing, doing interviews saying he is the victim of special interests and other such groups. OK, I guess he is living in his own Never, Never Land but a distance from La, La land, which I am sure will do a made for TV movie on his so-called self imposed plight?
Today I got myself into a cleaning mode and I felt the need to take my area rug outside and wash it along side of our pool deck, and so I got out my bucket filled with Clorox two and my Tide Free and a scrub brush and went to work on my beautiful all wool seashell and fish pastel rug.
I know you are all in shock it should be dry cleaned you are all screaming at me, but no I have done it before and the colors brighten wonderfully, actually about twice a year.
But somehow this year it felt extremely heavy heavier than ever before I even started the process which I begin with hosing it completely down with cold water, and yes the cold water is used for the entire process, perhaps which is why it works so well.
So I literally drug it outside and in that action I also pulled my door mat along with it. Oh well it was easier to return to its location, that is, the door mat.
I scrubbed once I dosed the rug with my soap filled cleaner bucket then hosed the soap off; it took a few times but I do believe I removed most of the soap, I hope.
Any-who, I hear that soap keeps bugs, away?
The cement cool deck was not conducive to helping with the drying process, and so my husband tried configuring our patio chairs with a PVC pole to make a drying rack, but it was not strong enough. Then we thought perhaps putting it down by the dock on the dock deck were it gets extremely warm would be a good idea to speed up the deed.
But my husband thought a little further out of the box and suggested the glider which was secured in a down position and that is what my hubby was able to manage to place it there for the act of this drying method. Alas, it was not to be and so as a last triumphant consideration it was hung on the rail above the glider’s secured swing on the hard metal rail, ta da! My husband used stainless steel clamps with wooden blocks as fabric ding protectors and also to perhaps prevent it from flying away.
Unfortunately, it was still not dry by this evening but each day this week it is getting warmer here, and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 80’s once again, so my hope for my vibrant wool decorative accessory shall be returned within its environment before too long, for this I am sure.
It is nice to know that some things are for sure, isn’t it?
Although, about a week ago if you recall that glider swing went for a ride across the dock deck due to some wild wind occurrence, and so as we all know nothing is truly for sure.
On that unsure note I will bid you good night to all and to all let us keep the faith on all good important things, you hear?
It is also true that 200M has been earmarked for birth control, interesting and what could he be thinking, and other lump sums for pre-kindergarten programs.
I would suspect that some line items will fall by the wayside once picked apart by all giving it a once, twice, and thrice over.
Hopefully, all decisions will be made with bi-partisanship co-operation and without just voting no because it was one or the other sides idea.
Let us all hope for that!
Amazingly that Illinois Governor is acting too bizarre for words; Rod Blagojevich is insisting he is not going to be impeached but his entire state says not true you will be.
Anyway, he’s doing the New York thing, doing interviews saying he is the victim of special interests and other such groups. OK, I guess he is living in his own Never, Never Land but a distance from La, La land, which I am sure will do a made for TV movie on his so-called self imposed plight?
Today I got myself into a cleaning mode and I felt the need to take my area rug outside and wash it along side of our pool deck, and so I got out my bucket filled with Clorox two and my Tide Free and a scrub brush and went to work on my beautiful all wool seashell and fish pastel rug.
I know you are all in shock it should be dry cleaned you are all screaming at me, but no I have done it before and the colors brighten wonderfully, actually about twice a year.
But somehow this year it felt extremely heavy heavier than ever before I even started the process which I begin with hosing it completely down with cold water, and yes the cold water is used for the entire process, perhaps which is why it works so well.
So I literally drug it outside and in that action I also pulled my door mat along with it. Oh well it was easier to return to its location, that is, the door mat.
I scrubbed once I dosed the rug with my soap filled cleaner bucket then hosed the soap off; it took a few times but I do believe I removed most of the soap, I hope.
Any-who, I hear that soap keeps bugs, away?
The cement cool deck was not conducive to helping with the drying process, and so my husband tried configuring our patio chairs with a PVC pole to make a drying rack, but it was not strong enough. Then we thought perhaps putting it down by the dock on the dock deck were it gets extremely warm would be a good idea to speed up the deed.
But my husband thought a little further out of the box and suggested the glider which was secured in a down position and that is what my hubby was able to manage to place it there for the act of this drying method. Alas, it was not to be and so as a last triumphant consideration it was hung on the rail above the glider’s secured swing on the hard metal rail, ta da! My husband used stainless steel clamps with wooden blocks as fabric ding protectors and also to perhaps prevent it from flying away.
Unfortunately, it was still not dry by this evening but each day this week it is getting warmer here, and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 80’s once again, so my hope for my vibrant wool decorative accessory shall be returned within its environment before too long, for this I am sure.
It is nice to know that some things are for sure, isn’t it?
Although, about a week ago if you recall that glider swing went for a ride across the dock deck due to some wild wind occurrence, and so as we all know nothing is truly for sure.
On that unsure note I will bid you good night to all and to all let us keep the faith on all good important things, you hear?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
A quiet neighborhood was what became of today
Yes, we live in a transient state, and Florida has been notorious for that.
But unfortunately now more than ever we are getting that reputation, due to the high unemployment rate and housing foreclosures, but I did hear that we are not alone on those fronts.
Two more of our unknown neighbors moved away between yesterday and today, we now can count six homes that are empties just from our front yard looking down the block.
When we first were planning to move here for good back in the spring of 1986 our fellow New Jerseyians insisted that with great thought and within time we would return from that horrid tropic summer heat that Florida could produce. In their minds Florida was a nice place to visit, but you don’t really want to live there; do you?
Well, needless to say nearly 23 years later we are still here.
And have not been sorry that we made that decision to be here year round ever, we laugh at that funny white stuff when we see it on the TV and thank heavens every-time that we don’t have to shovel or scoop or whatever you do with that pretty white stuff. Goodness have I forgotten already? And don’t forget all those below and freezing temperatures.
And the funny thing about the heat… we all have central air here and swimming pools that we can get nearly nine months use out of, something that not all of our northern friends have since they think they will have those cool summer breezes, and in actuality the thermometer rises to triple digits, which is a very, if not ever, rare occurrence here. Since we have been here most summers are pleasantly in the 80’s, ha, ha you northern cowards!
Many, at the time, even relayed horror stories of other neighbors and relatives that moved to the tropics, Florida, and returned within two years to find that the homes that they purchased here resale value was so low that they couldn’t even return to the neighborhoods that had left up north! And that they ended up moving in with friends or family, since their old homes had gone up significantly in price, more than what they had sold it for.
Well, good for them is all I can say!
We have found after two ( homes) tries, actually the larger variety we raised our sons in, our third here in the tropics our perfect forever till the death march little gem of a retirement home with all the creature comforts any senior could ask for… with access to all our needs and wants, so there you go you old, I told you so New Jerseyians! Call us X-patriots to our home state, but we love it here and have readily adapted, well, actually it did take a while, and you guys know you love it here too, since you do visit here often. We have much to offer, admit it?
Outdoor activities, indoors we have art galleries and museums and entertainment, not counting all those amusement parks and nearly perfect weather year round; who could complain?
So there you have it we are staying while others leave in droves.
Good night to all and to all stay put where it’s good for you, but you are always welcome here, you hear?
But unfortunately now more than ever we are getting that reputation, due to the high unemployment rate and housing foreclosures, but I did hear that we are not alone on those fronts.
Two more of our unknown neighbors moved away between yesterday and today, we now can count six homes that are empties just from our front yard looking down the block.
When we first were planning to move here for good back in the spring of 1986 our fellow New Jerseyians insisted that with great thought and within time we would return from that horrid tropic summer heat that Florida could produce. In their minds Florida was a nice place to visit, but you don’t really want to live there; do you?
Well, needless to say nearly 23 years later we are still here.
And have not been sorry that we made that decision to be here year round ever, we laugh at that funny white stuff when we see it on the TV and thank heavens every-time that we don’t have to shovel or scoop or whatever you do with that pretty white stuff. Goodness have I forgotten already? And don’t forget all those below and freezing temperatures.
And the funny thing about the heat… we all have central air here and swimming pools that we can get nearly nine months use out of, something that not all of our northern friends have since they think they will have those cool summer breezes, and in actuality the thermometer rises to triple digits, which is a very, if not ever, rare occurrence here. Since we have been here most summers are pleasantly in the 80’s, ha, ha you northern cowards!
Many, at the time, even relayed horror stories of other neighbors and relatives that moved to the tropics, Florida, and returned within two years to find that the homes that they purchased here resale value was so low that they couldn’t even return to the neighborhoods that had left up north! And that they ended up moving in with friends or family, since their old homes had gone up significantly in price, more than what they had sold it for.
Well, good for them is all I can say!
We have found after two ( homes) tries, actually the larger variety we raised our sons in, our third here in the tropics our perfect forever till the death march little gem of a retirement home with all the creature comforts any senior could ask for… with access to all our needs and wants, so there you go you old, I told you so New Jerseyians! Call us X-patriots to our home state, but we love it here and have readily adapted, well, actually it did take a while, and you guys know you love it here too, since you do visit here often. We have much to offer, admit it?
Outdoor activities, indoors we have art galleries and museums and entertainment, not counting all those amusement parks and nearly perfect weather year round; who could complain?
So there you have it we are staying while others leave in droves.
Good night to all and to all stay put where it’s good for you, but you are always welcome here, you hear?
Friday, January 23, 2009
Busy day today
The work continued on the grapefruit tree removal. And my hubby finished up before the day turned into evening, which was good since we were scheduled to go out.
We left on time and drove the short trip around the block to our neighbors across the canal.
Dinner was of the international flair mostly eastern European fair and the company was very nice, additional neighbors from that side of the canal too, a slightly younger couple, and I do believe we left before we wore out our welcome, or at least I hope so.
Any-who we stayed nearly five hours, long enough I think for this sort of thing.
Now we are home and the day seems to be somewhat of a tiring one, and so I will close early due to pleasant exhaustion. Please forgive.
Good night to all and to all enjoy life till pleasantly exhausted too.
We left on time and drove the short trip around the block to our neighbors across the canal.
Dinner was of the international flair mostly eastern European fair and the company was very nice, additional neighbors from that side of the canal too, a slightly younger couple, and I do believe we left before we wore out our welcome, or at least I hope so.
Any-who we stayed nearly five hours, long enough I think for this sort of thing.
Now we are home and the day seems to be somewhat of a tiring one, and so I will close early due to pleasant exhaustion. Please forgive.
Good night to all and to all enjoy life till pleasantly exhausted too.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The day was chocked full of things to do
We went out when the temperatures finally warmed to the mid fifties, I know, brrr for Florida!
Any-who most of the day was that chilly, we went to do errands that I felt needed to be done and it was great getting out after my viral infection and birdie watch to protect our pond fish, who were wonderfully fine on our return; the netting works in its new configuration.
First we stopped for gas to fill up, wow, those prices are inching up again we found that our warehouse store had the cheapest at 1.87.9 all the others were anywhere from 1.91.9 to 1.99.9. And what’s with the .9 thing I do know it has to do with the tax, but you would have thought by now we would have rounded it off with the way its been fluctuating these last couple of years.
Then we went on to a linen store then two discount stores all of the ones we went to were oddly fairly busy for a Thursday morning.
Afterwards we stopped off for lunch at our healthy choice soup and salad place, which too was busy with a nice lunch crowd.
We arrived home with our purchases and full bellies all before 2 P.M.
I do enjoy going out, you don’t realize how much until you haven’t been in a while, I wouldn’t say I had cabin fever but it was pretty close.
Tomorrow night we will be going across our canal to a dinner party at our neighbors from Montreal who stays here six months now that they are both retired.
I asked hubby what he will be doing this afternoon now that we got home fairly early, and he said that he would plant the two palms that the wind or whatever took down two nights ago and broke the one’s pot, and plant them he did right where they sat.
Next he started a controversial project that was voted on a while back and he said he was about to do the opposite of what had transpired by the vote that came in, he was removing our grapefruit tree that has not improved one iota health-wise and still looks an awful lot like the ‘Psycho’ tree alongside the Bates Motel. Well, my hubby was determined, and he winched it to the boat lift and tightened it so the branches were in his reach for cutting with the chain saw an electric one, which is much lighter than the gas models, and down they came, and with every rung of branches being chopped off he would lower it another few feet, and now at this time tonight it is nearly lying on its side naked in its near death state. In its last hurrah it shot out a couple of blossoms onto one tender branch that my hubby blatantly took a photo op of, and I am as corrupt as him too with my many PICS of the murdering deed itself. Actually it was more like euthanasia since the tree really has really been dying sadly slowly and painfully for years.
Sorry to hear that for some unknown personal reasons Caroline Kennedy has taken her name off the short list for the replacement of Senator Hilary Clinton seat.
Mysterious with her reasoning, but perhaps in the future we will find out, curious minds need to know.
Good night to all and to all keep on, well… just keep on doing what makes you happy and healthful.
Any-who most of the day was that chilly, we went to do errands that I felt needed to be done and it was great getting out after my viral infection and birdie watch to protect our pond fish, who were wonderfully fine on our return; the netting works in its new configuration.
First we stopped for gas to fill up, wow, those prices are inching up again we found that our warehouse store had the cheapest at 1.87.9 all the others were anywhere from 1.91.9 to 1.99.9. And what’s with the .9 thing I do know it has to do with the tax, but you would have thought by now we would have rounded it off with the way its been fluctuating these last couple of years.
Then we went on to a linen store then two discount stores all of the ones we went to were oddly fairly busy for a Thursday morning.
Afterwards we stopped off for lunch at our healthy choice soup and salad place, which too was busy with a nice lunch crowd.
