Salt of the Earth

I ate dinner out with friends last week. We went to a place we regularly go to. This time I did not enjoy the food as much. Every bite of food I ate, seemed to be loaded with salt. The other girls said that their food was also extremely salty. This restaurant has a sign posted saying that they only cook with healthy oils but I wonder if they are monitoring their salt content. I started to wonder if our taste buds change with age. Do we have more of a sensitivity as we grow older. I left over some of my meal, which is something I normally do not do. If I cannot finish my food, I ask to take it home. This time I did not. I would have not enjoyed it. As I am writing this blog, I am thinking that I will call the restaurant and tell them how we all felt. Maybe no one ever mentioned it to them and they are unaware.

Forever Engraved

Many years ago, my father gave me his mothers' wedding band. My Grandma Celia. She died when I was only ten years old. She was born in Russia and came to the United States when she was a girl. She was a tiny woman but I remember her lifting up her arm, making a muscle and telling me there was a bird in there. I vividly remember the songs she used to sing to me and sitting in her kitchen eating the delicious food she used to cook. She was a soft spoken, kind woman. I only knew her for a short time, but she made a large impact on me. A few weeks ago, I tried on the wedding band and it fit perfectly. I have not taken it off since then. I began to think....in years to come, when I am no longer here, how will anyone know that this was her ring? I immediately took it to the jeweler and had her name engraved in the inside of the ring. Celia. My Grandma. Her name is forever engraved in her ring as her spirit is engraved in my heart.

Nutritionally Speaking

This week we hired a new psychiatrist. Along with treating by prescribing mainstream psychiatric drugs, he specializes in first treating with nutrients, amino acids and vitamins. He feels that there is a direct correlation between the foods we eat, and some mental disorders. There are foods that can trigger depression, anxiety or even psychosis. He told us of case histories where chocolate was totally removed from a persons diet and their depression vanished. During his lecture he informed us that these triggers would not show up as food allergies, but would effect the brain, never the less. He explained that most of our prescription drugs are made from derivatives of plants and vitamins, so why not try to treat patients naturally and holistically. In some cases, medications are needed, but it was interesting to learn that we do have options. In some societies, the villagers know of medical uses for every kind of vegetation. They have less illnesses than we do and as a whole, are a healthier people. Sometimes we need to revisit the old ways first before we try the new.

Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a large retail store founded in the late 1900's. The unique thing about it, at the time, was that it offered a mail order catalog for those people that resided in rural America and had no easy access to department stores. It was a wonderful idea. Allow people to browse through a catalog and choose what they needed and it would then be mailed to them. It they didn't like it or it didn't fit, it could be exchanged for another. Us "city people" used to laugh at the idea of people buying from a catalog. How country. Poor things, they did not have all of the wonderful shops that we had at our fingertips. Imagine....buying your clothes and shoes from a book. Well, who's laughing now. Americas has now become a Sears, Roebuck society. How many of us now buy our clothes and shoes and many other items from an online catalog? The choice to buy from a catalog has gone from a need to a want. The option remained the same. The public changed.

Enchanting

I realized today, that I am still young enough to be in awe of things. Since I am still in New England, my son and daughter-in-law planned a special day for me. They took me to see The Enchanted Village. It is a display from the 1940's that was originally set up in the Jordan Marsh department store. It was created by a Bavarian craftsman and originally comprised of 28 village vignettes. In 1972, the display was packed up and shuffled around from place to place. At one point, Macy's owned it. A few years ago, Jordan's Furniture, who is not related to Jordan Marsh,  bought the display and recreated the exhibit. The remaining display contains 18 of the original scenes and 59 movable characters. When I walked in to the warehouse to see it, I was amazed. It was not at all what I had expected. It was a life size village with all of the original stores, filled with the original goods.There was the barber shop, the post office, the hat store, the bakery, the candy shop, the town square and even a living room with children sitting around the fireplace, listening to a story. There were motorized mannequins still dressed in the same clothes from the 1940's. You could see the unmistakable age of the clothes. I remember wearing those same coats when I was a child. The mannequins were porcelain dolls, masterfully carved and lifelike. When I looked into their eyes, as they moved and turned, it was almost eerie. I could envision them coming to life each night after the display closed. To add to the beauty, it was snowing soap bubbles. As I moved from shop to shop, all I could repeat was "wow". I stood there like a child, soaking in all of the magic of the holiday village.

Many Happy Returns

It is the day after Christmas. The stores will be filled with people returning their gifts. There will be long lines and inpatient people. One year, I was quite surprised to find the return line at a major toy store was empty. Everyone felt that the day after Christmas would be the worst day to return gifts, so they stayed home. Reverse psychology. The only problem was, that the next day, all of the crowds were there, so I guess a lesson was learned. Shopping and psychology do not mix. Today, emotions will be running high on the return line. There will be the happy people who find out that their gifts cost more than they thought. There will be the angry people who realize that they spent much more money on their friends or family, than was spent on them. There will be the fighters who did not get a gift receipt and are not happy to have to accept a store credit. 'Tis the season to be jolly, is a thing of the past. We are now back to reality.

Real Chocolate

I arrived in New England yesterday afternoon and had some time to spare before seeing family. Across the street from the hotel is a large open air mall. It used to be a twelve movie theater but since real estate is at a premium, the theater was knocked down and replaced by a 100 store complex that includes a more modern theater. Among the various specialty stores was one in particular that caught my eye. It was named Chocolate Therapy.  I went in just to browse and was offered a sample. I passed on the sample because one bite would never have been sufficient. I began to read the chalk board menu. The first entry was hot chocolate. Real hot chocolate to be exact. I inquired as to what real hot chocolate meant. The owner said that it was melted shaved chocolate brewed with milk and topped with whipped cream. It came in three flavors, mint, Mexican and hazelnut. The mint and hazelnut were straight forward. The Mexican needed to be explained. It was chocolate mixed with cayenne pepper and cinnamon.  If it had cost less, I would have tried it, but I was not going to go out on a limb for $2.80. Mint it was. It took the man 10 minutes to melt the chocolate and slow brew it with the milk. When it was ready, I took it outside to drink. I sat on a bench in 28 degree temperature and sipped the hot chocolate. Wow! This was not hot chocolate. This was hot CHOCOLATE! It was heavenly. As I took each sip of this liquid silk, I breathed a bit of the ice cold air. The back flavor wafted through my nose. It was the best drink I ever had. It really was Chocolate Therapy.

Holiday in New England

For the past few years, I have been spending Christmas in New England. Massachusetts, to be exact.When my son married his wife, we were lucky enough to become part of his new family. I consider them my family now. A group of the nicest most sincere people I know. And that is why we look forward to spending the Christmas holiday with them. Before my son met his wife, we only celebrated Hanukkah. We have broadened our horizons since then. I enjoy being with my extended family as they celebrate their day. There is good food, good company, and the special feeling that only a loving family can give. I have learned about their traditions and family history. I watch the children grow from year to year, as new babies arrive. No matter what holiday you celebrate, as long as it is spent with family, you are blessed.

The Cutting Edge

This is the time of year for ribbons, bows, wrapping paper and .... glitter. Although it looks pretty, it can be annoying. Once it silently attaches on to you, it never wants to leave. Just this week, I have seen grown men and women with those pesky shining spots clinging to them. One man had a red piece in his ear and a woman had a green one next to her eye. Of course, no one will tell them that they are attached to a shining speckle. It is the unspoken rule, just like when you have broccoli between your teeth. Don't ask, don't tell. Even though glitter is beautiful, it can be dangerous. In reality, glitter is tiny metal shards that are colored. Think about it. Tiny metal shards. The other day, I opened a holiday card from a co worker. It was a beautiful card, covered with glitter. About a half hour later my thumb began to throb, as if I had a splinter. Upon closer look, I had a piece of glitter imbedded into my skin. It took a tweezer to remove it. It is now two days later and my thumb is still sore. What would have happened if it had lodged in my eye? I realized that I am no longer pro glitter. I am now pro confetti.

Another Year Older

Today is my birthday. I am 56 years old. I have now joined the ranks of "the elderly". I don't feel 56. I don't think I look it either. Most people tell me that I look much younger than my age. They are either being kind or they are also old and have trouble focusing their eyes. Whatever the reason, I will run with it. As I get older, birthday celebrations seem less important. Each year when people ask me what I got for my birthday, I tell them that the only present I want is to hear my parents and children sing "Happy Birthday" to me. That is the best gift and by the end of the day, I will receive this special gift, once more. As I get older, the birthday excitement diminished. I feel that each day that I am blessed to wake up healthy, surrounded by family and good friends, is like a birthday.

Happy Hanukkah

Today is the first day of Hanukkah. The beginning of the holiday season, as far as I am concerned. Our annual  pot luck holiday luncheon, at work, was yesterday. It was like the movie Ground Hogs Day. Everyone brings something, whether it is an appetizer, main dish or dessert. People are consistent from year to year. We all look forward to Keith's macaroons and dread Katharine's dry macaroni and cheese. We arrange the chairs in a semi circle and the room looks like we are getting ready for group therapy, which, by the way, would not be such a bad idea. We all fill our plates, sit down and begin to eat. Silence. You could hear a pin drop. Awkward. Other than work, we have nothing to really say to each other. Maybe we are just a boring group of people. When I get to the point of hearing myself chew, I can't take it any longer. I start a conversation, about the stupidest thing, but, lo and behold, everyone joins in. When that topic is exhausted, I think of another. I feel like the MC. These are all intelligent people, but no one seems to have the social skills to intermingle. I wish we could cut out the yearly party and just make doggy bags to take home. I can't handle the holiday stress anymore.

