Auld Lang Syne

Today is the last day of 2014. Although it has been a good year for my family, it has not been a good one for the world in general. Countries are fighting and threatening each other. Political leaders have put rifts into our nation that will take years to repair. I hope that tonight they will spend a moment to reflect on what they did wrong and what they can do next year to make things better. It is hard enough when countries are at war, but even harder when a nation's people are battling amongst themselves.

Life's Menu

There are two types of menus. One is "have it your way" and the other is "no substitutions". We can't always have it our way and sometimes we need to adhere to no substitutions. We have a patient that lives in a foreign country and my boss wants him to relocate here for a few months for treatment. She wants him to get an F-1 Visa so he can stay as a student. First you need to be accepted into a college, then get an I-20 certificate then an F-1 Visa. Those are the rules, no substitutions. The problem is that the patient is 17 years old with no high school diploma. How can he be accepted into college if he has dropped out of high school? She thinks that he can take one college class and be considered a college student and qualify for the visa. She thinks she can have it her way, but every school says there are no substitutions. I could have told her the answer before I called three colleges, but I have learned over the years to make the calls, get people's names and blame the answer on them.

Winter Break

This week is winter break for teachers and students. The rest of the world will go about business as usual. The only good part will be that there is less traffic on the morning commute. I hope the world will calm down and regroup so that 2015 will be better than 2014.

Snapshot

We live life as if we are in a video. There is constant movement and it is not easy to rewind. If we want to see a situation clearly, we need to separate it into snapshots. Time needs to stand still so we can soak in every nuance. The events that have taken place in New York for the past few weeks happened in fast forward mode. In order to see the truth, we need to stop the motion and scrutinize the still picture. When a whole is fragmented into pieces, each piece holds importance. As I read articles on the internet, I see the pictures that accompany them and then I can make my decision as to how I really feel. This morning I saw the picture of hundreds of police officers turning their backs on the mayor of New York as he spoke at a funeral. They were not only NY officers. I can tell from the uniforms. They were police and troopers from all over the country. What other people saw as disrespect, I saw as unity.

Bill Me

On the ride home yesterday, every few miles the traffic slowed down. I did not know why, but it slowed then went back to normal. I realized why when I got to my neighborhood. It was mall traffic. Everyone was out returning gifts. The same gifts that the "giver" put hours of thought into. Every "giver" made a list and went to the stores and shopped for days, in order to have the perfect present for each person. They bought it and wrapped it and presented it with a smile. The "recipient" then had to look pleased, as if this was the gift of a lifetime. All the while they were creating a strategy of attack in their head, as to which stores they would go to first, to return the gifts. Not many people are happy with what they get. Wrong color, wrong size and mostly wrong choice. People should just buy what they want and send out bills.

Ask A Two Year Old

I spent the best day ever with my granddaughter. She is beautiful and sweet and smart. The sparkle in her eyes could light up a street. For Christmas, she received a leappad from her uncle. Even though she is only two years old, she understood how to use it. She navigated through the options like a pro. When she did not understand the next step she asked for help. I showed her once and she was able to continue playing. She drew pictures, changed colors, sent emoticon and word messages. She had more computer knowledge at two than I had in college. I used to think it was hard saying goodbye to my son and daughter in law after my Christmas visit. Now it is even harder saying goodbye to my little blond haired beauty.

By Name

We have reached a milestone. My granddaughter now  knows us by name. We saw her last week for her birthday and when we arrived at her house last night for Christmas Eve she ran to us calling"Grandma" and "Poppy".  We only see her  a few times a year so she was always prompted to say our names. This time she did it by recognition. It was the best feeling. She even asked where her little cousin was.  I have two grandchildren. One I see daily and the other about five times a year. Until now, Skype was hard as she was more interested in hitting the keyboard than focusing on me. Yesterday was a game changer. The best gift I received was being called grandma.

Two Lands

Tonight is Christmas Eve. I am heading back to Massachusetts. It will be like heading out of an inferno into a paradise. The tone of New York in the past few weeks has been sickening, to say the least. Holiday spirit is shot, no pun intended. Most New Yorkers have a cloud over their head that even Santa Claus cannot remove. Groups of people now gather to riot instead of carol. Singing  words of peace have been replaced with chanting words of hate. I will enter Interstate 95 from the land of chaos and exit it in the land of calm. I wish everyone could follow me.

Small Things

Yesterday was one of the best birthdays I can remember. Nothing big happened, but it was all of the small things grouped together that made the day so special. Everyone that I love called to say happy birthday. My parents sang to me. When I got to work there was a balloon hanging from my chair. Someone bought me a $1 Happy Birthday glass that I will use every day. My staff treated me to lunch. I came home to a bouquet of flowers on my dining room table. I received pictures of my grandson in his new metal pedal car, showing the happiest baby ever. My sister made me  the best chicken wrap for dinner. Better than any restaurant. I topped off the day with a large Carvel sundae, loaded with hot fudge. If you string all of the events together, they equal love and happiness. All of the money in the world cannot buy that.

Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday. I have to think about how old I am. It is not a milestone birthday. The older I get, the less important the day is. Every day is equal if I get out of bed and stand on my own two feet. I did the math and came to the conclusion that I am 59 years old. I think.

RIP NYPD Officers

I spent most of yesterday afternoon crying. I cried for two men I never met, but knew well. I cried for two senseless deaths that were fueled by our city's leaders. I cried for two families that will never see their sons again. Things must change and the change must come from our so called leaders. When you vote a politician into office, he is supposed to represent all, not just some. The mayor turned his back on his police officers for the last few weeks and last night as he entered Woodhull Hospital to "console" the grieving families, his officers turned their backs on him. I hope he felt the shame and disgrace that all NYPD and police force families felt as he berated and betrayed our city's finest for doing their jobs. He stirred the pot of prejudice and allowed a professional agitator to sit among the city leaders. He allowed protesters to chant a hate mantra of, "What do we want..dead cops. When do we want it ..now", at a rally last week. Was that freedom of speech or was it a future plan? We now have the answer. Mr. de Blasio ( real name Warren Wilhelm) has blood on his hands that will never wash away. He incited the sparks that grew into an inferno. Two innocent men paid the price for his lack of leadership. He does not have the skill to run New York. He showed us this in the past few weeks. I hope that he never has a peaceful nights sleep again. When he closes his eyes to rest, I hope he has the faces of Officer Liu and Officer Ramos etched in his mind forever. Do the right thing, Warren and resign. You owe the NYPD nothing less.

Time Flew

Last night flew by. I went to my family for a Hanukkah dinner and before I knew it, five hours had passed. Those five hours were packed full of good food, great company and more laughs than I had in a long time. When you have a good mix of people, the minutes race by. If one of the group did not have work the next morning, we would probably still be sitting around the dining room table.

Up Code

I have been a medical biller for 24 years. When I receive an explanation of benefits from my own doctors, I tend to make sure the code is correct. I received an EOB the other day for when my husband needed medical clearance for a cataract surgery. The doctor billed the insurance company $500 and coded it as a consultation. I did not have to pay a copay, but I was annoyed that the doctor's office billed that way. I called to question it. They got a bit nasty and said it was correct. I had the coding book in front of me and I said it was not correct. He did not receive that high of a level of services. They used the code for a new patient or a patient who had not been seen by the doctor in over a year and needed a comprehensive exam. He sees the doctor every 6 months. All they did was do an EKG, which was charged for separately, and take his blood pressure. They will not change the code and resubmit, but at least they now know not to do that to me again.

Don't Hire friends

My boss has learned the hard way to never hire a friend. Years ago we had our website built by the husband of one of our doctors. He did a good job for a while and then slacked off. After years of frustration, we decided to do the site by ourselves. The only problem is that he has to release the website from his online accounts. He has failed to do this. We have called him and emailed him. The web hosting company has done the same. No response. We are at the point of suing him. I told my boss that she has been too nice. We still have business dealings with his wife. I would have threatened to end them immediately if he did not comply with our request. She is afraid to do that. Being nice got her nowhere.

Cheese

On the New York Thruway there are brand new service areas. They are like mini food malls. When we stopped at one on Sunday, we saw a new type of restaurant. It was called Cheese Man. It was everything cheese. All types of mac and cheese and grilled cheese paninis. It looked like it would be delicious. I got mac and cheese. My husband got a grilled chicken and cheese panini. My daughter in law got both as she was sharing with the baby. It tasted ok. A bit disappointing. The next day everyone but me felt sick.  I guess too much cheese is not good for everyone. Next time we will stick to McDonald's.

Party Time

Today is our annual office party. Same food, same people, same conversation. I will be the hostess, as usual, as no one really takes the initiative. That's alright because I would rather do things my way. It is an 11 year routine that I have down pat. The new employees will have the best time, as everything that is done for the first time seems better.

Back Home

We are home again until next week when we return to New England. The drive was fast and smooth. The baby never made a sound for hours. I am now back to my regular work routine. The only missing link is Shelby. We will pick him up later and we will be whole again.

In Person

This weekend I got to spend time with my granddaughter in person. While pictures are great, you do not really know someone until they are with you in real life. I got to see that her skin is like a porcelain doll. I got to hear her tiny voice when she says, "Help please". I got to see that her eyes are a beautiful blue and her blond hair is silky soft. I learned things about her, like the fact that she hates the sound of a vacuum cleaner and that she loves parmesan cheese on her pasta, just like her mother. She has the energy of a fireball and the personality of a sprite. I will be back here in 10 days. I can't wait to learn more.