We arrived home with our purchases and full bellies all before 2 P.M.
I do enjoy going out, you don’t realize how much until you haven’t been in a while, I wouldn’t say I had cabin fever but it was pretty close.
Tomorrow night we will be going across our canal to a dinner party at our neighbors from Montreal who stays here six months now that they are both retired.
I asked hubby what he will be doing this afternoon now that we got home fairly early, and he said that he would plant the two palms that the wind or whatever took down two nights ago and broke the one’s pot, and plant them he did right where they sat.
Next he started a controversial project that was voted on a while back and he said he was about to do the opposite of what had transpired by the vote that came in, he was removing our grapefruit tree that has not improved one iota health-wise and still looks an awful lot like the ‘Psycho’ tree alongside the Bates Motel. Well, my hubby was determined, and he winched it to the boat lift and tightened it so the branches were in his reach for cutting with the chain saw an electric one, which is much lighter than the gas models, and down they came, and with every rung of branches being chopped off he would lower it another few feet, and now at this time tonight it is nearly lying on its side naked in its near death state. In its last hurrah it shot out a couple of blossoms onto one tender branch that my hubby blatantly took a photo op of, and I am as corrupt as him too with my many PICS of the murdering deed itself. Actually it was more like euthanasia since the tree really has really been dying sadly slowly and painfully for years.
Sorry to hear that for some unknown personal reasons Caroline Kennedy has taken her name off the short list for the replacement of Senator Hilary Clinton seat.
Mysterious with her reasoning, but perhaps in the future we will find out, curious minds need to know.
Good night to all and to all keep on, well… just keep on doing what makes you happy and healthful.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
First Day and Our New president...
Yes, President Obama has frozen senior White House staff employees salaries!
He also placed calls to Mideast leaders and had aides circulate a draft executive order that would close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay within a year. All this tells me he is a man of his word, and that makes me smile, I voted right.
My husband had a hectic day he went to the home store to bring home parts of a better mouse trap, so to speak, to protect our pond from one majestic Great Blue Heron, an eating machine who has his mind set on our pond fish as his personal fish market.
I was in charge of securing the pond while he made his way doing our errands he also was scheduled to pick up a few items from the grocery, but I interrupted that when his new retiree badge, a replacement for his heated destroyed one, came from the Sherriff’s Office where he had been a deputy for all those years.
I called to tell him it finally came; he had requested his new badge well before Christmas and guess what?
His name was correct, even his signature on the back was too, but the picture was that of a man considerably heavier with a moustache and not him at all, ever. Annoying, and he asked me to call about it for him while he continued on his planned day and said sure I would.
Well, the phone number on the note enclosed was incorrect too, and I found myself calling my husband back again, aren’t cell phones great? Anyway, he suggested looking on the email he had received from the person in charge of this procedure and who had written the note enclosed with the wrong picture badge, and I realized the note was only one digit off with that corrected I proceeded to call and rectify the problem.
My hubby would have to go in I was told and get a new photo, the system had been changed in the two years since his retirement, and the badges were better now for the retirees and he should come in and take care of it, so I got the contact persons name so that he could call ahead, but she had a doctors appointment so the initial person that I contacted a computer person would be able to do it, wow! By 1:15 P.M. today my husband received his new retiree badge, and then he moved on to continue the grocery errands, what a mixed up day he had. He happily completed all his tasks by days end and now, tonight we will both relax and enjoy three hours of the return series of, Lost.
So good night to all and to all I got to run, because they are closing down at 4 P.M. PST, which for me is 7 P.M. EST for maintenance, and it’s 6:54 P.M.
He also placed calls to Mideast leaders and had aides circulate a draft executive order that would close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay within a year. All this tells me he is a man of his word, and that makes me smile, I voted right.
My husband had a hectic day he went to the home store to bring home parts of a better mouse trap, so to speak, to protect our pond from one majestic Great Blue Heron, an eating machine who has his mind set on our pond fish as his personal fish market.
I was in charge of securing the pond while he made his way doing our errands he also was scheduled to pick up a few items from the grocery, but I interrupted that when his new retiree badge, a replacement for his heated destroyed one, came from the Sherriff’s Office where he had been a deputy for all those years.
I called to tell him it finally came; he had requested his new badge well before Christmas and guess what?
His name was correct, even his signature on the back was too, but the picture was that of a man considerably heavier with a moustache and not him at all, ever. Annoying, and he asked me to call about it for him while he continued on his planned day and said sure I would.
Well, the phone number on the note enclosed was incorrect too, and I found myself calling my husband back again, aren’t cell phones great? Anyway, he suggested looking on the email he had received from the person in charge of this procedure and who had written the note enclosed with the wrong picture badge, and I realized the note was only one digit off with that corrected I proceeded to call and rectify the problem.
My hubby would have to go in I was told and get a new photo, the system had been changed in the two years since his retirement, and the badges were better now for the retirees and he should come in and take care of it, so I got the contact persons name so that he could call ahead, but she had a doctors appointment so the initial person that I contacted a computer person would be able to do it, wow! By 1:15 P.M. today my husband received his new retiree badge, and then he moved on to continue the grocery errands, what a mixed up day he had. He happily completed all his tasks by days end and now, tonight we will both relax and enjoy three hours of the return series of, Lost.
So good night to all and to all I got to run, because they are closing down at 4 P.M. PST, which for me is 7 P.M. EST for maintenance, and it’s 6:54 P.M.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Historical, mini disaster, interesting conclusion to a miracle
I will first start off with what I will call our mini disaster since it was not worth contacting our insurance company about with a thousand dollar deductable on homeowner's.
I awoke rather early this morning just after six A.M. earlier than I had been, but back to my old usual.
Anyway, it took a while for sunup since that is when I finally opened the shades and turn off the house lights, and when I did what I saw disturbed me.
One of the very large potted palms at the end of our swimming pool decking was lying on its side with its pot broken. I looked around a bit more and noticed that down on the dock our glider was on its side hitting the miniature lighthouse, and that it was nearly knocked over by it, and one of our table chairs was nearly blown into our dock sink. It took me a few hours later to realize that also our shed's rolled roofing had one row off completely on the water side, and another crumpled on the side facing the house. Our rain gage had been blown into the pool, with many flowers, leaves, but all natural debris. I also noticed today that finally our year old tangelo tree had blossoms, and that was some good news.
I was able to right the plant, put the chair back and push the glider off the lighthouse but not able to put it up into position, I figured when my husband awoke we could do that together. Then I got working on the rain gage with the strainer on its pole, next I removed all the large floating debris. I examined my accomplishments and felt pretty good that I can still do some things.
When my husband awoke he started calling home stores for prices for the shed roof repairs supplies, but in the meantime we still had enough of the same rolled roofing to suffice, until the bigger job could be done, and so he did the temporary repairs.
In between all this we had our TV on watching history being made, of course!
It gave me chills and pride, and slight fear for their safety when the new President Obama and our new First Lady Michelle Obama got out of their tank of a car to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to let the cheering crowds see them. Once I realized that they were well protected I worried for their health about them getting colds without hats on and Michelle in nearly bare, just stocking legs; I guess once a Mom always a Mom and they are the first presidential family younger than me.
And it was scary to hear that Edward Kennedy had a seizure at the luncheon they all went to, but happy to hear later that he was fine and it wasn’t due to his brain cancer, but just due to being tired, I suppose that’s OK at 76 years old.
Nearly last but not least US Airways is paying each and every one of the passengers of the Miracle in the Hudson Flight 1549 crash landing survivors each are getting 5K plus new airline tickets. That’s nice, but I also hope that if any did get checked out at the local hospital I do hope that was paid for too. And let’s not forget the one passenger with the two broken legs; they should take care of that too! Anyway, that is still a very nice thing to do.
I awoke rather early this morning just after six A.M. earlier than I had been, but back to my old usual.
Anyway, it took a while for sunup since that is when I finally opened the shades and turn off the house lights, and when I did what I saw disturbed me.
One of the very large potted palms at the end of our swimming pool decking was lying on its side with its pot broken. I looked around a bit more and noticed that down on the dock our glider was on its side hitting the miniature lighthouse, and that it was nearly knocked over by it, and one of our table chairs was nearly blown into our dock sink. It took me a few hours later to realize that also our shed's rolled roofing had one row off completely on the water side, and another crumpled on the side facing the house. Our rain gage had been blown into the pool, with many flowers, leaves, but all natural debris. I also noticed today that finally our year old tangelo tree had blossoms, and that was some good news.
I was able to right the plant, put the chair back and push the glider off the lighthouse but not able to put it up into position, I figured when my husband awoke we could do that together. Then I got working on the rain gage with the strainer on its pole, next I removed all the large floating debris. I examined my accomplishments and felt pretty good that I can still do some things.
When my husband awoke he started calling home stores for prices for the shed roof repairs supplies, but in the meantime we still had enough of the same rolled roofing to suffice, until the bigger job could be done, and so he did the temporary repairs.
In between all this we had our TV on watching history being made, of course!
It gave me chills and pride, and slight fear for their safety when the new President Obama and our new First Lady Michelle Obama got out of their tank of a car to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to let the cheering crowds see them. Once I realized that they were well protected I worried for their health about them getting colds without hats on and Michelle in nearly bare, just stocking legs; I guess once a Mom always a Mom and they are the first presidential family younger than me.
And it was scary to hear that Edward Kennedy had a seizure at the luncheon they all went to, but happy to hear later that he was fine and it wasn’t due to his brain cancer, but just due to being tired, I suppose that’s OK at 76 years old.
Nearly last but not least US Airways is paying each and every one of the passengers of the Miracle in the Hudson Flight 1549 crash landing survivors each are getting 5K plus new airline tickets. That’s nice, but I also hope that if any did get checked out at the local hospital I do hope that was paid for too. And let’s not forget the one passenger with the two broken legs; they should take care of that too! Anyway, that is still a very nice thing to do.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Festivities Continue...
And all major networks are already there in our capitol of Washington D.C.
Even Oprah has arrived.
This is big, bigger than any of us will realize until it’s all over.
That’s the funny thing about such things we know that greatness is evident though with this occasion, but the appreciation of it might not be realized by us mere mortals until many days in the future, perhaps not even for decades.
Mostly, in these next few days, I have intuitive feeling that all good surprises will be coming with our new leader. I do believe that he is sure to bring 99% of what he promised, as long as we are patient and help him. By volunteering, which is a great thing that we had done for over thirty years, and now we are done. But I will tell you something about volunteerism is that it gives you a wonderful feeling when done completely from your heart and your soul.
Tomorrow should bring our amazingly brilliant new President Obama to us articulating his speech, without stumbling or a sliver of uncertainty; he will know where he feels we should be going and how to get there.
What a comfort to our nation to finally have a man in charge that really has a pulse on what our nation needs and desires!
Now all we can hope for is that for a true minority to become president someday….a black, gay, senior, Jewish woman, and then we will definitely have something the world would shout about!
Don’t you think? In time, there is a right moment for everything.
Life is interesting, just when you think you have seen it all… it surprises you again.
A seventy-two year and eighty-seven year old both men in a nursing home, had a fight and the elder won, and left the younger dead. I did say surprising, but not always in a good way, unfortunately. Sadly, they were both Alzheimer patients.
Updates: The tiling is totally complete, and the bathroom is all put back together tonight I even get to use my newly tiled bath!
The taxes I did electronically on the site from: “the, I got people guys” I am not at all happy with them because of me fixing the problem and they were paid before the problem was noticed … and our forms have been accepted by the IRS now, and we will be getting our refund electronically in our account by the end of this month, TA DA! I don’t need any people!
Good night to all and to all think before you get people, because they get money no matter what, why give them yours if you don’t need them?
Even Oprah has arrived.
This is big, bigger than any of us will realize until it’s all over.
That’s the funny thing about such things we know that greatness is evident though with this occasion, but the appreciation of it might not be realized by us mere mortals until many days in the future, perhaps not even for decades.
Mostly, in these next few days, I have intuitive feeling that all good surprises will be coming with our new leader. I do believe that he is sure to bring 99% of what he promised, as long as we are patient and help him. By volunteering, which is a great thing that we had done for over thirty years, and now we are done. But I will tell you something about volunteerism is that it gives you a wonderful feeling when done completely from your heart and your soul.
Tomorrow should bring our amazingly brilliant new President Obama to us articulating his speech, without stumbling or a sliver of uncertainty; he will know where he feels we should be going and how to get there.
What a comfort to our nation to finally have a man in charge that really has a pulse on what our nation needs and desires!
Now all we can hope for is that for a true minority to become president someday….a black, gay, senior, Jewish woman, and then we will definitely have something the world would shout about!
Don’t you think? In time, there is a right moment for everything.
Life is interesting, just when you think you have seen it all… it surprises you again.
A seventy-two year and eighty-seven year old both men in a nursing home, had a fight and the elder won, and left the younger dead. I did say surprising, but not always in a good way, unfortunately. Sadly, they were both Alzheimer patients.
Updates: The tiling is totally complete, and the bathroom is all put back together tonight I even get to use my newly tiled bath!
The taxes I did electronically on the site from: “the, I got people guys” I am not at all happy with them because of me fixing the problem and they were paid before the problem was noticed … and our forms have been accepted by the IRS now, and we will be getting our refund electronically in our account by the end of this month, TA DA! I don’t need any people!
Good night to all and to all think before you get people, because they get money no matter what, why give them yours if you don’t need them?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
History has started to be made...
Today, the festivities have begun in Washington D.C. for the most historic days of our lives with the Inauguration of our first Black, true African-American President this Tuesday January 20.2009, Barack Hussein Obama OUR President Elect who just so happens to be half white too, oh how soon you all forget, but what about his loving deceased Mom and Maternal grandparents?!