Shelby Goes To School

A few days ago, my sister sent me an email. She called me and told me to open it up while she stayed on the phone. I opened the email and smiled. There she was, in front of a smart board (She explained to me that a smart board was a board that showed a computer screen on a large panel in front of the classroom). Up on the screen was Shelby's blog on The Cold War. She decided to use the blog as a teaching tool. The entire class enjoyed the blog. The lesson was on how the expression Cold War could be used in two different ways. Shelby had finally made it to High School. What an accomplishment for a four year old puppy.

The Worst Gifts

The worst holiday gift I ever received was a "dickie". A dickie is the turtleneck part of the sweater that is attached to two flaps, instead of the entire sweater. It is supposed to give the illusion that you have a full sweater on, under another shirt. It was a dumb gift and the only person that used it was my older son, when he shoveled snow. We used to have a "secret Santa" event in work. Each person was assigned the name of another person and was told to buy a gift worth $20. I did research into what that person liked and got them something appropriate. No one else did that. Most people got recycled gifts or just plain junk. The only good part of the event was watching each person as they opened their gift, hoping that the gift they received was not as bad as the one they gave. It never was, and I loved seeing people try to look happy and say they loved a gift that was awful. Hehehe. After two years I stopped the secret Santa nonsense. So, now comes my five worst gifts list.
1) Body lotions with scents that smell like bathroom deodorants
2) Candles that also smell putrid (I love the good smelling ones, though)
3) Gift certificates to a book store
4) Random chochkies
5) Handkerchiefs (a blast from the past)
I finally realized that I like to give and not receive, so please... no more stupid gifts.

Man On The Roof

As I was walking my dog this morning I heard loud banging. It was very early so I went to the front of my house to see who was making so much noise at 7am. It turned out to be roofers installing a new roof on the house across the street. For some reason, when men stand on a roof, everyone stops and looks. Maybe because most of us would never feel comfortable standing on a slanted surface 50 feet above ground. As I was watching the man on the roof, I heard a telephone ring. Then I saw the man stop what he was doing, go into his pocket and answer his phone. Most people have trouble getting their phones out when they are only in their pocketbooks or pants pockets. This man did it balancing on a roof. He stood there and talked for about 5 minutes, while I was thinking that this must really be an important call. If it was me I would have been splattered on the ground if I attempted such a move. I guess there is now nowhere we can go without being disturbed.

Lots Of Laughs

Laughing is good for the soul. Family is good for the heart. If you are lucky, you can combine the two. That is what I did yesterday. My family was together to celebrate Hanukkah a week early. Sometimes our schedules are so busy that getting everyone together on the same day is hard. The best alternative is to celebrate on an alternate day. The important thing is that we still celebrate together. You sometimes hear the expression that "the room was filled with laughter". Last night, the room was overflowing. Not just the small giggle type of laughter, but the belly laugh type, that makes you bend over and hold your stomach, while you uncontrollably laugh. It is almost cathartic. We laughed about everything from You Tube videos to which fruits need to be avoided at all costs, if you are a public speaker. Years ago there was an educational course that was devoted to laughing and how it can be used as a healing method. I believe in that. Laughter really is the best medicine.

Time Repeats

In the past few years, my friends have achieved wonderful milestones. They have passed from the role of parent, to grandparent. Along with this change comes memories of our own grandparents. Even though we are only one generation down the line, the world has changed so much. It got us to talking. Thinking about the special time we spent with our own grandparents. Doing simple things that meant the world to us. Sitting and coloring. Playing cards. I will never forget playing the card game "War" with my grandma. Card games, in those years, were the video games, of these years. My friends and I reminisced about watching television with our grandparents. In those days there was a show called "The Million Dollar Movie". It was on channel 13. It was a movie that re ran every day for a week. In the middle of the movie was an intermission. That's when music was played and the audience was asked to sing along. A white dot and song lyrics appeared on the TV screen. The announcer told you to follow the bouncing ball as the music played in the background. The ball would bounce over each word until it was time to move on to the next. The song "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" will forever bring a smile to my face. I am hoping that when I am blessed with grandchildren they will fondly remember me for something so small, but so special.

Beauty Queens

I have been watching a new television program in the past few weeks. I do not watch it because I like it. Quite the opposite. I watch it because I find it so disturbing that I am trying to understand it. The show is about children's beauty pageants. Some of the children are under one year old. Last night, one mother said that the only reason she had children was to enter them in pageants. She was not joking. Her first child was a boy and she put him in dresses to compete. She said there was nothing wrong with it. It was like doing a Drag Show. I was stunned by this woman. Each child is glitzed up to look like an adult. Big hair, heavy makeup and spray tans. The mothers tell the viewers that the children love to do this, as the camera focuses on the child hysterically crying, saying "mommy, this hurts me". Where are child protective services when you need them? When I am done writing this blog, I will be sending an email to the producers of the show, voicing my concern. Then I will stop tuning in. Maybe low ratings will stop the insanity.

Patterns

I am a very structured person. I have a daily routine and I stick to it. I find that my life runs smoother if I do so. There is only one problem with having daily routines. If you deviate from them, people worry. Every morning I call my family at specific times. I arrive to work at the same time. I post this blog at the same time. On the rare occasion that I do not stick to these patterns, I have my family frantic. I understand why they feel as they do. They think that something has happened to me. My children consciously do the opposite of what I do. They will never call me at a special time. They do this for a reason. They both have dangerous jobs, and if they stuck to a routine and did not follow through, I would be sick with worry. They are doing me a favor by living this way. I am glad they broke the pattern.

False Advertising

I find most television commercials annoying. I find some of them downright deceptive. We all know that advertising is meant to attract our business but I also believe that it needs to be done in a somewhat honest way. The food that they show on commercials are not real food. They are wax reproductions that have been painted and enhanced to look appetizing. When did you ever get a fast food hamburger that looked like the one on television? The ads that show a 12 hour lipstick are pure lies. Eat one meal and the lipstick vanishes. The commercials that I find most deceptive are the ones for mascara. Take a good look. The models are wearing a minimum of a triple layer of false eyelashes. Even in the magazine print ads. There is no way that a human being can have such thick lashes, totally even, and fringe like, from applying mascara. It is false advertising, while wearing false eyelashes.

Home

I just returned home from Florida. The flight was a good one, smooth and on time. Even though it rained every day, I still had a good time. It was a visit, not a vacation. There is a difference. When it rains on your vacation everyone is unhappy. When it rains on a visit, it does not really matter. The purpose of the trip is not the same. I spent most of my days away, just sitting and talking to my parents. As I get older, they seem more interesting. I hang onto each word they speak as they reminisce about their childhoods. Each time I visit them I come home with another bit of family history. It adds to my heritage and makes me understand what my family went through to get me where I am today. I only hope that I will seem this interesting to my own children, when I am my parents age.

A Free Lunch

People say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. That might be true for 49 of the 50 states, but it does not apply to Florida. Here you can get free lunch and free dinner, too. The code word for these free meals is "Seminar". In Florida, a seminar is a social gathering that is sponsored by an independent group that wants to solicit your business. They place an ad or send a post card, announcing the date, time and restaurant. They then give a telephone number to sign up in advance. The number of  attendees is directly related to the quality of the venue. The sponsors have a wide range of services from assisted living, to hearing aides, to chiropractors and even funeral homes. I know of one couple that changed their burial plans because the meal was so good. Many people book themselves for a seminar a week. The only downside is that you will receive telephone calls from the sponsors asking if you are interested in their product. That is a small price to pay for a delicious four course meal.

Terrifying Tuna

It is day three that I am in Florida. It has been pouring rain, almost non stop. As I am sitting on the patio watching the clouds slowly drift across the sky, trying to allow the sun to peek in, I remembered a funny story from last years trip. My sister and I were just about to zip up our suitcases for the return trip to NY, when our parents had a great idea. They had bought a lot of cans of tuna fish and wanted us to take some home. This was no ordinary tuna fish. This was the kind that came in the gold can. I usually buy solid white albacore and didn't know that there was even better tuna. The gold can must only be sold to special people. Anyway, my parents had so many cans that they begged us to take them home in our carry on suitcases. For some reason, I was adamant that I was not carrying tuna fish 1300 miles across state lines. My sister caved in and packed 4 cans into her carry on luggage. I was in front of her at the airport when we went through the security check. When I looked behind me, there was my sister being escorted off the line by two TSA guards. I ran over to her and was told "step away Ma'am". Fearing arrest, I did what I was told. They proceeded to put on gloves and unpack her luggage piece by piece. She is such a neat packer and they just flung her clothes out of her bag. Well, they finally found the tuna fish and it seems that they saw a powder on it. It must have been dust but they decided to bring out the testing cloths to verify that it was not poison. After watching this scene for a half hour, they finally threw her belongings back into the bag and released her. She asked if she owed a copay because it seemed as if they did a complete physical on her. I started to laugh hysterically. All of this fuss for 4 cans of tuna. Next time we will let the tuna swim to NY.

In A Different State

This morning I woke up in a different state. I also woke up in a different state of mind. I am in Florida. It is one of the 50 states, but it is a world of it's own. The pace is a bit slower and time schedules are geared to the older generation. People greet each other, as they walk by you in the street. The older men make jokes, while their wives look at them lovingly, even though they have heard these same jokes for 50 years. Each person cannot wait to introduce their children to their condominium friends. Of course each person has daughters that they think  look like super models, and sons who are the biggest and best of their chosen profession. Sometimes I have been introduced as "this is my Susan, isn't she beautiful." I have learned not to be embarrassed by this introduction. It  is just my mothers way of showing her love for me. Now, when she gives me that introduction, I add on "but not as beautiful as my Mom." This makes her beam even more. I plan to have four more relaxing days enjoying the company of two of the nicest people in the world.

The Sunshine State

Today I am heading to Florida to visit my parents. They now split their time between New York and Florida. The move was the best thing for them. They have a wonderful social life there and can get up each morning to a beautiful view of a lake. There are shows, bus trips, seminars and the pool. It is almost like they are in summer camp. I truly believe that their life span is longer because of the lifestyle they have there. They go more places and have more energy than I do. Florida is named the Sunshine State, for its beauty. I call it the Sunshine State for another reason. My parents are my sunshine. They bring me warmth and light.

