Snowflake

When I was in Florida, I learned a new term. For years I have known the term "Snowbird". It means someone who spends the summers in New York and flies to Florida for the winter to avoid the cold weather. Last week I was called a "Snowflake". A snowflake is someone who visits a snowbird. I thought it was a cute expression. I am now a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and snowflake. I guess I wear many hats.

Party Day

Today most of my family will be going to a party. I will be at a bridal shower for one of my young doctors. My sister will be at her friend's 60th birthday celebration. My parents will be at the end of the year Snowbird's club luncheon. In all of our years we have never had a day when each person was going to a different party. The events represent life cycles. Beginning for a bride, middle for middle age birthday and end for a conclusion of a season.

Great Deal

I received a coupon in the mail yesterday from a local computer store. There were three free offers on it. Two offers were for flash drives and one was for an Android Tablet. With the coupon, the tablet was $19.99. At first I thought it said $199, as tablets are not cheap. I went to the store and showed an associate the coupon. He went into the stock room and came out with a box. It contained the Android Tablet. I always wanted one, but never actually looked into it. I purchased it for $19.99 and added a 3 year warranty for $3.99. I took it home and opened it up. I had no idea how to use it. I called my son and went to his house for a lesson. Now I am somewhat educated on it. I love it!

Think Alike

When I first started lecturing for the New York Public Library, I offered one topic. The subject was "Your Journey To Self Awareness". Since then, I have offered 14 more topics. The individual branches make their choices and then the main branch notifies me. For the past few years, the branches have chosen the same four topics. Bear in mind, that each branch does not know what the others choose as each one has a separate librarian. This week I was notified that three libraries want me to lecture. One in Staten Island, one on the upper east side of Manhattan and one on the upper west side of Manhattan. For some strange reason, all three have chosen my original topic of self awareness. What are the odds of that?

Meat Locker

I feel like I am living in a meat locker. For the past two days it has been brutally cold outside. They say that as you get older, you get colder. Your blood thins out so you feel chilled. This cold has nothing to do with age. The low temperatures added to the high winds has created an unusually cold climate. It is the end of March and we have been through enough. I have worn the same black sweater over my regular top for three days now. It is getting to look like a uniform.

Bad Prediction

I woke up this morning and looked out of my window to see the big snow storm. A few days ago a major storm was predicted. Then it was downgraded to a few inches. It turned out to be nothing at all. It is already Spring. If there is a snow storm in sight, please do not tell me. I have had enough "storm tracking" for the year. Let me find out about accumulations the old fashioned way, by opening my window shades and peeping out.

New Career

This afternoon, in work, we are having a going away party. One of our interns has completed a year at our facility and is moving on. He was an unlikely candidate from the beginning. He is 40 years old and a cameraman for movies and commercials. He decided he wanted to become a psychologist and realized that in order to get into graduate school he needed some experience on his resume. By chance, he met my director at a convention and asked if he could volunteer as a research assistant. We love free help! He started as the "new guy" and ended up as the supervisor of all of the interns. He became the one in charge of people that had a higher education and experience level. Some people disliked him for that. He applied for graduate school and because volunteering at my office holds a lot of weight in the psychology world, he got into his school of choice, in a program that limits its candidates to 30 students. This just goes to show what hard work and persistence can do.

Phones

My phone contract was up this month, so we went to the Verizon store to get our new phones. We are in a group of four for better savings, as most people are. The store had the two I phones in stock and they were promptly activated and good to go. The other two phones are the basic type that only have text and no data.The store was out of them. I asked if they were getting them in and they had no idea. I asked if they could order them and I would pick them up at the store and they said they couldn't. I would have to go home and order them online. I went home and got onto the Verizon page. The order would not process. I had to call Verizon and speak to customer service. They put through the order and then linked me to the "acceptance line" where I had to vow to be loyal to Verizon for two more years. The last prompt said to enter my Verizon password. I tried the usual password to no avail. Each alternative one did not work either. I had to call Verizon three more times until the order was completed. Good thing I only have to do this every two years.