Do you know what we call a man of his heritage in this day and age?
Do you really?
You may think you know, but what I call him may be more important than what others see him as…I call him an American!
Why do people forget that we are the original melting pot of the world? All of us except the Native Americans are from elsewhere.
It is true that half his ancestors may have not come on their own for the same reasons that ours did, but his Dad was able to be a free agent to go home when he chose to.
Don’t think that I don’t know that this is the most important inauguration ever, because it is; the honorable Reverend Martin Luther King’s dream is definitely being realized beyond anyone’s imagination. And all this has set the stage for a whole new generation with the reality of limitless possibilities.
All I can say to that is …it’s about time!
And I will be tuned to my TV with a great view of the whole amazing process.
I know so many, millions will be there to see it in person, but even I know that they will never get close enough to shake the great man’s hand or see the first lady or first kids.
Believe me I learned the hard way about in person and TV viewing at such an enormous event as this.
Well, maybe not quite so big in comparison but crowded with thousands not millions at; now don’t laugh, at a NASCAR Race the Firecracker 400 in Daytona.
I was lucky enough to receive free tickets while working in promotion way back in the early 1990’s and it was for the infield tarmac, hotter than blazes in Florida in July, anyway, the noise, the dust, you know what I’m saying… we left before the race was over, just in time to see the end in our air-conditioned home just ten miles away and considerably more comfortable!
I know, I know, there is something to be said for the contagion of excitement that live exposure gives you, but in this case I believe you also might get frost bite, maybe?
Anyway, I will be glued and tuned in like everyone else not there in person.
It is so wonderful with all that has gone wrong over the last year that we finally all have something right happening!
On that happy note I will say good night to all and to all take care.
PS: Updates: The Hubby tiling is complete and so is the grout, all it needs now is to cure for about 16 hours, and so by tomorrow night I will be back in my own shower, yippee!
2nd update: Electronically filed taxes, I have repaired mistakes two times and hopefully this last time is the last! NO emails are good emails.
Let us all pray…kidding!
Do you know what we call a man of his heritage in this day and age?
Do you really?
You may think you know, but what I call him may be more important than what others see him as…I call him an American!
Why do people forget that we are the original melting pot of the world? All of us except the Native Americans are from elsewhere.
It is true that half his ancestors may have not come on their own for the same reasons that ours did, but his Dad was able to be a free agent to go home when he chose to.
Don’t think that I don’t know that this is the most important inauguration ever, because it is; the honorable Reverend Martin Luther King’s dream is definitely being realized beyond anyone’s imagination. And all this has set the stage for a whole new generation with the reality of limitless possibilities.
All I can say to that is …it’s about time!
And I will be tuned to my TV with a great view of the whole amazing process.
I know so many, millions will be there to see it in person, but even I know that they will never get close enough to shake the great man’s hand or see the first lady or first kids.
Believe me I learned the hard way about in person and TV viewing at such an enormous event as this.
Well, maybe not quite so big in comparison but crowded with thousands not millions at; now don’t laugh, at a NASCAR Race the Firecracker 400 in Daytona.
I was lucky enough to receive free tickets while working in promotion way back in the early 1990’s and it was for the infield tarmac, hotter than blazes in Florida in July, anyway, the noise, the dust, you know what I’m saying… we left before the race was over, just in time to see the end in our air-conditioned home just ten miles away and considerably more comfortable!
I know, I know, there is something to be said for the contagion of excitement that live exposure gives you, but in this case I believe you also might get frost bite, maybe?
Anyway, I will be glued and tuned in like everyone else not there in person.
It is so wonderful with all that has gone wrong over the last year that we finally all have something right happening!
On that happy note I will say good night to all and to all take care.
PS: Updates: The Hubby tiling is complete and so is the grout, all it needs now is to cure for about 16 hours, and so by tomorrow night I will be back in my own shower, yippee!
2nd update: Electronically filed taxes, I have repaired mistakes two times and hopefully this last time is the last! NO emails are good emails.
Let us all pray…kidding!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
This morning was interesting...
We both awoke late, me at 8:38 A.M., for me, that's like waking up at noon, and hubby wasn't up until nearly a quarter to ten!
I did check on him a few times and he was breathing; so I left well enough alone.
Any-who I decided I would make a dandy breakfast of homemade pancakes; sounds fattening you say, nah, not with skim and a special low cholesterol super Omega 3 egg and sugar substitute, and of course butter buds and sugar free syrup to top them off.
As we were eating we noticed every so slightly peripherally movement out of the corners of our eyes directly behind us. I had opened all the waffle-shades in the sunroom since this time we could utilize the warmth that opening them up would give; it had been rather cold over night, in the forties, even then it was still in the fifties outside, brrr.
The motion was not an absolute and neither of us were sure, there were a few blind spots between each of the nearly four by five foot windows, but at the door to the left of them it was evident we did sense something was there and sure enough there; and yes, he was big gray, leggy and powerful. Almost the size of the yellow, Big Bird of Sesame Street fame and that would not be too much of an exaggeration, our murdering, kidnapping, thief had returned for another victim!
He was stealth in his movements, he could not be heard, but oh yes he definitely could be seen and seen he was and chased he was too! And took off like the coward we knew he really was. Only thing is we are not sure if the netting would have worked since we did not give him a chance to try it. Laughingly, we must have scared him off pretty darn good for we did not see hide or hair, better change that to say feather or bill of him for the rest of today, thankfully.
Hubby continued tiling and is nearly done as I write this he is still working to get that tile part done so grouting can be accomplished tomorrow.
While my darling was busy working on that all day, no wonder he’s been so tired lately.
Anyway, I worked on getting our taxes done online, electronically.
We hit a glitch and of course the number I need to contact is closed till Monday so now that is on hold, darn. I do love getting those refunds early.
In between I read my Marley & Me book it is hard to put down, but I did for the taxes and then again to prepare meals, clean and straighten up.
Didn’t watch or hear much TV today, and the fact that we are still here is a relief, because with being out of touch with the news makes me concerned about what is going on as you do know, knowledge is power, which is another wonderful quote this time from Sir Francis Bacon.
And do you know that one about, Ignorance being bliss, well, while checking that I remembered who’s quote the “knowledge is power” was from I looked up the Ignorance one, and the actual quote is: “where ignorance is bliss,tis foley to be wise Thomas Gray...but ignorance is not bliss -- ignorance is ignorance." How about that? Isn’t that interesting to know the whole quote?
Good night to all and to all have a pleasant warm and cuddly one.
I did check on him a few times and he was breathing; so I left well enough alone.
Any-who I decided I would make a dandy breakfast of homemade pancakes; sounds fattening you say, nah, not with skim and a special low cholesterol super Omega 3 egg and sugar substitute, and of course butter buds and sugar free syrup to top them off.
As we were eating we noticed every so slightly peripherally movement out of the corners of our eyes directly behind us. I had opened all the waffle-shades in the sunroom since this time we could utilize the warmth that opening them up would give; it had been rather cold over night, in the forties, even then it was still in the fifties outside, brrr.
The motion was not an absolute and neither of us were sure, there were a few blind spots between each of the nearly four by five foot windows, but at the door to the left of them it was evident we did sense something was there and sure enough there; and yes, he was big gray, leggy and powerful. Almost the size of the yellow, Big Bird of Sesame Street fame and that would not be too much of an exaggeration, our murdering, kidnapping, thief had returned for another victim!
He was stealth in his movements, he could not be heard, but oh yes he definitely could be seen and seen he was and chased he was too! And took off like the coward we knew he really was. Only thing is we are not sure if the netting would have worked since we did not give him a chance to try it. Laughingly, we must have scared him off pretty darn good for we did not see hide or hair, better change that to say feather or bill of him for the rest of today, thankfully.
Hubby continued tiling and is nearly done as I write this he is still working to get that tile part done so grouting can be accomplished tomorrow.
While my darling was busy working on that all day, no wonder he’s been so tired lately.
Anyway, I worked on getting our taxes done online, electronically.
We hit a glitch and of course the number I need to contact is closed till Monday so now that is on hold, darn. I do love getting those refunds early.
In between I read my Marley & Me book it is hard to put down, but I did for the taxes and then again to prepare meals, clean and straighten up.
Didn’t watch or hear much TV today, and the fact that we are still here is a relief, because with being out of touch with the news makes me concerned about what is going on as you do know, knowledge is power, which is another wonderful quote this time from Sir Francis Bacon.
And do you know that one about, Ignorance being bliss, well, while checking that I remembered who’s quote the “knowledge is power” was from I looked up the Ignorance one, and the actual quote is: “where ignorance is bliss,tis foley to be wise Thomas Gray...but ignorance is not bliss -- ignorance is ignorance." How about that? Isn’t that interesting to know the whole quote?
Good night to all and to all have a pleasant warm and cuddly one.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Not so historical, fairly so far hysterical and something else...
Last night when our exiting President Bush gave his farewell address he was upstaged by the Miracle in the Hudson River, no one appeared to be really listening with that occurring a mere four and half hours before, which was amazing. It is rather eye opening that a man who will go down in history as arriving to his position on the wings of controversy is leaving with barely a whimper of the fell of a feather.
Now don't laugh or OK go ahead and laugh its good for us; I'm reading "Marley & Me", by John Grogan, and anyone who has had pets or raised a family can well relate to the trials and tribulations of such major life changing tasks. It has made me laugh out loud and weep into tears; it is pretty powerful for something that I never gave much real credence to thinking it would be a silly, little quick read that was how I approached this literary heartfelt reality trip and what a joyful surprise I have been having.
Sadness befell us too today when the first time in nearly five years we had one of our pond fish brutally attacked, plucked and flown away by a Great Blue Heron and eaten blatantly across the canal from us; in all this time it is the first time that any of our waterfowl have found the actual fish in our pond.
We have a remedy though, we hope, of the possibility of it ever happening again by placing the netting we had in waiting for such an occasion, which we sincerely felt would not occur. It is similar to fishing net, but made for this purpose, and we did use it once before but the bird that got caught in it, which we fortunately were able to release without harm made us have second thoughts about using it.
Three times today alone that heron has come back; I guess he had good eats, oh that is just so awful! Sorry, I am delirious with grief and shock.
But even though I do consider our pond fish pets we all have to admit they are not soft or cuddly or even able to utter communications like our bird, cat, and dog, true, true?
So since the lilies die back in this season and the pond is fully exposed the net will stay and hopefully it will do exactly what it is suppose to do, deter another such attack!
Update on the tile tub surround: tile almost completed on all three sides and looking great!
I am tapped out tonight with anymore coherent thoughts of satisfaction to utter, and so I will wish you all a good night and to all keep an eye out for the unexpected.
Now don't laugh or OK go ahead and laugh its good for us; I'm reading "Marley & Me", by John Grogan, and anyone who has had pets or raised a family can well relate to the trials and tribulations of such major life changing tasks. It has made me laugh out loud and weep into tears; it is pretty powerful for something that I never gave much real credence to thinking it would be a silly, little quick read that was how I approached this literary heartfelt reality trip and what a joyful surprise I have been having.
Sadness befell us too today when the first time in nearly five years we had one of our pond fish brutally attacked, plucked and flown away by a Great Blue Heron and eaten blatantly across the canal from us; in all this time it is the first time that any of our waterfowl have found the actual fish in our pond.
We have a remedy though, we hope, of the possibility of it ever happening again by placing the netting we had in waiting for such an occasion, which we sincerely felt would not occur. It is similar to fishing net, but made for this purpose, and we did use it once before but the bird that got caught in it, which we fortunately were able to release without harm made us have second thoughts about using it.
Three times today alone that heron has come back; I guess he had good eats, oh that is just so awful! Sorry, I am delirious with grief and shock.
But even though I do consider our pond fish pets we all have to admit they are not soft or cuddly or even able to utter communications like our bird, cat, and dog, true, true?
So since the lilies die back in this season and the pond is fully exposed the net will stay and hopefully it will do exactly what it is suppose to do, deter another such attack!
Update on the tile tub surround: tile almost completed on all three sides and looking great!
I am tapped out tonight with anymore coherent thoughts of satisfaction to utter, and so I will wish you all a good night and to all keep an eye out for the unexpected.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
US Airways Flight 1549 makes succesful crash landing in Hudson River
The plane taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York at 3:26 P.M. EST for Charlotte North Carolina crashed; the engines had blown about 3 minutes into the flight.
But watching something as miraculous as a full size commercial jet with 155 passengers and crew members as well as an infant in the aftermath of a crash landing without imploding or breaking apart at all I think is pretty miraculous, don't you? The passengers say that the pilot was a hero they had all assumed the crash position and braced themselves, water did fill the compartment pretty quick.
And the fact that water taxis, police and fire vessels, tugboats, as well as the Staten Island Ferry all converged on the floating plane to make a speedy rescue within minutes of the people already climbing in their life-vests out onto the wings that we could watch on our TV’s, as all the survivors appeared, from the film, to only have there feet wet and in the 30’s degrees water preventing them from dealing with possible hypothermia. All were saved within moments, keeping the last two years of perfect non death commercial flights record untarnished.
According to all the networks at this time it seems that the cause of the crash was bird related and that two engines were blown from a flock of geese. Scary to think that could have turned out much worse with those fowl possibly being responsible for 155 deaths!
What’s more frightening still is that in 2009 that, that could even happen. Cannon guns at some airports are used to scare off birds, Border Collies at others, but still this is the 21st Century, and you would think by now we would have something more modern, oh I don’t know, more practical and known to work consistently, not just sometimes. And definitely have something to prevent the problem once in the air, in flight.