The Big Cover Up

All of us, at some point, have lost things in our dryer. Four socks go in, and three come out. We give it our best effort searching for it, but it has jumped ship to be with it's other emancipated sock friends. We never expect to have any problems with our washing machines acting out. Until yesterday. My son decided to wash his new comforter to get the lint off of it. Even though it was a large comforter, he told his wife to just stuff it in the machine. She disagreed with this decision but finally gave in. She stuffed, and stuffed, and finally the cover gave up and stayed in. She would realize later, that the cover would have the upper hand. At the end of the cycle, the machine shredded it, and twisted it around the agitator. It would take three people to unwind the carnage. My son blamed this fiasco on me, as I have washed comforters in my machine for 30 years. He should have listened to his wife. He needs to learn that Mom doesn't always know best.

Class Action

In yesterdays mail, I found a letter from a lawyers office. The return address read ebay Class Action Law Suit. I opened the letter and began to read a whole lot of legal talk. It seems that someone on ebay was selling car parts at a higher rate than they were allowed. Someone must have realized this and started a class action suit. I do not remember seeing any mailings asking us to join the suit. Maybe anyone who purchased a particular item was just included. On the second page of this letter was a settlement check. When I saw the amount of the check, I laughed. The check was for 22 cents. Wow, what a settlement. It cost 100% more than the settlement, to mail the check. That is not very cost efficient. Who took the loss on the postage. They should have just pooled all of the settlement money and bought a Starbucks Latte. They might have had enough money to add the caramel.

A Tree Is A Tree

The Governor of Rhode Island has been in the news lately. It seems that he is calling a Christmas tree a holiday tree. I believe that a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree. I would be just as offended if someone called a Hanukkah Menorah a candelabra. Some symbols are just that. Symbols that represent your religious holiday. We do not have to be politically correct in these situations. I do take issue, though with something that Bill O'Reilly has been saying for the past few evenings. I have always liked Bill, until now. He is saying that schools, and I mean public schools, should call their yearly parties Christmas Parties. He is offended that the schools are saying holiday parties. Well, Bill, I am offended at your short sightedness. It is one thing to rename a symbol. It is another to disregard other people's holidays. Within those public school classes are children that celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. It is a party for all holidays. Not just for Christmas. How could a so called intelligent man be so ignorant. This is 2011. Shame on you. This time, Bill, you are the Pinhead.

Profit Margin

Yesterday, at a popular department store, they had a "Friends and Family" day. They usually have this event a few times a year. They place almost the entire inventory on sale. For most items, it is called a 50-30-20 sale. First you take 50% off the item, then take another 30% off and finally another 20%. If you open their store brand charge account, you get an additional bonus of an extra 10%. People think that this is the most fantastic sale, and it is. What they do not realize, is that even though the store is selling these items at great sale prices, they are still making a profit. No one sells at a loss. This goes to show us, how much of a profit margin and mark up these store have. That is why, I only purchase from this particular store on these special sale days. Every retailer deserves to make a profit but people still have the choice to decide how much they will contribute to it.

Alvin

I love consistency. Even though I like change, sometimes familiar things are just as good. Today, as I was watching TV, a familiar voice started to sing. It was none other than Alvin. The Chipmunk. Even though I am not a kid, I started to smile when I heard him singing a Lady Gaga song. Somehow, the world has never gotten tired of the Chipmunks. They must be around for about 50 years, but they are still cute and entertaining. They have grown from flat cartoon images to animated characters that mix in with real people. Just hearing their high pitched squeaky voices is funny. They can be saying the most serious thing, but when it is said as a chipmunk we all laugh. It is nice to know that in today's world, where there is so much uncertainty and unhappiness, we can still count on Alvin to brighten things up.

Smarter Than A Fifth Grader

A few years ago, there was a show named "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader". The title was self explanatory. There was a panel of fifth graders and one contestant, who was an adult, over 40 years old. The adult was asked questions and the fifth graders had to decide if he was correct. Most of the time, the fifth grader was smarter. If I was asked the question "are you smarter than a fifth grader" I would have to be honest and respond, "not always". In life experience and common sense, I would be smarter, by a long shot. In technology, well, that's a crap shoot. This morning, I needed to get my camera disc out of the camera, so I could get the pictures developed. This is a fairly new camera, and I do not take many pictures, so this was the first time I needed to remove it. I had no idea where it was hiding. I sat and examined the camera to see where the openings were, and did not see one for the disc. After a few minutes, and a bit of deductive reasoning, I opened up the battery compartment. Lo and behold, there was the disc. If I had an eight year old in the house, he would have found it in under 30 seconds.

Grand Differences

I am coming to the phase in life when some of my friends are becoming grandparents. It seems weird because I have known their children since nursery school. The time has really flown. Most of the children are older than I was when I had my first son. Did I seem like such a baby then? I felt so mature. Now, I am getting to see first hand, women who have passed through the role of mother, to the role of grandmother. With maturity, comes differences. There seems to be much more patience in the grandmother role. The little things that upset us as mothers are taken in stride as grandmothers. I know what my big difference will be when I will have a grandchild. I will not skip pages. When my kids were little and wanted me to read a book, I always skipped pages. They never realized how the book's characters got from one place to the other so fast. Maybe that is why my sons do things in a quick and concise manner. When I am lucky enough to get to read a book to my grandchildren, I promise to never skip a page. I might even re read some pages twice.

Wrapping My Head Around It

It is now holiday time. Everyone is busy buying and wrapping gifts. Except me. I never have any idea of what to get for people. I never have a problem writing this blog, but I have a problem coming up with a creative gift for each person. I am sure that they will either not like, nor have any use for, anything I give. I am amazed when I open my Hanukkah gifts, to see the great things my family purchased for me. How do they know what I would love, when I do not even know. For the past few years I have been giving cash. It is universal. It covers all present groups. It is artwork (cultural), made of linen (like clothes), something you can read (educational), and has a bit of history attached to it (intellectual). It is also the gift that keeps on giving. So far, no one has seemed to complain. Just like my older son once said, "It's all about the Benjamins".

Define "Lie"

I have been having a running discussion with one of my co workers as to what defines telling a lie. I say that omitting the truth, when directly asked a question, is a lie. She says it isn't. This all goes back to when I hired a girl a few months ago. I asked her if she had any children. This is important, as the position is for a one person reception job. If she is not able to come in, there would be no one to sit at the front desk. I know that people do get sick, but my previous experience is that women with children have a higher absence rate. Had this not been a one woman office at night, I would not have cared. When I asked the question, the girl looked me straight in the eyes and said that she had no children. I was quite annoyed, when three weeks later, I found out, through the grapevine, that she was 7 months pregnant. She did not have a big belly, so no one knew, until the day her stomach popped. Since she was already hired, I cannot fire her. She has now been out of work for 5 weeks. The baby is one week late and if she has a C-Section, it will be another month at least until she is back. This is now a politically correct world, so I cannot fire her. I have random people filling in for her on a daily basis. This is not good. That is where the debate of the word "lie" comes in. I was lied to and now my office is suffering.

Defending Your Life

Years ago, there was a movie starring Albert Brooks named Defending Your Life. I have always enjoyed watching this movie.It was a comedy but it had serious undertones.Will any of us really be able to defend our lives, if we are asked to? It will be easy to defend the good things that we have done. What about the callous things, or the wrong things. How do we account for those. No one is perfect, but some people just try harder than others. If you have intentionally done wrong, how can you defend it? If you have intentionally hurt others, how can you defend it? I do not want to live my life on the defensive, so I try hard to live a life that I can easily defend.

Waiting in the Wings

I am not a very fussy person, but I do have some favorite products. Unfortunately, the products I love, usually wind up being discontinued. I have learned to stockpile these items, so when the manufacturer decides to punish me and take them off the market, I have a few weeks left of the product and have time to find a close second. This scenario has happened with Gatorade Ice tea and Avon lipsticks, just to name two. Every morning, for the past year, I have eaten yogurt and granola for breakfast. Each of these items is only sold in one store. I am already on shaky ground. A friend once told me if you love a product you must always have one waiting in the wings. I followed her advice. Yesterday, I went to buy the granola. It is a cashew, almond, candied ginger blend. Yum. I went to the granola aisle and much to my horror, the shelf had a blueberry granola imposter, sitting where my beloved ginger blend used to be. My knees went weak. This couldn't be happening. I called over a salesgirl and she had no idea why the granola was not there. We put out an emergency call to the manager. He checked his stock list and informed me that due to the holiday, the shipment was a day late and would arrive that evening. I could breath again. This morning I am returning to the store and will buy four boxes. I will now need a quartet waiting in the wings.

New Horizons

I am not a big fan of television. I mainly watch documentaries and National Geographic. I never watch award shows and never watch concert shows. I must have watched a boring show once and never tried again. Last night I watched a recorded show, starring Lady GaGa. I knew nothing about her, other than she wears crazy outfits and occasionally, meat. I was so surprised at what I saw. She was a beautiful girl who sang wonderful songs. She did a duet with Tony Bennett and a segment with elementary school children. It seems that the show was recorded in the elementary school cafeteria, and even a teacher came by to say hello. I was so impressed by her music and her explanation of what the songs meant. She showed family photos and let the audience have a glimpse of what seems to be a normal family life. I am now a fan of Lady GaGa. I guess we are never too old to open up our horizons.