Sheer Joy

Last night I saw sheer joy. My granddaughter was opening a few of her birthday gifts. Today at her party she will open the rest. Last year she was more interested in ripping the wrapping paper. This year she was more interested in what was inside the boxes. She opened a big box from my other son and daughter in law and waited for her father to take out the gift. As he lifted it out, her eyes opened wide. It was a pink Radio Flyer tricycle. All of a sudden she started jumping up and down squealing and clapping her hands. I have never seen a child more excited. It was as if she wanted this bike all of her life and here it was. She sat on it the rest of the night and when it was bedtime, she cried as it was put away. We did not capture her reaction on video as we never thought it would be so intense. I will have the picture of her sheer joy in my mind forever.

12/12

Today is my granddaughter's 2nd birthday. We are heading up to Massachusetts to celebrate with her. All of us except one. My son, her uncle, was denied the day off because of the NYC protesters. When will it end? Millions of dollars spent proving nothing. If the protesters had jobs, they would be occupied doing them, instead of walking around the city causing millions of dollars of overtime. They protest the police, while putting money in their pockets. About $1000 a day per officer is being spent to control crowds that walk aimlessly. Let's do the math. If every officer loses his 2 days off for a month controlling these crowds, they earn an extra $8000. If the protesters used their brains, they would stay home. They are accomplishing nothing but ruining my family weekend. We will do Face Time to try to include my son in her birthday party. It is not like being there, but at least it is something.

Behind The Scenes

People think that things magically happen behind the scenes. Meals "get made". Laundry "gets done". Holiday parties "are planned". Every year my office has a holiday party. My bookkeeper and I plan it, make sure all the foods are brought in and set the room up the morning of the party. This year someone had the bright idea of holding a meeting during the first hour of the party, in the party room. How do they think the room will be set up? Where do they think the tables and chairs will go? Where do we put the food when it arrives? I decided that the food will be dumped on the front office counter and when it is party time, people can get it themselves and sit wherever they want. Maybe then they will realize that a lot happens behind the scenes.

Forcing The Issue

Yesterday was a Nor'Easter. A heavy rain and wind storm that caused flooding. Many of my office's patients are elderly and do not drive well in a storm, so when it rains they cancel their appointments. My boss hates that since money is lost for the day. She told me to coax them into coming. Tell them that the rain was not so bad. Tell them that everyone else was coming. Make them feel guilty about cancelling their appointments. I heard what she wanted me to do but I would not do it. When each patient called to cancel, I told them that their safety was the most important thing and that it was fine that they were staying home. I will not compromise my ethics for someone else's greed.

Honesty

Last night I went for an evaluation for physical therapy. I went to a neighborhood place called STARS. I have wonderful benefits and my doctor recommended 2-3 times a week. I have been feeling better and almost cancelled the appointment. At the evaluation, I was asked to move in many different ways. I was asked to stretch and pull. After doing all of this, the physical therapist made his suggestions. He suggested that I do not need his services and if I do a few simple exercises at home each day, I would heal as quickly as if I came to him. I did not expect to hear that, but I was very happy. If he told me to have the therapy I would have. He was an honest guy and I thank him for that.

Parenting

At what age do we stop worrying about our children? When they are a) in college b) married c) have their own children d) retired e) none of the above. The correct answer is "e". None of the above. As long as we are the parent and they are they children, the worrying will never end. It will only change. We are no longer concerned about toilet training or good grades or their popularity. The main worries remain the same forever. Health, safety and happiness.

Empty

I was out all day yesterday and no one else was. I went to Walmart  twice and the store was empty. I went to Stop and Shop and again, empty. I moved on to Sears and no one was their either. I ate at Red Lobster and had the restaurant almost to myself. Either the rain or the economy kept people at home.

Picture Perfect

Yesterday I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter in law and grandson to have his holiday pictures taken. The studio was filled with many parents and children. Everyone was beautifully dressed and each parent looked so proud. The appointment ran exactly on time and my grandson behaved like a good little boy. He smiled and posed and had a good time. The only problem was choosing the best picture. I remember doing this one time with my own sons. One was cranky and one got a fever as we waited and had bright red cheeks for the pictures. This time the experience was better.

Mo Money

Thanks Reverend Al. Because of your rallies against the police, you are putting money in their pockets. Each day, police officers are mandated to stay for a second shift. They are losing their days off. All of this is being done at an overtime rate. The city is spending $22 million dollars a week to cater to your nonsense. This is a perfect time of year for this, with the upcoming holiday season. If people only realized how much your "activism" demonstration is costing the city, they would be astonished. As Patrick Lynch said, "When you resist arrest, tragedy follows". I am sorry for the family that lost their loved one, but sometimes we are a catalyst in our own destiny.

You Reap

There is an old saying from the Bible that you reap what you sow. For some reason, we are forgetting that and blaming a bad crop for the seeds that were not sowed. If I light a match and burn down my house, is the match to blame? If I drive while intoxicated and hit a tree, is the tree at fault? If I put on a blindfold and hit my finger while trying to hammer a nail, is the nail wrong? Of course these examples seem silly. Let me give you two more. If I rob a convenience store, fight to take away an officer's gun, punch him in the face and charge at him, is it his fault that I am killed? If I sell something illegally, argue with the police, resist arrest and fight with officers 1/2 my size, thrashing myself around while knowing I have health conditions, is the officer to blame if I die? That is what America is facing this week. The bottom line is not race. It is being a criminal and having no respect for authority. If each man would have been calm and let the officer do his job, they would be alive today. I take offense to our politicians who vilify the law and praise the criminal. Shame on them. These officers did not look at color. They looked at behavior. Stop the protests and go home and teach your children respect and honesty.

A Cadillac

Today my husband is going to get a "Cadillac". That is our family's way of referring to a cataract. He has always had 20/20 vision but since last year his vision has become cloudy. This morning he will have one eye done and in a few weeks he will have the other one. I was blessed with great hearing but my glasses are as thick as bottlecaps. Thank heaven for contact lenses. My wish would  be to have cataracts and then I could have the surgery and never have to wear glasses or lenses again. Maybe one day.

PT

After two months, two doctors and two MRI's, a decision has been made. I need to go to physical therapy. I said this all along. My neurologist said that I should go 2-3 times a week. Most people would think this is a nuisance. I think it will be relaxing. On the Rx for the therapy,I saw the words massage, heat and exercise. The trifecta of relaxation. I have no idea how long each session is but even if I have a half hour being massaged with heat, it is a win win situation. I will refer to it as "going to the spa". I hope they won't mind me wearing sunglasses and a terrycloth robe. 

Tests

I am up with the birds. I have another MRI this morning. I have no idea what the doctor is looking for. Maybe a sunken pirate ship. I am doing this before work as I do not want to waste a sick day. After this, there should be no more tests. No matter what it shows, I am going to ignore the findings and go about business as usual. That is the best form of medicine for me.

Craft Fair

I have not done a craft fair in years. This morning I am up early and getting ready to go to one. I have two different crafts to sell and hope I come home with less inventory than when I left. I am selling miniature wooden dolls. They are hand painted, dressed and no two are alike. I created them as my own collection but decided to see it they would sell. Some are very special to me and I cannot let go of them. I will price them very high to deter anyone from buying them. I know this sounds crazy, but if someone wants to buy them for a totally absurd price, it will make me feel better. The rest will be reasonably priced. My son says that everything has its value, to you or to them. Let's see what happens.

Just Ask

If you do not ask you will never get. I have learned that over the years. Yesterday I received an email from McAfee stating that they had charged my credit card for $103 for my virus protection plan. I have this for my 2 computers. It is well worth it as I have not had any problems since I installed it. For some reason seeing the number $103 bothered me. I called McAfee and told them that I did not like that price. In one second that lady offered to credit me the $103 and resell the same thing to me at $50. Of course I said yes. If I did not call, I would have $53 less dollars.

Day After

I am tired, but it is a good tired. Thanksgiving has come and gone. My fridge is full of leftovers and cake. My heart is full of happiness. The day was wonderful because it was shared with many families. Some were related by blood and some were related by marriage. They came from as close as 1 mile and as far as 300 miles. I fit 28 people into my house for a sit down dinner and although it was a bit tight, no one seemed to care. The adults talked and the children played. When the pictures are printed, we will get to see the smiles for years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving

I was up with the birds this morning, cooking a 24 pound turkey. The other turkey is being cooked a mile away at my sister's house. This is my year for hosting Thanksgiving and there will be 28 guests. I was expecting 41 so I am a bit relieved. It is my favorite holiday of the year, but this time I am a bit sad. My sons will not be here with me. One lives 300 miles away and the other one has to work. When you are in law enforcement, there are no holidays. Even if you have the day off, it is taken away and you are forced to work. I am cooking and preparing and before I know it the guests will arrive. I am sure that when the house is full of happy people, I will get into the right frame of mind. Holidays are about family and two of the most important ones in my life will be spending the day without me.

No Time

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? If a person is sick and has no time to take care of themselves, does the pain go away? In my case it did. I am so busy taking care of everyone else that I have no time to be sick. Sick is not an option. The pain will just have to be put on hold until I can pencil it in on my schedule. The doctors do not understand why my testsshow nerve and spine damage, but I feel no pain. I explain that I have been taking care of my husband's issues and cannot focus on myself. The best I can do is pray a few times a day. They walk away and smile. Then they turn around and say, "Keep up the good work".

Tale of 2 People

Yesterday morning I had a doctor's appointment at 7:30 am. It was 20 minutes away. I left my house 45 minutes early in case there was traffic. The traffic was heavier than usual for that time but I did not have to worry because I had left enough time. I arrived 10 minutes early and had time to fill out the paperwork. Last night my husband had a doctor's appointment at 6:30pm. It was also 20 minutes away. He thought that leaving 25 minutes ahead of time was ample. We went onto the main road and the traffic was backed up. We had to reverse direction and go on another route that was longer but faster. After snaking around the neighborhood we arrived at the doctor at 6:29pm. He felt that this was fine. I felt that we should have left earlier and not rushed. Two people.....two mindsets.