My husband was a student of aeronautical engineering for five years at LaGuardia where this plane took off from and in all that time I never asked any questions and besides that was nearly forty years ago; I would think that things would have changed by now.
Anyway, I do hope that they are working on a better way to take care of this problem for all our sakes.
On to the more mundane, but important to me; the tub surround is merrily moving along at an injured hubby pace, but move on it does, thank you deary!
Has anyone noticed that I have been making up my own words on occasion?
Well, I have and it feels good; after all think about it; where did our English/ American language come from initially?
Some one must have created the words to use that we do on a daily basis.
Oh of course I do know and understand about word derivations like the French and German genesis of our meanings of our words, but where did they come from?
We could go on and on and on like a funhouse row of mirrors do with explanations.
But in reality most verbal communication was created by human beings, not some unknown entity.
I hope anyone who reads this Blog knows that artistic liberties are taken with love and not lightly realizing the power of words.
I truly do adore the fact that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I guess that would have to be changed to the keyboard is mightier than the sub-machine gun? I know not funny at all.
From: Stories behind Famous Sayings
“The Saying: THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD.
Who Said It: Edward Bulwer-Lytton for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy
When: March 7.1839”
On that important trivia info I will say good night to all sleep well and warm.
But watching something as miraculous as a full size commercial jet with 155 passengers and crew members as well as an infant in the aftermath of a crash landing without imploding or breaking apart at all I think is pretty miraculous, don't you? The passengers say that the pilot was a hero they had all assumed the crash position and braced themselves, water did fill the compartment pretty quick.
And the fact that water taxis, police and fire vessels, tugboats, as well as the Staten Island Ferry all converged on the floating plane to make a speedy rescue within minutes of the people already climbing in their life-vests out onto the wings that we could watch on our TV’s, as all the survivors appeared, from the film, to only have there feet wet and in the 30’s degrees water preventing them from dealing with possible hypothermia. All were saved within moments, keeping the last two years of perfect non death commercial flights record untarnished.
According to all the networks at this time it seems that the cause of the crash was bird related and that two engines were blown from a flock of geese. Scary to think that could have turned out much worse with those fowl possibly being responsible for 155 deaths!
What’s more frightening still is that in 2009 that, that could even happen. Cannon guns at some airports are used to scare off birds, Border Collies at others, but still this is the 21st Century, and you would think by now we would have something more modern, oh I don’t know, more practical and known to work consistently, not just sometimes. And definitely have something to prevent the problem once in the air, in flight.
My husband was a student of aeronautical engineering for five years at LaGuardia where this plane took off from and in all that time I never asked any questions and besides that was nearly forty years ago; I would think that things would have changed by now.
Anyway, I do hope that they are working on a better way to take care of this problem for all our sakes.
On to the more mundane, but important to me; the tub surround is merrily moving along at an injured hubby pace, but move on it does, thank you deary!
Has anyone noticed that I have been making up my own words on occasion?
Well, I have and it feels good; after all think about it; where did our English/ American language come from initially?
Some one must have created the words to use that we do on a daily basis.
Oh of course I do know and understand about word derivations like the French and German genesis of our meanings of our words, but where did they come from?
We could go on and on and on like a funhouse row of mirrors do with explanations.
But in reality most verbal communication was created by human beings, not some unknown entity.
I hope anyone who reads this Blog knows that artistic liberties are taken with love and not lightly realizing the power of words.
I truly do adore the fact that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I guess that would have to be changed to the keyboard is mightier than the sub-machine gun? I know not funny at all.
From: Stories behind Famous Sayings
“The Saying: THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD.
Who Said It: Edward Bulwer-Lytton for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy
When: March 7.1839”
On that important trivia info I will say good night to all sleep well and warm.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tonight I fess up
I have decided I will correct a mistake I made a few days ago.
Actually, a misinterpretation of what was going on across the street from my home.
Apparently, we thought that the presence of a deputy with official papers walking to the door of the home across the street was delivering eviction papers, but we were wrong, since there are people still in that house right now. We have since been told it was a complaint by the renters about the owner threatening them.
We also saw what looked like the water company turning off the water and leaving that door-knob hanging down notice on their front door, but how could anyone live without water for this long? Again we are confused, but do not know that answer yet.
Anyway, we are apparently victims of nosey neighbor syndrome with a fairly large dose of I know not what is in reality of what goes on here busybody disorder with too much time on our hands dilemma, there or anywhere, but occasionally we have a handle on what transpires here, mostly.
Oh well, sometimes ignorance can be bliss, I do not believe that at all.
Curious minds need to know.
With that said, let’s move on to what’s of major importance the tub tiles surround.
And I am pleased to announce that the project my hubby has undertaken is moving right along. Tiling on the back wall is nearly complete. The best part about being retired; my husband reminds me no time restraints. So now that he is challenged physically that is not an issue since he doesn’t have to rush to complete the job, and he doesn’t charge by the hour or overtime either, has no deadline and doesn’t have to payback for non completion on time issues either, bud-ump bump, a joke everybody!
You do know you can incorporate that into contracts; that is if the person you hire to do the job has to pay you back for every day that they go over?
We did that when we had our large pool installed on the other coast; for each day they went over they took $100 off of our bill.
A win, win solution to prevent procrastination, but nothing works with dishonest contractors, except checking all their credentials upfront before any money changes hands, make sure that they are licensed and insured too!
We were happy for the heads up since when we first moved here we had been vocally made aware of the manna attitude with service people, and that is also one of the reasons we wanted to move here that laid back attitude like in the islands, but it takes awhile to get used to after living in that northeastern rat race. I can remember one incident when we had been in the state just a few weeks and we were on the 10 items or less line at the grocery and it was a bit backed-up, the line was winding around a corner, everyone’s anxious nerves were fraying, my husband looked at me and I looked at him and said remember why we moved here the slower pace. Somedays I wish it was still like that, but it does seem that as more northerners and the like transplanted we infiltrated the job market and created a different high octane antsy movement to get it done.
All kidding aside I was an employer and had to hire people for a few years a while back, and to be honest I preferred the edgy workers with the good work ethic to get the job done, better than it will get done whenever mantra ones.
Prolific-I-city continues, and I must apologize, but why?
When I started this Blog way back on June 25th of this past year little did I realize that even when I thought I would not know what to write I could and would, and I do, don't I?
The best part of all of this is that anyone can read this or not if they so desire.
So I will send myself on my way and say good night to all and to all stay bundled up; I hear we are all going to be a part of the BIG CHILL.
Actually, a misinterpretation of what was going on across the street from my home.
Apparently, we thought that the presence of a deputy with official papers walking to the door of the home across the street was delivering eviction papers, but we were wrong, since there are people still in that house right now. We have since been told it was a complaint by the renters about the owner threatening them.
We also saw what looked like the water company turning off the water and leaving that door-knob hanging down notice on their front door, but how could anyone live without water for this long? Again we are confused, but do not know that answer yet.
Anyway, we are apparently victims of nosey neighbor syndrome with a fairly large dose of I know not what is in reality of what goes on here busybody disorder with too much time on our hands dilemma, there or anywhere, but occasionally we have a handle on what transpires here, mostly.
Oh well, sometimes ignorance can be bliss, I do not believe that at all.
Curious minds need to know.
With that said, let’s move on to what’s of major importance the tub tiles surround.
And I am pleased to announce that the project my hubby has undertaken is moving right along. Tiling on the back wall is nearly complete. The best part about being retired; my husband reminds me no time restraints. So now that he is challenged physically that is not an issue since he doesn’t have to rush to complete the job, and he doesn’t charge by the hour or overtime either, has no deadline and doesn’t have to payback for non completion on time issues either, bud-ump bump, a joke everybody!
You do know you can incorporate that into contracts; that is if the person you hire to do the job has to pay you back for every day that they go over?
We did that when we had our large pool installed on the other coast; for each day they went over they took $100 off of our bill.
A win, win solution to prevent procrastination, but nothing works with dishonest contractors, except checking all their credentials upfront before any money changes hands, make sure that they are licensed and insured too!
We were happy for the heads up since when we first moved here we had been vocally made aware of the manna attitude with service people, and that is also one of the reasons we wanted to move here that laid back attitude like in the islands, but it takes awhile to get used to after living in that northeastern rat race. I can remember one incident when we had been in the state just a few weeks and we were on the 10 items or less line at the grocery and it was a bit backed-up, the line was winding around a corner, everyone’s anxious nerves were fraying, my husband looked at me and I looked at him and said remember why we moved here the slower pace. Somedays I wish it was still like that, but it does seem that as more northerners and the like transplanted we infiltrated the job market and created a different high octane antsy movement to get it done.
All kidding aside I was an employer and had to hire people for a few years a while back, and to be honest I preferred the edgy workers with the good work ethic to get the job done, better than it will get done whenever mantra ones.
Prolific-I-city continues, and I must apologize, but why?
When I started this Blog way back on June 25th of this past year little did I realize that even when I thought I would not know what to write I could and would, and I do, don't I?
The best part of all of this is that anyone can read this or not if they so desire.
So I will send myself on my way and say good night to all and to all stay bundled up; I hear we are all going to be a part of the BIG CHILL.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Promises and more promises
How many of you have made a promise that you haven't kept?
Now be honest.
Think about how many times that you felt it unnecessary to follow up on some things that to you were not that big a deal? But as a nay say-er I say to you things might not have that enormous importance to you but the person you promised it to it may very well have.
The only reason I am bringing this up is many associate keeping a promise with being an honest person, and in reality it is. All the below definitions are directly from Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Main Entry: 2promise
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): prom•ised; prom•is•ing
transitive senses
1: to pledge to do, bring about, or provide
2 archaic: WARRANT, ASSURE
3 chiefly dialect: BETROTH
4: to suggest beforehand: give promise of
Main Entry: 1prom•ise
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'prä-m&s
Etymology: Middle English promis, from Latin promissum, from neuter of promissus, past participle of promittere to send forth, promise, from pro- forth + mittere to send
1 a : a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified b : a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.
A breach of promise is the term used in the legal promise to marry. If you breach this promise you could go to jail!
Serious stuff, huh?
See, we mere mortals never take anything that serious, but we should.
The reason I am mentioning all this is because as a mere mortal I have been on both ends of the broken promise and neither end feels at all good. That is being the promised one, and then of course promising to do something that for some reason or another I could not fulfill, or come through, in my particular situation disappointment was the major fallout from either, but it could have been much worse, losing someone’s trust is devastating.
Then I pose this question to the world at large, why do it?
Yes, that’s right; I’m asking why do it make a promise that you have no intention of keeping?
Why can’t we just go ahead and do whatever is expected of us at any given moment in time?
And if keeping true to whatever we say is not only being honest with the person we promise to but also being true to oneself.
OK, barring any unforeseen circumstances that could have or would have prevented you from following through; why couldn’t you do what you said?
Self deprecating aside, now tell yourself your real reasons.
Would you believe you?
Interestingly, if we were to put ourselves more often than not in the other persons position we wouldn’t do half the negative things we do!
The word compassion comes from that form of humanity and separates us from the lower primates.
So you see keeping ones promise is a bigger deal than you originally thought, I bet.
I wonder if you are asking yourself: why this topic? Well, just thinking how the world is in such a mess with people who have not kept their promises to most any of us seems to fit that bill of a desire to know.
Ponder on Americans and the rest of the world we need to think on these hard times to try and not repeat them, and I say HAH to history since the main purpose of drilling our brains as children with that was that we, the, theory was that we would not REPEAT those same mistakes, HAH I say again, when or how is the better question will we ever learn?
PS Our cold front here in Florida will be tomorrow night, and yes even here in the south west portion we are expected to go down into the high thirties, inland colder, but we are on the water, at night but warm to the 60’s in the daytime.
Good night to all and to all never stop thinking as long as you can.
Now be honest.
Think about how many times that you felt it unnecessary to follow up on some things that to you were not that big a deal? But as a nay say-er I say to you things might not have that enormous importance to you but the person you promised it to it may very well have.
The only reason I am bringing this up is many associate keeping a promise with being an honest person, and in reality it is. All the below definitions are directly from Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Main Entry: 2promise
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): prom•ised; prom•is•ing
transitive senses
1: to pledge to do, bring about, or provide
2 archaic: WARRANT, ASSURE
3 chiefly dialect: BETROTH
4: to suggest beforehand: give promise of
Main Entry: 1prom•ise
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'prä-m&s
Etymology: Middle English promis, from Latin promissum, from neuter of promissus, past participle of promittere to send forth, promise, from pro- forth + mittere to send
1 a : a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified b : a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.
A breach of promise is the term used in the legal promise to marry. If you breach this promise you could go to jail!
Serious stuff, huh?
See, we mere mortals never take anything that serious, but we should.
The reason I am mentioning all this is because as a mere mortal I have been on both ends of the broken promise and neither end feels at all good. That is being the promised one, and then of course promising to do something that for some reason or another I could not fulfill, or come through, in my particular situation disappointment was the major fallout from either, but it could have been much worse, losing someone’s trust is devastating.
Then I pose this question to the world at large, why do it?
Yes, that’s right; I’m asking why do it make a promise that you have no intention of keeping?
Why can’t we just go ahead and do whatever is expected of us at any given moment in time?
And if keeping true to whatever we say is not only being honest with the person we promise to but also being true to oneself.
OK, barring any unforeseen circumstances that could have or would have prevented you from following through; why couldn’t you do what you said?
Self deprecating aside, now tell yourself your real reasons.
Would you believe you?
Interestingly, if we were to put ourselves more often than not in the other persons position we wouldn’t do half the negative things we do!
The word compassion comes from that form of humanity and separates us from the lower primates.