Black Friday

Retailers have named the day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday". I liked it better when it was called "the day after Thanksgiving". I am not sure if people realize that Black Friday means it is a day that the public will spend enough money in retail stores to have the ledgers show a profit. A few years ago, in 2008, at 5AM, in a neighboring town, Valley Stream, NY, a security guard was trampled to death in Walmart, when the crowd rushed in, in a buying frenzy. Obviously, the mans death meant nothing to the store, as they still open early on Black Friday. Let's take a moment to show our respects to Jdimytai Damour, who did not need to die at 34 years old, because people wanted bargains. Large retailers are psychologically toying with our minds in an effort to make money. If no one showed up early at the stores, they would have to open at normal hours. Not even a man's death, stops corporate greed.

Giving Thanks

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Thanksgiving. For the past 25 years, I have been spending this holiday with my brother-in-laws family. We rotate who hosts the dinner, so every five years, it is my turn. When we first started this tradition, the children were babies. This year they are bringing their own babies. One of the traditions is to add a Thanksgiving decoration to the table. One year it was salt shakers, one years it was candles, one year it was serving spoons. At the end of the dinner, the bag of decorations is passed on to the person who is next in line to host the dinner. It will be a day of great food, great conversation and so many desserts, we could fill a bakery. The day will fly by. I have watched the progression of time as each dinner begins. Twenty five years of wonderful memories.

ThanksGreedy Day

Today is the day before Thanksgiving and for the past week there has been some controversy about the times that some retail stores plan to open for what is now referred to as Black Friday. A few years ago stores began to open at 7am. Then it was pushed back to 4am. Some stores plan to open at 12 midnight this year. Others are choosing to open Thanksgiving evening at 8pm. A large retailer said that their "guests" want to begin shopping this early. They used the word guests for a reason. The word shoppers would sound too commercial and greedy. What about their employees? Don't they deserve a day off with their families. If it was not for them, your business would not be running. Personally, I will boycott any store that opens before 7am on Friday. I know it will not make one bit of difference, but in my own mind, it will. So to all of the stores that value money more than family, Happy ThanksGreedy Day.

Lists

As I get older, I seem to forget things. This has nothing to do with dementia. It is just brain overload. I have begun to carry a pad and a pen with me, so when I need to remember what to buy in the supermarket, or who I need to return a call to, I just jot it down. We all have ways to remember things. This is called a Structure. It could be a rubber band on our wrists or moving something out of place in our homes. Lately, at night, while I am trying to fall asleep, I think of topics for this blog. I go over the thought in my head a dozen times as I say, remember it, remember it. When I get up, lo and behold..... I forgot it. I do not want to leave a pad by my bed, because then I will have to get up, turn on the light, and start writing the thought down. Then I will never fall back to sleep. I guess I just need to empty my brain of all the senseless things it is carrying around, to make room for the more important ones.

Two x Two

I received an email the other day and it was very thought provoking. It was about how much it costs to pay for someones yearly welfare bill. The numbers were staggering. Not because of the amount of money it takes to feed, clothe and provide for living quarters. I am talking about the amount of people in each family that the states are paying for. I know that due to circumstances, people need public assistance. But there also should be a plan in place to get the people off of the welfare rolls. Here is where the email comes in. It seems that while on welfare, families are continuing to have children. It is not my business how many children you have, but it is my business when I am helping to pay for them. I go to work every day and pay the taxes towards your monthly welfare expenses. I have an idea. If you sign up for welfare, the number of people in your family receiving the benefits needs to be capped. If you have 2 children, we pay for you and the two children. If you choose to have 4 more children, we still pay for you and two children. Divide the portions a bit smaller. Like I do. If you do not work, do not multiply.

My Fair Lady

Today, I am working at the annual craft fair in my town. I will be selling handmade jewelry and other specialty items.I have done this fair for the past 4 years. One year it was snowed out, which was strange, because New York usually does not have snow storms in November. It is always a fun day. Most of the items that are sold are hand crafted and it is nice to see how much love is put into their production.I would like to sell a lot of items, but you never know what the crowd is looking for on any particular day. Many people are just gazers. They walk along while talking with their friends and just gaze over the goods. I think they are there more for the exercising than the shopping. Whether I sell my jewelry or not, I will still have an eventful day just people watching.

Dreaming

I have always had good dreams. I may not sleep through the entire night, but my dreams are pleasant. Sometimes, I wake up smiling because the dreams were so real. The content of the dreams is always changing. I am not a person that has recurrent dreams. That would be eerie. I do not understand why I have certain dreams but other dreams make sense. Last night, I had a funny dream. I was at my nieces baby shower and someone bought the new baby a kindle. What an odd baby gift. In the dream it made total sense. If we go by genetics, this baby will be the nicest, smartest baby. He or she will take after it's parents. Nice and smart. What a great combination.

The Best Sleep

I am not the best sleeper. I always joke that I have not slept a full night since 1980. My children awoke every two hours when they were babies and then when they were toddlers, one of them began to sleep walk. I guess my sleep pattern became one of waking up every few hours. I have gotten used to this. Some nights, I toss and turn for hours and think I will never fall asleep. Then It happens. I fall into a deep sleep one half hour before the alarm rings. I am so sound asleep when I hear the buzzer sound, that I think it is the middle of the night.  I wake up exhausted. I hate when people say they had a bad nights sleep because they only slept 6 hours. That would be 3 of my nights. I guess I do not really look 55 because I do not have time to age in my sleep.

Yellow Pages

When I came home from work yesterday, I found two books sitting on my front porch. The Yellow Pages had made their yearly arrival. I go through the same routine each year. I go into my front hall closet, remove last years books, recycle them, and replace the empty spot with this years Yellow Pages. The two new books will remain hidden on the shelf until next year when I go through the same ritual. They will never be looked at, never touched, but I would feel bad if I just threw them away, the day they were delivered. I guess I  have a soft spot for the good times we had in past years. The yellow pages were an important part of our lives in the pre-internet days. Who can forget looking in them and trying to hit the correct alphabetized page on the first shot. I was always just a few pages away so I went back 4, forward 2 and finally came across the page I needed. Now, with the internet,I just key word the name I want, and instantly the information appears. The day the Yellow Pages stop coming will be the day that another piece of America is lost forever.

The Perfect Frame

We all have good hair days and bad hair days. The good ones are just before a haircut. It is like the theory that when you feel sick and go to the doctor, you will usually feel better in the waiting room. Today, I am having a goofy hair day. I cannot do a thing with it. If I went to work, people might laugh at me. Just as I was at the end of all of my options, I remembered what one of my friends once said to me. She told me that if you style the hair around your face to look good, no one will notice the rest of it. It can look wind blown or even mangled and no one will say a word. She referred to it as "framing your face". I took this advice and styled my bangs. Lo and behold, it worked. I looked presentable enough to leave the house. My face was framed and I looked picture perfect.

The Cold War

This week I have a cold. It is amazing how a tiny virus, that is invisible to the eye, can infiltrate my system and wreak havoc. I thought that I could fool it by taking over the counter medications. I used antihistamines, decongestants, cough suppressants and Tylenol. Nothing worked. The tiny virus made me go to the doctor. I try, at all costs, to avoid the doctor. Not because I do not like her, but I hate to wait in the office. Yesterday, the tiny virus won. It showed me who was boss. So, off to the doctor, I went. I had an endoscopy, sonogram, tympanogram, irrigation and pulmonary function test. The diagnosis was.....a cold. I could hear the cash register clinking as I added up the price of the visit. No wonder insurance premiums are so high. Next stop was the pharmacy. I got an antibiotic, steroid, nasal spray, cough pill and ear drops. I remember the days when the doctor came to your house, looked in your throat and gave you an injection in your behind.

Nicknames

Whatever happened to nicknames? From the 1930's until about the 1970's, nicknames were popular. If you had light blond hair, your nickname was Whitey. If you had red hair, your nickname was Rusty. There were plenty of Cookies and Tex's. At one point, our First Lady was nicknamed Lady Bird. Somehow, no one thought it was strange. I have even known a Babe, a Lolly and a Champy. I always wondered who gave these people their nicknames and why they stuck. I cannot think of anyone that was born since 1980, that has a nickname. I guess as time moved on, we lost a bit of our fun side.

Every Twenty Years

In the past few years, when I have been shopping for new clothes, the styles seem so familiar. It is like I am reliving my teenage years. The jacket styles are almost the same. The ribbed sweaters are practically identical. Even the shoes. In the 1940's, wedge shoes were in style. They phased out by the 50's. In the 70's they made a reappearance only to fade by the 1980's. This year, guess what? They are back again. I do not think that the young girls who are buying them, realize that to us older people, these are not new fashions. One of my friends used to say that if you stack your clothes on a chair and flip the pile every twenty years, you will be in style. She was right. I shudder to think that one day hot pants will reappear.

Beautiful Colors

As I was driving to work yesterday, I looked around and finally saw the beautiful Autumn leaves. For some reason, maybe global warming, the leaves did not change their colors as early as they used to. Normally mid October is when I notice the beautiful array of orange and red. This year I had to wait until early November. No matter how many years I see the leaves change, I am always amazed. Artists have been painting these types of scenery for hundreds of years, so I guess our concept of beauty has remained the same. Each year at our Thanksgiving table, we spread out an assortment of Autumn leaves on the dinner table. Of course these leaves are fabric, as no one would want to share their dinner with bugs. The effect is still the same. Nature at it's most beautiful.

Veterans Day

Today is a special day. It is not only 11-11-11. It is my daughter-in-laws birthday. She is as special as the date. It is also Veterans Day. Many of us take our armed forces for granted. We know they are there to protect us, but we have no idea the hardships they go through to do so. I do not think anyone can understand the horror of war, unless you have been there to hear the sounds, smell the smells and see the bloodshed. The brave men and women of the US Armed Forces have lived this. The veterans of all wars, with the exception of the Vietnam war, have been admired for their patriotism. It took years for many of us to say thank you to the Vietnam soldiers. I do not understand why how we could have been so callous to them, when they were only following orders from our government. That was a sad time for America, and unfortunately, no matter how much we say thanks today, it can never erase the hurt of years ago. So, thank you to all of our Veterans. We would not be here without you.

