Happy Thanksgiving

Taking a break from this blog...... too much to do to write.....Happy Thanksgiving to my readers..... whoever may be reading this.

With faith……there is hope…..maybe

I never gave up hope…..St. Anthony must have been catching up on his to do list yesterday and finally got to me.   I picked up my robe this morning and as I shook it out to find the arm holes, upon putting it on and getting ready to leave the room, low and behold……THERE IT IS…… a crumpled up green, velvet scunchie lying on the floor. 

As I sat here thinking what I would right today, the movie “Miracle on 34^th Street” came to mind.  A very young Natalie Wood sitting in the back seat of a car repeating over and over again…..”I believe, I believe, I believe”.

As long as we believe, as long as we have hope……anything is still possible.

Well the above was written this morning…… my hope is fading…..atleast as it applied to my Aztek.   Got it to the shop this morning (after sitting in the library parking lot for five minutes to cool it down since the temp was climbing)

The call I got later in the afternoon was the repair may be more than what the car is worth…..My heart is breaking…..it is like watching a fish dying….you want to do something but you just don’t know what to do.   (going for a second opionion….somewhere ….anywhere…..and then I will figure out all my options. )

I really have to stop getting so attached to my cars ……(and a lot of other things)   need to just let things GO ! ……just wish they would have found this problem out last year before I did the new alternator, new battery, new computer module, trans flush…..or atleast when they did the new shocks a few weeks ago…….

Ka-ching

Ka-ching

Ka-ching 

Lost & (not) Found

I should have known better.   I was taking a chance wearing it outside.   It was loose. 

I retraced all of my steps …..twice…..and didn’t find it.    It has ruined my day…..I am bummed out……

But it is only a hair scrunchie…… but it was a special scrunchie…….it was green velvet….. our daughter wore it at Christmas time when she was younger……I have been tying my hair back at night when I sleep since it is getting long again.   I should have twisted it three times not two…….my hair was under my coat so I didn’t notice that it must have slipped out of my hair until much later.  

St. Anthony must have been busy because he couldn’t help today….. maybe I just forgot and it wasn’t in my hair and it is in the house somewhere.  

Maybe this loss is just setting me up for dealing with a bigger loss…..

I hate when I lose things or things break……

It makes me sad…….

Separation Anxiety

So I get to the dealer this morning for my oil change……. No one else seems to be there, I got right in….. good deal…..

I confirm that I want oil change, tire rotation and 27 point check up special for the $39.95.  The girl behind the counter promptly advises me that all 2011 Chevy vehicles take a semi-synthetic oil so it will be a little more.   It figures.   I wait and finally the car is finished….. only it is more than just alittle, it is $20.00 more.   That better be some good oil.  I am then advised that I don’t have to have another oil change for another 7,500 miles or once a year.  That helps me a lot.   I have only put 4,886 miles on in the past 13 months.   (Oh... and why does the windshield sticker say next service at 8,000?   Is this some new math?, 4,886 plus 8,000 = 12, 886 atleast according to my calculator) 

I guess I will have to give them a break.   Surprisingly, they also gave the car a wash… do they do that normally or did they spill oil or something on the car?

So on to the next event of my day….. a different local dealer is having free hot dogs and hamburgers….. celebrating the 100 Chevy years with free food and some vintage cars on displays…. Hey…. Free is free …. So off we go for some free lunch.

My afternoon was reserved to help someone clear out their house as they are moving at the end of the month….(home sale from Hell)    Since she can’t take some things with her, a nice out doors chaise lounge is offered to me, but I had to bring my Aztek  as it wouldn’t fit in the Malibu.   As I am driving there, the temperature gauge starts to climb.   Oh great.   I pull into a parking lot and wait for a bit for it to cool down.  (Last time I had it out, I was able to drive it without any temp issues-atleast for a 10 minute drive) . Finally, made it there with no further problems even thought it was just a few minutes away..

After some time and some work is done, Chaise is loaded in the car, time to head home.   Two stops to cool the temperature down,  heat running irratic (I thought running the heat would keep the temp down, but the heater was mostly blowing cold air, would get warm every once in awhile.)

Later this evening, I searched the internet and went on to the Aztek Fan Club forum.   What could this be ?    Thermostat ? need for radiator flush ?   leaking head gasket?

Looks like another appointment.    I don’t think it will be good.

College separation was hard enough, how do I deal with Aztek separation ? ? ?     

TGIF

It is Friday, it is late and I am tired.   Too tired so I am taking the night off.   I have to be up early in the morning as I have an 8:30 oil change appointment and then a busy day helping someone clean out there house as they are moving in about 10 days.  (I have to learn how to just say NO)

TO DO …… DONE

Today was a good day.   It was the “DAY OF THE AUDIT.”    If anyone has ever had to go thru an work audit, the best you can hope for is that the auditor finds everything they randomly pick out and don’t pick ANOTHER 30 ITEMS. 

Since I have been through this audit before, a few years ago I modified the way I complete the files so everything is in the same place, in the same order.  Consistency….so all the necessary paperwork and payments are made. 

It is nice when you know the good job you did made someone else’s job a little easier.  

And it is even better when you are then TOLD  what a great job you did.  

THANKS ……..

WHEN ?

All I want to do is get a convenient appointment for an oil change..... Is that too much to ask  ? ? ?

I got the email, I scheduled my appointment for next Monday or Tuesday at 9 AM.  I get a call back (hours later) and they say they can't give me a "wait" appointment until Wednesday, only if I leave the car.  So much for having a great service department.  Do they not have enough mechanics or do they have that many problems with their cars.   Think I will have to try somewhere else.

Why is it so hard to find a good, reliable and reasonably priced mechanic?  

Shakin’ it up a little

I feel much better today than I did yesterday.   I decided I would change my routine today, so I am doing my blog post this evening. 

I think I have writer’s block.   I don’t have anything I want to say or share tonight…….maybe tomorrow something will pop into my mind…..then again ……maybe not. 

I guess we will just have to wait until tomorrow. 

(this is terrible , everyone of my sentences begins with "I" ) 

Breaking Habits

I realized last night that I didn’t do my post early in the morning.

I realized last night that I didn’t make the bed.

It was a busy day, and I am paying for it today.   I have been wanting to put bed riser on the bed in the back bedroom for, has to be atleast a year now.   I need the extra storage space under the bed to store some  file boxes.   So I decided to finally do it.   It required disassembling the bed.  WHAT A TASK TO DO THAT…..

I began about 6:30 AM and worked at it all day until I really felt like I was ready to drop.  Since we went to church Saturday evening, I took an hour break to do our normal “Sunday after church visit” to say “hi , how have you been.”

My husband had to work a special job all day so there were no distractions from him.  

Flipping the mattress and box spring off the bed stirred up some dust, and since I have sensitive sinuses,  I started with the sneezing fits.   I finally couldn’t stand it anymore…. so I took some allergy stuff…..Only one though…… by 6:30 PM….. I had it, I was beginning to feel really tired.   No dinner tonight…..let’s get Chinese…. So I ordered, so I went and picked up the order.    Upon arriving home, discovered they forgot to put in the dumpling sauce….. great !   They are only down the street so it was no big deal to go back out and pick it up. 

During dinner, we turned on the TV and watched a Christmas Show…..so soon ? ? Ten o’clock …..bedtime…..I was right out……until about 3:20 AM…A few of my fingers felt like someone hit them with a hammer and had some numbness in my arm…..must be carpel tunnel aggravation and  I felt like I was going to start sneezing again so I decided to get up.  