Warming Up

Each time I see my granddaughter, there is a warming up period. She has to evaluate who we are, why we know her parents, and if it is safe to play with us. It usually takes an hour. Like clockwork, that is what happened. Her eyes turned from a skeptical squint to wide open acceptance. By the end of the day it was as if we were good friends. She showed us her room and her toys and even pointed to her body parts, just so we would know she was up on things. As she grows, she will remember the visits and the warm up period will decrease. This morning we are going to have breakfast with her and then get on the road again. I have taken enough video to tide me over for a few weeks.

Overnight

This morning, we are leaving for an overnight visit with my granddaughter. We haven't seen her since December and three months is a long time in a baby's life. I asked my son to show her pictures of us this week, so she would be familiar with our faces. I am sure he forgot to do that. My grandson sees me everyday and knows who I am, but I realize that since she doesn't and we will be strangers to her. When she is older she will remember who we are. I can't wait to hug her and kiss her and cram months worth of love into two days.

Shopping

Today I am going food shopping, as I do every week. Most times, I see a new product and try it. Most times, I hate it. I feel so bad throwing away food, so I slowly eat it until there is no more. Today I finished up the last drops of my citrus smoothie drink. It looked so good in the bottle, but was a bit hard to swallow. It was as thick as molasses and too fruity. It took three weeks to finish but I did it. Today I promised myself I will only purchase what is on my list.

Giggles

My husband has become a "collector". He collects different kinds of memorabilia. While most of it is very interesting, I do not have the enthusiasm that he does. He recently purchased a vintage cast iron mechanical piggy bank. You put a penny in a dog's mouth and hit a release button. The dog jumps through a hoop and deposits the penny into a bucket. I watched it do its trick twice. It was cute but not earth shattering. Yesterday, he decided to show it to our grandson who is 11 months old. He watched as the dog went through the hoop and started to giggle hysterically. My husband showed him again and he giggled the same way. By the third round, my son videoed the reaction. Uncontrollable giggling. Something about that toy made him laugh. I guess my husband found his audience.

Rash Decision

This was a tough winter for New Yorkers. The temperatures were arctic and the snowfall was more than usual. The maintenance man in the building where I work had an especially hard time. Although the parking lot was plowed, the street and walkways were his responsibility. It is a large area to shovel and the building management company never gave him the snowblower they promised him. Every year he shovels by hand. Every year they say that next year they will buy the blower. When the maintenance man was off during one of the more minor storms, the management company sent over their supervisor to clear the paths. They sent him with a snowblower. When the regular man heard of this he was furious. He is 65 years old and while he is in good health, he felt that he should not have to shovel the old fashioned way. This man is a wonderful reliable worker, besides being a nice person. Last week, he put in his retirement papers. He was happy for the first few days, but when a young man was sent to him to be trained for the opening, he realized that he might have made a wrong decision. His wife is still working and he never planned what he would do, once retirement day came. Each day he looks sadder and sadder. I hope he finds a better life after he leaves us.

Does Anyone Look?

I was dining at a local restaurant the other day. I ordered a chicken dish that was stuffed with asparagus and cheese and rolled up. When it came to the table, it looked great. I started to eat it and it tasted delicious. I decided to look and see what type of cheese was rolled into the chicken and saw a pink color. After looking closer, I saw that the chicken inside the roll up was raw. I called over the waiter and showed him. He apologized and said he would take it back. I asked him to just heat it a few more minutes. I waited for 10 minutes and out came a new dish, freshly made. I cut into the middle to check it and this one was also raw in the middle. The waiter looked very embarrassed. I told him to just wrap it up and I would bake it thoroughly the next day for dinner. I started to think if anyone really looks at what they are eating. If this was the restaurant's signature dish and it came out raw two times, does that mean it is never cooked right, but no one ever looked.

Home Again

I am back home and it feels as if I was never away. The flight home was delayed by one hour but arrived at the airport only a half hour late. Jet Blue uses psychology when it schedules its flights. They list the arrival time one hour later than it should be. If you arrive "on time" you come in one hour early. This makes you think they are efficient. If you take off one hour late, you come in only a half hour late, so you think they flew faster. No one ever actually calculates how long it should take to get to your destination. We just look at the ticket and trust what we are told.