Samples

What is it about free samples that makes us so happy? If I see a free sample in a store, I have to get it. Even if I have no use for it. I have tasted food that I otherwise would have stayed away from, if there were free samples. When there is a free box of cereal or a granola bar, sealed into my Sunday newspaper, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I am ashamed to say that sometimes I have gone back for another free sample. I shop at Costco and they usually have enough samples for a good lunch. I used to be embarrassed to ask for more than one, until a worker told me that they are instructed to give out as many samples to a person, as they want. A few months ago I even ate a free sample of vitamins. After I swallowed it, I though to myself "it is a good thing they did not offer me poison, or I would have died in aisle 7".

Six Degrees of Separation

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is, on average, approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth. If that theory is correct, a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in six steps or fewer. It was a concept that seemed hard to comprehend, before the days of Face Book. Now, it is a scary reality. Friends and family that have been estranged for years, have the ability of being reunited, with just a click of the mouse. Sometimes it is a good thing and sometimes it isn't. It is our choice to choose our connections wisely and use the six degrees in a positive way. 

Election Day

Election Day is finally here. Political careers will begin and annoying phone calls will end. I wonder how much political fund money was spent on these calls. They came at all times of the day and night. The caller ID was always from out of state so you never knew who was making the call. If I answered the call, I would get a recorded voice. Once I heard it was a recording, I promptly hung up. I don't do recordings, no matter who they are from. I feel like I am being forced to hear someones point of view without being able to respond. Last night, I received the best political call. When I answered the call, the recorded voice said "Please Don't Hang Up"! Robot desperation, I love it. I did hang up because I couldn't bear to hear a robot cry. After today, at least until the next election, the amount of annoying calls will be less. Now, if I could only find a way to stop the other nuisance calls.

Laundry Envy

I do many things in life well. There is one thing I could do better. Laundry. It always comes out clean, but I cannot guarantee that it will come out the same color it went in. Sometimes I just do not have enough colored items to fill even a small load, so I get lazy and combine whites and colors. Last summer I did that and much to everyone's dismay, we all wore pink underwear for a long time. It seems that the brown socks gave off a red dye and the white underwear turned pink. As soon as I saw this, I knew no one would be happy. I then rewashed the white load in hot water and bleach. The pink color was still there. I have re-washed the load 4 times with bleach and still no change. My family is now used to pink underwear and they pray they will never be in an accident, because if they are rushed to the hospital, in their pink boxer shorts, the ER staff will laugh at them.

Queen for a Day

Human beings have simple needs. Even though we live in a world with superior technology, that technology does not fulfill certain needs. Only another human being can do that. The need to feel loved, the need to feel wanted, the need to feel needed. Mark Twain was quoted as saying, "I can live for two months, on one good compliment". He was right. In the 1950's there was a radio show, that later became a television show, titled "Queen for a Day". Three housewives sat on stage while the announcer described their lives to a live audience. Most of these woman had pretty sad lives. At the end of the show the audience would applaud for the one they thought should be Queen for a Day. The loudness of the applause would be shown on the stage, like a thermometer, rising, as the intensity of the sound increased. The woman who received the loudest applause would then be seated in the large Queen chair. She would be showered with gifts. First a bunch of small ones, that culminated into the grand prize. This was usually a washer and dryer. She cried, as her family gathered around her. For that one moment in time, she was special. It takes such little effort to make someone feel good. Today, try doing just one nice thing for someone else, and YOU will feel like a Queen for a Day.

Taps

When I was a child, my mother used to take me to Stride Rite for my shoes. It was a big event to go shoe shopping. There were no "do it yourself" places, in those days. You went to the store and waited your turn, until a salesman could give you his undivided attention. He would have you stand on the metal foot measure and then press your toes down, to get the correct size. He went into the back of the store and brought out one or two choices that you mother thought would be good. He sat in front of you, on the stool with the sloped footrest and put the shoes on your feet. For some reason, he always tied them too tight, but being a good child, I never complained. He would have you stand up, and he would press the front of the shoe down, at the toe, to see if you had enough growing room. My mother never took his word for it, so she had to press down on my toe, too. Once it was decided that this was "the pair", we would go to the counter to purchase them. Then came my favorite part of the day. The salesman asked if we wanted taps put on the shoes. Taps were pieces of metal that were nailed into the shoe, to make the soles last longer. There were front taps and back taps. I usually got both! When I wore the shoes outside for the first time, there was no better feeling than hearing the new taps clink on the sidewalk. Tap, tap, tap.

Weather....Or Not

I always told my children that they should have become weathermen. That is the one job that has no ramifications for being right or wrong. As long as you are physically attractive you will do a good job. If the forecast says snow, and it does not snow, the news anchors thank the weather person. If the forecast says snow and it does snow, the news anchors thank the weather person. This is a job where you can do no wrong, whether you are right or wrong. The Farmers Almanac said it all, when I read it the other day. It said that the month of December will be either above, right at, or below, the average temperature for the month. I am not kidding. That is what it said. I wish I could do that at work. Maybe I could tell a patient that they will be diagnosed correctly, incorrectly or not at all. Than I will ask for their copay.

Out of Focus

I work in a field that renders family therapy to patients. I am sometimes astounded that many times the therapists who give advice, cannot hold their own families together. I know of two doctors that have recently seen their families fall apart. All of their knowledge and education could not prevent the downward spiral. The advice that they give to others, apparently did not apply to themselves. The heartache and devastation were the same on both sides of the fence. I guess we look at our lives as if we are looking through a camera lens. If you are too close, the picture is out of focus. If you move further away, things become clearer.

GOALS

We all have goals in life. Some are big and some are small. No goal is unrealistic. Years ago, a little boy told his parents, he wanted to walk on the moon. Years later, he did. If he can walk on the moon, then we can fulfill our dreams. In my mind the word Goal stands for GetOutAndLive. Like Nike says, just do it. In the past year, I have realized what I wanted to do, and slowly but surely, found the way to complete the task. I have wanted to be a writer, for years. No one, not even my family, knew that. One day, I sat down at this computer, and taught myself how to set up this blog. Even if nobody read it, I was still writing. Amazingly, people do read it. As of today, over 6,300 page views. Some from as far away as Russia. So, if you have a dream, don't listen to others telling you that you can't do it. Just go for it.

Flip Flop

Every day when I listen to the news, I hear another bit of health information. Within the last year, I have been told that coffee is good for me, coffee is bad for me, red wine is good for me, red wine is bad for me, jogging is better than walking, walking is better than jogging, 30 sunscreen is the best strength and then, anything over 15 sunscreen doesn't work. I want to know who is doing these studies. It seems to be a merry-go-round of information. The news channels announce this breaking news with such enthusiasm, that I wonder if they remember what they told their viewers a few months ago. I truly believe that anything in moderation is the best advice. Eat what you like, exercise how you feel most comfortable and just try to live the best possible life. The only flip flops I like, are the ones on my feet.

Happy Halloween

I love Halloween. I just love it in a different way than I did years ago. You know you are getting old when you resort to leaving the candy out on the stoop, in a bowl, with a sign that says "please do not ring the bell". I have the fondest memories of taking my children Trick or Treating when they were young. One year it rained so hard that no one came out. No one except my children. We held umbrellas as we walked from house to house. At each driveway, my kids ran to the front door. There were wet leaves on the walkways but they didn't care. They ran, slipped on the leaves, fell, got up, and headed to the front door. They must have fallen 20 times. I couldn't stop laughing, seeing them so determined to get to the candy. Today, mothers will take their kids around the neighborhood and feel the same joy as I did 25 years ago. Happy Halloween. Take pictures.

Bizarro

I love to watch Seinfeld. I have seen so many reruns, that I probably can recite most scripts. His cleaver sayings have become part of the American language. Who can forget shrinkage, low talking, rhymes with Dolores. The one I relate to the most is Bizarro World. It is a world that is the opposite of reality. A backwards world, where everything we knew as being right, is wrong. Kind of like Opposite Day in camp. Our world is leaning towards being Bizarro World. Hard working people struggle to pay rent and buy food, and the Jersey Shore kids pull in hundreds of thousands of dollars to drink, vomit, fight, have indiscriminate sex and urinate in public.And we watch this. Sponsors pay big bucks to the television stations, to be a part of this insanity. I have now banned myself from watching any television shows that condone this type of behavior. I will watch the men in Deadliest Catch pull crab pots out of the water for hours and then tune into the truckers driving on the ice roads in Alaska and mountain tops of Bolivia. At least those people work hard for a living.

Family Dinner

Years ago, families had dinner together every night. They would gather around the table with no outside distractions and discuss what went on that day. It was a special kind of interaction and I believe it kept the family close. When women went back to work due to the economy, the family dinners became less frequent as schedules did not coincide. Daily dinners became weekly dinners. Culturally, the days of those dinners were consistent. Some cultures had Friday night dinners while some had Sunday afternoon dinners. Lately, the weekly dinners are falling by the wayside. I believe family time together, sitting around a table, eating and talking, are what keeps the bond tight. My family dinner night is Saturday and no matter what people say, I am keeping that tradition.

You Never Know

I used to think my father was funny when he never threw certain things away. He would tell me "don't throw it away, you never know when you will need it". Well, today that statement came true. I am preparing for a presentation and I needed to have a chart that shows a large circle with ten smaller circles drawn within it. Most people my age would know that you need a compass to do that. Not a compass that shows you directions, the one that draws perfect circles. I know I had one years ago but I cannot remember if I threw it out, or just placed it into a draw, where it has sat for 25 years. With all of our computer technology, I still need a manual tool. I have wasted 45 minutes of my morning checking drawers and closets and still no compass. My next plan of action is to call my sister. If anyone still has a compass, it will be her. So, Dad, you are correct when you said "you never know...."