Crack Of Dawn

I got up extra early this morning to go to a doctor's appointment. The doctor is 1/2 mile from my office so I decided to go before my work hours, instead of after. I have a 7:30am appointment. Somehow this idea seemed better when I booked the appointment. I am tired and it is rainy and dark out. Appointments this early are for the birds!

Mind of His Own

At what point do babies have a mind of their own? Last night, I noticed that my grandson definitely had strong preferences. He is a great eater and will eat anything you put in front of him.We were having dinner at a restaurant and he was happily eating the meal that his mother brought for him in a thermos that keeps the food warm. He had chicken, pasta and zucchini, his favorites. That is, until his mother's meal came out. As soon as he saw her meatloaf, mashed potatoes and broccoli, his dinner was no longer so appealing. She gave him a spoonful of his dinner and he put his hand into his mouth, pulled out the food and threw it on the floor. He then started to point at her potatoes, saying, "Tay tay. She tried to continue feeding him his own food but he kept pushing her hand away. She is not usually one to give into a baby, but we were in a public place. She decided to just feed him what he wanted and he ate about half of her dinner. He knows what he wants and knows how to get the point across.

Man vs Beast

I just realized that dogs do not get colds. I have had dogs for over twenty five years. I have seen them have stomach issues but never a cold. What antibodies do dogs have that repel the cold virus? Instead of going into outer space, I think some funding needs to be given for dog/human cold research. Imagine if we found the answer to that question. There would be a world without mucus.

Curious

Sometimes I wonder if the things I do are the same things other people do. Is it just me or is it human nature? Whenever I am driving behind someone moving very slowly on the highway, I follow for short time because I am not a big lane changer. When I realize that they have no intention of moving faster, I go around them. Here is where my question comes in. As I am passing them, I have to look to see who they are. Are they young, old, male or female? It really makes no difference, yet I still do it. Yesterday the person's car had dark tinted windows and I was annoyed that I could not see who they were. Is it just me?

Call Backs

We are having a problem at work. Our website developer is not returning calls. He started off gung ho years ago and slowly but surely he has become lazy. If he isn't calling us back, is he also not calling back other clients. We finally decided to change web masters and here is where things become a problem. He locked his name and email and telephone numbers in with the web hosting service, so as much as they would like to release our account, they cannot do it until he calls them. He has no idea we will be doing this and our calls to him only say to call us back. For all he knows, we want more designs. It's crazy that we own the site but someone else has the power.

Color Coordinate

I was driving on the Northern State Parkway behind a yellow car on my way to work. There must have been a crack on its bumper and it was held together with electrical tape. Black tape on a bright yellow bumper. It looked like the kind of repair that was not going to be done properly as the tape seemed to have been there for a while. Years ago, there were only two choices of heavy duty tape. Gray duct tape or black electrical tape. Now if you go into Home Depot, you can find every color, every shade, tiger print, stripes and polka dots. There is a choice. I would have repaired the crack in a color coordinated yellow tape so my car would not look as bad. Am I the only one that thinks this way?

Never Delete

Over the years, I have learned to never delete anything that I have done research on. If I put in the time and effort once, it is inevitable that somewhere down the line I will need that information again. This has happened time and time again. Today I am printing out a menu that I created three years ago. It shows what type of foods are good for someone with a high glucose blood level. This is my most popular "document". When I save documents on the computer, I add the word "never delete" just in case I get into a computer cleaning frenzy.

The Crowds

It has already begun. The crowded stores, filled with people trying to figure out what gifts they will buy for family, friends and co workers. Most people look gazed as they stand in the aisles with an imaginary list hovering over their heads. Who am I buying for, what do they like, what size, what color, etc, etc. It seems like such a burden to be forced to buy gifts and spend more money than your budget allows.

The First Chip

The first chip or scratch is the hardest. When you get a new car or appliance it is in pristine condition. We know it will not remain like that forever. Last night my husband woke me at 1am to say that he chipped the ceramic cooktop of our new stove. I told him that it didn't matter, accidents happen. He was so upset and said it was in a noticeable spot. I never got up to look because there was nothing I could do about it. This morning I saw the chip. It can be repaired with a drop of black appliance enamel. No one but us would ever notice it.

Making My List

This week I will be making my list but I will be checking it many times. My list will be of all the things I need to do and buy for my Thanksgiving dinner. The list has been floating in my head for weeks but now is the time it needs to be finalized. How much food will I need? Where are 29 chairs coming from? How will I arrange the tables? I know it will all pull together in the end.

Quotes

When I teach my life coaching classes I usually ask for the students to find a quote that means something to them and then explain it to the class. Last week each person came with more than one, as their research was so interesting. Quotes serve as summing up a situation in a few powerful words that touch our heart. What would your favorite quote be?

Finale

Last night was the last class of a series of four that I did at a local school. The group consisted of five people that were all very nice. I usually do not do a four part series as people have a hard time committing to being somewhere every week. These people showed up each time with enthusiasm. We wrote a journal and did a vision board. We talked about many life issues. They each said that they came away from this program with more knowledge about themselves and see areas that they can work on to have a more fulfilling life. When the class ended they all asked me to do more programs in the Spring. They hugged goodbye and said that they will miss each other. It was a wonderful experience.

Bad Connection

I got up this morning and my husband was not home. He called last night from a work phone that has static. All I heard were the words, "Busy, broken machines" and "never ate". I can only assume that the words "working overtime" were somewhere in the mix. I would call his cell now to see if he is safe, but he never keeps it on. He only uses it to call the diner for a hamburger on his way home from work. I am assuming he is fine, as bad news travels fast.

Two Celebrations

Today is Veteran's Day. It is a day to remember all of the soldiers that fought to keep America free. I thank all veterans and current military for keeping this country safe. Today is also my daughter in law's birthday. She was born on 11/11. Her daughter was born on 12/12. I have watched her grow from a teenager into a woman and love her more each day. When she was a child she thought that people were off from work and school to celebrate her birth. I am glad she is off today to celebrate with her family.

Glitch in the System

I really thought that I wrote a blog this morning. I remember going downstairs as usual and writing something earth shattering, as usual. At 4 pm my sister called me and asked where my blog was. I said it was posted since 7am. She said it was not. How could that be? I remember doing it. I came downstairs and turned on my computer and lo and behold, it was not there. I guess I am getting old. I wonder what else I am forgetting. Hopefully not my pants.

Virtual Win

Last night I had a dream that I won the lottery. It was so real and so specific. I was in a candy store and had the two women check my 4 lottery tickets to see if any had won. I was wandering around the store when they approached me. One of them said that she had good news. She said that I would not have to worry about anything for the next ten years. She then handed me a Mega Millions ticket and said that it was a multimillion dollar ticket. My first thought was that I had to call my children as I wanted to split it with them. I walked into the parking lot and said to myself ,"This isn't a dream, is it"? Then I looked around and said, "No, it isn't". Everything was so real and made sense. It was as real as it is now, typing this blog. I remember trying to locate the lottery office and making plans to turn in the ticket. Then I woke up! I don't mind not winning, but I do mind losing my virtual millions.

A Thought

I woke up this morning with a thought running through my mind. I have no idea where it came from but it made a lot of sense so I will pass it on.
            Days go by slow. Years go by fast.
        You blink your eyes and your life has passed.
It made me think that we all need to prioritize what is important. Tell your family you love them. Don't worry about things you have no power over. Things happen for a reason even though we don't always know why. Maybe we are not meant to. 

Cooking Up A Storm

This morning I will be cooking up a storm. I haven't done this in a long time. I used to cook and freeze a few meals a week. The only problem is that I have a new refrigerator and there is no room. I did not realize how much inside space an ice maker takes up. This freezer would be good for someone on a diet. It limits your food.

Becoming A Group

Last night was the third of a four series class that I am doing for Continuing Education. I can see the transition of the people as they bond with each other. It is a diverse group but they are all the same.They are all there to learn a bit more about themselves and understand how their actions affect their lives. They are opening up to each other and by doing that, they are helping each other. As I explained to them, I do not give any answers. What I do is ask the questions that make them think about how they are living their lives. Next week is the last class and I can see that they would have liked more.

In Control

The Republicans are back in control. This was the good news I woke up to this morning. Finally, after years of bad decisions, America has a fighting chance. Our president became a liability to the Democrats that were running for office and even though they distanced themselves from him, they could not get far enough away. Hopefully we can see a change in policies that have been detrimental to us all. Healthcare, first and foremost. I work in the healthcare field and have seen a drastic drop in our patient numbers due to changes in their coverage. They were forced into plans that offered them no freedom and therefore they suffered for it. They had to settle for "good enough" care instead of the best care. I feel terrible turning away a person in need because they have no out of network benefits. I have even offered to cut our fee in half, but it is still not a viable option for them. Maybe now, although it will be slow, we can get back to being a united country.

Election Day

Today the annoying phone calls stop. Until 9pm last night, I had been inundated with recorded messages from politicians. I would guess that 99% of people hang up on these calls. Years ago you paid for phone calls individually. Now you have unlimited calls, so why not flood the wires. It is inconsiderate and I do not think that a phone call will change anyone's mind. Stop calling and do your job. That is why the economy is like it is. All talk and no action. 