Usually if I have a cup of tea (tried some orange spice ) and a few cookies, I can get right back to sleep, also thinking  maybe the warm tea vapors would calm my sinuses down a bit .  We bought some new cookies at the store last week call WHOONU? …… They were opened the other night and have a reseal able package, only I couldn’t figure out how to open them up…..afraid  the crumpling of the package would disturb the slumber of the person in the next room….. I finally gave up.. no cookies tonight.

No cookies……maybe some tv would help.   I started up the laptop and figured I could find something on a site somewhere.   Finally settling on HULU, I found a 56 minute show on the “Mayan Prophecies and Crop Circles “ …. I mean who doesn’t think what the Mayan’s did was amazing.     It was tough staying awake till the end, I needed to get some more sleep…..so back to bed, it was about 6 AM by this time.  

As I sit here typing today’s entry and look at the clock, I think about how much I have to do in the upcoming weeks and how long it takes to write blog entries.  It was suppose to be short……not a lot of time…..I am thinking of cutting back and breaking this daily habit.  My enthusiasm is waning….Maybe because I am tired I don’t know.  Today it is even a struggle to go make the bed.   I hope tomorrow will be a better day.    

WHO KNEW ? ?

I have been cleaning out a bunch of stuff since 6:30 AM , and I forgot to post this this morning.

Yesterday morning my husband John said I should blog about 11-11-11.   I didn’t really give the whole thing much thought to blog about it.  

I did read something though about the Giza pyramid being closed, Because I just can’t keep off the internet, I decided to search for the article I had seen early Friday morning.  (I believe it was one of the Yahoo stories that showed up when I went to sign into my e-mail) and I did read an article about a girl in my hometown who was turning eleven in a local newspaper…..guess that would be cool for her. 

Here is the information I saw…..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/egypt-closes-largest-of-great-pyramids-of-giza-following-rumors-of-111111-rituals/2011/11/11/gIQApO6CBN_story.html

I did find a few other articles that I thought were pretty interesting and though I would share them  ….. for who ever may be out there that even reads this blog……  Hope you enjoy theses as much as I did .

http://news.yahoo.com/11-11-11-friday-tied-mayan-apocalypse-202811204.html

Never gave this following one any thought, but when you really think about it …..I can see it ……

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/corduroy-appreciation-day-honors-the-11-11-11/2011/11/11/gIQANElNCN_blog.html?wprss=arts-post

This last one has got to be my most favorite…… I mean…. Who has the time to sit around all day and think about this stuff anyway ? ?  ?

http://news.yahoo.com/why-11-11-11-mathematically-amazing-162809578.html

I AM SO CONFUSED ! ! !

It’s Saturday morning ( I think)…..okay, yes it is.   This past week has been very disjointed and I have been losing track of what day it is.   I am not really sure why.   I think it is because a lot of my routine things have kind of gone hay wired because of adaptations of what I normally do.   Writing this blog is putting a cramp into my morning routines as sometimes it takes me longer to write than I would like it too.   My thoughts have not been as clear as I would like them to be and the writing has been a little more difficult.

I realized this morning I must have forgotten to finish washing the whites last week.  “I wonder why I don’t have any socks left in the drawer”….Oh yeah….I will get on the laundry as soon as this blog entry is finished.  I will set the kitchen timer for the 50 minutes it takes to finish the cycle and hopefully it will get me on track and I can get on some other cleaning that REALLY needs get done. 

The end of daylights savings time really hasn’t helped me much either.  When I wake in the morning from the previous night of slumber, it is usually still dark.   I don’t like to get up when it is dark outside.   When I leave work, it is dark….. I don’t like driving home from work in the dark.  

I think I will have to write the day of the week on the kitchen white board so I can keep dinner straight.   Last Wednesday I reheated the leftover chicken for dinner….. why ?

Wednesday’s are ALWAYS pasta days, it didn’t even phase me until I started on Thursday to make the pasta and my husband said ….”today is Thursday, not Wednesday”.  REALLY ?   uggghhhhhh  Well we are having pasta anyway!

Well, I need to go get the day started, I feel like I am already running behind schedule.

About the only thing I can count on regarding scheduling is that tonight Jake, our dog, will be sitting in front of me, maybe putting his head on my knee , letting me know it is time for his evening Milkbone.   I will look at the clock and think “but it is not 8 o’clock yet”.

He doesn’t care about DayLights Savings Time ending and that the clock says seven,  he just wants his cookie.

Electric cars and today’s youth

Getting my license and having my own car when I was 17 was my key to freedom.   No more waiting for the public bus to get to school and back home again or depending on anyone else for a ride.

I remember gas was somewhere between $.28-$.33 a gallon.   I was making $1.65 an hour at my job.

Finding a decent car was a challenge. I had to pay for it myself, there were no hand me downs.   Most of the time, when you found a decently priced car and called on it, it was already gone.    My first car was a Black Chevy Impala – we called it “the heavy chevy”.  The engine was bad….. how could people take advantage of a 17 year old kid…..my dad got another engine from a junk yard and in a few months it was on the road.   The radio didn’t work…. I remember sitting in the parking lot of a Channel Store (anyone remember them ?) after purchasing an 8-track tape player with a build in  FM radio, checking the lower dash and finding a screw that allowed me to hook it up right there and then.   My next car, I think I may have been 19-20,  an Oldsmobile (anyone remember them ?) had a windshield leak and the passenger side floor would fill up with water.  (you could have told me when you sold me the car ).  When I needed my third car, I was pretty broke….my dad found me a RAMBLER…..a 3-speed on the column with manual breaks and no power steering. This was all I could afford.   It turned out to be a great, dependable little car and I sold it 3 years later for more than what I paid.  Cars were much simpler then.

Today, cars are so complicated….. run by computers.   You didn’t have power windows, you had to lean over to roll down the passenger window …..power locks – (what were they?)  .and remote start……forget it…….get your winter coat and boots on and go start the car up so the windows will be defrosted by the time you are ready to go.  The handling of the new cars, with all the power-assisted “whatever” make driving so much easier…and more dangerous for inexperienced drivers. 

Now when we look to getting a car, our choices are even more varied.  Gas or Electric. We grew up with only Gas engines.  I always thought my next car would be electric.  They have a battery.  Gas engines have batteries too, but have you ever looked to see how much a replacement battery would cost for an electric car?  I struggle with the cost of replacing a battery in my laptop.  After finding out they cost “thousands of dollars”, I reconsidered,  I normally keep my cars for 10 years…..NOPE ….not for me…..    

When you turned 17, you got your license.  None of the hour restrictions when you could drive or who or how many people you could have in the car.  Driver training was part of the high school curriculum, now you have to pay an independent company to teach you to drive, they even take you for your test with their car.  Good thing because our household didn’t have a vehicle with the brake in the center console when our daughter was due to get her license. 

As I was walking the dog yesterday morning,  a guy was jogging with his, maybe five year old, daughter driving along in her electric  “Barbie” car.   In our day it was mini-bikes and go carts…… trying to get around the block and back in the back yard before the police came for “driving” unregistered vehicles on the road …. Not to mention we were unlicensed too ….we must have been between 9-14.