A Dogs Heart

Even though humans think they are at the top of the ladder intelligence wise, I think that dogs are on the top of the ladder emotionally. A dogs heart is in his tail. Not anatomically, but spiritually. You cannot read emotions on a dogs face and it would look silly if dogs smiled. You can see the intensity of their happiness through their tail. If they are a bit happy their tail wags like intermittent windshield wipers. If they are very happy, their tail moves at a steady pace. When they reach their peak of happiness their tail almost becomes a lethal weapon. Swishing back and forth like a sword. A dog cannot hide his emotions and he lets you know just where you stand in his life. Wouldn't it be great if humans could do that too. A dogs' heart is pure and loving.

The Perfect Body

I live in a world where there are many bodies. I am not talking about the ones with arms and legs. I am talking about the ones who take responsibilities for their actions. My name is "Somebody". When there is a task to be done, people always assume that Somebody will do it. And they are right. Somebody follows through and the task is completed. Sometimes, Somebody gets tired. The other bodies know that things need to get done. In the perfect world, they would be done by "Everybody" and "Anybody". "Nobody" does anything.  So, in essence, the fact is, Everybody and Anybody can do the job. Somebody does it and Nobody says thanks.

Don't They Learn

It is happening again. I am at risk of losing my health benefits. Once again the hospital is having trouble paying the premium to the insurance company. The thing that upsets me the most, is that for a second time in 2 years, the hospital president has been accused of stealing the funds. How stupid could this man be. His predecessor is serving eight years in jail for doing the same thing. Did this new man think that no one would be checking on him? Even a child knows that if his friend is caught stealing from a candy store, it isn't smart to steal from the same one. So, because of one man's greed, 2000 people may be in jeopardy.  The state may be forced to take over and then the firings will begin. If this man goes to trial, the judge should impose a 16 year term. Double the punishment for double the stupidity.

Dreaming About Flowers

When I was a child, I used to be afraid of the darkness, when I went to sleep. One night, as I was crying for my mother to come into the room, she said "go to sleep, and dream about flowers". From that day on, that sentence became a part of my bedtime routine. Every night for as long as I can remember, I called out "what should I dream about" and she answered "flowers". It was a simplistic way of soothing a frightened child. It worked like magic. I was always comforted. I wish life was that easy, now. Sometimes things just become so stressful, that I wish that dreaming about flowers could solve the problem.

The Postman Rings Twice

There is an old movie titled "The Postman Always Rings Twice". The way things are going, before we know it, there might not be a postman to ring even once. Who ever thought that the post office would be in trouble? That is the one thing we could always count on. Rain, sleet or dark of night, the mail would be delivered. Now, a majority of people are paying bills online. That means no stamp and no postman. Multiply each household that is no longer paying their monthly bills the old fashioned way, by 44 cents for each stamp, and the amount lost by the postal service is mind boggling. We even have the capability of printing our own stamps. Is nothing sacred any more. If we can print stamps, will printing money come next? Charge $100 and hit print. The world is changing and in my opinion, not always for the better. What will happen to my mailman. How will he find another job where he can wear shorts in the winter?

They Paved Paradise

I grew up in a time when family and community were valued. There were family dinners, family outings and community events. Since that time, we have turned into a solitary society. More and more of our entertainment is done alone. So much time is spent on electronic devices that there is no time left for relationships. How many of us have been so engrossed in the computer, that we ignored our families. Today's children no longer have the ability to amuse themselves without some sort of gadget in their hand. This morning I was talking about the public libraries. Kindles and electronic notebooks are being bought by the thousands. It is a shame that a bookstore like Borders books had to go out of business due to low sales. Will our libraries be next? Will my grandchildren know the fun of picking out a book from the library bookshelves, or go to story time with a dozen other children with runny noses. If no one visits the libraries, they will lose funding and eventually shut down. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Loose Lips

In World War 11, someone coined the phrase "loose lips sink ships". It basically meant keep your mouth shut. People have a tendency to talk too much. The more you talk, the less you say. No one really wants to hear a long boring story. Cut to the chase, speed it up, let's be done with it. Years ago I worked in an office and every day the mailman would say the same sentence. It went like this... Hi, how are you,good, good. Have a nice day. He never waited for an answer. You could have said that you contracted the plague, and he would still say "good, good". He had the right idea. Ask the proper questions and answer them yourself. A win-win situation. I am sure he never got into trouble because of something he said. I wish everyone could take a lesson from John, the mailman.

Hair Raising

I am becoming a Pom Pom. I am living the Hippie days all over again. Someone once told me that the quality of your hair changes every 17 years. I guess I was due for a change. I started to notice this when people complained that my hair was blocking their view when I was a passenger in their car. It seems that when they looked right, to turn, all they saw was a fluff of blond hair. So, I cut it. Pretty short. Short enough that no one liked it. I let it grow out and much to my dismay, it started to look like a perm. A very tight perm. The kind that old ladies with white hair get. I hate it. My sister has straight dark hair. I always envied her. Imagine having hair that could be put into a pony tail and swing in the wind. Not my hair. If I put it into a pony tail, I look like a cross between ball fringe and steel wool. Oh well, at least I have hair. That is more than I can say for most men.

Gifted

I have a new word that I have issues with. Gifted. This term is used by many parents to describe their child. I wonder if they have any idea how ridiculous they sound. Every child is a gift. No child is more special than another child. I laugh when a parent calls me to book an appointment with one of my psychologists. They tell me the reason why their child is having trouble and just before the conversation ends, I am informed that the child is gifted. They have no friends, do poorly in school, fight with everyone in the family.....but they are gifted. Do they really think that makes a difference to me? Your child still needs counseling. Maybe the pressure of being referred to as "gifted", is taking it's toll on them. That is a high standard to live up to. The bar may be a bit too high for them to jump over. Stop saying your child is gifted and just let them be who they are.

No. It is self explanatory. N-O. Two letters. Why can't people just take no for an answer. Last week I went to join Costco. I wanted a $50 membership. The woman behind the counter said take the $100 plan, it has more perks. I nicely said "No, I only want to spend $50". She kept nagging me, like a 4 year old. I then said "No, I only have $50". She kept on nagging. I then said, "if you want me to have the $100 plan so much, go to your wallet and chip in the extra $50". She still kept nagging. Did she actually think she would wear me down? We bantered back and forth, until my tone became a bit nasty. All I wanted to do was join Costco. I didn't need this woman talking at me, not listening. In hindsight, I would have acted differently. I would have said No once and then just stared blankly until she got the idea. I do not envy her family. They must get an earful.

Blink, Blink

What is it about the directionals in our cars? They are made to make a sound when they are on, to remind us to shut them off. It is an easy task. If you are going straight and have no intentions of changing lanes, shut off your blinker. Not only does it make a noise, it also flashes on your dashboard. It is trying to get the attention of two of your senses. Sight and sound. Do we need a hand to come out of the steering wheel to slap you in the face so you can have three senses stimulated? It is dangerous, because I do not know if you have an intention of changing lanes and feel the need to warn me ten minutes in advance. My instinct is to keep a safe distance, just in case and drive as if I am on the lookout. The other day, I drove to work in back of a car that kept it's blinker on for 15 miles. I followed him all the way to my exit and he never shut it off. For all I know it is still blinking.

Crying Down I-95

In a few hours I will be leaving my children and making the hours long trip back home. As I coast down I-95, I will be crying. Tears of sadness and tears of joy. Sad tears because I am leaving two people I love very much. Joyous tears because I am leaving them in a wonderful place, surrounded by a family that cares for and nurtures them. They have no idea how much this weekend meant to me. Every plan that I had formulated in my head for weeks, played out in real life. Time alone with my "girl", time alone with my "boy" and time with all three of us, together. We ate delicious food and went to a country fair. At night we just sat next to each other on the couch, and watched TV. Like a normal family. If I won the lottery, I could not have been happier. In fact, thinking about it, I did win the lottery. Time with my children was the biggest payoff I could ever ask for. I hope to do this again, some day. I had the best weekend in New England.

Unwinding

I have been away from home for 3 days now. It is amazing how a change of location also changes the way your body reacts to life. I have slept better than I have in 10 years, Calmer and peacefully, The air is fresher and smells sweeter here. The slower pace of life is working its' way into my bloodstream. My mind, that usually races with thoughts, seems to be just floating in my head like a cloud. My son, who was born and bred in NY, always refers to New York, in a not so positive way. After living here for a short time, I completely understand. Maybe after 55 years, I no longer enjoy being a city girl. I have one more day here and we will spend it at a festival or a fair. I might have to do this solo trip again. It is like a cherry flavored medicine that tastes great and is also good for your health.

Thanks, Barry

Yesterday, I drove to Massachusetts. It was an uneventful drive with minimal traffic. I had a great ride thanks to my good friend, Barry. We had been much closer in the 1970's and 1980's. We drifted apart as our lifestyles changed. When we reunited, it was as if no time had passed. We laughed, cried and sang out loud, as we eased on down the road. Without him, the ride would have seemed forever. Having another voice in the car was wonderful. I was flooded with memories of the past as I drove up I95. Thanks again, Barry for understanding that even though we had been estranged for over 20 years, an old friend is still a good friend.  I will forever be a Fan-i-low of Barry Manilow.

Today Is The Day

If you have read my previous blogs you will know that I have written about "Passing The Exit". Today, in about 1 hour, I will get on the same road that I take to work, but this time I will actually pass the exit. I am heading to Massachusetts to see my children. It is a retreat for me. After many stressful months, I am leaving home for a few days. I will go to a place where the people are kind and caring. A place where there will be no demands on me. A place where my happiness and well being are a priority. I will have time to unwind and get back to a calmer state of being. I am lucky to have such a place to run to. The long ride, alone, is out of my comfort zone, but sometimes in order to move on in life, we must break through the ceiling of that zone. I am ready to move on, and have my hammer in my hand.