Count Down

Once November comes, it is the countdown to the holidays. My Thanksgiving list is made and I will be having 26 people. I make the turkey and everyone else brings a dish or two. We will decide next week who brings what dish. Everyone has their specialty. This year I will be having my sister's niece's in laws. They are from Massachusetts, just like my son. I will also have both sides of my family there, so it will be extra special. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

Voice of a Woman

I was cooking dinner the other night when the phone rang. I usually have my portable phone in the same room but this time I did not. As the phone kept ringing, I ran from room to room until I located it. I found it one level down, in my den. I answered the call and there was a man on the line saying he was calling for the Democratic party and wanted to hear what women were thinking about the elections. He specifically said that he wanted to hear "the woman's voice". Since I am still having trouble with my leg, I was annoyed that I had to run and get the phone for a call that I did not want. I said to him, "You want to hear a woman's voice? I will give it to you". I then scolded him about how his nonsense phone call made me run through my house and that I d not like these type of annoying calls. I then asked "Was this the type of woman's voice you were looking for"? He said not really and he apologized for calling. Like I always say, be careful what you ask for, you might get it.

November

I woke up to a gray day. It is cold and damp and has the feel of winter. I did not get many trick or treaters yesterday, so the ones I got received handfuls of candy. The overflow will be brought to work on Monday as my office staff will eat anything that does not have bugs, dirt or poison in it. I am dressed for winter and am starting to make my Thanksgiving dinner guest list. My turn was five years ago and the time flew by. Now the planning starts.

Happy Halloween

Another Halloween. Where has the year gone? This afternoon my grandson will go trick or treating for the second time. Last year he was in his stroller. This year he will be walking up to the doors to get candy. He is just beginning to walk so he will probably only go to a few houses although he isn't allowed to eat candy yet. This is more of a milestone for his parents. Their goal was to have him walking and he has achieved that. He will go to a family pizza party after he scares the neighborhood.

Campaigning

In yesterday's mail there were 5 large postcards campaigning for various politicians. By this time I know the size and the feel of the advertisements, so I do not even have to look at them before they get tossed into the garbage. As I was sorting out the postcards, there was one that I kept. It was for 20% off at Bed, Bath and Beyond. If I was a politician I would spend my advertising dollar putting my name and face onto circulars that people would keep. If my face was next to the word 20%, everyone would know who I was.

Shelf Life

Last week I was cleaning out a basement shelf, looking for an item that had probably been thrown out decades ago. That is when I came across a bottle of tacky glue that I had purchased in the 1980's. The same product is still being made and I just bought a bottle recently. The one I found hiding was the large size, 16 ounces. I squeezed the bottle to see if it was still pliable and soft. It was. I then opened the cap to see if it was still useful and it was. It had the same consistency as the one I just bought. I brought it upstairs for the first time in 27 years and put it in my crafting box. I guess that a well made product, closed tightly, will last forever.

Birdie Triage

I was sitting in my kitchen when I heard a crash on my glass sliding door. I went to see what it was and there was a small wild bird standing on my deck. One leg looked all curled up and his beak was in an open position. He looked like he was a frozen statue. I went outside to see how he was. I could see him breathing but he was as still as a rock. I sat with him and told him that he would be ok. He was in the sunshine and warm. After about ten minutes, I saw his eyes blink. A few minutes later I saw his beak close. He remained like that for another half hour. We talked again and his head moved to where the sound of my voice was coming from. He was slowly coming out of shock. I went back inside and stood at the window for a few more minutes until I saw him gather enough strength to fly away. It was over an hour by then. I am so happy he recovered!

A-Maze-ing

Yesterday one of the attractions at the Pumpkin Farm was a corn maze. It cost $8 to have the privilege of getting lost among corn stalks. It was supposed to be a treasure hunt where you find the items they ask for and mark it off on a score sheet. Most people were just glad to make their way out after a few minutes. Once you were in, even though it was not a very large maze, you could not get out. That is dangerous. After 10 minutes of walking in circles, I needed to rest my leg but had no idea how to leave. That is when I realized the danger of the maze. What if someone fell or a child ran faster than their parent? There was no staff member in the maze in case of an emergency. Now I can say I have been in a corn maze. One more skill to list on my resume.

Pumpkins

Today we are going pumpkin picking. This will be a yearly event. Last year the baby was too small to remember anything but this year he will be able to have fun. There is a petting zoo and a corn maze. He will be in his radio flyer wagon and be pulled through the farm. Last year it rained. Today the sun is shining. It will be a lot of fun!

Visualization

If we put our mind to it, we can do anything. That is what a powerful force it is. Yesterday, I had an MRI to check what is going on with my back. I am not fearful of being in a closed space, but for some reason when I was totally in the machine, I felt like I could not breath. I started to panic and then pulled myself together. It was all in my mind. I closed my eyes and they started playing the disco music I had requested. I envisioned myself in a dicso in the 1980's and calmed down. After that things were fine.

Stirring the Pot

There is a new expression that is used for reality TV. It is called "stirring the pot". It means that someone is saying or doing things to get a reaction from other people. We all know someone who is a pot stirrer. I have one at work. Yesterday, I had to cut my part time worker's hours. If I cut each girl by 1 hour, I would not have to fire one of them. I explained it to them and they were glad to do it. My "pot stirrer" called me a few hours later to say that the girls were upset and carrying on. She did not know that I had personally talked to each of them to make sure things were good. When I informed her that I had made sure that each one was ok, she tried to fluff off her stirring, saying that maybe they were not that upset, but they should have been. If you know a pot stirrer, never believe anything they tell you.

Doesn't He Know

As usual, I babysat for my grandson for a few minutes yesterday afternoon. When I got there he was not napping which is his usual routine. My son said that he put the baby to sleep a few hours ago, but for some reason he would not settle down. He stood at the side of his crib crying. There was nothing wrong, he just wanted to be up playing. My son kept him in his crib for the two hours and although the baby never slept, he sat down and amused himself. They are teaching him that crying will not get him his way. All I kept thinking was that I would have been thrilled if someone allowed me to nap for two hours every day. Doesn't he know that this is the best time of his life?

Task Bar

I hate it when I go to work and find the computer task bar where it should not be. I sit down and see that the task bar is on the right, left or top. Task bars need to know their place and stay quietly on the bottom. Sometimes it is not easy to move the bar back. I click, hold and drag, but it still goes back to the wrong place. After ten tries, it finally gives up and listens. I "lock" the bar but I know that in a few weeks it will be on the run again.

Defaults

We bought a new printer/copier at work and it was finally set up. I am the one responsible for learning how to use it and then teaching everyone else. Usually it is simple, but this time the factory defaults were not the ones I wanted. This is an energy saver machine so it defaults to a two sided copy. I cannot do that. Imagine getting a medical statement with your name on one side and someone else's on the other? Not good. I had to read the book and change three settings on each computer as the changes needed to be made on the computer end and not the printer end. I wasted almost an hour on this as the directions were not clear. I hate being the work "techie".

Morning Light

It is my least favorite time of the year. The dark mornings just before we turn the clocks back. I feel like a night worker. I get up feeling tired because my body thinks that I am rising in the middle of the night. I do not want to leave for work in the dark so I wait for the light. It is such a sharp contrast to getting up in the summer with the sunshine beaming into my room. "Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light"? Not for another half hour, at least.

Semantics

We all use words interchangeably. That is why there is a Thesaurus. Most people never refer to one anymore and after writing that word, it looks like a dinosaur. Notice the syllable "saur". The other day I was speaking to my sister about what word we use when we want to make sure something is not discarded and we need to put a note on that item. She said she uses "save". My father likes to use "hold". My nephew says "keep". After thinking for a second, I realized that I write "do not throw out". We are four people from the same family and have four different ways to get our point across.

9:59

I am a proactive person. I do things on time and budget my time well. If something normally takes one hour, I allot two. My husband decided to shampoo our carpets yesterday and rented a Home Depot machine. He had a four hour span to use it and had to have it back at 10:00pm. He brought it home at 6pm and then proceeded to do every other chore in the house. At 8:18pm I asked when he planned on using the machine as it was getting late. He told me, "He knew what he was doing". I could not sit in the room and aggravate myself as the clocked ticked away. This morning I got up and saw the return receipt. It was marked at 9:59pm.

Penny Wise, Dollar Foolish

The healthcare world has effected everyone. Patients and doctors included. We all used to have a choice. Now we just worry. Even though we do not realize it, Obamacare is leaning towards socialism. We are forced into plans that we are not happy with. We are told which doctors we are allowed to see within these plans. The doctors are having their income limited to what the plans pay them. If doctors do not choose plans to participate in, the patients will eventually stop coming. We were all lied to and if we are smart we will acknowledge that at the November elections. We need to have a strong Republican party to undo the socialist mess that the Democrats have gotten us into. I see this change in my office. We give wonderful, specialized care, but people can no longer afford us. They can get "ok" care but that will not solve their problem. As our numbers decrease, my boss worries more. After 35 years, will she be able to keep her doors open? She is trying to cut costs and is choosing the wrong ways to do that. Yesterday, I told her she was penny wise and dollar foolish. I hope she thinks before she makes mistakes that could jeopardize her practice.

One Day

In 1963, Nat "King" Cole had a hit song named "That Sunday, That Summer".  The first line of the song is, "If I had to choose just one day, to live my whole life through, it would surely be.....". He ended the line saying, "That Sunday, the day that I met you". At my lectures I ask that question. It is intended to provoke a happy memory that you can refer to when things seem sad. Last week, in a lecture on happiness, I asked the question and went around the room asking for answers. Two people could not think of anything. I asked them to think more about it this week so they would have an answer. People recounted trips, births, weddings, graduations. As each one told their choice, they were smiling and had a peaceful look in their eye. Those thoughts comforted them. What day would you choose?

Numb

My leg pain has turned into numbness, but I can deal with that. Today I will be watching my grandson all day, so I will have to be careful not to restrain myself. I can't sit on the floor and play like I usually do. If he was older, he could have taken care of me, instead.

Other People's Mess

I injured myself yesterday morning cleaning up other people's mess. I bent down to empty out the work fridge and pulled out my leg. I had to leave work early and barely drove home. I went to the local urgent care and was told it was either a pinched nerve or a bad muscle pull. I have never been in such pain. Not even in childbirth. It will take a while to recover. If people only cleaned up their own garbage, this would not have happened.