Duck Fact

I found a note at my desk this morning that says "duck fact". I have no idea what it means. Many times when I think of a topic for this blog, I write it down as I do not trust my memory anymore. I must have had a thought about a "duck fact" and wrote the words down, weeks ago. I have no interest nor information about ducks, so why would I have jotted those words down? From now on, if I write a thought down I will also need to add a few key words.

Charting the Weather

Whenever I travel I like to chart the weather a few days in advance. I like to know if it will be good flying or driving weather. I have no input, but somehow just having the knowledge makes me happy. The New York weather has been very erratic this season. This week alone it will range from 61 degrees one day, to 27 degrees the next. Is it a fluke or is it global warming?

Feeling Young

I am 58 years old and a grandparent of two. When I am in the state of Florida, I am referred to as a "kid". My parents friends will ask, When did the "kids" arrive? Where will you eat tonight with the "kids"?" We are referred to as "Bea and Phil's kids". As much as I take care of more of my parent's chores, I am reverted to a child in their friend's eyes. When I walk hand in hand with them, their friends see it as them holding me and not the reverse. I smile and pray that I will stay a kid forever.

My Right Hand

We all joke about someone being our right hand. My sister is truly my right hand. She is someone who can be depended on any time of day and in any circumstance, to be there for me. Whenever I travel to Florida, I have no internet connection at my parent's house, so I write the blogs a day ahead and she posts them each morning. With her right hand. She knows I would do the same for her, without her asking. It would be very hard to live without my right hand. This time we are both going to Florida. We will have to search for a connection, but that's okay. As long as we do it together.

Happy Birthday, Mom

This morning I am going to Florida for my yearly visit. This year will be especially important. Today is my mother's 90th birthday. She is still a vibrant woman who dresses fashionably and always has her hair styled. She still goes for manicures and pedicures. She looks much younger than her age and has more energy than I do. I will be there until Sunday and will make the most of every minute. My father is also 90. I am so blessed. I hope the time moves slowly. I want to soak up every minute of being with them.

Quite Fearful

Last night's workshop went very well. A few more people than I expected attended. Luckily, I had enough seats and extra workbooks. The group was varied in age from 16 to 70, some males but mostly females. When we answered the questions in the workbook and started to discuss them, most people had the same answers. Their fears were no different whether they were young or old. They all feared germs. They all feared the dark. They all feared crowds. Most of all they all feared death. We had a great discussion on the topic and everyone said that they had a better insight into themselves after the workshop. I am always very clear to my groups that I am not there to give them the answers. I am only there to ask them the questions that will get them thinking, in order for them to become more self aware.

Standing Room

This evening, I am giving a workshop on "Fears". Normally about 10 people sign up. Tonight, at least 18 have signed up and there are supposed to be a few walk ins. This means that I will have to alter the way the workshop is run. Since the class is interactive, we all share our thoughts after answering questions in the workbook. I cannot get input on every question from all 18 people or we would be there until midnight. I think I will divide the class into three sections and then rotate the questions that are answered. That might work.

Spring Ahead

Last night at 2am, the time changed. We moved the clocks ahead one hour. My internal clock never changes. I still got up at what used to be 6:30am, but today it was dark again. Just when I was getting used to waking up to daylight, I was set back. Now it will take a few more weeks to get back to where I was. People that worked overnight shifts got to work one hour less. It will now feel more like spring, since it will be light out later than 6pm. It just feels good.

Florida Routine

I am in Florida and even though I come here twice a year, it feels like a home away from home. My parent's friends feel like relatives. I only see them every few months but I feel as if it was yesterday. Where else can you be 58 years old and still be called a "kid"? We eat at the same restaurants and even have the same meal each time. We walk  hand in hand wherever we go. We repeat the same stories and enjoy them as if they were being told for the first time. Nothing gets old in Florida. Not even the people.