I See The Light

The seasons are beginning to change, all too quickly. The one thing I dread most about this has already happened. Getting up in the dark. For the last six months I have gotten spoiled. When I awoke at 6:15am, it was light out. The sunshine streaming through my blinds. I felt energized and ready to jump out of bed and start a new day. That is no longer the case. Now when my alarm goes off, it is dark out. I feel like a night worker. How can it be time to get up when it looks like the middle of the night. I drag myself out of bed and get ready for work in slow motion. It is amazing that even though I am sleeping the same amount of hours, I get up feeling different. Even when they change the clocks, it will not help much. I guess that is why religious people feel joyous when they "see the light".

Helpline

I am not a computer expert. I have a working knowledge of the basics. Somehow, in work, I have become the "go to gal". The person that everyone goes to when the computers have problems. Yesterday, we lost the network connection. It just disappeared. Went on hiatus. As usual, I was called in. I did as much as my expertise would allow and soon realized that I needed to call for reinforcements. I called Verizon, and was connected to "Jeremy". I told him what my problem was and he seemed stumped. After a lull in the conversation, I said, let's try looking in Network Places. He agreed. I slowly stepped him through the process and together we solved the problem. I knew 85% of what I was doing, he knew 15%. Without him, I would still be off line, but without me, he would have had no idea how to even try to solve the issue. Even when you call in the "experts" it still takes a team to get things up and running.

Columbus Day

Today is Columbus Day. The day, in 1492,  that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Actually, he was lost when he arrived here. In 2011, we are still in America and we are still lost. This country has no idea where it is going. Protesters on Wall Street, are heading into their third week. I agree with them, but do not know what they think they will change. They are costing the city millions of dollars in police overtime. If they are protesting wild government spending, why are they making the government spend wildly? It seems to me, to be more like a Woodstock atmosphere. A group endeavor that will become a documentary and possibly a Hollywood movie. Who will play the lead activist? Maybe Charlie Sheen. He has a lot of spare time, lately. Five hundred and nineteen years later, we still have not really discovered America.

Bye, Bye, Birdies

My birds have flown the coop. It took a while, but they finally have strong enough wings to fly away. When they bought their own home, we never realized how much work had to be done to get it up to their standards. Not my standards, their standards. In hindsight, their standards were better. The house is now beautiful, and they can move in without having to live in a mess. They took title in May and we all thought that they would be in by July. July turned into August. August turned into September. September turned into October. It became a sore subject when people asked me "when are they moving in". I started to answer "never". It was a stupid question and people knew it was a rhetorical one, but they still asked. Now I no longer have to fend that question. I wish them health and happiness in their new home. I am now an empty nester.

One Hand

I have no idea how 2 people in the same office can have totally different information. Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing? Just today, my sister called me to let me know that maintenance was due on our oil burners. She was told that the servicemen were all booked up and the next availability was in four weeks. She asked why so long and she was told that due to the hurricane, a few months back, they were still swamped with cleanups. She booked the appointment for the next month. She called me to let me know that I needed to call asap as my contract was running out. I called. I was asked when I want the appointment. I said how soon was the next availability. Next week. Any day and time of my choice. I booked for next week and called my sister. She will be calling them back to see why someone told her wrong information. These two operators work in the same office, probably three feet away. How could their information be miles apart.

Sublime

I just read an article about the subliminal messages we receive from advertisers. There was a study done that showed how our subconscious minds can be swayed without us even noticing. Placements of signs, tee shirt logos, colors. There are companies that devote themselves to studying the human mind and how product marketing can affect how we purchase items. Certain stores shuffle around where items are. Each week they are placed in a different area. It is like a treasure hunt, trying to find the item you came in for. That's the idea. To make you search further into the store and possibly see another item you may or may not really need. It is not by accident that the cereals with the most sugar are placed on the bottom shelf. They are there to be at eye level with children. That is the target age group. Not many adults eat Lucky Charms. Everywhere we go, indirect messages are being sent to us. Is it real or is it Memorex?

50/50

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that people don't listen to what you say? Lately, when I speak to someone, either professionally or in my personal life, no one listens. They hear 50% of what I say. The annoying part, is that when they are questioned about it, they claim I never told them. I am tired of hearing the old "you never told me that" story. I started an experiment in work. As each patient called for information, I documented, word for word, what was said during our conversation. Needless to say, when they called back a week later, asking the same question, and were told the same answer, they said "that is not what you told me". I informed them that I had documented every bit of the previous conversation. Somehow their memory was jogged a bit and I was told "that sounds familiar". Are people day dreaming through life, filtering things out as they go? When I give a sandwich order in the deli, why do they make it wrong, 1/2 the time? How hard is it to hone in on an order for 6 bagels? Why do I have to repeat it 4 times? Two sesame or three. As Judge Judy says, "put on your listening ears".

Clean Up

I work in an office that pays a cleaning service a lot of money to clean our office each night. For some unknown reason, no one can do it properly. Each time we are dissatisfied, we interview another company. The routine is always the same. The owner arrives, all dressed up in a suit and tie, carrying a clipboard. He surveys the area and says "we can do better". We point out all of the trouble spots and are told that his company will make the office spotless. With trust and good faith, we hire the new service. Just like a boy courting a girl, the first few weeks are great. Sinks are sparkling and floors are swept. Then as we fall into our comfort zone, the rug is pulled out from us, yet another time. The cobwebs appear and you can carve your initials into the soap scum on the sink. The complaining phone calls begin. Apologies and new promises are given. Once more, we must "break up" with our cleaning service. The next week, a new man arrives, in a suit and tie.

Press *

I have an alarm system in my house. It keeps me safe when I am home and keeps my house safe when I am out. It has one feature that I love. When I disengage the alarm, it says "Press * To Show Faults". I wish that humans had that button somewhere on their bodies. Perhaps on their shoulder. When you first meet someone you would push their * button. (Later on you push other buttons, but that is another blog). After you push the * button, a list of their faults would print out of their mouths... "I am lazy, I am inconsiderate, I have a big mouth.....". You then would have the opportunity to decide if this is the type of person you want to have in your life. At least then you know what to expect and there are no surprises.

Toyland

Before we know it, holiday season will be here. The retailers push the seasons, more than ever. I already see Halloween decorations in the stores even though we are still wearing bathing suits and flip flops.Every parent wants their child to have the newest toys on the market. I remember back in the 1980's when Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage. Parents stood on line for hours just to "adopt" their own doll. They were sold on the "black market" for outlandish prices. Parents got into fist fights in the aisles of the toy stores where stock was limited. I always thought the dolls were creepy, and since I had boys, I never joined the frenzy. I do remember searching high and low for a Transformer action figure named Man-O-War. It took weeks and many visits to Toys R Us, but I got it. The prized Man-O-War figure. That was the only time I ran around like a lunatic looking for a toy. I learned my lesson a few weeks later when I found Man-O-War crammed in a corner of my playroom. Discarded, like yesterdays trash. I vowed never again to make any toy a priority. I soon realized that sometimes the box was more fun than the toy.

Say A Prayer

I am not a religious person, not in a structured way. I am traditional and ethnic. I follow cultural guidelines and celebrate holidays in my own way. I do not do it in a formal setting because I feel that god lives within me and where I go, he goes. I do not need to go into a building to speak to him. We are on very friendly terms and he is accessible to me 24/7. Each day when I get up, I say a prayer. It is the same one each day. It has almost become a mantra. I say thanks for what I have, thanks for looking out for me, and what I plan to do that, day that will help others. Faith is believing in something we do not see or cannot touch. I have Faith. Faith that whatever should happen, will happen. I believe in the book of life. So it is written, so it is done.

Passing The Exit

Anyone who knows me well, has heard me say that one day I will "pass the exit". What I mean by this, is that on my way to work I will just pass the exit and continue on to Massachusetts. I know that the day is coming closer. Passing the exit means that I will be escaping the responsibilities of life, if only for a few days. Running away, so to speak. To a place where the people ask nothing from me. A place where my needs are a priority. People who want nothing more than to see me relaxed and stress free. Passing the exit started off as a joke, but now it is becoming a reality. Sometimes we all need to change our environment, even if it is only for a few days. A time to regroup and regain our composure. Sometimes passing the exit really means getting back on track.

Grand Old Flag

The other day, my son was given a wonderful gift. His Uncle Larry made him an American Flag as a house warming present. He had made one for my other son, for his 30th birthday. These are no ordinary flags. They are hand made pieces of Americana, personalized for each of them. After September 11, 2001, Larry began to make these flags. They are proudly displayed in museums in New York City and Long Island. The President of the United States was actually photographed sitting under one of them. They are beautiful works of art and no two are alike. Each flag will hang in a place of honor in each son's home. I am sure they will be a conversation piece for everyone that visits them. These flags are not only a work of Art. They are also a work of Heart.

Eighty Eight and Still Going Strong

Today is my father's eighty eighth birthday. He looks great for his age and can still do the things he did when he was sixty eight. He is by far, the smartest person I know. It amazes me how someone can be so well versed on any subject. He can fix plumbing, do electrical work, solder jewelry, make eyeglasses, tell jokes and still have the strength to drive 300 miles in one day. If you need advice, just ask Daddy. He is always right on target and if you do as he suggests, you will never go wrong. There is an expression "to know me is to love me". That sums up my father. Everywhere he goes, he makes friends. He is just that type of person. I thank god every day for having him as my father. I see his wisdom in my children and I am glad they inherited such wonderful genes. Happy Birthday Daddy!!