So you see keeping ones promise is a bigger deal than you originally thought, I bet.
I wonder if you are asking yourself: why this topic? Well, just thinking how the world is in such a mess with people who have not kept their promises to most any of us seems to fit that bill of a desire to know.
Ponder on Americans and the rest of the world we need to think on these hard times to try and not repeat them, and I say HAH to history since the main purpose of drilling our brains as children with that was that we, the, theory was that we would not REPEAT those same mistakes, HAH I say again, when or how is the better question will we ever learn?
PS Our cold front here in Florida will be tomorrow night, and yes even here in the south west portion we are expected to go down into the high thirties, inland colder, but we are on the water, at night but warm to the 60’s in the daytime.
Good night to all and to all never stop thinking as long as you can.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Bush fesses up
Our nearly departed President Bush gave his final press conference for us Americans but the oddity of it was the time of day that he chose 9:15 A.M. EST most Americans are either at work or school at that hour, aren’t they?
Oh no, that’s right not the 2.5M who have recently become unemployed that's right they could tune in. That is of course if they still have a home to sit in to watch a TV that hasn’t been repossessed.
And of course, all of us disabled or senior bunch we’re home glued to the tube for his final departure answers to the media Q & A, since medicine, food or gas is our question as those prices sneak back up.
He did come clean on a few points of contention with us mere mortals; he did admit that he did have a few regrets, declaring a win in Iraq on that aircraft carrier was a wee bit premature.
But he seemed to backslide with an unrealistic memory of what actually transpired after Hurricane Katrina when asked how it was handled, ah memories; horrors of our entire minds eye of the multitudes, but no not his.
Not to be disrespectful, but why hasn’t he realized that he is NOT GOD, and humans make mistakes, just admit it you're heading towards retirement not into another political job to destroy another state or country, so sorry that was slightly disrespectful. See apologizing is good for the soul.
Anyway, my hubby started on the tub surround in my bathroom today. With the help from one of the multitudes of happy to see the Bush-man go an unemployed professional sheet-rocker, our dear sweet neighbor. Fortunately, he has a sideline; he’s an artistic woodcarver, not that many can afford excellent workmanship in this economy.
Our older other neighbor that was hospitalized appears to be stable, we contacted the hospital and from their gift shop we sent up a little gift to let him know we were thinking of him, since we are both still too viral to expose a sickly person.
I had forgotten that all hospitals have gift shops, and it is much more cost effective to call them and not pay delivery charges, most will do the sale over the phone.
Not to put the Teleflora or other big-gees out of business, but when you are trying to economize and on a fixed budget saving here and there doesn’t hurt.
I am getting pretty good at remembering the names of most of our water foul, but for some reason as I age my spelling has gotten pretty bad, but sadly when I was a third grader I used to get 100% on all of those spelling tests!
The only reason I mention this is because our neighbor across the canal called to let me know that we had a strange looking bird sitting on our dock.
I had to open the shade because that side faces the south and we are quite warm with them open, anyway I immediately recognized the interloper as an Anhinga, but for some reason I had forgotten how to spell it and so when I went to look it up to send my neighbor the information with a picture it took me a while, but finally I succeeded and sent the email.
You see it’s these little things in life that makes one feel helpful and useful.
On that note let me bid you good night and to all be a little bit helpful if not more than that.
Oh no, that’s right not the 2.5M who have recently become unemployed that's right they could tune in. That is of course if they still have a home to sit in to watch a TV that hasn’t been repossessed.
And of course, all of us disabled or senior bunch we’re home glued to the tube for his final departure answers to the media Q & A, since medicine, food or gas is our question as those prices sneak back up.
He did come clean on a few points of contention with us mere mortals; he did admit that he did have a few regrets, declaring a win in Iraq on that aircraft carrier was a wee bit premature.
But he seemed to backslide with an unrealistic memory of what actually transpired after Hurricane Katrina when asked how it was handled, ah memories; horrors of our entire minds eye of the multitudes, but no not his.
Not to be disrespectful, but why hasn’t he realized that he is NOT GOD, and humans make mistakes, just admit it you're heading towards retirement not into another political job to destroy another state or country, so sorry that was slightly disrespectful. See apologizing is good for the soul.
Anyway, my hubby started on the tub surround in my bathroom today. With the help from one of the multitudes of happy to see the Bush-man go an unemployed professional sheet-rocker, our dear sweet neighbor. Fortunately, he has a sideline; he’s an artistic woodcarver, not that many can afford excellent workmanship in this economy.
Our older other neighbor that was hospitalized appears to be stable, we contacted the hospital and from their gift shop we sent up a little gift to let him know we were thinking of him, since we are both still too viral to expose a sickly person.
I had forgotten that all hospitals have gift shops, and it is much more cost effective to call them and not pay delivery charges, most will do the sale over the phone.
Not to put the Teleflora or other big-gees out of business, but when you are trying to economize and on a fixed budget saving here and there doesn’t hurt.
I am getting pretty good at remembering the names of most of our water foul, but for some reason as I age my spelling has gotten pretty bad, but sadly when I was a third grader I used to get 100% on all of those spelling tests!
The only reason I mention this is because our neighbor across the canal called to let me know that we had a strange looking bird sitting on our dock.
I had to open the shade because that side faces the south and we are quite warm with them open, anyway I immediately recognized the interloper as an Anhinga, but for some reason I had forgotten how to spell it and so when I went to look it up to send my neighbor the information with a picture it took me a while, but finally I succeeded and sent the email.
You see it’s these little things in life that makes one feel helpful and useful.
On that note let me bid you good night and to all be a little bit helpful if not more than that.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Three of me
Days ago I mentioned about going online with a made up name to play a game without being stalked or caring if I won or lost. And for the heck of it I Googled the name to find out if there were possibly others with the same one and sure enough there was.
Any-who my hubby reminded me that now I have three identities including this one since in reality Tobi is my alias or more preferably sounding my pseudonym ( authors use them all of the time without concern), which by the way does mean the same thing. So now the sanity question comes up, only kidding I do not suffer from that very serious disorder called Disassociate Identity Disorder or DID, which is the other name for multiple personality disorder or Sybil.
None of those, but some women may pretend they have many different personalities, after all we are taught from an early age on to be actresses.
Show your feelings, don’t show your feelings, bottle them up, oh no express them!
Be good little girls, listen, no speak up don’t be shy.
As confusing as all that is it does prepare most of us for adulthood.
As I suffer through another viral day of nose stuffiness and ribcage pain so debilitating every-time I cough just a little bit I feel I must sit down or pass out.
I received some emails today that I wasn’t sure on how to respond to or if it was at all necessary to answer them.
The first was from our neighbor across the canal telling us that our other neighbor adjacent to her had been taken to the hospital due to congestive heart failure.
He is a lovely older man that will be eighty-one, hopefully the 21st of this month, and she mentioned that with a positive attitude that she would like us all to get together on the 23rd for a dinner with another couple that lives by them and to keep that date open.
But she also reminded us of the neighbor that lived across the street from them was hospitalized last year with the same ailment, but unfortunately passed away.
Wow, I have to think on that one.
Meanwhile, the other email that was informative, and we were waiting to hear about, was from my brother-in-law letting us know that he and his wife and youngest daughter and her family were fine.
Only problem was that his eldest daughter was the one with her three daughters in the area where the flooding is in Washington State where they all live, but it was just a three day inconvenience of closing a main thoroughfare.
He also reminded us that they live in a valley and are protected from all horrible weather by Mount Rainier. Wait a minute! Isn’t that the same Mount Rainier that has a couple of volcanoes? And he feels protected, well, who am I to say anything when I live in hurricane country. For the heck of it I just went to Wikipedia and found that they have the same blue and white signs we do for our hurricane evacuation, but theirs say volcanic eruption evacuation, anyway according to what I read most eruptions were in the 1800’s when they had seven over many years. As of 2008, there was no evidence of an imminent eruption. However, an eruption could be devastating for all areas surrounding the volcano. Mudslides called Lahars pose the most risk to life and property, well, I am so glad they feel protected by Mount Rainier. Not only is there much ice atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by hydrothermal activity.
Oh well, I do hope that they will be fine, really.
You see how great the Internet is all this information at the click of a mouse I truly do love it all.
Well, good night to all and to all be aware of your surroundings and even play pretend sometimes, playing is not just for kids!
Any-who my hubby reminded me that now I have three identities including this one since in reality Tobi is my alias or more preferably sounding my pseudonym ( authors use them all of the time without concern), which by the way does mean the same thing. So now the sanity question comes up, only kidding I do not suffer from that very serious disorder called Disassociate Identity Disorder or DID, which is the other name for multiple personality disorder or Sybil.
None of those, but some women may pretend they have many different personalities, after all we are taught from an early age on to be actresses.
Show your feelings, don’t show your feelings, bottle them up, oh no express them!
Be good little girls, listen, no speak up don’t be shy.
As confusing as all that is it does prepare most of us for adulthood.
As I suffer through another viral day of nose stuffiness and ribcage pain so debilitating every-time I cough just a little bit I feel I must sit down or pass out.
I received some emails today that I wasn’t sure on how to respond to or if it was at all necessary to answer them.
The first was from our neighbor across the canal telling us that our other neighbor adjacent to her had been taken to the hospital due to congestive heart failure.
He is a lovely older man that will be eighty-one, hopefully the 21st of this month, and she mentioned that with a positive attitude that she would like us all to get together on the 23rd for a dinner with another couple that lives by them and to keep that date open.
But she also reminded us of the neighbor that lived across the street from them was hospitalized last year with the same ailment, but unfortunately passed away.
Wow, I have to think on that one.
Meanwhile, the other email that was informative, and we were waiting to hear about, was from my brother-in-law letting us know that he and his wife and youngest daughter and her family were fine.
Only problem was that his eldest daughter was the one with her three daughters in the area where the flooding is in Washington State where they all live, but it was just a three day inconvenience of closing a main thoroughfare.
He also reminded us that they live in a valley and are protected from all horrible weather by Mount Rainier. Wait a minute! Isn’t that the same Mount Rainier that has a couple of volcanoes? And he feels protected, well, who am I to say anything when I live in hurricane country. For the heck of it I just went to Wikipedia and found that they have the same blue and white signs we do for our hurricane evacuation, but theirs say volcanic eruption evacuation, anyway according to what I read most eruptions were in the 1800’s when they had seven over many years. As of 2008, there was no evidence of an imminent eruption. However, an eruption could be devastating for all areas surrounding the volcano. Mudslides called Lahars pose the most risk to life and property, well, I am so glad they feel protected by Mount Rainier. Not only is there much ice atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by hydrothermal activity.
Oh well, I do hope that they will be fine, really.
You see how great the Internet is all this information at the click of a mouse I truly do love it all.
Well, good night to all and to all be aware of your surroundings and even play pretend sometimes, playing is not just for kids!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Yucky, yucky and all that rot...
Today I do suppose the rest of the world was busy doing, living, breathing, going, and accomplishing.
But I had the good sense to stop in my tracks and be miserable with a typhoidal viral infection that only can be described as wretched, exhausting and frustrating, just a rhinitis or better known as the common cold. My husband tried so hard not to share this contaminant!
Since in my other life I could deal with each symptom and take the appropriate medication for each and every one of them and basically make the ten days to two weeks go along with barely being noticed. But now I am not unlike millions of other humans I have high blood pressure, which most meds are not recommended for, and even the few that are come with disclaimers like if you take this it's at your own risk! Scary!
All I can say is that I am glad today was my PBS friendly day with all my favorite programming Lydia’s Italy, This Old House, Moment of Luxury, America’s test kitchens (this name has changed), Hometime, Victory Garden and Marco Bartolla’s going Through Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow or something like that, anyway I became the boob in front of the boob tube most of this afternoon, but I didn’t care.
I find PBS a learning experience.
You see, with my nonstop dripping nose that does on occasion drip into my throat and causes gagging or coughing, sleeping was out of the question and so easy recliner chair became my sanctuary along with a tissue box and a basket to dispose of those nasty infected paper bits as well as several beverages from hot tea with honey and lemon to soup, and club soda.
I only left that comforting arena to trek all my way from our living room to our sunroom, I suppose its about 30 feet, where this computer is housed to not miss one single day of my self promise to not do that.
Vicks vapor rub and Tylenol have been my only medicinal consoles.
Since the world did not stop for me, and in reality never stops for anyone there must have been plenty of news today, but due to my ears also being so clogged with who knows what I don’t recall all the important points that were probably made today, and so I will not comment.
Good night to all and to all sleep well.
But I had the good sense to stop in my tracks and be miserable with a typhoidal viral infection that only can be described as wretched, exhausting and frustrating, just a rhinitis or better known as the common cold. My husband tried so hard not to share this contaminant!
Since in my other life I could deal with each symptom and take the appropriate medication for each and every one of them and basically make the ten days to two weeks go along with barely being noticed. But now I am not unlike millions of other humans I have high blood pressure, which most meds are not recommended for, and even the few that are come with disclaimers like if you take this it's at your own risk! Scary!
All I can say is that I am glad today was my PBS friendly day with all my favorite programming Lydia’s Italy, This Old House, Moment of Luxury, America’s test kitchens (this name has changed), Hometime, Victory Garden and Marco Bartolla’s going Through Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow or something like that, anyway I became the boob in front of the boob tube most of this afternoon, but I didn’t care.
I find PBS a learning experience.
You see, with my nonstop dripping nose that does on occasion drip into my throat and causes gagging or coughing, sleeping was out of the question and so easy recliner chair became my sanctuary along with a tissue box and a basket to dispose of those nasty infected paper bits as well as several beverages from hot tea with honey and lemon to soup, and club soda.