As this little girl was stopping and going, weaving from one side of the road to the other, it struck me…..Just what kind of driver training did she take and what kind of license did she have to operate this “electric vehicle” on the road way.   I was too far away to see if the vehicle was properly registered and inspected, much less if she was wearing a seat belt.  

I wondered…….what is this young child going to do when her electric battery needs replacing ? ? ?

DADDY….MY CAR WON’T START ! ! ! ! 

Just say NO ! ! !

Have you ever been around someone who needed help with something that you just happened to be a little more knowledgeable about ?   So you figure you would just offer your help, I mean, it’s the right thing to do, to help your fellow man.

I am naturally curious Sometimes I just wish I didn’t know as much as I do (not really).  It is my curse.  If I hear someone ask a question or need an answer as to how to do something, I have to look it up, try to find the answer, learn more about it. And with the resources of the internet……OMG ! ! ! ! 

You know the saying , Jack of all trades, master of none.   Well, I think I am a Jackie of all trades, master of none.

I blame my upbringing, my childhood.   I loved to just stand around and watch my dad work on things…..  There was never   - it couldn’t be done, you just tried and figured it out … whatever way you could….. and if you didn’t have the right part …. You made it or you recycled something into something else.  (Did the word recycle even exist in the 60’s ?)      I remember using my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine and I made my own skirt…. I think I was about six…I had no clue what I was doing, but I figured it out.  A straight piece of fabric and sew it along the side…. NO PROBLEM… . I think we still have that sewing machine… stored in the basement under a staircase.

The problem now is, people have a misconception that just because you may know a little about a lot,  they think you are an EXPERT in EVERYTING…..

GIVE ME A BREAK….

Stop hollering at me…..

I am doing the best I can …..

It is not my fault………..

Remember how I am removing the word Stupid from my vocabulary ?   Well, I have to really try and add

Sorry, don’t know anything about that  

                        Or

Just plan NO ! ! ! !

Books, books and more books

I have so many books that I want to read, so many things I want to understand more.         

One of my biggest interest is psychology….. why, why, why?   Why does that make me happy or sad,  why do people do what they do, why are people the way they are, why am I feeling this way?

I had a conversation with a niece of mine, maybe about a year ago.  She is a Psychology major.   She told me about one of her textbooks she thought I would enjoy.   I bought a copy of it on one of those textbooks reseller sites, an older edition, it was inexpensive.

Because I was a business major, the only people I remember was Skinner and Maslow.  Most people have heard of Freud, but I think of dream analysis when I think of him.   I don’t remember too much about Skinner, and most of us have probably at some point have heard about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and his dog experiments with the bell and dog feeding.  

  

I recently dug out the textbook my niece thought I would enjoy.  It is called ‘The theories of Personalities”  .   Not only does it have Freud, Skinner and Maslow, but it also has the theories of Jung (I have heard of that name before) , Erickson, and lots of others.   I happened to open a random chapter -Rollo Reese May. His theory has the most in common with existential philosophy.

Existentialism -  I don’t ever remember ever hearing that word up until a few years ago when our daughter took a summer class on Existentialism.  And I refuse to share with you how long it took me to even be able to say the word.  I am enjoying reading about his theory.   It makes a lot of sense to me, I can identify with many things.  

A few posts ago I spoke about what I thought needed to be added required classes.  Well, theories of personality should definitely be added to that list. 

I have found in the past that the little bit of psychology I have had (for a business degree) has certainly helped me in dealing with people I work with, but I have a new respect for those people who go into the “Psychological” profession and their work with helping people deal with issues they are struggling with.  

I guess I mean ..I like to be around positive, happy people… it makes me feel good….. I have always been more of an immediate gratification person, or I like to see it now….(I guess that is why I hated credit and collections….what do you mean I have to wait 30 days to see my results of today’s work?) .   

So while others may be happy with their novels, comic books, or whatever,   I will be happy with finding books that are focused around  why people are the way they are and how by understanding, maybe we can “fix” some of our own flaws and make us the individual we want to be.    

Stress Relief for Me

After a few days of straying from my crocheting, over the last two days I have churned out 17 rows and realize that I only have 7 rows to finish this project.   This was a long term project that I had until April 2012 to finish.   I could easily finish it this morning but in the back of my mind,  I feel “OH NO, WHAT WILL I DO NOW WHEN I AM WATCHING TV”.   Crocheting is my stress reliever, it gives me a sense of accomplishment, It makes me feel “good” about myself.  

I did find a new pattern I wanted to try, it was  on one of the yarn wrappers …. But I don’t know where I put it, and then there is that pattern I found on the internet.  

Story of my life – no matter how hard I try to stay organized, I manage to not be able to find something when I want or need it, creating unnecessary stress for me.    I think I do have better organizing techniques now, why didn’t I do this years ago?  I have read enough books and articles about different techniques.  I finally found something that works very good for me  - notebooks, plastic sleeves, glue sticks.  I cut out stuff,  keep articles -  I want to be able to read this again….someday…because I know I will forget it.

I am a slow reader, and stuff just doesn’t stick to easily.   I know the knowledge is there in my brain somewhere but I learn better by repetition and structure.   Maybe I just don’t pay attention enough when I read it so it goes in that proper file cabinet in my brain.   I wonder if your brain has those piles of papers like I have on the desk?   

Writing this morning just doesn’t seem to be going too well.   My thoughts are jumping in all different directions.  I think I will just end this now ….. so it doesn’t stress me out.

  

Pizza , Pizza .

PIZZA, PIZZA

Who could even say pizza, pizza without thinking of the image of Little Ceasar running around the tv screen.   When we order pizza, we always get Sicilian with everything on it except anchovies.   I am always the one who has to call it in and pick it up….The owner of the pizzeria  seems to remember me and always gives me a great price.  We can eat for days on that one pizza.

With it being football Sunday,  it seemed like a good day to have pizza.   I remembered we had gotten some pizza dough when we were grocery shopping not to long ago, so I though…Hey… lets make homemade pizza.   We do that a lot.   I love our homemade pizza…. Just have to be sure to remember to take the frozen dough out of the freezer for it to thaw.  I have not been able to master how the pizzeria guys take that ball of dough and flip it around some and before you know it, it is ready for the pan .  Maybe I will have to add that to my bucket list.

We had some sauce, some red peppers, some green peppers, onion,  so far so good.    There are usually mushrooms in the house but not today…. No big deal…. We can skip them tonight.    So as I start to construct the pizza, I realize I have to get the cheese….I go to the basement fridge to get some of that $.99/bag cheese that was on sale ..and only find…… Mexican mix….. Hey cheese is cheese… Who says pizza has to be made with mozzarella anyway.   It will have to do.  

I guess I must have been feeling like I was a participant on “chopped” because my creative juices started to flow …...what am I going to do with these ingredients to make an amazing pizza that the judges will love ? 

So I start to rummage thru the fridge and find the left over chicken parmesan we had the other day… I think …. Why not…. Chop the chicken and throw it on the pizza…. I thinly slice up a tomato and zucchini (micro-wave for 1-2 minutes) and add them on too.  Finally, the Mexican Mix cheese.  

I look at my pizza and it reminds me of the new food pyramid plate.  (I guess it is not a pyramid anymore)  I don’t know if the serving portions are right but hey, it has protein, vegetables, and scientifically speaking, a tomato is a fruit, and the starch.  Cheese is considered dairy isn’t it?  – a nice healthy meal if you ask me.  