Happy Columbus Day

Happy Columbus Day. Today is a day that most people have off from work. My family does not. I am up as usual, and the only positive thing is that there will be no traffic going to work. Most people will commemorate the day by going to the mall and looking for sales. I know this because when I come home from work there will be a back up of cars at the mall exit. Columbus went searching for America. Everyone else went searching for a good deal.

Zombie

I feel like a zombie today. I am so tired that I am shuffling my feet when I walk. We have finally finished the kitchen. My husband is a night worker and has more energy after 3pm. Every project we did began after 3pm. Tiling, grouting, painting throughout the night. That schedule works for him. It does not work for me. I have spent the past two days assisting him until 3am. My body clock is set for 7am, which means that I have not slept in 2 days. Last night he worked until 7am when I got up. That is insanity.

Almost Done

I stayed up until 2am tiling my kitchen. I worked slowly and meticulously and the wall and countertop look beautiful. With each new project, I learn a new skill. You can learn almost anything if you take the time to research it. I have always had the mindset that if someone else can do it, so can I. Of course, I am speaking within reason. I cannot carry very heavy objects nor can I climb a 20 foot ladder. That's what my husband is for.

Checklist

Today is a checklist day. I have so many things going on that I actually have to write them down in chronological order. My day starts at 8am with bringing Shelby in for a haircut. Then I have something to do every hour until after dinner. I hope I remember to do everything on the list.

World Traveler

Years ago, I read an essay about what it was like to have a special needs child. My grandson was a preemie and they tend to develop at a slower rate until they are about two years old, then things equal out. Their age is always adjusted to when their real due date would have been. We count back 9 weeks. I began to think about that essay and how it pertains to my grandson. I wrote my own thoughts about the road I travel with him. I call my story "World Traveler". Having a baby is like planning a trip to France. You chart out the itinerary and acquaint yourself with every aspect of that country. You learn the language.You know where to shop and where to eat. You know all of the important landmarks. All of your friends have been to France so they can give you wonderful advice. All of a sudden you are told that you will be taking the trip to France  weeks earlier than you planned. You aren't ready, but the plane is taking off. You board the plane, but it lands in Switzerland . You haven't done the research on Switzerland. You have no idea how to speak the language or where to go. This was an unexpected landing. You stay in Switzerland and learn that the Alps are beautiful and the watches are the finest in the world. You are proud to live there. After a while you are notified that you must move to Belgium, then Austria. Each country has its beauty and unique culture. You know that you have a ticket for France in your wallet but you do not have a valid visa yet so you cannot enter the country that your friends have enjoyed, yet. It doesn't really matter though, because you have created wonderful memories along the way in all of the countries you have traveled through. Some people were meant to visit one country. Others were meant to be world travelers.

Great Class

Last night I gave my class on "Happiness". It was a full house and I had just enough chairs for everyone. The more I do theses classes, the more I see that we are all the same. Even though there were people whose ages ranged from mid twenties to early sixties, deep down we all have the same needs. We all want to be needed. We all want to be loved. As one young girl said, we all want to have a purpose in life. I totally agree.

Snow Birds

This morning my parents return to Florida for the winter season. It had been a hectic spring and summer so they will finally relax. They should be on their way to the airport now. I will not feel at ease until they call me from Florida saying they have arrived safely.

T minus 1

Today is T minus 1. The day before my parents return to their Florida home. We sent the car and packed up their last minute items. We reminisced about all of our wonderful childhood memories. Then we had a nice dinner at a local diner. Does life get better?

Last Look

Today I am going to my parent's house to help them pack up last minute items before they return to Florida in a few days. I will take a last look at their house as it has been for the past forty years. When I see it next, it will be remodeled and updated. I am looking forward to the change.

Sequence

I am very consistent with writing this blog. For the first time in a long time, my morning routine was different and it slipped my mind to write it. Since I am a creature of habit and like continuity I am backdating this blog so it looks like I did not skip a date. Let's keep this our little secret.

My Schedule

This morning my phone rang at 7:30am. I ran to get it as my heart pounded. Who would call at 7:30? As it turned out, it was the appliance delivery man letting me know he would be here an hour earlier. My schedule is different from most people's. If you called my house at midnight, or 1am or 2am, I would not be scared. Call my house at 7am and I worry. My family works odd hours, so a middle of the night call is nothing unusual.

Chains

Years ago, people used to send chain letters through the mail. They told us to send them to 10 other people and we would have good fortune. Some even asked for money. I was always a chain breaker. Yesterday I was sitting in work when I received a text message. It was talking about angels and good luck and said to send it to 14 people and the next day I would have good fortune. I looked at who sent it to me and it was my receptionist who was sitting right behind me. She said that I needed to forward it to fourteen people. There was no way that I would ever send nonsense to anyone. I sent it back to her and told her to reread it fourteen times.

The Small Things

Every job, no matter how big or small,  has certain details that must be done in order for that job to be done correctly. For the first time, my office decided to order lunch from Ben's Deli. We called at 10:50am to place a delivery order. They said that the order would arrive by 2pm, which was too late for our lunch. We coaxed a doctor into going to the nearest Ben's location to pick up the food. I called in the order and off she went. We all ordered either corned beef or pastrami sandwiches and one person ordered the matzo ball soup. The order was tightly packed and the bag folded shut. When we unpacked the sandwiches, we realized that there were no packets of mustard and no spoon. Mustard and deli sandwiches go hand in hand and it is a no brainer that a spoon goes with soup for a take out order. We couldn't believe that these 2 details were overlooked. The food was good but it would have been better with mustard. The soup was eaten with a teaspoon that we had in a drawer. I guess that for $100 you get no extras.

The Handwriting on the Wall

When we use the expression, "I can see the handwriting on the wall", it usually means something bad. It means that we can foresee the future and it may not be good. My son sent me a picture the other day that puts a positive spin on that expression. It was a photo of my granddaughter with a box of crayons, scribbling on their kitchen wall. The kitchen is gutted out and the cabinets will be replaced this week. On the wall space that the cabinets will cover, she has drawn pictures. They signed her name on them. They will be tucked away, hiding for many years to come. They will be our little secret. In 40 years, when the kitchen is remodeled again, the artwork of a 21 month old little girl will be revealed.

Sauces

I have to clean out my refrigerator by Friday when the new one arrives. I threw out all of the food that was newly expired. I threw out foods that I did not think I would eat in the near future. Then I got to the sauce drawer. This drawer contained hundreds of sauce packets. There were duck sauces, soy sauces, hot sauces, tarter sauces, mustard, ketchup and assorted salad dressings. They have accumulated over years. I have a drawer like this in my office. There are so many in that drawer that we are tempted to return them to the Chinese take out. I kept a few of each sauce and tossed the rest. I then put them into a baggie so I know which are the older ones. I am sure I will have hundreds more in no time.

Birds and Oil

There are two types of people. The Early Birds and the ones that Burn the Midnight Oil. I am the bird and my husband is the oil burner. I accomplish the most when I get up early and start a new day. He accomplishes the most when he starts a project at night. Last night our methods collided. We are running out of time to finish certain projects before my appliances arrive, so after spending a day with the family we began our project at 10pm. I normally would be grumpy since I was tired, but I held myself back as I needed the job done. We worked until 12:30am and finished tiling around the stove area. It came out perfect. I still prefer being an early bird, but burning the midnight oil wasn't such a bad thing.

91 And Still Having Fun

This afternoon my family will be getting together to celebrate my father's 91st birthday. At 91 he is still able to drive and live independently with my mother. It is a beautiful Autumn day and hopefully we can spend some time sitting outside in my sister's yard. My father will be surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is a lucky man, but I am a luckier daughter.

Who's Counting

We are in the last stages of our kitchen remodel and went to the Home Depot for the tile that will surround the stove area. We picked out a beautiful brushed nickle pattern and then found out that there was only one tile in stock. Trying to save time, we asked the sales person to check if the next closest store had the item in stock. We needed 7 tiles. He entered the SKU into his system and said that they had 18 tiles in stock. We drove to the other store and went to the kitchen area only to find that there were none of that pattern. We asked the salesperson to check his stock and his records also said that he had 18. He looked and looked and they were nowhere to be found. After 45 minutes he called another store and they said they had a lot of the tiles. I asked for that store to physically look and make sure before we drove there. They said they saw them on the floor. Today we will go and get them and hopefully they will still be there.

Social Media

Today I will be teaching one of my interns how to do social media on Twitter. I think that the whole concept of Twitter is a bit ridiculous. You have 144 characters to get your thoughts out. It might have started off as social, but it has turned into business advertising. Everyone has a business purpose. Buy this, try that. My boss thinks that if we tweet, it will bring in business. She has never even looked at Twitter and I keep explaining that your tweet only stays on the screen for about 20 seconds. I will do my best to teach what I now call "social nonsense".

Rude

We closed on my parent's house yesterday and things went well.  They only thing that seemed a bit off was the  buyer's lawyer.  From the time we got into the conference room, until the end of the closing, he was on his cell phone speaking to other clients.  He barely took a moment to look up at us.  The reason why I found this so rude was because for the entire past year whenever my lawyer needed to speak to him, he never returned a call.

Closing and Opening

This afternoon I will be going to a closing for my parent's house. They have lived there for 57 years and have decided to sell the house. There is a small twist to this story. The house is being sold, but they are not moving out. They will remain living there "forever". Their next door neighbor purchased the house with the stipulation that my parents would not move. He has no idea of the blessing he has given my family. When my parents go back to Florida in a few weeks, the new owner will put in new windows, central air and heat, paint and carpet for them. He will also move the washer and dryer upstairs, from the lower level, so my parents will no longer have to climb stairs. He will design a new backyard in paver blocks and plant trees. In May, they will return to a newly decorated home. No one believes this when I tell them. I now refer to the new owner as my "baby brother" as he is treating my parents as his own.