I only left that comforting arena to trek all my way from our living room to our sunroom, I suppose its about 30 feet, where this computer is housed to not miss one single day of my self promise to not do that.
Vicks vapor rub and Tylenol have been my only medicinal consoles.
Since the world did not stop for me, and in reality never stops for anyone there must have been plenty of news today, but due to my ears also being so clogged with who knows what I don’t recall all the important points that were probably made today, and so I will not comment.
Good night to all and to all sleep well.
Friday, January 9, 2009
On the road again
Went on an outing today to the doctor’s office/ health department so they could see that I was still uninsurable at a sum that would let us pay our other bills, like mortgage, electric, water, telephone, even groceries, and insurances for the house and the car and we passed the test to be allowed to use their services at a 17% percentage amount of the bill.
Apparently, some things like being honest with our actual income is tough and extremely personal; since I do believe we are managing rather well at fifty percent of my husband’s previous income with his small pension and early social security.
But I can see that what we manage on in some larger families would never be enough.
We are fortunate that we can pay our bills and I truly believe that having a dollar more than you need is just fine.
PS My carotid arteries were just fine, but I could be dealing with my old ailment hypoglycemia, so if it happens again I should go to the emergency to get checked either way due to my history.
We also went to our local Redneck tractor supply store to pick up our wild bird seed.
Then to lunch while we had a two hour wait between the financial report and the actual doctor’s appointment, oh excitement, oh fun! We must have travelled at least ten miles round trip today; we are down a quarter of a tank this month and the last time we filled up was on December 18th, I know this because I just checked.
Yesterday, my husband went out on his own to pick up all the hardy boards, subway tiles, cement and grout to fix my tub surround in our main bath; I call it mine since my hubby uses the other bathroom as his own too. It is getting real bad/unhealthy with mold oozing through the temporary vinyl sheets placed there; bleach too at all those large amounts can be too much of a good thing to use on this problem.
Anyway, the destruction should be starting this weekend.
My darling also cut out the bears and ivy for my stencils for the windows and wall project, the only stencil left is the waves for our windows.
We will be getting a cold front here; translation: in other words we will be getting low 70’s during the day, so sorry to the rest of our country!
Unfortunately, the state of Washington is having dreadful weather and is under a flood warning; I only mentioned this since it is where many of our in-laws live. We will be contacting them very soon to make sure they are OK.
Good night to all and to all take care of yourselves however you need to, and don’t be shy, be practical and logical, no shame in that.
Apparently, some things like being honest with our actual income is tough and extremely personal; since I do believe we are managing rather well at fifty percent of my husband’s previous income with his small pension and early social security.
But I can see that what we manage on in some larger families would never be enough.
We are fortunate that we can pay our bills and I truly believe that having a dollar more than you need is just fine.
PS My carotid arteries were just fine, but I could be dealing with my old ailment hypoglycemia, so if it happens again I should go to the emergency to get checked either way due to my history.
We also went to our local Redneck tractor supply store to pick up our wild bird seed.
Then to lunch while we had a two hour wait between the financial report and the actual doctor’s appointment, oh excitement, oh fun! We must have travelled at least ten miles round trip today; we are down a quarter of a tank this month and the last time we filled up was on December 18th, I know this because I just checked.
Yesterday, my husband went out on his own to pick up all the hardy boards, subway tiles, cement and grout to fix my tub surround in our main bath; I call it mine since my hubby uses the other bathroom as his own too. It is getting real bad/unhealthy with mold oozing through the temporary vinyl sheets placed there; bleach too at all those large amounts can be too much of a good thing to use on this problem.
Anyway, the destruction should be starting this weekend.
My darling also cut out the bears and ivy for my stencils for the windows and wall project, the only stencil left is the waves for our windows.
We will be getting a cold front here; translation: in other words we will be getting low 70’s during the day, so sorry to the rest of our country!
Unfortunately, the state of Washington is having dreadful weather and is under a flood warning; I only mentioned this since it is where many of our in-laws live. We will be contacting them very soon to make sure they are OK.
Good night to all and to all take care of yourselves however you need to, and don’t be shy, be practical and logical, no shame in that.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Weird or peculiar is how it seemed today, and oh so ironic
You know what I was referring to is that the President Elect Obama had a press conference today at 11:15 A.M. hosted by a college in Fairfax Virginia, and as he went on and on about how bad things were getting and reiterated how they will be getting so much worse before they get any better the house across the street, just slightly earlier in the morning, had appeared to be receiving a formal notice, a deputy had stepped out of her patrol car with what appeared to be official looking papers of eviction, for the pending foreclosure. (The other neighbors had told us.)
Next the water company came and shut off the water while the renters in the home left with their first load of possessions that they had removed from the home.
Trips went on like that pretty much most of the day.
Sadly this has been going on more than likely all over the country, but it was our first visual so close, in your face experience, and oddly the sensation was numbing, almost like a shocking experience or injury would cause; therefore by the grace of God go I.
There was no feeling of joy for the sorrows of these others that we don’t even know, but in the family of humanity it was heartbreaking; not unlike a death or some other loss.
Unfortunately, when you hear about it on TV or see it in a movie it is not as real.
So to all those people in that horrible predicament please know that no one in their right heart or mind wishes them ill, and my own prayers are with them and hope that the so-called inevitable will not occur.
New topic I finally got through to the health department to set up a financial report that they do every six months to see proportionately how you can afford to pay for their services; it’s percentages of whatever your ability is.
They also allowed me to make an appointment to be seen for something that has concerned me for a week.
You see both my parents and my older brother all died from strokes.
And I already have high blood pressure and high cholesterol that are fine now as long as I take my medicine.
So when I broke out into a cold sweat and nearly passed out last week while shopping my film archive in my mind of my Mom’s TIA’s was accessed from the deep caverns of my brain and it played in Technicolor, since I had been there for nearly each one.
She had, had at least a half a dozen in the two years prior to her major stroke that she died from in only eleven and half hours.
TIA’s for those of you who are not familiar with the term are Transient ischemic attacks.
Still don’t know, then here is a text book definition by Wikipedia: A transient ischemic attack (TIA, often colloquially referred to as “mini stroke”) is caused by the changes in the blood supply to a particular area of the brain, resulting in brief neurologic dysfunction that persists, by definition, for less than 24 hours; if symptoms persist then it is categorized as a stroke.
A TIA can be a warning or a precursor to an impending stroke.
When my parents died way back in the 1980’s they weren’t able to check the carotid arteries like they can today; as simple as listening at the neck with the stethoscope for a sound change for clots I presume. If the bad noise is heard then they can surgically strip the problem out extending your life.
Anyway, tomorrow in the late morning they will do our bi-yearly financial assessment, and after lunch they will be giving me my check up.
Good night to all and to all stay healthy!
Next the water company came and shut off the water while the renters in the home left with their first load of possessions that they had removed from the home.
Trips went on like that pretty much most of the day.
Sadly this has been going on more than likely all over the country, but it was our first visual so close, in your face experience, and oddly the sensation was numbing, almost like a shocking experience or injury would cause; therefore by the grace of God go I.
There was no feeling of joy for the sorrows of these others that we don’t even know, but in the family of humanity it was heartbreaking; not unlike a death or some other loss.
Unfortunately, when you hear about it on TV or see it in a movie it is not as real.
So to all those people in that horrible predicament please know that no one in their right heart or mind wishes them ill, and my own prayers are with them and hope that the so-called inevitable will not occur.
New topic I finally got through to the health department to set up a financial report that they do every six months to see proportionately how you can afford to pay for their services; it’s percentages of whatever your ability is.
They also allowed me to make an appointment to be seen for something that has concerned me for a week.
You see both my parents and my older brother all died from strokes.
And I already have high blood pressure and high cholesterol that are fine now as long as I take my medicine.
So when I broke out into a cold sweat and nearly passed out last week while shopping my film archive in my mind of my Mom’s TIA’s was accessed from the deep caverns of my brain and it played in Technicolor, since I had been there for nearly each one.
She had, had at least a half a dozen in the two years prior to her major stroke that she died from in only eleven and half hours.
TIA’s for those of you who are not familiar with the term are Transient ischemic attacks.
Still don’t know, then here is a text book definition by Wikipedia: A transient ischemic attack (TIA, often colloquially referred to as “mini stroke”) is caused by the changes in the blood supply to a particular area of the brain, resulting in brief neurologic dysfunction that persists, by definition, for less than 24 hours; if symptoms persist then it is categorized as a stroke.
A TIA can be a warning or a precursor to an impending stroke.
When my parents died way back in the 1980’s they weren’t able to check the carotid arteries like they can today; as simple as listening at the neck with the stethoscope for a sound change for clots I presume. If the bad noise is heard then they can surgically strip the problem out extending your life.
Anyway, tomorrow in the late morning they will do our bi-yearly financial assessment, and after lunch they will be giving me my check up.
Good night to all and to all stay healthy!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
1.2 Trillion is our defecit
And so the past living presidents along with our current president and president elect met, and put those presidential noggins together to try to come up with some major ideas on how to help handle all our major problems at a luncheon today. So far they are being mum on any conclusions.
Joe the plumber has now become Joe the reporter and he will be leaving shortly for Israel to report on the war there.
The market dropped again, - 245.40 today.
Prices on crude oil fell again today. Hope we see that at the pumps; is it me or have those prices been trying to sneak up again?
Stonehenge is believed to have been a dance arena with great acoustics. (Scientists say)
Our rain came and went and did fill our rain barrel with only one tenth of an inch, according to our rain gage; interesting that it filled.
We had an injured Great White Heron fluttering around our canal area back and forth most of the afternoon, and when mentioned by our neighbor I went into high gear and contacted the proper authorities. But alas since he can still fly they say they cannot do anything.
Our Casey the cat went in for his yearly check up and rabies shot this morning, at twelve he is doing very well thank you very much.
My hubby is suffering from a nasty uncomfortable cold all last night and today too.
Once he agreed to try a little medication, he did receive some relief.
I am dangerous with my Lysol spraying on everything.
I guess it all stems from what we used to do when I worked in an office as that credit manager I keep mentioning we used to spray phones basically anything we had hand or breathe contact with.
But since two of my chronic ailments are autoimmune related, that is Sjogrens Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis, both which means that I am very susceptible to easily acquiring an illness from exposure. But there are several that fall into that category. Below is information from Wikipedia: for more info go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmune_disease
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression, medication which decreases the immune response.
Nationwide home fires have been on the rise and so it is recommended to test your smoke alarms if not working replace it now.
There have been thirty deaths nationwide since Thanksgiving attributed to faulty smoke detectors.
We check ours more than the twice a year that is suggested, and you should too; it could be a matter of life and death.
Good night to all and to all sleep well, take your medicine if needed to avoid spreading your germs to others, and of course to help you feel better too, and drink plenty of fluids and get lotsa rest!
Joe the plumber has now become Joe the reporter and he will be leaving shortly for Israel to report on the war there.
The market dropped again, - 245.40 today.
Prices on crude oil fell again today. Hope we see that at the pumps; is it me or have those prices been trying to sneak up again?
Stonehenge is believed to have been a dance arena with great acoustics. (Scientists say)
Our rain came and went and did fill our rain barrel with only one tenth of an inch, according to our rain gage; interesting that it filled.
We had an injured Great White Heron fluttering around our canal area back and forth most of the afternoon, and when mentioned by our neighbor I went into high gear and contacted the proper authorities. But alas since he can still fly they say they cannot do anything.
Our Casey the cat went in for his yearly check up and rabies shot this morning, at twelve he is doing very well thank you very much.
My hubby is suffering from a nasty uncomfortable cold all last night and today too.
Once he agreed to try a little medication, he did receive some relief.
I am dangerous with my Lysol spraying on everything.
I guess it all stems from what we used to do when I worked in an office as that credit manager I keep mentioning we used to spray phones basically anything we had hand or breathe contact with.
But since two of my chronic ailments are autoimmune related, that is Sjogrens Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis, both which means that I am very susceptible to easily acquiring an illness from exposure. But there are several that fall into that category. Below is information from Wikipedia: for more info go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmune_disease
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression, medication which decreases the immune response.
Nationwide home fires have been on the rise and so it is recommended to test your smoke alarms if not working replace it now.
There have been thirty deaths nationwide since Thanksgiving attributed to faulty smoke detectors.
We check ours more than the twice a year that is suggested, and you should too; it could be a matter of life and death.
Good night to all and to all sleep well, take your medicine if needed to avoid spreading your germs to others, and of course to help you feel better too, and drink plenty of fluids and get lotsa rest!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Imagine you are burning, but not really
That is having a sensation of burning; no stinging, maybe that is a better idea of how that would feel.
Now imagine you have no way to make that feeling stop and it is all over your body, and your numbness is in your extremities and it is nearly constant and only desists when the muscle spasms begin. Not being able to walk due to balance and bone on bone indecencies.
Your ability to hang onto things in your hands is a fifty/ fifty chance at best, and you are constantly causing small disasters around your home; you are a bull in a china shop daily.
Think that you are now in the twilight zone of life.
Things that once were real are now just a figment of your current reality that once was true; what was is no longer the norm.
Your life is contrite and simple, so simple that you are unable to have to make any actual decisions during your day in your daily life.
The most important one you may have challenging you, is when to get up to relive you bladder or wipe your snifflie nose.
All the time you have on your hands makes you angry, bitter and slowly unreliable to speak with anyone on any intellectual or civil level.
Since now your concentration ability has made you incapable of following a story line in a book or to even understand the TV.
Then pretend that when you wake up your life will go back to what used to be your norm, when you really had a life.
A mind that was full of ideas and capable of decision making and helping others.