My Style

Ever since I can remember, I have loved jewelry. When I was a child, I never wanted toys for my birthday. I wanted rings and necklaces. As I grow older, that has not changed. I sometimes joke that I must have been an Egyptian princess in a past life because I love to be coated in gold. Once I put on a piece of jewelry that I love, I will wear it until I break it. I never take it off. When I get a necklace, I have to re-do it to be unique. I take out my jewelers tools and add other pieces to it. This week, I took three necklaces and combined them into one. It looks beautiful and I get compliments wherever I go. You can keep your handbags, shoes and clothes. Just give me my jewelry.

Crossroads

Today I am giving a lecture at a local high school morning program. The topic is "Life's Crossroads". I usually lecture in the evenings, so I am curious as to who the audience will be on a Friday at 11am. Crossroads happen to everyone. It is a point in your life where you need to take a new road and move in a new direction. Even though it might seem scary, it is a wonderful opportunity to branch out and widen your horizons.  Crossroads happen in the form of relationships, jobs, health and age. I love getting new insight from the people that come to my lectures. I learn as much from them as they learn from me.

Order of Importance

There has been a fight brewing in my office. Besides being a psychology practice, we are also a research facility. We do drug studies, write books and present our work world wide. Tomorrow is the deadline for a presentation that will be given at a conference in France next month. The problem arose when the power point was printed and the order of the names on the paper was not the order that was expected. Of course, my boss the director, was first, but the second and third names out of five, were a surprise. Those names were of the two newest people who have less credentials. No one seems to know who did this, so that is where the fighting erupted. When interviewed, everyone claims to know nothing. It is getting to be a nasty fight. I am watching from the sidelines, as it makes good drama. I think I know who did it, but I am not telling.

D.A.N.

Years ago, I heard the expression "DAN'. It did not refer to a man but to the ability to drive at night.In Florida, if a single man is also a Dan, you have hit the jackpot. I thought about this last night as I was driving to one of my lectures. My night vision is not what it used to be and the glare from the oncoming cars makes it worse. If I know the route I am fine, but if I need to go to somewhere unfamiliar I might be in trouble. I hope I can remain a Dan for many more years.

If It Works

I believe in the saying, "if it works, don't fix it". Last week, I had to update my work computer to Windows 7, as Windows XP is becoming outdated. My computer tech said that it really wasn't, but Microsoft wanted to phase it out, so they stopped supporting it. If you are doing routine things on it, you will be fine. I had the update done and have had trouble every day since. Every time I go into a new program for the first time, it does not work. I have to stop working, place a call to the computer tech, wait for a call back and then work through it with him as he enters my computer system virtually. When I am at home, I receive calls from my staff saying things are not going well. This update has caused nothing but problems. Until every program is opened and fixed, the update will still be in progress.

No Storm

All weekend I was getting ready for the big storm. I rearranged my doctor's schedules and made contingency plans. After having so many weather channels saying that there would be 7 inches of accumulation, I decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. I just got up and looked out of my window and saw only a dusting of snow. I checked the parkway cameras and the roads are fine. I am so glad that the big storm never came.

Ole Time Recipe

This afternoon I am going to try and recreate a recipe that my grandmother made years ago. It is a European dish called pitcha. I got a recipe from someone's grandmother and it looks like it would be good. It will take about four hours to cook. I have been thinking about making this meal for years but did not know where to buy the main ingredient. When I was in Brooklyn yesterday, there it was. A package of calves feet. The area I was in is Russian, so they had it. If it comes out good, I will be able to relive a bit of my childhood. If it comes out bad, all I lost was the price of the calves feet and four hours of my time.

Like A Lion

There is an old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. According to the weather reports, I think it will hold true. Just when we thought that the worst was over and the snow was melting, we are due for another large snow storm. This winter I have been viewing the Accuweather and Weather.com websites quite frequently. They offer an "extended forecast". I have been looking ahead ten days at a time and see that the report changes every day. When the actual day arrives, the weather is totally different. When I looked last week, there was no storm in sight and the temperatures for the first two weeks of March were supposed to be in the high 40's to low 50's. If the extended forecast is not correct, why post it? It serves no purpose. I have come to the conclusion that the best weather report is the one you get when you look out of your window. Two weeks ago, in the evening, my son said "Wow, the sky is so pink, we're going to have a bad snowstorm". The next day we got 13 inches. Maybe he should apply for a job as the new weatherman.