Long Days

There is an expression "Days are long but years are short". The older I get, the truer this statement seems. Today will be a long day for me, as I will be waiting to hear some news from family members. I hope and pray that it will be good news. On the flip side, tomorrow I go to closing on my parent's house. The sale took one year, but the year flew by. Life is funny that way.

Quick Decision

I am a fast decision maker. It is either yes or no. No maybe's. I went shopping for a dinette table and chairs and visited five stores. I can do a brisk walk through and know if there is something I like. I do not have to ponder a decision. The first four stores had nothing I liked. By the time I arrived at the fifth store, it was 6:45pm and the store closed at 7pm. When we walked through the door, I saw the look in the salesman's eye that said, "I hope these people do not make me stay late and waste my time." People should be allowed to leave work when they are supposed to. There was another couple in there when we arrived. I took my walk and saw something I liked. I called a salesman over and said I was ready to buy it. He wrote the sale up, I paid and I walked out of the door at 6:59 pm. The other couple was still in there asking a million questions.

HallThanksChris

I was in my local Dollar Tree store this morning and was bombarded with holidays. There was an array of Halloween candies, table settings for Thanksgiving and decorations for Christmas. Do they know it is only September? This got me thinking. It is my turn to host Thanksgiving dinner and I am expecting over 30 people. I realized that I should buy the paper goods now as by November there will be July 4th items out. I bought tablecloths, napkins and plates. I now have a Thanksgiving corner in my basement and I will add to it until that day.

Sense of Humor

We all have a sense of humor even though we differ on what we think is funny. I was never one for insulting humor or just plain stupid humor. I find subtle humor funny. We are born with a sense of humor and we start showing it as infants. Yesterday, I was watching my grandson and we were playing with a toy firetruck. He put it onto a chair and it rolled off, hitting the floor. He started to laugh. I put it back on the chair and it rolled off again. He laughed even harder. I repeated placed the truck on the chair so it could roll and he began to laugh hysterically. I recorded him laughing as it was so cute. For some reason, the truck falling was amusing to his baby sense of humor.

One Ingredient

I was at the drug store the other day and needed to purchase one item. The brand name cost $11.96 for 48 pills. The store brand cost $4.96 for the same 48 pills. The store brand was out of stock but there was another alternative. A brand named "Quality" cost $3.56 for 48 pills. I picked up the box and read the ingredients. There was only one ingredient and it was the same as the other two brands. I stood there holding both boxes, deciding if I wanted to buy the unknown brand. Then I thought to myself "it is only one ingredient". How could I go wrong with one ingredient? I bought the $3.56 box and realized how powerful advertising and a brand name can be.

Top Shelf

We all collect things over time. The things we need the most are place where we can easily get to them. The others are stored in places that we forget about. Since I am re doing my kitchen, I decided to throw out the things that I no longer use. I have 2 cabinets above my refrigerator that I have not opened in years. If I haven't opened them, there must be nothing important in them. Nothing useful or sentimental. I realized that if I could not think of what was in them, I did not need those items. I got a hefty bag, opened the cabinet doors an just flung the items into the bag. I never even focused on what they were. If I did, I more than likely would have kept most of them. The items are in the bag, on the curb, waiting for the sanitation truck to cart them away. I have no idea what the bag contains, so I cannot miss the items.

Names

Sometimes I wonder how we name our children . Why is one sound more appealing than the next. There are the people that use a letter theme. All J's or all K's. There are the ones that use family names to carry on the tradition. There are the ones that try to be cute and make the name a play on words. Of course these people deny that they did that. They pretend that there was some other reason for the combination of names such as "Sandy Beach". Then there are the people that just double up a name. William Williams. John John. Are they just lazy or do they not realize that they are setting their child up for years of ridicule? When I named my sons, I made sure that they had "regular" names. Otherwise, I would have needed to give them boxing lessons.

R&R

I am getting ready to go to work. I need some R&R. Rest and relaxation. With all that is going on in my life for the last week, work is the place that is the most relaxing. Things at my office are in order and that means an easy week. My director is in Turkey, so with the time difference, she will not call the office for two weeks. Things will flow quietly. It is nice to have a place to unwind.

Robots

Sometimes we all act like robots. We do the same thing and never take a good look at our surroundings. This morning I went to a local mall that has Target and Macy's. Target opens at 7am and Macy's usually opens at 11am. As I was leaving the mall and walking back to my car, I saw people standing outside of Macy's parking lot entrance. They were all congregated around the door waiting for it to open. It was 11:05am. As I passed the door I looked at the signs that were hanging on each glass door. It said "Our new Sunday hours are 12pm to 6pm". As I passed the crowd I  said, "They open at noon. The sign is on the door". Everyone looked a bit flustered and within 1 minute the crowd dispersed.

Floored

I am floored. In 2 senses of the word. The first, because I have a new tile floor in my kitchen. The second, because my son did the job. He is not a contractor, but the quality of his work could pass for one. Every cut was done precisely. Every tile was laid to perfection. As I stood and watched, I was so impressed. First he had to lay a cement board floor and then the tile. The job took 12 hours with breaks for food. He added a decorator's touch at the end of the job by putting a 1" multicolor border. Every time I walk into my kitchen I will smile knowing that the floor was installed with love.

Normalcy

I hate when things are not normal. With my kitchen being torn apart, I feel like a fish out of water. By this evening I hope to have back some resemblance of normalcy. The cabinets are almost done and the floor will be laid today. I will not have a stove for about a week, but that is a good thing. I will not have to cook!

Upside Down

I got up this morning to a mess. My refrigerator is in the middle of the room and there is no light hooked up. The room is neither here nor there and getting ready for work is not going to be easy. Poor Shelby has no idea what is going on. Hopefully by the end of today things will have progressed.

Rebuild

Last week everything in my kitchen was demolished. This week it is being built up again. My son came over yesterday and measured all of the areas that needed tiles and paint. He rented a truck and bought all of the materials and they are now sitting in my house waiting to be constructed. Everything is prepped and today the rebuild will begin.

Going Green

When I decorated my first apartment and then my house, 32 years ago, there was only one request. No green. My husband hated the color green. He would not buy green shirts or have anything in the house that was green. That was fine with me because I was always a color blue person. My sister was pink and I was blue. I guess my mother liked my clothes to match my eyes. Now that we are decorating the kitchen, somehow my husband has become the decorator. He thinks that watching a few hour of HGTV has given him a professional eye. We got a color chart from the paint store and he has been looking over it for days. He finally decided that the kitchen will be painted....green. What a curve ball. It seems that pale green and white wainscoting is the new look. I do not really care, so I will go with the flow. After 32 years, the man has decided to "go green".

Notes

My husband has a terrible handwriting. It is so bad that sometimes he cannot even read it.
When he writes his food shopping list I need to be a decoder. What once looked like "manowar" turned out to be orange juice. I was shopping in a Russian fruit store yesterday and a woman and man were looking at their shopping list and pointing to a word as if they had no idea what was written. I walked up behind then to see what they were looking at and perhaps help then as I can decode the worst handwriting. When I saw the list, it was written in Russian. It actually looked clearer to me than the list my husband had written.

Demo Zone

My house is a demolition zone. On the spur of the moment, my husband decided to remodel the kitchen....by himself. So far in 2 days, he has taken down a ceiling, removed two out of three light fixtures, removed wallpaper, a backsplash, coving and three layers of flooring. We are now down to the original sub floor of the house. The dust was everywhere so he had to add the chore of cleaning to all of the above work. Now we are ready for the rebuild. He will put a cement board floor in, then a tile floor, paint, redo the backsplash, hang the lighting fixture, install new molding and refinish the cabinets in a cherrywood finish. I am exhausted just writing about it. I have no idea where the man gets his energy.

Under Construction

What started off as a small idea has blown up into re-doing my kitchen. Refreshing the cabinets has led to wallpaper removal, ceiling removal, new lighting fixtures, floor removal and new appliances. There is a coating of dust everywhere, including my lungs. Tarps are hanging from doors and sitting on floors. I hate the smell and the disarray. Now I know why I waited 32 years.

Nothing Is Minor

A famous comedienne died yesterday, a week after having a routine medical procedure. I was never a fan of her humor because I thought is was more mean spirited than funny, but I still feel bad. I feel bad for a daughter that has lost her mother and a grandson that has lost his grandmother. The scary part is that she walked into a doctor's office in good health, only to have  a minor procedure and never walk out. According to the news, she was given an anesthetic that she reacted poorly to. That is what led to the cardiac arrest. How many of us have gone for a routine procedure that needed anesthesia? How many of us have asked what type of sedative we would be given and the risks? We just sign our name on the paper work and pray for the best.

No Longer Defensive

Last night was the first of a two part Defensive Driving Course. I am taking it through AARP and they decided to change the name of it to "Smart Driver's Course". I guess that when you are over 55, they no longer expect you to be defensive and the best they can hope for is smart. I saw some of the same people that had attended three years ago. One couple is friends of my family and it was so nice to see how good they looked. Even though there was only a few minutes to chat, it was the most interesting part of the evening. The instructor had aged a bit and he read parts of the book incorrectly. No one corrected him, so I do not know if they were being kind, never noticed or just didn't care. I sat next to my brother in law who likes to be class clown. He made me laugh so much that I choked on my water and stopped breathing. I ran into the hallway to regain my breath, hoping that if I collapsed, a younger person would find me. The people in the class were all older than me and might not have been able to see the numbers on their phone to dial 911. I quickly regained consciousness and went back in. I slowly fell back into the coma when the instructor was explaining that a red light means to stop.