The Wave

I do not ask for much in life but there are certain gestures that I think are required. One of them is "The Wave". I try to be a considerate driver. If I see someone trying to merge into my lane or pull out from a driveway, I always yield the right of way. I know the feeling of sitting in line and no one letting you in. But there is only one catch. When I let you in, after a dozen people have shut you out, I expect an acknowledgement. One simple gesture that I have named "The Wave". I am not asking for much. Just a small lift of your hand. You don't even have to move it back or forth. But you have to give me something. Your way of saying thanks for letting me in after other people wouldn't budge an inch. I deserve that much. When I get the wave, I always wave back, as if to say "you are welcome". When I do not get my wave, I become annoyed. It shows me that you are the kind of person that expects something for nothing. 

Accidents Will Happen

Sometimes accidents happen. We have to learn to separate our emotions from our intellect when they do. Today, the cable company came to install telephone, internet and television service, in my son's home. A very nice woman arrived, right on time, and said the job would be no problem. Midway through the morning she realized that she had to go into the attic to attach wires. She was a large stature woman and going through a closet opening would not be easy. Picture Santa Claus going down the chimney. She shimmied up the passage way and within 3 minutes yelled, "Sir, I have a problem". My son ran to the bedroom and saw a foot through the ceiling. I thought he would faint. He has spent the last five months pouring his heart and soul into making everything perfect. After the installer spent about 5 minutes in the attic crying she came down and proceeded to cry on the front lawn.We called the cable company inspector and he arrived within an hour. He advised my son to have the ceiling fixed and submit the bill for reimbursement. The woman installer continued to hook up the rest of the services. When she was done I walked her to the door and gave her a $20 tip. She asked "How can I take this. I ruined your ceiling? "I told her that just because an accident happened, does not mean she did not work hard. She cried again as she took the tip and left. Accidents happen. Our attitude reflects how we handle them.

Going To Extremes

I just saw a preview for the upcoming series Extreme Couponing. The show aired last season and got fairly high reviews. People all over the country started to save coupons in the hopes of going to the supermarket, filling a cart with $700 worth of goods and only paying $1.28. There is only one thing wrong with this show. If you look closely into it, it is a show about hoarding and OCD. It is not a show about common sense and good shopping skills. One woman bought out all of the diapers a store had. The only problem was that she had no children. One woman's shopping cart was filled with 100 chocolate bars and 72 deodorants. Try to make a family dinner with those ingredients. If you look carefully into most of the extreme coupon shopping carts, they are buying products without any sense of their use. From a psychological point of view, these people are not just extreme couponers, they are just extreme people.

A Day Of Rest

In most religions there is a Sabbath. A day of rest. A time to just sit and reflect upon what the previous week was and what the future week will bring. I cannot remember when I actually had a day of rest. I know that my calendar has 2 days set aside that are supposed to be "me" days. The problem is, that I just need to find "me". Somehow I have morphed into many people. My sister always jokes around with me and says that one day someone will take a picture of me and it will come out with 5 additional heads sitting on my shoulders. Just as I cannot seem to find a sabbath day, I can lo longer seem to find a separate me. But I am trying. Really, I am. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. It started with a AAA battery and is slowing getting up to a D size. So, it is Sunday. And I am not resting, just as I did not rest on Saturday. But, I am getting there. I can just feel it.

Opt Out

From now on, when someone asks me for something, I will never say no. Instead, I will choose to "opt out".  It is a professional way of saying that I have no desire to do what you want, but I will say it in the most discreet way. Insurance companies coined this phrase a few years ago, when they decided to lower your benefits. It would not have been nice for them to tell you, that even though you are sick and have paid them your life savings in premiums, they do not want to pay your claim. The only problem, was that they slid that option into your policy, without you even realizing it. All that private companies saw when they renegotiated their health care plans, was a lower premium. No one looked closely enough into it to see that they chose the "opt out" plan. Mental healthcare was the benefit that was involved. When the country introduced Parity, the insurance companies needed to find a way around it. Parity means that mental illness is equal to physical illness. There would be no limit on coverage. Insurance companies offered a lower payment in exchange for you signing off on parity. It breaks my heart when I have to deliver this bad news to a patient. It hurt the most, the other day,when the man who's child was sick, was the one who signed the opt out rider for his company. He just had no idea......

Global Warming

The world is changing. So am I. Global warming is changing the Earths' atmosphere. Menopause is changing my atmosphere. I never understood when women talked about hot flashes and sweating. I noticed a change when I started to ask my co-workers "is it hot in here, or is it me". I no longer ask that question. I know the answer. It is me. It feels like I have a furnace in my stomach and someone is throwing logs onto the fire. The heat comes from within. It is different from feeling warm on a 90 degree day. That heat comes from the outside. Thankfully, I am not at the stage where my head sweats and makes my hair wet. That would be very unpleasant, not to mention ugly. I always wanted people to say I was "hot". Unfortunately, now I can say it.

Ice Cream In Heaven

Life is like ice cream. No wonder why Rocky Road is my favorite flavor. Who says that something rocky cannot also be something sweet and pleasurable. No one was ever promised an easy life. You get out of life what you put into it. Sometimes that means taking a rocky path. People just seem to assume that a rocky path is an unhappy one. Quite the contrary. Most times, a rocky path gives you more satisfaction, when you reach your goal. Just like rocky road ice cream. I love the sweetness of the chocolate, the crunch of the nuts and the stickiness of the marshmallows. While eating it, a nut usually gets stuck in my tooth or a marshmallow clings to my palate. It takes a moment to clean things up and I enjoy another spoonful. Life is not always easy but in the end the sweetness remains. I just hope there is ice cream in heaven.

Hair Raising

We all get it. That one day when our hair looks great. It usually falls on the day before a haircut. All month we comb and style our hair and it looks good. But on that one day, it looks great! I used to be fooled by this. I would cancel my hair appointment. I thought that since my hair looked so good, why cut it. Then I would wake up the very next day, and it was as if my head turned into cotton candy. A puff of unmanageable mange. By then it was too late. There were no appointments for a week. I had to go into the world looking horrible.I am smarter now. I don't fall for Mr Good Hair Day.

Head of the Class

I recently attended a driving class with my sister and brother-in-law. We all get along so well, but each of us has their own personality. When we entered the classroom all of us went towards the row we wanted to sit in. We ended up in 3 different places. My sister was standing in front of the first row. I was in the middle and my brother-in-law was at the last row. Each of us was telling the rest to come sit in the row they had chosen. It reminded me of a movie theater. People have their own reason for choosing the place they feel most comfortable sitting. It reflects their personalities. My sister is a front row person. She is a teacher and wants to make sure she hears everything that is being said. I am a middle of the road person. I like to blend in, so a middle row suits me well. My brother-in-law is a fun person. Just like in high school, the fun people always sat in the back so they could joke around. We finally decided to sit in the first row with my sister. I guess, in the end, we all listen to the teacher.

Fall into Autumn

Is it Fall or is it Autumn. The other three seasons are clear. This is the only one that has an alias. I guess people started calling it Fall due to the falling leaves. I realized it was heading into the Fall season by one true sign. Not the leaves. Not the school buses. It was the signs on every corner that said "Flu Shots". When did flu shots become a sign of the times. I guess it was the year when they were scarce. It seems that someone made a bad "batch" and a recall was done. I never understood that one. Was someone stirring the flu pot and stepped away for a minute. Or did a co worker come by and add more stuff to the batch. Whatever it was, there was not enough flu shots to go around. I was one of the people affected. That year I actually got my shot in another state. I was on vacation and saw a sign in a pharmacy. I was so glad to get the shot that I didn't mind my arm hurting for 2 days. I was not really even sure who gave me the shot. It could have been a stock boy. This year I feel secure. Flu shots for everyone!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Last week, I received a letter from the US Postal Service. They asked me to participate in a study. They have contracted IBM to survey households in regards to their mail service. Considering that I get my mail at 6pm every day, I was not the best choice. Each day, I am to log in to an account that they have set up for me and let them know how many pieces of mail I get. Then I need to tell them how many pieces have "smart codes". Those are the uneven bar codes on the bottom of the envelope. The other type of bar codes are even on the bottom. I wonder...are those ones called dumb codes? I will be sent a scanner to log in these pieces. Then, if I do the job right, they will send me a gift card. I am not sure why IBM had to be called in for this. Maybe to waste millions of taxpayer dollars. We seem to be running out of ways to squander Americas' bank account. So now, I get to add the title of Mail Reporter to my resume. Too bad the title doesn't come along with a promotion and a raise.

I See The Light

I love the change of seasons. I hate the change of times. I have been spoiled. For the past few months, when I wake up, at about 6am, the sun is brightly shining through my window. I feel energized and jump out of bed, ready to start the new day. As summer comes to a close, I see a shift in the sun. It rises later and sets earlier. That is where the problem comes in. Now, when my alarm goes off, it is no longer sunny. I open my eyes to darkness. I feel as if I am a night worker. Even though the time I have spent sleeping is the same, I feel tired and have no energy to "get up and go". Of course, after a few minutes I perk up, but I still hate that feeling of having to get out of bed versus wanting to get out of bed. I do not know how people on the other side of the planet deal with living in darkness for 20 hours of the day. I guess your body has to adjust. I was once told that I have a sunny personality. I guess that is true, but not in the same sense that it was said.

Noise Pollution

I was driving home from work yesterday and stopped at a traffic light. I was second in line at the light. It didn't look like there was a person in the car ahead of me. I could not see their head, but I knew they had to be there. All I saw was a hat. It was a "turn on red" light and everything looked clear, but they did not move. The cross street was a large intersection that led from a curve in the road. I did not honk my horn, because I know that the first person at the light sees the roadway different from the one behind him. After about 15 seconds of waiting, a car that was at least four behind me started to honk his horn. Not just a tap, but a holding down, angry honk. He did not take his hand off his horn for the full two minutes that it took the light to turn green. I wondered how much anger this person had to have inside them to inflict such noise on everyone else. In all of the years I have been a driver, no one has ever acted like this. I was glad that I was not siting in the car with that nut. I could only imagine how loud he could yell.