Twenty minutes later…. Dinner is done. 

bon appétit

I wonder what the judges will think ? 

HABITS ! – the good, the bad, and the ugly

Today is Sunday.   It is a day that our family goes to Church and thanks God for the things we have in our lives.  -  and as I have always believed – some free therapy.  

We all having habits -  good and bad.  As I pointed out in a previous post, habits can be changed…… just do it for 21 days in a row and maybe you can change that habit.   I used to think of some of my habits were like a “drug”…. I was an addict…..If I could just get through the next 24 hours…..I could kick the habit.    Right now, every night, that bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups call out to me….. I can’t help myself…..tonight I will try to go cold turkey and fight the urge to have one -  If I can get thru that first day, the next day will be easier.   What do they say ?  “One is too many and a million is not enough ?”

Why is it so hard for us to just stop for a second and THINK….. do I really want to do this?   What are the ramifications to my actions…. Will it help me, will it hurt me, what is the effect on someone else.   What kind of reminders can I do that will help me “kick the habit”? 

As the end of daily light savings time ends, we all need that “good” habit of “change your clock , change your batteries “ in your smoke detectors.   Hey, It is only twice a year – but it can save your life.    Did you also know that you should replace the smoke detectors, I believe it was every ten years?   ( do you know how old your smoke detector is? – check the inside, it has a date).   I am not sure how I feel about the newer smoke detectors with the lithium batteries.   Am I going to really remember when the battery is suppose to be replaced.  Sometimes I can’t remember what I have to do next week, much less in ten years or so.   I put a sticker on my batteries when I put them in, so I always know when the battery was replaced last.   So maybe I can keep the habit but modify it to “change the clocks, CHECK the battery date”.  Seems workable.

So as I get ready to go to church, and get ready for some free therapy,  I know it will be about something that will help me be a better person…..Someway, somehow…..

And I will say prayers for those out there that are fighting too to “kick their own habits” whether they be to establish good ones or get rid of the bad and ugly ones.

Laundry, Lists and Christmas Gifts

It is not even nine in the morning and the third load of laundry is in the machine.  I have reviewed my list from Thursday and all but two things are crossed off and three more items are added on this morning.  I have even read a few of the daily newspapers that have been piling up.  

November…… How can it be November already ?   Thanksgiving is not too far away….. I want my home filled this year with people who want to be with my family.   I don’t know where I will seat them all but that is okay…. The more the merrier…. I just have to move some of my stuff.  It will be tight but cozy.   I will have to start a menu list so everything will get done with as little stress as possible.

And then comes Christmas. I can’t believe I have already started Christmas shopping…. Not that I have a lot of shopping to do…. There are actually some things that I know what people really want.   That makes it so much easier.   Isn’t it nice when you can give someone something they can really use but don’t know they want it.  Not some random sweater.  Is a new package of socks really an “oh wow!” gift?  They had better be some really special socks – Unless of course they are Wig-wams, I was excited about getting them one year, they are so warm. 

This year, one request is a new alarm clock.  Not for me, but  for another family member.  They currently have”smart” clock…. At least it used to be.  It would automatically change for day lights savings time and change back when it was over.   That is until the dates were changed.   It gets confused now, it is stuck in the past and doesn't want to change with the times. It's programming is ingrained in.   Last week, the clock changed automatically.  It had to be manually changed to the correct time (oh no, I am late for work)…..   and this weekend it will have to be changed again, manually.  STU….I mean crazy clock,  get with with the program... things change and you have to adapt.   If you can't change, you will need to be replaced.

I have another Christmas gift item to get today.  Shopping was on the list, was suppose to go on Thursday but then I noticed a new sale brochure for Friday-Saturday-Sunday, special discounts 15-40% off.  OKAY ….. works for me….list adjusted.

So as I head to the basement to throw the 4^th load of laundry in, I am ready to tackle that list.      

            Shopping with 15%-40% off (with my $10 cash certificate) ;

get the dog a free rabies shot,

Bound Brook Riverfest for some free music & whatever else goes on at a riverfest.

I don’t want to miss that Graham Cracker eating contest! 

It’s Finally Friday ….. Yea ! !

Why did I bother to be nice and go in to work yesterday and try to catch up on things.

Yes, it was frustrating, yes, I was trying to get some clarification on how you were doing something. 

But to say ….”IT”S NOT MY PROBLEM YOU ARE FRUSTRATED”.   Not a nice thing to say…

I hope I don’t have to deal with you today.   I am glad I was able to keep my cool…….(at least I think I did)…..Just two personalities that may clash ….sometimes…..each one of us is only trying to do our job.  

With a clearing head this morning, I will figure out a way that your work won’t frustrate me any more. 

HAVE A NICE DAY ! 

So MUCH to do, So LITTLE time

It’s seems to be the day is starting off a little slower than I had hoped.  I didn’t get all the work done that I had wanted to yesterday, so it looks like I may have to try and fit in going in for a few hours, especially with it being the beginning of the new month, I don’t want to fall to far behind.

Today is the day for me to catch up and clear up some things I have been putting to the side.  Usually I take care of a few of these things in the morning but the week just flew by, with no extra morning time. 

I just have so many little things to do today.  I made a list.  I hope that $10.00 coupon that I need to use is still good.  I found a luncheon form that I really wanted to attend.  It is this Sunday.   I have been trying to go to this luncheon for 4 years.   I won’t have another chance.   It right by the phone to call to reserve our seat, how did I miss it?  Maybe I can still reserve.

I did get a chance to look up yesterday when the free rabies clinic is…. I wrote it on the white board…..It is this Saturday, I don’t want to miss that as it will save me some money.   I won’t be able to get the dog license in January if he doesn’t get a rabies shot before then, even though he is good till Nov. 2012.

So I made my list, I think I have it all down….. but I have to make sure I don’t rush too much….. Take some time…. Think it all out so I am not driving in circles and wasting time…..

And next time…..be sure the shredder has a bag in it, when you are shredding tons of paper as those little slips of shreds will fall all over the floor when you open the swinging door.   WHAT A MESS…..

Bad Habits - New Goals

I have heard it say, we are “creatures of habit” .   Many of the things we do are habits we have formed in our lives – some are good and some are bad.   I have read somewhere that if you do something everyday for 21 days you can change a  habit. 

It works….. I have done it…. Formed a new habit…. Years ago….. to test the theory out…. I made my bed everyday….I can’t not leave the bedroom now with having the bed made.  

I have been writing this blog now for 22 days ….. in a row…..Have I developed a new habit?   I think so….. I am struggling a little this morning as to what to write….. I want to say….maybe skip today but something draws me to the keyboard.    I am tired this morning for some reason….more than usual….maybe it is the cooler weather, maybe I didn’t get enough sleep, I don’t know. 

As I said, habits can be good or bad…. I am not sure if this blog is a good habit yet. I enjoy writing it, helps me clear my head about some things, maybe something I say is will inspire or help someone..so I guess those are the good points, the bad point is that it takes time from other things…. Time that can be used doing more “important” things.  Maybe doing laundry, washing dishes and clearing the dish drain board, maybe looking at those bills that need to be paid, or crocheting, learning something new that I always wanted to do. 