No Work

This morning I got up at the usual time. I did my usual morning routine. When I leave my house at 7am I will do one thing differently.  I will turn left instead of right. Today I will not go to work. I will go to my grandson. My son has to work a day shift so I am the baby sitter. I packed my breakfast, lunch, magazine and computer. I am looking forward to spending the day with the cutest boy. He now lifts his hands to hug me when I arrive and that is priceless.

Day One

Today is the first day of school. There are millions of unhappy children and thousands of unhappy teachers. The only happy people are the ones selling the pens, pencils and looseleaf paper. The classrooms will be hot and the students will be milling around trying to find their classes. Younger children will be crying. I do not mean to sound like scrooge, but today I will have a pleasant day. I did not have a nine week break, so I do not know any better.

Happy Labor Day

Today is Labor Day. Most people do not even realize why we celebrate it. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and the achievements of the American workers. It marks the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country. Unfortunately, it is a patriotic holiday in a country that is not led by patriotic politicians. How can Americans celebrate work, when they are working to pay for people that the President has allowed to illegally cross our borders? In this county alone, he has let 11,000 people take residence. That means the working population now has to carry 11,000 more people on their back. We must educate, feed and house them. Who agreed to this? I did not. It seems that our President said that "I could do whatever I want to do without Congress' approval". Aren't our elected officials supposed to be working for us? It seems that they are standing there silent while the burden is placed onto our shoulders. There is not really anything to celebrate this Labor Day, so I will just try to rest until tomorrow, when I have to go back to work to support my new family of 11,000 people.

Cloudy

It feels like summer has already ended even thought we officially still have a few week left. People have lost the summer feeling and have one more day before life returns to its normal routine. The teachers are counting down to beginning their school year and I am counting down to having traffic again.

The Book

It used to be easy to remember passwords. You had one email account. Now everything is online and each website has a different criteria for their passwords. One wants a capital letter. One wants one capital and one lowercase. One wants one capital, one lowercase and one number. The most annoying are the sites that require one capital, one lowercase, one number and one character. I am at the point where I no longer can rely on my memory for user names and passwords. I have everything jotted down in a notebook. If I lose that book, I would be in trouble. Of course we all have the "recovery" email or cell phone number, but no one wants to bother doing that.

Best Entertainment

Usually in the evening I watch television. I used to read, but as my reading vision got worse, the desire to strain my eyes by reading lessened. Last night, I watched my grandson as I usually do on Thursday evenings. As he gets older, he gets more interactive. We played with his musical toys and then his puzzles. When the sun started to go down, we took a short walk. We then came back and had a snack. After that it was "bowl time". I like to leave that for last. I bring out about 10 plastic cereal bowls of all sizes and spread them onto the floor. He then stacks and unstacks. Before I knew it, his mother had arrived to pick him up. When I went upstairs to go to sleep, I realized that I had never put the television on all night. I didn't need to. He was better entertainment.

Read Between The Lines

This morning when I got up, I found an article on the kitchen countertop. It looked like an article that was written by a reporter, regarding a new medical procedure that was on Long Island. It told about an ultrasound to diagnose arthritis. It was written in very simplistic language and did not seem professional at all. Since this was the doctor that I had worked for 10 years ago, I knew that he had written it himself and just bought the ad space. Of course when I looked at the top of the page the word "advertisement" was written in small letters across the banner line. If you look carefully, most doctor articles are self written and they are trying to have the public think they are credible.

Nice Gesture

There are a few patients that I go the extra mile for. I never file insurance, but for these people I will. It takes me five minutes once a week to help them out. I know that if I do not do it for them, they will procrastinate and never get their reimbursement money. I went in to work yesterday and found a gift waiting for me. I opened up the big bow, wrapping paper, the box, the tissue paper, the plastic envelope and then the orange envelope. In that, was a $100 gift card. I was so surprised. It was not necessary but it was such a kind gesture. I thanked the patient and he said that was the least he could do to show his gratitude.

Crickets

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready for work, I heard a cricket chirping in my den. Since the den is attached to the garage, occasionally we have a stray cricket. It was a loud, continuous noise. I never looked for the cricket, as they are good at hiding and I had no time. When I got home from work, I had totally forgotten about it. When I went to sleep last night, I heard it again. This time it was in my bedroom. I have no idea how it snuck up two flights of stairs and made its way into my bedroom. My room is the last door on the upper level, so it must have taken all day to travel. All night it chirped. I felt like I was camping in the mountains. When I come home this afternoon, I will have to go on a cricket hunt.

Worth The Trip

We spent the day in New Jersey visiting my niece and nephew's new home. We looked forward to going there for a month and were not disappointed. The house was more beautiful than the pictures, and renovations had begun. These renovations were by choice not by necessity. I sprawled myself on a floating pool noodle and paddled around in the water until my fingers turned pruney. Then we had a barbeque and ate hot dogs the size of Texas. They were so good that we actually googled the brand. Then came the chicken cutlets or should I say chicken grandlets. They were so big and juicy. We ate and enjoyed the day, but nothing was better than seeing the smiles on everyone's faces. This is what life is all about!

Day Trip

Today my family is going on a day trip. We are only going about 50 miles, but the destination is special. We are going to see my niece's new home. We are packing like we are going on vacation. She is the first family member to have her own pool and coupled with the beauty of her property, we feel like we are going to a resort. There is an expression that says, "You get whet you deserve". It is usually used in a negative way. In regards to my niece, I will use it in a positive way. She "got what she deserved". A wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter and now will top it off with a gorgeous home!

An Extra E

What is it about the letter "E" that makes us think something is fancier than it is. I was driving on a major street the other day and was just looking at the store signs. First I came upon one that used the word "shoppe". Why did the owner think that he needed to add the extra "pe" to that word? Did he think that the public would think that the items he carried would seem more cultured? Then I passed a restaurant that used the word "grille". What purpose did the extra "e" carry? Is the food more continental with it? I guess I am a purest. I do not add anything to words. While I am talking about added letters, what is up with "honour" and "favour"?

Foreign Policy

We have a research assistant in our office that is from Switzerland. He is always telling us how things are so different there. Things are more relaxed. This became very apparent in the last few weeks. He is the supervisor of 4 girls and each one has a crush on him. They fawn all over him and he gives them back rubs. Now the girls are getting jealous of each other. I pulled him aside and told him about "sexual harassment laws" in the US. I even showed him our office policy handbook that says there can be no physical contact between employees. He read it, acknowledged it and said, "America is no fun".

How It Feels

Each day has a feeling. People always say that "it feels like a Monday" or "it feels like a Friday". I totally agree. I do not know why our minds should differentiate between days, but they do. Since last week, I lost that feeling. Maybe it is because I was on vacation midweek. I get up each day without that "feeling". I have to think what day it is. Today is Thursday, but I only know that because I looked at the calendar. I am hoping that by tomorrow I will be in sync with the week again.

Baby Hair

One of my doctor's brought his 10 week old baby into the office to meet everyone. She was the cutest little girl but she had a ton of hair. So much that it looked weird. All of the babies in my family were born with a small fluff of light colored hair. Just enough to see but not enough to comb. This baby had enough to have braids. Picture putting a mink Cossack hat on a tiny baby. Her hair was that full and that thick. I was tempted to touch it but that would have been rude. I am the kind of person who will focus on one thing, so I missed the cooing and the smiles. All I could see was hair.

Special Order

I was eating in a nice restaurant a few weeks ago and there was an older couple seated at the next table. The waiter came over to take their order. The woman said she wanted the fish. Then she gave specific instructions. It had to be slightly grilled, with minimal oil, not dry, a dash of salt, a bit more pepper and no garlic. Then she ordered the vegetable, steamed, not too over cooked, no salt, a bit of pepper and no butter. Those were just a few of the guidelines she gave. There were a few more but I could not remember them. She the ordered for her husband and gave explicit instructions for him, which were different from hers. When the waiter left, she looked at her husband and said, "Wasn't I good? I only asked for a few things." If that was a few, I cannot imagine what her usual routine is.

Last Weeks

We are entering the last weeks of summer and for some reason today feels like the turning point. This summer was a strange one. It felt like a big puzzle that had missing and mismatched pieces. Nothing seemed quite right and I feel like I just went through the motions of summer and never really lived it. People were ill, there were job changes and even the town pool seemed the emptiest it had ever been.Though I like the beautiful weather, my spirit feels like it just needs to move on to another phase, another season.

What Color?

I have always been a blond. First it was natural and then as I got older, it was through hair dye. Recently I became a little lazy and did not dye my hair for a month. Then two months. By the time it got to three months and after three haircuts, all of the dye was cut out. I now have completely natural color hair. The only problem is that no one knows what color it is. Everywhere I go, people are telling me that they love my hair color. I have never received so many compliments. When I ask them what color they think it is, everyone pauses and thinks. Nobody has the answer. It is still blond but has a few white streaks in it. It is not salt and pepper because that is black and white. Could it be salt and blond?

Where is The Beef?

I know where the beef is. It is in the supermarket, because it is too expensive to buy. Yesterday I wanted to barbeque steaks on the grill, so I went to Stop and Shop to buy any type of beef that was reasonably priced. The Porterhouse steaks were in packages marked for over $32.00. The skirt steak was in packages marked for over $30.00. When my head was done spinning around, I decided to go to the Best Market, as their meats are priced lower. Their packages of beef were somewhere in the $13 - $17 range. I then did my calculations. If it cost me $17 for the meat and added in the price of a salad and 2 vegetables, I might as well eat out and not use my energy to cook and serve. I wound up buying a package of hangar steak for $10. I could deal with that. It tasted pretty good and my stomach was not in knots from paying too much.

