The Glove

I saw something strange yesterday morning while, I was driving to work. When I looked at the car next to me, I saw a young girl smoking a cigarette, with her hand out the window. The strange part was, that she was wearing a plastic, see through glove. The kind that deli workers use when slicing meat. As I sat at the light, I was trying to figure out why she had the glove on. Was she trying to keep her fingers smelling clean, instead of like smoke. If that was the reason, why wasn't she wearing a bag over her head. What good is a clean smelling hand, if your face smells smokey? I pulled up a bit closer to see her other hand. No glove. So now, I am surmising that we do not have an OCD issue, going on here. Then I noticed her talking on her cell phone with the other hand. Was she driving with her knees? Now, this was getting a bit disturbing. I was glad when the light turned green and I was able to turn onto the street where I work. I can't take such mental pressure before the work day even begins.

Great Interest

I received a bank statement today and laughed. The interest posted was 1 cent. It cost the bank 45 additional cents to mail me the statement. How ludicrous. I remember when interest was 18%. That was in the 1980's. When you walked into the banks, there would be a table stacked high with gifts, that they hoped would give you the incentive, to lock away your money, for 5 years. In those days, checking accounts got a "paltry" 5%. I remember turning my nose up at that amount. The gifts on the table, ranged from color televisions, VCR's and microwaves, to Corning Ware, toaster ovens and heating blankets. We all had to think about if we really wanted to put our money into a 5 year certificate of deposit, for 18%, PER YEAR! People tried to break up their money into as many accounts as they could to reap the benefits of receiving as many gifts as possible. Some people would ask for more than one gift per account, if they has  a sizable amount of money to deposit. "Give me a color TV and throw in the 20 piece Corning Ware". If we only knew what the future of banking would be, we would locked away as much as we could for as long as we could. I still can't believe 1 cent!

Truly Blessed

I am truly blessed. Today is my mothers' birthday. She is 88. She still looks beautiful and dresses like a fashionista. She has the energy of a 30 year old, but with some aches and pains. There is not a person that meets her, that does not like her. She does not have a bad bone in her body. Even though I am 56, if I have a problem, I can still call "Mommy" and cry about it, like a big baby. She will always hear me out, never judge and give the correct advice. She makes me laugh. When I call her and she has to leave the phone to get something, she will hum a song and say "please hold on, your call is very important to me". That routine never gets old, as far as I am concerned. She is very fair with my sister and me. If she gives one of us something, she makes sure the other one gets the equivalent. She loves candy and cake and her face lights up when she eats anything sweet. Just like a kid. I just came home from visiting her, because my sister and I would never miss her birthday weekend. We will continue to do so, for the next 25 years.

Homeward Bound

Time really does fly when you are having fun. It is 6am and I have not slept all night. This morning, I am flying home. The flight is an early one and unknowingly, we booked it on the day that the clocks are set ahead one hour. Hence, the sleepless night. There is no alarm clock in the house, so I set my cell phone alarm. I had never done this before and being the controlling person I am, I could not trust it. I need to do a dry run with everything in my life, so I could not relax, just winging it. I am glad to say that the cell phone alarm passed muster. Had I known this, I might have slept. I always like to leave on a high note and this trip is no exception. We had a great time and laughed a lot. We had the pleasure of seeing Tony Orlando, last night, at the "Famous Palace Theater". He was as good as he was in the 70's. It was worth staying up late for. So now, I will make my lunch for the airplane and get ready for a tearful goodbye. Hopefully I will not be frisked at the airport. I am too tired for that.

The Scale

I have traveled through most of the United States. Even though we are one country, there are many differences, from state to state. The one that amuses me the most, is in Florida. There is a large supermarket chain named Publix. The one thing that they have, that I have not seen anywhere else, is "The Scale". At the entrance of each Publix, is a large scale. Not for fruits or vegetables. For people. As each person enters the store, no matter how many times a week that they go shopping, they jump onto the scale. If they are alone, they "weigh and go". If they are with someone, after they have all stood on the scale, they discuss their weight. Each one says that the scale at home, or in the gym, is not the same as the one in Publix. They always say that the scale that reflects the lowest weight, is the correct one.Sometimes people wait until no one is next to them, to do the clandestine weigh in. I do not know why this matters, but it is amusing to watch. I do not know the rationale behind why the scale is there. Is it to have you buy more food or less food? All I know, is that when I am in Florida, I "do as the Romans do" and jump onto the scale, too.

Food For Thought

 Everyone loves to eat. Food is necessary for survival. Food is also a social activity. I am still in Florida, visiting my parents. As soon as we see their friends, the first question is, "where are you eating dinner tonight"? Everyone runs through the list of which places are good and which are not. The list changes seasonally. Places that were the best ones last year, are now on the "worst" list. Senior citizens can shut down a business within a month. A cold cup of soup or an aloof waitress could lead to disaster. To displease one, is to displease all. They are the toughest audience that I have ever met. Years ago, I worked in a large hospital. The drug reps had to visit the doctors weekly, just to keep their products in good standing. A new rep came in one day, to try and sell a new type of anesthetic. Although there were at least 15 doctors in the room, everyone ignored him. Week after week, for about two months, I watched, as this young man tried so hard to be heard. Then he got smart. One day he brought in bagels, cream cheese and lox. In one instant, he went from being the invisible man to the bell of the ball. After that day, be brought in bagels and lox, once a week. After a month, the hospital switched to his new product. Patients did not know that the anesthesia they were being given, was decided upon, because the doctors loved bagels. That is food for thought.

Pink Cloud Of Happiness

Last night I went out to dinner with my parents and sister. We went to a popular buffet type restaurant called The Golden Corral. They serve American foods that include salads, various unhealthy fried foods, heavy starches and salty meats. In other words, a really good, tasty meal, at a reasonable price. I piled my plate high with a melange of unrelated foods and sat down to eat. That is when I saw it....a pink cloud of happiness. Cotton candy. I instantly became mesmerized. I had a front row seat to the best show on earth. A woman wrapping strands of hair like sugar onto a long paper cone, that would form this delicious puff of delight. From that point on, I became a child. I raced through my meal, eating just enough food so my parents would not scold me. I pushed the remainder of food into a small pile on the side of the plate to give the appearance that I had eaten my full meal. Even though my family had just begun to eat their main meal, I excused myself from the table and made a bee-line to the cotton candy stand. I pulled my "cloud of happiness" out of the stand and began to eat it on the walk back to the table. I had not had cotton candy for about 25 years, but it was as good as I remembered it. It melted in my mouth and left my hands all sticky. My sister took a picture of me eating it , to chronicle the event. I never looked happier. Fifty six years old with pink sugar stuck to the corners of my mouth. Does life get better than this?