Bad habits are tougher. Don’t we all want to change our bad habits, change them into good habits.   Some of them we recognize (smoking, maybe eating too many sweets, not exercising),  some we don’t.   A few of my bad habits that I would like to change are to call people more often and let them know I am thinking of them, spend more time with relatives that live locally that don’t get out that often, and my biggest one is, to think more before I speak or react – watch my words, watch my tone, listen to what people are saying to me  and try to react after thinking and not on emotion.

So as I begin my morning and get ready for work,  I think I will consider what are my bad habits.  Maybe I need to put them down on a list …. create some new goals….and I will see if in 21 days…… If I was successful in kicking a bad habit. 

The Halloween that almost wasn’t

First it was the wedding weekend, then it was the snow, where is there any more time to decorate….

Halloween is a day our household has always looked forward to for a number of years.

We must have more Halloween decorations than Christmas ones.   Every year the Halloween decorations seems to multiply…...   Scary masks, plastic spiders, monster goblets, scary music, hugh rubber rat dogs,  an animated crawling witch, so much stuff.  

Over the years, we have been called the Halloween House.   Neighborhood kids look forward to coming up and being scared.  The set up was usually the day before, usually taking the day off of work to set up the Haunted Tent.  Not this year.

Our tent is a 20 ft long, 10 ft wide , more of a canopy really.   The sides were enclosed using large black bags.  The inside had lots of decorations, including a strobe light.  In years past there was a flog machine too.  

Our Halloween goodies would include bags of pop corn, cans of soda (kids love the heavy stuff), juice boxes, packets of hot chocolate, anything but candy…..stuff that could be integrated into our daily lives after it is over.    This year there were snack chip pac’s and cheddar cheese cracker packets along with some hot chocolate and popcorn. 

But what will this year bring?  Some lawn decorations were put out late last week.   As I am driving home from work, I see some kids on the streets with their parents…..good sign….As I drive up the road, I see our house and there are just a few more decorations on the front walkway and on the front steps…..As I walk in the house, the resident “monster” states we have had about 20 children so far, “I got rid of the crunchy cheese doodles first  because I don’t like them”…..WHAT ! ! ! !   they are my favorite.   Ughhh.

The night draws on, a few kids here and there…..everytime the door bell rings, the dog goes crazy,  “hey Jake, you want a cookie”  seems to be getting his attention enough to get him away from the door.  (I love these ultra-mini-mini milk bones, the perfect little treat). 

By seven- thirty, Halloween seems to have wound down…..Should I shut out the light ?  No…. keep it on until nine.    By 8:45,  there were only two more kids.   That’s it, we are done.

So here in the morning, I reflect on this years Halloween.  All the left over Halloween treats, the little boy who was brave enough to come up for his treat this year and the one who wouldn’t ….Maybe next year he will brave the Haunted Tent.   Not too scary for some this year.  

But with the TV news on in the background this morning,  I hear of the continuing nightmare for some this year…….No power, no heat…..and I wonder when their nightmares will end. 

The morning after and things that go bump in the Night (or Dark)

The morning after and things that go bump in the Night (or Dark)

You do all your preparations.  You book a room with a reputable hotel chain.  You put your faith in them keeping you safe.  It is the second day of our Weekend Adventure.  Time to head home.   We wake up, hit the light switch and NOTHING …… wait, I must be hitting the wrong switch, so I try another, nothing…. Try still another…..Nothing…. huh….. no power.   I check the heater, no heat.   Okay, I did read possible power outages…..NO PROBLEM…. I dig out the tap light and put in the batteries..   AHHHHHH…..let there be light.     I then realize,   no power….means NO HOT WATER EITHER….How will I shower ?   OH NO ! ! ! …. Then reality really sinks in,,,,,,,, NO COFFEE ! ! ! !           This is not good.   Well, we figure we would go down stairs and at least take advantage of the Continental  Breakfast.   Hey, you don’t need power for juice and Danish, right ?   We open the door,   well, this isn’t good. 

The emergency hall lights aren’t lit.  A staff member is knocking on the room door next to ours giving the occupant his “wake up call”  explaining there is a power outage.   He is walking to go to the next room…..   He walks right into a door that separate one section of hall to another…. WHY ?   he is walking around in the dark, using his cell phone light to get around.   REALLY ?  Evidently,  that is the best light the hotel has to have their staff walk around with.   I am very concerned as to why the emergency lights are not illuminating the hallways……   I wonder, does that mean the smoke detectors are not operational either….  How can this be?   I thought these lights ran off a generator of sorts.   I guess not. 

 I gather my tap light and we proceed to find the stairs to go to the first floor….  We ask the gentleman walking around which way are the stairs….   He thinks  (THINKS ?) they are that way …..   as he points to the left.   We walk down the hallway, following the EXIT signs, (at least they are lit)   go thru a doorway and stand around looking for which way to go now. . .   I have no idea…..   I see no EXIT sign….   I finally find it,   It is dark, NOT LIT…   Isn’t that a serious safety violation. 

We make our way down the dark staircases with the small glow of the tap light.  The lobby area has lots of big windows so the day light is filtering in.  The front desk has a few candles.   I report my concern of the EXIT light not working on the floor above.    At least maybe we can get some coffee.   I see a staff member behind the desk with what looks like a cup of something hot……OH …. NO COFFEE….”The Breakfast room is closed.” So  NO SHOWER….. NO COFFEE…. NOT EVEN A MUFFIN.    I guess it is time to wrap it up and head home, so we go “UP the DOWN staircase”   -( I remember reading that book in my younger days and wasn’t it made into a movie?) gather our belonging and head out. 

We are only a few blocks from the interstate, not one Dunkin Donuts in sight.   I pick up my coffee cup and discover there is some coffee left from the day before.   Ummmmmmm  ICE COLD COFFEE.   There is even some coffee left in the thermos we usually bring.    We’re good…. Atleast for awhile.  

The landscape is incredible.   The trees are covered in a snow. It is more beautiful than anything I had seen the day before.  It certainly makes up for the lack of being able to see the colored foliage.   The temperature is only 27 degrees and I hope the elevated highways are not icy.  With the morning sun glistening on the mountain side, I attempt a Kodak Moment from the inside of the car, but the beauty can not be captured – maybe if I had a Nikon or Canon but probably not.   I don’t think glistening can be captured in a photo. 

As we finally cross into NJ, it is time to refill the gas tank and get some breakfast.  The line is long but moves along quickly.   As we wait for our meals, we learn from the couple sitting next to us just how bad the snow storm affected the area.  Loss of power & heat, closed roadways, downed wires, downed trees.   We were lucky to travel such a great distance with no issues, what lies ahead?    After a while we are back on the road and finally make it home with no detours or other issues. 

As I sit here this morning finishing this blog entry, I toss the notes of the remaining things I wanted to write about as I listen to the news.  I reflect back on the problems we left behind and the problems many are dealing with still today.   When we got home our house was about 53 degrees but I knew it would warm up after I turned on the heat as we had power, I shutter as I think of all of those still without power.

I think about the new travel pack I will make for when I go on my next overnight excursion whether it be just for one night or and extended period of time.  It will definitely be packed with flashlights, extra batteries, a battery operated smoke detector and c-o detector….I think I will have a note to be sure to add some certain foods too….maybe some crackers and peanut butter…..

I still have to figure out what to do about Caffeine needs though . 

Our Weekend Adventure (What do you mean a rare snow storm is on the way?)

Our Weekend Adventure (What do you mean a rare snow storm is on the way?)