Free Lunch

Whenever we travel to Massachusetts, we stop off at the Mystic, Connecticut McDonald's for lunch. On Tuesday,  the register receipt said that if I return to that store within 7 days I can get a buy one, get one free Quarter Pounder. I put the receipt into my wallet. On Thursday, when we were returning home, we stopped off at McDonald's in Mystic again. I went to the register to order my 2 items. They said that I had to have a validation code. There was a telephone number on the receipt so I called it. The store answered and said that I had to go online for the code. I went back to the register and asked to see a manager because this was now becoming ridiculous. The girl said that she would not call over the manager. She said I had to go online. Now this was becoming a mission and there was no way that I was not getting this item for free. I unpacked my car and got out my tablet. It took 10 minutes for me to figure out how to connect to the McDonald's WIFI. Then I started the "short" survey that had to be completed for the validation code to appear. The short survey was over 50 questions. Since the writing on that tablet was small, I just kept hitting that last option so the questions would move along. After another 10 minutes I was done. Unfortunately since I was forced to chose random options, the store was graded as being dirty with horrible food. It also said that I was a Native American, over 65, making $200,000 a year. I got my free Quarter Pounder and it was delicious.

To Capacity

It was a rainy day yesterday, so we decided to spend the morning touring the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory. It took about 1/2 hour to get there and when we arrived, we saw a lot of cars pulling out of the street. We drove into the parking area and saw three employees blocking the entrance to the lot. We rolled down the car window and asked where to park. They said that the tours were "full to capacity" and that we should come back tomorrow when the weather would be better and the factory empty. My son was very disappointed as he wanted us to take the tour. He drove around to the main entrance and double parked the car. He went into the factory to see how crowded it was. He came out and said that there was no one on the tour. He suggested that my husband and I go in and take the tour and then he would go in with his wife and baby. We went in and took the tour and got a free sample of chips at the end. My son and his family did the same. We were the only ones on the tour. Here is the puzzle...if the lot held 100 cars and most cars hold 4 people, there should have been 400 people on the tour. There was no one, so where were all of the people that made the factory "to capacity"?  I hope they were not turned into chips.

The Cape

We arrived at the Cape yesterday. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. Our granddaughter was playing at the beachside pool and was a little shy when we went to say hello. It took her a few hours to feel comfortable around us. Once she did, we were the best of friends! We swam with her and kicked a soccer ball back and forth. At dinner time she only wanted to sit at the table with the adults and not in her high chair. When my son tried to put her into the high chair, she started to cry and had a look of despair in her eyes. He then gave in and let her be a big girl. After dinner we ate ice cream. Breakfast will be soon and I can't wait to see her.

What Our Eyes Cannot See

I woke up this morning to read that Robin Williams had committed suicide. He had relapsed with alcohol and cocaine and I guess the pain got so bad that ending his life was a better option than continuing it. I was never a fan of his comedy style because it was too frantic for me, but I was a huge fan of his serious acting roles. I always enjoyed seeing clips of Mrs. Doubtfire because he reminded me of my mother in law. She resembled his character from the hair to the glasses. The real tragedy was that someone so funny was so unhappy. I work in the mental healthcare field and have learned that many people with depression are good "actors". They act upbeat for the world and when they walk into their homes the show ends.

Early Start

It is only a few minutes after 7am but I have already had a long day. I got up at 5am and took my sister and brother in law to the airport. They are off to Tennessee for Elvis week. The trip to LaGuardia airport took 45 minutes as there was a lot of traffic. The trip back to my office was also slow because the rising sun was directly in my eyes. I drove with my hand in front of my face for a good part of the trip. I am now starting my workday and feel like I could take a nap.

Eye Opening

If you know what you are looking for, you will see it immediately. If you don't know, it will remain hidden. It is this way with people, places and things. I can spot a stain on my driveway from 20 feet away. No one else would ever see it. I can find my way on a road that has no signs because I know where to turn. The most striking example of this is with people. Have you ever met someone for the first time and then within a week, see them again, whether it is in a store or just walking in town? They were there all along, but you never noticed. I call it your "frequency". If something is in your scope of consciousness, it will be ingrained forever.

Entrapment

In case you do not know it, Nassau County has a new trick up their sleeve. There are now speed traps in front of most schools. The cameras are not visible and the signs blend in with all others. Even though the signs say 30 mph from 7am to 6pm SCHOOL DAYS, they are sending violations in the mail during the summer if you go over 40 mph. The schools in my neighborhood are on main roads that have a 40 mph limit otherwise. Since it is summer, people are adhering to the 40 mile limit and going maybe a few miles over 40. That is where the problem lies. Friends that live off the main school street are being ticketed each time they pass the school, even if they are only going 41 mph. The tickets are $80 each. So far one person got 3 tickets in one day. I am sure that I will be receiving at least one since my husband travels past the school on his way to the parkway. If someone went past the schools 6 times a day for at least the two weeks that the cameras are in force, are they supposed to pay over $5000 in fines? How come our Mexican borders do not have such tight restrictions? It makes you think.

Week By Week

I babysit for my grandson one evening a week. It amazes me how much a baby can change in 7 days. Each week he has learned a new skill.  Things that I showed him the previous week, he now does with ease. I never focused on my children as much since they were full term babies. Preemies go by different rules. They grow at "preemie pace". From the day he was born, we were told that by two years old he would be exactly where he needs to be. I think he will get there before two.

Inconsiderate

Why are people inconsiderate? Yesterday I had set up 6 interviews for a part time job. Out of the six, only 2 people showed up. Why did the other four even bother to send a resume if they had no intention of showing up to an interview? If they had a change of mind, do the right thing and call to cancel. Luckily, the two women that did show up were very nice and I decided to add more hours to the original job so that I could hire both of them. Maybe there is a high unemployment rate because no one really wants to work.

Green

For the past decade we have been using the word green to mean ecologically correct. Going green is showing up in many aspects of our lives. Green energy, green household cleaners, and green paper goods are just among the few ways that we are asked to live our lives. For some reason, the picture of green paper bags popped into my head the other day. If you are my age, you probably remember going to the grocery store and putting your fruit into these small dark green bags. Plastic bags were not used. There would be a stack of these bags at the produce department and I have vivid memories of my mother placing peaches and plums into them. When you got home the fruit remained in the bags until it was ripe. The bags would then be used for school lunches. If we are so environmentally conscious, how come the green bags are a thing of the past?

Awkward Interview

This morning I will be starting to interview for a part time receptionist job. I have two applicants this morning and a few later in the week. My first interview should have not been booked but this is a politically correct world, so I had to make the appointment. A young man sent his resume and I called him. I would hire a male if he was qualified. When he answered the phone, he stuttered. The job description was listed as "heavy phones" which means high volume of calls. Why did he send the resume? Heavy phones means stress and stutterers do not do well under stress. I know this because my degree is in Speech Pathology. I listened to every word as we had our conversation and made an interview for 9am this morning. I feel bad wasting his time, but there is no way for a person who stutters, to answer the phone in a practice that specializes in OCD.

Orange

I walked into my local Dollar Tree yesterday and saw orange. It took a moment to realize that I was seeing pumpkins. The store was being stocked with Halloween ornaments. Really? Halloween in August. I guess I should not have been so surprised. The store had "back to school" items in June when school was still in session.

Rain, Rain

It is the first week of August and so far the weather has been awful. Rainy, clammy and cool. I remember when I was a child, August was warm, sunny and beautiful. Yesterday, I actually went to the town pool with my sister and my husband. We were the only three people there, except for the lifeguards. The only difference was that they had to be there. We didn't. There was just nothing else to do. I do my "winter weekend" errands on Fridays during the summer, so I have the entire weekend to sit and relax at the pool. Yesterday we did sit and relax. The only problem was that we sat under our towels, as it was so cold.

If You're Happy

We all know the song "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands". It has been sung by children for many years. We learned it as babies and years later taught it to our babies. It is an ongoing cycle of childhood. The other day, my grandson was playing with a toy that has a few songs recorded in it. There is a continuous music sequence and the song "If you're happy" is somewhere in the middle of the rotation. He was playing and listening to the songs and as soon as he heard the first four notes of the "happy" song, he began to clap his hands. He clapped at the appropriate times throughout the song and then resumed playing. The other songs played and he had no particular reaction. When the happy song played again, he stopped what he was doing, began to clap his hands and looked up at me with the biggest grin. He knew he was doing something special.

No Connection

I have a Verizon Business account at work. For a while they suspended the rewards program but they have recently started the program again. I received a notice in the mail and went online to purchase items for my office. I signed in and just as I was about to choose my rewards, the office phones got busy, so I logged off. Later in the evening I tried to access the account again and the website said that I did not have an account. I used the online chat option and they say that I did have an account, but for some reason the site had locked me out. I tried again this morning and I still cannot get access. At 8:30 I will call a live person. Hopefully they can unlock me.

No x 3

Lately I have been getting a lot of solicitor phone calls. When I see the 866 or 877 number I know that it is not a call I want. I always try to start off polite because the person at the other end is just trying to do their job and make a living. What I do not understand is when I say "no" once, why can't they accept it. They go on and on and I say "no" twice. I do not really want to hang up on someone, but if I have to say "no" the third time, I hang up. The next time someone does not take my first "no" as the end of the conversation, I am going to ask them to explain why they want to continue the call until someone is forced to be rude.

War of the Ants

I am having a war with some tiny ants. Every few years the tiny ants come out from hiding and run rampant on my kitchen counter. There is never any food or crumbs out, so I have no idea what they are after. I have sprayed them with ant spray and wiped the counters with ammonia but they keep coming back. Years ago cinnamon used to get rid of them. This year the cinnamon only works to keep them out of the microwave. I think they spent the last two years coming up with a plan to outsmart me. I am by no means paranoid, but I think I heard them laughing at me. This morning when I woke up, there were no ants. They either got tired of harassing me or they are just sleeping late.