You could walk fast in a room without breaking anything and under your own power without a cane or walker to right you in your stance.
Your body was lithe and did whatever you’re determined it to do without thought or cue.
You had a job that challenged you in all ways including mind and body, and you were a burden to no one.
Life is rude at times and we all have our crosses to bear some more than most if you are lucky to live long enough.
So stop complaining is the only answer to these slight annoyances that could be so much worse than they are.
Do something positive to change your way of thinking; count to ten before frustration causes outbursts.
Try harder to be more of a symbol of perseverance that you profess to have inborn in you.
Count your blessings of what is right in your life.
Some one other than you has so many more difficulties; realize that we all have to conquer some type of monsters.
Good night to all and to all be happy with what you do have!
Now imagine you have no way to make that feeling stop and it is all over your body, and your numbness is in your extremities and it is nearly constant and only desists when the muscle spasms begin. Not being able to walk due to balance and bone on bone indecencies.
Your ability to hang onto things in your hands is a fifty/ fifty chance at best, and you are constantly causing small disasters around your home; you are a bull in a china shop daily.
Think that you are now in the twilight zone of life.
Things that once were real are now just a figment of your current reality that once was true; what was is no longer the norm.
Your life is contrite and simple, so simple that you are unable to have to make any actual decisions during your day in your daily life.
The most important one you may have challenging you, is when to get up to relive you bladder or wipe your snifflie nose.
All the time you have on your hands makes you angry, bitter and slowly unreliable to speak with anyone on any intellectual or civil level.
Since now your concentration ability has made you incapable of following a story line in a book or to even understand the TV.
Then pretend that when you wake up your life will go back to what used to be your norm, when you really had a life.
A mind that was full of ideas and capable of decision making and helping others.
You could walk fast in a room without breaking anything and under your own power without a cane or walker to right you in your stance.
Your body was lithe and did whatever you’re determined it to do without thought or cue.
You had a job that challenged you in all ways including mind and body, and you were a burden to no one.
Life is rude at times and we all have our crosses to bear some more than most if you are lucky to live long enough.
So stop complaining is the only answer to these slight annoyances that could be so much worse than they are.
Do something positive to change your way of thinking; count to ten before frustration causes outbursts.
Try harder to be more of a symbol of perseverance that you profess to have inborn in you.
Count your blessings of what is right in your life.
Some one other than you has so many more difficulties; realize that we all have to conquer some type of monsters.
Good night to all and to all be happy with what you do have!
Monday, January 5, 2009
New projects are in the wind...
Today I think I found a way to do my decorative painting.
I have been searching the net for my particular design concepts, as well crafts stores and departments in other general stores in person this past weekend.
When all that failed I decided on picking up the heavy plastic used for stenciling that enables you to create your own stencils, it was three pieces for only $2.88.
With that said and done it made me feel the need even at that bargain price to find my conceived mind drafts and turn them into a reality. Now don’t laugh, but at this ripe old age our guest room is full of Teddy Bears, twenty three in all some how I acquired them from people as gifts, a wooden one from Europe, many Beanie Babies from organizations, March of Dimes with a donation, one of them was my husband’s as a child and another is the fifty anniversary one that was sold locally, and so it was natural to continue in that theme with wall paintings, and I have found that Teddy motif is what I was going to continue. The windows in the bedrooms are to get borders ivy vines in the guestroom and waves around our bedroom windows since that has a seashell theme.
The idea I decided on was to stencil the paintings, and borders around the windows and on the one wall in the guest room with just borders around our bedroom windows.
After extensively searching all of the above mentioned ideas I tried one more search and happened upon an art site, but alas it was selling pictures of my determined desired plans, not what I was after, after all.
So one last intuitive device, like a light bulb hit this somewhat atrophied brain, and voila I checked out my own clip art in my office word program and all my creative mind drafts were there in multiples. So now we will narrow down which ones we want to use.
My husband is doing the actual tracing and cutting for me, since I am not as coordinated as I once was, but I should be able to choose the colors, which I have many acrylics already and dab the paint; team work.
Our other project is somewhat more elaborate and costly, but should be done by the end of the month, not necessarily this one but we will see expense wise.
The quick vinyl surround we applied to use the bath after all was said and done after we got back in our home after the hurricane that was put around my tub in my bathroom, well it is not holding up and we have been pricing the subway ceramic tiles that I would much prefer, and it appears to be doable, and so that will be a project in the near future.
News just in: by Wednesday afternoon we may get some rain, yeah!
This is our dry season and it has been quite some time since we had any; our rain barrel is empty.
On that happy note I will say good night and you have one too.
I have been searching the net for my particular design concepts, as well crafts stores and departments in other general stores in person this past weekend.
When all that failed I decided on picking up the heavy plastic used for stenciling that enables you to create your own stencils, it was three pieces for only $2.88.
With that said and done it made me feel the need even at that bargain price to find my conceived mind drafts and turn them into a reality. Now don’t laugh, but at this ripe old age our guest room is full of Teddy Bears, twenty three in all some how I acquired them from people as gifts, a wooden one from Europe, many Beanie Babies from organizations, March of Dimes with a donation, one of them was my husband’s as a child and another is the fifty anniversary one that was sold locally, and so it was natural to continue in that theme with wall paintings, and I have found that Teddy motif is what I was going to continue. The windows in the bedrooms are to get borders ivy vines in the guestroom and waves around our bedroom windows since that has a seashell theme.
The idea I decided on was to stencil the paintings, and borders around the windows and on the one wall in the guest room with just borders around our bedroom windows.
After extensively searching all of the above mentioned ideas I tried one more search and happened upon an art site, but alas it was selling pictures of my determined desired plans, not what I was after, after all.
So one last intuitive device, like a light bulb hit this somewhat atrophied brain, and voila I checked out my own clip art in my office word program and all my creative mind drafts were there in multiples. So now we will narrow down which ones we want to use.
My husband is doing the actual tracing and cutting for me, since I am not as coordinated as I once was, but I should be able to choose the colors, which I have many acrylics already and dab the paint; team work.
Our other project is somewhat more elaborate and costly, but should be done by the end of the month, not necessarily this one but we will see expense wise.
The quick vinyl surround we applied to use the bath after all was said and done after we got back in our home after the hurricane that was put around my tub in my bathroom, well it is not holding up and we have been pricing the subway ceramic tiles that I would much prefer, and it appears to be doable, and so that will be a project in the near future.
News just in: by Wednesday afternoon we may get some rain, yeah!
This is our dry season and it has been quite some time since we had any; our rain barrel is empty.
On that happy note I will say good night and you have one too.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
History is being made again
We were here when Florida started in the late 1980's with their first lottery.
Yes, we had voted for it to happen it was something that our old New Jersey roots made us do, since it worked well there and our schools had benefitted from the funds and they were great, excelling in academics programs.
So why not, we were at the time new Floridians and hoped we would reside here forever and our sons were at the ripe old ages of 10 and 14, so they would be taking advantage of the school system, which statewide at the time was quite controversial.
Fortunately, we did have the forethought to choose an area where the schools were comparable to the ones left back in New Jersey. The boys attended school in Ormond Beach and Daytona at that time and colleges after in state too. We moved to the west coast when the younger one was already a college student, and they never went to school here in our current area.
Well, what I am getting at Florida, as of today, is now one of the states that have the Powerball, a multi-state enormous mega million bucks pot with odds of 1 out 198M of winning anywhere from 96M to hundreds of millions. The physical move is one of several changes coming from Powerball's addition of Florida, as the 30th state, plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, to participate. The most ever won was by those eight meatpacking plant workers splitting 365M in Nebraska in 2006. Good luck to all who try their chance.
The President elect Obama and family have already moved to our countries capital today. Both children start in their new school tomorrow thus the few weeks before the inauguration early move. They are all temporarily staying a hotel nearby the Whitehouse.
The Obama girls will be going to the Sidwell School that is from grades PK to 12 and it is a Quaker school that has won an award for its being an Environmental Steward for its green innovations. For more information go to: http://www.sidwell.edu/, ABC did a show on the incredible use of environmentally responsible products that were incorporated into the building materials, and use of all aspects of power and other exterior elements just amazing and more doable than one would think.
Switching gears: So far the inconclusive possibility that caused Jett Travolta’s untimely death is that he suffered a sudden seizure bumping his head on the bathtub. The family is as one would imagine heartbroken.
Good night to all and to all count your blessings.
Yes, we had voted for it to happen it was something that our old New Jersey roots made us do, since it worked well there and our schools had benefitted from the funds and they were great, excelling in academics programs.
So why not, we were at the time new Floridians and hoped we would reside here forever and our sons were at the ripe old ages of 10 and 14, so they would be taking advantage of the school system, which statewide at the time was quite controversial.
Fortunately, we did have the forethought to choose an area where the schools were comparable to the ones left back in New Jersey. The boys attended school in Ormond Beach and Daytona at that time and colleges after in state too. We moved to the west coast when the younger one was already a college student, and they never went to school here in our current area.
Well, what I am getting at Florida, as of today, is now one of the states that have the Powerball, a multi-state enormous mega million bucks pot with odds of 1 out 198M of winning anywhere from 96M to hundreds of millions. The physical move is one of several changes coming from Powerball's addition of Florida, as the 30th state, plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, to participate. The most ever won was by those eight meatpacking plant workers splitting 365M in Nebraska in 2006. Good luck to all who try their chance.
The President elect Obama and family have already moved to our countries capital today. Both children start in their new school tomorrow thus the few weeks before the inauguration early move. They are all temporarily staying a hotel nearby the Whitehouse.
The Obama girls will be going to the Sidwell School that is from grades PK to 12 and it is a Quaker school that has won an award for its being an Environmental Steward for its green innovations. For more information go to: http://www.sidwell.edu/, ABC did a show on the incredible use of environmentally responsible products that were incorporated into the building materials, and use of all aspects of power and other exterior elements just amazing and more doable than one would think.
Switching gears: So far the inconclusive possibility that caused Jett Travolta’s untimely death is that he suffered a sudden seizure bumping his head on the bathtub. The family is as one would imagine heartbroken.
Good night to all and to all count your blessings.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
I guess I am in the thick of it
Ombudsman is some type of mediator I think?
Or so I was told.
Actually, below is the definition from Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Main Entry: om•buds•man
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'äm-"budz-m&n, 'o m-, -b&dz-, -"man; äm-'budz-, o m-
Inflected Form(s): plural om•buds•men /-m&n/
Etymology: Swedish, literally, representative, from Old Norse umbothsmathr, from umboth commission + mathr man
1 : a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials
2 : one that investigates reported complaints (as from students or consumers), reports findings, and helps to achieve equitable settlements
- om•buds•man•ship /-"ship/ noun
Normally when I give the definition it is to explain something that I am totally unfamiliar with but this time I think it best explains my desire to make peace within my husband’s family, not me or he with them ( I do believe we are in good standing at this time, but who really knows) but my mother-in-law and her daughter that which is an epic in it’s issues and length of time that they in the 40 plus years that I have known both of them has been going on and they do not appear to or have ever told me to butt out of these on again off again disagreements; in fact they have more than once requested my intervening in calling the other.
And I do when I can and that alone makes me feel necessary.
You see they can be ever so slightly stubborn; who are we kidding they are both very STUBBORN!
So when they argue not unlike when they were both much younger and had all the time in the world to solve these disagreements in slow mo or one half the time. You see unconditional love always has prevailed in spite of this wasted time.
But now they are much, much older and it’s ridiculous to let anything go on for weeks or months! It was then too, but they would never listen, at least now they seem willing.
For me it’s a challenge since they live five miles from one another, and we live over 1400 miles away; I believe.
Out of all her children, which is three my Mother-in-law chose to live the closest to her daughter, her other son lives in Washington state and we live, as you know, in Florida, and the disputers live in Bucks County Pennsylvania. As you can see we are quite spread out.
Today I do feel I made some progress.
I explained to each of them that they want the same things but don’t hear each other, laughingly, Mom at almost 88, has stated that she does need a hearing aide and I told my sister-in-law that, that may very well be why she doesn’t hear her. Grumpiness has also been discussed I do know that many who cannot hear well get frustrated and angry with everyone around them as well as themselves.
So I told the daughter to help the Mom to get to the hearing aide store and maybe now they will have one less problem to conquer, TA DA! I truly hope.
I am not that distant from my roots, really, because when I was a credit manager I was often called upon to settle monetary disputes.
Not unlike my Mom and Dad who also felt the necessity to help my husband and my self in our early marital days to resolve our newlywed disputes. Early on we almost threw in the towel and few times, but they reasoned with our immature brains and made us realize the ridiculousness of our complaints.
My parents were great at that, and some days I wish they were still here refereeing our now occasional silly arguments.
Good night to all and to all try and solve loved ones difficulties if you can
Or so I was told.
Actually, below is the definition from Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Main Entry: om•buds•man
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'äm-"budz-m&n, 'o m-, -b&dz-, -"man; äm-'budz-, o m-
Inflected Form(s): plural om•buds•men /-m&n/
Etymology: Swedish, literally, representative, from Old Norse umbothsmathr, from umboth commission + mathr man
1 : a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials
2 : one that investigates reported complaints (as from students or consumers), reports findings, and helps to achieve equitable settlements
- om•buds•man•ship /-"ship/ noun
Normally when I give the definition it is to explain something that I am totally unfamiliar with but this time I think it best explains my desire to make peace within my husband’s family, not me or he with them ( I do believe we are in good standing at this time, but who really knows) but my mother-in-law and her daughter that which is an epic in it’s issues and length of time that they in the 40 plus years that I have known both of them has been going on and they do not appear to or have ever told me to butt out of these on again off again disagreements; in fact they have more than once requested my intervening in calling the other.