It is Saturday morning and we begin our weekend adventure only 40 minutes late but that’s ok, we have to be there 30 minutes later than I thought….. So I guess you can say we are ONLY running 10 minutes behind schedule. 

I begin checking off the items on my mind’s list -   OH NO ! ! ! I forgot the check book.  I think an IOU for a wedding gift would be kind of tacky – who would forget a gift like that.  (Especially if you ultimately forget to mail it ) .  As my husband would always say, “It’s just a U-turn away”…. So back home we head… not to bad, we are only two blocks away. 

With check book in hand, I also grab a pad and pen to handwrite today’s blog entry for Sunday’s posting . 

( I am really trying hard to post every day). 

This was suppose to be an easy overnight trip. Our clothes are all picked out, my crocheting is in a bag for the ride,

invitation with address– check

hotel reservation confirmation – check

Mapquest directions – check (just in case GPS has issues)

Review Weather.com – “RARE OCTOBER SNOWSTORM HITTING THE EAST”            

(oh great ! ! ! )  just our luck   …. HUGH POWER OUTAGES EXPECTED  - double great.

So down to the basement I go to dig out my snow boots. I pull out the box of tap lights and grab that new package of AA batteries I got at Staples last week (you know the ones I am getting 100% rewards back).  Flashlights, headlamps – you name it, I grab it.   I will be prepared, I was a Girl Scout Leader.  (should I bring a snow shovel?  Maybe we have room for the small snow blower.)  I grab the big umbrella as I make my way out the door….maybe it will just be rain.

As we begin our journey, northwest, ½ hour into the ride, the rain changes to a wet, snow mix….. So much for wishful thinking.   Think it is time to bring out the GPS…MY Garmin GPS…. Not the Sony (I hate the Sony GPS)…. (With this cloud cover, maybe I will get a signal by the time we get there).   Hey, good news the GPS connects quickly.Bad news, the wet mix is now snow ! ! !

I was really looking forward to admiring the beauty of the foliage changes as we headed northern to the higher elevations… instead I see the mountains obscured by the low cloud cover….. STU   ….I mean crazy people driving without their headlights on, slush covered windshields on parked cars, even a guy at a used car lot looking at 4 wheel drive vehicles while his small, gas efficient car idles dangerously at the side of the road. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN ?

We are now 1-1/2 hours driving…. In the Pocono’s…..Snow is covering the roadway, we pass a salt truck…(FYI - I know this is a picture of a semi, we had already passed the salt truck )  you can’t even see the exit signs for Rt. 380….It is a winter wonderland out there….. It looks like a day in late Jan. maybe February, not the end of October.  All I can say is …..good thing the traffic is very light. 

I look up from my crocheting, 6 rows done, 2-1/2 hours on the road and we cross out of PA into NY….Since getting out of Scranton, there is no snow, no rain, only exciting thing I see is a State Trooper sitting on the side of the road with his lights flashing..The outside ambient temperature has risen from a low of 31 to a high of 36 and it appears to be rising….this is a good thing. 

More time passes and we finally turn off the interstate and continue to follow the GPS directions….. taking us thru farm country….cow’s grazing and hanging out, 2 white horses that are standing so still they look stuffed and an Alpaca Farm sign…..wait …..WHAT ?

One car passes us by on this 15 mile county drive.   I think, how do people even find these places to live…and then remember how to get back to them.    A random car is parked on the side of the road probably collecting fire wood from the wooded area about 10 feet in from the street. Atleast it is a macadam roadway, not some dirt road.  A few more cars….could we be getting back to civilization ?   I then remember I really need to find a CVS, Walgreens or Walmart.   I FORGOT TO BUY A WEDDING CARD ! ! OH NO ! ! !   We arrive at the end of the road and the restaurant is just up a bit…. Not another thing in site…..We have 1-1/2 hrs to spare so I plug into the GPS ….”shopping” …we are about 5-1/2 miles West of the town of Greene.   It shows there is an Eckert Drug Store… good deal . 

 

What can I say about this town of Greene….. I feel like I am in the old West….. The whole town is about 3 blocks long….only there are cars and not horses.... Building connected to building connected to building….. The GPS tells us “you have arrive”  and it is not an Eckerd Drug store….. it is “MIMI’S “.   We decide to park and talk a stroll thru town…(shouldn’t take us but a few minutes)  Luckily we find a Rite-Aid….. I get my card.   I remember I have two letters I forgot to mail. Is there a Post Office ?  just down the street…. So we walk….we get there …They are “OUT TO LUNCH”   (REALLY ? )..   that’s okay, I will just drop them in the box. 

We decide it is time to head back to the restaurant for the wedding after we grab a small bite to eat at “Bonnie’s for Breakfast and Lunch”   How bad can it be …. The establishment has been there for over 25 years.  What a deal…. Where can you get an egg salad sandwich WITH potatoe chips for just $2.95.     It is time to leave Greene…. This cute  little town …. It may be little but it has … the local lunch joints, the drug store, 3 real estate agencies (really ?  three? ) , a pizza place and even a Chinese restaurant  - eat in or take out.  I wonder if they deliver ? ? ? 

We travel East, 5.1 miles  (hey look another alpaca farm ) soon we arrive at the SILO ….. is this the place?   There is no one here…(just some waitresses)… It is almost two….. the wedding is at 2:30.   ARE WE AT THE RIGHT PLACE ? ?  ARE YOU SURE?   We go back to the car, check the invitation…..right place…Where is everyone? ? ?

So we finally find someone who directs us to the proper door we should have gone in….. (Not the front door ? ? ? some door in the back ? ? WHO KNEW) …….

We find table 12 and we sit……. and wait……I glance out the window,  the view of the mountains is beautiful ….. an then I notice …….it is beginning to snow….OH GREAT ! ! !

What’s that say ?

What’s that say ?

Yeserday morning the house felt a little on the cool side.   I checked the thermometer in the living room that measures both the inside and outside temperatures.    WHAAT !!!!!! It got down to 36 degrees last night.    I’m sorry……. It is not even November yet.    I refuse to turn on the heat.   IT IS NOT IN MY BUDGET……it is right  before Halloween ……we have all this trick or treat stuff to get….. How can we disappoint all the little kids and tell them, sorry we had to pay the electric and gas company the money we usually use to buy your goodies.   I will just have to put on my fleece wear and suck it up.  

We already have started gathering the treats…… the snack packs of various kinds of chips,  those cheese and cheddar cracker packs, some popcorn packages, packages of hot chocolate, and I even found some decorator pencils while in the basement yesterday….what young child wouldn’t like a sparkly colored pencil.. do they still use pencils, is learning how to write still taught in our schools ?  To see some of the handwriting of some adults, I think penmanship was stopped a long time ago. 

I have seen some handwriting that looks like art….. just beautiful!   Oh how I wish my handwriting was better.   I remember bringing home many report cards, penmanship – D…..  just above failing.   What happened that my writing was so bad…. Didn’t I learn to hold my pencil correctly,   I think I learned how to color inside the lines,  why can’t I make my letter look pretty (and legible)  As I think back, the Bic pen wasn’t even invented yet or was it just not affordable to the likes of my family – only for the wealthy.   I believe it was in fifth grade , we could only use a fountain pen….. yes ….. a pen that you had to fill the ink into a little tube.  (Gosh am I dating myself)   and they had little nibs that went on to the end of the pen – kind of like the pens you use if you do calligraphy - just don’t mess up that nib.   And the school would only let you use a particular color of ink…. Was it indigo ?...(oh no, I don’t remember, I just remember you NEVER wanted to get that ink anywhere but in that pen )   If you were really lucky (and had the money),   you could use one of those pens that had little plastic cartridges that came pre-filled with ink. (Wasn’t that a Parker Pen)  Just pop that little cartridge in…. no bothering with pulling out the ink jar and pulling the little lever on the pen barrel to fill the reservoir.  

Your pen was your special tool   It was to you, what a paint brush was to an artist or a musician’s instrument.   You made sure you knew where it was… You cared for it, you may even have had it rebuilt if necessary.   I still love special pens, I remember a repair man taking a pen that I received as a birthday gift once.   I made the guy come back…. I didn’t want the money to buy another one.  I wanted the pen I received as a gift.   While  although I prefer to type on a keyboard….. I can write faster and it is easier to read…… DON”T TAKE MY PEN – especially…. My special pen.   Take one of those cheap, disposable, clone pens…. The ones your can get 12 for $1….who cares, everyone looks the same.  I feel special when I use my special pen…. I think about what I want to write and I try to form my letters carefully… (but I still think I would get a D)…. But I know you can read it.  

A guy was explaining some of the features of his new phone today…… he gave it a command….. It responded with the answer back.. I know there are computer programs now that will automatically write what you speak.   Technology is just moving too fast….. (hey, maybe he could talk to that piece of paper that he filled out that I can’t read what he wrote and readable letters will automatically appear)

I shutter to think that the pen and pencil may someday go by the way of LP records, 8-track tapes, or beta-max recordings.   The pen may be mightier than the sword BUT I think technological advances may be even mightier. 

So as the little children come to my house on Halloween, and if they are lucky enough to get one of these flashy looking pencils,  I hope they can look back someday and remember  the writing instrument they received instead of a piece of candy.  I hope they will bring it to class and maybe, just maybe, they will be able to use this tool to learn how to form their letters and words that look like art (and that can be read easily).  And hopefully  get a better grade than a D. 

A trip down to the basement…Detoured to Memory Lane

As my neighbor would call it, it was a “me” day.   It was Thursday, and I had the day all to myself.   No special jobs to go to, no emergency “you have to come over and help me out” call,  just a day for me to decide whatever I wanted to do.

The day was rainy and somewhat depressing but I felt pretty motivated.   I wanted to sew.  I can’t remember the last time I felt motivated to use the sewing machine.   I knew exactly what I wanted to do.   A long time ago I purchased a fabric panel to make a soft Christmas book.  (I had emptied a bag of stuff out and saw some quilt batting and thought it would be a small perfect project that could easy get completed)

Before I started I wanted to get some banking done and get some lunch.  On my way home,   My “smart” car….. starts talking to me .....bing ...bing ...binging….. I look down at the smart lights and  it tells me,  Your Engine is excessively hot…I know some consider it a  "hot" but ugly car,  but REALLY ? Do you have to announce it?… I look at the temp gauge and it is buried in the HOT RED ZONE…… OH SHOOT…… It is raining, I am about 2 miles from home…. What am I going to do?.. Do I even have an umbrella with me ?..... So I did what anyone would do…. SHUT OFF THE CAR AND SIT THERE, searching the memory banks, I contemplate what to do next, so much for my "me" day…….A few minutes pass…… I pop the hood…… I check the anti-freeze overflow tank, it is filled with anti-freeze….. I hear a fan running …. Huh…. My smart car is trying to be "cool" and bring the engine temp down…WHO KNEW?….I turn the key, and the temp is going down…. BING.....I then remember if you turn on the heat, it should dissipate some of the heat, maybe it will go down enough so I can at least get home…In notice the a/c button is lit and the temp setting is on hot, WHY ?, maybe that is why it ran hot? WHO IS PUSHING MY BUTTONS?  …. Who knows ….. the temp is back down to normal and I FINALLY get home …WHEWWW….. I will definitely have to get this checked out..... but not today.

So back to my sewing project,  I know exactly where that panel book material is…. At least I thought I did.   I go over to the sewing machine that is located in the basement and  OH NO ! !…… there were piles of boxes all over.    When Hurricane Irene was coming around a few weeks ago, many items were picked up off the floor and just PILED everywhere and anywhere.  GREAT ….. so I start my search…….

The adventure to find the Christmas fabric is ready to begin but I hit a detour, I am sent down Memory Lane instead…..

I find a box,

a few gas credit card receipts …. Huh, look at that… gas was $1.33 a gallon.   It only cost $13-14 to fill the tank…. Unlike the $50+ it takes today, I find an old pay stub.....wow, I was really socking the bucks away back then, a letter from my best friend in  high school … she is commenting that she is now as old as our old Steno teacher was when we were back in High School -we would even write letters in steno to each other so no one could read them - including me now;  a plastic alpha bead bracelet that spells out the word “MEEP”…..(strange how I have heard my daughter using that word not long ago, I thought we made it up…..)A pattern of an afghan I made for my brother to match his new Cavalier, (I think that was before he got married and he has been married 27 years now... ); my orange t-sheet from our Girl Scout survival camping trip at Camp Hoover when the girls learned about Hug-a-Tree and how to make a shelter out of a black, plastic bag and don't forget to bring a bright piece of clothing when you go camping.  There are things from past Halloweens , (that homemade, big stuffed pink character my daughter insisted she had to have as a costume prop, all the McDonald potato toys so lovingly collected by my dad and given to his granddaughter, a homemade mini-mouse costume for a 3 year old, mini holiday books picked out at the school book sale brochure- did they count for the Pizza Hut Book-It program ?  )   

There were photos, old newspaper clippings of special events, all those magazines and books on choosing, getting into and paying for college, tons of old computer magazine (remember Windows 95 ? ),  a box of record albums that run on 78 speed (can you even get a turn table that will run that speed anymore and who are these artists?), 8-track tapes,  Magnovox and Mattel video games and to many tapes too mention -(remember Donkey Kong and what about that Burger game-one of my favorites ?),   and lets not forget all those stuffed animals - beanie babies, The "mom I have to have it" Owl, rewards for selling enough Girl Scout cookies, the menagerie is endless.

SO MUCH STUFF…….. EVEN MORE RECIPES ! ! ! !   UGHHHHH.

I look at  the Puffalumps and consider putting them in one of those vacuum storage bags to gain some space,  but don’t think I can bring myself to “suck the life” out of them.  

So many memories…….how does one begin to part with these things…. I read somewhere to take pictures and put them in a book,   but how do you touch or hug a picture?   Do the memories come back as strong?.   I do manage to discard some things and other things will be put away.  

At last, I finally locate the item I originally started out looking for.   It will have to be put to the side and done another time.   The day is almost over, it has been a long journey.  I decide I will need to visit this place again.  

I will consider making up a Memory book of pictures for when I get old and forgetful to help remind me of all the wonderful events and chapters of my life. (I have already forgotten the name of that Burger game that  I loved playing so much)…

As I shut off the lights and make my way upstairs, my eyes catch sight of a favorite t-shirt,   On the front is Calvin of Calvin & Hobbes (who didn't love reading them ) ……   The shirt expresses my sentiments  PERFECTLY! ! !  Maybe some day I will be able to fit into it again.   Oh.... such memories ! ! ! 

Stupid Can’t be fixed ……. Or can it ?