And I do when I can and that alone makes me feel necessary.
You see they can be ever so slightly stubborn; who are we kidding they are both very STUBBORN!
So when they argue not unlike when they were both much younger and had all the time in the world to solve these disagreements in slow mo or one half the time. You see unconditional love always has prevailed in spite of this wasted time.
But now they are much, much older and it’s ridiculous to let anything go on for weeks or months! It was then too, but they would never listen, at least now they seem willing.
For me it’s a challenge since they live five miles from one another, and we live over 1400 miles away; I believe.
Out of all her children, which is three my Mother-in-law chose to live the closest to her daughter, her other son lives in Washington state and we live, as you know, in Florida, and the disputers live in Bucks County Pennsylvania. As you can see we are quite spread out.
Today I do feel I made some progress.
I explained to each of them that they want the same things but don’t hear each other, laughingly, Mom at almost 88, has stated that she does need a hearing aide and I told my sister-in-law that, that may very well be why she doesn’t hear her. Grumpiness has also been discussed I do know that many who cannot hear well get frustrated and angry with everyone around them as well as themselves.
So I told the daughter to help the Mom to get to the hearing aide store and maybe now they will have one less problem to conquer, TA DA! I truly hope.
I am not that distant from my roots, really, because when I was a credit manager I was often called upon to settle monetary disputes.
Not unlike my Mom and Dad who also felt the necessity to help my husband and my self in our early marital days to resolve our newlywed disputes. Early on we almost threw in the towel and few times, but they reasoned with our immature brains and made us realize the ridiculousness of our complaints.
My parents were great at that, and some days I wish they were still here refereeing our now occasional silly arguments.
Good night to all and to all try and solve loved ones difficulties if you can
Friday, January 2, 2009
Shocked and disturbed by the news
Horror and sadness happened to the John Travolta and Kelly Preston family when they lost their sixteen year old son Jett today who has died in their vacation home in the Bahamas from complications of the below diagnosed disorder that he has had since he was a young child:
Symptoms Information from Wikipedia:
“Kawasaki disease often begins with a high and persistent fever that is not very responsive to normal doses of paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen. The fever may persist steadily for up to two weeks and is normally accompanied by irritability. Affected children develop red eyes, red mucous membranes in the mouth, red cracked lips, a "strawberry tongue",[8] iritis, keratic precipitates (detectable by an ophthalmologist but usually too small to be seen by the unaided eye), and swollen lymph nodes. Skin rashes occur early in the disease, and peeling of the skin in the genital area, hands, and feet (especially around the nails and on the palms and soles) may occur in later phases. Some of these symptoms may come and go during the course of the illness. If left untreated, the symptoms will eventually relent, but coronary artery aneurysms will not improve, resulting in a significant risk of death or disability due to myocardial infarction (heart attack). If treated in a timely fashion, this risk can be mostly avoided and the course of illness cut short.”
So upsetting and we do remember when Jett was first born those sixteen years ago in Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach Florida because it was our neighboring city to Ormond Beach where we were living at that time.
The Travoltas were living in a unique housing development called Spruce Creek Fly In, in Port Orange where your plane was kept in your own personal hangar next to your home much like your garage for your car; this small town was also nearby where we lived, south of Daytona where we were just north of, in fact our sons graduated from one of Daytona’s two high school’s, theirs was called Seabreeze.
John Travolta as everyone knows is an avid pilot, but of course where else would he live.
When his and Kelly's first child was born the story was that the way he got the hospital personnel to keep the birth quiet until they were home safe and sound was to promise them that he would take pictures with each and every one of them if they did, they did and he did.
And that is why I remember, it was such a very nice doable way to temporarily fend off the paparazzi.
Our hearts and sincere condolences go out to the Travolta family; losing a child is the most unimaginable thing a parent can go through.
In a different direction I will go: I called my youngest sister-in-law today the mother of three incredible intelligent adult children; two young men and a daughter, ranging in age from 20 to 26.
Fortunately, they are well health wise.
The eldest son is a pharmacist.
The middle one is finding himself and in that effort is perplexing his family, huh? How odd, he is a middle child, Mom.
My husband, your brother is too.
The daughter is only twenty and has found her love match that she is quite serious about and apparently is approved by the entire family, brothers, Mom and Dad that is, but Grandma feels she is too young.
They all live up north in Bucks County Pennsylvania where it was in the 30’s there while we chatted and here, in blissfully tropical Florida it was in the high 70’s.
And chat we did for over two hours!
Fortunately, I have rollover minutes on my cell phone, over 2500 right now, and we only talk about once every six months, but we do cover a lot of territory when we do.
The call was made to wish them all a very happy healthy new year, and I do believe we covered that too.
My husband was kind enough to make dinner while this all went on, but suggested I say good- bye when it was ready, and so I did.
Good night to all and to all catch up with someone you haven’t spoken with in a while, it’s a small thing but it makes everyone feel better.
Symptoms Information from Wikipedia:
“Kawasaki disease often begins with a high and persistent fever that is not very responsive to normal doses of paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen. The fever may persist steadily for up to two weeks and is normally accompanied by irritability. Affected children develop red eyes, red mucous membranes in the mouth, red cracked lips, a "strawberry tongue",[8] iritis, keratic precipitates (detectable by an ophthalmologist but usually too small to be seen by the unaided eye), and swollen lymph nodes. Skin rashes occur early in the disease, and peeling of the skin in the genital area, hands, and feet (especially around the nails and on the palms and soles) may occur in later phases. Some of these symptoms may come and go during the course of the illness. If left untreated, the symptoms will eventually relent, but coronary artery aneurysms will not improve, resulting in a significant risk of death or disability due to myocardial infarction (heart attack). If treated in a timely fashion, this risk can be mostly avoided and the course of illness cut short.”
So upsetting and we do remember when Jett was first born those sixteen years ago in Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach Florida because it was our neighboring city to Ormond Beach where we were living at that time.
The Travoltas were living in a unique housing development called Spruce Creek Fly In, in Port Orange where your plane was kept in your own personal hangar next to your home much like your garage for your car; this small town was also nearby where we lived, south of Daytona where we were just north of, in fact our sons graduated from one of Daytona’s two high school’s, theirs was called Seabreeze.
John Travolta as everyone knows is an avid pilot, but of course where else would he live.
When his and Kelly's first child was born the story was that the way he got the hospital personnel to keep the birth quiet until they were home safe and sound was to promise them that he would take pictures with each and every one of them if they did, they did and he did.
And that is why I remember, it was such a very nice doable way to temporarily fend off the paparazzi.
Our hearts and sincere condolences go out to the Travolta family; losing a child is the most unimaginable thing a parent can go through.
In a different direction I will go: I called my youngest sister-in-law today the mother of three incredible intelligent adult children; two young men and a daughter, ranging in age from 20 to 26.
Fortunately, they are well health wise.
The eldest son is a pharmacist.
The middle one is finding himself and in that effort is perplexing his family, huh? How odd, he is a middle child, Mom.
My husband, your brother is too.
The daughter is only twenty and has found her love match that she is quite serious about and apparently is approved by the entire family, brothers, Mom and Dad that is, but Grandma feels she is too young.
They all live up north in Bucks County Pennsylvania where it was in the 30’s there while we chatted and here, in blissfully tropical Florida it was in the high 70’s.
And chat we did for over two hours!
Fortunately, I have rollover minutes on my cell phone, over 2500 right now, and we only talk about once every six months, but we do cover a lot of territory when we do.
The call was made to wish them all a very happy healthy new year, and I do believe we covered that too.
My husband was kind enough to make dinner while this all went on, but suggested I say good- bye when it was ready, and so I did.
Good night to all and to all catch up with someone you haven’t spoken with in a while, it’s a small thing but it makes everyone feel better.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
I take it back
People are getting divorced for reasons that ARE important to them, and who am I to say that they should try harder.
After all, there is a whole generation out there that went through hell and back trying to explain their reasoning for their particular situation for not working out for them, and that caused their families aggravation and personal grief in contending with the wrongful shame of the world that, at that time way back in the 1950’s didn't want or care to be supportive.
I suppose I had a narrow view of reasons for such an extreme ending to a love match, and if they were in an abusive or an addictive relationship that was the design of what my thoughts were for a good reason for opting out only.
That is so not me with other things.
On so many occasions I have wondered why others were so black and white in their thinking when I always considered myself to be gray in my thoughts of seeing both sides equally, and trying hard to find a middle ground; and at times making me look a bit wishy washy and indecisive.
And so if I have offended anyone with my particular Blogs of stating in anyway that divorce was a cop out, I do apologize to everyone now and forever.
If I fall off the wagon of trying hard not to be so critical and opinionated of others choices you have the right to inform me.
Life is hard enough without someone telling you what you do is not right.
I guess you are wondering if that was one of my New Year’s resolutions, and the answer is no.
But to be honest over the last several years I have been making an effort to simplify my life.
Less stress that way.
What I have decided once I got a handle on this not working thing and not feeling like a burden or a bum, since I did work from the age of twelve until the age of 44 on and off while raising our sons.
Happiness inwardly is the best medicine for anyone, and so it is what I strive for.
Any way that you can find to do that for yourself from watching a sunset or even awaking early for a sunrise those are the things that are priceless and monetarily free to all who chose to imbibe.
It’s the stop, and smell the rose’s idea.
Clearly we all need to think positive thoughts and hopefully that will give us the ability to change things for the better in this coming year or if not change to accept that which we have no control over.
As we all are I am a work in progress too.
So imperfection is a very human trait.
My father used to tease that he was perfect, of course he wasn’t, but he was close.
Now I hear my hubby claim the same quality too, and to me don’t tell him, since it would only go to his head, he is close too.
It’s a man thing to be so arrogant or confident, there is a very fine line between the two, and we women poo poo it since most of us are insecure a little if not; at times way too much.
Men don’t seem to worry about cellulite, a pouch in the belly, and lines in the corners of their eyes or even gray or balding heads, not like us anyway.
They can pass a mirror and see perfection, us, on the other hand see our flaws.
There has to be a scientific way to explain it other than we are from Venus and they are from Mars or is the other way around; I always get that mixed up.
Anyway, the men are not as critical of physical attributes on themselves, but they do find many other people with imperfections oddly enough.
And do not fear saying what they think…
That is a little like me and my problem of foot in mouth disease…This year I will try harder to think before I speak or write anything that will offend anyone, OK?
Now boring is not what I expect to be but we all travel a fine line with politeness, and today and from this day forward we should all strive to be kind.
Who knows what misery others are going through?
So this year we should make a concerted effort to be a more considerate more glass half full and listening and understanding nation to get through whatever this year will be bring. We have been told the worst is yet to come, before we get the better.
Good night to all and to all think before you talk or write and I will too!
After all, there is a whole generation out there that went through hell and back trying to explain their reasoning for their particular situation for not working out for them, and that caused their families aggravation and personal grief in contending with the wrongful shame of the world that, at that time way back in the 1950’s didn't want or care to be supportive.
I suppose I had a narrow view of reasons for such an extreme ending to a love match, and if they were in an abusive or an addictive relationship that was the design of what my thoughts were for a good reason for opting out only.
That is so not me with other things.
On so many occasions I have wondered why others were so black and white in their thinking when I always considered myself to be gray in my thoughts of seeing both sides equally, and trying hard to find a middle ground; and at times making me look a bit wishy washy and indecisive.
And so if I have offended anyone with my particular Blogs of stating in anyway that divorce was a cop out, I do apologize to everyone now and forever.
If I fall off the wagon of trying hard not to be so critical and opinionated of others choices you have the right to inform me.
Life is hard enough without someone telling you what you do is not right.
I guess you are wondering if that was one of my New Year’s resolutions, and the answer is no.
But to be honest over the last several years I have been making an effort to simplify my life.
Less stress that way.
What I have decided once I got a handle on this not working thing and not feeling like a burden or a bum, since I did work from the age of twelve until the age of 44 on and off while raising our sons.
Happiness inwardly is the best medicine for anyone, and so it is what I strive for.
Any way that you can find to do that for yourself from watching a sunset or even awaking early for a sunrise those are the things that are priceless and monetarily free to all who chose to imbibe.
It’s the stop, and smell the rose’s idea.
Clearly we all need to think positive thoughts and hopefully that will give us the ability to change things for the better in this coming year or if not change to accept that which we have no control over.
As we all are I am a work in progress too.
So imperfection is a very human trait.
My father used to tease that he was perfect, of course he wasn’t, but he was close.
Now I hear my hubby claim the same quality too, and to me don’t tell him, since it would only go to his head, he is close too.
It’s a man thing to be so arrogant or confident, there is a very fine line between the two, and we women poo poo it since most of us are insecure a little if not; at times way too much.
Men don’t seem to worry about cellulite, a pouch in the belly, and lines in the corners of their eyes or even gray or balding heads, not like us anyway.
They can pass a mirror and see perfection, us, on the other hand see our flaws.
There has to be a scientific way to explain it other than we are from Venus and they are from Mars or is the other way around; I always get that mixed up.
Anyway, the men are not as critical of physical attributes on themselves, but they do find many other people with imperfections oddly enough.
And do not fear saying what they think…
That is a little like me and my problem of foot in mouth disease…This year I will try harder to think before I speak or write anything that will offend anyone, OK?
Now boring is not what I expect to be but we all travel a fine line with politeness, and today and from this day forward we should all strive to be kind.
Who knows what misery others are going through?
So this year we should make a concerted effort to be a more considerate more glass half full and listening and understanding nation to get through whatever this year will be bring. We have been told the worst is yet to come, before we get the better.
Good night to all and to all think before you talk or write and I will too!
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