You have probably seen the t-shirts at some point…… Just letters and an arrow on the front or back of a T-shirt.   Who would buy it, much less who would even think or want to wear it…..One proudly announcing ”I AM WITH STUPID” , the other clarifying who “STUPID” was.

Stupid…… it is just a word.  But it is a powerful word.  We have probably all used it at one time or another, maybe have even been called it a few times.   I don’t think it is a very nice word, It can ruin our day, make us sad, question our self worth.   Our household even considered it a “bad word” when our daughter was growing up.    I remember the day when I must have been having a bad day and I used it for some reason…my daughter, maybe only four or five at the time….. started to cry.  “Mama, you said a bad word, you are not suppose to say that word”.  SHAME ON ME ….

Not long ago, I saw a post on facebook…..one person calling another stupid.   I was horrified….I was offended ….. It was such a “bad” word…. I told the person you shouldn’t use that word….. I felt better.  It turned out to be an inside joke I was not privy to.

Stupid -  according to dictionary.com –

a.         Lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind, dull 

(Who doesn’t know someone who would fall into this category)

b.         Tediously dull, especially due to lack of meaning or sense –

( and just why am I doing this? , but hey if you want to pay me to do it, fine with me )

c.         Annoying or irritating, troublesome  

(describes my computer to a tee right now….it won’t let me copy and paste these definitions )  

d.         In a state of stupor.

            (definitely me when I don’t get my 8 hours of sleep)  

And speaking of stupid, what about those drivers out on the highway you have to watch out for…. You know the ones I am talking about….. you are making your turn , you have the right of way, your blinker is on and they decide THEY should go first, they cut you off, they go in your lane….WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ! ! ! !….. I can’t decide what definition they fall under….. is it a,b,c, d or ALL OF THE ABOVE.   

And squirrels…..what is their problem?….Driving home the other day, I turned on the highway and a squirrel darts out.  They see you coming and they decide they can run across the streets, but then as they are approaching the vehicle, they make that quick turn and run back…They have that built in radar.  I would definitely define him as a classic A & D definition.    How do I know ?   Well, let’s just say I know and we will leave it at that.  STUPID SQUIRRIL ! ! !

I have decided I have to remove this word from my vocabulary….. I don’t want “dull” and “Tediously dull, especially due to lack of meaning or sense “ things in my life.  I want excitement and meaningfulness. (maybe this is what the squirrel was doing.?...nah...not the kind of excitement I want ....darting towards the path of a moving car).  And it is not in my power to control “annoying or irritation, troublesome” and “being in a state of stupor” ?    Just how hard can this be ?  

Wednesday morning,  I saw a glimmer of hope….. another squirrel ….. just sitting in the middle of the street.   I approach in my car, and he doesn’t move,  OH NO …. NOT AGAIN…… I wait for the sound…. BUT….  I don’t hear anything…… Could he have been smart enough to just sit tight ?    Not move……. Just let the car roll on by….over his back.

Maybe stupid can be fixed, maybe we need to just let things roll over our backs more, like this squirrel did, like I think he did anyway …….or…….maybe there is just too much  ……..CRAZY out there ! ! ! …

I think I am going to have to look that definition up on dictionary.com.  Then I will have to think about that word and its meanings for awhile.....Hummmmm ......I think that could lead to another interesting and thought filled post.  

Mother Nature

Mother Nature....your are amazing.  All you have to do is take a few minutes and really look around you.   Have you ever stopped to watch a spider build it’s web?  It is an amazing site to watch…… Running back and forth, up and down, and just where do they get all that “string” ?   We have a few spiders that live in the Lambs Ears around the base of our swimming pool.  During the summer, we enjoy looking over the side of the pool and watch our tiny neighbors build their webs to catch the nights dinner.

I remember one year, don’t remember how long ago, but we sat out in our back yard (and boy was it cold ) and watched the sky.  So many shooting stars were happening that night…… watching the trails of light ….. etching the evening sky.

I heard on the radio yesterday morning of a rare event.  

 “The mid-South was surprised Monday night with a rare sighting of the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis, or Northern Light, and forecasters say the effect could make a second appearance tonight:

Reported sightings of the aurora trickled in from Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and as far south as northern Arkansas and Mississippi, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)."

How did I miss this post on my Yahoo mail ?   I would have sat up all night…. In the back yard ….. in the cold……..Just for the remote possibility of seeing this amazing event.      

Many times when I walk from our living room to our kitchen, I catch a glance of the sun going down and get a chance to see the beautiful colors in the sky….. Mother Nature….. Where can I get those colors of crayons ?  Are they a custom mix?  Catching that site, you have to be quick as it can change in a matter of seconds.  From my recollection, one night after going to bed, I believe it was somewhere between midnight and one, I woke up and knew I would not be able to fall back asleep.  On nights like this,   I would get up, make myself a cup of tea, watch a little tv, until I was ready to fall back asleep.   As I walked from the Living Room to the kitchen, with my usual  habit of looking out the window, something caught my eye.  It was the night sky…… HEY….. WHAT IS THAT ? ? ? I saw blues and greens …Flashes of many colors….It was  a psychedelic  light show……WHAT ?  It is suppose to be dark…..black, maybe with a bit of moon light.. I went and opened the front door and saw what I believe to be the Aurora Borealis ! ! !   in NJ ! ! !  It can’t be I thought…. I had seen photographs, but that is only visible way up north…. Not here.   By the time I realized what I was watching…. I rushed to wake up the other family members….but….. it was too late…. It was gone …. A brief view for only my eyes to see.   I never did see any news reports on it… It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. 

I don’t have a lot of wants in my life.  I wonder sometimes why….I am pretty content with what we have.   We live a fairly simple life… Our home is small and yet large enough.  We are not big spenders but we do try to do some fun things.  We have our pool to keep us cool in the summer and our vacations are usually in the off season.  We are lucky to have jobs that allow our budget to work .  

Vacation planning is always a challenge.  It shouldn’t be.  Where should we go, what should we do.   I like to visit museums, I want to see interesting places and things…. I don’t want to just sit on a beach somewhere and read a book.   I want to expand my mind…. I loved our trip to Rhode Island one Christmas….

participating in their live Nativity and touring the decorated homes of the wealthy of the past…the Gilded Age ..can’t even imagine having that kind of money…..I would love to go to Hawaii again, maybe tour a volcano…… I hear Alaska is nice……BUT…. To see the Aurora Borealis…… THAT WOULD BE AMAZING…… 

My husband saw an ad in the travel section not long ago……I think it was a cruise or maybe pointing out inexpensive air travel……I remember responding when he showed me the ad…. ‘THE NORTHERN LIGHTS” …. I haven’t thought about it since then…. Until now…. I HAVE A WANT ! ! Something to add to my bucket list.  

So as we begin to approach the end of the year, with all the upcoming holidays and their preparations, along with the increased work load that comes along with being in the profession I am in,  I need to fit in the planning to fulfill my want to see the Aurora Borealis.   I have never traveled outside the United States…. All these new travel rules…. Better get on this……

I will begin to gather some Passport Applications and start looking at the travel sections ……. 

Or…..

Maybe I will be lucky enough to wake up one night, and catch a glimpse of them just outside my door ….. here in New Jersey.  

I will be looking for you tonight Mother Nature dressed in your best attire…… in the late, night time sky…..just outside my front door. YOU ARE TRULY AMAZING ! ! !